Hot Zone

She glanced at her watch. “I have about ten before my ride gets here.”

“I can get you where you want to go,” Garner offered.

She shook her head. “This is all too much. I don’t know you, and I don’t know what to think about all of this.” She waved at the map with the red stars marking locations like a military operation. “First my father, then my foreman. And now you say there was a man with explosives trying to blow up the pipeline? Has the entire county gone crazy? This is Grizzly Pass, not some war-torn country on the other side of the world.”

Garner’s lips thinned, his face grim. “I’ve been monitoring this area for the past three months. A lot of internet activity indicated something big was brewing.”

Liv nodded. “You’re right. I’d say an attempt to blow up the pipeline is pretty big.”

He shook his head. “Even bigger. I think there is the potential for some kind of takeover, but we’ve only scratched the surface.”

“Takeover?” Liv’s heart thundered in her chest. “Are you kidding me? This is America. Land of the free, home of democracy. We change things by electing new representatives.”

“Some people don’t like what we’re getting.” Kevin touched the map. “We’ve already had flare-ups.”

Liv sank into a chair. “Flare-ups? Incidents? Takeovers?” She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache forming. “This can’t be. Not in Grizzly Pass. What do we have here to take over?”

“This is the perfect location to build the equivalent of a small army. There’s lots of space to hide nefarious activities. Mountains with caves to store a weapons buildup. People who know how to use guns can train in the backwoods where no one knows what they are doing.”

“Sweet heaven, and I thought the worst thing about coming home was burying my father,” Liv said. “I can’t take in any more of this. I have to go through my father’s effects, make arrangements with the lawyer and the bank, not to mention the animals to tend and a fence to mend.”

Garner’s gaze shot to Hawkeye. “Accidental or cut?”

“From what I could tell, cut,” Hawkeye answered for her. “My bet is that the man setting the charges cut the fence to give him access to government land without going the usual route.”

“How many acres is the Stone Oak Ranch?” Garner asked.

“Over five thousand.”

He stared down at the contour map. “Lots of hills and valleys.”

“There are. We’re in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains,” Liv said.

Garner glanced up at Hawkeye. “It bears watching.”

Liv’s belly knotted. She wasn’t at all sure she liked the intent look on the DHS man’s face. “What do you mean?”

“Your ranch is in a prime location for trouble. Who do you have working there? Do they know how to use a gun? Do you trust them?” Garner asked.

Hawkeye snorted. “You’re looking at ‘them.’ Miss Dawson is the only person left to run the ranch.”

“I don’t need anyone’s help. If I need additional assistance, I’ll hire someone.” Liv stood. “All this conspiracy-theory talk is just that—talk. I have work to do. If you’ll excuse me, I have a ride to catch.”

Garner stepped in front of her. “You don’t understand. You could be in grave danger.”

“I can handle it.” She tilted her head. “I really need to go.” She stepped around the man and ran into Hawkeye.

“Garner’s right. You can’t run a ranch and watch your back at the same time.”

“Let me assign one of my men to the ranch. Then you’ll get some help and we can take our time making certain the group responsible for the recent troubles isn’t conducting their business on your property or the neighboring federal land.”

Liv shook her head. “I can hire my own help.”

“The men on my team are trained combatants. We think the group planning the takeover are training like soldiers. One of their men had a shooting range and training facility on his ranch.”

Liv tilted her head and stared at Garner through narrowed eyes. “Sounds to me like you already know who is involved in this coup or whatever it is.”

“We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface. Someone is supplying weapons on a large scale.” Garner took her hand. “Someone with money.”

Liv’s blood chilled. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

Garner’s lips firmed. “I wish I was.”

She pulled her hand from his and pushed her hair back from her face, wishing she had a rubber band to secure it. “Why do you need my ranch?”

“Stone Oak Ranch is right in the middle of everything.” Garner pointed to the map. “You said yourself you didn’t think your father could have fallen off his horse. He was too good of a rider. What if he didn’t fall off his horse?”

Her gut clenched and she tightened her fingers into fists. “What do you mean? Do you think someone killed him?” Dear Lord, what had happened to her father?

Garner lifted his shoulders slightly. “We don’t know, but if someone was out there, your father could have run across something that person didn’t want to get out.”

A sick, sinking feeling settled in the pit of Liv’s belly. “When my father’s horse returned without his rider, my foreman went looking for him. He found my father on the far northwest corner of the ranch, where he’d gone to check the fences.” Liv swallowed hard on the lump rising in her throat. “That corner of the property borders federal land.”

“Olivia, let me position one of my men on your property,” Garner pleaded. “He can appear to hire on as a ranch hand and help you mend the fences. It will give him the opportunity to keep an eye out for trouble, while protecting you.”

Liv bristled. “I don’t need someone to protect me.”

“No one can watch his or her own back,” Hawkeye said. “As a member of the armed forces, I know what it means to trust the guys behind me. You need a battle buddy.”

“I do want to find out if my father was murdered. And who might have done it.” Liv chewed on her lip a moment before sighing. “Who did you have in mind?”

Garner smiled. “The only other man still in this room besides me.”

A thrill of something she hadn’t felt in a long time—if you didn’t count the recent kiss—rippled through Liv. Taking on Hawkeye could prove to be a big mistake in more ways than one. “What choice do I have?”

“None,” Hawkeye said, his tone firm and final.

For however long it took to find her father’s murderer and stop this insanity going on in her community, she was stuck with Hawkeye. And despite her initial reticence, she had to admit to herself she might just need him.

“Don’t look so worried. You can trust Hawkeye,” Garner said with a smile and a wave before he turned to go back to the maps spread across the table.

It wasn’t Hawkeye she didn’t trust. What bothered her most was the reaction she’d had to his kiss. Hell, she wasn’t sure she could trust herself around the rugged army ranger.

Chapter Three

“We’ll get that meal you wanted and then we’ll head for your place.” Hawkeye cupped Liv’s elbow and guided her through the loft apartment’s door.

For once she didn’t argue or pull away.

Hawkeye counted that as progress.

“Damn. The sun’s already setting.” Olivia shaded her eyes and looked toward the west.

“We can skip the tavern and head right for the ranch,” Hawkeye offered.

She shook her head. “You said yourself that your truck is where you left it on a dirt road. By the time we retrieve it and make it back to the ranch, it’ll already be dark. We might as well get something to eat and take it with us. I can guarantee there’s nothing edible that doesn’t have to be cooked at the ranch.” She started down the steps ahead of him.

“I’ll be down in ten minutes to take you out to Hawkeye’s truck.” Garner followed them onto the landing. “You’ll need it with Liv’s farm truck out of commission.”

“The sheriff called a tow truck,” Olivia said. “The way it was smoking, I’m sure my dad’s old truck is a total loss.” Her lips turned downward. “I’ll be in the market for a used, cheap truck or we won’t be able to haul the hay to the barn before winter.”

“You can use mine until then,” Hawkeye offered.

Instead of nodding, she frowned. “I can’t rely on a man who is at best a temporary solution to a much larger problem.”

“That being?” Hawkeye asked.

“I need more than a truck out at the ranch. I need my foreman, or at least someone who can do some of the heavy work. Tossing hay bales isn’t easy.” She chewed on her bottom lip.

The motion made Hawkeye’s groin tighten. He wanted to pull that lip into his mouth and kiss her worries away.

Why?

He didn’t know. He’d just met the woman. That she was willing to risk her life to pull a full-grown man out of a smoking truck said a lot about her character. Not only was she strong, she was tough and cared about the people around her.

“I’ll be at the ranch,” Hawkeye said. “While I’m keeping an eye on things, I can help with hay hauling and doing other chores as needed.”

Olivia snorted. “Thanks, but you won’t be around for long. I’m sure, once Kevin and his team figure out what’s going on, you’ll be back with your unit. I need a permanent solution. It took both my father and our foreman to manage the ranch with seasonal help. Even if Abe wasn’t laid up with a broken leg, I’d have to find more help. The kind that will stick around for the long haul.”

Hawkeye raised his hands palms up and smiled. “In the meantime, you have me. Use me while you’re advertising for additional staff. What can it hurt? You’re getting my services free.”

Olivia’s stiff shoulders relaxed slightly. “You’re right. And thanks.”

“Don’t sound so ungrateful. Wait until you see what I can do. I’m strong, and I’ve hauled my share of hay in my younger days.” He stopped at the bottom of the staircase and pulled Olivia around to face him. “And I have a special skill.” His lips twitched.

Her breath hitched and her gaze dropped to his lips. “Oh yeah?” she said, her voice a whisper.

Hawkeye leaned toward her, as if he might kiss her, his lips passing her mouth and going toward her ear. “I know the difference between a steer and a cow.” He leaned back and smiled. Yes, he was flirting with her, but he could tell she needed a little levity in a bad situation. Having lost her father and now with her foreman off the ranch, she had a lot weighing on her shoulders. Hawkeye winked.

Olivia’s lips pressed into a tight line.

Not exactly the reaction he was aiming for. For a moment, Hawkeye thought he might have gone too far flirting with the pretty rancher, and she might slap his face again. Just in case, he leaned back a little farther.

A moment passed and Olivia’s firm lips loosened and spread into a wry smile. “You don’t know how important a skill that is.” She stuck out her hand. “For however long you’re here, you’re hired.”

With an accord reached, Hawkeye shook her hand, an electric shock running up his arm and shooting low into his groin. The woman had an effect on him he hadn’t counted on. Rather than kissing her, like he wanted to, he turned her toward the tavern entrance and ushered her inside with a hand at the small of her back. With everything going wrong in Grizzly Pass, helping Olivia was the first thing that felt right.

As Hawkeye opened the door, a young man was thrown through. He stumbled, fell and landed on his knees on the sidewalk.

A man with a scruffy beard and unkempt brown hair lurched through the door, his face red and splotchy, his breath reeking of booze. “No damned stepson of mine is going to be a dishwasher in a saloon, carrying out other people’s trash.” He pointed a finger at the boy. “Get home, where you belong. You have your own chores to do.”

Olivia crouched to help the teen to his feet.

Once upright, the young man shrugged off her hands and faced the angry man. “I finished the chores before I came to town.”

“Don’t talk back to me, boy,” the man growled.

Hawkeye recognized the drunk man as one of the men Garner had on his watch list. Ernie Martin. A man who had a gripe with the government over the discontinuance of the subsidies on his livestock.

“Get back to the ranch,” Ernie said.

The teen lifted his chin and set his feet slightly apart as if ready to do battle. “I have a job. I need to be here when I said I would.”

“Did your mother tell you that you should get a job?” Ernie snorted. “Is she too lazy to get out and get one for herself and bring a little income home for once?”

The teen’s fists clenched. “My mother isn’t lazy. She has three small children to raise. She’d never make enough money to pay for child care.”

“And whose fault is that? She shouldn’t have had all those brats.”

The teen’s eyes narrowed. “You should have stayed off of her. They’re your kids, too. And what are you doing to put food on the table? My mother should never have married you.”

“She’s lucky to be off the reservation. And you should be thankful I took you in out of the goodness of my own heart.”

With a snort, the teen brushed the dust off his jeans. “You didn’t do either of us any favors.”

Ernie’s face flushed even redder. “Why, you ungrateful little brat. That’s all the bull crap I’m taking from you.” He launched himself at the teen.

Before he’d gone two steps, Hawkeye grabbed Ernie’s arm and jerked him around. “Leave the kid alone.”

Ernie glared at Hawkeye through glazed eyes, cocked his fist and swung.

Hawkeye caught the fist in his own palm and forced the man’s hand down to his side. “Take another swing and I won’t go as easy on you.” He fished the man’s keys out of his pocket and then shoved the man backward, out of range of landing another punch. “You’ll have to find a ride home.”

Sheriff Scott pulled up in his county sheriff’s SUV, parked and got out. “What’s going on here?”

Ernie stalked up to the sheriff. “This man stole my keys and threatened me with bodily harm.” He pointed at Hawkeye. “Arrest him.” The stern tone was offset when the man belched, sending out a vile fog of booze-heavy breath.

“Now, Ernie, I’m sure there’s another side to this story,” the sheriff said.

“It’s cut-and-dried.” Ernie pointed at the keys in Hawkeye’s hands. “He has my keys.”

Sheriff Scott leaned away from Ernie’s face. “The man’s doing you a favor and keeping you from getting a DUI.” He stared at Ernie. “How much have you had to drink?”

“Just one beer,” Ernie said. “A man’s got a right to drink a beer. Or is our government going to take that right away, too?”

The sheriff crossed his arms over his chest. “Care to take a Breathalyzer test?”

Ernie opened his mouth and had just enough sense left to close it again before his alcohol-soaked brain let his mouth loose.

Hawkeye almost laughed, but knew it would only rile the man more.

“Hop in, Ernie. I’ll give you a ride home.”

The man folded his arms over his chest and dug his heels into the concrete sidewalk. “Ain’t leaving my truck here.”

“I’ll drive it home,” the teen offered.

Ernie shot a narrow-eyed glare at the young man. “You ain’t touching my damned truck.”

The teen raised his hands. “Okay. I won’t drive your truck.”

“Don’t worry about it, CJ,” the sheriff assured him. He turned to Ernie. “I’ll have my deputies bring your truck out to your house in the morning, after you’ve had a chance to sober up. You shouldn’t be driving anymore tonight.” Sheriff Scott hooked Ernie’s elbow and eased him toward the backseat.

Ernie jerked loose of the sheriff’s hold and pointed a finger at the teen. “You’re done with this job. I didn’t approve of it anyway.”

The teen stood with his feet braced apart, his jaw set. “I’m going to work.”

“Not as a dishwasher, you aren’t. I won’t have members of this community pointing at you, feeling sorry for poor Ernie Martin’s stepson who has to work to support his family.”

“I don’t care what you call it—I want my sisters and brother to have something to eat. It’s either here or somewhere else.”

“I provide,” Ernie insisted. “And it ain’t your place to be telling tales about what goes on at home.”

CJ’s fists clenched. “I’m going to have a job.”

“Not here, you’re not,” Ernie said with a finality that made CJ blink.

“How about at my place?” Olivia stepped forward. “Mr. Martin, you might not remember me, but I’m Olivia Dawson, Everett Dawson’s daughter.”

“Yeah. So?” He ignored her outstretched hand. “That doesn’t give you the right to butt into a private conversation.”

Hawkeye had to stop himself from snorting. The way Ernie had been yelling, the entire town of Grizzly Pass had to have heard his “private” conversation.

Olivia continued. “Since my father passed—” she swallowed hard and pressed on “—my foreman has broken his leg. I could use some help. CJ can work for me out at the ranch. He can make some money to tide you over to better times, or at least pay for his own meals.” Olivia caught Ernie’s stare and held it. “What do you say? You and my father were friends at one time. He’d be proud to have your stepson help me out.”

Ernie bristled. “If you need help, why not me?”

Olivia smiled gently.

Hawkeye could feel himself melt. The woman needed to smile more often. She went from pretty to stunning in less than a second.

“I wouldn’t dream of taking you away from your ranch. I know how hard it is to keep things running. Besides, I can’t afford to pay much.”

“I’ll take it,” CJ said. He turned to his stepfather. “I’ll do my chores before I leave the house and when I get back.”

“And how will you get there and back?” Ernie asked, a sneer pulling at one side of his mouth. “You have school starting in a couple weeks.”

“I’ll manage.”

Ernie snorted and turned back to Olivia. “If he steals something, don’t come crying to me. He’s been nothing but a pain in my rear since I brought him to the ranch.”

CJ’s eyes flashed, but he kept his mouth firmly shut. How he put up with Ernie, Hawkeye had no idea. Just standing near the belligerent jerk made Hawkeye itch to shove his fist in the man’s face.

“Fine.” Ernie waved at Olivia and his stepson. The drunk swayed and practically fell into the backseat of the sheriff’s SUV. As he leaned out to close the door, he said, “He’s your problem now.”

“You got a way home, CJ?” Sheriff Scott asked.

The teen nodded. “Yes, sir.” He glanced toward the sheriff’s vehicle as if it was the last place he wanted to be.

The sheriff shook his head and slid behind the wheel. A moment later, all Hawkeye could see of Ernie Martin were the taillights of the sheriff’s SUV disappearing at the end of Main Street.

Olivia clapped her hands together. “Well, that was lovely. I have the help I needed.” She smiled at CJ. “How soon can you start?”

The young man dug his hands into his pockets. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to start in the morning. Right now, I need to get home.” He gazed in the direction his stepfather had gone.

“Do you need a ride?” Hawkeye asked.

CJ shook his head. “No, sir. I’ll just let my boss know I can’t work here anymore. I have a bicycle. I’ll get myself home.”

“That’s got to be about five miles out of town. And it’s getting dark.” Olivia frowned. “Let one of us take you.”

The young man shook his head. “I’ll need my bike to get to work in the morning.”

“I live three miles out of town,” Olivia said. “Between you living on one side of Grizzly Pass and me on the other, that’s over eight miles several times a day. You need some other way to get there and back.”

“I promise.” CJ stepped forward. “I can do it. I’m used to riding long distances. It’s nothing.” He edged toward the tavern. “I really need to get home.”

Olivia still frowned, but she stepped out of the youth’s way. “Tell you what—don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.”

“Thank you, Miss Dawson. I’ll be there in the morning, right after I do my chores.” The teen darted into the tavern, leaving Hawkeye and Liv where they’d been when the ruckus started.

“Are you two ready to go?” a voice said behind Hawkeye. Kevin Garner descended to the bottom step of the staircase leading up to the loft apartment.

“Not quite. We had a little delay.” Olivia started to reach for the door.

Hawkeye beat her to it and opened it wide for her and Garner. As his boss passed, Hawkeye nodded. “I’ll fill you in as we wait for our orders.”

Chapter Four

Liv cradled the food containers on her lap in the backseat of Kevin Garner’s truck.

The Homeland Security agent dropped them off at Hawkeye’s truck where he’d left it parked with the utility trailer. After disconnecting the trailer from his truck, Hawkeye rolled it around to the back of Garner’s and dropped it onto the hitch.

Garner helped Liv into Hawkeye’s truck and then extended a hand. “Be careful and let me know of anything out of the ordinary, even if it seems inconsequential. All the little pieces add up.”

Liv fumbled with the food, but managed to take the man’s hand. “I haven’t been home in nine months. How am I supposed to know what is out of the ordinary?”

“Anything strange and unusual, just give me a buzz.” He squeezed her hand.

Liv snorted. “Things seem to have changed drastically. This used to be a nice, quiet community filled with neighbors who looked out for each other.”

“Apparently, trouble has been brewing for years,” Garner said. “Antigovernment sentiment isn’t new.”

“I suppose.” Liv sighed. “I loved being on the ranch and working hard. I guess I didn’t have time to hang out on the street corners grousing about what I couldn’t change.”

With one last squeeze, Garner released Liv’s hand. “Trust Hawkeye and your own instincts.”

Hawkeye slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Ready?”

Using the food containers as an excuse not to look Hawkeye in the face, she nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” For a moment, the events of the past few days threatened to consume her. This was not the homecoming she’d anticipated at the end of her five-year promise.

All through college and the three years following graduation, Liv could think of nothing she wanted more than to come home to Grizzly Pass. Her promise to her father had kept her in Seattle. Now she was back in the county and the thought of going to the home she grew up in nearly tore her apart.

She sat in the passenger seat, a lump the size of her fist blocking her throat, her eyes burning from unshed tears.

“I take it we go out the way we came into town?” Hawkeye cast a glance in her direction.

All Liv could do was nod, afraid if she tried to get a word past her vocal cords, she’d break down and cry. And what good would crying do now? It wouldn’t bring her father back. Crying wouldn’t unbreak Abe’s leg and make everything all right again. Nothing could fix her world. All she could do was to take one day, one hour and one breath at a time. Her father had taught her a long time ago that cowgirls didn’t cry.

Damn you, Dad. This one does.

As they neared the gated entrance to Stone Oak Ranch, her chest tightened and she couldn’t manage to take that one breath.

When Hawkeye didn’t slow, Liv was forced to squeak out, “Turn here!”

Hawkeye jammed his foot on the brake pedal. The truck skidded to a stop in the middle of the highway, several yards past the ranch entrance.

Liv flew forward. The seat belt across her torso snapped tight, keeping her from jettisoning through the windshield.

“You could give me a little more warning next time.” Hawkeye shifted into Reverse and backed up several yards. Then he drove up to the gate.

Liv shot out a hand, touching his shoulder.

Again, he hit the brakes and turned to her. “What?”

The relentless pressure on her chest refused to subside. “I can’t breathe,” she whispered. “I can’t breathe.”

“What’s wrong?” Hawkeye’s brows dived toward the bridge of his nose. “Olivia, look at me. Tell me what’s wrong.” He reached for her.