Right on schedule, the low whir of the helicopter filled the air. Miranda looked up from her hiding spot and saw the helicopter touching down in the meadow. She could hear laughter and shouted instructions as Rhett did his part, acting as if the group were part of a true expedition. The law-enforcement agents, an assembled group of federal cops, were outfitted like big-game hunters as they appeared excited to bag their first bear or moose.
Miranda watched from her hiding spot as they headed up the trail, leaving the helicopter pilot behind. She knew he wouldn’t leave right away just in case someone double backed. Just as she suspected, he waited a good forty-five minutes before ducking back into the helicopter and emerging in a head-to-toe white Tyvek suit, complete with soft terrain booties to cover his shoes. He checked his watch and then began sprinting down the opposite end of the trail, carrying a blue cooler.
“He’s on the move, heading east toward Crandall Creek. I’m heading out,” she whispered into her walkie-talkie and began trailing him at a safe distance.
“Copy that. Be careful. We’re going to circle around and flank him.”
Miranda made her way cautiously, following James and ensuring she remained downwind. She saw that he was careful where he put his feet, what he touched, his eyes scanning constantly. When he ducked around the bend Miranda was almost afraid she’d lost him. But just as she crested the ridge she saw him hunker down in a hiding spot, a .308 sniper rifle with a custom suppressor in his hand, which had probably cost him a bundle. He must’ve stashed his gun in the foliage ahead of time, she mused. With her luck no bear would take the bait and they’d have to scrap the operation, but James must’ve ensured that a bear would be around to sniff out the grease smeared on the tree, because a large brown bear ambled down the creek, his big head swinging side to side as he sniffed out the source of the tantalizing smell. Bears had an excellent sense of smell, and within moments, he was standing on his hindquarters, licking at the grease and pawing at the bark, trying to get more into his mouth. James had his gun drawn and pointed at the bear. One shot to the head and the bear would go tumbling soundlessly to the ground. The gun was high-powered enough to pierce fur, fat and bone without leaving behind too large of a hole. James was fast, efficient and deadly skilled at what he did, and the fact that it’d taken this long for Miranda to figure it out made her see red.
“He’s taking a shot! Where are you?” Miranda whispered into her walkie-talkie. “If we don’t move now he’s going to kill the bear. We have to stop him.”
“Stand down. We are two minutes away. Do not engage.” Jeremiah’s voice was insistent on the other end but Miranda knew she wouldn’t watch another bear die a senseless death if she could stop it.
Miranda reached down and picked up a rock with a good heft. She hauled back and threw the rock with all of her might, beaning the bear right in the noggin. The startled bear scampered off with a bellow. Miranda watched as James cursed at his lost quarry, then scanned the area where Miranda was hiding. “You just cost me thirty thousand dollars, friend. I might have to bill you for that,” he said, rising from his spot just as Miranda did.
“Miranda Sinclair, fish-and-game hottie herself. Color me impressed.”
His flattery made her stomach turn. “You’re going to jail, you rotten son of a bitch.”
James smiled. “Really? And who is here to make that happen? You? I don’t think so. I am curious how you knew it was me, though.”
“It was easy. You cover your tracks well, but in the end you were sloppy. James Mack and Mack James? You really should put a little more effort into your aliases.”
“What can I say? I banked on the fact that Vee and Rhett spent so much time caring what the other was doing that they didn’t spare a second thought to the cheap helicopter pilot just trying to log some more flying hours for his résumé.”
“They’re onto you now. I’m pretty sure you’ve been crossed off their Christmas lists,” Miranda said with a narrowed gaze. “Let’s go.” She gestured at James and he simply laughed.
“Are you forgetting who has the gun? I could put a bullet in your brain right now and walk away. Have fun proving I was even here.”
“I don’t need a gun. You’re going to do exactly as I say and follow me like a good little puppy straight to jail.”
“Oh, is that so? And why is that?”
Miranda smiled as the law-enforcement agents emerged from the foliage, their guns drawn, their expressions hard. “Because I have plenty of guns. And they’re all pointed straight at your worthless head. James Mack, let me introduce you to the law-enforcement division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department. They’re here to escort you off this mountain.”