Ninety Degrees Out

“Eh man, I’m a friend.Down here scouting but not for Rico’s benefit.”

Chay studied him. Long sleeves, loose fitting pants, big brimmed hat.A Tilly hat as he recalled. Saw a lot of those on guys coming back from African peacekeeping. Dressed way to sensibly for the heat to be a true bike gang type. Not one of the few left over with Randy picking them off every chance he had.

The guy was a solid six feet. No pot belly from too much booze.His hair was short, buzzed off.Military or law enforcement. Chay lowered his riffle from his shoulder.

“Talk.”His command was curt.

“Jax Johnson.RCMP gang unit from BC. Trailed these idiots all the way back up here. Wanted for murder and various other charges.”

“ID?”Chay half believed him already. Trusting the wrong people was dangerous these days.

“In my back pocket.Have a pistol in my waistband in the back.”

Jax turned around, exposing his back before letting Chay watch as he dug into the pocket beside what looked like a Glock snuggled against his spine between his shirt and his jeans.

He tossed his wallet over, and Chay cautiously squatted to retrieve it. Studying the badge, he recognized the insignia. Not the first time they had the Mounties come into Alaska to arrest a suspect.

“Okay, sorry for putting you through this.” Chay walked over to hand the ID back to Jax.

“Man, I wouldn’t have been surprised if you shot first and asked questions later.I’m playing the double cross with three others from my unit.Captain Janice Whipper at the Coast Guard Station in Anchorage can vouch for us. She’s the only one who knows why we’re up here.”

Jax stuck his hand out to shake and Chay accepted, returning the firm grip with a strong grasp of his own.

“You got a radio on you?” Chay asked.

“Nah, can’t maintain trust with the scumbags in the warehouse across the highway unless we do things their way.He’s got some explosives up there.Wanted me to scout locations to plant them.The house back there is one, your place is the other, and the lodge and a couple of big camo tents that are at the end of this pathway at the bottom of the canyon.Haven’t go that far.Don’t want to either.”

“Rico isn’t stable.And with Angel hooked up with him, it’s worse.The girl has been trouble since way back.Only sixteen and she’s caused more heartache for her family than, well there’s no comparison.Just a rotten seed if you get what I’m saying.”Chay jerked his head toward the side path back to his house.“Come on.We need to get my brother up here.”

“Don’t have much time,” Jax said as he followed Chay.

’How long before you have to be back?”

“An hour.Rico might not be stable, but his second is.Grange.”

“Grange?Describe him.” Chay’s heart dropped. There couldn’t be two guys with the same name. What if Hakan’s guide was double crossing them.

“He braids his beard.Dark skin, can’t say if he’s mixed race or just tanned real dark.Hair’s black, beard has a bit of red in it. Shorter than me by a couple of inches. He’s the brains down there. You say the girl’s trouble?”

“Yeah, we have a Grange working on the ranch, he’s up at the homestead breaking horses.Kind of had me going there.Your guy isn’t the same as ours.”

Chay whistled, and Jazz loped out of the trees.

“Shit man, that’s damn near a wolf. Scared me pretty bad when I hear him barking. Doesn’t sound like any dog I know.”

“He’s got a bit of wolf in him. Saved my life more than once.”

“About the girl?”

“She’ll latch onto whoever she thinks will give her what she wants.Likes to play people against each other from what Sarge has said.Causing a lot of trouble in Anchorage, then she poofed. Now we know exactly where she went.”

Chay led him out of the woods past the old log.He smiled when and yelled, “Friend.RCMP.”

Jazz loped past him and he watched Ari open the screen door for him.

Chay introduced him to Alicia and they went inside.Fifteen minutes later, Jax left out the front door at a jog, heading back.

Sitting at the kitchen island Alicia asked, “Do you really think this will work, Chay?”

“Best plan to draw them all into the open we’ve had. Knowing Jax will make sure the bombs are duds, helps.We’ll try to take them alive and get them into custody. I’ve got to take this info to Erik and Hakan.”

“Careful please.”

“Always. Randy didn’t notice Jax coming.I wonder what’s up there?”

“Me too. They’ve been pretty good about letting us know.”

“Do you want to take Ari, and walk up there?”

“You take her with you. Something Sara said last time we talked tells me I need to go alone.”

“Anything wrong? I mean between her and Aaron?” Chay hoped Randy didn’t throw a wrench into their relationship.

“Not sure, but I think she needs some girl time.”

“Tell them about Jax and the Mounties, will you? And our plan to get the last of this gang?”

“Will do.”

Alicia stepped into his arms, kissed him till he was breathless and went out through the deck doors. He watched her jog between the vegetable patches and head into the forest. Was he imagining things or was it cooler these days?

“Ari?” He raised his voice.She must be in the garage.Blue and the puppies were there. The lynx kittens made friends with the horses over the last couple of weeks. What a zoo. Three horses, the cats, two dogs and now eight puppies. He shook his head. Good thing Alicia knew a thing or two about animals.

“In here Dad.”

He smiled. Right where he thought.

“We’re going to the ranch. Your mother went to see Sara. I’ll explain what’s going to happen on the way down.”

“I’ll make sure the kittens have enough water. Better feed them too, before we go.” Ari hurried up the steps into the kitchen.

Man, life was busy.Complicated.And he wouldn’t have it any other way.The grin on his face was happy and he hummed as he saddled the horses.And now, just maybe, they had a way to shut down Rico and his last three gang members for good.