Security Breach Read online

  “These are mine.”

  “And those are mine—I have big feet.”

  “He wasn’t here that I can tell.”

  “Where were you standing when you were shot?”

  She pointed to the far side of the barn. “I was closer to the house than the barn, and the shot came from...there.” She pointed to the pump house, which was on a small rise to the west of the barn. They covered the ground quickly, then separated, both looking for any evidence that Dash had been in the vicinity. They met back at the front of the structure.

  “Sun would have been at his back if he were standing here.” Ben raised an imaginary rifle to his eye. “Pretty easy shot with the right equipment.”

  Nora pointed the flashlight at the ground. It took another five minutes before they found the heel print of a tennis shoe. “Not yours?” She asked.

  “All I have is work boots—old ones and less old ones.”

  “Any kids around?”

  “Not here. We’re pretty far out from town. No reason they would have been here, and I would have noticed a group of youngie.”

  She splayed the flashlight around, finally zeroing in on a cigarette butt. “You don’t smoke.”

  “Never have.”

  “All right. So he’s standing here, for whatever reason, when he sees me arrive.”

  “How did you get here? I didn’t see or hear a car.”

  “Plane, helicopter, feet.”

  “Ahhh.”

  “I’m following the signal, which led me here, and he’s waiting at this spot, sees me enter the property, waits until he has a clear shot. But he would have had that at any time.”

  “He was waiting for the sun to settle against the horizon. Clear shot for him, and less chance you’d see him. Sounds like he planned a trap and you walked into it.”

  “Dash shot me when I wasn’t quite to the barn. I thought I knew the direction the sound came from, so I came around the west side with my gun raised...”

  “And nearly shot me.” Ben raised his hands in surrender.

  “No offense.”

  “None taken.”

  She shook her head. “Why was he out here? He couldn’t just sit around hoping I’d show. There has to be another reason. What’s past your property?”

  “Nothing. More farms.” He snapped his fingers. “But the church district line isn’t far...just two places down.”

  “All right. So maybe he knows that we know he’s infiltrated one of the local groups. He’s walking a line between the two...”

  “Which he only has to do for another...” Ben checked his watch. “Twenty hours.”

  “Right.” She stood and dusted off her hands.

  “Let’s go see your bishop.”