commit. No way in hell would he be selling ammunition to the Mexican cartel to fuel their war.
“Hey.” A feminine voice behind them had them turning. Matt shot José a wry look that meant I told you so.
“Having any luck?” Skylar asked, walking up to them without using her flashlight. Though he supposed since they’d just been using theirs they were easy to spot, he didn’t like it. Still, the darkness did appear to be lifting, even though the sun hadn’t risen.
“I thought you were searching the other way,” Matt said.
She shrugged, apparently unconcerned. “I took a quick look, didn’t see anything and headed this way.”
Lying. He didn’t know how he could tell, but he knew. He shouldn’t have been so surprised.
“Maybe you should have gone back to your trailer after all,” José drawled.
Ignoring him, she focused on Matt. “I take it you two haven’t had any success?”
“Do you see a horse?” José sniped.
Slowly, Matt shook his head in warning. “No, we haven’t been able to find him.”
“That’s odd.” Shining her flashlight out ahead of them, she sighed. “I’ve searched two pastures, even though I had to climb over one fence. I know most horses won’t jump a fence unless provoked, so I have to ask. Do you think there’s a possibility the stallion was stolen?”
For a heartbeat Matt could only stare. “Why would you think that?”
“The barn fire could have been a diversion.”
“But they would have gotten Saint out first,” José said, his tone indicating he gave no credence to her idea.
To be fair, Matt took a few seconds and considered it. “Anything is possible,” he finally said. “But I don’t think that’s why the fire was set.”
“Then why?” she asked, the slight edge to her voice letting him know he’d fallen neatly into her trap.
As if he’d tell her the fire had most likely been a warning from one of the large Mexican drug cartels. Since they all were at war with each other, they didn’t like their suppliers dealing with other factions.
Despite the fact that Matt was not yet officially supplying them with anything, José had made sure the word got out that he had ammo to sell.
This fire was meant to be a warning. La Familia, the largest of the cartels, didn’t take kindly to any opposition. The fact that several groups, including Diego Rodriguez’s, had shown an interest in the ammunition had no doubt angered them. The fire was their way of showing him exactly what he needed to do. Matt felt quite certain he’d be getting another message soon to reinforce that point, whether verbal or written.
Meanwhile, Diego Rodriguez was lying low. He knew full well the dangers of forming his own cartel and going against his former. This much ammo would certainly help him in the inevitable war that would follow.
Diego needed this ammunition. That much Matt knew.
Which meant he was much closer to hooking his fish than he’d realized.
Meanwhile, Skylar was waiting for an answer. Resisting the effort to shut her down, instead he looked at José. “I have no idea,” he said. “What about you?”
To his credit, José didn’t react in any way, other than with a quick cough. “No idea neither, amigo.”
Skylar made a sound under her breath, just enough to let them know she wasn’t happy with their answers. “Well, then, gentlemen. Let’s get busy and see if we can find your missing horse.”
Despite her bossy attitude, which amused Matt and pissed off José, they let her lead the way and followed her. She shone her flashlight straight ahead. Matt took the left and José the right.
Despite this, there was still no sign of the horse. Even with dawn beginning to color the horizon and turning the black night to a milky sort of gray.
Working as a team, they began to move forward, each of them searching in their own direction, sort of like a fan.
When they reached the end of that pasture without seeing Saint, Matt’s heart sank. “Where the hell could he be?” he muttered.
“Did you hear that?” Skylar touched his arm, warning him to be silent. “Listen.”
He froze, straining to hear. Just as he was about to tell her he hadn’t heard a thing, there was a rustle that might have been a rabbit, a coyote, anything.
“I don’t think that’s a horse,” José muttered. “Coyotes, most likely.”
“Shh.” Skylar held up her hand. “They’re tracking something. Wait.”
Then they all heard it. The sound of hooves pounding the earth, the sound of a panicked horse running for his life.
Both he and José drew their guns.
“There.” Skylar pointed, swinging her flashlight in the direction of the noise.
Saint, backed into a corner. And flanking him in a semicircle were several coyotes.
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