Bloody Ties (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 8)

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  I held up my cell phone one more time. Still no service. I tossed it aside. “The last time I checked radar, a severe storm was parallel to our position. It might stay to the west, but I’m not holding my breath.” I frowned back at him. He looked like an excited adventurer. “I don’t like not having cell phone service,” I said.

  “No worries.” Toby reached over my lap to open the glove box. “There’s my satellite phone, if we need it.” I eyed him after seeing a second revolver with another round of ammo resting in there. He grinned back, lifting the side of his jacket to reveal a holstered 9 MM. Then he pulled up his pant leg to show off a 38 special.”

  “Damn. You’re more paranoid than I am.”

  Toby’s eyes darted back and forth, watching for an ambush. “I’d like to call it being prepared.”

  He slowed the truck as it dipped into a place where the barely there road broke apart even more. The hole was full of rainwater from the night before and it splashed up the sides of the truck as we jostled through the gigantic puddle.

  A boom of thunder sounded. I wish I’d at least texted Daniel before we’d left. In truth, I’d been avoiding talking to Daniel. He’d be upset I sent Ryan and Jerome out to his sister’s farm to get the statement from Sarah. I’d rather have gone myself, but after Toby arrived with news about Rivas, I didn’t have time for anything else.

  “Do you really think these guys are going to come out shooting?”

  “If the rumors are true, the gals will be armed too.” The woods closed in on the truck until I could barely see the gray clouds overhead. The swaying branches provided a canopy. Even though we still had a couple of hours before the sun went down, the air around us instantly darkened.

  “This is a damn good place for criminal activity…or an ambush,” Toby said.

  I was thinking the same thing.

  A NO TRESSPASSING sign came into view. Toby glanced over and I shrugged, so he kept motoring on. Fifty yards later, another one popped up on a tree, and a little way further, the next one.

  “The Ogdens are serious about their privacy,” Toby quietly commented, almost to himself.

  “I told you they don’t like visitors.”

  “How much farther do you think the house is?”

  “I have no idea. Since I took office, we haven’t had any cause to come up here. My predecessor, Sheriff Tony Manning, had some kind of agreement with the Ogden family, at least that’s what Bobby thinks. In all those years Manning was Sheriff, there wasn’t any kind of raid on Ogden land, even though everyone knew illegal activities were going on up here.”

  “Happens all the time. Local authorities get a cut of the profits in exchange for keeping things hushed. Gives the rest of us a bad name.”

  I was about to respond when a gunshot blast sounded. Impact was in the puddle directly ahead of us. Toby hit the brakes and the seat belt tightened uncomfortably across my chest.

  “Dammit, you were right,” Toby said calmly. “The shot was fired from the left. I say we climb out your door and use the truck for cover.”

  “We can return fire?” A surge of blood went directly to my head. “I’m not Bill Hickock and as much as I’m sure you’d like it to be, this isn’t the Wild West.” I pulled my badge out and flung open the passenger door.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Toby said lightly. He’d lowered his window with his gun was drawn.

  As much as I wanted to pull mine out, I left it in the holster. Holding my badge up, I exited the vehicle, raised my hand high above my head and shouted, “It’s Sheriff Adams. I want to talk to Ethan Ogden—just a friendly conversation—nothing more.”

  By the slight sound of movement from behind, I knew Toby had followed me out of the vehicle. He’d positioned himself just where he wanted to be—in a safer place to return fire. The only gamble he was taking was that we weren’t surrounded. In that case, he was a sitting duck.

  My heart was beating up into my throat, but I remained still as a statue. I was the sheriff, and these overgrown woods were part of my jurisdiction. If I had to fear driving up to a house in my own backyard, I had no business policing Blood Rock. I raised my voice even louder. “It’s a capital offense to murder an officer in cold blood in Indiana. You’ll get the death penalty just because you wouldn’t simply talk with me.”

  All of a sudden, all hell broke loose. A dog began barking and I saw movement in the bushes on the left hillside, right where Toby pointed the shot coming from.

  Toby lifted his gun and was ready to fire when a voice shouted, “Don’t kill my dog! Please don’t shoot her!”

  I glanced over my shoulder and made a hand gesture for Toby to wait. His finger remained on the trigger.

  The black and white dog that streaked out of the trees came at me full tilt. It was a large pit bull type. She moved so fast that the corners of her mouth folded back, exposing long, sharp teeth. The only things that kept me from going for my own gun was that I had faith that Toby had me covered, and the panicked, high-pitched shriek of the man’s voice was genuine.

  “Don’t shoot, please don’t shoot!” he kept shouting as he bounded out from behind a tree, waving his hands. He must have dropped the shotgun, or someone else was still out there.

  I had only a few seconds to look at the dog’s owner. The youth was tall, lanky, and had a few stray orange-red hairs sprouting from his chin. His jeans were too big for him and his t-shirt was so worn it looked like it was twenty-years old.

  “Hold,” I told Toby.

  He didn’t answer. It was a gamble, just like everything else, but my gut told me not to worry about being eaten by this particular dog.

  When the dog reached me, I remained steady, with my hands at my sides. Her tail whipped back and forth at a million miles an hour. Then she dropped in the dirt in front of me and rolled on her back. Now her slender tail thumped the ground madly.

  Impulsively, I knelt beside the dog and began rubbing her belly. Toby was up and standing in a heartbeat, his gun aimed directly at the gangly young man’s chest.

  The kid didn’t seem to even notice Toby’s gun. He dropped beside me and lifted his dog’s floppy head into his lap. “Good lawd, Daisy. You ‘bout got yourself killed.”

  “What’s your name?” I asked. Now that he was up close, I decided he was definitely a teenager.

  “Darryl Ogden, ma’am.”

  I rocked back on my heels. What were the chances? “Why did you shoot at us?”

  “It’s my turn to watch the road. Uncle Ogden said to give a warning shot if anyone I didn’t know came up it.”

  By his clear, unwavering gaze, I believed he spoke the truth. “Does that mean someone’s on the way?”

  Darryl grinned back at me sheepishly. “Reckon so. At least that’s what’s supposed to happen.”

  I slowly got to my feet, and pulled my gun out, standing back to back with Toby. Before I took a full breath, the roaring sound of ATV engines filled the air. I counted two, four, seven of them coming down the gravel road, directly for us. Ethan Ogden was in the lead. Behind him were three more burly men with beards, a younger, clean shaven man, and two wild-haired women. One of them had the same bright red hair that Darryl had and I wondered if she was his mother.

  Since the threat appeared to be coming from one direction, Toby stepped to my side. Neither one of us lowered our guns.

  Ethan was the first to shut off his engine, stopping within ten yards of us. The rest of his family followed suit until the forest was once again quiet, except for another low rumble of thunder and the wind knocking branches together. Daisy also whined at my feet, probably wanting more attention.

  The five men and the two women were armed. Either their weapons were strapped across their backs or secured into custom built holsters strapped to the ATVs. It made me think of the movie, The Road Warrior.

  “Well, Sheriff Adams. Wh
at a grand surprise. After our little talk the other day, I didn’t dream you’d be foolish enough to show your pretty face in my hills,” Ethan said.

  “Just came to continue our conversation.” I didn’t move my head an inch. “This is US Marshal Toby Bryant. He has some questions for you.”

  It was too late when I realized I shouldn’t have said that.

  In a blink of an eye, all seven of them had their weapons drawn and aimed right at us. Darryl grabbed his dog’s collar and slunk away to the side without being told to. The kid was smarter than he looked.

  Yeah, ten minutes earlier Toby and I were joking about being in the Wild West, but instead, we ended up in a Mel Gibson movie. I wasn’t that surprised. It had been that kind of week.

  19

  Daniel

  Bracing my hands on the windowsill, I stared out at the stormy looking sky. My stomach was tied in knots. My annoyance when I’d arrived at the sheriff’s department quickly turned to worry when Bobby informed me what was going on.

  Pushing away from the window, I picked up my cell phone. Still no return text messages or calls from Serenity.

  “Why does Serenity go rushing into danger all the time?” I asked Bobby.

  The grey-haired man sat in the chair, holding a cup of coffee on his knee. He glanced over. “It’s just her style. Unfortunately, it appears to be Marshal Bryant’s too, which could be a problem.”

  “Didn’t she say anything about why they were going to the Ogden property?”

  Bobby’s eyes lifted to the ceiling and he snorted softly. I’d already asked him the same question two times. I didn’t expect him to suddenly have the answers I was looking for. It felt better to pester the old man than to stand there doing absolutely nothing.

  “As I’ve already told you multiple times, she peeked her head into my office to say she and Marshal Bryant were heading out to the Ogden place to ask Ethan a few questions. Then she was gone.” He took a sip from his cup and then he finally returned his attention to me. “I thought it was sudden, but I wasn’t alarmed. If the Marshal gave Serenity a lead, she was bound to take it. Dead men are turning up like Easter eggs around here. There is definitely a need for speed.”

  “Why wouldn’t they at least take a few other officers along with them—or maybe even an army?” I said, dragging my hand through my hair with a tug.

  “I guess they thought they’d get further with their questioning if they didn’t bring along the entire police force.” Bobby shook his head, leveling a hard look at me. “Serenity is blessed with good instincts. The Marshal is a consummate professional. I know it’s difficult, but you have to trust them.”

  “Serenity can be reckless at times. She almost died saving those girls last month.”

  “Yes, that’s true. And she might die trying to solve these murders. It’s her job, Daniel. Serenity wouldn’t be who she is if she didn’t give one hundred percent all the time. She’s like a cat—she always lands on her feet. Have a little faith and try not to worry so much.”

  “She’s my wife, dammit. I have a right to worry.”

  “You knew what you were getting into when you put that ring on her finger.” A clap of thunder sounded and then lightning lit up the sky beyond the window. Bobby jumped a little. “I concede, there’s been a lot more turmoil in Blood Rock in recent years. Hopefully, it’s a pattern that will change soon.”

  “This weather isn’t helping matters any. The road up to the Ogden’s place might be washed out with the rain. Even if they manage to survive an encounter with the Ogden clan, they might not make it down from the hills safely.”

  Bobby raised his chin and cocked his head. “You seem well-acquainted with the Ogdens. How is that?”

  I paced across the small office and stopped by the file cabinet, resting my hand on it. “Right after I came out of the Amish settlement, I lived with a young English woman for a little while. She was a wild thing, and eventually, she left me for better excitement. Before she ran off, she’d introduced me to drugs and the Ogdens.” I licked my lips and sighed. “I was a mess back then. Not only had the girl I thought I was in love with ditched me, I’d been shunned by my family and friends. I couldn’t go back, but I didn’t have a life on the outside yet. For a short time while I was adjusting, Ethan Ogden provided me with friendship and a lot of weed.”

  “What did you give him in return?” Bobby asked.

  “Being strong and big, I provided extra security for his growing business. Back then, he dealt in gun sales and about any kind of drug he could grow on his land, including opium.”

  Bobby leaned forward. His gaze was extra sharp. “So, the Ogdens did grow opium up on that hill.”

  It was a statement, not a question. “Yeah, they had about two acres of it planted at one time. Something happened though—I have no idea what—and they plowed the field under one summer.”

  Bobby twirled the end of his mustache. He didn’t say anything for a minute or two. When his eyes cleared, he asked, “You were involved in his business?”

  “Not really. I went on a few runs with his younger brothers. Basically, I just stood around while they did the hard work.” I shook my head, trying to rid it of the unwanted memories. “I might have left the Amish, but my core values were still the same. I felt disgusted with myself for becoming involved with the likes of the Ogdens. Ethan became distracted with other things and over time, I was able to extract myself from his company. I stopped using drugs and cleaned up my act. I have to admit though, that Ethan helped me start up my building business by hiring me on to build a couple of sheds for him one summer.”

  “He didn’t hold a grudge that you weren’t interested in his illegal dealings?”

  “Amazingly no. He originally took me on because he felt sorry for me. He seemed to understand how difficult it was for me to leave the Amish. Maybe he admired me for going English. I’m not really sure. He once told me to keep your kin close—that when things went to hell, they were the only ones who’d have your back.”

  “Ethan thought he could threaten Serenity with your past, but from what you just said, it’s not all that sordid.”

  “If you call doing a lot of drugs and working with a known opium grower and dealer not sordid, you must have quite the wild past yourself,” I said with a stressed-out chuckle.

  Bobby’s face remained serious. “Oh, my life is about as boring as they come. I enjoy studying other people’s misbehavior. I’m beginning to think Ogden might not be as dangerous as we suspected.”

  “Ethan Ogden is incredibly vicious. But he has his own set of morals and lives by an honor code. Family and friends come first—always. He’d do anything to protect those closest to him. That makes him a very dangerous man.

  Todd burst into the room. “We have two more bodies out on route 8. They were discovered in a field behind the gas station.”

  Bobby rose slowly to his feet. “This is becoming a real problem.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Todd said. “I just tried calling Serenity, and it’s going directly to voice mail. Has anyone heard from her or the Marshal?”

  Bobby and I both shook our heads and Todd’s face dropped.

  “I’d like to come. It will be better than me waiting around in Serenity’s office for her to return.” I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair.

  Todd looked sympathetic. “Yeah, sure. I’m glad for the distraction too.”

  Ryan and Jerome were already at the scene when we arrived. A tent was set up where the bodies lay, and two ambulances were parked in the field next to the tent.

  “Why aren’t the feds interested in all the bodies piling up in Blood Rock?” I directed my question to Bobby, but Todd answered me.

  “After today, they will be.” He grabbed an umbrella from the backseat and handed it to Bobby. “There’s been too much crime in Indianapolis lately. Most departments, even the fed
eral agencies are stretched thin.”

  I dodged the pelting rain, jogging right behind Todd until we reached the cover of the tent. Bobby made slower progress in our direction, but at least he had an umbrella. My gaze immediately dropped to the dead men. Just like Regio, they were shot in the back of the head.

  When Bobby entered the tent, he carefully set the umbrella aside and pulled out his notebook. “Todd, I forgot the camera in your vehicle. Would you grab it for me?”

  Todd rolled his eyes, but he immediately grabbed the umbrella and left the tent. Jerome remained standing in the corner, while Ryan approached Bobby. “A store clerk came out with the garbage and saw a stray dog sniffing around in the grass, so she came over to investigate, finding the bodies.” He glanced at his watch. “That was approximately twenty-five minutes ago. Neither of the men have identification on them. There aren’t any unclaimed vehicles in the vicinity. No one heard any gunshots.”

  “Again, we had a deluge wash away our evidence,” Bobby grumbled as he got to work.

  I watched the old man waddle right up to the closest body and stare at it. I’m sure there were certain specific things he looked for. Me, I could barely keep my eyes on the men. There was something so unnatural about having a conversation over the bodies of dead people.

  “We got the tent up as quickly as possible.” Ryan glanced at me and smirked.

  I took a breath and avoided eye contact. I didn’t like the guy one bit. At some point, Serenity and I’d have to discuss her old partner’s attitude.

  “Where’s Serenity?” Ryan asked. His expression changed from amusement to concern.

  Bobby answered him without looking back. “She went with US Marshal Bryant into the woods to speak to Ethan Odgen. No one has heard from either them since they left.”

  “What—is she crazy?” He returned his flushed face to me. “Have you called her?”

  “There’s no cell phone reception up there. It’s way off the grid,” I replied.