by C. M. Sutter
“He said they have radios, and he’ll update them too. Apparently, he’s wearing street clothes. He assured me he wouldn’t do anything to raise suspicion.”
“I’ll give him fifteen minutes”—Spelling turned his wrist and checked the time—“and then we’re calling back and moving out.”
Chapter 44
“Mr. Vetcher, somebody is driving down the fire lane pretty damn slow.” Anthony barely touched the curtain but moved it aside just enough to get a glimpse of the neighborhood watch vehicle crawling toward the cabin. “There’s writing on the side of the car.”
“Dim the lights. All of the curtains are drawn, aren’t they?”
“Yes, sir, so I don’t know why he’s moving at a snail’s pace.”
“There’s a neighborhood watch patrol in this area. Maybe they always drive by that slowly.” Antonio jammed a handful of potato chips into his mouth. Crumbs dropped to the tabletop as he spoke. “Just keep quiet and don’t let him see you moving those curtains around.”
“Shit.”
Carden set the newspaper down and scurried toward Anthony. “What’s wrong?”
“He stopped the car, boss.”
“Son of a bitch. Do we have any guns in here?”
“They’re still in the van.”
Carden jerked his head toward the garage door. “Go get the pistols, Antonio, and don’t make a peep. Don’t turn on the garage light, either. Grab the flashlight. Now hurry!”
Antonio crouched and ran across the living room, grabbed the flashlight off the counter as he passed through the kitchen, then eased the garage door open.
“What’s he doing now?” Carden whispered.
“He’s getting out, sir. This isn’t going to end well.”
“Let’s wait and see, and I’ll do the talking. What’s your uncle’s brother-in-law’s name?”
“Dante Leone.”
“Right. What’s taking Antonio so damn long?”
“The man is coming up the sidewalk, Mr. Vetcher.”
Carden craned his neck toward the kitchen. Antonio was nowhere to be seen. “Damn his slow ass. Go help him, quick.”
Anthony cleared the living room right as a knock sounded. Carden rolled his neck, took in a large gulp of air, and opened the door. On the other side, a man who looked to be in his mid-sixties and wearing a T-shirt and khakis stood with a wide grin on his face. Carden gave the car in front of the garage a quick glance. An advertising magnet with the words Neighborhood Watch Group was secured to the door.
“Howdy. I’m Bob Wells, one of the volunteers for our neighborhood watch association. I just happened to notice shadows behind the drapes and thought I’d check out the situation. You are?”
“Dennis Banks.” Carden stuck out his hand to shake Bob’s. “Sorry to trouble you, Bob, but we aren’t having a situation.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Banks, so what brings you out this way?”
“Fishing.”
“Fishing?” Bob chuckled as he raised his brows and scratched his chin. “The nearest fishing lake is twenty miles west of here. It seems like you could have rented a place closer to the water. By the way, who owns this cabin?”
Carden stared him down. “I’m sure you know who owns the property, Mr. Wells.”
Both men jerked their heads toward the sound of a door opening. Anthony and Antonio came around the corner from the kitchen, each with a pistol tucked in his waistband.
Bob glanced from Anthony to Antonio. “I doubt if you’re going to do much fishing dressed that way.”
Anthony looked at Antonio’s pressed slacks and starched shirt. He turned back to face Bob. “Don’t like our clothes, old man?”
A noise sounded from behind a closed door down the hallway. Bob’s eyes darted in that direction, and the jerk of his hand was enough to set things in motion. He reached for something at his back. In an instant, Antonio pulled the pistol from his waistband and fired into Bob’s chest. A sharp crack rang out, and muzzle smoke circled above the gun’s barrel. Blood spray filled the air, and a grunt came from deep within Bob as the impact launched him backward off the porch to the sidewalk three steps below.
“Son of a bitch! Antonio, why the hell did you do that? Gunfire echoes for miles around here.” Carden’s face twisted into an angry snarl.
“He was going to shoot you, boss. Would you rather be dead? I believe you hired us to help and protect you.” Antonio stepped outside and rolled Bob over with his foot then pointed. “There’s his gun.” Bob lay dead with a pistol beneath his body. Antonio looked over his shoulder at Carden. “Need I say more?”
Carden turned to Anthony. “Help your brother put him in the van. We’ll take the body deep into the woods and dump him.”
“What about his vehicle, boss?” Anthony asked.
“We have to get rid of that too, and it’s blocking the garage, anyway. Come on. Let’s make this quick before someone sees us.” Carden crossed the living room and went into the kitchen. He turned the knob on the garage door. “I’ll open the overhead.”
Antonio knelt over the body and fished through Bob’s pockets.
“Robbing the guy?”
“I’m getting the car keys, asshole.” Antonio pulled out Bob’s wallet. “But we’ll take the wallet too.” He tossed it to Anthony.
Anthony flipped open the wallet. “Shit. Mr. Vetcher isn’t going to like this.”
Antonio pushed off his knees and stood. “He won’t like what?”
“Nice move, idiot. That dude is the county sheriff.”
The rumble of the overhead opening told the men it was time to go. Anthony jerked his head toward the garage. “Slip your hands under his armpits. I’ve got his legs.”
Carden opened the van’s back doors and moved the rifles to the side. “Throw him in. Do you have the car keys?”
Antonio wiped his bloody hands on his pants then dug in his pocket and pulled out the keys. He jangled them in the air. “Right here, boss, but we have a problem.”
“Other than a dead man lying in the van?”
“Yeah, he’s not only dead, he’s the county sheriff.”
“I swear to God, Antonio, you get one step closer to having a bullet lodged in your brain every single day. Now, let’s go. Get those damn magnets off that car and move it out of my way so I can back out the van. Anthony, turn off the lights inside, lock up the house, then throw the doormat over that mess.” Carden jerked his chin toward the blood smear on the sidewalk. “I don’t need anyone who may come calling to see it. Neighborhood watch, huh? Something or someone set off an alert for that nosey sheriff to stop by.” Carden slammed the back doors of the van and climbed into the driver’s seat. He used the side mirrors to back out onto the gravel driveway. The heavy overhead came down, and Anthony exited the front of the house, dragging the doormat behind him. He tossed it over the blood that followed the sidewalk cracks, then he headed toward the van.
“You drive so I can figure out where to go.” Carden climbed out of the driver’s seat and walked around the van. He pulled up a local map on his cell phone. “Okay, there’s no shortage of logging trails around here. Go left at the end of the road. We’ll find one that’s pretty remote and get rid of the sheriff and that stupid car.” Carden directed Anthony deeper into the woods.
“What if we get stuck, Mr. Vetcher?”
Carden rolled his eyes. “Really? It hasn’t rained in a month, so there’s no reason to get stuck unless you decide to go off-roading. That would be on you, and if that happens, you might get a bullet to the brain too.” He pointed to the right. “Follow that trail. We’ll park a few hundred feet in. The tree cover is pretty dense back there, so it’s a good place to ditch the car. Wave Antonio around us.”
Anthony rolled down the window and waved Antonio by. When they were side by side, Antonio lowered the passenger window. “What?”
“Go around us and park as far in as you can, and the deeper back, the better. Make sure you wipe down everything you’ve touched.”
Antonio nodded and continued on.
“How did your brother get so stupid?”
Anthony shrugged. “The old man put him to work at a young age. Antonio never went past the eighth grade. He’s big and bulky and Pops thought he’d be good at strong-arming people.”
“You’re just as big as Antonio.”
“Yeah, but my expertise is my brain.”
Carden laughed. “If you say so.”
Anthony killed the engine as they waited for Antonio. He looked back at the body lying behind them. “Where are we going to dump him?”
“We’ll find another secluded spot a few miles from here. Hopefully the coyotes will make short work of him.”
Antonio opened the back door and climbed in. “Jesus, the old man’s eyes are open.”
“You shot him, you deal with it,” Carden said. “Turn the van around, Anthony. Let’s go dump this body.”
Chapter 45
“Try his phone again.”
“I’ve tried it three times, sir. If he actually approached the house, he either left it in the car or turned the volume off. The suspects would probably get suspicious if his phone rang in front of them and he didn’t answer it.”
Spelling looked at his watch. “It’s been twenty-five minutes.” He tipped his head toward Bill. “Call his deputies and see if they’ve talked to him.”
“Right away, sir.” Bill hit Redial on his contact at the sheriff’s department.
“Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Renee speaking. How may I direct your call?”
“Hello, this is Agent Bill Lewis from the FBI. I called earlier. Is there a deputy I can speak with?”
“One moment, sir.”
“Hello, this is Deputy Reese. How can I help you, Agent Lewis?”
“Where is your sheriff, Deputy Reese? Isn’t anyone keeping tabs on his whereabouts?”
“Sure thing, Agent Lewis. Sheriff Wells gave me a call about fifteen minutes ago. He said he was almost to the property.”
“And you haven’t spoken to him since?”
“No, sir. We’re standing by.”
“Get out to that property now! Your sheriff may have just gotten himself, our agent, and his civilian sister in trouble.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll round up everyone and head out.”
“Deputy Reese, no sirens and no lights. Go in quietly and call me back the second you arrive.” Bill hung up and pounded the table with his fists. “Damn Podunk crew. I don’t think they’re taking this seriously. I’m sure that neck of the woods has never dealt with anything worse than someone poaching a deer.”
Spelling stood. “Everyone, suit up in your vests and grab your weapons and extra magazines. We’re taking the chopper. Cam, get on the horn with our hangar at Mitchell Field and tell the crew we need our helicopter ready to go in thirty minutes. Have them clear our arrival with the airport in Portage. I want vehicles at our disposal and somebody waiting there who will lead us to that cabin. Have a SWAT team get out there as soon as they can.”
Thirty minutes later, six of us climbed into the waiting chopper, the blades spun, and the helicopter began to lift. The flight to the Portage airport would take just under an hour, and we still hadn’t heard a word from the deputies.
Chapter 46
“Shit! What do you want me to do, boss?” Anthony slammed on the brakes when he saw three sheriff’s department cruisers sitting along the fire lane.
“The cars are empty, which means they’re trying a sneak attack on the cabin. Let me think. Okay, Anthony, you and I will move ahead in the van, and Antonio, you’ll come in from behind. They’ll be surrounded with no place to hide.” Carden jerked his head at Anthony. “Roll down the windows.” He turned to Antonio at the back of the van. “Hand me one of the AK-47s and a pistol. Arm yourself with the other AK. We’re here to hit our targets, so keep it in semi mode. These idiots aren’t going to ruin our plans for tomorrow.” Carden reached over his shoulder and took the assault rifle from Antonio. “I see movement in the woods, so they haven’t reached the cabin yet. Get out and find cover behind a tree. Take out as many of those deputies as you can, and for God’s sake, don’t get shot. I’ll let them have it from the road. Ready?”
Antonio opened the rear doors and looked over his shoulder at Carden before he jumped out. “Ready, boss.”
Carden gave Anthony a nod. “Gun it.”
The van’s wheel spun in the loose gravel and caused rocks to fly like small missiles. Carden looked back and caught a glimpse of Antonio as he disappeared into the tree cover. With his window down and the rifle aimed at the woods, Carden braced the AK against his shoulder and began firing. He saw three men hit the ground. The ping of return fire glancing off trees and ricocheting down on the van was too close for comfort. The sound was like rain pelting the vehicle’s exterior.
“Those sons of bitches are done.” Carden took aim again, but the sudden blast of Antonio’s rifle in full auto sent men running for their lives. Trees exploded into shredded bark from the force of bullets hitting them. The deputies didn’t have a chance against two rapid-fire AK-47s. They were outgunned and, one by one, fell to their death. The woods went quiet as the echo of gunfire drifted away with the breeze.
“Get to the cabin,” Carden yelled as Anthony floored the gas pedal and barreled down the path. “We have to get the agent and his sister out of there before we’re surrounded. This racket is going to attract every law enforcement agency in a twenty-mile radius.”
The van skidded to a stop in front of the cabin. Carden lurched forward so hard he almost hit the dash. He jumped out, ran to the door, and kicked it in.
“Get Antonio over here quick. We need his help.” Carden ran through the cabin and grabbed the zip ties off the coffee table as he passed through the living room. With a second forceful kick, the bedroom door broke free of its frame.
Julie coiled back against the headboard and tried to scream through the duct tape on her mouth. Fear covered her face.
“We’re leaving now, so get up! You do one thing to piss me off and you die, got it?”
She nodded.
Carden yanked her by the hair and pulled her off the bed. He stretched the zip ties around her wrists then released the ropes that bound her. “Move!” He jammed the pistol into her back and pushed her out the door.
Antonio and Anthony were in charge of getting J.T. out. “How do you want us to do this?” Anthony asked.
“Knock him out. We don’t have time for resistance.”
Anthony shoved the door open so fast it bounced off the back wall. J.T. jumped off the bed, but his efforts were useless. He had only a foot of chain allowing him movement, and with his hands cuffed behind his back, there wasn’t anything he could do. Both Anthony and Antonio had an easy fifty pounds on him. J.T. braced for it as a grapefruit-sized fist was about to nail him between the eyes.
“Grab an arm. Let’s go.” Anthony jerked his head toward the door. He and Antonio dragged the agent out and threw him in the trunk of Julie’s car. “Antonio, put some fresh tape over the agent’s mouth and double-check those cuffs. We’ve got to get the hell out of here.” Anthony ran to the van to help Carden secure Julie. “We’ll be ready to go in five minutes, boss.”
“We’re leaving in two minutes. Get that trunk closed up and torch the cabin.”
A frown furrowed Anthony’s forehead. “Dante is going to be pissed.”
“I don’t give a shit about Dante, and we don’t have time to grab what we brought in or wipe the place down. That’s why people have insurance. Now torch it.” Carden jumped in the driver’s seat and started the van. He laid on the horn and pounded the dash with his fist. “Let’s go!”
Antonio pulled Julie’s car out of the garage and started down the driveway. Thick black smoke began to seep out of the cabin’s seams and chimney. The crack of hot window glass told Carden the house would go up in flames any second.
Anthony closed the overhead, ran out the front door, and jumpe
d in the van. “We’re good to go, sir, and not a minute too soon.” He looked back over his shoulder as Carden barreled down the driveway, a foot behind the bumper of Julie’s car. Orange flames licked the cabin’s log exterior, and the windows exploded outward.
Chapter 47
Spelling wrung his hands. “This doesn’t feel right. We haven’t heard a word from anyone.” He pulled his sleeve back and looked at his watch for the fifth time in ten minutes. “Check your phone, Bill. Maybe you missed the call from Deputy Reese.”
Bill Lewis pulled his phone out of his vest pocket. “No calls, sir.”
“We’ve been in this bird for nearly a half hour. The deputies should have called with an update. Where is the SWAT team? They should be at the cabin too.”
“I’ll try the number for the unit commander in Portage. I’m sure he went to the site with the team.” Bill pulled up the direct number for Corey Franklin, the SRT commander of the Portage team for the last nine years. He covered the microphone with his hand as it rang on the other end. “Just an FYI, sir. Portage has an SRT unit, not a SWAT team. All in all, they fulfill the same type of requirements and duties.” Spelling nodded and stared out the chopper’s window.
“Hello, is this Commander Franklin? Yes, it’s Agent Bill Lewis calling from the FBI. Our chopper should be landing at the Portage airport in about fifteen minutes. Does anyone have eyes on the cabin? Is there activity on that property?” Bill waited quietly as Commander Franklin spoke. “What? You’re sure, and it’s the right address?” Bill clenched his fist. “Yes, we’ll be there as soon as possible. Please get the coroner and a forensic team to the site.” Bill hung up from the call. “I don’t believe this shit!”
“Please tell me it isn’t J.T. and Julie.” I stared at my feet and felt hot tears welling up in my eyes. Maria squeezed my hand.
“They haven’t seen anyone except dead deputies in the woods. The cabin is in flames, the fire trucks just arrived, and there aren’t any vehicles at the scene except three sheriff’s department cruisers along the road. They’ve requested law enforcement’s help from as far away as Madison.”