Free 'Til Death (A Rebel Ridge Novel) by Sharon Sala

power. He couldn’t
do the work he needed on just his generator. The utility poles were still in
place where the old house once stood. All he had to do was have the power
company add a pole here by the shelter, string new lines and install a meter. He
went inside, pulled out his cell and found the number for the local power
company. Within the hour he had a work order in place for a pole to be set and
line to be run.
    Over the next few days he burned rubbish and dug trenches to
lay pipe from the old existing water well, and then he replaced the pump. Every
time he drove down the mountain he thought about the Lewis woman and wondered if
she was okay. It was weird, this odd connection of having seen her assailant
without knowing who she was, but he wasn’t ready for the world to know he was
back.
    The few times he stopped in Boone’s Gap to get gas or pick up a
few groceries, he made sure to wear a cap and sunglasses. It wasn’t all that
much of a disguise, but he was counting on the change in his size and appearance
as backup to make sure no one recognized him. For the time being his focus was
getting a winter shelter set up.
    He had a new propane tank installed, and ran pipe inside the
shelter for future heating and cooking use. He rented a tractor and brush hog
down in Mount Sterling and cut down the weeds and brush in the clearing. When
the power company arrived they set a new power pole, strung the wire, set a new
meter and just like that he had power and water. Once he got the interior walls
and floor clean, he could start construction on the house.
    He went to bed that night satisfied with his progress, and he
was sound asleep when he was suddenly awakened by the sound of an approaching
dirt bike. He immediately thought of the prowler and bailed out of bed, grabbing
his pants, coat and boots as he ran. Within moments he was out of the trailer
carrying his rifle. If the little bastard thought he was going to take a
shortcut through this place again, he had another think coming.
    The night was dark. The new moon cast few shadows between trees
and ground as he darted across the clearing. Within moments he heard someone
coming toward him at a jog, making no attempt to hide his presence. If this was
the stalker, the last time he’d come through here he’d been armed. Linc didn’t
want to get into a gunfight with the man, but he wasn’t going to have him using
his land as a freeway, either. He waited until he could see him coming, wanting
to get a look at his face, and then, when he finally saw him, he was stunned to
realize that he knew him. Taking care to stay concealed behind a trio of pines,
he fired the rifle into the air, taking quiet pleasure in the shock on Prince
White’s face.
    “This is private property!” Linc yelled. “The next time you set
foot on it without an invitation, the shot I fire won’t be a warning,”
    He watched Prince grab his pocket as he scanned the trees and
knew that pistol he’d been carrying before was probably in the leather jacket.
Then he watched Prince rethink the notion and put both hands up in the air as he
called out, “Whoever you are, I didn’t mean nothin’. This place has been vacant
for so long I didn’t know that it sold. I’m right sorry. Okay? I mean you no
harm. I was just—”
    “Just what? Going to mess with that Lewis woman again? If that
was what was on your mind, then I advise you to change it, understand?”
    All of a sudden the man spun on his heel and started running
back through the trees the way he’d come. That was when Linc knew for sure he
was the same man. Just to mess with him, he fired the rifle again, then waited
until he heard Prince start up the bike and speed away.
    “Sorry little bastard,” Linc muttered as he made his way back
to the trailer. He started to go back to bed, but the thought of a woman alone
in her house somewhere down the road, afraid to close her eyes for fear that her
stalker would return, was too strong to ignore. He