physical therapist. The competition and camaraderie kept them going and made them better, stronger men.
Once inside the diner, he glanced around at the men seated at the tables. Most wore jeans and cowboy boots. Their faces were deeply tanned and leathery from years of riding the range in all sorts of weather.
One man stood out among the others. He was tall and broad-shouldered, certainly capable of hard work, but his jeans and cowboy boots appeared new. His face, though tanned, wasn’t rugged or hardened by the elements. He sat in a corner booth, his gaze narrowing on Ghost.
Figuring the guy was the one who didn’t belong, Ghost ambled toward him. “DHS?” he asked, his tone low, barely carrying to the next booth.
The man stood and held out his hand. “Kevin Garner. You must be Jon Caspar.”
Ghost shook the man’s hand. “Most folks call me Ghost.”
“Nice to meet you, Ghost.” Garner had a firm grip, belying his fresh-from-the-Western-store look. “Have a seat.”
Not really wanting to stay, Ghost took the chair indicated.
The DHS man remained standing long enough to wave to a waitress. Once he got her attention, he sat opposite Ghost.
On close inspection, his contact appeared to be in his early thirties, trim and fit. “I was expecting someone older,” Ghost commented.
Garner snorted. “Trust me, I get a lot of push-back for what I’m attempting. Most think I’m too young and inexperienced to lead this effort.”
Ghost leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “And just what effort is that?”
Before the DHS representative could respond, the waitress arrived bearing a pot of coffee and an empty mug. She poured a cup and slapped a laminated menu on the table. “I’ll be back.”
As soon as she left, Garner leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Safe Haven Task Force was my idea. If it works, great. If it fails, I’ll be looking for another job. I’m just lucky they gave me a chance to experiment.”
“Frankly, I’m not much on experiments, but I’ll give you the benefit of a doubt. What’s the experiment?”
“The team you will be part of will consist of some of the best of the best from whatever branch of service. They will be the best tacticians, the most skilled snipers and the smartest men our military has produced.”
“Sorry.” Ghost shook his head. “How do I fit into that team?”
Garner slid a file across the table and opened it to display a dossier on Ghost.
Ghost frowned. SEALs kept a low profile, their records available to only a very few. “How did you get that file?”
He sat back, his lips forming a hint of a smile. “I asked for it.”
“Who the hell are you? Better still, what politician is in your pocket to pull me out of my unit for this boondoggle gig?” Ghost leaned toward Garner, anger simmering barely below the surface. “Look, I didn’t ask for this assignment. I don’t even want to be here. I have a job with the Navy. I don’t need this.”
Garner’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Like it or not, you’re on loan to me until I can prove out my theory. Call it a Temporary Duty assignment. I don’t care what you call it. I just need you until I don’t need you anymore.”
“There are much bigger fish to fry in the world than in Grizzly Pass, Wyoming.”
“Are you sure of that?” Garner’s brow rose. “While you and your teammates are out fighting on foreign soil, we’ve had a few homegrown terrorists surface. Is fighting on foreign soil more important than defending your home turf?”
“I might fall for your line of reasoning if we were in New York, or DC.” Ghost shook his head. “We’re in Grizzly Pass. We’re far away from politicians, presidents and wealthy billionaires. We’re in the backside of the backwoods. What could possibly be of interest here?”
“You realize there’s a significant amount of oil running through this state at any given time. Not to mention, it’s also the state with the most active volcano.”
“Not buying it.” Ghost sat back again, unimpressed. “It would take a hell of an explosion to get things stirred up with the volcano at Yellowstone.”
“Well, this area is a hotbed for antigovernment movements. There are enough weapons being stashed and men being trained to form a sizable army. And we’re getting chatter on the social media sites indicating something’s about to go down.”
“Can you be more specific?”
Garner sighed. “Unfortunately, not yet.”
“If you’re done speculating, I have a two-day drive ahead of me to get back to my unit.” Ghost started to rise, but the waitress arrived at that time, blocking his exit from the booth.
“Are you ready to order?”
“I’m not hungry.”
Garner gave the waitress a tight smile. “I’d like the Cowboy Special, Marta.”
Marta faced Ghost. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“The coffee will hold me.” Until he could get to Cheyenne where he’d stop for food.
After Marta left, Garner leaned toward Ghost. “Give me a week. That’s all I ask. One week. If you think we’re still tilting at windmills, you can go back to your unit.”
“How did I get the privilege of being your star guinea pig?”
Garner’s face turned a ruddy shade of red and he pressed his lips together. “I got you because you weren’t cleared for active duty.” He raised his hand. “Don’t get me wrong. You have a remarkable record and I would have chosen you anyway, once you’d fully recovered.”
That hurt. The Navy had thrown the DHS a bone by sending a Navy SEAL with a bummed-up leg. Great. So they didn’t think he was ready to return to duty either. The anger surged inside him, making him mad enough to prove them wrong. “All right. I’ll give you a week. If we can’t prove your theory about something about to go down, I’m heading back to Virginia.”
Garner let out a long breath. “That’s all I can ask.”
Ghost smacked his hand on the table. “So, what exactly am I supposed to do?”
“One of our operatives was threatened last night. I need you to work with her while she tries to figure out who exactly it is and why they would feel the need to harass her.” He handed Ghost his business card, flipping it over to the backside where he’d written an address. “This is her home address here in Grizzly Pass.”
“I know where that is.” Orva Davis lived there back when he was a kid. She used to chase the kids out of her yard, waving a switch. She’d been ancient back then, she couldn’t possibly be alive now. “She’s expecting me this morning?”
“She’ll
