by M T Stone
“That was one of ‘em,” he replied, immediately seeming agitated.
“So, there was more than one guy?” Dylan glanced around the entryway, and something on a small table immediately caught his eye. It was the same Facebook picture that was at Leo’s. “Where did you get that picture?”
Without a word, the guy leaned back and pulled something out from behind the door. In a split second, he spun around, wielding a sawed-off shotgun like something out of an old western. “I’m not supposed to tell you anything. He told me to fire as soon as I saw you, but I needed to make sure.”
“Who told you? Carson?” he asked, stalling just long enough to get his right hand back on the gun.
“You hold still!” the guy yelled, looking him up and down with those crazy eyes. He adjusted his grip on the trigger, so Dylan knew his moment of truth had arrived. He cocked his wrist and squeezed the trigger with the pistol still in his pocket. The guy’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as the bullet sent him staggering backward, still pointing the shotgun directly at him. He squeezed the trigger two more times, and out of sheer luck, the guy never pulled the trigger.
“Ugh!” The guy groaned as he fell over, dropping the shotgun to the side. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t turn down the money,” he gasped, spending his final breath.
Dylan looked down at the shredded pocket of his sweatshirt. He pulled the gun out and set it down on the small table. Picking up the printed picture, he could see that it was identical in every way to the one he had printed out at the library. He thought about the old man’s last words, about needing the money. He remembered Summer saying that Leo kept his money in the freezer, so he decided to give it a shot. He moved quickly to the refrigerator and opened the door. It was an ancient one with the freezer inside, just like his grandparents had at one time. He grabbed the freezer door and pulled it open. He didn’t see anything but white-wrapped packages of meat. He pulled out several of them, hanging onto them all at first before letting them drop to the floor. He pulled out three more larger ones from the back before hitting the jackpot. Between two of the last packages rested a thick white envelope that had rectangular creases about the size of a dollar bill.
He tossed the packages of meat back in the freezer, including the ones from the floor, before closing the door. He stepped back, pulled the cash from the envelope, and began counting the bills. He quickly shuffled the bills between his hands, counting by twos. “Two, four, six, eight . . . forty-four, forty-six, forty-eight! Un-fucking-believable! I’ll bet it’s the same damn stack!” he exclaimed as he shoved the pile of bills into his pocket and turned to get the hell out of there. The cash would serve as the evidence he needed, since they would most likely match the ones sent in by Detective Thomas. He also needed to grab the picture from the entryway table, because that was the other thing that tied everything together. He rounded the corner out of the kitchen, back toward the entryway.
“Un-fucking-believable is right!” Carson yelled, causing Dylan to freeze in his tracks. “Neither of these crazy backwoods fucks spent a nickel of my money.” He laughed, holding Dylan’s Glock in his left hand and the old man’s shotgun in his right. “If your girlfriend hadn’t stolen a couple of hundred bucks, this whole thing wouldn’t have cost me a dime.”
“I knew it was you!” Dylan stammered, finding himself on the wrong end of two guns. “I had to follow my gut, but I still can’t believe you would do something like this. Why?”
Carson glanced down at the floor for just a second before locking his eyes back on Dylan’s. “It started as a simple deal with the drug cartel, but being back in the area, I became obsessed again. I never should’ve pointed that traffic camera at their house,” he admitted. “Watching them drove me crazy.”
“You were watching Olivia?”
“All of them. Ryan leaving the house first thing in the morning and not coming home until long after dark. Summer wasting her days talking on the phone on the front step and never listening to her mother.” He bit at his lip in frustration. “Do you realize how many days Olivia doesn’t even leave the house? What kind of a life is that?”
“I know she’s been depressed lately, but I think it’s because Summer is going to college.” Dylan’s head was spinning as he tried to rationalize everything unfolding before him. “Why would you kidnap Summer?”
“So I could rescue her,” he said with no hint of remorse. “That little fucker swore that he wouldn’t hurt her. But in hindsight, that just made it easier to shoot him.”
“You know . . . I was really impressed by your skills at the time, but after thinking about it, there were too many things that seemed too good to be true,” Dylan replied. “And when you flipped that land so quickly . . . what were you thinking?”
“I had no choice. I was working against a deadline. I had to have those guys moved across the state line before tomorrow, otherwise it would cost them several million dollars’ worth of inventory.” Carson cleared his throat and pointed the Glock at Dylan’s head. “My only mistake in this whole deal was bailing you out of jail. Damn, I wish I would’ve left you there.”
“If I wouldn’t have been there, Summer would most likely be dead.” Dylan narrowed his eyes.
“But I still would’ve rescued her,” he surmised. “And a dead girl can’t bring up details like a stack of cash or a Facebook picture. I should’ve known that kid would be stupid enough to show her everything.”
“If Summer would’ve died, it would’ve destroyed Olivia.” Dylan’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“Well, it also would’ve destroyed their sham of a marriage,” Carson countered. “Then I could’ve stepped in to help her pick up the pieces.”
“How would you even be able to face her?” He still couldn’t fathom how his uncle had gotten so warped. He had grown up in a good family, with parents who loved and supported him. “What the hell happened to you?”
Carson chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Your dad was always the favorite son, the only son. He could do no wrong. You remind me a lot of him, by the way.” He shook the shotgun at Dylan’s head. “After he died, I had to watch Mom slowly wither away from depression. No one else was there for her. Neither you or that piece of shit mother of yours ever came to visit.”
“We were just trying to survive, you know that,” Dylan sneered back at him. “You were her son, so I’m sure Mom assumed that it was your responsibility. She couldn’t deal with anything more, and I was just a kid.”
“At least you showed up at the hospital that last day,” Carson replied, actually choking up a bit. “It meant a lot to her.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t do more, but it’s not like I could go visit her on my own.” Dylan wiped his eyes with back of his hand. “So now you’re going to kill me too?”
“I wasn’t planning on it. I thought that crazy old fucker would’ve taken care of you.” He scowled, acknowledging the dead farmer. “Then I’d polish him off and make it look like the two of you shot each other.”
Dylan looked at the shotgun before looking back at Carson. “You’re not going to get away with this. Summer knows I’m here.”
“Well, as you can see, I’m wearing gloves, so if I leave the two of you lying here with only your prints all over these two weapons . . . I don’t’ see how an investigator could come to any other conclusion,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulder. “You shot him, and he got a shot off before he dropped.” Carson swung the tip of the gun at Dylan, catching him off-guard and forcing him toward the front door. “Haven’t you heard that you never go into a situation like this without backup? You picked one hell of a time to become an amateur detective.”
“I couldn’t help it. I had to find out if you actually had something to do with all of this. I figured out that this guy was the only one who could confirm my suspicions, and once I was here, I realized that you had your partner killed too,” Dylan speculated, searching for an additional confession. “Did he realize that you had lost your mind?”
> “He got himself killed . . . just like you.” Carson’s eyes flared with anger. “I gave both of you fair warning. For you, this is strike three. So it’s your own fault that you’ve struck out!”
Dylan flinched as Carson pointed the shotgun at his chest. Bam! A spray of blood splattered Dylan’s right cheek as the shotgun careened from Carson’s hand. “Ahh!” Carson screamed, pulling the trigger on the Glock, hitting Dylan square in the chest and knocking him backward out the door. Bam! Bam! Bam! Blood continued to splatter in all directions as Dylan rolled on the ground, squeezing his chest.
“Fuck, I’m sorry, kiddo,” Ryan exclaimed a few seconds later as he breathlessly scrambled to his side. “I had a hell of a time getting a clean shot. It wasn’t until you flinched right at the end that I could get a lock on him.”
“Here, put these cuffs on him,” Dylan replied, pulling them from his pocket. “I’ve got Dad’s bulletproof vest on.”
“Oh, thank God!” Ryan shook Dylan by the shoulder, taking the cuffs and moving past him toward Carson.
“I can’t move my fucking arms!” Carson screamed at him. “You fucked up both of them!”
“Damn right, I did.” He grabbed his left arm and flopped him onto his stomach. “I was determined not to kill you because I don’t want you to get off that easily.” He slapped the cuffs on both of his wrists and cinched them tight. “I know how much the inmates will love having a DEA agent in prison.” He turned back to Dylan, who still had his hands pressed to his chest. “You most likely have a couple of cracked or broken ribs. We’ll get you checked out when we get back to the hospital.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m just glad my backup got here in time,” Dylan said, looking over at his uncle. “And luckily, he’s pretty good with a deer rifle.”
“I’ve always been a pretty good shot,” Ryan agreed with a smirk. “I’d better call 911 so the son of a bitch doesn’t bleed out on me.”
Dylan sat there on the porch, staring at his uncle in total disbelief. He had always known that he was nothing like his father, but this was completely blowing his mind. Carson had always had a chip on his shoulder and been quick tempered, but he had always kind of looked up to him. He was strong and determined and seemed to have his shit together. Apparently, twenty years of military service and dealing with drug traffickers had completely messed up his moral compass. “So you guys brought the medals out to Leo, and while you were there, you saw an opportunity that you could get for practically nothing? Is that how it started?”
“Those medals had been lying around for years. We always heard it was some crazy guy who lived out on a private lake,” he replied after lifting his chin from the floor. “My partner thought we should track down his family and deliver them. I was just along for the ride.”
“How did you change my phone settings?” he asked after another brief pause, his head continuing to clear.
Carson simply glared at him. “Two tips,” he finally said, his breathing ragged and choppy the way Summer’s had been the night of her rescue. “Always have backup . . . and never accept a data file from an agent.” He lowered his chin back to the floor and closed his eyes.
Chapter 31
Two days later
Olivia helped Summer from the car and walked behind her as she maneuvered her crutches along the sidewalk and up the front steps of the house. Instinctively, she paused at the top step, pulled out her phone, and sent Jana a Snapchat. It was the exact scene that Olivia had focused on the entire time. Tears immediately blurred her vision, as everything was now perfect. It used to irritate her, but now she couldn’t have been happier to see her little girl back on the front steps with her phone in hand.
“Come inside for a bit,” she coaxed as she walked up the steps and opened the door for her. “Grandma made you a cake, and your father has a surprise for you too.”
Since it was her eighteenth birthday, Summer glanced around the corner and up the driveway just in case she hadn’t noticed the new car. The driveway was empty, but she nonetheless gave her mother a coy smile. Ever since Carson’s ruse had come to light, both Olivia and Ryan had been feeling much better about their financial predicament. Ironically, getting back to where they used to be had them feeling like they had won the lottery. Life is definitely a game of perception.
“Where’s Dad?” she asked, looking around the living room before hobbling through to the kitchen.
“He and Cliff went to pick up some ice cream,” Grandma told her, placing a beautifully decorated cake in the center of the table. “It’s your favorite, marble cake with buttercream frosting.”
“Mmm.” Summer snatched a fingerful of frosting from the corner. “That half can be mine.” She was only joking, but since she only weighed ninety-eight pounds by the time she left the hospital, there would be no watching her diet for several months.
“I’m so glad to see you back at home.” Grandma reached out and wrapped her arms around her. “I knew you were going to be just fine.”
“There were a few moments that required lots of faith, but none of us ever gave up on you,” Olivia added, wrapping her arms around her from the back side. She would’ve been content to simply hold her for the rest of the day, but a rumble outside caught Summer’s attention.
“The guys must be back,” Olivia said, dropping her arms and glancing toward the door.
Summer immediately hobbled over to the window and let out a squeal of delight upon seeing a black BMW in the driveway. “I knew I recognized that sound!” she shrieked, turning to hobble back toward the door.
“Happy birthday, sweetie.” Olivia beamed as she watched Summer patiently wait for her father to come through the door. Every little expression on her face now seemed precious, as if they were gifts from above.
“Happy birthday!” Ryan said with a broad smile as he came through the door. Grandpa Cliff was a couple of steps behind him, toting a bucket of ice cream. “It’s not a new one, but it only has twenty-five thousand miles,” he said, picking her up in his arms and giving her a big hug.
“It’s gorgeous, Dad! It looks like new.” Summer continued to beam as she looked out at it. A shiny, black BMW with beautiful chrome wheels, exactly what she had always wanted. “I sure hope I can drive it.” She looked down at the bulky cast on her left foot.
“You’ll be fine,” Ryan assured her. “We’ll take it for a spin after we have some cake.”
Cliff wrapped an arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. “Happy birthday, darling. You’re going to look great in that car.”
“Thanks, Grandpa.” She smiled and kissed him back.
The room was filled with smiling faces as Grandma cut up the birthday cake and Grandpa scooped ice cream. It reminded Olivia of the parties they had when Summer was a little girl. The only thing missing was the other set of grandparents. She sent them a mental hello and acknowledged that they were still there in spirit. She also sent a message of thanks for the fact that Summer was back home. It would’ve been a truly devastating day if Summer hadn’t made it. Their other problems were now just background noise, nothing more than minor inconveniences in comparison to having their daughter back.
“Sorry I’m late,” Dylan exclaimed as he came through the door. “I had to pick up the girls at the mall. Whose car is in the driveway?” He looked over at Summer, suspecting that it was the birthday present that she had been dreaming about.
“It’s mine,” she squealed as Dylan took her in his arms and gave her a birthday hug as well. “This is the best birthday ever!”
“This is the best birthday ever.” Olivia nodded in full agreement. “I have dreamed about this day for the last week, and it turned out exactly how I hoped it would. I love all of you so much.” Tears once again sprang from the corners of her eyes as she continued to be overwhelmed by her emotions. “Good God, I can’t stop crying.”
“It’s been a turbulent week for all of us.” Ryan slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “We all feel the same way.
” There was a light that had returned to his eyes as well, a sort of glimmer that had been missing for as long as Olivia could remember. A dark cloud that had always hung over them seemed to have finally lifted, and it was time for them to make a fresh start.
That afternoon, there were lots of laughs along with plenty of coffee, cake, and ice cream. Afterward, everyone went outside to watch while Summer took her father for the first ride around the block. Luckily, it was an automatic so she had no issues driving with a cast. As soon as he was convinced that she could handle it, she reappeared in the driveway to exchange her father for Dylan.
“Please be home for dinner,” was the only request he made as he got out of the car.
“We’ll only be gone for a little while,” she assured him before backing out of the driveway and taking off down the street.
In that moment, Olivia realized that it would take some time for things to truly return to normal. In spite of her training and the endless hours of counseling she had done for others, nothing could prepare her for the pit in her stomach. The immediate ache that she felt as Summer’s car vanished over the horizon was almost unbearable. How long would she worry? How long would it be until she trusted the world again? And could she ever forgive Carson? Unfortunately, she feared the answer to the last part of that question was probably never. The others could only be determined by the passing of time.
Summer let out a series of raspy coughs as they turned and headed downtown. She had been trying not to cough since leaving the hospital because it always made everyone freak out. She didn’t want to sit at home all day, so she was determined to act as if she were getting well. Once she started coughing, however, it was hard to stop.
“Are you okay?” Dylan finally asked after a full minute of coughing.