mean, you think they found Skye?” Trent didn’t know how this was possible, yet here were Granger and Peter in his shop telling him that’s exactly what they think had happened.
“Unless you really believe it was an alien by the waterfront, it means they tracked you down and are hoping that you will lead them to Skye. Lenny knew you two had a night together. My guess is, based on knowing Skye for just a short time, her potential relationship with you scared Lenny,” Granger told him as Peter nodded in agreement.
“Why?”
“It’s classic abusive behavior—manipulate and isolate. He made sure he was the only man in Skye’s life. As soon as you came along, he got rid of you. I have no doubt in my mind that he hired someone to spy on you to see if you’re hiding Skye.”
Trent looked at Granger and then Peter. “What do I do? How do I protect her?”
“The change in hair color and clothing helps,” Peter told him. “But we need to hide her better. We don’t think the man found anything or else there would be someone attempting to either take her or Lenny would be driving into town already. I think they’re still trying to find her. It’s actually classic law enforcement and military procedure. He arrived without anyone knowing. If he’d been a tourist and asked if any famous people ever came here, the town would have picked up on it and called Granger.”
Trent agreed.
“What you do first is get the lay of the land. Coming and going from the park was the best strategy. He could watch the entire downtown. Gauge how many people were tourists and how many people regularly came and went during the day. Once he surveyed the town, he could determine how best to blend in. Since he wasn’t walking down the street trying to observe anyone, I don’t think he reached that point. Now the question is, will he come back to get eyes on you and your property?” Peter looked as if he already knew the answer.
“You think he will.”
“I do,” Peter confirmed. “He has a job to do and he’s going to do it.”
“That’s why I asked Ryker to allow you to stay at his house for a couple of nights. While this alien is looking for you, Kord and I will be looking for him.”
Trent took a deep breath and began shutting down and cleaning up his shop. “Okay. So I’ll get Skye and take her to Ryker’s guesthouse.”
“No. Miss Winnie is going to drive her. No one will be looking for her in Miss Winnie’s car. Edie is taking Karri to Tinsley’s. It’ll be hard, but I think we need to alter her appearance too.”
“Why would it be hard, Peter?” Trent asked.
“Because she’s so beautiful she kind of stands out.” Peter stopped and cleared his throat. “I mean, her hair is dark and that’s hard to change. You know?”
Trent and Granger smiled, letting him know they didn’t believe it for a second. The all-business FBI agent was into Karri.
“Okay, what do you want me to do?” Trent asked finally.
“Pack a bag and all of Skye’s stuff. I’ll drop you off at Ryker’s. You have a smart house, right?” Granger was already looking back at the house and Trent could see him thinking of something.
“Yes,” Trent confirmed.
“I want you to turn on and off the lights from your phone to make it look as if you were home. In the morning I want you to sneak back on the property and be very visible through the day. Then get tucked in at night and sneak back to Ryker’s. I’m hoping the man will check you out, see you working alone, and then see the house appear to have just you in it. If he thinks everything is normal here, he’ll leave and Skye will be safe.”
“I can do that. Give me thirty minutes and meet me at Tinsley’s for pickup. Ryker has a fleet of ATVs. I can use one to come and go the back way.”
Trent closed down his shop and headed inside while Peter and Granger left in separate cars. His guess was Peter wasn’t really gone, but securing the area. Trent showed himself in the kitchen, but then made sure to close the blinds. He turned on the television and all the lights on the first floor while he went upstairs to pack. He packed a large duffle bag with a few of his things and all of