But Jack immediately waved that off. If Zeller had heard about the computer tracker being linked back to them, then he could have easily heard about the warrant. In fact, he would have taken that as some possible light at the end of a very dark tunnel if they could use that warrant to find anything to incriminate Lily.
Since Zeller had brought it up, Jack took out his phone and texted Teagan to get an update on the warrant. His partner answered right away.
Lily’s lawyers are trying to block the warrant, Teagan messaged. They’re claiming some of the files have medical info protected under the law. It might take a while to get it all sorted out.
Hell. They didn’t have a while. A delay like this could give Lily a chance to destroy any evidence that might be in those files. Jack consoled himself, though, with the thought that a smart person would have already made sure there was nothing incriminating to find.
“Just let the investigation of your computer play out,” Jack told Zeller. “If someone planted the tracer to frame you, that will come to light.”
He hoped. While Jack still considered Zeller a suspect, he wanted to get to the truth of what was going on.
Zeller’s gaze slashed between Caroline and Jack for several moments before the man cursed and walked away. He didn’t storm out this time, and there was a weariness to his posture as he exited the building. Of course, Jack was cynical enough to think that anything Zeller did right now could be fake. Part of the facade to make them believe he was innocent.
Caroline stepped to Jack’s side and watched until Zeller was out of sight. “Do you think his computer skills are good enough to pull off planting a tracker on multiple websites?”
Jack had to shake his head. “I’m not sure.”
But it was something he could find out. If he could have gone into his office, he would have been able to talk to his fellow marshals, but no way was he going to leave Caroline. Or take her into what she’d consider a lion’s den, since she didn’t have a whole lot of trust for lawmen. That meant he’d just have to rely on getting that info from Teagan.
On a heavy sigh, Caroline moved back to the table where she’d been working, but she stopped when Jack’s phone rang again. Scotty’s name was on the screen. Jack hadn’t expected the hacker to actually return Caroline’s call, but he was glad Scotty had. He handed his phone to Caroline again so she could answer.
“Scotty,” she said after she put the call on speaker, but that was all she managed to get out before the man interrupted her.
“I’m in trouble, Caroline.” Scotty’s words were rushed together, and he sounded scared out of his mind. “You’ve got to help me. God, Caroline, I think someone’s trying to kill me.”
Chapter Twelve
Caroline felt the punch of dread go through her. No. Not another attack.
“Where are you?” she managed to ask Scotty. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone broke into my house,” he blurted out. “I ran out back, but I don’t like the timing because the break-in came shortly after you left me that message. Did you set someone on me?”
“No. Of course not.” And Caroline hated that he felt she would have done something like that. “Where are you?” she repeated. “Who broke into your house?”
“I don’t know who it was. Some guy dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask. I was in my home office when I saw the person on my security cam. Then I spotted the gun he was carrying, and I got out, jumped in my car and drove off. But I think the person is following me.”
Definitely not good, and it caused Caroline’s heart to pound even harder. Mercy, was it possible that someone had indeed used her to get to Scotty? She’d checked for trackers on the websites she’d used, but it was possible one of her contacts had said the wrong thing to the wrong person.
“Scotty?” Jack said. “I’m Marshal Jack Slater. I need you to tell me where you are so I can call someone to help you.” He paused, maybe to give Scotty time to react to that, but the only thing Caroline could hear was Scotty mumbling. Or maybe he was praying.
“No cops,” Scotty insisted. That came through loud and clear.
Caroline wasn’t surprised by that. A lot of hackers, even those who were clean, didn’t like the law. Plus, she had her own distrust of cops right now. Not just because of Eric’s conversation but also because of Zeller possibly being linked to the attack.
Maybe even linked to this.
Sweet heaven. Was it possible that Zeller had used Scotty to plant that tracker on those sites and had now sent someone to eliminate him? Zeller couldn’t be doing it himself because there wouldn’t have been nearly enough time for him to get to Scotty in San Antonio.
“It’s all over the news that someone tried to kill you, that it happened in Longview Ridge,” Scotty went on. “Is that where you are now?”
Caroline certainly didn’t jump to answer that. Neither did Jack. And there was a reason for that. It was possible that Scotty wasn’t alone, that their would-be killer was in the vehicle with him. Then again, Zeller, Kingston and Lily all knew where she was, so it didn’t make the risk any greater to reveal her location to Scotty.
“I’m at the sheriff’s office here in Longview Ridge,” she finally told him.
“Good, because I’m on my way there now.”
Jack didn’t curse, but that was what he looked like he wanted to do. “Describe the person and the vehicle that’s following you so I can get someone out to help you.”
Silence from Scotty, for a long time. “No. Don’t send anyone. I don’t want to be gunned down or anything. But tell me what’s going on. Why is this happening? And I want to hear the answers from Caroline, not you.”
Caroline tried to tamp down the whirlwind of thoughts in her head so she could figure out the right thing to say to him. She also tried to steady her breath and her pulse. This wasn’t the time for a panic attack.
“I think someone hacked into either WITSEC files or a Justice Department computer,” she explained. “Did you do that?”
More silence, and like Jack, Scotty cursed this time, too. “You know I’m not going to admit to that. I could go to jail.” But then Scotty paused. “Is that why someone’s after me?”
It wasn’t exactly a confession, but it was close enough. “Who hired you to do that?” Caroline pressed.
But that only caused Scotty to curse even more. “I need your help, not your questions. You need to get out here now and meet me.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Jack spoke up. “Where are you?”
Caroline could tell from Jack’s rough tone that he wanted that location so he could call in some of his fellow lawmen, but Scotty didn’t answer. Not his question, anyway.
“No!” Scotty yelled.
And Caroline heard something else. The squeal of brakes. The sound of a collision. She also heard Scotty groan, and there was no mistaking that he was in pain.
“Scotty?” Caroline practically shouted.
She repeated his name over and over again, begging him to respond, but she only got more of those moans. The seconds dragged by. Seconds where Scotty could be dying.
“How bad are you hurt?” she pressed. “Tell me where you are, and I can get you some help.”
Still, no answer, and she couldn’t even hear the moans now. Caroline was about to ask Gunnar to try to trace the call, but he spoke before she could say anything.
“We just got a 911 call about a car accident on the east road, just outside town limits,” Gunnar said. “A car hit a light pole.”
All of her muscles tightened and twisted. Including the ones in her chest. Caroline had to fight just to drag in a breath. Oh, God. Something bad had happened.
“I’m dispatching an ambulance,” Gunnar added, “and I’m on the way there.”
Gunnar was already heading for the door when Jack went after him. “It’s possible ther
e was an armed suspect in pursuit of the driver. It could be dangerous.”
Too dangerous to get an ambulance in there, but the cops would clearly have to respond.
“Help me,” Scotty finally groaned out. “I’m dying. Help me.”
Caroline figured Jack would give her grief over what she was about to demand, but she was going to do it anyway.
“If Scotty’s really dying,” she whispered, “I need to try to talk to him. He won’t talk to you,” she added when Jack opened his mouth. “But he might tell me what he did and who hired him to do it.”
Oh, Jack definitely didn’t like that, but he couldn’t argue her point. This might be their best chance at finding out who had tried to kill them. Of course, there was also a good chance they could be put in another dangerous situation.
“I need you to go with us,” Jack told Kellan when he came into the bullpen. “I’ll explain along the way.”
Kellan didn’t hesitate. He hurried toward the door, and the four of them raced out to get into the cruiser. The rain had slowed to just a drizzle, but Jack figured it was only a lull. The storm air felt heavy and the clouds looked ready to burst.
Gunnar took the wheel with Kellan in the front seat, and Jack and she got in the back. While Jack filled Kellan in, Caroline kept her attention on Scotty.
“Are you still there?” she asked Scotty. She kept a tight grip on the phone. “How badly are you hurt?”
“Bad,” Scotty managed to say through another of those hoarse groans.
“The ambulance will be right behind us,” Kellan let her know, and she relayed that info to Scotty. Whether he understood that or not was anyone’s guess.
“Scotty, I need you to tell me who hired you to get into the files,” Caroline insisted. “It’s important.”
Nothing. Not even a groan. And the call disconnected, causing Caroline’s concern to skyrocket. Because someone could be there with Scotty. Someone who wanted to finish what they’d started.
“Who called in the 911?” she asked Gunnar. She tried Scotty’s number again, but he didn’t answer. Caroline kept trying and silently cursed her now trembling hands.
“Hank Perez,” Gunnar answered. “He said he heard a noise, looked at his window and saw that a little red car had slammed into a utility pole. His house is on the hill just above the road, and there are some trees obstructing the view, but he said he could see the front end of the car bashed in and steam pouring from it.”
So Hank hadn’t actually witnessed the wreck. “Was there another vehicle, someone following the red car?” Caroline pressed.
“Hank didn’t say, but he doesn’t have the best eyesight. He’s in his mideighties.”
Yes, Caroline remembered. During the months before Eric had taken her hostage, she’d seen Hank in town a couple of times. “He uses one of those scooters to get around?”
Gunnar verified that with a nod. Part of her was relieved by that because maybe it meant Hank wouldn’t go from his house to the car. She didn’t want him getting shot by the person who’d been after Scotty. Of course, that person would be a fool to hang around since he or she would have figured someone would call the cops.
It didn’t take them long to get down Main Street and onto the rural road that would lead them to Scotty. Hopefully, before it was too late.
Caroline continued pressing in Scotty’s number while she kept watch, and despite the drizzle, she still had no trouble seeing the blue SUV that was coming up the road toward them. Maybe the vehicle that had been chasing Scotty. Gunnar must have thought so, too, because he slowed down a little, and both Jack and Kellan drew their weapons.
When the cruiser passed the SUV, Caroline got a glimpse of the driver inside, and her stomach went to her knees.
“That’s Grace Wainwright,” Caroline told them at the same moment that Jack’s phone rang and Grace’s name appeared on the screen.
“Should I go after her?” Gunnar asked.
“No,” Jack said, “but call for someone else to do that. I want to question her and find out why she was out here.” He answered the call as soon as he’d finished those instructions to Gunnar.
“I didn’t do anything to hurt Scotty,” Grace volunteered the moment she was on the line. “I was trying to help him, but someone ran him off the road.”
“Who?” Jack snapped.
“I don’t know.” Grace made a sobbing sound. “Is Scotty dead?”
“You tell me,” Jack countered.
That only caused the woman to cry even louder. “I didn’t see the person who did this to him. But I did see Scotty’s car. I drove past because I thought someone was in there with him. Someone trying to kill him. I drove away and called 911.”
“There was a second call,” Kellan verified in a whisper. He was on the phone with someone, probably dispatch.
“I couldn’t help Scotty,” Grace went on. “I’m so sorry, but I couldn’t help him.”
The woman sounded genuine, but Caroline had a ton of questions for her. She was certain Jack did, too, but she didn’t get any more info from her because Grace ended the call. Maybe the deputy that Gunnar sent out would be able to intercept her and take her to the sheriff’s office. Caroline put that thought on hold, though, when she looked ahead and spotted the red car.
Her breath vanished.
Because the car was practically wrapped around the utility pole. She couldn’t imagine Scotty or anyone else surviving that kind of collision.
Gunnar pulled the cruiser to a stop, and he threw open his door. Kellan and Jack did the same.
“Stay here,” Jack told her. “Let me check things out before you see him.”
He was trying to protect her, to shield her from seeing Scotty. Part of her appreciated that, but if there was any chance Scotty was alive, there might not be much time to talk to him.
But she didn’t get a chance to remind Jack of that because of the movement in the ditch.
Caroline caught it from the corner of her eye. Just a glimpse of someone next to the old ranch trail that was across the road from Scotty.
And that someone fired a shot at them.
* * *
JACK HAD BEEN so focused on getting to Scotty’s car that he hadn’t seen the shooter in time.
That was a big mistake.
Because the shot slammed into the back window. Right where Caroline was sitting. There was a bullet-resistant panel over the glass, and it held. The window didn’t shatter, but Jack also knew it might not hold up if someone continued to fire straight into it. And that was exactly what happened.
A barrage of bullets came, all blasting into that one area of the window. Jack didn’t have time to return fire or even pinpoint the shooter. He scrambled back into the cruiser, catching on to Caroline and pulling her down on the seat. She was already about to hunker down, and she tried to drag him with her.
He couldn’t take cover, though, and he didn’t close his door. Not with his brother and Gunnar out there. So Jack shifted his position and tried to make sure they were okay. Both Gunnar and Kellan were on the road and were crawling their way back to the cruiser.
Gunnar had also left the door open, and like Jack’s, it was on the opposite side from the shooter. It would give Kellan and Gunnar two ways to get back into the vehicle.
Well, maybe.
Jack had to rethink that idea when several of the bullets skittered across the surface of the road. None of the shots hit them, but the gunfire did pin them down. Which was likely what the shooter intended to do, because almost immediately, more bullets blasted into the window before the attacker’s aim returned to the area near Kellan and Gunnar. Whoever was pulling the trigger definitely had a target in mind.
And that target was Caroline.
He didn’t intend to let this snake shoot her, and that meant he had to do something now to stop it. Jack pushed her dow
n on the floorboard so he could move to the side of the cruiser where so many of those shots were being aimed. Not that he was especially eager to get closer to the bullets, but he needed to get a visual on the shooter. And he got one, all right.
“He’s in the ditch,” Jack muttered under his breath.
The ditch, he knew, was deep and extended for miles. Worse, there were ranch trails where someone could have—and likely had—hidden a vehicle.
In this case, the trail was littered with trees and thick underbrush. Plenty of places for a gunman to use for escape. Jack didn’t want to let things get that far, though. He needed this person, preferably alive, so he could get answers.
Their attacker was low enough, the high banks of the ditch acting as cover, and only the person’s head, shoulders and weapon were visible. He was wearing a ski mask. Jack couldn’t even be sure the shooter was a male, but whoever it was had to have some backup weapons because he or she wasn’t taking time to reload. There were only a few seconds in between each new round of gunfire.
“Scotty,” Jack heard Gunnar say, and there was plenty of concern in the deputy’s voice.
Jack soon saw why. Scotty’s car door creaked open, and the man tumbled out onto the ground. He was alive, thank God. That was the good news. But even from the twenty or so feet of distance between them, Jack could see the blood on his shirt. Scotty was clutching his chest.
“He needs an ambulance,” Caroline blurted out, and that was when Jack realized she’d lifted her head up enough to look out his open door and toward Scotty.
Yeah, he did need an ambulance, badly, but unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen as long as there was active gunfire in the area. The EMTs would likely have been able to hear the shots over the police radio, but Kellan had also texted someone, too. He’d requested both backup from the sheriff’s office and the ambulance.
The EMTs could stay back until they got the all clear, but whoever was coming for backup would move in to help. Maybe that would happen before the bullets ripped the cruiser apart.
His Brand of Justice (Longview Ridge Ranch Book 4) Page 13