Ch. 17: Misdirection

"We need to call Cady."

The two of them started after Colter. Vic shook her head and holstered her gun for the time being as did Walt. Her phone was already in her other hand, which he hadn't noticed with his attention diverted.

"Best idea ever. Except…no signal."

Walt frowned.

"And people wonder why I don't like technology. False sense of security."

Vic shoved her phone back into her pocket.

"Yeah, we can debate how technology is the downfall of civilization later. Right now…"

She gestured with her free hand. Walt nodded, understanding her point.

"Yep. He's injured."

Vic sighed.

"He's an idiot, but we can't just leave him."

Walt clearly agreed.

"I know."

He paused and looked at the ground.

"They went this way."

Vic followed a dirt footpath that led into the trees.

"Okay…let's go. Think you can track them?"

Walt pushed his hat up a bit on his head.

"Depends on the ground. Colter, sure. Mason…he seems to know what he's doing."

They entered the trees carefully, both looking around. Walt lowered his eyes to the ground and pointed.

"Blood."

Vic shook her head.

"He really needs a doctor."

"Yep. Needs a better bandage."

Vic huffed.

"Yeah, by a doctor."

A small smile pulled at his lips.

"I seem to remember saving your life with a bandage once."

Vic glanced his way.

"That was a tourniquet. Different."

"Right."

He conceded her point and glanced up and around again.

"It's too quiet."

Vic nodded.

"Yeah. Colter took off like a bat out of hell and now…nothing. Just…dead quiet."

Walt gave her a look and she frowned slightly.

"Sorry."

He turned his eyes back to the path.

"I see two sets of prints."

He paused and knelt down.

"One is walking. You can tell by the stride."

He pointed to show her what he meant.

"The other is running. Guessing that's Colter."

He straightened up and they started on again.

"He should know better than to run headlong after a wanted murderer like that."

"Yeah, no shit. You hear the story he gave me?"

"I did."

Vic kicked at a rock as she walked.

"You believe it?"

Walt's shoulders rose and fell in a shrug.

"Maybe some of it. Not sure I believe all of it."

Vic nodded to herself.

"Yeah. He's not gonna cooperate with us after this."

"Yep."

Vic gave him a look.

"That all you've got?"

"Yep."

Vic rolled her eyes.

"Typical."

Walt reached out and took her upper arm.

"Wait."

Vic stopped and looked at him with questions clearly in her expression.

"What?"

He knelt down again, his eyes on the path.

"If it's Mason that was walking, he left the path here."

Vic followed his line of sight.

"And Colter."

Walt shook his head.

"Hard to say. Looks like someone shuffled over the prints."

"Intentionally?"

Walt stood up.

"Don't know. Possibly."

Vic pushed out a breath.

"You're just full of answers."

He took the jest in stride and pulled out his own phone.

"Still no signal. I don't like this."

"Me either. But, we've come this far. And…it doesn't feel right leaving Colter to fend for himself. Even if he deserves it."

Walt looked her way.

"I know. I'm not suggesting it."

"Can you tell which direction Mason went?"

Walt walked carefully over the grass, his eyes on the ground. Several minutes ticked by before he looked her way again.

"Here."

Vic stepped off the path.

"Okay, that way it is."

The two of them started away from the path.

"Maybe there was a struggle."

Vic's voice broke the silence. Walt removed his hat and wiped at his forehead.

"It's possible. But…there would be signs of a struggle if Mason dragged Colter off. I don't see that. He hasn't had time to cover his tracks."

Both stopped simultaneously when a sound met their ears.

"Hey."

The voice sounded garbled, but they could hear it. Vic looked at Walt.

"Colter."

They started off at a jog in the direction of the voice. Vic paused long enough to pull her 9mm from her holster. Walt followed suit.

"Colter."

He called out and waited, listening.

"Over here."

Over here turned out to be a stand of thick brush. They found Colter in a seated position with sweat beading up on his head despite the cool temperatures. Vic let out a breath when she saw him.

"Jesus, stop running off."

He looked up at her.

"He went that way."

He gestured, but Vic shook off the comment.

"You need a doctor to look at that."

She bent down and touched his shoulder gently. He shook his head.

"I need to find Mason."

Vic rolled her eyes.

"You've been shot. You need a hospital. A doctor. You are bleeding."

She said the words emphatically. But, Mason seemed resolved not to leave. He pushed up and onto his feet, Walt putting a steadying hand on his good arm.

"She's right."

Vic looked to Walt and back to Colter.

"See? And, he never goes to the hospital."

Colter smiled a bit despite the circumstances.

"I appreciate your concern, but we're too close. There's nowhere for him to go."

"Are you willing to die over this?"

It was exactly the kind of blunt question that Walt expected from her. It didn't seem to bother Colter.

"There's that honesty. I'm not going to die from a bullet to the arm. The bleeding has slowed."

"Fair enough but…"

He waved a hand cutting off Vic.

"I'm not going back until I find him. Now, you can come with me and help. Or…you can leave. Either way, I'm doing this."

The two of them exchanged glances, neither happy with his declaration. Walt studied the man.

"I could drag you."

Colter smiled.

"You could try."

He started walking again at a slow pace.

"So…are you coming or not?"

With more than a little reluctance, they started after him.

xxx

"You know he could be anywhere."

Colter didn't seem put off by the idea.

"Out this far, there's nowhere for him to go."

Vic looked around.

"There are a hundred places to go. There's three of us. God knows what we're walking into."

He glanced her way.

"I thought you were a cop."

Vic gave him a quick look.

"I am, just not a stupid one. I've made mistakes and I'm not exactly trying to repeat them. Getting shot sucks."

Colter nodded in agreement.

"It does. It was my understanding that you made it to the hospital."

Vic looked away, not making eye contact Colter or Walt.

"Yeah. I did something incredibly stupid and I paid a steep price."

Colter gave her a curious glance, but didn't press the issue any farther.

"I'm not trying to get anyone killed, Vic."

She shrugged.

"Who does? Really? Whoever sets out to get someone killed? You could've gotten me shot once before. Then, where would we be?"

Anger was starting to seep from her words and the Marshal seemed to recognize that. He had the good sense to act apologetic.

"I'm sorry about that."

Vic didn't seem moved or convinced by his words.

"Everyone is always sorry. But, it doesn't fix anything. Let me ask you this? Do you want your son to grow up without a father?"

Colter grew quiet when she tossed the question his way. For several steps, he didn't reply. He finally seemed to find his voice.

"No."

She nodded.

"Then don't be such a jackass."

She stopped walking and looked around.

"So where do we go, Mr. US Marshal? Any bright ideas?"

Colter sighed.

"Isn't your husband here the tracker?"

Until that point, Walt held his peace, watching their exchange with a thoughtful silence.

"I'm not a miracle worker. And, your friend is good."

Colter laughed humorlessly.

"I think we stopped being friends when he shot me."

Vic smiled.

"Hopefully, that was just directed at you and not us. He doesn't seem to have a beef with me."

Colter's eyes landed on her and stayed there for a minute.

"I'm getting the impression that you don't like me anymore."

His attempt at a joke only elicited an eye roll from her.

"You got the impression that I ever liked you?"

Colter took the jab in silence. Walt stopped and turned to face them.

"It'll be dark soon."

His eyes flickered to Vic and then to Colter.

"So?"

The remark came from Cotler. Vic turned towards him.

"So? That's your big response?"

Walt's expression was neutral and focused on Colter.

"We can't search in the dark. It's not safe. This terrain is dangerous and I won't risk lives."

Colter sighed.

"So…we make camp. Start again in the morning."

Vic cocked her head.

"Make camp with what? We didn't come out here prepared for this. In case you haven't noticed, the nights are getting pretty cold and we don't have any shelter, sleeping bags, or food. You need medical attention."

He glanced at the blood soaked bandage on his arm.

"It's minor."

Vic shrugged.

"It could still be infected. By morning, you could be feverish. Then, we'll have to drag your ass out of here and that'll take the better part of a day. No thanks. C'mon, we're going back."

She seemed set on that idea. Walt could see that. He could also see that Colter strongly disagreed.

"Fine, you go. I'll stay."

Vic shook her head and tossed Walt a quick look.

"You know what…I'll just cuff you. How about that?"

"You can't just cuff me, Deputy."

Colter sounded indignant at the idea.

"Sure I can. I'll arrest you. Cuff you."

Colter gave her an incredulous look.

"Arrest me. For what?"

Vic pulled her handcuffs free from her belt.

"Endangering an officer. Being a dipshit. You choose."

Colter looked to Walt.

"You'll just stand by and let her do this?"

Walt held up his hands.

"I'm not in charge here. I don't even work for the department anymore in any legal capacity."

Colter turned his eyes back to Vic.

"You're serious."

Her face answered the question before she spoke.

"Hell, yeah. So…what's it gonna be?"

He studied her for a moment longer before he gave up.

"Fine. But, I'll be having a conversation with the Sheriff about this when we get back."

Vic treated him to another eye roll.

"Get in line."

With that comment, they turned and started back.

xxx

Cady Longmire sat at her desk with a load on her mind and really nothing to do about it. It seemed like an eternity since Vic and her dad left to go and try to help Colter finally catch Finn Mason. The man was turning out to be quite elusive and she was ready for the whole thing to be over. She had faith in Walt, and in Vic. But, being sidelined was frustrating. It left her feeling helpless and she didn't like that.

In truth, her doctor wasn't thrilled with her decision to return to work early and stressed the importance in allowing her shoulder to heal properly. Overtaxing it could result in a relapse that would require even more physical therapy. Or, even diminished use in the near and far future. His words weren't lost on her and she knew that she needed to exercise caution.

That didn't make the staying back any easier.

Her job was normally fairly quiet in Absaroka County. Not that they didn't have their moments. But, the reality of heading up law enforcement in such a sparsely populated county was that much of her time was spent on the administrative side of her job. That included doing community relations, looking over budgets, meetings with other county leaders. That sort of thing.

With an obvious lack of a police background, she took a slightly more hands-off approach to the job than Walt did during his long tenure. She had training, of course. Vic saw to that after she decided to run for the office that her father was vacating. She knew that no one would take her seriously if she didn't get some experience under her belt.

So, she did just that. Riding along with Vic, occasionally Ferg. Taking classes and courses in larger cities that gave her knowledge she didn't already possess about law enforcement and firearms experience that she needed. Her legal understanding was unsurpassed thanks to her law degree. But, there was a stark difference in practicing law and applying the law in the form of police work.

Still, all things considered, she found the job satisfying even when her day consisted of phone calls and paperwork. Cady's drive to serve her community was strong. She always imagined making her law degree work not just for her, but for people that needed help. So far, in her career as a lawyer, she hadn't been able to achieve that in the way that she wanted. Once her fledgling practice on the Rez failed, it sent her back to the drawing board.

Again.

She was flabbergasted when Walt suggested she run for Sheriff. But, he planted a seed that grew without much help from her. True to her nature, she researched such a position and what it would require from her. Cady didn't like to fail. She was a perfectionist by nature. If she did this, she wanted to do it the right way. Not as Walt Longmire's daughter. But, as Cady Longmire. She knew she couldn't shake her father's name or his legacy. But, she went out of her way to distinguish herself as an individual and not just part two.

She was successful.

Mostly.

So far, she was proud of the job that she was doing and the effort that she was putting forth.

But, this was just plain annoying. True to her word, she called Zach and Ferg, rallying what troops she had at her disposal. She left the borrowed deputy from Cumberland County out of the equation.

There was no need to involve an outsider.

But, without further word, she had nothing to really go on. She tried to call both cell phones, and even Colter's, to no avail. That wasn't a big surprise. Phone signals out here weren't reliable and they all knew it. It was a risk that they all accepted. Since she couldn't get in touch with them, she could only assume that they weren't able to make calls from their end either. That made her feel like she was merely sitting around and twiddling her thumbs.

She hated it.

The knock that came to her office door was an almost welcome distraction.

"Come in."

The door opened and she found herself looking at Carson Cooper, the Cumberland County Sheriff. He offered her a friendly smile, his hat in his hands. In some ways, he reminded her of Walt.

"Sheriff Longmire."

She stood up and smiled in return.

"Sheriff Cooper, what brings you to Absaroka?"

He glanced at a chair near her desk and gestured.

"Do you mind if I sit?"

Cady shook her head.

"Of course not."

He took the seat and his hat came to rest on his lap. Much like her own wardrobe, he wore a uniform shirt and jeans. His were clearly pressed and crisp looking. Professional.

"I apologize for dropping in on you unannounced. I heard that you were back."

Cady waved off his concerns.

"It's no problem. How are you settling in?"

He was newer to office than Cady was, but he looked the part and his experience ran far deeper than her own. She followed the election since Cumberland was a neighboring county, but hadn't gotten many chances to speak with the new Sheriff.

"Good. Can't complain. How is Tate working out for you?"

Cady smiled.

"Fine as far as I know. He's very…eager."

Cooper smiled.

"Yes, he is. He's got a bright future ahead of him, I think."

Cady gave him a curious look.

"Is that why you stopped by?"

He shook his head.

"No, it was another matter. Something I didn't really consider in the moment. But, now I realize it might have been unprofessional."

Cady's brow furrowed.

"What's that?"

He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat.

"I'm not sure if you heard, but I uh…I offered one of your deputy's a job. Now, the offer was serious. But, in hindsight, it might feel like I'm trying to steal one of your employees and that wasn't my intention at all."

Cady clearly didn't know what he was talking about.

"Oh-kay. Which one?"

His expression was curious.

"So…you don't know?"

Cady shook her head.

"No. But, I've only been back for a short time. Who?"

"Deputy Moretti."

Vic. Of course. For some reason, that didn't surprise her as much as he seemed to think it might. While Cady took pride in everyone on staff, Ferg and Zach's experience was limited to Absaroka County. Not that there was anything wrong with that. The same was true of Walt. But, Walt was from a different time and his experience was extensive. He was baptized by the fire that came from working for Lucian Connally.

But, Vic was a different story. Her resume was entirely different. She possessed training and education that none of them really had access to. She spent her formative years in the profession working in Philadelphia, where she probably saw more cases in a month than they sometimes saw in six months. She was from a family of cops. It was more of a calling for her than merely a career choice, embedded in her psyche from a young age.

In truth, she was more qualified for the position of Sheriff than Cady. She didn't have the job because she didn't want it. It was an oft visited topic between the two of them after Walt first introduced his idea to Cady, and during the campaign.

Cady blinked.

"You offered Vic a job?"

He nodded.

"I did."

Cady considered him for a long moment. This was the first she heard of it. That either meant that Vic didn't take him seriously or that she was simply too wrapped up in current events to really concern herself with the offer in the moment.

Either way, the idea unsettled Cady.

In her mind, Vic was the cornerstone of the department at this point. Cady wouldn't have learned all that she did if Vic hadn't been willing to take Cady under her wing and teach her. Cady wouldn't have felt right tagging along with Walt. But, it was different with Vic. Vic's knowledge and experience were invaluable in Cady's mind.

She loved Ferg and Zach, and knew they worked hard. They were integral parts of the department. But, Vic felt like the kind of person she wouldn't be able to replace. Not that she wanted to replace anyone. But, Vic's presence was paramount in her mind, even when it came with constant challenges and attitude.

That merely kept Cady honest, which she always assumed was the point.

"Um…what did she say?"

"Not much. I understand that she's in the middle of a murder investigation. The more I thought about it, the more…unprofessional it seemed to have just tossed it out there like I did. I wanted to…apologize for that. I guess she hasn't mentioned it."

"No, she hasn't said anything. But…you're right. She's very…invested in this murder case."

Cooper smiled.

"I noticed that. It was one of the reasons I made the offer. But…I don't want our departments to be in conflict. There's been enough of that."

That was putting it mildly.

Now that she was recovering from the initial surprise, Cady offered him a smile.

"No harm done. If she wants to accept your offer, there's not much I can do about it. Vic…is very good at making up her own mind about things. I appreciate you coming by, though."

He seemed relieved and pushed up from his chair. Passing his hat to his left hand, he offered Cady his right.

"It's been nice talking to you. I realize we don't know each other all that well. But, maybe we'll get a chance in the future."

Cady accepted his hand.

"Hope so. Thanks for the loan on your deputy. Maybe sometime we can return the favor."

With a last smile, he left her office. Cady took her seat again, her eyes on the closed door. A job offer. It was entirely possible that Vic dismissed it as soon as Cooper mentioned it. It was the other prospect that made Cady nervous. The idea that Vic might consider his offer once this case was wrapped up.

She could understand the appeal of a move to Cumberland. With a more populated county came more money. More money translated to more resources. The pay was better. The hours were probably better than in their small department.

Cady chewed her bottom lip as the thought settled over her and questions started to emerge in her mind.

Should she bring it up to Vic?

Should she wait it out and let Vic broach the topic? It was possible she never would.

The biggest question in her mind was would Vic really leave her current job in Absaroka?

She clearly wasn't motivated by money. The fact that she still worked in Absaroka County was proof of that. Their deputy's salaries were among the lowest in Wyoming. Cady was trying to work in a raise for them. She hadn't mentioned it, because it wasn't entirely up to her. It required working through the county budgets and making requests to the county commission and the Mayor. Convincing them that their department was overdue for increases.

Understaffed and underpaid.

If Walt were still Sheriff, the answer would be easy. Vic's loyalty to Walt was unquestionable. But, Vic didn't owe Cady anything. In all honesty, the opposite was true. Cady knew that Vic was loyal by her very nature. But, it was unfair to expect that loyalty to extend beyond Walt to her simply by proxy. That was the kind of thing that needed to be earned.

It would be unfair on Cady's part to expect that of Vic. It was also unfair to expect her to pass up a potential job offer and the prospect of a better paying job on the basis of that assumed loyalty.

Still, Vic was normally open with her feelings and her thoughts. Sometimes more than people around her were comfortable with. One grew accustomed to it over time. Even came to appreciate it. Cady knew Vic wasn't much for secrets.

But, she also knew that didn't mean Vic didn't have secrets. Her new revelation about her pregnancy and how she lost it threw Cady for a loop. It raised a hundred questions. Vic answered one when she told Cady that the baby wasn't Walt's. That was Cady's first thought. It would explain a lot. Like why Walt took such a keen interest in Vic's recovery. Walt had a lot of deputies over the years. Cady couldn't remember him ever becoming as invested in one as he had Vic.

When Cady posed the question about Vic living with him, he was quick to refute it. But, true to his nature, he didn't offer any extra details. He could have merely been relying on a technicality. Vic's RV was technically her home. It was parked at Walt's. So…technically, she was still in her RV. But, at Walt's. In the moment, it introduced a host of questions into Cady's head. But, Walt was in the fallout of losing Lucian, Vic was recovering from a gunshot, and Cady was immersed in her own struggles.

They were all fighting battles. They were all under enough stress. So, Cady chose not to push the issue. By the time the dust settled and they started to emerge from their individual struggles, it was clear that something deep ran between Walt and Vic. Cady just couldn't quite put her finger on it until Walt told her over breakfast one morning at his cabin.

Cady let out a sigh and looked at her phone again. Now, she had one more worry to add to her growing load and still no real answers for any of them. It was frustrating.

But in the moment, her hands were tied.

xxx

The walk back was blessedly quiet for a while. After his initial discourse and confrontation with Vic, Colter made the wise decision to keep whatever was on his mind to himself. What might happen once they got back didn't seem to be plaguing any of them. Colter's mild threat about reporting Vic to Cady clearly didn't rattle her as he might have intended.

It was so like Vic to call a bluff.

Walt could hear them walking behind him with distinctive footsteps. Vic's were quicker and more impatient, just like she was under the best of circumstances. She was directly behind him, keeping the span of space between them short.

Colter was slightly behind Vic and a step or two off to the side. Walt wondered if he might try and take off. But, with his injured arm and in unfamiliar territory that he wasn't great at navigating, he figured Vic would catch up to the Marshal in good order and cuff him like she said she would. Walt knew it wasn't an idle threat when she offered up the idea.

She was mad.

There was no mistaking that.

Mad. Stressed. Frustrated.

There was no shortage of descriptive words that were accurate.

True to her nature, she did little to hide her feelings. Wisely, Colter kept in step with them and he kept his mouth closed. He must have been able to sense that she was reaching the limits of her patience with all of this. All she wanted to do was question Finn Mason. Whatever agenda Colter might have seemed to hold little interest to her.

She listened to his version of events. But, Walt could tell that she didn't necessarily believe all of it. He didn't either. Too much happened in the past to allow that even if he wanted to believe Colter. Some of the story was most likely true. But, Walt would've been interested in hearing Mason's side as well.

Mason.

The man was proving difficult to catch.

That fact lent itself to part of Colter's story being true. Mason did seem to be familiar with this area. That wasn't true of many people. It was almost unheard of for nonresidents of the county thanks to the remoteness.

"I'm starving."

Vic's conversational voice broke the silence. Walt half smiled to himself. His stomach was growling.

"What do you want?"

Vic was quiet for a moment before she responded.

"A burger from the Red Pony. No…a cheeseburger. With fries."

The thought created a rumble in his stomach. Her idea sounded good. Better than good.

"Sounds like a plan. And, a beer."

She laughed quietly behind him.

"Or two or three."

It sounded like a really good idea. Good bar food and a few beers. That would go a long way in improving both of their moods after this seemingly fruitless excursion into nature. A good meal, a few drinks, a hot shower. It was the simple things in life, but those that he held the greatest appreciation for.

They could share the shower. He knew Vic would be up for it. She normally was. It would be a helpful release of stress and frustration.

Release. That was what they needed.

Both of them, but especially Vic.

Colter stayed quiet during the short exchange. His feet moved steadily behind Vic. Walt could still hear them with their distinctive movements. The man was tired. His wound was getting to him, Walt figured. Vic wasn't far off with her remarks about infection. At the very least, the wound needed to be clean and rebandaged. Walt was guilty of taking those jobs on himself with his own injuries. But, at least he tended to them.

Other than being wrapped, nothing was being done for Colter. There was no way the bullet wound didn't hurt on some level. He could hear that in Colter's tired, shuffling steps. He would see to it that the Marshal made it to the hospital. He would take him before he and Vic went to dinner and home.

Once they were within range, they would call Cady and let her know what was going on. There was little doubt in Walt's mind that she wasn't worried due to their lack of contact. Not that it was their fault. If phones didn't work, there was nothing they could do about it. He knew that Vic was checking her phone fairly regularly. She was, no doubt, anxious to pass this whole mess off to Cady and let her deal with it.

As much as Walt worried about Cady returning to work early, it was a relief on some level. It alleviated some of his concern for Vic's frame of mind and the fact that she was stretching herself too thin with all that was happening.

He was hopeful that Cady's presence would remove some of Vic's burdens, even if it was just in an administrative capacity. That was certainly better than nothing in Walt's mind. His concern for her state of mind was real in a way it hadn't been for quite some time.

While the thoughts circulated in his mind, his eyes were moving around them. It was a practiced move on Walt's part, maintaining awareness even when he seemed distracted. It was gained from years of experience and honed by necessity.

Without warning, Walt stopped. Vic partially collided with his back, attempting to sidestep him but not fully clearing his bulk. She turned her head and looked his way.

"What?"

He couldn't answer her question outright, because he wasn't sure exactly what made him stop. It was something in the back of his mind. An instinct more than anything else. Colter joined them with a pained expression, his wound clearly bothering him on the trek back despite his previous insistence that it would be fine.

Walt shook his head and cocked it, listening. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard something. That seemed laughable considering the three of them were walking through brush and not being particularly quiet. Especially Colter with his heavy, tired steps. But, the sound seemed different than that and jumped out at him.

"Thought I heard something?"

His eyes scanned around them, looking for anything that might be out of place. Or, just not right. He could feel Vic watching him even though his attention was directed elsewhere. A time existed when she might have questioned him farther. But, that time passed them by a long time ago. She trusted his instincts.

Her eyes shifted from him and she joined him in looking around. The place was mostly quiet. The wind moving through the trees was the most obvious and audible sound. Vic bit her lip.

"The wind?"

Walt shook his head.

"No. It sounded like…someone walking."

Colter swiped a hand over his forehead.

"We're walking."

The answer seemed obvious. Walt let it go knowing that the man was in pain and needed to see a doctor. Fatigue was clearly etched into the Marshal's face. Walt dismissed him.

"It came from…that way."

Both Colter and Vic looked in the direction that Walt indicated. Vic's hand moved to rest near her holster, a move borne out of habit. If they weren't alone, there was no real way of knowing who else might be here.

Her first guess would have been Finn Mason.

But, that would suggest that he now following them instead of the opposite being true. It was certainly possible. But, why? He was outnumbered three to one. Although being undetected gave him some advantage, the odds still didn't tilt all the way in his favor.

It also posed the question as to why he hadn't made a move already.

The one thing that Walt knew for sure was that he didn't like feeling as though he were some sort of prey. His own hand moved to his Colt and stayed there. He made no move to pull the gun free, but the fact that he could feel it gave him some measure of comfort. Vic was clearly picking up on the apprehension that was coursing through him. If she hadn't taken him completely seriously before, she was now.

"Walt?"

It was several questions rolled into one word. Unfortunately, he was still short on answers. He looked her way.

"We should check it out."

Vic nodded and took a step in his direction. Colter made no move to follow, nor did he reach for his own sidearm. Instead, he reached for a tree and leaned into it, allowing the sturdy trunk to take some of his weight.

"You two go. I'll stay here."

Walt's eyes moved to the man, then to Vic.

"That doesn't seem like a good idea. You might be the one that Mason is after."

Colter gave Walt a long look.

"That might be. But…do you really think he would risk coming at me here and now?"

Walt shrugged.

"It's not a chance I'm looking to take."

He glanced at Vic.

"I'll check it out. You stay with Colter."

The look she gave him was long and laced with disagreement. He waited for her to voice the thoughts. But, she seemed to weigh what he wanted to do with her own ideas. He could almost see the argument that she was having with herself.

Finally, the need to do her job won out.

"Okay. Be careful. If you need me…yell."

Walt nodded solemnly.

"I will."

She nodded and pulled her 9mm free from her holster.

Vic stayed beside Colter, her eyes alternating between the two of them as he made his way into the thicker brush that surrounded them. He knew that she was trying to read him. Trying to gauge how concerned he might really be and not vocalizing. For Walt's part, he tried to keep his nerves firmly in hand. There was no need to broadcast any turmoil he might be feeling. He knew without asking that Vic would be feeling it as well.

Walt turned his attention to the task at hand as he stepped slowly and carefully. He kept his eyes and his ears alert, looking for any signs that Mason, or someone else, might be out here with them. He couldn't quite understand why Mason would have followed them. Unless this was some carefully constructed plan that they hadn't caught onto yet.

Why risk it?

Even with Colter injured, he was outmanned and outgunned.

If he was following them, was Colter his ultimate target. He didn't seem to be after Vic. Colter seemed to be the one that drew his ire. They needed to consider the possibility that the two men's history could be feeding something they knew nothing about. The thoughts gave him an uneasy feeling since Vic was still with Colter. If she stood between Mason and what he wanted, anything was possible. With the two of them split up, Mason might see it as an opportunity to make a move. Walt stopped and looked around, his senses taking in his surroundings. Whatever he heard, or thought he heard, was silent now.

Hell, maybe he hadn't heard anything out of the ordinary.

Maybe it was just his imagination.

Walt dismissed that idea. His gut was telling him that something about this scenario felt all wrong. He just couldn't say why. He did know that he trusted his own instinct above just about anything else.

They rarely failed him.

He needed to turn around.

That much he knew.

Turning, he started back in the direction that he came from with his mind set on getting back to Vic and Colter. In reality, he wasn't that far away, but from where he was now, he couldn't see them. Walt picked up his pace and kept his gun in hand and ready. It wasn't much farther and he would have Vic in his line of sight.

"Walt!"

Her voice came to him sharp, filled with questions and something else. She sounded close. Walt gave up on the idea of caution, and ran.