Page 110 of First Surrender
“This is Second Chance Sanctuary.”
“So?”
“This fence probably goes on for miles. Dec had to have gone through here.”
He’s the Sheriff, why would that matter?
He’s not saying something because even if it’s private property, this is clearly extenuating circumstances.
I glance at Jesse and Nathan and realize they’re both in on the inside information.
“It’s an animal sanctuary,” Nathan explains.
“What kind of animals?”
“Bears. Black bears,” Jackson utters, drawing my attention again. I stare at him for a long time, waiting for it to click in my brain but my mind is trying to convince me that I heard him wrong.
“My brother might be in there.” I point to the woods beyond the fencing. “He might be trapped in there with bears.”
“He’s small. He could have gotten through any hole in or under the fence line,” Jesse explains. My gaze whips to his and I see the worry under his cool exterior. “Means he could get out just as easy,” he adds.
“Jackson. I’m about to lose my fucking mind. What are we going to do?”
“I need to make a call but you have to trust me.”
“You know that I do.” I can’t look at him, I can only stare into the trees beyond me while he makes his call.
“Lochlan, I need your help. Bring anyone you can.”
We stand around for ten minutes, wasting daylight, until I hear the sound of small engines approaching. Multiple quads and a side-by-side appear within a few seconds and I’m suddenly surrounded by seven more men I’ve never seen before.
One of them steps off of a four-wheeler and my jaw drops. He’s the largest man that I’ve ever seen in real life. He’s taller than Jackson, who previously held the record in my mind. He’s almost terrifying to look at.
I don’t know if it’s the furrowed brow or the aura of dark clouds around him, but it makes me saddle closer to Jackson on instinct. His ruggedness is dark and filled with disdain as if he belongs on the other side of the fence with the bears.
Jackson is as manly as they come in my eyes but he’s a calm and stable force, totally opposite from this person. I never realized how much I preferred to gravitate toward stability until now.
“Sheriff,” he greets, deeply.
“I have an eight-year-old boy. He’s not mine by law, but he’s my kid, Lochlan. I think he’s in there.” Jackson points through the fence and a few people around us curse under their breath. However, Nathan and Jesse are both stiff as a board, paying more attention to the new strangers and not the conversation between Jackson and this man. “He was running from bad men, he probably doesn’t even realize where he is.”
Lochlan scrubs a hand over his face, sighing deeply, and that’s when I notice the long scar traveling from his temple straight down to just below his cheekbone. “The bears are peaceful, they don’t want to be bothered. We haven’t had any attacks in over a decade. If he’s a smart kid, he’ll be fine.”
“He’s smart but he’s probably terrified. I didn’t even know what I was sending him into, this is all my fault.” I cover my face to hide my distress because I can’t contain it anymore. My poor baby brother.
“He’ll be fine, we’ll get him,” Jackson whispers against my head, kissing me just above the ear.
“Cut the fence here, we’ll patch it later.” A few of his guys make their way forward with wire cutters to cut the links of the fence. “Listen to me, we move in groups. No one wanders off. Make noise so you don’t surprise them. If they hear you coming they’ll most likely move away but if one gets curious, don’tfucking shoot it.” He looks at Jackson, Jesse, and Nathan dead in their eyes.
That’s when I realize that no one else is armed. None of these other men are carrying anything more than normal tools.
“Do not shoot one of my fucking bears unless it already has your neck in it’s teeth, you hear me?” He asks this time, expecting a response. Jackson might be Sheriff but this guy is definitely in charge. “This is their home. We respect them.”
“We’re only here for Dec. No one wants to cause any harm, Lochlan.”
He looks at Jackson closely and then nods his head, turning his attention back to the guys working on the fence. I tug on Jackson’s arm to get him to lean his head toward me. “Why don’t they have guns?”
He sighs. “They’re felons. Most of them anyway. They don’t keep guns on the property. They can’t.”