When they’d arrived at the house, Roth was waiting for them, looking exceptionally uncomfortable.
“What’s the matter?” Xander asked, batting the dogs away.
“Glad you’re back, son. Crawford was here, right after you left. Man’s nutty in the head at the best of times, but he went off, yelling that we’d caused some sort of trouble yesterday when we came by. That Will got his gear together and left last night, drove off and hasn’t come back. Stu wasn’t entirely lucid, I tried to calm him down but he was all over the place, ranting and hollering, then he took himself back to hell where he probably came from. Sunshine is terribly upset.”
Sam gave Xander a pointed look. “Are you absolutely sure Will isn’t the one we’re looking for?”
“No, I’m not.” He explained their theory to Roth, who shook his head.
“I don’t know, son. It breaks my heart to think that Will could be involved in this. Something isn’t right with the Crawfords, though.”
“He had all his gear?”
“That’s what Stu said.”
Xander rubbed his chin with his hand. “He’s only got half a day’s head start. We take the dogs, we can probably catch up to him.”
Sam felt alarm spring up in her chest. “And why would you be the one going after him? Let’s call Fletcher, let him send some JTTF people out after him. It’s too dangerous for you to go hunting him, Xander. We don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“Sam, honey, I know these woods like the back of my hand. I’m the only one that remotely makes sense to go after him. I’ve got the skills and the training to find him, and find him fast. Will may know how to hunt turkey and elk, but I have some more...unique qualifications.”
Like how to hunt men.
“And then what, Xander? What do you plan to do? Shoot him? Sit down and make a pot of tea over the campfire? We don’t even know he’s involved for sure.”
“He ran. That’s all I need to know. If he was innocent, he wouldn’t be here in the first place, much less off going to ground. He’s in trouble. Either he’s responsible, or he knows who is. There’s a damn good chance he’s going after him, and if we hurry, we might catch him. Or them.”
“We’d best get a move on, then,” Roth said.
“You need to stay here with Sunshine.”
“You need someone to watch your back, son.”
Xander hesitated, then nodded. “All right. Let’s load up.”
Roth smiled. “I figured you’d want to go out. I’m three steps ahead of you. Already have most of the gear pulled out. I think we should leave the dogs, they might announce our presence before we’re ready to be known. Sam can stay here and keep Sunshine company.”
“No.”
Both men looked at her.
“I’m going with you.”
Roth barked out a laugh. “Sam, you have about as much survival training as you can fit in that pretty leather bag you carry. No offense meant, of course, Samantha.”
Sam glanced at her Birkin bag, and all in all, thought Roth was being rather generous in his assumptions.
Xander was a bit gentler, but firm. “Sam, Roth’s right. This isn’t going to be easy.”
She barely kept herself from stamping her foot.
“I am coming, and we are going to tell Fletcher what we’re doing. We aren’t above the law, Xander. We aren’t the law, either. You need to call McReynolds and tell him what you’re up to, as well.”
“Sam, we’re losing valuable time here. I don’t want to argue with you about this.”
“There is no argument, Xander. This is how it’s going to be. I don’t care if you think we’re out here in the wilderness playing with a different set of rules. No way in hell you’re running off half-cocked.”
Roth was watching her with half a smile quirked on his lips. She thought he was enjoying seeing his son reined in a bit. But damn it, amusement or not, this was dangerous, and she’d be damned if she was going to let them tramp off into the forest after a killer without backup.
Xander looked like he was going to argue again, but Sam help up her hand. “Non. Negotiable.”
He sighed.
“Fine. Let’s get you outfitted and make some calls.”
*
Sunshine had dressed Sam in several layers of Yellow’s creations, plus a pair of sturdy hiking boots. Thankfully, Sam and Yellow wore the same size shoe and the boots were already broken in, but Sunshine gave her moleskin and Band-Aids anyway.
Roth and Xander were at the kitchen table, poring over maps. They were looking for the closest geothermals that were in desolate areas, ones only accessible by foot. That’s where they thought the camp would be. There were only three or four areas that fit the bill, almost all up in Eagles Nest, in the White River National Forest.