Steph pulled up to the state park entrance and showed her badge at the window.
"I need to speak to the ranger on duty", she said. "This needs to be kept very quiet. Do not mention a thing over radio. Do you understand?"
The poor young girl looked terrified. She nodded and picked up a phone. Ip guessed she was a college student gaining experience for a related field of study.
The girl handed Steph the phone after she got the ranger on the line.
Ip listened to her end of the conversation.
"Hey, Stephanie Parker here. I'm a detective working with the FBI on a terrorist case. We have reason to believe a suspect is in this park and is possibly camping here".
"Alan Ross, but I doubt he would use his real name".
"Five-ten, dark blond curly hair, mustache, short beard, brown eyes".
"Okay. We'll be in the lot".
Steph handed the phone back to the girl.
"He's going to meet us here", Steph informed them both.
The girl nodded and hit the button to raise the arm of the gate.
"Not one word to anyone", Steph added to her again, and again, the girl nodded.
Steph parked and popped open the trunk to pull out her winter gear as Ip was pulling Steve's stuff from the back seat.
"You need some guns, handsome?", she asked innocently.
"I have one, but what do you got?", he asked curiously, moving around to peer into the trunk.
Paige's lightweight Glock wasn't his favorite handgun. He liked something with a little more weight and a little more kick to it.
"Hell yeah", he said, chuckling, as he viewed the arsenal within the trunk.
"Most are from the precinct but a few are from my personal supply", she said, watching him with approval as he picked up a Smith and Wesson revolver.
"This is a nice gun", Ip said wistfully, examining it. "Expensive, too. I've always had this one in mind but never wanted to spend the money".
"You use it then", she said.
"Really?", he asked, checking her face.
She seemed pleased.
"Yep. It's mine. It was a present to myself when I made detective ten years ago. You use it today".
"Thank you", he said, opening the chamber and reaching in the trunk for the box of bullets.
"Don't mention it", she said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Ip and Steph suited up in their winter gear as they waited for the ranger. Luckily, it was in the mid-twenties today. It felt like a heat wave compared to the below zero windchills of the previous days. It still wouldn't be comfortable for more than a couple hours, though. Hopefully they could gather reconnaissance and then warm up for a bit before the rest of the team arrived.
The ranger drove up in a state park decaled dark brown SUV and parked next to them. He had a black beard and mustache, piercing brown eyes, and a muscular frame.
Ip was relieved. His experience with rangers was often disappointing. This man actually appeared capable at first glance.
"Mark Lor", he said, extending his hand to Steph first, which Ip knew gained him a ton of respect in her book...and his, for that matter.
YOU ARE READING
Whiskey River, Drown my Soul
Romantik*Third in the Fire Whiskey series* With the tragic loss of her beloved Brad, Paige does what Rev did when she cut him out of her life before...she gives herself a mission so large there's no time for anything or anyone else. She ghosts everyone and...
