What Doesn't Kill Her (Cape Charade #2)(41)

“That’s not good.” She had believed she was leading Rae to the one place they would be safe. Now another worry—would she get Rae safely to the lookout and be denied access?

“He never lets anyone come up, never leaves.” Wade shuffled his feet some more, stirring the carpet of pine needles, making aggressive eye contact.

“He has to leave,” Kellen pointed out. “If he lives above the tree line, he hasn’t got a garden. He needs supplies.”

“No one’s ever seen him out with the real people.”

“Is Zone his last name?”

Wade shrugged. “I think so.”

“What’s his first name?”

“Never heard it.”

If she was getting this right, Wade had led the group up the mountain, promising a spectacular view. Zone had ordered them away. Wade had looked like a fool, and everything about him spelled anger and resentment.

No wonder he wasn’t the Cyclomaniacs’ leader.

Still, he tried. “So don’t go up there,” Wade commanded.

She hesitated. Of course she did. Would she be wiser to take Rae and head back toward civilization?

No. The Greedy Bastards and the Mercenaries were back that direction. She assumed they were headed up the mountain now, searching for her and Rae. The Restorer was closer, and even if he was everything Wade said, he was better than the men who hunted them. “We’ve got an appointment with this Zone.”

“An appointment? You didn’t even know his name!”

“This is a business trip. He’s an expert on restoration. I’ve been sent to take something to him.”

“I thought you and your daughter were bonding.”

“We are. I didn’t know there was a problem with him. Apparently I wasn’t given all the information I needed. I mean, obviously.” Damn Nils Brooks. Someday she was going to kill that bastard. “Still, I’ve got to deliver.”

Wade watched her as if he didn’t quite believe her.

She wanted to consider the idea of sending Rae on with the bikers. That would be safer...probably. But Wade was still behaving like she was some kind of criminal. Maybe it was better to bring their hostility out into the open.

She looked around. Everyone was watching her, either surreptitiously or openly. “What’s wrong? Everybody’s acting as if we’re...as if we’re dangerous.”

The leader had wandered close and was listening to the conversation, and at last she butted in. “You didn’t hear what happened a couple of days ago?”

Kellen shook her head. “We haven’t talked to anybody.” Who wasn’t a gun-toting assassin and headhunter. She extended her hand. “Kellen.”

“Liz Angelacos.” She shook but didn’t kneel with Kellen and Wade. “On President Roosevelt Road, there was a van that caught on fire.”

Kellen had to play this carefully. “Right. I saw that. But... I assumed it was an accident.”

“Everybody thought that, but no one knew what happened to the people inside.”

“You suspect foul play?”

“Right above the site, some guy was handcuffed to a tree.”

So they had found Horst. “That’s weird.”

Wade jumped in as if he couldn’t wait to spread the bad news. “He had his throat cut.”



20


“What?” Kellen didn’t have to fake shock. “Cut like...he’s dead?”

“Real dead. Blood all over. Flies. Lots of footprints.” Wade told his story with relish. “No knife, no evidence, lots of footprints.”

Kellen had left Horst tethered to that tree. He’d been unconscious but most definitely alive. What happened? Who had murdered him? In a sudden panic, she looked around for her daughter.

Roberts was showing Rae how to attach the fixed wheel to the bike and inflate the tire.

Kellen turned back to Liz and Wade. “Who found him?”

Wade shrugged.

“They don’t have any idea who did it?”

“Maybe Zone.”

Liz sighed in exasperation. “Oh, Wade.”

That was Wade’s spite and irritation speaking—Nils Brooks wouldn’t send her to be murdered. Would he? If that was his intention, he could easily have taken care of the matter last winter.

Liz continued, “Maybe it was those two guys who stopped us and tried to push us around.” She turned to Kellen. “They wanted our bikes!”

The Greedy Bastards with the shiny shoes. They must be tired of walking. Kellen looked up at Liz. “Are you going toward Horizon Lookout?”

“After what I’ve told you,” Wade said, “you’re still going up there?”

“I really do have an appointment with Zone, and I know he has some form of communication that works. It’s faster going forward than back. If it’s possible to get there today—”

“It is, if we give you a lift,” Liz said.

“That would be...” Fabulous. Such a relief. The safest way to keep both Rae and the Triple Goddess safe. “If you would do that, I’ll call Rae’s father and he’ll come to get us.”

“There’s no easy way to get up there except by helicopter.” Clearly, Liz wasn’t trying to discourage Kellen; she was giving her the facts.