Lethal Target

by Janice Cantore

  Gabe’s expression told her nothing. “Belcher asked us to keep quiet about the investigation. That’s all I can say, Chief.”

  Tess nodded. “You’re a good cop, Gabe.” She left him on the sidewalk and approached her car, feeling the walls closing in though she was outside.

  She drove down the street slowly, not sure what she should do and worried that her home would become a prison if she went there. Tess thought about going to Jonkey’s home but knew her officer would call her if she discovered anything.

  No, the most important thing right now was Oliver. Where was he?

  Tess wanted to swing by Arthur’s home and look around herself, but that was probably where Gabe would go, and she certainly didn’t want to give him any trouble.

  She made the turn for the Stairsteps, a local tourist attraction, and inspiration struck. Tess accelerated. She drove to the end of the road and the utility shed. Glad she’d thrown her gun into the car at the last minute, she strapped the belt on and racked a round in the chamber of the 9mm before securing it in the holster. She unlocked the shed and stepped inside. The Kubota and the single-seat quad were parked next to one another.

  Tess unlocked the key drawer and grabbed the key for the single quad. This might be foolish, but it was the only way she knew to come around the pot farm from behind. And something Tilly had said kept repeating in her mind. Don Cherry was riding an ATV up the canyon, maybe fooling around at Arthur’s house. A chill went through her as she had the thought that Cherry could be dumping bodies in the canyon.

  I won’t consider that, she thought. Oliver can’t be dead—he can’t be.

  She pushed the single quad out, locked up the shed again, then climbed onto the quad and fired it up. Heading up the trail, Tess drove as fast as she thought safe and hoped she could find the trail above the old logging camp.

  – – –

  The trail was steep in spots, but it was easily traversed with the quad. Tess passed two sets of hikers and got yelled at for disturbing the peace. After she’d traveled for about half an hour, she stopped, shut the vehicle down, and tried to get her bearings. She stood on the seat of the quad and was gratified when she caught a glimpse of the Rogue River. From the bend in the river, she knew she was close to where the canyon behind Arthur’s place would be.

  Tess went along for several minutes and then almost rolled past a path heading down. Very carefully she directed the quad down the trail. Brush caught her pant legs and crunched under the quad’s wheels. Soon she was below the tree line and then she glimpsed the millpond. The trail got wider, and soon Tess was at the camp. She drove the quad to almost the same place she and Gabe had stopped what seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Turning the motor off, Tess took stock of her surroundings. She still had some ways to go to get to Arthur’s but wasn’t certain about how far she should take the quad. The noise of the motor would give her away if anyone was paying attention. She climbed off and walked to the closest building. Frowning, she studied the ground. The brush was all compacted around the largest structure, the one Gabe had said was the mess hall. Small tire tracks were everywhere.

  If these were all from Don Cherry, what was he doing up here?

  She walked to the structure and tried to open the door. It wouldn’t budge. For something that looked ready to fall down, the door was super secure. New boards were obvious.

  Tess stepped back and looked the door over. She saw the problem. There were pieces of wood wedged in the top of the door and along the side. As long as the wedges were there, the door wouldn’t open. She couldn’t reach the top ones, but two wedges in the side came out when she worked on them with her pocketknife. She had to push the quad close enough to stand on it and pry out the last wedge.

  She jumped down and studied the door. What would she find behind it?

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  After the shock from the Taser wore off, Oliver opened his eyes to see Don Cherry kneeling next to him. His large hand was pressed into the middle of Oliver’s chest.

  “Do exactly as I say. I don’t want to kill you, but I will if you force my hand.”

  Oliver could only nod. The jolt of electrical current had taken his breath away.

  Cherry turned him on his side and bound his hands together with duct tape. He then ripped off a single piece of tape and put it over his mouth.

  “Now get up,” he said, grasping Oliver by the elbow and pulling him to his feet. Oliver still felt wobbly, but the big man steadied him and led him out the back door. Once there, he sat Oliver down in one of Arthur’s Kubotas. “Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”

  Oliver swallowed, wishing he could speak. All of Arthur’s vehicles were outside the workshop. He turned his head as best he could when he heard his car being started. Cherry pulled it around and into the workshop.

  None of the ATVs could be seen from the street, but Oliver had to wonder who moved all the ATVs from Arthur’s garage and why. Had the young man looking after the livestock done it? That made no sense. It also made him kick himself for the drive-bys he’d done, that he’d not walked the property. He owed Arthur an apology.

  All of that paled when a question popped into his mind. What on earth was Cherry up to?

  He heard footsteps and voices and turned. Two men were walking up from the direction of the Hang Ten. He’d never seen either one before. One was tall and lanky; the other short and stocky, with a nasty-looking scar on his face.

  They gave Oliver the creeps as they looked him over.

  “Just kill him,” the short one said to Cherry when he walked out of the workshop. “We’re short on time. The chief is our only loose end; then we’re out of here.”

  Cherry nodded, his face unreadable.

  “Where are you putting these bodies?” the tall one asked.

  “Millpond,” Cherry said. “Weight ’em and sink ’em.”

  Oliver stared at the man he’d been talking to for weeks. A man he’d believed was not really evil. Bodies. Who was he talking about? Bryce and Drake?

  “We should just leave after he dumps this one. We have all the advantage right now,” the tall one said as he dumped what appeared to be sunflower seeds into his hand.

  “No,” the short one said. “I want the chief dead first. And we would have been gone yesterday if you hadn’t missed.”

  “Not like you didn’t miss your chance, champ.”

  For a minute, the two stared at one another.

  The tall man blinked. “Well, just do it then, and let’s go.”

  “This is the priest, isn’t it?” the short one asked.

  Cherry nodded.

  “Good. This should bring the chief to us. Go dump him, then get back here. We need to set something up.”

  Cherry climbed onto the Kubota while the other two men walked back into Arthur’s house. As the big man drove them up the canyon, Oliver wished the tape on his mouth would budge. As it was, all he could do was pray.

  – – –

  “It’s okay, Pastor Mac.”

  Oliver stared at Bryce Evergreen as Cherry marched him into one of the old logging cabins. Next to Bryce was a pale and bruised Drake Harper. Oliver turned to Cherry, who ripped the tape from his mouth.

  “Ow. What on earth is going on?” he asked, mouth feeling full of cotton.

  “Just sit, padre. No time to explain.” He held a bottle of water up for Oliver to take a drink.

  His expression stopped Oliver from asking any more questions. This was the dangerous Cherry. After Oliver drank, Cherry pointed to the guys on the floor, and Oliver went to his knees first and then sat next to Bryce, peering at Drake.

  “Is he okay?”

  Bryce shook his head. “He needs a doctor. His arm is broke, and he might be bleeding inside.”

  Oliver looked at Cherry. The big man’s face was unreadable. He shrugged. “Sorry that happened. Hopefully this will all be over soon and help will come for you.”

  “What will be over?” Oliver asked.

  “The chi
ef will be dead and all of us will be gone.” He turned to leave.

  “Don, wait. You’ve not killed me or Bryce or Drake. Why kill the chief?”

  “She’s a cop. I don’t care one way or another about her. You guys . . . well, I got no beef with any of you. Boss wanted you dead; I thought he was wrong. And what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

  “But I care about the chief. Don, don’t do this. You’re not a killer; you’ve changed . . . you—”

  “It’s the boss who has a problem with her. He wants her dead, that’s on him. He ain’t asking me to do it. He pays my ticket. Nothing personal with me. You all sit tight. I’ll find a way to let someone know you’re here.” He pointed at Oliver. “That’s all I can promise.” Then he turned and left, closing the door behind him. They could hear him pounding it closed securely. Oliver could see there were fresh boards on the door; someone had shored it up.

  He turned to Bryce. “What on earth is going on? We’ve been looking all over for you.”

  Bryce shrugged. “We’ve been here since Tuesday.” He nodded toward Drake. “This guy came to the Hang Ten. He had a gun and threatened to kill me, said something about his kid. Anyway, he forced his way into the house. I think he wanted to kill Haywood, but Haywood wasn’t alone. The Hulk snuck up behind us and got the gun. They fought; the Hulk snapped his arm like a twig.”

  “Then he brought you here?”

  Bryce nodded. “There was a short Mexican dude—he’s new to the Hang Ten. He wanted to kill us both right there at the Hang Ten. The Hulk stopped him, said he’d rather we were able to walk to our graves. I thought we were dead. He brought us up here. He’s fed us, gave us water and bathroom breaks . . . I don’t get it.”

  Oliver tried to digest this new information and consider the contradiction that was Don Cherry. “I can see why he was angry with Drake, but why did he want to kill you?”

  “I got out of my trailer to eavesdrop on the conversation. I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see. There was a cop in the house with Haywood, an FBI agent, I think. He’s dirty. They didn’t want me to tell anyone. Those guys, they all have one thing in common.”

  “What’s that?”

  “They hate that chief, man. She’s a dead woman.”

  Oliver leaned his head back against the rough wood plank behind him. Fear shot through him. A dirty FBI agent. That scary little man with the scar. He needed to get free, to warn Tess. But how?

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  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” The verse ran through Tess’s mind as she considered what might be behind the door. Three men were missing. Had they been killed and their remains hidden in this old building? She thought of her dad and she thought of Oliver. They were both praying men.

  She closed her eyes. What a hypocrite she’d be right now, to call on the God she’d been so angry with for so long. She wasn’t sure she could bear it, to see Oliver stretched out dead in this shabby old building. She would have traded her life for him—she knew it in an instant. If he was dead because of a mistake she’d made, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

  All she could say was “Please, Lord, no. He can’t be dead; he can’t be.”

  She took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

  There, sitting with his back to the wall, staring at her, sat Oliver. Next to him was Bryce and next to him was Drake Harper.

  The shock took her breath away, but Oliver spoke. “Tess! Thank God you’re okay.”

  She swallowed and found her voice. “I could say the same right back at you.” She lurched forward, wanting to grab the guy and hold him close for a really long while. But time and place kept her at the task at hand, cutting off the duct tape restraints and finding out how this miracle happened. Drake’s pallor stopped her.

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  Bryce told her.

  As he and Oliver stood and rubbed their wrists, Tess checked for a pulse. He had a strong pulse, but he was burning up with fever. His arm also appeared to have two elbows; the sight made her queasy.

  “You’re by yourself?” Oliver asked. “They want to kill you. Can you call for backup?”

  “I have my phone. I will. He needs help.”

  Drake stirred and Tess turned to Bryce. “How long has he been out?”

  “Not long. He was talking a little bit ago.”

  “See if you can get him to drink some water.”

  He nodded. Tess and Oliver stepped outside, and she reached for her phone, only it wasn’t in her pocket.

  Fighting panic, Tess rushed to the QuadRunner. Her phone was nowhere to be found. Then an image formed in her mind. She’d been in such a hurry she’d left the phone in her car, a long, long way away from here.

  “What?” Oliver asked.

  “I don’t have my phone.”

  “We have to get out of here, Tess. Cherry says his boss wants to kill you. And Bryce says there’s a dirty FBI agent with him.”

  Tess raised her eyebrows. “FBI? What did you see?”

  “Two men besides Cherry. A short Hispanic man and a tall, slim Anglo. They both seemed to be in charge.”

  Something clicked for Tess, random pieces falling into place. The tipped-off raid, the agent’s hostility, the long trail of illegal drugs. “It’s a DEA agent. That’s how the Ghost has been able to be a ghost.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing, just thinking out loud. The short one, what did he look like?”

  “He had an ugly scar on his face.”

  “José Garcia, a very wanted man. He goes by the moniker Ghost.”

  “Is he the dragon you’ve been wanting to slay?”

  In spite of everything, the reference to dragon slaying made Tess smile. “He sure is.”

  Just then Bryce emerged from the cabin, supporting Drake, who was awake, alert, and obviously in a lot of pain.

  Oliver went to help. They moved Drake to where he could lean on the quad.

  Tess tried to think, tried to determine her options. There weren’t many. At best, two people could fit on the quad, certainly not four. She wished she’d brought the Kubota.

  “How are you holding up, Mr. Harper?” Tess asked.

  “I’ll live. I was wrong about you, Chief. I was wrong about a lot of things. I—”

  “Not important. Do you think you could ride on the quad with Oliver driving?”

  He nodded.

  “Wait. I’m not leaving you.”

  “Someone has to get Drake to medical help.”

  “I can,” Bryce offered. “I even know my way out of here. Used to hike up here to get high, back in the day.”

  Tess wanted Oliver out of harm’s way, but she didn’t see how to force the issue. There was no time to argue. “All right. It’ll be rough, Mr. Harper.”

  “I’ll survive. And it’s Drake.”

  Tess handed Bryce the quad keys and the keys to her car. “Phone is on the front seat, but take the car if you think you need to.”

  They all helped Drake onto the ATV first. There was barely enough room for the two men, but Bryce was a small enough man and he could easily drive and steer with Drake behind him.

  Bryce started the engine. “I’ll go as fast as I dare.”

  “Just get there in one piece.”

  He nodded and turned the quad, headed back the way Tess had just come.

  When he was out of sight, Tess turned to Oliver. She struggled with wanting to run down the hill and confront Garcia, Cherry, and the dirty traitor, Hemmings, and wanting to take it slow and give Bryce time to call for help.

  “Any chance I can get you to stay here until everything is under control?” she said.

  “Don’t you think we should just sit tight until help comes?”

  “I can’t. There’s a drug dealer and a crooked DEA agent down there. They need to be stopped and I plan to do it.”

  “Then where you go, I go.”

  “Oliver.” Tess stopped. She’d hav
e to find a compromise with the man. “I’m the one who’s armed. Will you at least stay behind me and follow instruction?”

  “I can do that.”

  She started down the path toward Arthur’s house at a leisurely pace.

  “You just plan on walking in on them?” Oliver asked as he fell into step next to her.

  “I’m not sure yet. I need to know what they’re up to. Did Cherry tell you anything?”

  “Just that they planned to kill you and then leave. It sounded like the tall one was going to try to lure you up here because of me.”

  “That’s what bothers me. Suppose they’ve already lured Bender or Pounder up?”

  “It sounded like his main beef was with you, so he might not hurt them.”

  “Hmm. He’s a stone-cold killer, so I doubt that.” She lengthened her stride, trying to remember how long it took her and Bender to drive down the canyon. It was a mile and a half. How long would that take to walk? How long would it take Bryce to get help?

  They’d walked for several minutes when Tess realized Oliver was very quiet.

  “Are you okay?”

  He nodded. “I’m praying.”

  She stopped, faced him, and he regarded her with his stormy green-gray eyes. Tess saw so much there that she knew—his strength, compassion—and there was a hint of what she didn’t know and of what she wanted to learn about.

  She felt her heart skip a beat. “You know, I better tell you something now, in case I don’t get another chance.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You were right yesterday. About my dad. Sorry I got angry.”

  “I took you by surprise. That’s okay.”

  “I . . .” She swallowed, knowing she had to hurry but not wanting to rush this. “I know God is there, he’s real. Maybe you can help me catch up on what I’ve missed after all these years of being angry.”

  “I’d be happy to.” He smiled and Tess wanted to lean into him, throw her arms around him, and not think of anything else. But reality intruded when, in the distance, she heard gunfire.

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