Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard (shoe dog free ebook .txt) 📗

thank you.” Thank you should have been the first words out of her mouth, but her thoughts had been on getting the man behind the fire.

“I didn’t know you had survived.” Jack looked away, but she hadn’t missed the emotion welling in his eyes, and he almost sucked her into that wave with him. He cleared his throat as he looked at her again. She saw in his eyes that he still cared deeply for her, and it took her breath away.

He reached across the short distance to cup her cheek. “But I couldn’t live with the thought of losing you, Terra. I kept telling myself that you were still alive. I listened to my instincts, my heart . . .”

Oh. My.

That was it then. She couldn’t hold back. Terra slid from the seat and into his arms. With her head against his chest, she heard the steady beat of his strong heart. If he hadn’t listened to his instincts and followed through, she could have died in the fire or in an attempt to cross the river. She could still be out there in those woods.

Jack had come for her.

Was Terra losing her grip? She’d been in his arms already today—and that had felt good and right, despite the reasons she’d ended up there.

If Terra could forget the past, forget the pain he’d caused her, then maybe . . . maybe she could get comfortable snug against him.

“Thank you,” she whispered, the emotional connection with him tugging at the deep places of her heart. But not deep enough. A wall still remained. She could forgive him, and she had, but she wasn’t able to fully trust him not to utterly devastate her again. Terra couldn’t seem to get beyond that scar over her heart.

She should move away from him, but . . .

Jack was the one to step back.

He left her feeling cold and empty by comparison.

His features had grown stern. “It’s getting late, and you should get home. We need to give our statements about today’s events.”

She rubbed her eyes. “Tomorrow.”

Jack’s expression softened. “Remember, I’m going to follow you home.”

Terra was too exhausted to argue with him. She steered from the trailhead and headed back to Gramps’s ranch. She glanced in the rearview mirror to see Jack still following her when she finally turned into the circular drive. A smile broke through her exhaustion. Former FBI Special Agent Jack Tanner turned county detective had a way of making her want a relationship even in the midst of a nightmarish day.

At the front door, she waved and he took off.

She could smell the smoke, but the fire was far from Stone Wolf Mountain and the ranch, and she prayed it would be contained soon.

The day had been long and exhausting, and she was relieved when she didn’t run into Gramps or Owen, each of them caught up in doing their own thing, which was just as well. Terra grabbed leftover tuna from the fridge, along with a fork, and headed to her room to finish it off. After showering and changing into comfy clothes, Terra carefully set the artifact on a ziplock bag and took a better picture in brighter light.

She pursed her lips. She needed answers from someone she could trust, so she sent a quick text.

Dr. Brand, we need to talk.

While she waited for his response, she rested on her bed and closed her eyes. Images of the raging fire filled her mind. Terra jolted awake. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep.

She eyed her phone. Still no text.

She tried again.

Jeremy, I need your help.

Terra chewed on her lip, then sent the photo. She explained briefly where it was found and that it was linked to a murder investigation. Then she sent another text.

What is this?

While she waited for his response, she knew she would fall asleep unless she kept busy. So she checked her email and wrote a report of the events of the day. Her cell buzzed with a text.

Not Native American.

The text became a call. Terra frowned. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his voice. “Hey.”

“All right. My interest is sufficiently piqued.”

“If it’s not Native American, then what is it?”

“I can’t tell you much from a picture.”

“Of course you can. You have all you need.”

“I’m going to have to get a close look at it. That is, if you want my help.”

Did she want his help that much?

“I could have the local forest service archaeologist assess it.”

“But you contacted me. Why?” His brusque tone didn’t give her the warm fuzzies.

Something’s going on, that’s why. But how did she tell him she was getting some weird vibes? “Listen, two people have been murdered, and I think their deaths could be related to this. I can’t be sure, but I just didn’t want to turn this over to the wrong person.”

“I’m surprised to hear you think I’m not the wrong person.”

Touché.

“Wait, you’re not turning it over to me either.” He huffed a laugh.

How long could a person hold a grudge? But Terra was one to talk. She weaved her fingers through her damp hair.

“Does the word Janus mean anything to you?”

Silence filled the connection. Before she could ask if he was still there, he spoke.

“In what context, Terra?”

She didn’t miss the hesitation in his tone. Good. That meant she should push it. “In the context of stolen artifacts, what else?”

He heaved a sigh. “The term isn’t used often, but the Janus is a person who facilitates the movement of an illegally trafficked item to the licit world market. Think of the Janus as a portal, the laundering point.”

“Any thoughts on the profile of such a person?”

“Wait, are you suggesting that there’s a Janus connection through Montana?” His voice sounded incredulous.

“You know as much as I do. Maybe the person is here right now. Has a ranch but another home elsewhere. What kind of person am I looking for, Jeremy? A scientist like you? Someone who’s wealthy and is a collector? Or a museum curator? Someone who travels?”

“My answer will depend on the item. I