Matt was surprised. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” McNamara said. “They need members and money. They’ve developed a significant dark web presence. Dylan’s involvement in the organization has escalated since he lost his job, and he has some expertise with technology and software.”
Matt thought of all the satellites on Dylan’s roof. “Is Dylan at a decision-making level yet?”
“We don’t know. The Footmen aren’t doing anything illegal that we’ve discovered. They are a legitimate organization. Dylan’s involvement was more secondary information, but when I heard you were asking about Dylan, I thought you should know.”
“What about Eugene Oscar?” Matt asked. “Have you ever heard his name associated with the Footmen?”
“No. But I would be suspect of any close associates of Brian Dylan.”
Matt ended the call and stared into space for a few minutes. Brian Dylan was involved with a paramilitary group. Oscar had been close friends with him. Could the survivalist group be involved in Oscar’s death?
Matt picked up his phone and called Todd. “I want to track down Jim Rogers tonight. You in?”
“Yep. I’m not far from your place. I’ll pick you up in ten minutes.”
“OK.” Matt grabbed his keys and wallet from the counter and stuffed them into his pockets.
Brody whined.
“You want to come with?” Matt asked.
Brody went to the door and stood under the hook that held his leash.
“OK.” Matt kenneled Greta and he and Brody went outside.
Todd pulled up in his personal vehicle, a compact SUV. He stepped out. Brody trotted over to greet him. “Good to see you, Brody.” Todd scratched his neck.
“Do you mind if he comes with us?” Matt asked. “He’s bored, and Greta is driving him a little nuts.”
“Of course he can come.” Todd opened the back door. The dog jumped in and settled on the back seat, his nose pressed to the window.
Todd drove out to Rogers’s house, but no one answered their knock. They returned to the SUV.
Matt drummed his fingers on the armrest. “Where now?”
“Let me make a couple of calls.” Todd slid his cell from his pocket. He called some friends. A few minutes later, he returned the phone to his pocket. “Someone saw him at the gun range on Route 7.”
Todd drove out to the range and parked in the lot. Though it wasn’t the range where Matt typically practiced, he’d been here before. A concrete-block building housed the office and indoor range. Trees grew close on either side. An outdoor stall and an area for skeet shooting sat well behind the building. The rear of the property was lit up like a football stadium. The brightness in the distance made the surrounding woods seem darker.
The parking lot was semifull. Matt and Todd stepped out of the SUV. Matt opened the back door and lifted Brody down. The big dog might be useful. Brody was loved by all, even people who didn’t like Matt.
The outdoor range was far enough away that the sound of gunfire was muted by distance. Matt spotted Jim Rogers sitting on a split-rail fence in front of the building. His puppy sat at his feet, chewing on a hard rubber dog toy.
Matt and Todd approached him. The puppy abandoned its toy to yip at Brody.
“Leave it,” Rogers commanded. When the puppy turned toward him, he praised her. “Good girl.” Rogers commanded her to sit, then reached over to greet Brody. “How are you, big boy?”
The puppy jumped up and nipped at the hair around Brody’s neck. With a stoic turn of his head, Brody pointedly ignored the pup. He looked back at Matt as if to say, You want to get a handle on this?
Rogers shorted the leash.
“Hey, Jim, you OK?” Todd asked.
Rogers was pale and pouring sweat, despite the coolness of the evening. He shrugged and leaned down to scoop the puppy into his arms. Settling her in the crook of his elbow, he stroked her back. “Since I can’t shoot, I brought Goldie here to get her used to the sound of gunfire. I thought maybe listening to it at a distance would help me get conditioned to it too.” He snorted. “So far, I’m SOL there.” The puppy chewed on his sleeve. “Maybe she’ll have to be my emotional support dog instead of a retriever.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” Todd reached forward and ruffled the puppy’s ears. “I miss having a dog, but I don’t have time to train a puppy.” Like Bree, Todd worked long hours.
Matt said, “Cady has a few older, fully housebroken rescues that would be happy to hold your couch in place while you went to work.”