Now with the sheriff there, Rosé felt free to leave. She drove home to her father’s house. About halfway there, she remembered the shell casing she’d seen in the cave. Were the two incidences related? She should have taken a better look while there. Only hadn’t thought at the time it was something to be worried about. She hadn’t even said anything about it to the others. Would it have made a difference if she had? She didn’t know. 

What the heck was going on? The fact that her father’s guns were all missing worried her more. Dad kept the other firearms and ammunition at his home. She’d mentioned that to the sheriff and he’d had a fit over it. The sheriff sent a deputy to her father to question him about them. Hell, as if the whole country didn’t keep their own stash. Her father just kept more than most. But all his paperwork was in order. 

And if the deputy had gone as instructed, where was his vehicle? He should be there by now. She parked and walked up to the front door of the big old log cabin. It had been in the family for generations. “Dad?” 

Silence. She pushed open the front door. “Dad, you in here?” 

No answer. “Dad, where are you?” 

Racing through the house, she checked all the rooms. There was no sign of him. 

She pulled out her phone. 

“Yoo-ra, he’s not here.” 

She listened to her friend’s shocked exclamation. “Where could he be?” 

“I have no idea.” She walked around the perimeter of the house. There were multiple outbuildings and six months ago he’d have been in any one of them. But now in his condition… not likely. All the doors were closed so far. 

“Any sign of him?”

“No.” And she was scared. Like really scared. “Yoo-ra?” 

“Yeah, what’s going on?” 

“The other guns are missing.” 

“From where?” 

Rosé stood outside her father’s locked and guarded storehouse. All stock from the store came here until needed. Always. And the double doors were open, the lights off. But even she could see the empty gun cabinet. 

“This is really bad news,” she said quietly. She heard a noise behind her. “

“Hang on, we’re coming there,” Yoo-ra cried. “Ten minutes.” 

“It’s too late,” Rosé said softly, her heart halting at the stranger in front of her only to race ahead again at the gun barrel pointed right at her. 

“I’m already captured.” 

“Get off the damn phone. And get over behind your father.” The stranger motioned to the back of the building. She couldn’t see anything. “How the hell am I going to get him down the damn mountain if he can’t walk?” 

“He’s been in a bad accident,” she said, her voice cracking as she walked slowly in the direction he pointed. Please let her father be okay. “He can’t walk very far.”

“Well, he’d better be able to or else. I’m going to just have to pop him one too. I won’t leave any witnesses behind.” The gun barrel lifted. “Now get your over there.” 

She swallowed hard and took several more steps closer. As her eyes adjusted to the shadows, she could see the gunman, his face in the shadows still, a pistol in one hand and a rifle under his other arm. . She quickly pocketed her phone. But as she slipped it away, she clicked on the speaker button so Yoo-ra could still hear the conversation. In a cool voice, she asked, “Where’s my father?” 

“Oh he’s there. Now move or I’ll gun you down