Built Of Second Chances: Chapter One
In Plain Sight
Tessa
Paddling a canoe while ice formed along the shoreline of the lake was a definite first for Tessa Flores. She’d never experienced anything like this back in Texas.
That thought had her shoving the paddle in too deep and almost swamping the canoe. She’d long ago trained her brain never to think of her childhood or her home state. Why had her thoughts gone there?
It certainly wasn’t the tranquility surrounding her. This kind of relaxation hadn’t been a part of her life when she’d been a kid. In this quiet haven east of Vermont’s mountains, she didn’t have to worry about asking the wrong question or seeing the wrong person.
She shoved the memories away then closed her eyes and recited the facts to the quiet forest around her.
Tess Flores.
Born and raised on a farm southwest of Salina, Kansas.
Parents Robert and Gloria had died when she was nineteen, when a tornado had destroyed the area.
She’d graduated with a zoology degree from the University of Wyoming.
She’d lived in six states since, always looking for the perfect job.
Now she lived in Vermont, collating data on native species of fauna and flora.
Tessa opened her eyes and rubbed her hands together to warm them up. Her life depended on those facts. She had no business thinking of anything else.
She returned her attention to her fish finder. Well, turtle finder. Her friend Tansy Cheveyo, who owned the property, had helped her modify the tool to search through the sludge at the bottom of the lake.
This was Tessa’s first test day and she wanted to collect a baseline of data. With a stroke of the paddle, she pushed past the memories and into the present. She focused on the icy feel of the soft breeze on her face. The warmth of her scarf and mittens. The call of an owl. What kinds of owls wintered in Vermont?
So many new things to know. So many possibilities to explore. She hoped to spend the year learning the area in all its seasons, collecting data that would guide her future investigations.
Once she arrived at her first potential turtle site, Tessa picked up her improvised measuring pole and lowered it carefully so as not to cause waves. When she felt the resistance of the mud, she opened the voice recorder on her phone and recorded the data. Then she lowered the pole again. As soon as she touched something hard, she stopped. She didn’t want to disturb the turtle’s slumber stage or put it at risk.
She’d found her first turtle. Excitement at the discovery had her grinning. After she’d brought up the tool, she did a careful shimmy in the canoe. Of course, she couldn’t be positive that had been a turtle, but it could be. At the very least, she had the depth of the mud layer. Her first experiment in Vermont was a success. Well, it would be.
Smiling, Tessa picked up her tablet and opened the app she’d created. She enlarged the map and confirmed her location on Midnight Lake as best she could. Then she added a data point and input her depth measurements for both the turtle and the mud layer. The thrill she got at the first input of firm data might make her a nerd but she was a happy nerd.
She’d be able to compare the depth of the layers over the next few years to find out if climate change was affecting the turtles’ slumber periods. There would be other measures to collect as well so she could see what factors skewed the data. Ice depth and average temperatures for starters. New weather patterns meant that nature was changing in many ways. Ice that stayed on a lake too long, or not long enough, could create havoc on the surrounding biome.
The data she collected would help her figure out solutions. It might not be the career she’d dreamed of when she was a kid, but it was a good one. She was using her skill with numbers and patterns to help the animals and the planet. She could almost pretend it was her passion. At least the FBI consultations she did fed her love of numbers and data.
It took three hours to get to the other end of the lake. There were a lot of turtles preparing to spend their winters slumbering at the bottom of Midnight Lake. She hoped to follow the turtles over the following summer and figure out which species slumbered where. That would improve the data. So far, she’d identified at least seven different turtle species on the lake. It would be interesting to compare them.
Tessa pulled the canoe up to the dock in front of the cabin farthest from Midnight Lodge. It was like being alone in the universe and she loved the setting.
She wasn’t sure she would ever be able to walk the distance from the lodge to the cabin, but whenever she had the canoe out, she stopped here.
It was a tiny cabin with a front deck that had a perfect view of the sunrise. She couldn’t see the lodge or any other cabins from the small dock. When she sat there, all the worries, all her fears, disappeared.
Tessa had met Tansy several years before through an FBI consult they’d both worked on. They’d been friends ever since and Tessa treasured their connection.
When Tansy had offered her home to Tessa, it hadn’t taken her long to accept. She’d been moving every few years for safety, but she hoped this new home would offer that so she could stay in one place.
Tansy and her brother Joe had inherited the property from their grandfather. A parcel of over thirty acres surrounding Midnight Lake with a huge old fishing lodge that now housed Tansy and her friends. There was even an old sawmill and a blacksmith shop on the property.
In this quiet section of Vermont, there were far more trees and turtles than people. And best of all, the lodge was a two-mile hike in from the road.
Not that her legs appreciated the hike, but the safety it added to her new home was priceless. There was a solar-powered golf cart she could use to cover the distance if she needed.
Maybe she could get Graham Buchanan to convert one of the old snowmobiles to solar power to help her make the trek to this cabin in the winter. The man was a genius with vehicles and electricity. He shared the Midnight Security business with Tansy’s fiancé and a few others.
Tessa tied the canoe up at the dock and hauled herself up. A flash of movement on the porch had her smiling. The stray cat wouldn’t admit it yet, but she was starting to trust Tessa. The saucer of tuna she’d left out sat empty and the tiny cat had hung around after eating. Waiting for Tessa.
“Come on, Ginger. You can come inside where it’s warm. You don’t have to be out here on your own.” She continued to speak softly as she crept up to the porch. The cat peeked around the wall and watched her, but when Tessa paused, she scampered off again.
Tessa waited a few minutes and kept talking, but the animal didn’t reappear. She sighed and unlocked the door with the code from the app on her phone. After a few dangerous incidents on the property over the past few months, Tansy had invented an app that connected to the lock that scrambled the code every day. Every building on the property was equipped with similar locks and they would keep out most people. Of course, a determined person could break in the windows, but Tessa had already peeked through the front window. The only other window was intact and the cabin was secure.
Once inside, Tessa wrapped herself in the blanket that rested on the couch. It was too late in the day to stay long, so she wouldn’t fire up the pellet stove, but she wanted to warm up her body before she headed back.
The old injuries had healed as much as they were going to heal and she’d learned to cope with them. She’d also learned enough tricks to help her avoid revealing her weakness to others.
Weakness led to questions. Questions led to lies. And guilt. And then another move.
She didn’t want to screw up this place. Didn’t want to leave. Was it possible to have a forever home? She hadn’t believed in forever in over a decade. She wasn’t sure she’d truly believed it even before then.
Although one boy had made her want to believe. No. She couldn’t think of him. Couldn’t remember him at all. That way lay heartache and danger.
Shaking her head at her stray thoughts, Tessa paced the cabin’s room and planned her next steps for data collection. Tomorrow she’d start cataloging the birds who stayed in Vermont for the winter. Her first step would be to find where they roosted and nested.
Instead of thinking about him, she’d collect more data and try to capture a stray cat.
She’d focus on the future.
Not the past.
Flynn
Flynn Walker was glad he’d switched from his cowboy boots to hiking boots and traded his Stetson for a knitted cap. Vermont at the end of November was no joke.
As part of the FBI’s organized crime unit, Flynn had spent most of his adult life in big cities in the southern US. Far different from the ranch where he’d grown up on the outskirts of Houston.
He’d worked in Chicago for a month one January and that had been an eye-opener. He’d learned to be prepared. And that layers were the key to not freezing your ass off.
Flynn grabbed his duffel and then climbed out of the rental car and locked up. Early winter at Midnight Lake was going to require another learning curve. One he was eager to take.
He’d leaped at the chance to partner up with some of his buddies when Sam Young wanted to jump the FBI ship and start up a business aimed at training people to protect themselves and others. Even if it meant spending time in actual winter.
Flynn looked around the area where Sam had instructed him to park. A huge old sawmill took up most of the lot, but it was a treed area with paths in different directions. He knew they lead to other buildings, mostly sheds, but one that was an old blacksmith shop.
The parking area behind the sawmill had a half-dozen electric charging stations and another couple that were hydrogen chargers. Something he knew nothing about.
Sam’s wife, Tansy, was a scientist and inventor. She’d pulled the entire property off the grid. He’d met the tiny woman a few times and she was a real spitfire. Quiet as a mouse, but always thinking and putting those thoughts into action.
Sam’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Well, well, if it isn’t the King of the Rodeo gracing us with his presence.”
Flynn shot his finger up at Sam even as he walked over to haul his friend into a hug. “Your Tansy figure out how to make it snow to try to scare me off?”
From behind him, Graham’s voice chimed in. “If this much snow scares you, you’re never going to make it. We’re going to have to thicken your blood, cowboy.”
A stunning redhead walked with his buddy. They must have been in the sawmill when he drove up.
He shook his friend’s hand, then hugged him as well. “Good to see you, Buchanan.”
“You too, Flynn. This is Aisling Gallagher. She’s mine, so keep your thoughts and hands to yourself.”
The woman blushed but laughed. Then she reached forward and pulled Flynn into a hug while Graham growled.
Flynn laughed and hugged her again. “Quite the place y’all got here.”
Sam grinned. “It’s part yours too. Come on, let’s start in. Tansy texted that she’s got a pot of minestrone simmering. That’ll warm up your bones.”
Graham smiled. “He won’t need it. He’s probably soft from working in the city. The hike in will have him sweating and crying for mercy.”
They laughed and talked shit throughout the hike. Two miles through the bush. Hard to believe people lived like this in a world that was more go-go-go than take your time and stroll.
Hard to believe he was now one of those people.
“How long are you going to stick around? You have enough vacation time to see you through to the new year?” Sam asked.
Flynn nodded. His boss had basically kicked his ass out of the office because he’d accrued so many vacation days. “I’ve got six weeks for now.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “You’ve got more than that banked?”
Flynn nodded again. “I did some undercover work earlier in the year.” He’d never do that again. It had nearly sucked his soul dry.
The two men nodded and Aisling frowned at him. “Graham tells me you’re in the organized crime division. I can’t even imagine how difficult it is to work undercover with those types of people.”
Graham took Aisling’s hand and kissed it. Flynn knew they’d had a tussle with some counterfeiters a few weeks back and that Aisling had been hurt in the process. Thankfully, her injuries hadn’t been serious and they’d caught the creeps. But Flynn’s job was a reminder of that.
Since chipping in with his friends a few months back to get Midnight Security up and running, he’d been wondering what it would be like to follow in Sam’s footsteps.
His buddy had quit the FBI to do this full time. Was Flynn ready for that? His job was demanding and exhausting. And hugely satisfying. He thought this one would be the same.
Lots to consider.
That decision would wait until he took down the Pavic family. He couldn’t move on until he’d taken care of that mess and discovered the truth surrounding the death of his friend. Then he’d consider other options.
When they broke into the clearing around the lodge, Flynn grinned. The place was like an old-time fairy tale. No wonder they didn’t want to leave.
The three-story lodge was big enough to have a dozen bedrooms on each floor. There was a garage and a shed within sight. He knew there were cabins scattered around the lake as well. The biggest cabin, off to the right, was the headquarters for their security business.
Three dogs broke into the clearing from the right, with Tansy jogging along behind them. She grinned as she approached the group. “Flynn. You made it. Welcome to your home.”
Her wording threw him off for a stride but he leaned down to hug her. “Thanks, Tansy.” His voice was rougher than usual, but it couldn’t be helped.
His home.
The ranch would always be his family home, but he’d never felt like any other place would be a good fit. Maybe this would be his place. It was filled with great people and even greater purpose.
The sun had started to set while they’d hiked in and the scene was gorgeous. Something inside Flynn settled and yearned at the same time.
This might be exactly the right place.
The others headed into the lodge while Sam stood beside him, looking at the lake. Sam slapped him on the shoulder. “It’s getting to you. I can tell. This place sucks you in. You may be moving in full-time before you know it.”
“Not until I can wrap up the Pavic case.”
“Still working that one?”
Flynn nodded. “Always will. I’m not convinced Martin Blanco is dead. I think he killed his daughter in a cover up to go into hiding with the Pavic crew, but I can’t prove it.”
“What’s holding up the investigation?”
Flynn snorted out a laugh. “Almost everything. The Pavic family is slick but small. There are always bigger priorities. They’ve hidden money in more places than any crime family I know. It’s incredibly complex with shell corporations and money laundering around every corner we turn. It’s impossible to dig through the data to the core. There’s so much with so many twists. We’ve had teams on the financials, but they can’t find the proof we need.”
Sam nodded. “It’s hard to get through the layers. I wonder if Tess might be able to help.”
“Who’s Tess?”
“A friend of Tansy’s. She moved in a few weeks back. She’s a zoologist but a whiz with numbers and patterns. A few weeks ago, she helped Bella and Mitch figure out a serial arsonist and she’s contracted out with the FBI before as a data analyst.”
“She’s here at Midnight Lake?”
Sam nodded. “She is.”
“I’ll talk with her. See if she’s interested in working through some of it with me.”
“Leave it for tomorrow. It’s getting late and Tansy likes to have everyone gather for a bit in the evening when possible. She’ll want you to meet the others so she’s probably making sure everyone’s there.”
Flynn nodded. He’d been waiting for over a decade to find Pavic, another night wasn’t going to make any difference.
A canoe appeared in the dusk and Flynn flinched. There was snow on the ground. This was not canoeing weather. Was it another intrusion onto the property? Although there were approximately a million more effective ways to approach. Especially with him and Sam clearly visible on the shore.
When Flynn jerked his chin toward the approaching canoe, Sam chuckled. “Speaking of Tess, here she comes now.”
“Does she know it’s almost December? And that she’s in Vermont, not Texas?”
Sam laughed. “She’s studying turtles.”
As if that made any sense. Flynn didn’t have a clue what turtles did in the winter, but he was pretty sure they weren’t freezing their asses off paddling around the lake. This was the woman who was supposed to help him take down a major crime family?
Sam waved and headed down the dock where Flynn assumed she would tie up her canoe. Curious, he followed Sam.
The light was dim but he could tell she was at least bundled up against the cold. Her long dark hair flowed out of the knitted cap, complete with a pompom. She wore a thick jacket and mittens.
She kept her head down while she maneuvered the canoe close to the dock and then smiled up at Sam.
Flynn’s heart stuttered in his chest.
That smile.
That face.
His knees wobbled and then she turned toward him.
The smile froze on her face and for a moment, he doubted either of them breathed.
Then fear filled her eyes. Terror. Absolute terror. It was so vivid, Flynn looked over his shoulder to ensure no one had snuck up behind them.
When he turned back, she was using her paddle to shove back off the dock. “Sorry. I forgot…”
And then she paddled quickly, almost swamping the canoe on the turn. Once she was steadied, she poured on the steam and hurried away across the lake, back the way she’d come.
Sam looked between Flynn and the retreating canoe. “What the hell just happened? Why is she afraid of you?”
Flynn couldn’t form words yet.
Sam pressed. “Do you know Tess?”
How the hell did he answer that? “She’s not Tess.”
“What?”
Flynn rubbed his hands over his face and pulled up the image of the face he’d just seen. It was her.
“Flynn, what the hell is going on?”
Flynn didn’t have a clue, but he’d just seen Catalina Blanco. Alive. “She’s supposed to be dead.”
