All for You

by Andrew Grey

  The passenger door opened and a man got out. He turned and fired at Reggie’s car, the mountains amplifying the blast. The windshield spidered but remained in one piece, except for a hole and the one in Reggie’s seat. He got down, brandishing his gun, ready for action. Fire returned from behind him, and then the scene grew quiet. He opened the driver’s door and slowly got out, using the door as a shield, keeping low.

  “You all right, Sheriff? One suspect down,” Jasper said.

  Reggie brandished his gun as the driver’s side door opened and a man got out. “Put the gun down and lie flat on the road. You have two seconds,” Reggie bellowed.

  The man dropped his gun and fell to the ground, arms above his head. “I give up,” he said, voice muffled. “Don’t shoot.”

  “Cover me,” Reggie told Jasper as he hurried up, kicked the gun away, checked out the van cab interior, and then cuffed the man on the ground, leaving him there for now. “What about the other one?” Reggie asked Jasper.

  “Sam has him,” Jasper called as Reggie finished securing the man on the ground.

  “Get control of the firearm and log it into evidence.” He wasn’t going to let him up until that was done.

  Jasper put the gun in a bag and secured it. Then and only then did Reggie stand and step away.

  “Get him to your car and call an ambulance for the other guy.” Reggie stood as Jasper took charge of the suspect, and went to the back of the van. He held his gun at the ready and pulled open the door.

  The scent was the first thing that assaulted his senses. He turned away to breathe fresh air as the acrid scent of unwashed bodies and a lack of basic hygiene hit him like a steamroller. Four sets of eyes peered at him, three near panic and one he was so relieved to see that Reggie’s knees nearly buckled from under him.

  “Jasper,” he called loudly as he began helping people out of the filthy van. The women didn’t appear to speak English, and Reggie helped them out gently before guiding Willy into his arms. “Are you hurt?” Damn he wanted to strip him down right here just so he could check him over and make these assholes pay for every scrape or bruise.

  “No. I’m okay. Just banged around. But please help them. I don’t think they’ve had food or water in a while.”

  This was the most amazing man. God knew what he’d been through and he was worried about the others.

  “I have some water in the trunk.” Reggie unlocked the trunk of his car, and Willy hurried over, grabbed bottles, and handed them out to each of the women. He also found Reggie’s stash of snacks and handed those out as well. The women were truly hungry, stuffing the food in their mouths and gulping the water. Reggie wanted to tell them to slow down and not eat too quickly, but he didn’t have the words.

  “What do we do now?” Willy asked gently.

  Sam joined them. “I hope it’s okay, but I contacted the state police. They’re on their way. I explained the situation, and they were sending an Asian-language specialist. Hopefully he can help them.”

  The women had finished eating, and they sat by the side of the road, talking softly among themselves. Reggie didn’t understand a word, but he was fully aware of how worried they were from their tone.

  A siren reached his ears, getting louder, and an ambulance joined them. They took care of the injured prisoner, strapped him in, and took off. Jasper followed with the other prisoner in the back. A second ambulance arrived, and the EMTs checked over the three women, pronouncing them malnourished but otherwise healthy. Sam stayed with the women while Reggie arranged for a hotel room for them. The least he could do was help them clean up and sleep for the night.

  Sam seemed especially gentle with them, and they seemed to respond to him, so Reggie thought he’d made a good choice. Finally, once the suspects were gone, as well as the victims, he turned to Willy. “What were you thinking, following them? You took a decade off my life.” He pulled Willy into a tight hug. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. I don’t think my heart will be able to take it.” He clung to Willy as just how close he’d come to losing him hit like a bomb.

  “I called you, but you didn’t answer, and I only thought to see where they were going so you could take over. I was leaving the rest area when they grabbed me. I think they were taking me north. The women don’t speak English, but they said a few words. One of them was ‘Canada.’” He stopped. “Next time take my call, okay?” Willy slapped him on the shoulder. “I was only trying to help.”

  “Help send me to an early grave. Yeah, I can see that….” Reggie sighed and stood stock-still for a long time and then released Willy, motioning him to the car. They got inside, and he drove back to town, handing Willy his phone. “You need to call your family and let them know you’re okay.”

  Willy groaned. “You called them?”

  “Your father checked with everyone he could find to make sure you weren’t still in town. He saved us a lot of useless searching and allowed us to catch up with them much faster.”

  Willy stared at the phone and then entered the numbers. He glared at Reggie, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

  “Father,” Willie said. “Yes, I’m fine. Reggie caught up to them and saved me.” His voice broke. “I’m really okay. They traffic in people. They were using the rest area as a stop-off. I think they sometimes pick up people there and deliver them. I heard the drivers talking.” Tears ran down Willy’s cheeks, and Reggie was about to pull over to try to comfort him. “They were going to kill me. I know that. They needed to get me away from town. I could hear them talking. They figured they’d get me a couple hours away and then kill me and drop me somewhere in the woods. I’d never be found, and that would be that. But Reggie saved me.” Willy broke down. “I’m okay, Dad, really,” he said through his tears. “I was really scared, but I knew Reggie would come for me. He’s the best, and he said he’d always protect me.” Willy wiped his eyes, and Reggie reached over to take Willy’s hand.

  Reggie wanted to comfort him, but he also had to get back to the station. There was a lot of work ahead, and God knew what surprises were in store. He had a feeling that these arrests were only the beginning of this case.

  “I really am, Dad. This is a lot to take in, but I saw the van and I called Reggie and followed it. I’d seen it before and, well….” He coughed and cleared his throat. “Reggie is the best kind of man. He’s a lot like you used to be before Isaac died. … I know, Dad, but you gotta try. I miss him too.” Willy let go of Reggie’s hand and wiped his eyes. “Is that what’s really important? So Reggie is a man and I’m in love with him. How many texts are there about loving your neighbor? And let’s not forget ‘judge not….’ Dad, you’ve been doing a lot of judging. Try being happy for a change. I know that’s what I’m going to try.” He gulped and lowered the phone, pressing the button to end the call.

  “Is it okay?” Reggie was very concerned, but the conversation had sounded positive and Willy had actually referred to his father as dad, which was something Reggie hadn’t heard him do very often.

  “I think so, yeah. He isn’t as sure about stuff as he always was, and maybe that’s about as good as things are going to get.” Willy handed back Reggie’s phone and turned to look out the window, wiping his eyes once again. “Thank you for saving me.”

  Reggie slowed down as he reached the edge of town and pulled into the station. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you happy and safe. Period. If that means chasing some asshole all the way to the gates of hell, I’ll do it.” He parked and they got out of the car. “I’m going to get a statement, and I need to treat you as a witness. I’m going to assign Jasper to work with you because I can’t do it. I need to maintain some professional distance.”

  “I get that,” Willy agreed and followed him inside.

  All hell had broken loose in the station.

  Marie and the deputies were yelling. Jasper and Shawn stood chest to chest, seconds from fighting. Sam was trying to separate them, but that didn’t seem to be working. Marie wa
s in the corner, actively trying to get away.

  “What is going on?” Reggie bellowed at the top of his lungs, using all the power in his voice. They all came to a standstill.

  “One of our suspects recognized Shawn here,” Jasper said without turning away from him. “He needs to surrender his weapon and stand down now.”

  “All right. Jasper, stand down.” Reggie turned to Sam. “Did you hear anything?”

  Sam nodded. “The suspect who wasn’t shot tried to go after Shawn. He actually asked him where he was and why he hadn’t warned them. He called Shawn every name in the book.”

  Reggie already had his hand on his weapon. “That’s enough. Shawn, step into my office, now.” He watched Shawn’s hands as he followed him. “Sam, take charge of the suspect and check with emergency services to make sure our wounded suspect is in a secure hospital ward. Jasper, you interview witnesses and take statements. Let me know when the state police folks arrive.” He closed the door, keeping Shawn in his sights.

  “Don’t tell me you’re going to believe some criminal?” Shawn said indignantly.

  “Right now, I need to be cautious. You will surrender your gun and badge. As of right now, you are suspended.” Reggie got no satisfaction from that. He had never trusted Shawn and thought he might be up to something, but human trafficking? Making money on the misery and degradation of others? If it was true, he was going to wring his neck.

  “You can’t be serious.” Shawn stood, legs apart, trying to intimidate. Reggie was having none of it. “You’ve hated me since the first day you arrived, and you’ve had it in for me. And now some scum says something and you use it as an excuse to fire me?” He set his gun on the desk, and Reggie took it and locked it away, instantly feeling better.

  “Actually, it’s you who hated me. You liked the way things were. You ran things under the old sheriff, and you basically had the run of the town and could set up your own little business ventures. I have a witness who can place your personal vehicle at the rest area. I suspect it was a meeting with your business partners. I didn’t have any proof then, but I’ve been watching.” Reggie stood. “I will get to the bottom of this, fairly quickly. If you are involved, so help me, I’ll roast you on a spit.” He opened the door. “You are to stay at your desk and not to leave the building. If you do, I will issue a warrant for your arrest so fast, it will make your head spin.” He glared at Shawn and watched as he left the office and sat at his desk, arms folded over his chest.

  Reggie stopped by the switchboard and asked Marie to keep an eye on Shawn. “If he tries to leave, call me and you can arrest him.”

  “Really?” she asked with a wide smile.

  “You betcha.” Reggie returned her smile and looked over the station. Jasper and Willy sat at a desk, talking softly. He went in search of Sam and found him in the interview room. Reggie went to watch through the one-way mirror. The suspect sweated, pulling at his collar, then ran his hands through his scraggly brown hair. He seemed to be talking and Reggie didn’t want to interrupt, so he waited until Sam stood, left the room, and joined him.

  “Holy cow,” Sam said quietly. “I put plenty of pressure on him and he cracked like an egg. The guy isn’t too bright, and I don’t think he knows all that much about how things worked. But he was to stop at the rest area to let the women use the bathroom. He says he did that, like the Good Samaritan he is, and then he was supposed to wait because someone was to bring two more girls. Then he was to drive them north to Seattle, where they had jobs waiting for them.” He groaned, and Reggie knew exactly what kind of work they’d be doing. The women most likely had no idea and thought they’d be working in a factory or maybe as domestics. But they were pretty under the dirt and awful clothes… so their work was more likely to be prostitution.

  “Did he say who he was supposed to meet?” Reggie asked, watching the suspect fidget. He hadn’t expected Sam to get so much information from their suspect. It seemed he might have hidden skills, which was awesome.

  “No. He didn’t have a name, only that he’d know him by a code word: ‘thistle.’ He did know that if he got into any trouble, he was to call a deputy who was in the know. He most definitely recognized Shawn in the station room, and I asked specifically about him. He said he’d seen him on multiple occasions, and while he didn’t know Shawn’s name, he identified him, as well as his car.” Sam showed Reggie his notes.

  “So even if we get Shawn, there’s someone else?” Reggie groaned. “And I know who it is, I think, and this is going to get really ugly.” There was very little doubt about that. “Talk to him some more. Get as much as you can about this other man and the specifics about when he met Shawn. I want to nail him to the wall and see if our colleague will turn on his cohorts.”

  “You got it,” Sam said.

  “Call if you get stuck,” Reggie told him and left Sam to his task. He returned to the station and sat down across from Shawn, staring at him without looking away.

  “What?” Shawn grunted.

  “It seems the hole is opening up beneath you.” Reggie flashed a smile. “I have one suspect singing like a canary, and I’m on my way to the hospital to talk to the other. I bet he’ll sing louder and longer to save his miserable skin.” He stayed where he was, loving the way Shawn’s upper lip twitched. Then he got up and checked in with Jasper, who had finished with Willy.

  “I’ll type up the report and have Willy sign it.”

  “Good. When it’s done, let me know and I’ll take Willy to his car on my way out to the hospital.” Reggie was now pretty sure he was short a man and thought about who he might get to replace Shawn. He pulled his attention back to the present and what he had to get done. Thankfully the state police arrived with their interpreter. He set him up with the three women and spoke with the lead officer in his office.

  “Jack Penner,” Jack said, shaking Reggie’s hand after his own introduction.

  “Thanks for coming,” Reggie said, sitting at his desk.

  “You busted a trafficking ring. Good work. We’ve been after some of these guys for a while.” Jack seemed extremely pleased.

  “I have a complication. One of my deputies is involved. I have enough evidence to arrest him, but the witness is one of the drivers. I need something more in order to get the charges to stick. I’m heading over to the hospital to speak with our other suspect, and then we’ll go up the ladder.”

  Jack grinned. “You know who it is?”

  Dang, Reggie would have thought it was Christmas day.

  “Yes. But I’m not letting on. Let him stew a while and see just how much progress we’re making. Shawn is getting more frightened by the second. He doesn’t have his phone and I shut off the one at his desk, so all he can do is sit and worry. It’s a beautiful thing. Let him see his world coming to pieces a little at a time all around him.”

  Jack chuckled. “That’s diabolically brilliant. I’ll have one of my officers sit with him and we’ll increase the pressure. So once we’re ready to talk to him, he’ll spill his guts just to try to save his own skin.”

  “That’s my plan. I need him to roll over on his boss like a dog for a treat. He’s already sweating bullets. We’ll see what our ladies have to say, and then we need to do what we can to help them.”

  “Already on it. You go talk to your suspect, and we’ll hold things down here.”

  “I appreciate the help. I’m a deputy shy, for obvious reasons.” Reggie called Sam into the office and made introductions. “Work with Jack to get him whatever he needs. I’m going to take Willy to get his car and then go to the hospital.” Reggie stood. “Call me if you need anything.”

  He had one long night ahead of him, and he needed to get started.

  THE LIGHTS were dim when Reggie finally got to the house. The television flashed through the front window, so he knew Willy was there. He parked in the garage, went inside, and found Willy asleep on the sofa.

  “Hey, sweetheart. You should have gone to bed.” Reggie turned off the t
elevision and scooped Willy into his arms. Willy curled into him, barely stirring as Reggie carried him to bed.

  “I’m sorry. I tried to stay awake,” Willy mumbled. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. Shawn is in a cell and I’ll talk to him in the morning. Both suspects fingered him as involved in the ring. He can sit in jail overnight. I’m too tired to deal with him.” Reggie set Willy on the bed, then pulled back the covers. Willy tugged off the shorts and T-shirt he was wearing and snuggled down under the covers.

  “What about the women?”

  “They’re in a hotel, and we’ve made sure they have enough to eat and drink. The state police are working with them to get them back to their families. Most likely they’ll be deported. They had been brought over illegally and apparently were lured with the promise of a good life and job. The state police will be able to see to it they aren’t harmed.” Reggie yawned. “The rest will wait until morning.” He turned out the light and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and clean up before joining Willy under the covers.

  Willy was already asleep, thank goodness. Reggie had been worried he might be really upset, but he seemed to have taken what happened fairly well. Granted, it would probably catch up with him later. He curled next to Willy, holding him close, saying a silent prayer to the powers that be for delivering him safely. That was the most important thing for him. Willy was safe, and Reggie had been able to find the rotten apple in his department. The rest he could deal with in time.

  “Reggie?” Willy asked, rolling over. “Are you sure this is all going to be okay?”

  Reggie held Willy tighter. “I really hope so. Jack is working to help root out the rest of the organization, and as soon as I have proof on the leaders, we’ll go after them as well. It’s not going to be long before we’ll be able to follow the trail to the people we need to.” Reggie kissed him gently. “Just go to sleep and try to put it behind you. I’m here and you’re safe.”