Save Your Breath (Morgan Dane #6)(82)

“If we run into trouble, we’ll need someone to call for help.” Sharp checked the weapon on his hip.

“You can’t bail us out if you’re in jail with us.” Lance didn’t like separating either, but they had no idea what they would run into.

Morgan was wicked smart, and she had many incredible qualities. But athleticism wasn’t one of them. She had powered through physical challenges in the past with sheer determination. But Lance and Sharp ran regularly and would be able to move faster on their own.

“There are too many variables that could turn to complete shit tonight.” Sharp selected a stick about three feet long from the ground. He took a piece of bright-yellow paracord from his pocket and tied it to the end of the stick. “We need a person on the outside.”

“What’s that?” Morgan asked.

“A trip wire detector.” Sharp held the stick in front of him. The cord fell straight down. He swept it slowly side to side. “The cord is lightweight. It should show us a trip wire without triggering it. An infrared sensor was used on the pipe bomb, but out here in the woods, it might make more sense to go low-tech. Stephen uses fishing line in his YouTube videos.”

“I don’t like you going into the woods in the dark.” Morgan set her jaw. “What if you don’t see an infrared sensor?”

Sharp shook his head. “He uses this land as a camp for survivalists. He can’t risk blowing up his customers.”

Lance wasn’t so sure. Holgersen’s survival school was in bankruptcy. How long had it been since he’d had students here? He thought of the arsenal he and Sharp had found at the Olander farm. As a survivalist, Holgersen could also have plenty of firepower on hand. Sharp and Lance would be the trespassers. What would Holgersen do if he caught them snooping around his land? Would he come after them with weapons or call the sheriff’s department?

But in the end, the worst scenario was if Stephen Holgersen wasn’t the man who took Olivia. Then what?

A failing business did not make Stephen Holgersen a criminal. They had no evidence to support their hunch. But Olivia had been missing for three and a half days, and Sharp wasn’t going to wait to assess or gather any more information. He’d been twitchy since they learned about Stephen Holgersen’s massive debt and watched his YouTube videos on setting booby traps. Lance was lucky he’d talked him into changing his clothes and having a look at satellite images of the area and online pictures of the camp.

The Jeep was concealed behind a clump of trees just past the entrance marked PRIMITIVE SURVIVAL SCHOOL. From this position, Morgan would be able to see the driveway and the road in both directions.

He leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. “Be careful.”

She nodded. “You’re the ones walking into who knows what.”

“We’ll be all right.” He settled his hands on her arms and squeezed her biceps. “This will be an in-and-out operation. Our goal is to avoid confrontation.”

From the online pictures, it seemed as if most of the property had been left in its natural state. People paid to learn to live off the land.

Sharp tapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“Love you.” Lance released Morgan’s arms.

“Love you too.” She stepped back.

Lance and Sharp turned into the woods. Lance lowered his NVGs over his eyes and scanned his surroundings. The newer-generation night vision equipment illuminated the landscape in shades of black and white instead of the traditional eerie green. He took the stick and cord and held it in front of them. Sharp stayed at his right flank, watching for infrared sensors. Thick woods and the potential for booby traps kept their pace slow.

A hundred yards into the forest, they stepped onto a rough trail. A red light shone to his left. Lance grabbed Sharp’s arm to stop him and pointed at the light. Sharp took a tiny penlight from his pocket and shone it ahead.

He leaned close to Lance’s ear. “Trip wire connected to a sound grenade.”

An alarm was better than a bomb.

Lance skirted the device.

They moved back into the woods and traveled north in a line parallel to the trail. The property was on a peninsula that jutted into the lake. Water formed a natural barrier on three sides. Satellite images of the area had not penetrated the thick woods but had showed several structures built at the edge of the water. This likely marked the location of the main buildings. Stephen’s residence should also be near the lake. Most people with lakefront properties built their houses with a view of the water.

A northerly path from where they’d parked at the entrance would take Lance and Sharp through the center of the property. Lance checked his compass and angled slightly to the west to intersect with the shoreline of the lake. A flank approach would be preferable to a direct line.

Pine needles were quiet underfoot. The underbrush thinned, and they increased their speed. An organic, mossy smell hit Lance’s nostrils.

The lake must be ahead.

He turned to signal Sharp. A loud snap sounded, and Sharp went down.





Chapter Thirty-Eight

Pain shot up Sharp’s leg. He’d hit the ground sideways. His hip landed on a rock.

Lance doubled back and spoke in a low voice. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I tripped on something.” Sharp jerked his foot, but he couldn’t budge it. “My boot is caught.”