The next morning, Jack, Jane, Braxton, and Cory Lambert gathered at the tribal police station to meet Sheriff Ben Shoey. Cory appeared calm, even joking with the sheriff as usual.
It was especially cold today. Although the sun had already risen, the temperature remained well below freezing, likely in the teens. Sheriff Shoey was accompanied by his young deputy, Brant, who was busy securing snowmobiles on a trailer with two other officers.
The trip to the drilling rig camp involved a fair number of people, and the tribal police were using their most valuable equipment: a trailer and two Ford off-road trucks, with four snowmobiles loaded onto the trailer.
According to the sheriff, the oil company had skimped on road maintenance, and the heavy trucks had torn up the simple dirt road they had built last summer. As a result, the last stretch of the journey to the drilling rig camp could only be traversed by snowmobile.
"Hey, Cory, what brings you here?" Deputy Brant finished securing the snowmobiles, jumped off the trailer, and greeted Cory.
"Ben asked me to come. He wants me to scout around and see if there are any additional clues," Cory explained, though he wasn't entirely truthful. According to the group's plan, Cory's task was to search between the drilling camp and the spot where Natalie's body was found, looking for any possible tracks.
Although it was already the third day since the body was discovered and several snowstorms had hit since, Cory believed that there might still be traces in the sparse woods and bushes between the two locations. This was his area of expertise.
The secrecy was necessary because they didn't want the security team at the drilling camp to catch wind of the investigation or realize they were the prime suspects.
After a brief round of introductions, Jack maintained his cover as a friend of the Hanson family, a vacationing FBI agent, and a crime expert—though his youthful face hardly made him convincing. Braxton, on the other hand, was presented as an intern hunter with the USFWS (United States Fish and Wildlife Service), a recently retired Marine.
Although Braxton hadn't served as long as his brother Chris, he was a genuine veteran, and he quickly bonded with the officers, including Deputy Brant. All three local officers had military backgrounds, and while they showed little of their Native American heritage in their appearance, joining the military or going to college were two of the few viable paths for a promising future in this remote area.
They had all chosen to return to the reservation to become tribal police officers, despite the fact that the pay was much lower than what they could earn with the LAPD. But on the reservation, their income combined with a one-time retirement bonus was enough to support a family comfortably.
"So, what's our mission for today?" Deputy Brant asked, his curiosity evident.
"Jane's in charge today, so I'll let her explain," the sheriff said, unusually friendly toward Jane, stepping aside to introduce her.
Jane was caught off guard and unprepared. "Uh, okay, here's the situation: There are some cameras near the drilling camp, and we're hoping they might have captured something relevant to our investigation."
"If possible, we'd like to check out the mobile homes where the workers live to see if we can find any clues."
Although her rash had subsided and the swelling around her eyes had gone down significantly, Jane had still applied some eye makeup to cover the remnants of her condition, which caught the attention of the young men present.
"Do you have a search warrant?" Deputy Brant, who looked to be in his late thirties and was likely married, was the most composed of the group.
"Um, I'll politely ask for their consent before searching," Jane replied, somewhat sheepishly glancing at Jack.
She knew that today's visit to the drilling camp was unlikely to yield much. Their main goal was to gather information.
Cory and Braxton had dressed in all-white snow gear and capes, making them look like simple hunters, though they had another task. After surveying the area, they would hide in the woods near the drilling camp to observe the security team's activities.
"Ah, okay," Deputy Brant replied with a hint of disappointment. "Can't we just ride the snowmobiles straight there?"
He then turned to Cory. With only seven people on the tribal police force, today's operation had mobilized over half of them, along with a lot of equipment, leading him to expect something big. But was this it?
Cory shook his head. "There are two canyons in between. I wouldn't want to see you crash, so I don't recommend it."
The sheriff chimed in, "We'll take the refinery road. It's a 50-mile detour, but it's still early, so we have plenty of time."
"Alright, but remember to treat the boys to a drink when we get back. It's been a while since they've had a drink with such a pretty girl."
Deputy Brant couldn't resist a flirty comment before getting into the car.
Before Jane could respond, the sheriff, grinning, replied, "Sure, I'll buy the first round tonight. And I'll help you get permission from your wife."
Amid the laughter, the group started their vehicles and set off toward their destination.
Though the Wind River Valley, where the reservation was located, was remote and desolate, the scenery was breathtaking. Surrounded by mountains, they drove along winding roads, taking in the stunning snow-covered landscape.
The distant mountains, with their perpetual snowcaps, stretched endlessly into the distance, dotted with green patches of coniferous forests. The frozen rivers sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight.
In stark contrast to the beauty, however, were the dilapidated farm buildings along the roadside and the emaciated Native American residents, who looked like addicts, huddled around burning metal barrels for warmth, with nothing to do.
The small convoy—comprising an SUV, three pickups, and a trailer—sped along the highway. After more than an hour, they reached a fork in the road.
Cory, driving his dark green pickup marked with the FWS logo, led the way. After turning onto the side road, he stopped after a short distance, and the other vehicles followed suit.
The group unloaded the snowmobiles, and Cory adjusted his gear before stowing his Marlin 1895 lever-action rifle in the insulated gun case on the back of his snowmobile. Then, he and Braxton headed toward the distant woods.
The rest of the group got back into their vehicles. Jack, as usual, drove with Jane, following the muddy dirt road toward the drilling rig camp.
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter