by Barb Han
Makena was getting bounced around in the floorboard. At this point, it would be safer for her to climb into the seat and strap in. So that was exactly what he told her to do.
She managed, without being thrown around too much.
The crops had the truck bouncing and slowed his speed considerably. He cut a few sharp turns, left and then right...right and then left. A couple of figure eights.
There was a time in his life when a ride like this might’ve felt exciting. His adrenaline was pumping and he’d be all in for the thrill. Even having a couple of idiots with guns behind him would’ve seemed like a good challenge. A lot had changed in him after he’d become a dad last year.
He took life more seriously and especially his own. Because he knew without a shadow of a doubt those boys needed their father to come home every night. And he would, today, too.
He checked his mirrors and was feeling pretty good about where he stood with regard to the perps. Until he almost slammed into the Jeep that had cut an angle right in front of him.
Slamming the brake and narrowly avoiding a collision, Colton bit out a few choice words.
Gert’s voice came across the radio again. “Sir, I have names. Officer Randol Bic and Officer Jimmy Stitch were known associates of River Myers and fit the descriptions you gave. Bic is a sharpshooter. They’re partners in East Dallas and both of their records are clean.”
A picture was emerging. Was River taking the fall for Bic and Stitch?
Had they threatened him? Were they holding something over his head?
“I’ve heard those names before,” Makena said.
Gert’s voice came across the radio. “Sir, I think the GPS is messing up. It looks like you’re driving back and forth on the highway.”
Colton couldn’t help himself; he laughed. “Well, that’s because I’m presently driving in a cornfield near the highway. GPS probably can’t register that location.”
“I feel like I should have known it would be something like that.” Now Gert laughed. It was good to break up some of the tension. A sense of humor helped with keeping a calm head, which could be the difference between making a mistake or a good decision.
The Jeep circled back, and Colton could hear its engine gunning toward him. He cut left, trying to outrun the perps.
“Gert, how are you doing over there?” Colton needed an update. Actually, what he needed was a miracle. But he’d stopped believing in those after losing Rebecca, and he figured it was best to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground and his head out of the clouds.
“Sir, I have good news for you. Do you hear anything?”
Colton strained to listen. He didn’t hear anything other than the sound of his front bumper hacking through the cornfield. He hated to think what he was doing to this farmer’s crops. But again, he would pay restitution.
“I don’t hear much more than the noise I’m making and the sound of an engine barreling toward me.” He was barely cutting around.
The Jeep was close, he could hear and feel it, if not see it.
“Well, sir, the cavalry is arriving. If you roll your window down, I think you’ll be happy with what you hear. DPS got back to me and a trooper should be on top of you right now.”
Well, maybe Colton had been too quick to write off the likelihood of miracles happening.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” When he really listened and got past the sounds of corn husks slapping against his front bumper, he heard the familiar wails of sirens in the distance.
Makena was practically glued to her seat, with her hands gripping the strap of her seat belt.
“If you like that news, I’ve got more. An ambulance is en route to the motel. Help is on the way, sir.”
“Gert, remind me the next time I see you that you deserve a raise.”
“Sir, I’m going to hold you to that when it’s time for my review.” Again, lightening the tension with teasing kept his mind at ease and his brain able to focus. The minute he thought a situation was the end of the world was the minute it would be true.
Colton circled around a few more times, ensuring that he was on the move and as far away from the Jeep as possible. He figured the perps had probably given up once they’d heard sirens.
Since they were cops with clean records, they would want to keep them that way. When he really thought about it, they’d concocted the perfect scenario. The puzzle pieces clicked together in one moment.
They had some type of hold over River. That was obvious and a given. They believed that Makena could possibly link them to River and so they would get rid of her. All the while implicating River, who was already known to have a temper and a bad relationship with his wife.
When the different parts of their plan made sense like that, he realized the genius of their plot. However, he had seen them. He knew who they were. That was where they’d messed up. Now they’d gone and left a trail.
“Are they gone?” Makena looked around as Colton slowed down.
“I believe so.”
Makena sank back in the chair. “I hear the sirens.”
Colton nodded as he tried to navigate back toward the highway.
“I can patch you through to Officer Staten,” Gert said.
“Ten-four. Great work, Gert.” But before Colton could speak to the highway patrolman through the radio, he saw the cruiser. Colton flashed his headlights and cut off his engine.
Hands up, he exited his truck and told Makena to do the same.
After greeting Officer Staten, Colton said, “It’s a shame I didn’t get a plate. A white Jeep Rubicon in Texas doesn’t exactly stand out.”
“The two of you are safe. That’s the most important thing to me right now,” Officer Staten said.
There was no arguing with that point.
“Do you need assistance getting back to your office?” Staten was tall and darker-skinned, with black hair, brown eyes and a deceptively lean frame. Every state trooper could pull his own weight and more in a fight. These officers traveled long distances with no backup in sight. To say they were tough was a lot like saying Dwayne Johnson had a few muscles.
Colton looked to Makena. “Any chance I can convince you to take a ride back to my office with the officer?”
Makena was already vigorously shaking her head before he could finish his sentence. He figured as much. It was worth a try. He wanted her to be safely tucked away while he circled back and checked on River and Peach.
She seemed to read his mind when she said, “I’m going with you.”
There was so much determination in her voice he knew better than to argue. No use wasting precious time.
Colton turned to Officer Staten and said, “Can I get an assist to the motel where an officer was fired on? I’d like to go back and investigate the scene. And considering I have a witness with me, I think it might be best if I have backup.”
Staten seemed to catch on, because he was already nodding. “I’m happy to help in any way I can.”
Professional courtesy went a long way and Colton had gone to great lengths to build a cooperative relationship with other law enforcement agencies.
Once their destination was agreed upon, Colton retreated to his truck with Makena by his side.
The drive back to the motel surprisingly took half an hour. Colton didn’t realize they’d gotten so far from the motel, but then he was driving back at normal speed limits, whereas he’d flown to get away from there.
There was a BOLO out on the Jeep. If they were as smart as they appeared to be, they would ditch the vehicle. The new problem was that they’d been made and now they had nothing to lose. Dangerous.
They couldn’t possibly realize that Colton had figured out who they were. So Colton had that on his side.
By the time they reached the motel, it looked like a proper crime scene. An a
mbulance was there. The back had been closed up and it looked as though they were about to pull away.
“Hold on a sec,” Colton said to Makena.
He hopped out of his pickup, knowing that Makena would want to know River’s status.
He jogged up to the driver’s side of the ambulance and the driver rolled down the window. Fortunately for him, he still had on his windbreaker that had the word SHERIFF in big bold letters running down his left sleeve, so it was easy to identify that he was in law enforcement.
“How is your patient in the back?” Colton asked. “I was here at the time of the shooting. I had to get a witness out of the building. What is the status of your patient?”
“GSW to the back, exit wounds in his chest. We need to rock and roll, sir. No guarantees on this one. Still breathing, but a lot of blood loss by the time we got here.”
Colton took a step back and waved them on. “Go.”
It wasn’t good news, but River was still alive and Colton had learned that even a tiny bit of hope was better than none. As done as Makena was with the relationship, and he had no doubt in his mind the marriage had been over for a very long time, she was the type of person to be concerned for someone she’d once cared about.
He wished he could give her better news.
Glancing toward the truck, he expected to see her waiting there. A moment of shock jolted him when he saw that she was gone. Then, he knew immediately where she would go. He raced inside to see her standing next to Peach, who was sitting in one of the chairs on the right-hand side.
Makena was offering reassurances to the older woman while rubbing her shoulders. Peach had blood all over her flowery dress.
“I did everything I could to help him, but there was so much blood. He was already pale by the time we got help. His lips were turning blue.” The anguish in the older woman’s voice was palpable.
“Peach, what you did was admirable. If he has any chance at all, it’s because of you,” Colton said.
Peach glanced up at him, those emerald green eyes sparkling with gratitude for his comments.
“I mean it. You very well could’ve saved his life here and I know you saved ours. I would work beside you in law enforcement any day.” He meant every word.
Her chin lifted with his praise.
“I appreciate your saying so, Sheriff. It means a lot.”
Colton crouched down to eye level with her before taking her statement. And then Makena took Peach into a back room where she washed up.
Makena stayed by the elderly woman’s side long after the blood had been rinsed off and Peach had changed clothes.
The highway patrolman stayed outside, guarding the front door in case the perps returned. The front door was cordoned off with crime scene tape.
“My deputy here is going to process the scene. Can one of us give you a ride home?” Colton asked Peach.
“I’ll be all right in a few minutes,” Peach said. Her hands had steadied. “I have my car out back and I don’t want to leave it here overnight.”
“What’s the owner’s name? I’ll give ’em a call and ask for someone to cover your shift.”
Whatever he said seemed to tickle Peach.
“You’re looking at the owner. I owned this place with my husband, God rest his soul.”
“Can I call someone? It’s not a good idea for you to be alone right now.” The shock of what had happened would wear off and her emotions could sneak up on her. Colton didn’t want her to suffer. She’d shown incredible bravery today.
“I have a daughter in town,” she said. “I’ll see if she’ll make up the guest bedroom for me tonight.”
“Any chance you could get her on the phone now?” Colton asked.
“My purse is underneath the counter where Rapture was hiding.” She motioned toward her shotgun that was sitting on top of the counter. It had been opened and the shells looked to have been removed.
As he waited for Peach to call her daughter, Colton took stock of the situation. He now had names. He had motive. All he needed was opportunity to seal Bic and Stitch’s fate.
Chapter Fifteen
Makena heard Colton’s voice as she sat with Peach. He was talking about shock and the need to keep an eye on her. The concern in his voice brought out all kinds of emotions in Makena. She could tell that he genuinely cared about Peach and it was just about the kindest thing Makena thought she’d ever witnessed. But that was just Colton. He was genuine, kind and considerate wrapped in a devastatingly handsome and masculine package. There was nothing self-centered about him. In fact, there was a sad quality in his eyes that made him so real.
“Bernard and I spent our whole lives here at this motel. He never would take a vacation. I used to tease him about what he’d turn into with all work and no play.” A wistful and loving look overtook Peach’s face when she spoke about her husband.
“He sounds like an honest, hard-working man,” Makena said.
“That he was. He was good to me and I was good to him. We had two daughters. One who succumbed to illness as a child, and the other who your boyfriend is on the phone with now. She looks after me. She’s been on me to sell the business for years.” Peach exhaled. “It’s difficult to let go. Here is where I feel Bernard’s presence the most. I always thought I’d start a little restaurant. Even had a name picked out, but I never did find the time. I always would rather be feeding people. The motel was Bernard’s baby.”
The fact that Peach had referred to Colton as Makena’s boyfriend didn’t get past her. She didn’t see this as the time to correct the elderly woman.
She glanced up, and it was then that the flat-screen TV caught her attention. She remembered the date stamp and the time stamp on the screen when River had looked up. He’d looked up at exactly 6:12 a.m., which meant he was at the motel and not anywhere near Katy Gulch and he must have known something was going to happen even if he didn’t know what because he’d given himself an alibi. Birchwood was a solid half hour from town. He’d been inside his room the entire night, based on the camera footage. The only window was in front, next to the door. If he’d tried to climb out, the camera would’ve picked it up.
As far as she knew there were no other exits in the room, which pretty much ensured that he was innocent.
A flood of relief washed over her that he hadn’t been involved in the bombing attempt. Bic and Stitch’s whereabouts had yet to be known, and she had plenty of questions for the pair.
Makena sat with her hands folded in her lap. She refocused on the story Peach was telling her about how her beloved Bernard had singlehandedly patched up a roof after a tornado. Peach was rambling and Makena didn’t mind. The woman’s smooth, steady voice had a calming effect, and she figured Peach needed to keep her mind busy by talking.
Colton stepped back into the room and then handed the phone to Peach, who took it and spoke to her daughter.
While Peach was occupied, Makena motioned for Colton to come closer. He bent down and took a knee beside her. She liked that he immediately reached for her hand. She leaned toward his ear and relayed her discovery.
He rocked his head. “That’s a really good point. If he was here all night, he couldn’t have been the one to set the bomb. We have two names, and their department will want to be involved. I promise you here and now justice will be served.”
Makena hoped he could deliver on that promise before they could get to her. Bic and Stitch had proven they’d go to any length to quiet her.
“I already figured out they were setting River up. It’s a pretty perfect setup and that’s the reason we found the black key chain at the scene.” After everything she’d been through with River, she probably shouldn’t care one way or the other about it. She just wasn’t built that way. She did care. Not just about him but about anyone who’d taken a wrong turn.
“Any chance we can stop by the hospital
when we leave here?” Makena asked.
“I think that can be arranged.”
She really hoped so, because she wanted to see with her own eyes that River was okay.
“Since we know he’s a target, will there be security? How will that work?” she asked.
“I just called in a report that he’s a material witness in an attempted murder case. One of my deputies is with him and we’ll make sure he’s not left unattended in the hospital while he fights for his life.” Colton’s words were reassuring.
“Excuse me, sir.” Trooper Staten stepped inside the room.
“How can I help you?”
“Since you have a deputy here, I’d like to offer backup to one of my buddies who has a trucker pulled over not far from here. If you think you’ll be good without me, I’d like to assist.”
“We’re good. Thank you for everything. Your help is much appreciated.” Colton stood up, crossed the room and shook the state trooper’s hand.
Deputy Fletcher worked to process the scene while Colton and Makena waited for Peach’s daughter to show. She did, about twenty minutes later. The young woman, who looked to be in her late twenties, had a baby on her hip and a distressed look on her face as she approached the motel.
Rather than let her step into the bloody scene before it could be cleaned up, Colton met her at the door. He turned back in time to say, “Makena, do you want to bring Peach outside?”
“Sure. No problem.” She helped Peach to her feet.
The older woman gripped Makena’s arm tightly and it gave her the impression Peach was holding on for dear life. It was good that her daughter was picking her up. She needed someone to take care of her.
Seeing the look on her daughter’s face as soon as they stepped outside sent warmth spreading through Makena. The mother-daughter bond hit her square in the chest, and for the first time, Makena thought she was missing out on something by not having a child of her own.
When Peach was settled in her daughter’s small SUV and the baby had been strapped in the back seat, the older woman looked up with weary eyes.