"No need to threaten me, buddy. Truth is, there's no love lost between Krantz and any of us. Dirty deputy contaminates us all."
Ray went back into the room, hoping the guard wouldn't alert Krantz.
They didn't have long to wait. Thirty minutes later, Ray heard two faint taps on the door. He turned the recorder back on and stuffed it into Vast's sling.
Then, "Hey, Smitty, I want to see the prisoner."
"How ya doin', Krantz? I don't see you on my list."
"Smitty, you know how it is. Vast is from Plateauville. I've known him for years. Thought he could use a little support."
"You have a point. Just sign the log," Deputy Smith said.
"Rather not. I'll be out in a few minutes."
Ray stepped into the bathroom and pulled the door shut.
Krantz said, "My uncle told me to come by and get the information about your product."
"I'd rather talk to the man, himself. He can call me. I'll recognize his voice."
"Not how this works. You know better, you stupid ass."
Ray heard footsteps.
"Hey, Krantz. Keep your filthy hands off my arm."
"LeRoy, old friend. I just want to see your boo boo."
"Nah, man. It hurts a lot, and the doc says we need to be real careful with it."
There was a rattling sound. Ray imagined Krantz was shaking the IV pole suspending Vast's injured arm. He hoped the recorder wouldn't fall out.
Vast yelled, "Ouch. Leave it alone." Then in a quieter voice, he said, "I'll tell you, just leave it alone."
"Thought you'd see it my way. Now, where is the stash."
"Down Dripping Springs Drive, all the ways to the end. Then, go right for about two miles. Maybe more."
"There's no road," Krantz said.
"I know, man. You gotta hike. Take the trail."
"Then what?"
"Turn onto another trail, can't see it good, but it's up in them trees. Gotta cross the creek. Go up the hill for about a mile. Cabin's set back.
"And you think Silken is going to go get the product?" Krantz said.
"Nah, man. I don't. But, I think you will. Or else you'll have Silken call me, and I'll have one of my boys deliver."
"If you're lying to me, Vast, you'll suffer the consequences when you get into lock up."
"So, you say," Vast said.
Ray heard footsteps again, then the sound of the door latch opening.
Vast said, "He's gone."
Ray stepped out of the bathroom. "You did good." He collected his recorder, being careful not to jar the arm, and left, stopping to tell the nurse Vast needed pain medication. Next, he had to coordinate the steps of his plan.
Chapter 35
Ray
Late Tuesday afternoon, Ray finished updating Chief Mullins—who had been out of town for a couple of days for a family emergency—on his interactions with Vast, then Vast and Krantz. He also laid out his plan to stage a fake raid. "I'm thinking Krantz and Silken will want to rip off the stash before the raid starts."
Outside, the rain slammed against the window. Bolts of lightning brightened the dreary sky and heralded the rolls of thunder, prompting Ray to think God was coming to the mountain.
"Why don't you think he'll just go out there today, find nothing, then blow it off?"
Ray laughed and pointed to the window behind the chief's desk. "It's raining so hard the sky might fall, and it has been for days. You've been lucky enough to be east of the weather. The directions Vast gave Krantz make the roads and paths to the cabin impassable until it dries up. Then, he'd have to take a long hike to go check the place out."
"This is good for us, why?"
"Because there's a more direct back route in. It's obvious Krantz is clueless about it—but Johnson knows. Meanwhile, I contacted the DEA. Smith and Custer are assigned. I met them in Nashville during the training. They are eager to help for a share in the action. So, right now they are setting up a fake operation, fake stash of product, everything. They'll lock it down, then reappear when we schedule the sting."
Mullins nodded. "I hate calling them in, but they have the capability to make it look real."
"The DEA wants Silken because of the finished product he moves to Florida. And they are considering the whole lock him up scenario if Krantz—or Silken for that matter—is dumb enough to assault federal agents."
Mullins looked skeptical. "Is there already a cabin on site? Sometimes not being born in the area is a handicap."
"It's an old log building, which belonged to Vast's ancestors. His parents used it as a hunting and fishing cabin back in the day. Smith and Custer checked it out and said they could run a gravity feed from the creek above the cabin to provide potable water. They'll bring in everything else. I'm hoping it will keep raining today."
"What does Vast get out of all this?"
"The DA has agreed to no jail time and extended probation— if, and only if, Vast continues to cooperate with us. I figure Krantz will visit Vast at least once more. He'll want to verify the directions to the cabin. Vast will tell him there is another way. That should suck him into the trap and tip us off to him taking the bait. Silken will want him—or someone—to steal the product. At the moment, both of Silken's labs are gone, which puts him out of business and in trouble with his bosses down south."
The chief shook his head. "Lots of ifs and buts in this plan." He sat for several moments, appearing lost in thought. "Well, it's in motion. Iffy, but in my opinion, it may work. I'll go along with it because I think it's the only way we'll put a dent in the meth business in this town. The object of all this must be taking Silken out of the picture. There are so many underemployed young men around, he'll have no problem setting up another lab and picking up where he left off."
"He may have already started," Ray said. "I heard something about it from one of the deputies in the jail. He overheard an inmate bragging he would be working for Silken when he's released next week."
"Any mention of the location?" the chief said.
"No, but the deputy thinks it's out of our jurisdiction. He's alerted the sheriff."
"What's your next step?"
"We need to get Ope in here."
Mullins looked at his watch. "Let's do it. I'll have him transfer his calls to county dispatch." He stood, stepped around his desk, and left the office, returning a few minutes later.
Ope followed, pushing his walker into the room. Then he stood as if waiting for direction, holding on with one hand and running the other through his grey hair.
"Have a seat, Ope," Mullins said.
"Yes, sir." Ope sat, his tenor voice shaking. "What's happening?"
Ray thought the stress of being caught, then being forced to relay planted information was taking a toll on Ope's health. Gone was his cavalier refusal to use his walker around the office. He looked bent and ten years older.
Mullins said, "Ray, it's your show."
Ray filled Ope in. "What we need you to do is contact Krantz. Tell him we're scheduling a raid on Vast's personal lab for tomorrow."
Ope nodded. "Okay."
"I want you to do it now. Use your personal cell phone and put it on speaker."
"Krantz won't want to talk on speaker." Ope spoke in a whisper.
"Don't tell him. Just tell him the connection is bad, has been all day."
"I can try." Ope extracted his phone from his pants pocket and placed it on the desk.
Meanwhile, Ray stood, closed the door, removed the recorder from his shirt pocket and turned it on, and placed it next to the phone.
"Is that necessary?" Ope said.
"It is," Ray said, his voice commanding. "We're building a case against Krantz and will need all we can get to put him where he belongs. Call him. Call him now." Ray didn't like being aggressive to the former cop, now a broken old man. However, Ope needed to cooperate if he was going to stay out of jail.
Ope found Krantz's number on his favorites list and touched the number.
Krantz answered on the second ring. "What's up?"
"Ah, I just heard them planning a raid on Vast's other lab."
Krantz said, "Am I on speaker?"
"No. My service has been patchy all day because of the storms."
"Mine hasn't been so hot either." Krantz cleared his throat. "I just heard about the lab yesterday. When are they hitting it?"
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"They'll never get there with all the rain. I drove out to the end of the road this morning, and the trail is over a foot deep in mud."
"There's another way into the cabin."
"Is there now? Where?"
"I don't know for sure. I only know that Stone and Mullins were talking about going in tomorrow by an alternate route."
"Do you know anything else?" Krantz said.
"No. You want me to report it all to Silky? I can walk over there on my break."
"Don't bother, Ope. I'm headed into Plateauville now, so I'll stop by and tell him."
Ray smiled. The plan would work out fine if they could get the timing right.
***
Ray's cell vibrated at a few minutes before nine on Wednesday morning. He expected the call and reviewed paperwork at his desk in the PD while he waited. The rain had stopped, and the day was bright, sunny, and hot. It wouldn't take long for the trails and roads to the Vast family's cabin to dry.
He activated his recorder then tapped the answer icon. "Stone."
"This is LeRoy. I just had a visit from Dep-u-ty Krantz."
"Did you? What was on the deputy's mind?"
"He wanted to know the other route to the cabin. He said he was out that way this mornin' and the mud along the trail is knee deep in some places. Said he made it about a hundred yards before he had to turn back."
"What did you tell him?"
"What we agreed. There's a two-rut trail from the other side, but he'd have to cross Old Man Janus's pasture, and he might not take kindly to it, him hating the sheriff and all."
"Did Krantz mention Silken?"
"Yup. Said he'd tell Silken on a morning, the same one where hell freezes over. He said, too, he'd make sure I get my percentage of the take when he unloaded the product. I told him good. I needed the money for my lawyerin' and stuff."
"Anything else?"
"Yup. He wanted specifics about how much I was cookin', what my market was, and who was a-helpin' me."
"What did you say?"
"I told him it wasn't his damn business. He threatened to hurt me some, so I told him I have a couple of kilos of product under a certain floorboard, and some more stashed in a hidey hole under the foundation on the left side. Then I pretended to drift off. He woked me again, so I acted confused and asked him for my pain shot. He got frustrated and left."
"Sounds like you did a good job." Ray paused. "I'll remember and be sure to tell the DA."
Ray disconnected, called DEA agents Smith and Custer to alert them, then stepped into the next office to tell Mullins the plan was in motion.
"The good thing is, Old Man Janus doesn't much like the sheriff, but he likes the locals just fine. Have Johnson give him a call and tell him to move Tornado into the pasture between the road and the trail." Mullins laughed. "I'm told he's the meanest bull in Middle Tennessee, and we've got a bunch."
Ray had Ope put a call out to Johnson with the prearranged signal to meet Ray at the department. Knowing Krantz routinely monitored the channel, they wanted to use the message to assure he continued to believe the raid was planned for late in the evening.
Thirty minutes later, Ray met Johnson in the parking lot and headed out to Janus's place. Though it was early, the day felt warm and humid from all the rain. Ray cranked up the air-conditioning.
"Smith and Custer are at the cabin," Ray said. "And, they have cell service. Amazing. Said the road was solid enough for hiking, but too soft for their vehicles. Janus is waiting for us to cross the pasture, then he'll close the gate and release Tornado."
"Why are we puttin' the bull in Krantz's way? I mean, we want to get him to the cabin, then catch him in the act of robbin' the place. Right?" Johnson said.
"We do. But we want to make sure it looks like the real thing and assure he isn't tipped off. If there was always clear access to the back road, there would be no reason to ever use the trails."
"You're right." Johnson pointed. "The turn is up there on the right. Are you sure he didn't bring Silken in on the deal?"
"To a degree. The feds have Silken under surveillance. Krantz hasn't been near the store or the house. There haven't been any phone calls either."
"They could be usin' burners."
"True, but they haven't in the past, so there is no reason to suspect they would now." Ray turned into the drive leading to Janus's farm. A sprawling, ranch-style home faced the main road. A big red barn sat to the left. Beyond, a lush green pasture, surrounded by a sturdy wood fence, stretched to the trees in the rear of the property.
Janus stood near the barn door. He waved them closer, then approached the Ram on the driver's side.
Ray rolled down the window. "Hello, Mr. Janus. Thanks for the hand today." The man's appearance was in direct contrast to his well-maintained property. Though he wasn't really old—fifty perhaps—he was balding, sported a ragged white beard and weather-beaten face, and wore coveralls with numerous patches and tears.
"No problem." Janus said, his voice sounding youthful. "Tornado hasn't had any sport in a while. He'll enjoy this." He opened a gate next to the barn. "Leave your truck in there." He pointed to a weathered shed. "Go across the field, then through the gate on the other side. Be sure to lock it. I've already hidden my truck, and the wife is in Charleston visiting the girls. I'll be watching from the back of the barn." He smiled and waved them through.
Ray eased the Ram over the cattle guard—a grid of steel pipes designed to keep the animals inside—and into the pasture, then pulled into the storage building next to the feds' vehicle and a ten-foot high stack of hay bales. "Looks like this is the event of the century for Janus." He stepped out.
Johnson laughed as he climbed down from the truck. "A couple of years ago, Krantz had it in his head he was goin' to bust Janus for havin' a still out back." He pointed to a second gate on the far right side of the pasture. "It's in the trees."
"Mullins knows?"
"Sure. We all do. We don't bother with it. He makes shine for personal use and for his friends. Really good stuff, too. I've had it a few times."
"Part of the letting some slide to get the job done, I suppose."
"Yup." Johnson laughed again. "Mullins is a wise man. He knows how to gain cooperation in these here parts, even if he is an outsider."
Ray shook his head. There were too many moving parts in the plan. And, a bull named Tornado, of all things, had the opportunity to screw it all up.
Chapter 36
Ray
Ray and Johnson trudged across the pasture, exited on the other side, and secured the gate. They watched as Old Man Janus opened the back door of the barn and released Tornado.
Janus gave the big brown bull a pat, then removed the lead from his halter. He waved to Ray and Johnson and disappeared into the barn, closing the door behind him.
Ray was puzzled. "I don't understand why Mullins wanted the bull outside. Looks like he's a manageable critter."
Johnson laughed. "First off, Tornado is only manageable to Janus and his wife. Everyone else, including you and me, are the enemy." Johnson laughed again. "Allowing Janus to have some fun at Krantz's expense is Mullins' reward for the old man cooperating, I expect."
"But Janus let the feds through without a problem?"
"He did. The Vast and the Janus families go way back. In fact, Janus bought this stretch of land from the Vasts. Part of the deal was access to the cabin. Then Janus married one of the Vast cousins and sealed it proper."
Ray chuckled. "Everyone related to everyone else once again. Gotta love it."
Ray and Johnson backed into
the trees to watch and wait, making themselves comfortable on a couple of old logs hidden behind a stand of prickly blackberry bushes.
As Ray rolled the course of events around in his mind, he realized, yet again, how long, if ever, it would take him to become a part of the Plateauville community. Perhaps it was a good thing in the long run. It would lend him objectivity. Still, he was happy to have Johnson, who seemed to know everyone and everything about the people and the area, with him and on his side.
Fifteen minutes later, an older-model Jeep pulled up to the far gate and Krantz emerged wearing black boots, cargo pants, and a faded tee shirt with the Sheriff's Office logo. His Glock was strapped to his hip. He stood behind the fence staring in Tornado's direction, probably deciding how to cross the pasture. He couldn't go around.
Krantz backed away from the fence and approached the house. He knocked on the door and waited for a minute before returning to the gate, which he opened. He eased the Jeep over the cattle guard and didn't bother to close the gate behind him.
"Son of a bitch," Johnson said. "That's irresponsible, even for him."
"It's a good thing Janus has both the cattle guard and the gate," Ray said.
"He had a problem a couple of years back with kids wantin' to go cow tippin' and leavin' the gate open. First, he put in the guard, then he moved the cows to the side pasture away from the house and the road and put Tornado in here. Problem solved."
Ray shook his head. "Things must get boring around here if kids are still pushing cows over for the fun of it. I tried it once. It isn't as easy as it sounds."
Krantz proceeded at a slow pace.
Ray elbowed Johnson. "Watch. The show starts now." He'd seen bulls in action before and had a sense of what was about to happen.
Tornado dipped his huge head almost to the ground and shifted his weight side-to-side, snorting and pawing the ground.
Krantz crept along, a few feet at a time.
Tornado charged and nailed the Jeep mid-grill. The grill dented inward and water shot from the radiator. Tornado twisted his head from side to side before extracting his horns.
"Holy shit." Ray contained a laugh.
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