Page 11 of Protective Assignment
“Thanks,” River mumbled against her shoulder.She wasn’t sure why Hannah seemed so intent on helping her, but she didn’t appear to have any bad intentions, nor did she expect River to spill her life’s story.
“There’s a single cabin right next to mine,” Hannah told her.“They’re pretty small, as you can see, but they do the job, and you’ll have your own bathroom so you don’t have to share showers with the guys up at the lodge.”
“Sounds nice,” River replied, and she felt a smile spread over her face.She took a sip of the latte that Hannah had made for her, and its sweet warmth spread out over her tongue.She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring it.“Wow, that’s really good,” she remarked.
Hannah grinned.“You can have coffee with me every morning if you want to.”
“I think I’d like that,” River replied.She could feel something in her starting to relax and unwind from the tight coil it had been in since she had arrived here.Well, even longer than that if she was honest.Even if Hannah said it wasn’t much, having a cabin to herself, something other than hershredded sleeping bag to rest in all night, would feel like the height of luxury to her.
She and Hannah spent the rest of the day together, with River tagging along as Hannah took care of her regular duties.Even though she didn’t officially have a job here yet, Hannah insisted on showing her how things ran, and River was glad to have a look at this place from the inside out.The more she knew about how things worked, the safer she would feel.She appreciated any knowledge she could get on how to fit in at the lodge and not stick out like a sore thumb like she’d been doing since she got there.The first step would be to learn her way around so she didn’t get lost again as she had that morning.
Hannah and River chatted as they walked back to Hannah’s cabin once she was done with her responsibilities for the day.Well, Hannah did most of the talking, but River was glad for the company.Being on her own for so long, she hadn’t exactly had a chance to get to know anyone in many years.It felt good to not be alone and to have someone to talk to about ordinary things.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, all right?”Hannah told River, once they had reached her cabin.“I’ll talk to the guys like I said, and I bet I can get them to agree to you staying here.”
“Thanks, Hannah,” River told her, and she really meant it.She didn’t know why these people were being so kind to her, but she sure was thankful for it.
She made her way up the gravel path to the main entrance after saying goodbye to Hannah.Since it wasn’t fully dark yet, she thought she might take the opportunity to do some more exploring around the outside of the lodge.She’d been inside with Hannah most of the day.
She walked in the direction opposite of the cluster of cabins, taking in the sight of the beautiful tress and enjoying the crisp air.The seasonal colors of fall highlighting the deep greens of the surrounding forest was a sight to behold.Off in the distance she heard a thumping sound and what sounded like animals—horses to be exact—milling around.
Curiosity got the better of her and she turned toward the noises, finding a trail that branched off from the one she was on.The whinnying of horses and a man’s voice reached her ears right before the pathway opened up to a shelter-type area with a few horses trotting around a fenced-in area.A man she’d not seen before was hammering boards on the frame of the building.A handyman, maybe?Not wanting to interrupt or be caught somewhere she shouldn’t be, she turned back to the main trail, deciding she’d ask Hannah or Cade about it later.She’d never ridden a horse before and wasn’t sure she’d want to, but she would love to get a closer look at the beautiful creatures.
She realized she’d walked farther than she intended when she spotted another small building on the opposite side of the trail from where it branched off to the horses.She must have been so lost in thought on the walk out here that she hadn’t even noticed it before.She wasn’t going to pay attention to it now, but the light inside suddenly turned on and she could see the shadows of people moving around.She immediately felt unsettled and glanced around, making sure nobody was watching her.She needed to know who was in there, and she wouldn’t be able to relax until she did.
As quietly as she could, River slipped over to the building, feeling her heart thrumming in her chest as she went.
She reached the door and pressed her ear to it.She heardmuffled voices—men, by the sound of it—coming from the other side.She pushed the door open slightly and peered around.A short distance inside, she could see men talking.River recognized a few of them—Cade, of course, and the couple of men who had been sitting with him in the cafeteria her first night.Xavier and Carter, maybe?Then there was another man she didn’t think she recognized, but it was hard to tell because his back was facing her.And beside him, the sight of a man that made her stomach drop.
A cop stood right there, in the cluster of men.The hair on the back of her neck rose, and she felt a shiver run down her spine.
Chapter Seven
“So, what exactly is this about?”Cade asked as he looked around the group that had gathered in one of the small buildings behind the main lodge.Carter had walked out with him telling him that there would be someone else joining their meeting with Xavier and Lawson.
“Cade, this is Sheriff Willis,” Lawson introduced the other man in the room.
The man extended his hand to Cade, and Cade took it, looking him up and down.He was a cop, no doubt about it.
“Good to meet you, sheriff.”Cade nodded in greeting.“Now, is someone going to tell me what’s going on here?”
“I’ve been hearing some rumors I thought you might be interested in.”Willis replied, furrowing his brow.He brushed back a strand of his thinning gray hair, a concerned expression on his face.
“Rumors?”Cade asked, ears perking up.“About what?”
“We had a meeting with some other local law enforcement across state lines,” he explained.“And all of us are seeing a marked uptick in gang activity.Not the usual kind, though, and that’s what worries me.”
“What’s been going on?”Lawson asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“All across the Carolinas, there’s one group who’s causing us a whole lot of headaches,” he continued.“The Shep-ards of Rebellion.”
Shepards of Rebellion.Cade repeated the name in his head, seeing if it stuck anywhere, but he couldn’t place it at all.
“And what’s this got to do with the lodge?”Xavier wondered aloud.
“We’ve been hearing stories of people getting robbed out on the Appalachian Trail, not far from you,” he explained.“Figured you might want to let some of your guys know about it.”
“People have been robbed?What for?”Carter asked, frowning.
