Deadly Reckoning

by Robin Mahle

  “I’d have to agree with you. The shit we’ve seen would curl your toes, Sergeant Lee.” Nick peered around the corner. “This is his place.”

  “Ten-four.” Lee pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. “Doesn’t look like he’s here. Don’t see a car or anything.”

  “I wouldn’t expect he’d be here. Just hoping for a clue.” Nick stepped out of the car and headed toward the front door. He noticed the broken pane of glass. “Looks like our teammates already took care of getting access for us. That’s too bad. I hear this is your area of expertise, Fisher.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “I asked around. I know more about you all than you realize. Besides, not a lot of BAU agents start off with juvey records for B&E.”

  Fisher laughed. “You did do your homework. What can I say? It was the eighties in the Bronx.”

  Nick stepped inside, followed by Sergeant Lee, and finally, Fisher walked through before closing the door behind him.

  “Okay, boss. What are we looking for?” Fisher asked.

  Nick walked into the kitchen. “Reid and Walsh took the photos, so if Slocum had returned after that, he’d know that we figured out his relationship with Jenny Floyd.”

  “Meaning?” Fisher pressed on.

  “Meaning, he might believe his choices were limited. And that he might start to feel cornered.”

  “Um, excuse me, Agent Scarborough.” Sergeant Lee approached from the living room. “I think I might’ve found something.” He glanced toward the small bathroom adjacent to the living room.

  They followed him back.

  “Don’t know if your people saw this or not. Or maybe Slocum had returned briefly, but it looks like he had some sort of operation here. You said he was pushing drugs.”

  “That’s right,” Nick began. “This looks like where he was making up his own compound.”

  Fisher picked up a prescription bottle from behind the bathroom door. “What’s this?” He held it up and examined it. “It’s an Oxy script in Lynn Floyd’s name. No way Walsh and Reid didn’t see this. And all this shit on the counter. No. It looks staged to me,” Fisher added. “Come on. You know Reid better than any of us. You said she’s got some sort of weird sixth sense about her. I’ve already seen a glimpse of it. And Walsh, yeah, no way they’d have missed this.”

  “What’s the explanation?” Lee asked.

  “Who would’ve come here after the fact? After we started connecting the dots?” Nick asked.

  “Horton? You think Billy Horton might’ve come here, set this up, and then drove to the mine to collect his stockpile?” Fisher asked.

  “To what end?” Nick added.

  “Maybe he knows more about what’s happening than he’s letting on. Looking to frame Slocum for something else too.”

  Nick considered Fisher’s comment. “Maybe we should go back to the station and have a word with Horton. Like you said, he might know more than he’s sharing right now and just sitting back letting us chase our tails.” He turned to Lee. “That work for you?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Walsh peered through the windshield of the patrol car. “You’d think they’d tear this shit down, you know? All these shitty trailers. Just attracting junkies.”

  “I know y’all are from D.C. and so you don’t know how things go around here in Kentucky,” Lazaro began. “This problem, this epidemic of drug abuse, opioids and shit. It ain’t getting any better. And I don’t reckon it will until the jobs come back. It’s the rural areas, these small towns that used to thrive. They’re suffering the most. So when you say just tear the shit down, that don’t change nothing. They’ll just find someplace else to go. We need help here.”

  “No. You’re right. I apologize. I don’t mean to be insensitive. I’m not from here, and as an outsider, I only see the outside of things. Maybe if we saw the people here for what they are, maybe then the people responsible in D.C. will do something to help.”

  “We need to say that in our report when this is all over,” Duncan replied.

  “We’d surely appreciate that, ma’am. Any help we can get.” Lazaro pulled near one of the trailers. “Let’s find someone to talk to. See if anyone around here has seen him today.”

  Kate stood over the grave of Jenny Floyd. “Someone was here recently. These flowers look pretty fresh.”

  “Could’ve been her parents,” Quinn replied. “I don’t see any fresh footprints and these look to be a couple days old, at least.”

  Kate placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the cemetery. “Scarborough and Fisher are at Slocum’s house—again. Walsh and Duncan are heading out to Devil’s Den.”

  “Guess the only place left is the mines.” Officer Shelby approached. “No one’s been back there yet, right?”

  “I was earlier. That’s where I found Horton. Lazaro did say Slocum went there sometimes, but I don’t know. I’d say we can head out that way, but let’s take our time. Look for signs of him along the way,” Quinn replied. “I’m starting to think he’s long gone. And I’m running out of ideas.”

  “We’re looking for a cop. He knows what to do to keep hidden. Or slip away undetected. There’s no chance he’s still in his own car,” Kate said. “Crown Pointe isn’t that big a place. With the hours we’ve spent piecing this together, and the delay in setting up road blocks, we might have missed our window.”

  “We’ll check the mines again after hitting some of the side streets and wherever else Shelby here thinks we should go since he’s familiar with the place,” Quinn said. “But let’s be prepared to issue a statewide BOLO. If we have to widen this search, then that’s what we have to do. I won’t lose him.”

  The two lead BAU agents along with their escort, Sergeant Lee, returned to the station. Daylight was slipping away and the prospect of reaching the night without having found their killer would virtually seal the fate of the investigation. Slocum would be in the wind.

  Inside, Billy Horton had his feet up on a desk and his cuffed hands in his lap. John Floyd was stretched out on a chair, arms folded across his wide belly, and dozing away. Lynn Floyd had already been placed in holding. And the only person who stayed onsite was Chief Tate. A man who, it seemed, was still coming to terms with the fact that one of his own was responsible for the horrific murders in his town.

  “Didn’t expect y’all to be back so soon.” Tate stood from behind Lazaro’s desk. “I see you’ve come back empty handed.”

  “Not entirely.” Fisher placed the homemade compound tools onto the desk.

  “What the hell you got there?” Tate asked.

  “A mortar and pestle, syringes, and a silicone mold. The tools necessary to make your own drug compound.”

  “Where did this come from?”

  “Eric Slocum’s,” Nick replied. “But what we don’t know is whether these were there when Walsh and Reid searched his place. Because my guess is, if all this was just sitting in the bathroom where Lee found it, our people would have seen it.”

  “And if it wasn’t?” the chief continued.

  “Then someone put it there for a reason.” Nick turned to Billy Horton. “And I think you might be that person.”

  25

  The grey Ford Taurus travelled up the dirt road of the abandoned mining operation while the sun set below the hills.

  “I worked here for a time.” The steering wheel shuddered in Jensen’s hands as he tried to steady it. The shocks on his Taurus were already worn and the pitted roadway made the drive all the more difficult.

  Slocum was only partially hidden in the foot well of the back seat. “I remember when everyone worked here. Was a long time ago. Lots changed since then.”

  “Yes, it has.” He continued to traverse the slopes that had grown steeper and more difficult to climb. “I reckon we can stop up here, just ahead. Plenty of cover to keep us out of sight till we can catch a break and make our way out of town. Besides, don’t think this old girl will make it up any farther.”

  �
�Is that how you knew about this place? Cause you used to work here?” Slocum asked.

  “Yes, sir. I know the mines well. Too well.” He stopped the car and pulled the keys from the ignition. “You want to keep hold of these?”

  Slocum reached for the keys and snatched them away. He pushed off the blanket and crawled outside and in a long stretch, he surveyed the area.

  Jensen soon joined him. “How’d you end up in this shit mess anyway?”

  “Like I told you, I tried to help someone. Things got out of hand is all.”

  “Sure. Yeah. I understand. And what about Billy Horton got you worked up enough to want to snuff him out?”

  “Horton’s the devil himself. Brought a lot of the trouble with him. If I’d known sooner…” He trailed off and turned to Jensen. “Why the hell you go out to Devil’s Den anyway? You don’t seem like the rest of them out there.”

  “It’s either there or the streets. Apartment ain’t mine. It’s a friend’s. At least, I think we’re friends. Hard to say nowadays. Stay there once in a while is all. Got no job.” Jensen locked eyes with Slocum. “You don’t look like a cold-blooded killer either, but there you go.”

  Slocum’s eyes turned dark. “Best you don’t forget that either.”

  Shelby drove through the residential streets of the town as they continued to search for any signs of Slocum. And when an apartment building appeared in the distance, Kate sat up and took notice.

  “Hang on. What kind of truck does Slocum drive again? Shelby, slow down.”

  Quinn flipped through the file on his lap. “2001 red F-150, extended cab.”

  “Pull in there. I think I see it.”

  Shelby drove into the parking lot and pulled up next to the truck. “You think he’s here?” The kid, who was still pretty green, appeared nervous.

  “Only one way to find out.” Kate unlocked her door.

  “Wait,” Quinn said. “If he’s inside one of these units, he’s bound to be watching. And he’s most likely armed. We get out low and slow with sidearms ready.”

  They emerged from the patrol car using its doors for cover. Kate crouched down and started toward the rear of the truck just a few feet away.

  “Shelby, I want you to stick with me.” Quinn started for the building, using other cars and shrubbery to shield them from the view of the apartment windows facing the parking lot.

  “How are we going to know which apartment he’s in?” Shelby asked.

  “If he’s in one of these, he knows we’re here and as soon as he spots Reid at his truck, he’ll either try for the door and make a run for it, or he’ll just start shooting.”

  “I don’t like either one of those scenarios, Agent Quinn.”

  “Neither do I. Just stay close.”

  Kate jumped into the back of the truck, still low and staying out of view of the building. She crawled to the back window and looked inside. Light was scarce and it was tough to see, but in the back seat, something jutted out from under it. “Oh my God.” A quick glance to her right and she saw Quinn and Shelby making their way to the first floor corridor. She was on her own. They were too far to call back without someone hearing.

  Kate would have to take a chance and bust in through the window. What was in that back seat, she was certain, was the murder weapon. If Slocum was here, he’d make his presence known the instant the glass shattered. The others were in a safe spot at the moment. The risk to their safety would be minimal. However, she stood the most to lose if he charged out after her. “He’s not here. He wouldn’t still be here.” Kate convinced herself, and with the butt of her gun, smashed the sliding glass panel of the rear window.

  “What the hell?” Quinn spun his head in Kate’s direction. “Shit.” His eyes scanned every door and window, waiting for someone to come out. Curtains pulled back in one of the windows and he aimed his weapon. “It’s not him.”

  Shelby nearly froze, but managed to keep close to Quinn. “What are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to get over there and protect her. Now!”

  Keeping as much cover as possible, they rushed back to her.

  “Reid! What the fuck?” Quinn reached the tailgate.

  “It’s the bat. I see the bat!” She eyed him. “He’s not here. We’d know it by now. Quinn, we need to get that bat. Help me get inside.”

  “Shelby, I need you to cover us. Can you do that?”

  “Um, yes. Yes, I can. Go.” He seemed to find his courage and started toward the front of the truck, gun raised, with his eyes on the building.

  Quinn jumped inside and helped Kate clear the glass. “You got some damn nerve doing this, Reid.”

  “I had to. I saw it and you were too far away. Quinn, he’s not here. He’s gone. But the murder weapon isn’t. This is what we needed and now we’ve got it. Slocum’s our killer. No two ways about it.”

  “Now we just need to find the son of a bitch.”

  Slocum got the feeling that Jensen would try anything to escape. He was smarter than he’d given him credit for. “Might as well find a spot for shelter. We’re gonna be here a while.” Slocum made his way toward several boulders that were placed in such a manner as to almost form a cave beneath it. “Looks like as good a spot as any.” He sat down and pointed the gun at Jensen. “Sit. You’re making me nervous looking over me like that. You don’t want me to be nervous.”

  “No, sir,” Jensen moaned and his knees cracked as he sat down next to him.

  Slocum wondered if he could survive the night here. These Feds weren’t stupid. Neither was the state police, for that matter. Who the hell would think to come here? “Billy Horton.”

  “What’s that?” Jensen asked.

  “Nothing.” Slocum turned quiet again, but his head was spinning. Horton wanted payback for the loss of customers. He knew that Slocum and Lynn Floyd were working together. The kid had more moles in town than a golf course. Someone said something to him. This was exactly the reason he needed to take care of Horton himself. He was the primary dealer. The man who worked with the cartels out of Lexington. Only these weren’t the typical, movie-type cartels. No. These were local folks who worked with the doctors on prescriptions, then when that got too hot, they started buying from the syndicates in Louisville. There were plenty of Central and South American drug cartels in this country. But here in Kentucky, these were local boys doing a local service.

  “We didn’t want to waste any more time running this back to the station.” Kate spoke on her phone while Shelby continued driving toward the mine. “But this is the murder weapon. And it came from Slocum’s truck. I’ll text you the address and you can have the chief arrange for it to be towed back as evidence.”

  “And you’re confident he’s at the mines?” Nick asked.

  “Not at all. But we can’t overlook it. We’ve checked everywhere and now we know for certain he’s not in his own vehicle. He could have help from someone at the apartment, or…”

  “He could’ve taken someone hostage,” Nick said.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. Go check it out. We’re working on getting information out of this Horton kid. He knows more than he’s letting on. Keep me posted. Walsh and Duncan are with Lazaro and I need to call them for an update. Kate, I’m not feeling good about this.”

  “Neither am I, but what choice do we have?”

  “Be careful.”

  Kate ended the call. “Scarborough says they found evidence Slocum was forming his own compound. Found the materials at his house. They’re back at the station questioning Horton. But I don’t know what good that will do.”

  “He’s the boss. He must have something planned,” Quinn said. “Looks like these guys up ahead are all set.”

  The road block ahead was marked by two patrol cars angled across the lanes, effectively blocking any vehicle that tried to pass it.

  “We should stop and have a word with them,” Kate said. “They might’ve seen something.”

  “That’s what the BOLO is fo
r, Agent Reid.” Shelby drove nearer to the cars. “Surely they would’ve called something in.”

  “Yes, but what I mean to say is I want to know if anyone has been through here. We know Slocum’s got a new ride. And he has friends here. Maybe one of them is looking to get him out of town.”

  Two officers stepped out of their cars and all met in the middle of the roadway.

  “Evening,” Quinn began. “Have you guys seen any activity around here?”

  “Afraid not, Agent Quinn,” one of the officers replied. “And with the sun on its way down, I’m starting to feel like the deputy is long gone.”

  “We’re heading up to the mines again,” Kate said. “We found his truck, but not him. So, we’re going to run through here. It’s possible, because of his affiliation with Horton, he might’ve decided to come looking for him here.”

  “That’s a big place with plenty of spots to hide. But at this point, I don’t see as you have much to lose.”

  “Neither do we.”

  “We’ll move out so you can pass.”

  The officers hopped back inside their patrol cars and pulled back.

  The others returned to the car and stepped inside. Shelby turned the engine. “Everyone seems to be losing hope of finding him.”

  “I haven’t given up just yet. Sometimes, you just get a feeling, you know?”

  Slocum took a leak in front of a tree that had grown in the previously mined area. That was when he spotted a minor puff of dirt rise in the air. “Hey.” He quickly zipped his pants and returned to the makeshift cave. “Hey, I think someone’s here.”

  “What?” Jensen stood and peeked over the boulders. “You sure, ‘cause I don’t see nothing.”

  “Over there.” Slocum pointed. “See that cloud of dust. That could be a car. Shit.” He scanned the area for another place to hide. “We have to get out of here before they find us.”