slowly along the dirt track. He hit “zoom” on the keyboard and saw it was one man driving, alone.
Connie was making peanut butter cookies—Tony’s favorite. “Connie, someone’s on the road, approaching the gate,” Pete shouted above the video game noise. The road in was long enough that it would take at least three minutes to make it to the gate and several more to run through the woods. Pete could find this guy in five minutes. “Get under the bed. Both of you. Now! Lock the door behind me.” Running through the kitchen, Pete fingered the gun in his holster and bolted outside into the pouring rain.
He cut through the forest to where he’d intersect the intruder on the road. One minute later, he was close to Nikki’s house in the trees and caught sight of Connie and Tony in yellow rain slickers knocking on her back door.
Shit. Didn’t Connie know it was dangerous for her to run around outside like that? Her stupidity was going to get her killed. And Tony. No matter what he told her to do, she found her own plan. He’d have to chew her out after this one.
When Pete saw the perp exit his car at the gate and sneak through the brush, he anticipated his path. The man did not have a weapon in either hand. Pete slipped behind a big tree. As the man plodded through the woods, Pete readied himself. Just as the perpetrator passed, Pete crept out silently. Undetected, he closed the distance between them in two strides and grabbed the man in a choke hold. Good resistance made it a challenge but the forest creeper didn’t have a chance. He brought the intruder to the ground and dug the gun into the man’s side. His victim stopped squirming.
“This is private property,” Pete said quietly. “Hands behind your head.”
“Don’t shoot. I’m just looking for my friend’s house.”
“Who’s your friend?” Pete found a gun holster and a nice Glock inside it.
“Female, long blonde hair, named Nikki.”
He was after Goldy. Pete should’ve known. This man was not looking for them. Wearing a fancy pair of cowboy boots and a satin bomber jacket, he could’ve been a Goldy roadie but Pete wasn’t taking chances. “Then why are you sneaking through the trees, buddy?” Pete cuffed him.
“I was going to surprise Nikki.”
“With a gun? Ha! Why would someone’s friend have a gun if they’re on a social call?” Pete pulled the guy to his feet and pushed him in the direction of the log house.
“I have the gun in case I see a bear.”
Pete laughed. “And I was born yesterday, pal. You’d have surprised her all right with that Glock.” He’d run a check on him just in case, verify he wasn’t looking for Connie.
“Are you taking me to Nikki?” The man slowed down at the turnoff to Birch House.
“Indirectly. First to that house, then to the sheriff in town, then you might see your friend Nikki at the hearing.” He couldn’t march this scum to Nikki’s door to see if she knew him. Connie and Tony were there.
“You’re making a big mistake. I know Nikki. She’ll tell you.”
“Shut up and march.” Pete pushed him forward.
After handcuffing him to a post in the log house kitchen, he stuffed one of Tony’s dirty socks in the guy’s mouth and grabbed his wallet from his back pocket. Nothing showed on the background check except that he was from Los Angeles and had never been arrested. Pete called the sheriff.
“Harold Gaines here.”
“This is Pete Bayer at the Dickerson house. I just found someone roaming around the woods out here with a Glock who says he’s on a social call looking for someone named Nikki.”
“Well, well, well…we better talk to him.” Harold sounded amused.
“Probably should.”
“I got a deputy on that side of the lake. I’ll radio him to come get our visitor.”
“I’m holding him at Dickerson’s.”
Forcing the intruder outside to the driveway, Pete motioned for him to sit on the wet ground. He didn’t want him in the log house any longer than
Connie was making peanut butter cookies—Tony’s favorite. “Connie, someone’s on the road, approaching the gate,” Pete shouted above the video game noise. The road in was long enough that it would take at least three minutes to make it to the gate and several more to run through the woods. Pete could find this guy in five minutes. “Get under the bed. Both of you. Now! Lock the door behind me.” Running through the kitchen, Pete fingered the gun in his holster and bolted outside into the pouring rain.
He cut through the forest to where he’d intersect the intruder on the road. One minute later, he was close to Nikki’s house in the trees and caught sight of Connie and Tony in yellow rain slickers knocking on her back door.
Shit. Didn’t Connie know it was dangerous for her to run around outside like that? Her stupidity was going to get her killed. And Tony. No matter what he told her to do, she found her own plan. He’d have to chew her out after this one.
When Pete saw the perp exit his car at the gate and sneak through the brush, he anticipated his path. The man did not have a weapon in either hand. Pete slipped behind a big tree. As the man plodded through the woods, Pete readied himself. Just as the perpetrator passed, Pete crept out silently. Undetected, he closed the distance between them in two strides and grabbed the man in a choke hold. Good resistance made it a challenge but the forest creeper didn’t have a chance. He brought the intruder to the ground and dug the gun into the man’s side. His victim stopped squirming.
“This is private property,” Pete said quietly. “Hands behind your head.”
“Don’t shoot. I’m just looking for my friend’s house.”
“Who’s your friend?” Pete found a gun holster and a nice Glock inside it.
“Female, long blonde hair, named Nikki.”
He was after Goldy. Pete should’ve known. This man was not looking for them. Wearing a fancy pair of cowboy boots and a satin bomber jacket, he could’ve been a Goldy roadie but Pete wasn’t taking chances. “Then why are you sneaking through the trees, buddy?” Pete cuffed him.
“I was going to surprise Nikki.”
“With a gun? Ha! Why would someone’s friend have a gun if they’re on a social call?” Pete pulled the guy to his feet and pushed him in the direction of the log house.
“I have the gun in case I see a bear.”
Pete laughed. “And I was born yesterday, pal. You’d have surprised her all right with that Glock.” He’d run a check on him just in case, verify he wasn’t looking for Connie.
“Are you taking me to Nikki?” The man slowed down at the turnoff to Birch House.
“Indirectly. First to that house, then to the sheriff in town, then you might see your friend Nikki at the hearing.” He couldn’t march this scum to Nikki’s door to see if she knew him. Connie and Tony were there.
“You’re making a big mistake. I know Nikki. She’ll tell you.”
“Shut up and march.” Pete pushed him forward.
After handcuffing him to a post in the log house kitchen, he stuffed one of Tony’s dirty socks in the guy’s mouth and grabbed his wallet from his back pocket. Nothing showed on the background check except that he was from Los Angeles and had never been arrested. Pete called the sheriff.
“Harold Gaines here.”
“This is Pete Bayer at the Dickerson house. I just found someone roaming around the woods out here with a Glock who says he’s on a social call looking for someone named Nikki.”
“Well, well, well…we better talk to him.” Harold sounded amused.
“Probably should.”
“I got a deputy on that side of the lake. I’ll radio him to come get our visitor.”
“I’m holding him at Dickerson’s.”
Forcing the intruder outside to the driveway, Pete motioned for him to sit on the wet ground. He didn’t want him in the log house any longer than
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