them with my eyes to keep from searching for the body I knew was no more than fifty yards from the back of our home. I didn’t need to see the snow tarnished with crimson to know the man hadn’t survived the fall. Not from the height of an eight-story building.
My brothers dove into the back of Logan’s truck, where Max stood barking, and held on as the tires spun briefly in the snow then it darted forward, covering the distance to where the man had fallen in a matter of moments. When they bailed out of the back of the truck, I ran into the house for my cell phone and dialed 911.
_______________
Twilight faded into darkness as Logan pulled in front of Bear Claw Ranch. In the distance he could see the bunkhouse was lit from within, but the main house was dark. The commotion below, when Ennis paramedics came to take away the body of Butch Johnson, clearly hadn’t alerted the ranch to the accident.
Logan scanned the massive log structure in front of him and searched for any sign of life. He still had no proof Chance Bear was responsible for the recent deaths in Ennis, but his gut told him he was on the right track, even though he’d watched Butch Johnson take a nosedive off the ridge under his own power. He hadn’t seen another soul on the cliff at the time the man fell, so he had no cause to question Chance Bear in an apparent accident. He was here only in an official capacity to notify the owner of the property. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take the opportunity to take the man’s pulse. He needed to be sure Butch Johnson’s death had been an accident. Just as Frank Wells’s death appeared to be an accident.
Six deaths in a week.
That thought gnawed at Logan as he stepped toward the log home, searching for any trace of life. He’d left Max with Skylar to protect her and her brothers while he was gone. Normally the war dog would have his backside. They’d been able to infiltrate the enemy easily, knowing their six was always covered by Max, so Logan turned to his side to keep an eye on his back and front.
Darkness had settled fully. With no light on in the front yard or the home, the gloom was as thick as mud. Logan scanned the area looking for Chance’s truck and didn’t see it. He took a cautious step toward the front steps, palming the gun tucked into the back of his jeans out of habit. He’d also strapped his combat knife to his belt loop and had zip ties in his pocket. His gut told him not to confront Bear without his usual tools of engagement.
He took the steps up to the front door on silent feet. The boards creaked beneath his weight, the only sound of his approach. He stilled before knocking, glancing to his left. An eerie calm had shaped the night. No sounds of wildlife threatened the silence. No owls made their presence known. Only stillness and a sense of foreboding filled the air.
Squinting into the inky gloom, Logan pivoted and started to draw his weapon just as a shadow rushed him with an arm raised, bearing a knife glittering off the moonlight. He dodged the strike, losing his gun in the process, as he thrust out with his foot, his boot glancing off the shadow of a man as it melted into the pitch-black and disappeared. Logan immediately released his knife from its harness instead of searching for his gun, turning the blade toward his body, ready to dance.
“This is Chief of Police Logan Storm,” he told the night. “Come out with your hands up.”
Silence.
He hadn’t seen the man’s face but he was sure it was Chance Bear. “Chance Bear. Come out with your hands raised.”
Nothing.
Logan centered his attention on his surroundings, listening for sounds of his attacker. The night felt empty. Void of life. He waited a moment longer, then sheathed his knife and stepped off the porch to his truck. He turned on his headlights and scanned the porch. It was as empty as the night, so he bounded back up the steps and located his 9mm. As he stepped off the porch, headlights coming from the direction of the highway broke the night, so he waited until the vehicle was closer then drew his weapon and signaled it to stop.
The driver’s side window lowered as