Grizzly Season - S W Lauden A Greg Salem Mystery

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Boulevard. last month.”

      “That doesn’t make this your fault.”

      “Everybody at Grizzly Flats has blood on their hands, Greg.”

      “So why don’t you just leave?”

      “I had my reasons, until you came along.”

      She collapsed in his arms again. There were still so many questions he wanted to ask her, but he doubted she could answer right then. He sat holding her for several minutes, until she lifted her head and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.

      “I have something to show you.”

      Kristen went over to a bag at the foot of the cot. A map was in her hands when she sat down beside him again. He rose up onto his elbows to watch her unfold it.

      “What is that?”

      “A map of Grizzly Flats.”

      He wanted to grab it from her hands and commit the contents to memory, but resisted the urge. This could still be some kind of twisted test orchestrated by Magnus.

      “Where’d you get it?”

      “I have my ways.”

      She flashed an evil smile and spread the map out across his legs. The intricate lines and complicated symbols were hand drawn in pencil. The paper was worn thin in spots where it had been erased and altered several times before. There was only one person who knew the operation that well.

      “Jesus, Kristen. Magnus will kill us both if he notices this is missing.”

      “I’ll put it back tonight, after he’s asleep. Trust me.”

      “Why should I?”

      “Because I’ve got the map that’s going to get us out of here. All three of us.”

      His hand was still on her shoulder as she leaned in for a kiss. Kristen took his face in her hands and bit the tip of his tongue. Whatever reservations he’d had about sleeping with her quickly evaporated in the warmth of her body. She pushed him back, running a finger down his chest. A shy smile danced across her lips as her dress fell to the floor.

      She lowered herself on top of him. Their eyes were only inches apart, searching each other in the dark. He inhaled her sweet breath as she opened her mouth to speak.

      “You’re the only one I can trust here anymore.”

      “You don’t have to do this, for Magnus I mean—”

      She shut him up with another kiss—harder this time, with greater intent. He brought his hands up onto her back to let them explore, but slowed down when he reached the bear paw tattoo. She pulled back when his hands stopped moving.

      “What’s the matter?”

      “You all have the same tattoo.”

      “You cops don’t miss a thing, do you?”

      Greg didn’t know what to make of her comment. She rolled off of him and giggled.

      “It’s no big deal. Just like branding a cow, I guess.”

      “Is that what you think of yourself?”

      She traced the outline of his tattoos with her fingers.

      “Can we maybe discuss this a little later? Seems silly to have a lover’s spat before we’re actually lovers.”

      She started kissing his bicep before working her way up to his neck. It was hard for Greg to know if she was telling the truth about her feelings for him. Either way, there was no going back—at least not that night.

      Chapter Three

      It was pitch-black and freezing cold. Again.

      Marco wrapped his arms around his bent knees and rocked in place to keep warm. Bears were no longer an issue since Magnus and his men started sealing him into the pit at night. Now the only monsters he fought were the ones he conjured himself. Most of them, these days, looked like some version of Magnus.

      He spent many sleepless nights throwing pointless punches into the surrounding darkness, rattling the chain clamped to his ankle, and shouting into the void. Sometimes he made promises to get his revenge on Magnus. Other times he prayed out loud that Greg would come to rescue him.

      In the morning they would rip the plywood back, letting the sunlight blind him. Magnus was there to greet him for the first few days, with coffee in hand and a smile on his face. He always seemed excited for Marco, about the backbreaking work that lay ahead. Lately, it was just his soulless soldiers with their guns and grunted orders.

      Marco was wondering how many more nights like that he could survive when somebody pulled the plywood back. Stars filled the night sky behind the woman who peeked down at him over the edge of the pit.

      “I have something for you, from your friend Greg.”

      She tossed down a folded blanket that hit the ground with a dull thud. He reached over and immediately wrapped it around his body. The unexpected warmth was better than any drugs he had ever taken.

      Marco looked up to thank her, but his guardian angel was already gone. The last sliver of light disappeared as she slid the plywood back into place.

      ›

      “Wake up, love birds.”

      Greg saw a strange look on Magnus’s face when he opened his eyes. It was a cross between fury and joy. Then he saw the rifle in the old man’s hands and felt the tip of the barrel pressed against his chest. Kristen was already up and getting dressed, but Magnus told her to stay put.

      “I’ve got something to say to the two of you.”

      She had practically moved in with Greg over the last two weeks. They’d spend their days apart, but come together every night when the long workdays were done. Greg spent most of his time with Magnus, following in his shadow, learning everything he could about Grizzly Flats. He had no idea what Kristen did with her time, or what her role was in the organization. He only knew that Magnus seemed to trust her more than the other girls. That made Greg want to trust her less, when he wasn’t clinging to her to get him through the long nights.

      Kristen dropped her dress and climbed back on top of the bearskin. Greg felt her trembling next to him. He took her hand in his and squeezed it tight. If Magnus noticed, he didn’t let it show.

      “We need to talk, Greg. It’s time for you and I to come to some kind of agreement.”

      Greg’s eyes flicked to the gun barrel. There had to be a right way to respond, but he couldn’t decide what it was.

      “I’m listening.”

      “I’ve shared my master plan with you. You know everything about my business plan, but time’s running out. It’s becoming a distraction. That stops right here, right now. I’ve already told you that I want you to come work for me—with me. We would be partners, splitting some of the profits. I also told you what I would do if you refused my offer.”

      Greg could picture Marco with a gun to his head somewhere in the camp. The image made his stomach turn. He nodded, trying hard not to show any emotion.

      “I need to know your answer right now.”

      “What exactly would this partnership entail?”

      “I need somebody I can trust to keep the cash coming in while I work with the other team on perfecting Grizzly Bear.”

      “Why me?”

      “I don’t have a lot of other options at the moment. From what I’ve seen, you know how to handle yourself.”

      “And you’ll kill Marco if I say no.”

      Magnus swung the rifle from Greg’s chest to Kristen’s forehead.

      “Not just him.”

      Kristen

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