At All Costs (Whiskey Bend MC Series)

by KJ Dahlen

  He took a deep breath. He always took a moment before he pulled the trigger to hesitate and get into his killer mode. He blanked his mind of all the clutter that was usually there and settled in.

  He glanced back at the door just.

  Just then, Alec Bennett stepped outside. A tall man with salt and pepper hair and this morning, he wore jogging pants and a white t-shirt. His feet were bare as he walked outside a few steps to get the morning paper.

  Calm and steady, he brought the gun to the spot where he could look down the sights and when he had his mark in line, he gently squeezed the trigger. The silencer on the end of the barrel muffled the sound of firing and he lowered the gun.

  Alec recoiled from the bullet then fell on the steps of the porch and he made no sound.

  Quickly, he looked around the neighborhood but noticed the shot didn’t alert anyone, either inside the house or surrounding houses.

  Using a pair of small binoculars, he saw the place on Alec’s shirt where the bullet hit him. The dark red stain grew bigger as he watched. When he knew that Alec was dead, he got up and walked away. On his way to his car, he ripped the cellophane from a cigar. He smiled as he paused to light it. Taking a puff of the cigar, he held it in his teeth. To anyone looking he was nothing more than a man out on an early morning walk. He glanced at his watch and noted the time.

  When he got to the car he parked a block away, he flipped the cigar away and drove away. His next target was a few miles away and by the time he got there, she would just be leaving for work. The smoother things went the better he liked it.

  He slowed down as he drove out of town and when he got to the bridge, he looked around but there was no one to see him. At the deepest part of the river, he tossed the gun out the window. He heard the splash as the weapon hit the water. He knew the gun would never be recovered. No one would think to drag the river and even if down the line at some point they found the gun, they couldn’t tie it to him. He smiled.

  When he got to the next exit, he made the turn and traveled down the rural road. He even drove beyond her driveway and parked where he knew he could still see her when she came out of the house. He was as hidden as he could be. He didn’t kill the engine but instead, waited for his next mark to come out of the house.

  Like clockwork at seven a.m. the back door opened and Assistant District Attorney, Colleen Markey came out the back door.

  His heart beat a little faster as he began pulling on another pair of latex gloves then reached into the glove compartment and pulled out another throw away gun. Pausing, he took a deep breath and cleared his mind.

  He took careful aim and as Colleen opened her car door, he shot her in the back. She slumped forward against the frame of the open car door and didn’t move again. He waited for a moment to make sure she was dead before he slowly eased his car away from the scene and drove it away.

  Everything had gone like clockwork, now all he had to do was ditch the car, and even that wasn’t going to be a problem. When he passed yet another bridge, he tossed the gun into the rushing water and began looking for a place to dump the car. His research of the area told him not too far away was an old gravel pit. He could make it look like the car simply missed the edge of the pit from the top and went over the edge. Before he got there he wiped down the inside, even the mirror and the seat belt clips. Dumping the car took very little effort on his part. As it was still early enough in the morning, he didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing him on this abandoned location.

  When the car was nothing more than a crumbled mess, he walked back to town and his cabin. To anyone looking, he’d simply returned from an early morning walk.

  He drove to the airport an hour away. Another job, well executed and he already received payment so he was done in Whiskey Bend. Following the route to long term parking, he pulled into a stall far from the rest of the vehicles. He carefully took everything he had brought with him and wiped down the steering wheel and door handles. He locked the vehicle and walked over to a red SUV. Taking a set of keys from his pocket, he opened the doors and got in.

  Inside the SUV was a small green bag. Opening the bag, he placed the two pair of latex gloves inside, along with the clothes he’d worn this morning. He couldn’t take the chance of gun powder blowback being on them. He turned right and followed the road over to the new construction that had been going on for what seemed like forever. As he stood there, he tossed the green bag into the hole. The hole was 10 feet deep and he knew no one would bother to look in there before they poured the wet cement into it later today.

  He got back into the SUV and drove out of the parking lot. He turned left at the gate and drove downtown.

  When he parked his vehicle in the parking lot where he worked, he reached in the back and grabbed his uniform. After he got inside the building the desk sergeant nodded and called out to him, “Hey Cooper, the Captain is looking for you.”

  Cooper Connors just rolled his eyes. “I wonder what I did wrong now?”

  Danny Taylor shook his head and laughed. “Hey, I told you not to take that Lieutenants’ test. You should have stayed a beat cop.”

  Cooper laughed. “No way, Lieutenant’s pay is better and now I have my own office. I don’t have to associate with you peons anymore.”

  Cooper ducked around the corner and made his way to the locker room. He knew the captain wanted to see him but he had to change into his uniform first. He didn’t know how long his meeting would last and roll call was in a few minutes. It didn’t take him long to change and as he strapped the gun to his belt, he glanced into the mirror to check his appearance.

  His eyes were drawn to his right wrist and the tattoo he had started there. He unconsciously rubbed his forearm. If any of his coworkers had ever seen him without his shirt, they would have noticed the tattoo that wrapped around his wrist then spread up and out to cover most of his right forearm. They wouldn’t have noticed the tiny initials on the end of each strand of hair, not unless they really took a good look at his skin, but he knew the names were there and that’s all that really mattered. He would have to add the new initials to the tattoo as soon as he took care of Luna. Each and every time he killed, he added another name to his arm. Cooper was very careful not to let his co-workers see his arm. He knew they wouldn’t understand the tattoo or what it meant to him. He had to hide a big part of his life from the world, but he’d been doing it for so long, it had become just part of the way he did things.

  Cooper glanced in the mirror and decided he was presentable. The dark blue of his uniform looked sharp against the white walls of the locker room. His dark hair was short and neatly trimmed. He was clean shaven and he looked like every other cop in the precinct. As he left the locker room, he tossed a piece of candy in his mouth. The melt-away mint freshened his breath. He didn’t want anyone to know he smoked cigars, those where his little secret.

  He turned and made his way to the Captain’s office. He rapped on the door and walked in.

  Kyle Matthews sat behind his desk and glanced up when Cooper came into the office. “I’m glad you’re early. We have a situation.”

  Cooper frowned and wondered if the police knew about his earlier activities already. “What’s going on?” He closed the door behind him and took a seat across from his boss.

  Kyle threw his pen down on the desk and sat back in his chair. “The FBI and SEC are coming in later today to discuss a recent case with us.”

  “What kind of case?” Cooper asked.

  “Mail and wire fraud and interstate transfer of funds. Apparently, they found evidence that someone in our city is using the Internet to siphon funds away from the oil companies into their own pocket.”

  Cooper frowned and sat back in his chair. “How did he do it?”

  “Apparently, someone infused a worm in the Internet that took the .09 cents from every gallon of gas sold by the big companies and moved it around and finally deposited into an off shore account. I just got word the FBI and SEC thinks whoever i
s responsible for that little worm lives right here in LaDonna.”

  “If they know all that, then why are they coming here to talk to us? Why don’t they just move in and arrest this guy?” Cooper asked.

  “They think this guy is unaware he’s being targeted and they want to keep it that way. Also they want to work with us on this case.”

  “What do they want us to do about this guy?” Cooper asked.

  “I’m not sure. That’s why they are coming in this morning. More than likely they are coming in to inform us they are taking over. The Feds don’t usually allow anyone to take credit for their arrests.”

  Cooper nodded and got up to leave. As he reached for the door handle the phone on Kyle’s desk began to ring. He paused and waited for Kyle to answer the call. Surely, they hadn’t found the bodies yet, had they?

  “Wait up, Cooper,” Kyle called out.

  Cooper turned and watched as the bad news sank in.

  When Kyle hung up the phone he looked at Cooper with a stunned look on his face. “Someone just shot Judge Bennett and DA Colleen Markey in Whiskey Bend. As we are the nearest big town, they’re calling us in before they go to the State police.”

  Cooper sat down in the chair hard. He turned a shocked face to his Captain. “How did this happen?”

  “They were both shot just outside their homes.” Kyle slapped down his hand on his deck and growled. “What the hell is going on here?”

  Chapter Three

  Kyle looked grim. “Yes, they were both killed in the early morning hours.”

  “Why would someone shoot a Judge and a DA?” Cooper asked.

  Kyle shrugged. “I’m not sure. Maybe it’s connected to the case the Feds are here to talk about. Or maybe someone is just ticked off at the judicial system. It’s hard to say without more evidence. Damn, that means every cop and attorney between here and there and beyond will be looking over their shoulders in case there’s a bullet with their names on it.” Kyle got up from his chair and began pacing the floor.

  Cooper glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost shift change. Do I announce this development at the morning briefing or wait with the news?”

  “You’d better announce it,” Kyle replied. “If something happened to one of the off duty officers because we didn’t tell them, it would only panic the others. Make sure the off duty officers attend the briefing as well. Make them aware of the danger without spooking them. We don’t need officers jumping at every little thing out on our streets. Just tell them to be alert.”

  Cooper nodded as he stood. “I’ll downplay it as much as I can. We really don’t know any of the particulars yet. Maybe this is a one-time hit.”

  “Maybe but it’s still better that they’re warned.” Kyle instructed. “The information I’ve received about the FBI and SEC agents coming this morning didn’t sit too well with the shootings we just heard about. We really don’t need the feds poking around our town right now.”

  Cooper nodded as he closed the door to Kyle’s office. Maybe the confusion about the shootings would actually benefit his search for Luna and cover his next hit. He still had to find the time to catch up with her and eliminate his loose end from last night, but he knew he needed to be careful. It would have to appear as a random crime, otherwise the entire police force and the FBI would be looking for a serial killer. He knew just how long and extensive that search could be. He knew they wouldn’t stop until he was caught one way or the other.

  Cooper stopped by the message board for updates from the night before and glanced into the briefing room. He could see the cops inside were talking amongst themselves and he could tell by the quietness, the only item they were discussing was the double shooting.

  ~*~

  FBI agent Sam Reed opened the precinct door and allowed SEC agent Molly Bentz to walk inside the building first. He was a tall man with a trim stature. His dark hair a little on the long side and he presented himself as a laid back kind of guy, but anyone who really knew him, could tell you he could instantly change and become whatever he needed to be. He was also a very intelligent man and he noted the tension in the air almost immediately.

  Glancing around casually, he wondered what happened to put the tension in the air. As they stepped up to the front desk, Sam reached into his breast pocket for his badge. “I’m Sam Reed, from the FBI and this is Molly Bentz from the SEC. We’re here to see Captain Matthews.”

  The desk sergeant nodded and picked up the phone to announce them.

  Sam looked around and commented, “What’s going on?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say sir,” the sergeant told him. “I’m afraid you’ll have to ask the Captain.”

  Sam glanced over at Molly and they both raised their eyebrows.

  Molly was short and slim. Her blonde hair and blue eyes often made her the butt of many blonde jokes but that never bothered her. She could give and good as she got in that department. It was her street savvy that got her this far, and it was that same street savvy that caught the case they were investigating now. “I wonder if someone let the reason we’re here slip out.”

  Sam shrugged. “Something is definitely going on. I guess we’ll have to wait and ask Captain Matthews.”

  The longer they waited the more they knew something was very wrong in LaDonna. People hustled around them and the tension grew in the police department. He looked over at the officer standing behind the counter. “What the hell is going on here? Why is everyone so on edge?”

  The man shrugged and asked, “Haven’t you heard? It’s all over the news. A Judge and someone from the District Attorney’s office were shot at their homes this morning over in Whiskey Bend. That place is only an hour or so away from here. They didn’t give any other details except the facts that they were murdered very early this morning.”

  ~*~

  Luna entered the precinct as she sighed. She hadn’t slept last night after the strange phone call. When she glanced over at the front desk and found Sam Reed standing there, she was surprised. “Sam? Is that really you?”

  Sam turned his head and saw her standing there. He smiled. “Luna!” He exclaimed. He took a few steps toward her and they embraced briefly. They had dated for a while when they were both just out of college and had parted to go their own ways by mutual agreement. They ended up being better friends than lovers. Sam had gone to Quantico and Luna had gone onto become a reporter.

  “What is the FBI doing in La Donna?” Luna asked.

  “What is a reporter doing in the police station this early in the day? Don’t you guys usually wait for something to develop first?” Sam countered. “Or are you hear for the double murder in Whiskey Bend this morning?”

  Sam turned to Molly and they both knew what the tension was about. Sam looked over at Luna and asked, “Is that what you’re doing here this morning? Looking for confirmation on a story?”

  Luna shook her head and hesitated before she told them, “No, I’m here for another reason. I think I got a phone call about two a.m. from the killer and I wanted to talk to someone about it.”

  “What did you say?” Sam was stunned.

  At that moment, Kyle Matthews stepped around the corner and approached the trio standing by the front desk. An older gentleman with white hair, worn a little on the longer side than most men of his age and soft blue eyes. “Mr. Reed? Miss Bentz?”

  Sam couldn’t wait for the pleasantries. “Can we go to your office, Captain?”

  Kyle raised his eyebrows and turned to lead the way.

  Sam grabbed Luna’s arm and hauled her along with them.

  Kyle turned to close the door behind the group and was surprised to find Luna with them. “Excuse me, but what is she doing here? In case you don’t know who or what she is...”

  Sam glared at him. “I know exactly who and what she is. She may be the only one here who knows what is going on. She said she got a phone call from someone this morning, and I think we need to find out more about it.”

  Kyle fro
wned as he closed the door. He went around the desk and sat down in his chair. “Ok, what is so interesting about this supposed phone call?”

  Luna dug in her purse for the little notebook she kept beside her bed. “The caller told me that ‘He received the money and that my judicial problems would be over within 24 hours.’ When I asked him if this was a joke, the caller hung up.”

  “A few hours later a Judge and a D.A. are shot. That’s too much of a coincident for me,” Sam told the other man.

  Molly leaned forward in her chair. “This could be directly linked to the case we came to discuss with you.”

  “What does a double murder have to do with the case you came to talk about?” Kyle asked.

  “If you stole over three million dollars, wouldn’t you pay someone to protect that money?” Molly asked.

  “Are these facts or are you two speculating on what you found out this morning?” Kyle asked.

  Sam nodded. “Okay its speculation right now, but it could fit into what we found out this morning.”

  “A lot of things could fit a scenario if you let them, it doesn’t mean it’s the right scenario,” Kyle reminded them. He leaned forward in his chair and pointed toward Luna. “Do you think we should be discussing this in front of the press?”

  Sam glanced over at Luna. “Like I said earlier, she’s more than a reporter right now. She could be a material witness and until we know more about the shootings this morning, she isn’t going anywhere.”

  Just then, there was a knock on the door and when Kyle called out with a, “Come in.” the door opened and Cooper Connors popped his head in the door. Kyle motioned him to come in.

  Cooper came in and closed the door again behind him.

  “How did the briefing go this morning?” Kyle asked Cooper.