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Back Critical Alliance
Chapters (53)
  1. Cover
  2. Endorsements
  3. Half Title Page
  4. Books by Elizabeth Goddard
  5. Title Page
  6. Copyright Page
  7. Dedication
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. TEN
  18. ELEVEN
  19. TWELVE
  20. THIRTEEN
  21. FOURTEEN
  22. FIFTEEN
  23. SIXTEEN
  24. SEVENTEEN
  25. EIGHTEEN
  26. NINETEEN
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. TWENTY-SEVEN
  35. TWENTY-EIGHT
  36. TWENTY-NINE
  37. THIRTY
  38. THIRTY-ONE
  39. THIRTY-TWO
  40. THIRTY-THREE
  41. THIRTY-FOUR
  42. THIRTY-FIVE
  43. THIRTY-SIX
  44. THIRTY-SEVEN
  45. THIRTY-EIGHT
  46. THIRTY-NINE
  47. Author’s Note
  48. Acknowledgments
  49. Another Thrilling Story from the Author
  50. ONE
  51. About the Author
  52. Back Ads
  53. Back Cover

But who is watching?

EIGHT

Spending hours in Rocky Roads Internet Café in Big Rapids hadn’t been on Alex’s to-do list, not even at the bottom. But one couldn’t easily escape the digital age, even in Big Sky Country, where lofty mountains, thick green forests, and clear streams called his name, daring him to forget his troubles. The faster he resolved the memorial vandalism, the sooner he could get back into the fresh air.

But honestly? The vandalism wasn’t at the forefront of his thoughts.

Not after Mackenzie walked back into his world and their lives were thrown together—although briefly—once again. But he had no intention of walking away from her this time. Especially since she was so obviously in danger after yesterday’s shooting incident in the woods.

Unlike a lot of guys he knew, he could multitask just fine. He was supposed to be decompressing. But couldn’t he go somewhere without finding trouble? Apparently not. Maybe next time he would try a Caribbean island. Or Alaska. A lot of people went there to live off-grid or hide, and some went missing. He had a feeling trouble would find him there too.

He thought back to the drone following Mackenzie and then the shooter who tried to take them out. By comparison, the figure in the grainy image at the memorial didn’t seem as important. But he’d asked for this video, and he would review it. The smallish woman dressed in black dashed in and out of the camera’s view, hacking away with a sledgehammer.

Such violence and . . . what? Contempt? Could he read all that into her actions?

He needed Erin to take a look at this too. She and her mother remained at Stone Wolf Ranch, where they went after their home was destroyed. Terra had offered for him to stay there too—they’d added a couple of cabins to the property—but if he was going to stay with anyone as a guest, it should be with Mom. If only he and his stepfather got along.

So instead, Alex rented a cabin a few miles outside of Big Rapids. At least there he had his own space. Peace and quiet. But he could always hang out with the gang at the ranch and spend time with Mom when she got off work from her job as a nurse at the small hospital in town. As for his stepfather, Ron, who was glad when Alex finally left home, they could at least be cordial to each other for the short time Alex was around.

And he needed to figure out the vandalism—for his father’s memory as well as for the others. And for Mom’s sake, he hoped to stop the vandal in their tracks. He would do what he could to assist while not stepping on the toes of local law enforcement, even though Jack had asked for Alex’s help.