He grabbed his cell and held it up only to realize that he’d missed the call he’d been waiting for. What the hell? His phone hadn’t even rung! The cell service in this old plant sucked. Cell service in Alaska sucked in general. He hadn’t been able to use his phone at all when he was in Hilltop. Even now that he was in Anchorage, there were spots where thick stands of trees or mountains blocked the signal.

He stared at the cracked linoleum while waiting for Terry to answer, which happened on the second ring.

“There you are!”

“Don’t know how I missed your call. I’ve been here the whole time.”

“You scared the hell out of me. I thought you’d split, man.”

“I’m about to. This place stinks.”

“I thought it was empty, that it had been vacated. Isn’t that what you told me when you rented it?”

“It is empty. The husband of the old woman who owns it died, the business failed and she’s been trying to sell it for over six months, with no luck. She was excited to make the five hundred dollars for two weeks I offered her, even turned the electricity back on when I told her I was going to make one of the buildings that used to house hens into a temporary dog shelter.”

“You don’t think she’ll check, do you?”

“I stuck some stray dogs in there to bolster my cover, just in case. I should be fine if she comes snooping around, as long as she doesn’t get too nosey.”

“That was smart.”

“I am going to start a shelter one day.”

“I’ll help you with that.”

Emmett wasn’t sure Terry would be around to help. Bridget wanted out of the marriage, and that could prove the end of their friendship. “Sounds good. You haven’t said a word to my sister about this job we’re doing, though, have you? Because I told you from the beginning that you’d better not. She’ll be mad as hell if she learns we’re involved in something that could land us both back in prison.”

“Of course not. I’m not that stupid.”

“Good thing, because I guarantee she would leave you and refuse to talk to me.” Emmett wrinkled his nose. “Damn, it stinks in here.”

“What from?”

“I think it’s the candling machine in the next room.”

“The what?”

“That’s what the owner called it. Apparently, it’s the machine that was used to wash the chicken shit off the eggs and separate them into sizes so they could be packed.”

“Can’t you just throw that junk outside?”

“No, it’s huge! And it’s fastened to the wall.”

“Then base out of a different room while you’re there.”

“I am! I’m camping out in the staff area, but it’s tiny, and this part of the building is no picnic, either. I guess after losing her husband and her business, the owner wasn’t very excited to come in here and clean, the lazy bitch. Anyway, when’s your boss going to relieve me?”