With her nausea gone and equilibrium back, Special Agent Grangeland felt a lot better. She surveyed her surroundings. Light-to-moderate tree cover surrounded the helicopter to the north, east, and west. From the south rim of the canyon, the helicopter was in plain sight. From the other directions, it wasn’t totally screened, but unless someone was purposely looking for a parked helicopter in the middle of nowhere nestled within a canyon surrounded by trees, they’d never spot it from those directions. She supposed Leonard could be looking for just such a situation. She’d overheard Nathan and Harvey talking. This spot was nearly a mile-and-a-half from the money stash. Would Leonard Bridgestone reconnoiter out to this range? Would he start at such an extreme distance and spiral in, checking the perimeter? No doubt, he’d be exhausted from a twenty-two-hour drive and need to get some sleep, unless he was wired on drugs.

Shit. Too many questions without answers. She felt vulnerable in her current position, exposed from the south. She had a patchy view through the trees and overhanging branches. Given all the variables, she felt the north side of the helicopter was the best place to wait. Or was it? Maybe she should be inside the trees, under deeper shadow, but then she remembered her headset. The uncoiled cord wouldn’t reach more than five feet from the helicopter. She wasn’t going anywhere. If Leonard Bridgestone spotted her, there was little she could do about it. Besides, the Air Force was watching the place. If anyone approached, they’d be giving her a heads-up.

Except during the satellite blackout.

She looked at her watch, cursing herself for not knowing the blackout period. Was the blackout just starting? Or ending? What were the odds of Leonard arriving during the blackout period? To distract herself, she tried to calculate them. Thirty minutes of three hours is the same as one-in-six odds. Would she bet her life on one-in-six odds? Hell no. She fought an overwhelming urge to look behind her. Relax, she told herself, you’re just being paranoid. Besides, she had a vest under the Windbreaker. She’d be fine.

Two seconds later, an invisible brick smashed her torso at the same instant the air cracked.

She struggled with the truth.

Before blacking out, the last thing she saw was Ernie lean under the helicopter and smile behind his gag.

* * *

The high-power rifle report ripped down the canyon, echoing off thousands of exposed limestone ledges. Nathan and Harvey hit the deck simultaneously.

From the prone position, Nathan whipped around. “Harv!”

“I’m okay. You?”

“Okay.” Nathan pressed the transmit button. “Grangeland, you copy?”

No response.

“Grangeland, do you copy?”

Nothing.

“Harv, form up. I think Grangeland’s down.”

Harv ran in a crouch over to Nathan’s position and settled in.

“That was rifle, not a handgun.”

“Agreed,” Harv said.

“I’m going back. Stay here and keep your head down.”

“She’s dead, Nate.”