It took every bit of resolve to turn away and act flustered. “You live on the rez. I’d send the tribal cops to your house first.”
“You really think I’m stupid enough to hold her at my house?” he sneered.
“You really think I’m stupid enough to agree to your game without demanding proof of life? Tactical error on your part, Sheldon. It’s always the first maneuver in a hostage situation. You should know that with all your book learning about military ops.”
Silence.
I held my breath, wondering if I’d gone too far.
“Listen very closely.” A pause. “Sophie? Say something to Mercy.”
An inhuman wail burned my ear as the drawn-out word no echoed back to me. Had he hurt her to get that response? I didn’t feel a sense of triumph. I just felt sick. Wait. Where had I heard that type of wail before? When Theo had Hope? Had she made that agonized sound?
“Satisfied?”
No, you vicious cocksucker. I won’t be satisfied until your blood saturates the ground. “Yes.”
“You agree to my game. My test of skills?”
“Yes.”
“There’s another envelope inside the bag of dog food on your porch. Get it and open it.”
My skin crawled, as I could feel his unseen eyes on me. I snatched the envelope, folded back the metal clasp, and a sheaf of papers spilled out. Papers that looked like a fictional spy’s dossier, something you might see on TV. Maps. Christ. The only thing he hadn’t added was TOP SECRET stamped in red lettering on the front of the envelope.
“Anything look familiar?” he prompted. “Find the map marked A.”
I didn’t want to play his stupid games, but I had no choice. He’d printed out a topographical map and marked off an area with a red square.
“It’s the upper section of the Gunderson Ranch. The area known as the mini-badlands. Bordered by forest on one side and a rocky canyon on the other. That part of your land, about ten square miles, isn’t used for grazing or anything else, so we won’t be interrupted.”
“I don’t understand.”
“That’s because I haven’t explained the rules yet,” he snapped. “Tomorrow morning you can enter that marked-off section on the map from whichever side you choose. You’ll have from sunup to sundown to find the six items at the six locations I’ve marked on your map. You’ll need all six… hints, if you will, to figure out what bunker I’ve hidden Sophie in.”
This guy had a massive chip on his shoulder about not being called to war. An elaborate ruse to prove his prowess? What a psychotic motherfucker. I imagined he probably had a fake uniform decorated with fake medals. “What will you be doing while I’m gathering clues?”
“While you’re completing your assigned mission,” he corrected testily. “I’ll be trying to stop you. By any means necessary. Just like in real war.”
“If you capture me, will you kill me?”
“Not until you’ve exhausted my entertainment options.”
“So if you win”-I hated saying that-“and you have me to keep you entertained, then you won’t need Sophie. You’ll let her go?”
“I’m a man of my word. If I say I’ll let her go, then I’ll let her go.”
“If I win, in addition to your telling me exactly where you stashed Sophie, I’ll expect to haul you in so you can stand trial for your crimes.”
He laughed. “You’re such a little do-gooder patriot. That’s why I picked you for this challenge. You understand fair play. You’ll follow the rules. Rest up tonight, Sergeant Major. You’ll need it. This will be a physically demanding op.”
Op. Fuck him.
“Last two items of business: Don’t leave the house. Period. For any reason. And as soon as we’re finished talking, destroy both cell phones.”
But what if the hospital called about Dawson? No house phone, no cell phone-they’d have no way to get in touch with me.
“These are non-negotiable points. I will know if you disobey either directive.” Mr. Chatty hung up.
He was really into reinforcing my paranoia.
Think, Mercy. I went with the assumption he was using one of those cone-shaped audio devices that required a physical presence within two hundred yards and a pair of binoculars. That’d give him eyes and ears on me.
I quickly and quietly slipped the battery out of my phone. I found a meat tenderizer and beat his disposable phone into pieces. I piled the busted phone on top of mine. Even up close, they both looked broken.
I paced for a good five minutes.
If Sheldon got bored watching me, he’d head home. That would fuck up everything. With his genial tone and excitement about his stupid challenge, he didn’t know I’d broken into his house.
I had a small window of opportunity to turn the tables. Because I wasn’t waiting around for Sheldon’s elaborate plan for me to role-play The Most Dangerous Game. I didn’t figure he’d play fair.
But I wouldn’t play fair, either.
I’d do what I did best.
Go on the offensive.
It’d taken Sheldon days to come up with such an intricate and well-ordered strategy. By purposely choosing Gunderson land on which to carry out his game, he expected me to feel smug in my advantage over him.
But my advantage was op planning on the fly. Change, adapt, execute. Almost as much a part of my military sniper mantra.
I needed to draw Sheldon out and get him off balance.
So I’d blatantly break his specific rule to stay put. If my guess was correct, he’d be too curious to see what would make me break the rules, if only so he could throw it in my face and use it as an excuse to hurt Sophie.
Hopefully, Dawson’s cell phone had enough juice after being shut off for a few days for me to make one call. I grabbed my notebook from my messenger bag and trudged to my bedroom, fished out Dawson’s cell, and headed to the bathroom. I turned on the shower in case Sheldon aimed his listening device in this direction.
I dialed the number on the slip of paper and paced while I waited for her to pick up.
“Hello?” she answered warily.
“Is this Naomi?”
“Yes, who’s this?”
“Mercy Gunderson. FBI. We spoke today?”
“Hey, why are you calling me? Am I in trouble?”
“No. How would you like to earn a hundred bucks for helping me?”
A pause, then she said, “For real?”
“For real. This is a top-secret FBI operation, so you have to keep it between us.”
“Okay. What do I gotta do?”
“Do you have a vehicle?”
“Yeah.”
“What kind?”
“A Dodge minivan.”
“Is the gas tank full?”
“About half. Why?”
“I need you to drive to Besler’s grocery store in Eagle Ridge. Know where that is?”
“Uh-huh. Then what?”
“Park close to the front doors. Leave the keys under the seat. Go in the store, get a cart, and pretend you’re shopping. Take your time but don’t talk to anyone. Don’t look around, just act like you’re buying groceries.”
“Should I wear a disguise or something?”
“Just a winter scarf. Don’t look for me. I will find you. Try to stay in the back of the store.”
“You ain’t pulling my leg? You’re really gonna be there?”
“Yes. Look, it’s really important you follow these instructions to the letter. Don’t tell anyone where you’re going. Don’t text or talk on your phone, either in your car or in the store. Don’t deviate at all.”
“I won’t.”
“I’ll explain more when you see me in about forty-five minutes.” I hung up. Then I stripped and wrapped myself in my robe, exiting the bathroom and closing my bedroom door.
Keeping the lights turned off fucked with my bad eye, but I had no choice except to work in the darkness. I started adding layers of clothes. A sports bra. A long-sleeved under-armor shirt. I yanked on a pair of jeans and slid on the super-thin subzero winter coat I’d saved from my Afghanistan tour. The light weight allowed me to move and kept me warm, but not too warm. For an overcoat, I pawed through the closet until I found my black duster. Two inside pockets, two deep outside pockets, long and sloppy-looking. Perfect.