Chapter 28
The next morning, Asa, Gabriel and a host of mounted police set off on horseback to the high pasture camp. The journey was long and everyone involved was well trained and prepared for it. Asa was the most inexperienced one, although the years spent on the reservation with her mother’s family had prepared her for it.
Gabriel and Asa were at the head of the group, riding a few yards ahead of the others, so they could talk. The long journey was giving them plenty of time to discuss what had happened between them. Both of them had been silent and insecure that morning after a sleepless night.
Gabriel, on the other hand, was contemplating his own behavior and feeling angry for letting Asa make him act on feelings. He was still mad at her for hiding her identity and was angry at himself for not being able to see the truth for himself. Gabriel really liked her, but he loved his family, and apparently, Asa was here to destroy it.
“I think this is the time for us to talk about what happened,” Asa was the first to speak. “I want to explain to you why I acted the way I did.”
“I’m not interested in hearing more lies, Asa,” Gabriel said. He spoke calmly, without even looking at her.
“I never lied to you, Gabriel,” Asa said, shaking her head. “As I was saying, I was sent here to investigate the case of the two missing FBI agents, Agents Smith and Holliday. It was never in my plan to meet you or hide who I was. It simply happened.”
“Well, it’s never happened to me before, Asa, or to most of the people I know,” Gabriel said, sarcastically.
“Nothing was as it was supposed to be. We had no leads and I was feeling powerless. Then my boss suggested that I get to know the locals a bit so I could get more information. The first time I went into a club I met you. You never asked who I was… I wanted to tell you more than once, but it never seemed like the right time.”
“What about when you came to my home, when we spent the night together, when I took you on a date?” Gabriel asked. Asa could feel the hurt behind his words and wanted to tell him how she really felt, but it seemed too late now.
“During those moments, I wanted to be completely honest with you, but if you recall, we were doing other things. We weren’t talking about much of anything. And anyway, I didn’t want to mix my work with what we had. I was investigating a big case, Gabriel, and honestly, you were a distraction. That was until three days ago, when the soil we found in the car of the missing agents was found to be a match to the dirt around your ranch.”
“Dirt? All this because of some dirt?” Gabriel was incredulous.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “That was when we came to your ranch with the search warrant. Before that, I never suspected your family at all.”
The woman turned around to look him in the eye, and waited for Gabriel to do the same.
“I’m sorry, Gabriel. I’m sorry for lying to you, for hurting you, for going after your family. I’m sorry about everything.”
“Asa, though I understand what you are saying, I still can’t help but feel hurt by your insinuations about my family,” Gabriel pointed out. “I don’t understand why it is so difficult for you to comprehend that we are just hard working cattle ranchers?”
“Because all the evidence points against it, Gabriel,” she answered, exasperated. “I already told you that I only work with the evidence I have. I would never go after anyone if there was no good reason to do so.”
“It’s all circumstantial,” Gabriel protested.
“No, no, all this evidence points against him,” Asa commented. “You see, we have information that somewhere in this area there’s a drug organization, and they’re responsible for multiple acts of violence, and now for the bombing of the bank and the FBI field office.”
“Asa, I would never do something like that, you’ve got to believe me,” Gabriel pleaded.
“I know that, Gabriel,” Asa answered. “I’ve always known that, and I want you to know that I will help you legally in any way I can.”
“So that’s your attempt to apologize again?” he asked again, sarcastically.
“No, this is my way of saying that I care about you, and that I believe you,” Asa answered and let her horse fall behind. Gabriel turned around to look at her, but then concentrated on the road.
Gabriel was determined to show her that his family had nothing to do with the murders—or the bombing. It was true that his brother was intense sometimes, and his distrust of the system was well known, but Gabriel couldn’t see his brother as a murderer despite all of that.
Asa watched his determined stance and thought that this man was really beautiful, especially when he was in his element, amidst the vast expanse of the Montana plains.
“Agent Clark,” one of the policemen called to her.
“We’ll be nearing the highlands soon. Do you want us to proceed from different directions?”
Asa thought about his proposition, but it seemed too soon to give such order, and she just shook her head.
“Let’s get closer and see what the situation is. If the suspects refuse to talk to us, we’ll think about other strategies. But for now, I want to give them the chance to provide an explanation.”
Chapter 29
A few miles up, on the high pastures, David and Jane Kimble were having a beautiful moment together. It was one of those rare times when David was feeling romantic and was willing to forget all the grave problems of the world around them. He had used the morning to finish the work they had with the crop, and then had returned to the small cabin in the woods, where Jane was cooking lunch. He leaned against the wall of the cabin and watched her competently flip the steak, a simple thing perhaps, this wasn’t a traditional kitchen.
“I’m sorry we have to work like this, Jane.” He went on, “The ranch is gradually paying its way, but it’s still going to be a long haul.” She nodded and went on cooking. “I was just thinking back to when I inherited it, what a mess it was in. I don’t know what I would have done if Martin Taylor, the neighbor wouldn’t have giving me the idea of growing the other crops in order to save it. Yet, who knew things would get so difficult.” Jane glanced at her husband.
“We do the best we can, David. You got drawn into the marijuana crop without realizing who you were dealing with.” He moved over to where she was standing.
“With a bit of luck, this last crop will go and we’ll be rid of them. I don’t know what happened with Grandpa when we were away, but maybe it will all be finished. The crop will be gone and the agents will find nothing. We can become proper ranchers again and be happy. I hate all the secrecy.” He moved closer. “We can be the couple we used to be, too.”
“What are you doing?” the woman asked him innocently.
“I find it very cute when you play innocent, Jane, but we don’t have time for that now.” The man circled the table and walked closer to her, standing just inches away. Jane immediately recognized the look in his eyes and turned around, taking the food off the fire. David quickly pressed his chest against her back, successfully preventing her from doing anything else. They moved so that Jane was pressed against the wall of the cabin.
“David, please! I don’t think we have time for that,” Jane said in a shaky voice.
“I’m not doing anything you don’t want me to do,” the man replied, and ran his hands down her sides. Jane tried hard not to respond to either his words or his actions, but it was getting harder with each passing moment.
“David, I thought that we put an end to all this?” Her voice shaky and pleading.
“Jane, I’m sorry if I forced you to do something you didn’t want to do,” he said, sincerely, running his hand through his already messed up hair. It took Jane a few seconds to understand his words, as her mind was back to the time when she was the one playing with his hair.
“I know what you want, and I am sorry that I’m not able to give it to you,” Jane said bitterly and opened one of the windows to look outside.
David felt almost physically hurt by the bitterness in her tone, but didn’t comment on it. Jane was his other half and he hoped that she knew it.
Slowly, he exited the cabin and looked outside. A group of people was coming their way, but from that distance, David was unable to see who they were. One thing was for sure, few people knew this place, and even fewer came here uninvited. He went back into the cabin and took his rifle from behind the door.
Chapter 30
Jane followed David outside carrying a gun as well, determined to do whatever was needed to help her husband. She too, was aware that nothing good could come from the group of riders headed up the hill. She walked behind him. David had shown her a natural stone wall, situated to provide a perfect view of the path while providing protection to those hiding behind it. Their first thoughts were of poachers… come to take the crop from their fields.
David and Jane were able to finally recognize Gabriel riding in front, and Asa, right behind him. Behind them was a group of policemen on horseback, and David noticed that everyone—except Gabriel—was heavily armed.
“Why is Gabriel with all those FBI agents and police officers?” Jane finally gave voice to the question that was bothering both of them.
“Yeah, what is the FBI doing with my brother?” David asked. The mixed group of agents, officers and deputies were just over the hill at that time. David pointed the rifle at them and shouted, “What are you doing here?”
“David Kimble?” Asa shouted back, “David Kimble. We’re here to talk to you. Come down, please?”
“Not before you tell me what is going on here,” the man replied.
“Mr. Kimble, don’t make things more difficult for yourself.” Asa was all business again. “We need to ask you about the murders of two FBI agents, and the bombing of the bank building in Kalispell”
“I don’t know anything about those things,” David said angrily. “Get away from here.”
“Listen, Mr. Kimble,” Asa tried again. “You need to understand that—”
A gunshot took them by surprise. Asa and the police officers jumped down from their horses as they spooked and tried to find cover, but not all of them managed in time. Asa watched as two of the still-mounted officers fell to the ground, injured. She just hoped they weren’t wounded too badly. The police team scrambled for secure positions and started firing back. A tense shootout erupted between the groups. Unsure of what to do next, Agent Clark searched for the only person there she really cared about. Gabriel was standing in his previous place and was desperately trying to calm the situation down.
“David! Stop shooting!” Asa heard him shout, and she hoped that his brother was going to listen to him.
A painful moan was heard from behind the stones and Gabriel started shouting louder. “David, are you okay? David, stop this madness!”
“Okay, okay, we are coming out.” Everyone heard a woman’s voice calling.
“Jane?” Gabriel called back. “Please, Jane, come out.”
“Jane, this is Asa,” Clark called too. “We just want to talk.”
Gabriel started talking again, and finally was able to calm the tension and convince his brother and sister-in-law to give up their guns. The two of them came from behind the stones with their guns down and their hands in the air, surrendering. David was bleeding from his right arm, but his expression wasn’t showing fear or pain. Jane was half hiding behind him, and Asa could see her eyes jumping from one person to the other in fear.
“David Kimble,” Asa said. “You are under arrest under suspicion of the murders of two FBI agents, Agents Smith and Holliday; and for the bombing of the FBI field office in Kalispell; for resisting arrest and for shooting at FBI agents and police officers. You have the right to remain silent…”
Asa continued citing his Miranda rights as the other agents took their guns, searched them for more weapons and cuffed them securely. Neither of them resisted, and only Gabriel protested against the cuffs.
“My brother is injured,” he said, pleading to Asa.
“He will be taken care of as soon as we make sure that there is no danger of more shooters,” she assured him, and issued orders to close off the area and to take care of the injured. Fortunately, the two officers and David weren’t badly injured, and the team was quickly able to provide emergency field care and immobilize their injuries until they could get down the mountain to a hospital.
Asa called in to the field office to both provide a status report on the operation, as well as request that an ambulance to wait for them at the foot of the mountain.
“Agent Clark,” one of the mounted police officers reported to her. “The area is secure and there are no other threats.”
Gabriel, who was close to her Asa, overheard the report and looked up, surprised by the news.
“What? No other people? What about Ezekiel? He was supposed to be with you as usual.” His questions were addressed to David and Jane, but neither of them answered. Asa watched them as they remained tight-lipped and proud in their cuffs, and began to think they may not be as innocent as she wanted them to be, for Gabriel’s sake.
She sighed almost painfully and felt relief that they had at least managed to take them into custody pending official charges.
“David,” she turned towards the man. “What do you know about the murders of Agent Smith and Agent Holliday?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he answered.
“Your grandfather told us that they came to your ranch around the time they were murdered,” Asa insisted, and watched something like triumph shine in his eyes.
“I have nothing to say,” the man insisted, and looked at his wife, who was silently crying beside him.
“Jane,” Asa tried again. “Do you know something about this matter?”
“No, I know only what my husband knows,” she said in a small voice.
“We want a lawyer.”
“Oh, for God sake, tell them what they want to know. Tell them that you have nothing to do with all of this,” Gabriel shouted at them. “Don’t you see how serious the situation is right now?”
David Kimble just shrugged his shoulders at his brother’s outburst, saying nothing, while Jane continued to cry. Asa had already realized that she wasn’t going to be able to make them talk, so she focused her attention on taking them down to Kalispell. She left on the premise that three officers from the area who knew how to handle themselves in the mountain, would stay. They let Gabriel arrange for someone to come up and take care of the cattle until the situation was resolved, and only then began to head back.
About halfway down the hill, Asa got a radio call from Agent Todd Gibson, sounding very worried.
“Agent Clark,” he yelled into the receiver. “We have an active shooter situation at the courthouse in Kalispell!”
“Do you know the identity of the shooter?” she asked, looking around. Everyone was listening to her conversation.
“Yes, according to the local police, the shooter is a neighbor and associate of David Kimble… Ezekiel Warren,” Gibson explained.
“Okay, I know who he is,” Asa confirmed, looking directly at David, who didn’t even lower his eyes. “I’ll be back in Kalispell in less than two hours, wait for me before you engage in anything too drastic.”
Gibson agreed to do just that. For a while, the small group continued on their way in silence, but Gabriel couldn’t take it anymore and spoke to his brother.
“Did you know that Ezekiel was shooting at people in Kalispell?”
David didn’t answer, but that didn’t stop Gabriel from asking again.
“Is that why you shot at us when you saw us coming? Please, David, tell me that you are not working with the cartel!”
Asa and the other officers watched the interaction in silence, feeling sorry for the younger man, who had just found out that his brother was a cold blooded killer.
As they reached the bottom of the mountain, Agent Clark received a call from the agents still investigating at the cabin. A large marijuana crop, probably valued in the millions, was found not far from the cabin—thousands of mature plants ready to harvest.
Chapter 31
Back in Kalispell, Ezekiel Warren had taken up a defensive position at the courthouse and was firing at the agents and at the police officers below. He had managed to injure one policeman and almost kill another, before everyone found cover. The shooting had been unexpected and in such a public place it had been hard to cut off the area and get the civilians to a safer place.
Agent Gibson was on the front line, working hard to find a way to stop the shooting without more casualties, but the man had chosen the perfect position and there was no way for the FBI or the police to reach him without putting themselves in danger. Therefore, a standoff had ensued until Agent Asa Clark could make it back into town and assume command.
Gibson thought that she must have been flying, because she arrived almost half an hour earlier than expected and immediately came to the place of shooting. Everybody made way for her, so the young agent was able to reach the front line in no time at all.
“Todd,” she said to him, while crouching behind the car where he had taken up a position, “What’s the situation?”
“Not good, if you ask me.” The man shook his head. “The shooter has the highest position and is protected from all three sides. The only approach is from the front, and from there he’s got a clear shot.”
“When did this start?”
“About three hours ago,” Gibson recounted. “According to the witnesses, he just showed up, climbed the tower and started firing on anyone in uniform. Two officers are injured, one pretty badly.”
Family Ties Mystery Series Box Set Page 10