Carter

The piece of fabric hanging from Carter's porch fluttered in the slight breeze. It would have been picturesque, if not for the words “YOUR FAULT”, which were written in what could either be blood or red paint. Carter hoped it was paint.

Carter's hands shook as he came back into the house. He no longer felt safe here. He felt like running to the nearest police station and simply taking up residence. But he was done running. Whoever was doing this was going to chase him across the globe. It was best to stay here, where he could control things and make plans. He held the high ground, even if it didn't feel like it at the moment.

“Are you okay, sir?” Brian asked, coming up behind him.

“I'm fine.” Carter already knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight. The dreams of fire were already in his mind.

“The bomb squad says that it would never have gone off,” Brian informed him. “The threading on the head of the pipe bomb wasn't tight enough.”

“That's comforting.” Carter turned from the open door and took a deep breath. The discovery of a pipe-bomb on his front porch with the note attached had him rattled. The fact that it wouldn't go off didn't bother him nearly as much as the fact that his enemy had gotten yet another bomb within killing range. “What other leads do you have? I want this to stop.”

“We're working on it, sir. The arrest the police made last week obviously wasn't the main perpetrator. Whoever did this was smart,” Brian told him. “They knew how to get past the cameras using reflective material. All that shows up on the film is a giant white spot.”

The two of them stared out at the front porch as the security team buzzed around like angry bees trying to find who had broken into the hive. Carter was going to have to give a large gift to the Denver bomb squad for their assistance in removing the bomb without alerting a news team.

“And they got past the manned patrols,” Carter added. His voice was hard, but inside he was scared which was exactly what the person doing this wanted. He was determined not to show how much this intrusion unsettled him. This wasn't supposed to happen here.

“I'm the head of security, but I have no idea how they got it on the porch without triggering an alert, sir,” Brian said quietly. His voice was low and dangerous. He obviously didn't like not knowing. “I'm looking into it possibly being an inside job.”

Carter looked out at the empty spot on his porch. That was an unsettling idea. Who would keep him safe from his own security team? “Who found it?”

“Johnson. Ben Johnson,” Brian replied. “He's one of the newer guys, but he came with a lot of recommendations. I doubt he had anything to do with this.”

“Was it his patrol?”

“No, sir. This side of the house is mine. I don't trust anyone else with it.” The big man's face grew hard and his shoulders somehow increased in size right in front of Carter's eyes. “This is personal now, sir. They messed with the wrong man. I won't let this stand.”

“You know I trust you, Brian.” Carter put his hand on Brian's shoulder. Brian was the only person Carter trusted with his security. He'd known him almost his entire adult life and the man had literally taken a bullet for him. Carter knew in his gut that Brian was going to get to the bottom of this and destroy whoever was terrorizing the ranch.

“Johnson found it as he was leaving at the end of his shift,” Brian explained, stepping away from Carter. “There was a three-minute window when it could have been placed, and this is the only blind spot. Whoever did this, knows how to time the shift changes and avoid the security cameras that don't use infrared. And they knew to avoid me.”

“That's concerning.” Carter hated that his stomach tensed. He could almost feel the heat of the flames again.

“I agree, sir.” Brian paused for a moment before continuing. “Sir, it may be time to change locations.”

Carter considered it. However, the thought of leaving didn't give him hope. It made him angry. He wasn't about to be pushed around. It was time to push back.

Carter was done running.

“No. I’m staying,” he said. “We catch him the next time he even thinks about coming on the property.”

“Yes, sir.” Brian pulled out a tablet and punched in a code. He held it out to Carter. “I'd like to add some new hardware to the system. More cameras, more alarms, and some of my own personal touches. Some of it will be common knowledge, but most of it will only be known to you and me. I'd usually consider it overkill, but...”

Carter glanced at the tablet and pushed the approval button for everything Brian wanted. He then looked back over at the bloodied airbag on the porch. His stomach twisted and fear gnawed at his bones.

“Do whatever you need to do, Brian. And then some.”

“I will keep you safe, Mr. Williamson,” Brian promised. His eyes darkened. “Whoever this is, they've just messed with the wrong man. This was my watch. It won't happen again, sir.”

Carter almost felt sorry for the poor SOB who now had a very angry Brian after them. Brian's pride was on the line now.

“I know it won't, Brian.” Carter handed the tablet back to Brian. “You have my full approval to do whatever you need to do.”

“Excellent sir,” Brian replied with a sharp nod. “I'd like to restrict the number of people who have access to the ranch. Cut it down to Laura, the two approved ranch hands, the trainer, and the vet. They've all passed background checks and have worked here long enough I don't suspect them. No one else.”

“I want Mia and the kids.” Carter was surprised at how vehement the words came out. Brian raised an eyebrow at him. “Unless you think little Grayson managed to carry that up here without anyone seeing him.”

He motioned to the porch with the long walk up the driveway.

“Mia and the kids, too,” Brian amended. He frowned at the scene. “We'll find out who is threatening you, sir.”

“I want this taken care of, Brian,” Carter told him. Anger flowed through his veins and he clenched his fists. “Do whatever it takes.”