Page 51 of Grimm

“I see those mountains all the time, but I haven’t driven to the base,” Dezi said.

Chad stepped up to the image. “We take people out four-wheeling on the trails around those mountains. There’s an old mining ghost town they like to visit. It’s a popular attraction for ATV tours.”

“Could you get us there?” Dezi asked.

Chad nodded. “Sure. But it would have to be tomorrow. I’m pushing my time now, being out this late. The outfitter company I work for doesn’t like me to keep my clients out past dark. It’s too dangerous in the mountains. They don’t want us driving off a cliff.” He shrugged. “Liability issues.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of dark, we need to get going, or we won’t make it back to the truck before nightfall.”

“We have what we need,” Grimm said. “How do we get back to the four-wheelers?”

“Please tell me we don’t have to scale a cliff to get back,” Dezi said. “Rappelling down was scary enough.”

Chad grinned. “There’s a trail that takes us around the side of the mountain and comes out a little above where we left the ATVs.”

“Thank God,” Dezi said. “Remind me to bake you a cake.”

Chad and Grimm laughed as they left the cave. Sliding down the loose gravel to the base of the cave was easier than the hike up. Once on firm ground, they followed Chad on a trail that led them around the side of the hill and up through a pass to the other side. By the time they reached the ATVs, the mountainside was bathed in long shadows. The sun had passed below the top of the peaks. Dusk was settling in, making the old mining trail more dangerous.

Thankfully, the four-wheelers all had headlights to light their way through the roughest parts of the trail.

When they reached the trucks, Dezi’s hands ached from manhandling the handlebars and keeping her seat over the worst of the rocky track.

Grimm helped Chad load the three ATVs on the trailer and followed him down the mountain road to the highway.

They agreed to meet first thing in the morning at the fork in the road where Chad would park the trailer. From there, they would ride out on the four-wheelers, following the old mining road to the ghost town, nestled at the base of the M-shaped peak and the warrior face peak.

Dezi didn’t know the true names of the peaks and didn’t care, as long as the building they were looking for was at the base of the two mountains.

Chad turned left where the highway split to go to Bozeman in one direction and Eagle Rock in the other. Grimm turned toward Eagle Rock and pressed down on the accelerator.

“Are you as frustrated as I am that we aren’t any further along on the treasure hunt?” Dezi asked.

“Yes and no,” Grimm responded. “I’d feel better if we could nail the guy killing people. Based on your Uncle’s list, I didn’t think this would be the end of the hunt.”

Dezi sighed. “Same. But the stress is getting to me.”

Grimm shot her a smile. “You were badass in how you handled rappelling. I’ve seen bigger, badder, meaner men cry like babies going over the edge for the first time.”

She gave him a skeptical glance. “I doubt that.”

He chuckled. “Maybe not like babies, but I’ve seen them freak the hell out, turn upside down and freeze.”

“Thank you,” Dezi said. “That makes me feel a little better.” She sat for a while without saying anything, thinking about the day and what all had happened. “Don’t you think it was a little weird that no one else showed up on the trail today?”

“I kept looking for someone to come up behind us.” Grimm shrugged. “No one did.”

“Makes me think we’re giving the killer too much credit.”

Grimm frowned. “How so?”

“He wants the treasure, isn’t afraid to kill a few old men to get it, but if he’s one of the poker players, he can’t be much younger.”

“You think he was too old to attempt the hike, rappel and do a little spelunking?”

Dezi nodded. “Why go to all that trouble when he knows I will.”

“At what point do you think he’ll step in to claim his prize?” Grimm cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

“I don’t know. It’s freaky. I’m afraid he’ll strike at any moment.” A chill snaked down her spine, and she shivered. “Then, again, I think he might wait until we actually find the treasure to strike. Why do all the work when you can have someone else doing it, and you can reap the benefits after the fact?”

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