“I almost think we should have stayed behind to question Chance Carter, and that’s not because I don’t want to follow Owen’s friend. But you know the saying, a bird in the hand—”

“Is worth two in the bush. Let’s see if we have a bird.” Jack got back on his cell and called Sarnes. “Well? Did you get him?”

“No, sir. Sorry. He went out the back.”

“I told you to station a guy back there.”

“We did. That was me. He walked out the back and coldcocked me before I had time to react.”

Jack gritted his molars.

“Find him and arrest him for assaulting an officer.” He glanced at Terra and ended the call. “Now he has definitely committed a crime.”

Jack focused on following Leif on the two-lane highway. Just where was Leif taking them anyway? Was he onto them and leading them on a wild goose chase?

His cell rang. “Tanner.”

“Nathan here.”

Jack put the cell on speaker. “Detective Campbell. What’s up?”

“Sarge pulled me in to assist. I hope you don’t mind. I mean, we have the forest service deputized, so why not—”

Jack cleared his throat loudly. “Nathan. Terra’s in the car with me. We’re following a lead. Sarge pulled you in. What have you got?”

“Did some more digging on Chance Carter. He doesn’t show up until about thirteen years ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“He didn’t exist until then.”

“How can someone suddenly exist?”

“Good question. It could be a synthetic ID.”

“Keep talking,” Jack said. The car in front of them suddenly turned off onto a county road. Jack slowed. He needed to keep his distance so Leif wouldn’t know he had a tail. It might already be too late.

“Cut to the chase, Campbell.”

“A person could spend a couple of years building an ID. Get a social security number from a child or a homeless person. Or the deceased. Then accumulate fake information associated with the ID. Bottom line, Chance Carter isn’t really Chance Carter.”

“Then who is he?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

“Thanks for letting me know. I’d prefer to know his true identity.” Jack explained what had happened in Bar Wars and that he and Terra were following Leif. “We’re closing in.”

“Careful out there.” Campbell ended the call.

Jack glanced at Terra and caught her frown.

Up ahead, Leif finally turned onto another farm road. Jack sighed. “I wish we had a drone to do this work for us.”

“What? No funding?”

“No funding.”

“We can’t lose him,” she said.

“Oh, so now you want to follow him.” Jack chuckled.

“I never said I didn’t. I want to find out why he was meeting with the pilot as much as you do.”