by D. K. Hood
“I see. And I’ll need his phone number?”
After she rattled off the number, he thanked her and headed for the door. He would have to take a ride out to the plant and speak with Mr. Sawyer. From the sheriff’s case notes, he’d been cooperative during his last interview and Rowley doubted he would cause a problem. After calling in his destination to Maggie in the office, he headed out in the falling snow to the industrial area. He turned the radio to his favorite country and western station and sang along to ease the boredom of the drive.
The scenery changed with every season in Montana. The snow had flattened the landscape, turning the grasslands into a frozen tundra. A few elk sheltered in the spattering of pines but it seemed eerily quiet and he realized how frightened Ella Tate must have been, alone in this wilderness. He’d felt sorry for her the day he’d picked her up and was glad the blood test cleared her. She must have gone to hell and back.
He turned into the snow-covered road leading to the industrial estate and followed the icy blacktop to the processing plants, following a well-worn path through the snow. He found the fertilizer plant without difficulty—he could have followed the smell to it anyway. From the stink, the process of crushing and cooking the waste carried on even during the shutdown. He rolled into the parking lot in time to see a man walking toward him, cellphone in one hand and a shovel in the other. Dressed in a dark hoodie, matching pants and steel-capped working boots, he stood close to six feet, with wide shoulders. He eyed Rowley with suspicion. When the man pushed the phone into his pocket and gave him a smile, he slid from his cruiser. “Mr. Sawyer?”
“That’s me.” The man stopped a few yards from the vehicle and leaned on his shovel. “What can I do for you, Deputy?”
The case and the questions he needed to ask came to the front of his mind and Rowley took a step toward him. “I wanted to ask you about the sweater you gave Doctor Weaver.” He remembered he’d neglected to report his arrival to Maggie and held up a hand. “Just a minute, I forgot to call in.”
As he turned to climb back into the cab, the sound of a gong inside his head broke the silence and his brain exploded in pain. Confused, he staggered and fell against his truck. What had happened? He turned slowly to peer through blurred vision at Sawyer and caught the cold look in his eyes and the way his mouth had set in a thin line. Shaking his head, he went to say something, but Sawyer raised the shovel again, advancing like a rattler. He moved so fast, Rowley didn’t have time to defend himself. Agony slammed into him, the blow sending shockwaves through his teeth. His stomach rolled and the too-bright parking lot moved in and out of focus. Holy shit, he’s going to kill me.
Fifty-Eight
Agitation slithered over Jenna at Wolfe’s shake of the head. “What do you mean, ‘no blood’? There has to be trace evidence here. It’s the middle of winter and Burns had to dispose of the bodies. The crusher makes sense.” She jammed her hands in her pockets. “It’s not as if he could dig a hole in the frozen ground, is it?”
“Nope, but assuming the victims are dead, and I’ve yet to discover any evidence to prove that theory, he could have stashed them somewhere.” Wolfe gave her a condescending look. “It’s not as if they are going to be found until the melt and moving frozen bodies would be easier than rotting corpses.” He sighed. “He would have at least three days before they defrosted and plenty of time to drop them down a mineshaft once the roads cleared.”
“Jenna.” Kane touched her arm. “Do you want me to go get Duke? If there are any bodies around the property he’ll find them.”
“Not necessarily.” Wolfe removed his gloves and mask. “The snow is great for tracking because we can follow footprints or whatever but Duke isn’t cadaver-trained. The dogs learn to recognize the scent of decomposition and when a body is frozen and covered with fresh snow, it becomes an almost sterile environment. There are no scents for the dogs to smell.”
“What makes you believe they’re dead, ma’am?” Webber gave her a long look. “The blood in the vehicle is consistent with the one blow described by the witness. According to Ella, Sky was alive after the attack. Have you considered the sex-slave trade? That would make more sense than murder.”
Annoyance rippled over Jenna. There should have been blood evidence and now Webber was trying to undermine her authority. “Of course I have but those monsters usually want their merchandise much younger and in good condition. They prefer teenagers or younger and Doug Paul would be more of a problem than he’d be worth.” She glared at him. “I’m convinced this is a homicide case and I’m treating it as such until proved otherwise.”
“I can’t consider it a homicide without substantially more evidence.” Wolfe’s mouth flattened to a thin line. “I’m sorry, Jenna. There’s just not enough evidence.”
Jenna’s phone chimed. “It’s Maggie. I’d better take it.”
“Seems someone found what looks like a tooth in a bag of fertilizer this morning. They found it when they were potting up bulbs in their garden shed.” Maggie sounded apologetic. “I have it right here. I figure the ME needs to take a look at it, it sure looks like it has a filling to me.”
Appalled, Jenna swallowed hard and touched Wolfe’s arm to get his attention. “Do they have the packaging the fertilizer came in?”
“Sure do, it’s sitting right here on the counter and it stinks. It’s from the local plant right here in Black Rock Falls.”
“Okay, place it in an evidence bag and seal it. Wolfe will come by and collect it.” She disconnected and explained the situation to Wolfe.
“It’s probably an animal tooth with dirt in it but I’ll swing by on the way back to the office and take a look.” Wolfe rubbed his chin and glanced back at the junkyard. “To put your mind at rest, I’ll come back after dark and douse the crusher with luminol in case I’ve missed anything but I’ve swabbed every inch of it and it comes up clean.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll have time to run tests on everything else we’ve found this afternoon. If I find anything from here or if the tooth is human, I’ll call you.”
“Okay, thanks. We’ll head back to the office.” She turned her attention to Kane. “Lock up the place. I don’t want any complaints if Burns walks.” Trying to clear her head of the conflicting views from her deputies and put everything in order, she leaned on Kane’s truck to wait and surveyed the area.
Tucked away on the edge of town, the old red-brick building had once been a gold exchange for the miners but although gold-mining was still profitable in her county, the local mines yielded little now and the risk wasn’t worth the effort. She cast her gaze along the street and apart from the men walking around behind her the only noise came from the cracking of frozen branches. It was quiet in Black Rock Falls in winter but not a void of white. The abundant wildlife in the area surprised her and even the alpine birds seemed to adapt to the cold weather.
The cellphone in her pocket chimed and she glanced at the caller ID and frowned. It was the Blackwater Sheriff’s Department calling her. The new sheriff’s name had slipped her mind, although she had seen a memo sitting on her desk from Maggie about him. “Sheriff Alton.”
“This is Sheriff Buzz Stuart out of Blackwater.” Stuart cleared his throat. “I’ll get straight to the point. I have two of your people here, Douglas Michael Paul and Olivia Kate Palmer. They say a man kidnapped them and held them prisoner up in the industrial estate next to the highway not a half-hour from Black Rock Falls. I assume these are the people you mentioned in the BOLO and the media releases?”
Stunned, Jenna waved Kane toward her then put the cellphone on speaker. “Yes, those are two of the missing persons. What shape are they in?”
“Mr. Paul is in need of immediate medical assistance due to a wound on his side and Miss Palmer has a head injury. Mr. Paul won’t leave here and is hell-bent on speaking to you. I’ve called Black Rock Falls Hospital and they’re sending paramedics. They should be here within the hour.”
Heart racing, Jenna exchanged a look with
Kane and smiled. “Put him on.”
They listened in amazed silence as Doug told his story. Disgusted and alarmed, Jenna stared at Kane, watching the emotions move over his face. She straightened. “You say this man’s name is Jim? Can you describe him?”
“Yeah, solid, about six feet, dark hair, white. He’ll have a cut on his chest too. Olivia stabbed him with a scalpel. I figure it would have needed stitches.” Doug’s anger radiated down the line. “He’s strong as a bull and the nurse called him ‘the boss’. I figure he owns the place. The hospital room is under the fertilizer plant and the entrance is right beside a big machine, like a shredder of some kind. We tied up the nurse and left him on one of the beds.”
Anxiety crammed Jenna’s belly. “What about Sky?”
“I don’t know.” Doug took a ragged breath. “I figure she’s dead. From what we heard, Jim has been running an organ-harvesting racket for some time. I have a bad feeling they already took one of my kidneys.”
Jenna caught Kane’s horrified expression before he walked away, pulling out his cellphone. She frowned and went back to the conversation. “Okay, we’ll head out there now. Go with the paramedics to the ER and I’ll have a deputy waiting to meet you. We’ll come and speak to you at the hospital later. I’ll make sure you are in a secure ward, so no one can get to you.” She disconnected and called Deputy Walters and explained what she needed, then stared at Kane’s pale expression. “What’s up?”
“Get in the car.” Kane threw himself behind the wheel and started the engine, then took off at speed. “So this Jim they mentioned could be Wyatt Sawyer, the owner of the fertilizer plant. Earlier, I heard Rowley call in and say he was heading up there to speak to him.” He gave her a grim look. “I just called him and he’s not answering his cell. We need to warn him about Sawyer.”
“I sent him to see Doc Weaver about Sky’s sweater.” Jenna swallowed hard. “What’s he doing at Sawyer’s fertilizer plant?”
“I heard him tell Maggie that Weaver had gotten the sweater from her boyfriend, Wyatt Sawyer. Rowley went to speak to him.” Kane’s face was grim. “Buckle up.”
Heart thumping, Jenna snapped on the seatbelt as the truck fishtailed down the road and drifted around the corner. Kane darted down backstreets to avoid town, and shot out like a bullet onto the highway. The engine roared as he engaged lights and sirens and accelerated. He had turned into a military machine again, his face a mask of determination. It was as if Deputy Kane had left the building and a black ops agent had taken his place. He drove like a man possessed, and not afraid of dying.
As they left the town behind, the snow-covered grasslands flashed by in a white blur. Breathless with anxiety, she reached for the radio. “He might be out of range. I’ll try to reach him on the radio, then call Maggie and get an update. He would have called in when he arrived at the fertilizer plant.”
After frequent calls to Rowley’s cruiser yielded no response, Jenna radioed Maggie with their destination and requested backup. When Wolfe came on the two-way, she glanced at Kane. “Yes, Wolfe, what did you find? Over.”
“It’s a human tooth. We’re on our way, over.”
“I’ve got a real bad feeling about this.” Kane’s fists gripped the steering wheel as he pushed his truck faster over the icy roads. “With a human tooth in the fertilizer, we know how he disposed of Sky’s body and her vehicle. There’s a nurse involved and to harvest organs he must have a doctor on his team as well.”
Unable to imagine the horror Sky must have endured, Jenna tried to keep her mind set on the case. “My money is on Doctor Weaver.”
“Oh, it’s her for sure. Her boyfriend is Wyatt Sawyer and he gets off on seeing his victim’s sweater on his girlfriend. He is a smooth talker and was too smart to use his cousin’s yard to dispose of Sky’s vehicle. I’m wondering how long this has been going on.” Kane snorted in disgust. “SOB bashes and then drugs his victims to keep them quiet, then sells their body parts. I figured I’d seen some of the worst killers in my time but this one beats all.” He flicked her a cold stare. “We need to get there before he starts working on Rowley.” He slammed his foot on the gas.
Fifty-Nine
Dazed but still on his feet, Rowley ducked the next blow and the metal shovel clanged on the door of his cruiser, the sound echoing against the red brick walls. He shook his head, not able to comprehend the situation. Why was Sawyer trying to kill him? He went for his weapon but Sawyer had him pinned down in the truck’s open door and the next blow sent screaming agony up his arm as the shovel slammed into his elbow. Fingers numb, his Glock dropped to the ground and spun away into a snowdrift. His cellphone vibrated in his pocket. Help was a call away but he had not one chance in hell of answering the call. When Sawyer raised the shovel again, Rowley lifted his arms to protect his head. I have to get away from my truck and into the open before he finishes me off.
After ducking the next blow, he took a step forward but Sawyer pushed him in the chest with the shovel and laughed at him.
“You’re mine now.” Sawyer’s eyes flashed menace. “You don’t have a chance against me and I’m so gonna love killin’ you.”
A wave of desperation and fear gripped Rowley but he pushed it away, determined not to allow this lunatic to win. One on one, he’d have a chance, but stuck between an open door and the cab, Sawyer had the upper hand. A couple more blows to the head would finish him. Right now, he was out of options, it was move or die. Then he remembered his tracker. Wolfe had supplied them all with an emergency beacon; it used the same technology as a satellite phone. He reached across his chest and pressed the stud beside his badge. Soon Jenna and Kane would be able to hear every word he uttered and know his position. He just had to survive long enough for them to get to him. The chances of surviving had fallen to just above zero, then, as if someone had heard him, Kane’s advice drifted into his head. When cornered, attack. Grinding his teeth, he glared at Sawyer’s amused expression and lifted his chin. “Do you give yourself extra points for attacking an unarmed man, Sawyer? You’re nothing but a yellow-bellied coward.”
“Oh, listen to the brave deputy.” Sawyer took a few steps back and grinned. “Okay, let’s make this real fun. The truck is stoppin’ my swing anyways.” He beckoned him forward. “Show me what you got.”
Rowley had trained for this type of situation. He turned to one side, then lashed out with his foot once, twice, three times, but Sawyer deflected the strikes with the handle of the shovel. Giddy and hurting, he took a couple of unsteady steps away from the cruiser but kept his attention on Sawyer. The man stood, eerily confident and with a slight smile on his face, swinging the shovel as if waiting for his next move. He was playing with him, like a cat with a mouse.
“That all you got?” Sawyer laughed. “What are you? A black belt in stupid?”
Not willing to give in, Rowley straightened and stared him down. Although his right arm was practically useless, and agony cut through his head like a knife, he took a fighting stance. No way was he going down to this maniac. Help would be coming and he needed to transmit as much information as possible. “You can’t win, Sawyer. Backup is on its way. The sheriff knows you own the fertilizer plant and is heading here now.”
“I don’t think so. You forgot to call in, didn’t you, and how long do you figure it will take me to disable your radio?” Sawyer gave him a maniacal grin. “I’ve taken down bigger men than you and you’re injured. You won’t last long. I’ve seen hogs bleed less than you.”
A rush of warmth trickled down Rowley’s cheek and bright red spots splashed the snow at his feet. I’m bleeding. He stared at the crimson flow in disbelief and tried to concentrate then aimed another kick, this time at a Sawyer’s knee, but landed a feeble blow to the man’s thigh. “You may have damaged one arm but I still have my feet.”
“Not for long.” Sawyer grinned in a flash of white teeth, raised the shovel and brought it down in a whoosh of air.
Oh, Jesus. Slowed from the head injury, Rowl
ey had no way of avoiding the blow. Searing pain shot across his right knee and he buckled, falling face down in the snow. “I’m down.” He hoped Kane could hear him.
Another crushing blow to his head sent shocking agony rocketing down his nerve endings and white stars danced across his vision. Sawyer’s low chuckle and the fear of dying in the snow shot adrenaline through his veins, pushing away the red-hot pain. He blinked blood from his eyes and rolled away, kicking at Sawyer’s legs with every ounce of strength he had. “Now you’ve made me mad.”
He landed a kick on Sawyer’s knee but to his horror, the man absorbed the blow and just stood there grinning down at him. Panic welled and he gulped down freezing mouthfuls of air. Under him, the ice-packed snow, crimson with his blood, blurred. His muscles trembled and it was as if he floated on the edge of reality. He shook his head, desperate to stay alive; help was coming and he had to remain conscious. Digging his fingers into the ice, he inched away to get some distance between him and Sawyer. Too late. With a triumphant grunt, Sawyer came down on him hard with both knees. Air left his lungs in a rush of steam and in seconds, Sawyer had pulled zip ties from his back pocket. Rowley fought hard but Sawyer was incredibly strong and, moments later, had him trussed up. He stared up into Sawyer’s black unyielding eyes and hoped Kane or Wolfe could hear him. “I’m down, need assistance.”
“You sure do but you don’t have no radio on you, now do you?” Sawyer gave him a satisfied grin. “Did I hit you too hard and scramble your brains? Don’t pass out on me now or you won’t enjoy the next bit.” He slapped Rowley hard across the face.
“Oh, Jesus.” Rowley ground his teeth against a rush of searing agony.
“Jesus can’t help you now.” Sawyer bent over him and stared into his eyes. “I’m so gonna enjoy watchin’ you get all chewed up in the hogger.”