Accidental Target

by Theresa Hall

  “Hey, coward!”

  “Who are you calling coward?” the man in the hat yelled back.

  Jackson could hear both men barking at each other. This time, the words were clear. There was an obvious breakdown in the camaraderie. Jackson hoped this could work to his advantage.

  “I ain’t going to prison for killing nobody. I already told y’all I gotta be here to take care of my kid. Besides, y’all can’t trust nobody to run that tire shop like I do. The boss said he wants to talk to her before you kill her. Don’t go getting any wild ideas.”

  “The boss told you that?”

  “Uh-huh. Here.” He shoved the phone at the other man.

  Jackson couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Something wasn’t making sense. Why would they want her alive after they’d tried to kill her several times?

  The other man swatted at the phone. It fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

  Allison moved again on the floor. Jackson watched as she struggled to lean against the barn wall. He had to get to her. The only way he could break her out of there was if he found a way to break in. One way or another, he would get to her.

  And if he had to give his life for hers, then so be it.

  * * *

  Allison listened to the men argue. It was like watching two little boys fight over a toy. One of them didn’t have the stomach for murder. That was the only thing that had played in her favor so far.

  Memories flashed in her mind like lightning. The cowboy. It was him! It was Tex from the truck. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the details. It was a night she wanted to forget but couldn’t. Tex had yelled out that he wasn’t going to hurt her. But the man who’d tried to kill her wasn’t here. She was sure of it. His was a face she couldn’t forget.

  Pain shot through her head as her hair was yanked backward.

  “Look at this picture.” The tattooed man’s breath hit her face.

  Allison moaned in pain as she forced herself to focus through the tears swelling in her eyes.

  “Do you know this man?”

  “No.”

  Another yank sent more pain screaming through her head.

  “Look again.”

  This time she pretended to study it.

  “No!” She screamed back to make sure they heard her. But she did recognize him. He was the man in the hospital who’d tried to kill her. It was the man who’d held her down and given her the shot. Why was it so important that she knew who he was?

  The hand on her head let go, and the two men walked away, leaving her on the floor. The thought of Jackson sent stabbing pains through her chest. Right now, she couldn’t think that he might be dead. It hurt too much to have those thoughts. The only thing she needed to focus on was escaping and staying alive. It was up to her whether or not she lived or died.

  She waited until both men were far enough away to pull herself up into a sitting position. She remained motionless as she studied the perimeter of the barn. It was cold and damp, and it looked as if it had been abandoned for the past fifty years. A few old gardening tools and a saw blade hung from nails on the wall near the front door. If only she could get to them, she would at least have a weapon.

  Allison looked behind her and caught a glimpse of something moving on the other side of the wall. Her chest tightened. She huffed out a few ragged breaths as her hopes ran wild. It might be a long shot to believe it was Jackson out there, but it was all the hope she had. She eased her back against the wall and turned her face toward a crack so she could hear.

  “Allison.” A whisper sounded into her ear.

  It was Jackson! He’d come for her.

  He continued to whisper. “Don’t talk, just listen. I’m going to get you out of there, but I need you to work with me.”

  Allison adjusted her head to show a small nod. She didn’t dare utter a word.

  “Good girl. You have to wait for my signal.”

  She wanted to believe with all her heart that Jackson would get her out alive, but she’d be a fool if she thought it was easy. There was a big chance this could go wrong.

  “El Capitán, why do you come here?”

  A man in a police officer’s uniform appeared where the other two stood. “I have to make sure you morons aren’t messing this up for me. I know if I want something done right, I have to do it myself. Mauricio proved that.”

  “She don’t know what she’s done wrong.” Tex spat chewing tobacco at the cop’s feet.

  The cop moved back a couple of steps and glared at Tex. “Oh, yeah? Well, you let me be the judge of that.”

  “Speaking of being the judge.” The tattooed man wagged a finger in the officer’s face. “You have made El Verdugo angry. He is tired of you trying to take credit for his hard work. You have forgotten how to take orders. That badge does not make you his boss.” He obviously didn’t like this cop.

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Jackson had been right all along. But who was this El Capitán? Did Jackson know him? Whoever he was, she was sure he had no problem killing someone. Or telling someone to do it for him. He walked over to where she sat on the barn floor. His boots were shined to perfection, his uniform pressed and smooth.

  He knelt and shoved a cell phone into her face. “Do you know this man?”

  Allison glanced at him and then back at the phone. This time it was a picture of a man with rough features, a long greasy ponytail, a tattoo of a woman on his neck and the eyes of a killer. It was a mug shot. He obviously had friends in high places, because someone like that shouldn’t be allowed to roam free.

  “I don’t know him.”

  He grabbed her face with his other hand. “Let’s try this again. Have you seen this man?”

  She stared at the phone.

  “I’ve seen him.” Pain shot through her cheek as he gripped harder.

  “Ah, so now we’re getting somewhere.” He put the phone back into his pocket and released her. “What about the woman in the truck?”

  Allison shook her head. “I didn’t see a woman.”

  The cop paced around where she lay on the floor. He scratched at the stubble on his chin. “Okay. What did you see?”

  Allison swallowed. “Nothing.”

  The cop bent over and stared into Allison’s eyes. “You should’ve stayed in Houston where you belong. You almost ruined everything.” He stood up and turned to the man with the tattoos. “Shoot her.”

  Fear shook her. The name tag on his uniform read Schmille. Jackson was right.

  “We don’t take orders from you.” The shorter man aimed a gun at the cop.

  “Yup, that’s right. Carlos Vega Calderón will be here any minute. That’s who we take orders from. Besides, he already told us not to kill her. Said she’s worth some money. Guess he has other plans for her.” Tex grinned at Schmille.

  Allison’s stomach lurched. She had to figure a way out of here. She’d rather die than be held captive by the cartel. It wasn’t a secret what they were planning on doing to her. She closed her eyes and began to pray. When she finished, she looked around the barn to find the men huddled together at the front door. No one was looking in her direction. This was it. She needed to take her chance.

  Allison leaned against the wall and listened for Jackson. She didn’t hear him.

  “Jackson.” She made sure to keep her voice down so they wouldn’t hear her.

  There was no reply. The men were still talking at the door of the barn. She couldn’t wait another second. There had to be a way out without them seeing her. It was a risky chance, but she had to take it.

  * * *

  Jackson’s finger itched to pull the trigger as he lined his sight on Schmille. It was him. The egotistical pain in his side who thought he was superior to everyone on the force. And to top it off, he was working with Calderón, one of the biggest drug kingpins in T
exas. Or El Verdugo, the Executioner, as they called him on the streets. No wonder they were trying to kill Allison. She’d foiled their plans to dispose of the DEA agent.

  Someone had blown the agent’s cover. And now it was obvious who did it.

  Schmille had to be the one tipping them off the entire time. Jackson wished he could call Devon to tell him what was happening. He wondered if the DEA had more agents undercover working on this case? He also wondered how many Stonewater police officers were going to go down with Schmille.

  Right now, he had to concentrate on how to get Allison out of there. He needed to find a way to get in without them noticing. As he moved to make his way to the edge of the barn, something rustled behind him.

  “Don’t take another step.”

  Jackson stopped and raised both hands in the air. His adrenaline revved up as his brain scrambled to figure out an escape without getting shot.

  “Drop the gun.”

  Jackson did as he was told and let the pistol fall to the ground on a pile of dead leaves.

  “Now take the one from your ankle holster and kick it away, too.”

  Smart move. This guy had to be another dirty cop. He put his backup weapon on the ground and kicked it away.

  “Turn around real slow. I won’t hesitate to shoot you, so don’t act stupid.”

  Jackson turned around. It was one of the men from inside the barn. Jackson searched his face. As far as Jackson knew, he’d never met this man before.

  “Who do you work for?” Jackson’s gut told him it wasn’t the cartel. If it was, he’d already be dead.

  The man kept his .35 mm aimed at Jackson’s forehead. “You first.”

  The two of them glared at each other, neither wanting to flinch. Jackson wondered what happened to the man’s thick Texas drawl. It wasn’t there now. In fact, there was hardly a detectable accent at all.

  The man repeated his question. “I’m going to try this one more time. Who do you work for?”

  “Myself.” It wasn’t a total lie. He wasn’t there in a police capacity. He was only there to save Allison.

  The man inched closer and started to pat Jackson down with one hand while keeping his gun trained on him with the other. He pulled Jackson’s badge from his hip pocket and threw it onto the ground.

  “Start talking.”

  “What’s there to say? Now you know who I work for. What are you going to do?”

  “What are you doing out here by yourself?” The man moved back and put his gun down to his side. “You’re Archer, right?”

  Jackson felt better now that the gun wasn’t aimed at him. He might as well tell the truth. He wasn’t totally sure he could trust him, but the fact that he was still alive gave him a little more faith in this guy.

  “Yeah, and I’m here for her.”

  A voice sounded from the side of the barn. “Hey! What’s taking you so long out there?”

  The man frowned and put a finger up to signal for Jackson to stay quiet. “It must be that food we ate! I’m feelin’ sicker than an alligator in a vegetable stand!”

  The man shrugged his shoulders as Jackson grinned at him.

  He leaned forward and whispered. “Hey, I’m not even from Texas. I’m from Wisconsin.” He picked up Jackson’s weapons and badge and handed them back to him.

  “How’d you know I was out here?” Jackson was relieved that no one else had seen him.

  “I assumed you would come after her.” He walked toward a grove of mesquite trees behind the barn. “Come on, follow me. We can’t risk them overhearing us.”

  Jackson looked back toward the barn.

  “Don’t worry. They won’t kill her.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because that’s my job.”

  Jackson stopped walking. “Did you kill that DEA agent?”

  The man halted in his tracks. He didn’t turn around. “She was my friend. I’m here for the same reason you are, only I was too late.”

  Jackson didn’t need any further explanation.

  “I’m sorry. It was terrible what they did to her.”

  The man turned around. “We need to stay focused if we’re going to get your girl out of there.”

  Jackson couldn’t agree more. “Are you the one who broke into my parents’ house?”

  “Yes. And before you get upset, I didn’t hit her over the head. I wasn’t the only one in the house. I did what I could to make sure you both weren’t killed.”

  “Who are you and what agency are you working with?” Jackson wanted to trust him.

  “Look, I shouldn’t have blown my cover, not even for your friend. Just know I’m on your side. Nothing will happen to her if you don’t blow my cover in there, but I’m going to need your help.”

  Jackson had one more question that he couldn’t wait to get an answer to. “What do you know about that cop in there?” He tilted his head toward the barn.

  The man shot him an irritated glance. “First, tell me something. What do you know about that cop in there? He’s from your department.”

  “Dirty.” Jackson wasn’t going to comment more on the subject. The less he said about Schmille, the better. Right now, all he wanted was to get Allison out of there. “What’s your plan for the girl?”

  He watched the man pull the cowboy hat from his head, rake a hand through his hair, then shove the hat back on. His features hardened as he contemplated his next words.

  “I’m going to need your help.”

  “How can I trust you? How do I know you’re not working with the cartel, too?”

  “Looks like you know more about Schmille than you’re letting on.”

  “So do you.” Jackson shot back. “What do you need my help with?”

  “You’re coming back in there with me.”

  “That’s suicide, man. No way. You bring Allison out here to me and I’ll get her to safety. Why would you need me to go in there? What kind of half-baked plan is this?”

  The agent’s irritation surfaced. “Do you know how hard we’ve worked to take this cartel down? They killed one of our agents, and I’m not about to blow this. I need you on the inside with me. This is going down my way. Tonight. If you want me to protect her, then you have to trust me.”

  Jackson paced in front of him. So this guy was with the DEA. “Schmille will kill me the minute I walk in there.”

  “No, he won’t.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Jackson didn’t believe any of this. What was the DEA up to? He wasn’t about to put Allison’s life on the line. Again.

  “We want the head of the snake. That’s who Schmille takes his orders from. All I have to do is tell Schmille that we were told not to shoot you until we get the go-ahead. Look, I already have enough evidence to take down Schmille. We could’ve done that a long time ago. Schmille is a tiny fish. We want the shark.”

  Jackson nodded. “All right. Let’s do this, then.”

  SIXTEEN

  Pain radiated from her legs as she tried to stretch them. She rubbed her eyes to focus in the dimly lit barn. The men were still talking with their backs to her.

  She whispered to Jackson through the wall. “Are you still out there?”

  He didn’t answer.

  The group of men turned and walked back toward the center of the barn. Allison heard angry shouting from a few of them.

  “Look at what I found in the woods, y’all.”

  Her plan for escaping vanished like a whisper of smoke. It was over now. The only person who could get her out was now in this with her. She wanted to run to Jackson, but for both of their sakes she stayed silent.

  Schmille turned and glared at Jackson. “Kill him! Now.”

  Tex shook his head. “Uh-uh.” He wagged a finger at Schmille. “No, no. You don’t get to tell us what to do. El Verdugo will be he
re soon. We only take orders from him.”

  It relieved Allison to hear that Schmille had no authority with these people, but the threat of someone named El Verdugo didn’t sound good. Anyone who they called the Executioner wasn’t about to let them walk out of here alive. This was it. She needed to face reality. They weren’t ever getting out of here. They were going to die.

  Jackson’s eyes met hers. He mouthed something but she couldn’t make it out. She was too afraid to respond.

  “I’m gonna put him over there with the girl. That way we can keep an eye on them.” Tex shoved Jackson while he kept a gun pressed into his back.

  “Here.” Schmille tossed Tex a pair of handcuffs. “Put these on him.”

  Tex clicked the cuffs into place on Jackson’s wrists, then pushed him onto the ground with more force than was necessary. Allison inched her way closer to Jackson.

  He shot her an angry glare. “Don’t talk to me.”

  The fury in his voice shocked her. She did as she was told, but she resented the fact that he was being so harsh with her.

  Allison scooted a few inches away from Jackson as he stared at the ground. She wondered why they hadn’t shot him when they found him outside. There had to be some reason why Tex didn’t kill him.

  If Schmille was working with the cartel, who was Tex working for? Was Jackson in this somehow, too? Something wasn’t right. In fact, nothing was making sense.

  She stole a glance at Jackson. Could he be in this with them somehow? If that was true, then he had no reason to keep her alive. Allison leaned against the wall. It didn’t matter if it made sense or not. Any hope she had of making it out alive had already disappeared.

  * * *

  The urge to pull her close made his body ache. There was nothing he wanted more in that moment than to hold her and tell her to trust him. He’d come off as angry, but he knew he had to. It was the only way he could make sure she kept her emotions in check. For now, he had to keep from looking at Allison, because the eyes don’t lie. He knew those men would see right through him if he looked at her.