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JIM TURNED AND stared at a gray horse approaching through the trees. A woman, walking and partly shielded by the horse, hailed a greeting. “Hello! Okay if I join you?”
Sure. Did you see my horse anywhere?” asked Jim.
He’s in a little clearing, not far.”
The young woman moved from behind her horse to stand a few yards from Jim, holding the reins loosely at her side. The horse immediately tried to find some browse.
Jim was struck by her classic good looks. Realizing he was staring, he blushed, and nervously tugged at his jacket.
I didn’t expect any company up here,” said Jim, still a little flustered and unable to stop staring.
I didn’t either.” She smiled. “I’m Sandy Collins.”
She extended her hand and Jim reached for it. It was then, when her jacket parted, that he glimpsed the badge at her waist and the pistol on her hip.
Jim Neven.” Then nervously added, “I’ve been living in Missoula, but I’m here looking after my parents’ estate. It’s the old cabin down below on County Road.”
Oh, yes. I’ve seen the place.” She held his gaze. “It’s rather cute. They passed away recently?”
Jim nodded. “Yes. I’m there for a while taking care of things. I took a leave from work at Neven Electrical Contracting.” Her eyes never left him. He felt a warmth seep through him. His heart beat faster.
Family company?”
Yes,” he nodded. “What brings you up here on the ridge?”
Business actually,” she said, as she started to pull equipment from her large saddlebags. She walked by him with a telescope and tripod, giving him a curious smile as she walked closer to the edge of the cliff. A camera was slung around her neck.
You’re a photographer?” asked Jim.
Today I am.” She turned and gave him a playful smile, as she opened the tripod. “But as you’ve already surmised, I’m a law officer. I’m with DCI.”
What...what’s a DCI?”
She rolled her eyes and stepped back. “Department of Criminal Investigation. I work out of Missoula.”
Embarrassed, Jim didn’t say anything for a minute, just watched her set up the telescope, as she aimed it down towards the floor of Tillman Creek Valley. He couldn’t help looking at how she filled her jeans. Her shoulder length sandy hair was in a ponytail that whisked back and forth as she worked on the telescope. She fitted an adapter to the camera, and tested it on the telescope eyepiece.
She hadn’t said anything and Jim finally blurted, “Don’t mean to be nosy, but…”
She cut him off. “Then don’t be.” Then she turned and gave him a warm smile. “I’m sorry. I’ll be taking pictures of features on the valley floor. Let’s leave it at that. Okay?”
He nodded, “Sure. Didn’t mean to pry.”
She stood up and walked to him, standing in front of him, looking into his eyes. “I’m a DCI agent, just gathering some background info on the area.” A smile played at the corners of her mouth.
He felt warmth spread to his face. “Okay. I won’t ask anymore.”
Good.” Sandy walked back to the telescope, bent over and peered into it.
Come here and I’ll show you what I’m doing.”
He glanced at her bent over figure, but then forced his eyes aside.
Here, look through the ’scope. See the ranch buildings?” She stepped aside to let him peer into the eyepiece.
It’s really clear. What place is that?” Jim stood up.
Macmillan Ranch. It’s the headquarters of a big property management organization. I guess they board some horses down there, too.”
I won’t ask,” he grinned, raising his hands in mock surrender.
She smiled. “Thank you.”
After some additional adjustments to the telescope, Jim watched as Sandy attached the camera and took a series of pictures. Repositioning the telescope several times, she took another set of pictures before standing up and looking at him. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. Jim hoped that this savvy woman couldn’t detect how flustered he felt.
I’m going to pack it up,” she said.
Jim nodded, “Okay.”
I saw your truck and trailer parked at the campground when I pulled in. I figured someone was up on the ridge.”
Yeah, I used to ride from my folks’ cabin up here when I got a chance.”
You grew up in Missoula?” she asked.
No. I lived in Troy and then here at the cabin and later went to school in Missoula.”
University?”
I went to the Tech School and then to the University for a Business degree. How about you?”
I grew up in Missoula. My dad is a retired police captain. I went to UM for a degree in Criminology. Then I went through the Academy in Helena. Now I’m with DCI.”
He was glad that she had felt comfortable enough to tell him this. He was attracted to her not just by her beauty and svelte profile, but by a personality that kept him on the edge, teasing, pulling back, and then smiling. How to figure her, he wondered; chiding one minute, teasing and smiling the next. Might be hard to do, he mused, but hoped to see her again.
Did you hear the shots earlier?” asked Jim.
Sandy furrowed her brow, shook her head. “What time was that?”
Just before noon. Two quick pistol shots.”
Pistol? From where?”
I made it to be in Cedar Canyon, the way it echoed.”
Pistol?” she asked again.
Jim nodded. “I know a hunting rifle when I hear it. These were closely spaced shots, and sounded just like a pistol.”
Sandy pulled a small notebook out of her saddlebag, looked at her watch and made some notes.
Are you heading back down?” she asked. A note of seriousness shaded her voice.
Yes. By the way, I came across an odd thing on the way up here: a small trailer, something like an equipment trailer, setting in the woods over a short way. It’s right on the ridge line.”
When she looked at him, he felt like she was studying him. “Something someone left behind?”
Jim shook his head. “No. It has what I think is operating radio gear. There are antennas and solar panels on it. I couldn’t get into it.”
Sandy swung into the saddle in a smooth form, her well fitting jeans didn’t pass Jim’s notice. “Okay. Get your horse,” she said.
Jim walked to where his horse had drifted in the search for grass. There he put on the bridle, removed the hobble, and tightened the cinch. He then mounted and moved out the way he had come, Sandy beside him.
In a few minutes they came to the camouflaged trailer. They dismounted and approached for a closer look.
Sandy stared at the antenna mast and frowned. “What the…? This is federal land, National Forest.”
You think this is a Federal thing?” asked Jim.
Can’t imagine. Could be some private setup, likely illegal,” she mused.
It’s certainly strange, huh?”
I have no idea what it could be,” said Sandy.
Jim pulled out his cell phone. “Why don’t I call a friend in Missoula? Got to be good coverage from up here. He might be able to tell me what this is.”
Sandy shrugged, still engrossed in looking at details of the trailer.
Jim punched in the number for Fred Harrison, who worked at Northwoods Communications.
Fred? Yeah, Jim here.”
Hey, where the heck are you?”
Up on a mountain towards Camden. I’m looking at a small trailer that has electronic equipment in it. It’s sitting here in the National Forest all by itself. I can’t get into it. I thought that maybe you could give me an idea what it could be if I described it.”
I’ll give it a try. It’s a small trailer, like what, a U-Haul?” asked Fred.
It’s a single axle trailer, could have been a U-Haul in its prior life. It’s painted camouflage green and black. There are photoelectric panels on the roof, a small whip antenna, and an array of antennas on a mast.”
Describe the antennas.”
There are three, what looks like long-range TV antennas, mounted on a metal pole. The antennas are separated by maybe a couple feet, and they are all pointing the same direction.”
Okay. I understand you to be describing a multi-element antenna where the narrow elements are at the front of the antenna and the wider ones in the back. Is that what you have there?”
Uh, yeah. Each antenna has, let me see…, ten elements.”
Interesting. What do you think is the dimension across the driven element of the antennas?”
quo;Huh?” asked Jim.
Okay. From the back of the antenna, look at the second element and tell me about how long it is end-to-end. That’d be the next to the biggest element. It should have a cable attached to it, feeding it.”
Looks like maybe three or four feet.” Jim craned his neck staring upward.
Okay. That’s most likely in the VHF amateur or aircraft band.”
There’s a shorter whip antenna on the roof, maybe two feet long,” added Jim.
Yeah, that’d be VHF, too.” Fred added, “This could be an amateur radio repeater. But on Federal land, I doubt it. Also, I’m just looking through my amateur repeater listing and I don’t see anything for that area.”
So, what are you saying? It’s not amateur, so it must be an aircraft radio setup of some kind?” asked Jim.
Sure sounds like it to me.”
Jim held his compass away from the metal of the trailer. “Near as I can tell from my compass, the antenna is pointing toward Butte.”
Well, we’d need to know what sort of signal is coming from it? I have a hand-held scanner you can borrow. Come by here when you’re in town.”
Jim finished his conversation and turned to Sandy. “Fred seems to think it’s an aircraft radio something or other. He’s going to loan me a scanner, see if I can pick up any signal coming from it.”
Sandy stared at the trailer shaking her head. “Well, there’s no license plate and any identifying plaques have been removed. I copied a number cast into the axle. I doubt if it’ll lead anywhere, but who knows.” She smiled at Jim. “Coming back here with a scanner?”
He shrugged. “I’ll first try listening for something down below, on the Tillman Creek road.”
Well, I’ve got a few pictures that I can pass around at the office, see if anyone has any ideas. Shall we head down?”
An hour later they came out of the forest at Tillman Campground where their horse trailers and pickups were parked. |
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