CHRISTMAS AT THE CARDWELL RANCH by B.J. Daniels Page A

him.”
    Harlan closed his eyes. “You’ll think of something. He seems hell-bent on finding out the truth. You know what’s at stake. Stop him.”
    * * *
    I T BEGAN TO snow as Tag left the hospital. He felt shaken as he slid behind the wheel of his rented SUV. What were his father and the marshal involved in? A cover-up regarding Mia Duncan’s murder? Lily had said that Mia’s condo had been ransacked. Clearly, whoever was behind this was looking for something.
    He feared he knew what. Worse, that Lily had it.
    As he watched large snowflakes drift down through the lights of the parking lot, Tag suddenly realized how late it was. But he couldn’t stand the thought that Lily was in danger if that thumb drive was what the killers were looking for.
    He started the SUV, still debating what to do because of the late hour and the snowstorm. Was it possible that Lily was right and Mia had put the thumb drive in his pocket? Why would she do that? Why give it to a complete stranger? Unless she knew she had to get rid of it quick?
    With a start, he was reminded again of what she’d said.
    “You look like him.”
    Had she known he was Harlan’s son?
    Tag shook his head. She’d been drunk or high on drugs. She hadn’t known what she was saying. He thought of his father. He couldn’t believe Harlan and Angus were drug dealers. And yet he didn’t really know them. He especially didn’t know his father, and the way things were going, he doubted he ever would.
    His heart began to beat a little faster as he threw the SUV into Drive. Lily had the computer flash drive. If there was even a chance she was in danger... He drove by his father’s cabin and got a pistol from Harlan’s gun cabinet. He told himself he was just being paranoid.
    As he headed toward Big Sky, he drove as fast as he could. He couldn’t help being worried about Lily up in the mountains all by herself. He tried to assure himself that she was safe. No one knew she had the thumb drive.
    His mind kept going back to last night in the bar and Mia, though. He remembered the way she’d clutched his jacket. She could have put the thumb drive in his pocket. Now she was dead. His father was in the hospital. And the killers were looking for something. It was too much of a coincidence that he’d found the thumb drive in his pocket. And now Lily thought she’d discovered the information on the computer USB was two lists of names in some kind of code?
    Ahead, the road to the summit was a series of switchbacks that climbed from the river bottom to nearly the top of twelve-thousand-foot Lone Mountain. The snow fell harder the higher he drove. He had to slow down because of the limited visibility.
    His mind was still whirling as he passed Big Sky Resort and left behind any signs of life. Up here, there was nothing but snowy darkness. He still couldn’t get his mind around what was happening. His father was involved in whatever was going on, and so was the marshal, and he was betting his uncle Angus was, as well.
    Harlan had said it was a bad time for a visit. No kidding. He was determined that Tag return to Texas. Hell, Harlan had almost threatened him, insinuating that if he stayed, it could be dangerous. Would be dangerous.
    Heart racing, he reached into his pocket for his cell phone to call Lily. He had to make sure she was all right and to let her know he was almost to her house.
    But as he started to place the call, he glanced in his rearview mirror, feeling a little paranoid. You’re not paranoid if someone is really after you, he thought as he noticed a set of headlights behind him.
    He watched them growing closer. The driver behind him was going too fast for the conditions and gaining on him too quickly. Tag looked around for a place to pull over, but there was only a solid snowplowed wall on one side of the road and a drop-off on the other.
    Giving the SUV more gas, he sped up as he came out of a curve. Ahead was another curve. He could feel the glare of the