asked.
Craig dropped into one of the wooden chairs facing the desk. “I’m not exactly certain, but I am uneasy. I’m sure you know Buddy Jackson.”
“Most folks do. And most folks stay clear. It’s not that he’s done anything wrong, he just makes people uneasy with all that doomsday stuff.”
Craig nodded. “I’ve been thinking of it as basically harmless.”
Gage straightened a bit. “But not now?”
“Damned if I know. That’s why I stopped in. Twice this summer he’s tried to chase off visitors. Last month it was a group of campers. Two days ago it was an artist who was sitting across the valley and painting. He called her a spy and told her to go away.”
“Spy?” Gage repeated the word disbelievingly.
“That was my reaction. The word was over-the-top. So I paid Buddy a visit yesterday morning to remind him he can’t drive the public off public land. Just a neighborly reminder, but what I saw bothered me.”
“Such as?”
He told Gage about the Cap guy, the AR-15 and the trip wires. As he did so, Gage began to frown. “I can see why you’re uneasy. And Buddy’s out of your jurisdiction.”
“Exactly. But he’s in yours. Those trip wires especially bother me. They’re just outside his fence, which means they’re most likely still on his land, but you know the law about them.”
“I surely do. Warning only. Well, I guess I’ll have to mosey out that way and have a little chat with Buddy. See if I can do some snooping. The problem with these preppers is that they’re so secretive. They don’t want anybody to really know what they’re up to.”
“Of course not. Innocent folks who haven’t prepared might come looking for help.”
“Only they don’t phrase it that way,” Gage said grimly. “It’s not people looking for help. It’s thieves looking to steal and kill. I didn’t think Buddy had gone quite that far, but I’ll look into it.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know if I get wind of anything.”
“Same here,” Gage promised.
As he emerged into the main office, Craig glanced out the window and saw that Sky was still sitting in the same place. In fact, it looked as if she hadn’t moved at all.
“You know her?” Velma asked, her voice scratchy from years of smoking.
“I’ve met her.”
“Well, I’m starting to worry. That girl has been sitting out there since early this morning, and she hasn’t moved much since she set up her painting stuff. She’s been sitting like that all day. Think I should send someone over?”
“I’ll go,” Craig said. “I need to talk to her anyway. She’s probably just lost in thought.”
“All this time?” Velma shook her head. “I hope you’re right.”
So did he.
“Sky?”
Startled out of her inner silence, she opened her eyes and saw Craig Stone squatting in front of her. Where had he come from?
“Sky are you all right? I was just in the sheriff’s office across the street, and the dispatcher was getting worried. She says you haven’t moved in hours.”
Talking felt like too much effort, but the concern in those gray eyes managed to touch something inside her. “Relaxing,” she said heavily. It was hard to get the word out. But a tendril of panic began to penetrate her cave. She didn’t want to have to explain what was really going on. She didn’t know if she could. This guy probably wouldn’t even be able to understand.
“No,” he said after a moment.
She watched, still not caring, as he packed up her stuff. “Let’s go,” he said.
“Where?”
“Someplace quiet.”
She couldn’t even work up the energy to argue. The observer scolded her, but she didn’t care. It would pass on its own. It always did.
She didn’t resist as he led her to a forest service truck across the street and helped her in. He tossed her belongings in the back, then climbed in beside her and drove them out of town toward the forest.
“Why?” she managed to ask finally.
“Because I know a thousand-yard stare when I see it.”
Wow. That should have evoked a response, but it didn’t. She drew a breath, a deep one, trying to sync herself to reality again.
“There’s a cabin I’m taking you to,” he continued as if they were having an ordinary conversation. “It’s one we keep for foresters and researchers. I was going to stay there tonight. Got a hankering for a real meal and a real shower. There’s plenty of room, it’s peaceful and nobody will bother you.”
Except him. He’d walked into her cave. Oddly, she didn’t feel any irritation.
Nor did he try