McKenzie Cousins Box Set 3

“We could still have this wrong.” Paul draws his weapon and flashlight. “Either way I have a bad feeling about tonight. Something is going to happen and we have a better chance of catching this person in numbers.” He opens the door and stepping outside the cold air hits us both. “I’ll lead to my cabin.”

We take two steps and looking down I see a dart sticking out of my leg.

Feeling woozy, I drop to my knees and then everything goes dark.

40

Joshua

“Sam, we have to go to my cabin and check on Mallory and Paul.” I rub at my chest, feeling something is drastically wrong. “We have to go now.”

Forcing myself to wait for Sam, I step outside the cabin and as soon as she’s by my side, I start to run. Sam is behind me, her breath is heavy in the air as we run through the trees and foliage that’s difficult to see in the dark.

Stumbling through the last of the trees, the first thing noticeable is the open door to the cabin I was sharing with Mallory. My eyes search the surrounding area, but there’s no one around, at least in sight.

Samantha moves in front of me. “We need a plan, and quickly. You’re not going in there until you’ve stopped to think. We don’t know that anything has happened to them.”

I give her a startled look.

“I know how it looks, but if you think about it there hasn’t been time for the crime scene to be set up like all the other ones. This is different.”

“I need to find Mallory,” I growl between my teeth.

“I know, we need to find them both.”

Her words help to clear my mind, and I know I have to think this through otherwise I’ll be putting both our lives on the line, not to mention being of no use to Mallory and Paul.

“Okay,” I start. “There isn’t any cover between here and the cabin so we’re going to have to run without making a noise. We don’t want to spook anyone who is inside.” I wipe the sweat off my brow with my arm while trying to keep my panic from overtaking me. “We’ll enter as we would any other suspected crime scene.”

“We have this Joshua.” Samantha raises her gun and quickly makes a dash for one side of the steps leading up to the porch. She crouches and waits for me who needs a swift kick up the ass to get my body moving.

Joining Samantha, we make quick work of entering the cabin, which has the sense of abandonment. My eyes swiftly move around and I notice the dish and coffee cup on the countertop, along with dirty dishes near the sink and on the stove. I cover Samantha who leads through to the bedroom and after doing a full sweep of the cabin find no one here. Walking back outside, I shine my flashlight on the porch and that’s when I discover drops of blood. My head pounds as I crouch.

“Have you found something?” Samantha asks, joining me.

“Blood.” I swallow hard. “Only a few drops, which I don’t think are from a gun shot. Maybe a cut.” I frown.

Samantha draws much closer to the drops. “I’ve seen this kind of thing before. I think someone was shot with a dart.” She shakes her head. “A couple of darts because I’m not sure one would spill so much blood, at least on the ground.” She stands. “Unless the person shot with the dart actually fell down the direction he was shot with the dart. If he fell on the dart then it would move and cause blood loss.”

“So they’ve been knocked out with a dart.”

“Possibly. We need to raise the alarm and get the team in here. More light as well.” Samantha jumps down from the porch and starts looking at the ground. “Whoever did this has to be strong enough to carry both Mallory and Paul to a vehicle.” She walks around. “Or maybe the person hasn’t left with them.” Her head swivels to me. “Is there any old cabins or outhouses close by, but not close enough that any noise made could be heard? Maybe something used for storing wood, or…a generator, or a barn.”

“We’ll go to the main lodge first. Get the lights switched on throughout the resort, and while I’m looking at the resort map, you call in reinforcements.”

With my heart pounding in fear, we hurry to the main lodge, having not come across anyone or anything out of place. I haven’t heard anything that would indicate they have a mode of transport, but I guess that doesn’t really mean anything when dealing with a murdering asshole.

Sam stops suddenly and I come up short so I don’t send her tumbling head first to the ground, and then the lodge is flooded with light. Gradually the lights along the main paths to each of the lodges get brighter and then the night is lit. Agent Gardner opens the door, a rifle raised, which he dips to the floor as soon as he recognizes us. Lindsey comes rushing over as we enter and offers coffee.

“Agent Dillon asked me to make coffee,” Lindsey smiles.

Dillon moves into view behind the woman. “And it’s amazing coffee.” He smiles. “Would you mind giving us some privacy?” He steers her into the lounge and closes the door. He sighs heavily. “She wouldn’t stop fussing from the moment we knocked on the door.”

Shaking his head, Gardner snorts and rolls his eyes. “Pretty boy doesn’t know when to stop flirting,” he groans, moving toward a side window. “There hasn’t been any activity that we’ve seen or heard.” He nods toward a large table. “A geographical map of the area. Four cabins are old and not safe to be near let alone inside of. There is a new construction,” he moves over to the table, “here.” He points. “Tom Grainger said they’re gradually building two luxury log cabins, and this is the safest one to enter. Secluded with a works access road that leads through the mountains to the main highway.”

I meet his gaze. “They have to be there.” Running my hands through my hair, I stare at the map trying to look for the quickest way of getting to the location.

“We notified Ritter as soon as we knew something was wrong. He has a SWAT team on route, which he’s diverted to this spot here.” The access road. “He wants us to meet and we’ll go in together.”