Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“Good luck,” Raine said.
“Do you want me to have the staff pack food for your team while you’re putting out the word for everyone to meet?” Shabina offered. “We can get someone to take it up to your base if you send us the location.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it. I’ll let you know when we have everything set up.” Vienna abruptly turned and strode from the building.
“Charlie Gainer was here in the café before he went up to the camp,” Shabina told Raine unnecessarily. Raine had researched him. Shabina drummed her fingers on the table. “He was with Pete and Billy. You know them; I think you’ve even bouldered with them. There were also two women, Mandy and Georgia from West Virginia. They were excited and laughing. All of them seemed to be very nice people.” She was ashamed that she’d been fearful of Charlie simply because he spoke French. Half the world spoke French. She pressed her forehead into her hand and breathed deeply.
Sean and Edward stood up as abruptly as Vienna, both looking worried as they stared at the alerts on their phones. Edward tossed a handful of bills onto the table, and the two men hurried out. She couldn’t help but notice that Sean looked back at her. It wouldn’t be long before word was out to all Search and Rescue volunteers, and they would make their way to the base camp Vienna would set up prior to sending them in grid patterns to search for the missing man.
Unless one spent a great deal of time in the Sierra, it was difficult to understand the scope of trying to find a missing person in the vast wilderness. It was possible Charlie had gotten turned around on the trails but not probable. Not when he had maps and his supervisor had gone over the trails with him.
How had he gotten separated from the rest of his team? Shabina didn’t want to think about the young man being murdered and dragged somewhere secluded, far away from everyone, to be found with ritualistic objects scattered around an altar.
“I suppose Vienna had to include Bale in her text,” Shabina said.
“He’s a valuable senior member of the Search and Rescue team,” Raine said. “Once the alarm goes out, it goes out to everyone.”
“Hopefully, he won’t bring evidence to incriminate me with him, unless he killed Charlie and has already staged the crime scene.”
Raine broke off a piece of scone. “You need to really think about calling Rainier, Shabina.” She sipped at the tea, her gaze meeting Shabina’s steadily over the rim of the cup.
“You know why I can’t. It’s too risky. You heard Boucher and Cormier. There might not be proof of who the assassin is they’re referring to, but I’m not taking any chances.”
“There is no proof,” Raine said quietly. “No one knows for certain, Shabina. When I say that, I mean no one. There may be suspicion, but there is never evidence left behind. He’s that careful.”
“It isn’t careful when he leaves a signature,” Shabina whispered, leaning across the table toward Raine and covering her mouth just in case. She’d learned many people could read lips. Who knew if her café was bugged? She wasn’t about to take chances with Rainier’s life.
“He’s only left that signature on a couple of kills. They know the other work is his because of the sandstorm and the way he’s so silent and deadly. He’s been at this for years. And it isn’t just in the Middle East.”
“He can’t leave a signature again,” she hissed, trying not to sound angry.
It was unreasonable to be upset with Raine when she couldn’t control Rainier. She wasn’t even in touch with him. Shabina didn’t think Rainier’s boss could control him. She didn’t even know if he still worked for Blom or if he just went out on his own. That would be like him. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have any protection at all.
She groaned and rubbed her temples. “He makes me crazy.”
Raine laughed. “Doesn’t he say that about you?”
“Probably, but I never do anything. I run a café.”
“And hike the Sierra alone on trails that are closed to the public.”
“I have three highly trained protection dogs with me, not to mention I’m armed to the teeth and very skilled in hand-to-hand combat if it came down to it.”
“I think he would prefer it didn’t come down to it. My point is, he wants you to always have a bodyguard with you.”
Shabina rolled her eyes. “The last time he said that to me, I told him I thought he needed to have more than one bodyguard with him.”
“I’ll bet that made him happy.”
Raine laughed softly, but Shabina could see that she was really assessing her condition. Shabina hoped she had pulled herself together enough to manage to look composed. She wasn’t. She was a mess, but she would hold it together long enough to make certain Rainier was safe. That was what she cared about more than anything else.