by L T Ryan
Savage slid over a worn leather badge carrier. “So, how about it?”
She inserted the silver star into place and then clipped it to her waist. “Is this a clerical position, or do I get a gun?”
“What would a cop be without their duty weapon?”
From a locked drawer on the other end of the desk, Savage retrieved a small black case. Unlatching it, he revealed a Glock 22 .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun with two spare magazines. Savage tossed her a box of hollow point ammunition. Hatch caught it.
Loading up the mags, she gave Savage a playful smile. “Sure you want to do this?”
“No. But things being what they are, it seemed like the best of all options—unless you’d prefer I lock you up for interfering?” This time it was Savage who was smiling.
Hatch stood, guided the magazine into place and tapped the butt, seating it with a click. She racked the slide back, chambering a round. No point in having a gun if it wasn’t in battery. Hatch looked at the holster and then held up her left hand. “Got another holster?”
“A lefty?”
“Wasn’t always.” Hatch cast a glance at the exposed scar tissue creeping up her hand and disappearing into the sleeve of her shirt. Savage didn’t follow with a comment or question and she appreciated his discretion.
Savage went into a storage closet and fumbled through some boxes. He returned with a holster, still in its original packaging, and handed it to her. Hatch clipped it into a spot along her belt line behind the silver star and slid the weapon in place with a click.
“Well, Deputy, what do you have planned next?”
“Thinking of paying a visit to my sister’s employer.”
“Really? You think somebody at Nighthawk Engineering had something to do with this?”
She shrugged. “Not sure, but like you said, at this point, I’m not ready to rule anything out. I’ve already seen what the owner’s son is capable of. The apple may not fall far from the tree.”
“I just thought you’d be interested in helping me serve a search warrant at old mister Russell’s place.”
“Why didn’t you say so in the first place? My plans can hold.”
“Figured you’d say something like that. You didn’t like him getting the drop on you.”
“Can honestly say it hasn’t happened much in my life. And I’d like to even the score. When are we going to execute it?”
“Now.” Savage stood, looking past Hatch at the other deputies milling about the office. “I need some qualified backup before I approach that crazy shotgun-wielding coot again.”
“He’s a sneaky bastard and won’t be too excited to see us again so soon.”
Hatch exited the office and stopped. The jaw-dropped expression on Littleton’s face was equaled only by the scowl on Cramer’s. It became readily apparent Savage hadn’t informed his deputies of his decision to bring her onboard the department’s roster.
Savage stood alongside her. “I’d like you all to welcome Deputy Hatch. She’s been brought in to assist with this investigation. She’s got experience in this type of work and will be granted access to any and all resources at our disposal.”
Cramer’s arms folded tightly across his chest. “This is bullshit. You can’t just give somebody a badge and gun! That’s not how this works!”
Savage’s face reddened. “Title 30, Article 10, Section 506 of the Colorado Revised Statutes says different. If you’ve got a problem, I’d be happy to have you step down so I could offer her a full-time position.”
Cramer got up, storming out of the rear door and slamming it behind him.
“He’s probably running off to tell his uncle.” Littleton walked over to the two.
“Let him. He’d slow us down anyways.”
“Welcome aboard.” Littleton extended his hand.
Hatch shook it. The thin deputy’s grip was limp and damp. “Thanks.”
“It’s about time we had another woman around this place.” Barbara Wright rolled her chair into view.
“I agree.” Becky Sinclair entered from the hallway. “Plus, that means I don’t have to follow you around anymore.”
“Littleton, you and Sinclair ride together. Hatch will come with me.”
“Where’re we going?” Sinclair asked.
“To serve a search warrant at Jed’s place.” Savage slapped the paperwork in his hand as he threw on a ballistic raid vest and moved toward the rear exit of the building. Hatch followed close behind. He called back over his shoulder, “Make sure you guys vest up. Jed doesn’t seem to take kindly to strangers.”
12
“Let me out here.” Hatch was already gripping the door handle of the Suburban.
“What? Why?”
“I’m not going to repeat the same mistake as last time. Plus, I’m pretty sure your police vehicle isn’t going to calm the old man’s nerves. So we need to be ready with a plan B.”
The vehicle slowed. They were still at least a half mile outside of Russell’s property line. “Let’s hear it. What do you have in mind?”
The car was almost at a stop when Hatch pulled the door open. Savage slammed the brakes. Dust kicked up and coated the insides of her nose and mouth as she leapt from the SUV. Littleton and Sinclair, following behind in their vehicle, stopped short with a shocked look of surprise at her hasty departure.
“I’ll let you know when I know.”
“I don’t thi—”
Hatch didn’t wait for Savage to finish his statement, shutting the door and picking up a quick jog into the wood line to the left. She had a plan, just didn’t want to waste time explaining it. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission. She found the trail she’d used the first time she snuck onto the man’s property.
Within a minute she was out of sight. She heard the roar of the engine as it accelerated up the road.
Knowing it was imperative she arrive in time to assist in wrangling the old man into submission, Hatch picked up the pace of her trek. Her arrival time needed to be as close to Savage’s and the others as possible so she could be in a position to provide assistance if Russell’s temper flared. A likely probability based on the last exchange with the man.
The ground was an uneven smattering of rock and brush surrounded by tall pines. There was a low area, a naturally eroded water runoff from the hill. Hatch found it easier to navigate in the dry gully, and to keep her footing as she moved up to the property line. Being lower than the surrounding forest also gave her additional concealment from view, enabling her to run upright instead of moving along in a low crouch.
A steady cool breeze billowed past, drying the sweat on her forehead as it formed. She caught a hint of a dying campfire.
Savage had briefed her on his plan during their ride from the station. To avoid an unwanted confrontation, he decided the best course of action would be to stop at Russell’s entrance gate and communicate using the Chevy’s PA system. In his opinion, safety outweighed the element of surprise. Hatch agreed with his approach but felt it essential to have a backup contingency plan. Time and experience had proven Murphy’s Law to be a fickle beast and thinking outside the box was critical to winning on the tactical field of play.
“Mr. Russell, this is Dalton Savage, Hawk’s Landing Sheriff. We met the other day. I need you to exit the premises empty handed.”
Hearing Savage’s voice reverberate through the thin mountain air, Hatch quickened her pace.
A blast from a shotgun scattered birds in the nearby trees, causing them to take flight in a noisy panic. Hatch paused only momentarily. Not out of fear but out of a need to pinpoint the direction of the blast. It was off to her left, toward Russell’s house. She also paused to listen for any sounds of anguish following the discharge. Unlikely at the distance he would’ve fired from, unless he was using slugs. A more likely scenario was the weapon had been a warning shot, but she wanted to make sure the others weren’t injured. Silence followed the birds’ ascension.
There was no return fire from
the law enforcement side of the house. This was obviously because of Savage’s control. It spoke volumes of his experience and his ability to think under pressure. And there is no greater pressure than that involving gun fire.
Hatch was on the move again. This time as she hurried along the makeshift path, it was Russell’s voice she heard.
“I told you not to set foot on my damned property again. Not without a damned warrant!” The loud metallic thunk rang out as the shotgun’s pump racked another round, punctuating his rant with the unspoken threat of violence.
Hatch was now on his flank. His voice gave away his exact location. She needed to time her next move carefully.
The PA’s feedback echoed as Savage tried to continue the long-range communication. “Mr. Russell, we have a warrant in hand. I need you to lay down your shotgun, and I’ll be happy to show it to you.”
“How do I know this ain’t one of your damned tricks?”
“I’m not here to trick you or harass you. You’re going to have to trust me on this. Only way I can prove it is if I can show you this piece of paper. And the only way I can do that is if you put the gun down.”
Jedediah Russell stood in line of sight with Savage and the other two deputies. He was atop the crest of his grassy hill and was standing next to a rusted-out shell of a pickup truck, a twelve-gauge Mossberg held at his hip line with the barrel pointed downrange. The man’s long gray hair and beard flared out with a gust of wind, giving a wildness to him.
Nothing more was said by either side. A silent debate was being waged and both sides had decisions to make. The wrong one would no doubt be deadly.
“Do what the Sheriff said and put the weapon on the ground.” Hatch whispered the words so as not to further startle the frazzled older man.
“What the he—”
Hatch stood three feet back from the man. She wanted to give herself distance should he spin on her. Pressing the gun up to his head, as seen in movies, only gave the other person a frame of reference, making it possible to counter and disarm an opponent. Being close yet far enough away added an element of the unknown. Unknowns cause hesitation, and that is how control is won.
“Don’t turn. Just listen.” Her voice was calm but assertive. “I’ve got a gun to the back of your head. I don’t want to shoot you, old timer, but all that depends on you. And for what it’s worth, I never miss.”
Russell spat, just as he did the other day. His final protest made before yielding. Without an utterance, he slowly bent and placed the shotgun on the ground.
“Now, take two steps forward away from the sound of my voice.”
The man complied.
Seeing that his resistance had ended, Hatch proceeded to walk the man down to Savage and the awaiting deputies. She maintained her distance and kept her gun trained on the back of his head until they reached them.
Savage took Russell by his wrist and turned him so he now faced Hatch. Keeping the man’s hands behind his back, Savage searched the man for any additional weapons. None found, he released him.
Russell squinted his eyes at Hatch as she lowered her gun and holstered it.
His eyes then widened in recognition. “You’re that girl I caught snooping the other day.”
“I am.”
“But I thought you weren’t with the Sheriff’s office?”
“I wasn’t. Not until an hour ago.”
Russell was obviously baffled. The bewildered look on his face spoke volumes.
“Mr. Russell, here’s the warrant to search your property.” Savage handed the man the copy of the warrant, identifying the legal right to conduct a search of the premises.
“I still don’t understand. I did nothing wrong.”
“I’d be happy to explain it to you. Let’s head inside.”
Littleton cleared his throat, making a squeaking sound. He then whispered, “Sheriff, mind if I sit this one out.”
“I thought you were eager to learn.”
“I am it’s just—” The young deputy shot a glance down, drawing attention to the damp stain on the front of his khaki pants.
“Okay, just wait in the cruiser.”
Littleton’s face blotched red in embarrassment as he turned.
Hatch, Savage, and Sinclair escorted Russell back toward his house.
The old man muttered, “Well, that saying finally makes sense.”
“What’s that?”
“I guess I literally scared the piss outta that boy.”
Hatch fought the urge to laugh.
Savage picked up Russell’s shotgun as they passed it, cradling it across his forearm. He then caught up to Hatch and walked in step with her. The two took up the rear, walking behind the old man. Sinclair walked beside Jed, keeping a loose hand on the man’s elbow.
Savage leaned in. “Would’ve been nice to know your plan before you bailed out of my car and went Lone Ranger on me.”
“Sometimes I go on autopilot. I’m more accustomed to working alone.”
“I can see that.”
“At least it ended peacefully.”
Savage nodded and tapped the butt of the twelve-gauge. “Thanks for taking the fight out of him before things went sideways. I’m glad we had you with us today.”
“For what it’s worth, you did a good job maintaining control while I got into position. Not an easy thing to do when guns are involved.”
Neither comfortable with receiving compliments, the two finished the walk to Russell’s ranch-style home in relative silence.
Hatch stepped up on the front step, hoping answers to her sister’s death lay within.
13
The interior of the house was simple in functionality. The one-level ranch had decor one would expect from a man who lived alone in the mountains of Colorado. Most of the furniture looked hand-made, presumably by Russell or maybe purchased in town. Lemon and orange lingered heavy in the air. What surprised Hatch most was the cleanliness. The place wasn’t just tidy, it was damn near spotless. A total contradiction to the man’s unkempt personal state.
“I’m going to place your gun over here.” Savage pressed the slide release and then pulled the pump grip, sliding it back and forth, releasing the unspent slug from the magazine tube. He racked it two more times for good measure and then visually inspected the ejection port, ensuring the weapon was empty before resting it against the wall nearest the door. “Why don’t you have a seat over there?”
The old man let out a huff as he plopped into the living room recliner. “You showed me the warrant paper, but I still don’t understand what this is all about.”
Savage took up a seat on the couch across from Russell. “I tried to talk to you about it during our last visit, but you weren’t in much of a mood to listen.”
“I guess that’s changed.”
“Did you hear about the woman found dead at Nighthawk Lake?”
“I don’t have a television. And the local paper is written by a bunch of idiots. The only news I get comes from when I head into town. I usually go in for food and supplies once a month. Sometimes I talk to Ruby Musgrave at the diner. But I ain’t been in to town in about three weeks. Guess I’m due. Y’all gonna haul me off to jail anyway.”
“Why would we do that?”
“Because I popped off my gun in the air.”
“The way I see it, you were just trying to protect your property. Can’t do that if you let anybody come up here whenever they please. And it isn’t like anybody was hurt.”
“Except, maybe that young deputy’s pride.” Russell gave a weak smile.
Hatch watched the change in Jedediah Russell’s face. Savage’s diplomacy melted away the old man’s resistance in a matter of seconds.
“What about this dead woman has to do with me?”
“We’re not sure. But her cell phone’s last GPS location showed it was on your property.”
“You tellin’ me somebody was on my property and I didn’t know?”
“I’m saying her phone’s d
ata showed it was here on Friday night.”
“This past Friday?”
“Yes, why?”
“You’re not going to believe me, but I was out.”
“I thought you said you haven’t been to town in a few weeks.” Savage spoke and Sinclair wrote notes into her pad. Hatch stood by, taking it all in.
“I did.”
“Then where were you on Friday night?”
“Fishing. I got this sweet little honey hole. I don’t much like people, as you can plainly see, so I go at night. They bite better at night, too.”
“How long would you say you were out at the lake?”
“I don’t fish the lake. I fish the river. The Animas is much better.”
“Okay. If you had to guess, how long would you say you were at the river?”
“I left just before dark and probably got back sometime after three in the morning. I don’t have the same stamina I once had.”
“Did you notice anything when you got back? A car or truck? Anything that might help us?”
“I’m sorry. Nothing was out of the ordinary until y’all showed up.”
“The GPS gave a five-hundred-meter radius of your property. Any other structures out here on your land?”
“I’ve got a detached garage. And a shed where I do woodworking. Other than that, you’re standing in it.”
“Sinclair, you stay here with Mr. Russell.”
Sinclair nodded her agreement to the task, but her eyes widened, and the fear on her face was palpable.
“I’ll stand by in here,” Hatch said. “You guys can run the search.”
“You sure?” Sinclair offered, but was visibly relieved.
“I think we’ll be just fine.” Hatch replaced Savage on the couch as he stood.
“I’ll let you know if we find anything.”
Savage and Sinclair left out the door they had come in, leaving Hatch with the wild mountain man.
“How long have you been living up here, Mr. Russell?”
“Been about fifteen years, give or take. And please call me Jed.”
“It looks like you and I swapped out.”