Page 169 of Rangers Last Promise

Beyond the road.

Beyond the smoking building.

Toward Eagle River.

“He has the key.”

Hampton closes his eyes.

Wolf swears.

Sheriff Tate reaches for his radio.

Doc looks at me.

“What else?”

I hear Vance's words again.

Closer than you think.

“He's in Eagle River.”

Doc's expression goes cold.

This time, when he reaches for my hand, I let him take it.

Robert Vance has Grant’s key.

We have Grant’s lockbox.

And for the first time in fifteen years, every surviving piece of my brother’s secret is in the same small Texas town.

Whatever Grant hid inside that box⁠—

Someone is willing to kill all of us to get it.

14

DOC

Sheriff Tate puts Elias Hampton in handcuffs.

Hampton looks down at them.

Then at Tate.

“Seriously?”

“Very.”

“I just saved three boxes of evidence from a burning building.”

“You also broke into a tavern and shot one of my deputies.”

“He shot me too.”

“You were stealing evidence.”