Page 22 of Covert Obsession

Sharp edges of the handholds cut through his gloves, nicking his skin. He released his grip and vaulted into the dark cave, shadows engulfing him. He didn’t quite stick the landing, bumping into a crate of left-behind supplies. It would be impossible here to see any kind of warning system unless he used his flashlight. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t.

What’s new? He flicked on the beam, keeping his breathing quiet as he studied the path forward. Narrow metal tracks, cobwebs, and endless darkness waited for him. It resembled his idea of hell. Purgatory.

Jordy appeared.This way.

Good thing he was a pro at climbing through the darkness and making it out. He’d done it before and he would do it again. For Lydia Charmaine. For Parker.

For Jordy.

Yes, I see and talk to my brother’s ghost.Wait until he dropped that bomb on Montgomery.Then she’ll know I’m certifiable.

Today wasn’t that day. In his wet socks, Moe followed the apparition his mind had created into the depths of the abandoned mine, wondering if this might be his last tour of duty.

FOURTEEN

Parker swayed in the saddle as Remy slowly but steadily climbed another hillock. She’d lost count of how many they’d taken since leaving Moe.

The top of her head seemed to float off her shoulders, her brain buzzing. She could barely keep her eyes open. She’d picked this spot on the map before they’d left the ranch, knowing it would be one of the few high enough to receive communication. Colton had done a good job of charting the area for exactly this sort of thing, and she would make sure Emit and Beatrice knew how valuable his assistance had been.

Her mouth was dry, and she pulled a hat from the pack to block the sun. Once it had broken over the horizon in full glory, it had become too bright. Her eyes weren’t typically sensitive, but right now with her head pounding, she desperately wished for sunglasses.

Retrieving a bottle from the backpack she wore, she was relieved to see the trailhead widening out ahead. The trees were thinner here and she could set up the satellite phone.

She coaxed the horses to a stop and downed water before dismounting. Leading them through the clearing and to a row of dead trees, she tossed their reins over a branch, checking to make sure they were hidden. They nuzzled each other and she smiled. She found a bag labeled ‘horse food’ and poured some on a line of short rocks for them to work on.

Once they were eating, she hauled both backpacks to a stack of shale discs that towered over the mine entrance far below. They formed a cairn, blocking the sun, and there were a few slots between the massive stones where she could fit her rifle scope while keeping as hidden as the horses.

The temperature was rising and she shrugged off her jacket, took a couple pain relievers from the first aid kit, and set up the phone. Her energy was running low and every action seemed to take twice as long as it should have. Wiping dust from her face, she blew out a breath, hoping Moe was making progress.

She’d heard no alerts from below and assumed they were still on task. How long he would need to confirm Lydia’s exact location inside was unknown, but Parker estimated it could be a while. Moe had an uncanny ability to find people, but the mine shafts undoubtedly held a few surprises. The tunnels might have caved in or be filled with abandoned equipment. They might even be flooded, thanks to their nearness to a former underground river. The labyrinth was laid out much like a compass, each subterranean passage connected to the center shaft but not to each other. That would force him to double back every time he explored one.

She checked her comm unit and got nothing but empty air. She and Moe were too far away to communicate with home base but she left the line open in preparation for the rest of the team’s arrival. She flipped on the walkie, trying an alternative. “Shinedown, this is Jett. Do you read? Over.”

Static. She tried again, and this time, she heard a voice, but the words were indecipherable. She was about to test the satellite phone when movement in the trees below caught her attention. Pulling out her scope, she adjusted it, then drew back and blinked. What the…?

Was she losing it? She adjusted the viewfinder and peered through it again.

There. The waving tips of trees, the trickle of pebbles down the hillside near the cave’s main entrance. Even this far away, she could hear a faint growling. She saw a flash of dark fur as it ambled through the brush, emerging to stand near the sign at the opening.Damn.

A bear had joined the party.

She scanned the rest of the area, noting the guard still sat on the top step outside the trailer, his back to the mine. His weapon lay across his lap, his fingers tapping on a knee. He had to be bored silly and didn’t seem to notice the approaching predator.

As he removed his weapon’s strap from around his neck and unzipped his jacket, sunlight reflected off his wristwatch. He glanced at it, read something, and poked at it as though messaging someone.

The terrorists had set up a closed network, similar to the kind Emit and Rory had created for SFI. Every system, whether connected to the World Wide Web, or a private intraweb, required a power source. She scanned the trailer carefully, and…bingo. That’s why they’d posted the guard there. Attached to the opposite side of the roof was a layer of solar panels.

They faced west, hidden in the shadows for now, but still absorbing plenty of light. She sat back, leaving the scope lodged in the crack between rocks. Could she damage the panels and cut the communication between the guard and the others? How might that help Moe and Lydia? Ideas flooded her mind, but if she created a distraction at the wrong moment, it could cost both of them their lives.

Maybe there was another way to use the panels to help Moe. She checked her devices again, wanting to talk to Emit or Rory. While she’d had plenty of experience with technology and computers, they were the experts. They would know if there was an easy means to tap into RING’s intranet without them realizing it. They could get critical information without the terrorists realizing it.

No dice—the comms, walkie, and even the sat phone didn’t work.

The animal was on the move again, crashing around in the woods, but the sounds were fainter now as he scaled the hillside. Hopefully, he kept going. How did the guard not hear him?

Through the scope, she watched the man. He tucked a lock of dark hair behind a lobe and fiddled with an earbud. Then he tapped the watch face again before beginning to bob his head.

Was he listening to music?

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