Charlotte Boyett-Compo- Wyndsheer by Unknown Read Free Book Online

the Pionós Mountain range.
    Lamb’s Grove--population less than fifty--didn’t get many visitors for it was tucked into a side of Mount Piseog that was not easy to reach. The occasional mountain climber might find his or her way to the rustic village, but since there were no restaurants or inns, no souvenir shops or outfitting establishments, hikers didn’t stay long in town. With the search teams and government agents roaming around, the residents had seen more outsiders in the last four days than they’d seen in an entire year.
    “And I’ll be glad when they get their wide loads outta here,” Elspeth complained as she watched a group of three searchers walking past her store.
    “How many are there?”
    The old woman yelped and jumped, spinning around with her eyes wide to plaster herself to the door of her shop. She hadn’t heard a sound and that infuriated her.
    “God damn it, boy, don’t you sneak up on me like that!” she complained, her hand trembling as she clutched the sweater front. “You trying to give me a heart attack?”
    “How many?”
    She moved aside as he came to join her.
    “Ten,” she replied. She narrowed her eyes. “You must have been on your way down before I ran that flag up.”
    “What do they want me for?” Jamie asked as he stared out the window at the strangers.
    “There’s a woman missing from that plane crash up near Lurcher’s Point,” she replied. “They think you can help ‘em find her.”
    “She went over the ledge,” he said then moved away from the window.
    “That’s what we’ve told them but they don’t listen,” she complained. “You know how government people can be.”
    “Only too well,” he acknowledged as he went to the counter.
    Elspeth nodded, spying a rucksack on the counter that hadn’t been there before. “I know you do.”
    “I know damned well they’ve covered every inch of the Point,” he said as the old woman opened the rucksack. “Where the hell do they want to look now?”
    “Across the Ridge,” she told him and when he arched one dark brow, she shrugged. “They’re government men, Mac, and they don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground.”
    A slight twitch of his lips was all that generally passed for a smile from the Lycant.
    “You gonna guide ‘em over that way?” she inquired as she reached inside the canvas bag.
    “Why not?” he responded. “I’ve got nothing better to do.”
    Elspeth’s hand closed around a wooden carving and when she brought it out, she whistled. “Lordy be, Mac. This is something else!”
    He glanced at the carving of two naked lovers standing entwined in a passionate embrace then looked away. “What can I say? I was horny.”
    The old woman looked up from the carving with sad eyes. “You need a woman, son,” she said. “A mate.”
    “How much do you think Wilson will pay me for the two of them?” he inquired.
    Elspeth blinked. “There’s another one?” she asked, setting the first carving down to rummage in the rucksack for the second. When she pulled the other one out, she drew in a quick breath then slowly leveled her gaze on her visitor. “Mac?”
    “Put them away,” he said. “You’re about to have visitors.”
    Stuffing the carvings into the rucksack, the old woman barely had the canvas bag under the counter when the bell over the door rang and the two government men walked in. “What can I do for you, gents?” she asked, keenly aware of Jamie turning to leaned his elbows on her counter as he surveyed the newcomers.
    Cody Wendt knew immediately who the man was at the counter. His nose wrinkled with distaste and his hand went to the holster slung around his shoulder as though he expected MacGivern to attack.
    Jamie snorted at the implied threat. “Not the best way to win friends and influence enemies, G-man,” he quipped.
    Wendt ignored the snide remark. His attention was glued to the large hunting knife strapped to the other man’s left thigh. “Raise your hands