instructions, but even then he almost missed the gate in the darkening twilight.
It wasn’t anything special, and in fact looked like a half dozen others they’d passed on the way up. Metal- pipe frame, three twelve-inch-wide planks running from side to side, and that was it. The fence it was connected to was made of wood posts with barbed wire strung between, the majority of it covered by vegetation.
Though Ash was tempted to climb out and push the gate open, Matt’s instructions had been clear. “When you reach the gate, stay in your car and wait.”
Two full minutes passed before the gate swung open on its own. Once it was completely out of the way, Ash drove through.
The road on the other side was narrow, the feeling reinforced by the pine trees that grew right up to the edge and the overarching canopy created by their branches. This went on for nearly a hundred yards, then suddenly the trees fell away, and they entered a grass-covered clearing at the top of a hill.
Chloe drew in a surprised breath. “It’s so beautiful.”
At the far edge of the clearing was a house, and beyond it an amazing view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
In many ways, the house looked like a smaller version of Matt and Rachel’s lodge. Wood-stained sides and large windows and warm outside lighting. This Olivia person obviously lived pretty well.
There were two cars parked out front-a pickup truck and a decade-old Cadillac. Ash pulled in behind them then cut the engine.
“Are you staying here or coming with me?” he asked Chloe.
“I’m certainly not staying here.”
They both got out and headed over to the house. As they stepped up onto the porch, the front door opened and Ash got his first shock. The smiling couple who came out to greet them was the same couple who had picked him up in the Winnebago out in the middle of nowhere when he’d been fleeing Barker Flats.
He glanced quickly side to side, thinking he must have missed the RV, but it was nowhere to be seen.
The man, Mike-if that hadn’t been a fake name-thrust his hand out at Ash. “Great to see you again,” he said. As Ash shook his hand, Mike pulled him into a quick hug. “Simply great.” He turned to Ash’s companion. “And Chloe, it’s been far too long.”
“Hi, Mike,” she said.
They hugged with genuine affection.
Janice came over next and gave Ash a coy, contrite smile. “I’m sorry about the coffee. I hope you’ll forgive me, and know I was only trying to help you.”
A day or two earlier, he might have still been mad at her, but now it didn’t seem important. “It’s fine. I know you were doing what you were supposed to.”
Her smile widened in relief, then she gave him a hug. When she stepped back, she said, “Your face looks horrible.”
“Janice!” Mike said.
“Are you going to try to tell me it doesn’t?” she asked.
Ash touched the bandage that covered his nose. He’d almost forgotten about the surgery. “She’s right,” he said. “I wouldn’t even want to look at me.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean that,” Janice said, then turned away. “Chloe, you are as beautiful as ever.”
The women hugged.
“Come, come,” Mike said. “We’ve got a fire inside.”
Mike ushered them indoors and led them into a living room.
“Would anyone like coffee?” Janice asked. She looked at Ash. “I can guarantee you this pot is completely harmless.”
“Are
“Me? God, no. I’m Janice.”
“Sit,” Mike said. “She’ll bring us coffee.”
Ash remained on his feet. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m not here for coffee or small talk. I’m here for someone named Olivia. Matt said she’d be here.”
Mike and Janice shared a look, then Mike said, “She is.”
“Then I’d like to talk to her now.”
Mike’s smile disappeared. He nodded. “Of course. This way.”
He crossed the living room and entered a small hallway near the back corner. As Ash followed, he realized Chloe was behind him.
“Just me,” he told her.
“I’m coming, too.”
“This isn’t your business. It’s mine.”
“I’m coming, too,” she repeated.
He stared at her for a moment, then said, “The second you get in my way, you’re out.”
They found Mike standing halfway down the hallway, in front of an open door.
“Inside,” he said.
They crossed the threshold into what turned out to be a large bathroom.
Ash looked at Mike, confused. “We’re in here because…?”
“You’ve been allowed to come to the Bluff only because Matt trusts you. He thinks you might be able to help us someday. If that trust is misplaced, and you try to betray us, you won’t last very long. I’m not threatening you, I’m just telling you. So before we go any further, I need to know if he’s wrong about you.”
Ash took a moment, then said, “Matt and the rest of you saved my life. And you’ve all been very generous in helping me try to find my children. I have no intention of ever telling anyone about him or his ranch or even your little house here. But if you do try to block me from getting my kids, all bets are off.”
“Good. Then there’s no misunderstanding between us,” Mike said.
He stepped over to a closet with accordion-style doors and opened them. Inside, there was nothing earth- shattering or unusual, just a washer and dryer and a stack of towels. Mike reached behind the washer and touched something. There was a subtle
The space beyond was dark and not particularly large. As soon as Mike joined them, the wall slid shut. The moment it was fully closed, a light came on, and the small room they were in began moving downward.
An elevator.
There might have been more than a little bit of crazy in these people, but they were certainly well funded, Ash thought.
The car continued downward for much longer than he’d expected. When it finally came to a stop, the door opened onto a brightly lit room. There were two men standing just inside, both armed.
“Please step out of the elevator and raise your arms to shoulder height,” one of the men said, demonstrating what he wanted them to do.
Ash was surprised to see that he and Chloe weren’t the only ones who needed to follow the instructions. Mike, too, had his arms out, as he let one of the men first use a metal detecting wand on him, then pat him down.
When they were all through, the man who’d spoken originally said, “Follow me.”
The door on the other side of the room buzzed and he pushed it open. They then entered a long, wide corridor that was as brightly lit as the space they’d just left. About twenty feet from the door was a see-through wall of either glass or Plexi, dividing the area in two. There was a very elaborate-looking security door inset on the right-hand side of the wall.
Prior to this divider, there was a room off to the side that also had a clear wall along the front. Inside, Ash could see at least five more men. Two were standing right at the wall, looking out. Like the guys who’d been waiting outside the elevator, they were armed. The other three were sitting at desks looking at screens, their faces lit by their computers.
The guide led Ash, Chloe, and Mike over to this wall, then said, “Adam Cooper and Chloe White cleared for entrance.”
