“Seriously?” Rio asked.
“Oh, yeah...” Billy’s voice shuddered with disgust. “They assumed I was doing what they thought I’d been doing all night.” He checked the rearview mirror again. The SUV was following them and attempting to hide a couple of cars back. “When I passed by them, the driver gave me a thumbs up.” His laughter was fueled by disgust. “What a couple of idiots.”
At Billy’s house, they snuck in through the garage, and Rio headed straight to her bedroom and her laptop.
She wasn’t worried about getting caught, figuring Billy would be preoccupied with Janey. She typed her email with swift precision and then hit the “send” button.
Dear Uncle Gabe…The birdie will be captured later today. Its final resting place will be in Brunswick Canyon. You should be in place before eight a.m. tomorrow morning…Your Loving Niece, Rio.
~~~~
CHAPTER 41
Early the next morning an entourage of vehicles left Billy’s house and filed into the street one right after the other, all heading in the same direction.
The guys in the SUV looked a little nervous as the parade of cars passed them by. The passenger had his cell at his ear and the driver boldly got in line behind the last truck and followed them.
Rio and Janey were with Billy in his Jeep. Rio was in the backseat and on the phone with Billy’s friend, Danny, who was in a truck several vehicles behind them.
“They’re following us?” Rio asked, already easily guessing the answer.
“Oh, yeah,” Danny said with a slight laugh. “It’s time to reel ’em in.”
“Perfect.” Rio smiled, slapped the phone shut and leaned toward the front of the Jeep.
Billy chuckled. “They’re following us, huh?”
She knew he didn’t need a response to his inquiry. He knew the score. “They’re so predictable.”
Rio, Billy, and Janey gathered in Brunswick Canyon with about thirty tribe members. Several of them scrambled to dig up the site again before their friends were able to realize, from a distance, the place had already been dug up recently.
Rio knew Turner’s goons were somewhere nearby. If they were smart they were staked out on the high ridge across the canyon. Common sense told her it afforded an unobstructed view of them. And the best part—it was far enough away to shield what they were really doing.
* * *
In Turner Atkins’s Vegas warehouse, the phone on his desk rang. He snatched it up and said into the receiver, “Talk to me.”
“I think they found the place, Boss.” Biggs’s voice filtered in with great news—if it was true.
“And what makes you think so?” Turner asked.
“They’re up in this canyon right now,” he said, relaying the morning’s chain of events. “They’ve got about thirty, or so, people with them.”
Turner propped his feet up on the desk. “Don’t worry about it,” he said in a poised tone. “By the time they get it dug up…I’ll have an army of men at the bottom of the canyon.”
He dropped the phone back into the cradle and patted the desktop. After all, if it hadn’t been for this desk he would’ve never found the map fragment—the one single object that was going to give him triple—maybe quadruple—the wealth that he currently had.
Had Sammy Styles known what he was giving away in exchange for a debt settlement.... Well, not everybody could be lucky. But Turner was one lucky son-of-a-gun to have happened upon the map the way he did.
It wasn’t the map he’d taken as payment. It was the desk, after he’d verified that it had once belonged to the wife of a California State Supreme Court Judge back in the 1800s. He liked the idea of taking a historical artifact directly related to the justice system and using it in a such an illicit manner.
He’d happened upon the map some time later, while tinkering with the desk. After listening to all his grandmother’s stories he just knew there had to be a secret compartment in it somewhere—and he was right. Even so, he’d expected to find something better than old scribbles on a single piece of paper. He put it back in the desk’s compartment—it seemed like the thing to do—and never gave it a moment’s thought until Audrey Tajan waltzed into his life and told her about her own family’s legends.
The fact that they had their own map fragment did pique his curiosity, but he kept his mouth shut about what he had found. The more he learned about her family’s history, the more he realized that his map and her family’s map were two halves of the same map.
At that point, Turner had one goal—to get his hands on the Tajans’ half of the map.
* * *
Rio stood off to the side, distancing herself from the others. It was almost over now. Soon she’d be going home—back to Vegas. Considering the circumstances, that was probably best. Maybe the quicker she got away from this place, the better off she’d be. Around here, everywhere she looked all she could see was that this was where she’d found and lost Tajan.
She gazed out over the canyon, wishing she could somehow make the loneliness go away. Her soul felt like a shell of her normal spirit. The only things left were the raw sores of her aching heart.
“You okay?” Billy asked. Somehow, he’d snuck up on her.
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat, knowing she didn’t sound convincing.
“You don’t look okay.”
“I’ll be okay.” She forced a nod. “I’m not sure how…but I will.” Rio sucked in a breath and then looked at Billy. She really needed to change the subject. “You’ve got the treasure tucked safely away, don’t you?”
“Yes.” He kicked his foot against the ground but it was too hard to do much damage. “But I still don’t understand why you don’t want to know where it is.”
“I don’t want anything to do with it.” She turned away, to hide her disgust.
“You think we should turn it over to the authorities?”
“No.” She whipped around to face him. “That’s not it. The treasure and everything it stands for is the reason Maggie and Tajan died. The tribe can have it. Maybe something worthwhile can come from it...otherwise, they died in vain.”
Several hours later, after the faux treasure had been dug up, two chests were brought to the surface and the entire party had started to celebrate. But it was only for show. A façade while they waited for the bad guys to arrive.
The party was interrupted by a group of men converging upon them with guns. Turner Atkins led the way.
Rio was thrilled to see Turner leading the pack, but she hid it. For now.
“Ahhh…” Turner waved his gun at Billy. “I see I’m right on time.” He eyed the chests. “I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate you digging these up for me,” he said, downright sarcastic. “And you, Rio…” His glare shifted to her. “Unfortunately, that hundred grand is all you’re getting out of me.”
All eyes turned on Rio like she’d been hit with some sort of magnetic field. Billy gave her one of those looks that said he understood what all the secrecy was about.
“Get the chests!” Turner squawked out the order.
More men with more guns emerged from the shadows.
“FBI…” the apparent leader of the group called out. “Drop your weapons and raise your hands.”
The next couple of minutes probably happened quickly for everyone except Rio. It played out in agonizing, slow motion for her.
Turner’s goons ducked for cover and began firing at the Feds. A shootout commenced between the two groups. Rio and Billy’s party members began to scatter and run for cover. This turn of events wasn’t something any of them were prepared for, and now Rio realized her mistake.
Like a little weasel Turner scampered behind a tree. He peeked out from time to time. Rio knew he was looking for her. She had news for him. She wasn’t about to make herself an easy target.
But then his sights zeroed in on Billy, as if he were a worthy consolation prize. He raised his gun and pointed it at Rio’s newfound cousin.
He was aiming to kill, and Rio wasn’t about to let that happen. Without thinking about the consequences, she ran between them as Turner fired off multiple shots.
An excruciating pain spiraled out from her back. Her legs failed her and she slumped to the ground.
Fear pounded against Billy’s temples as he stared at Rio lying lifeless before him. Another shot rang out and he frantically searched for its target.
The bigmouthed guy that had called out Rio, the obvious leader of the first group, slid down the tree he’d been hiding behind and crumpled to the ground.
Gunfire was still flying, but Billy didn’t care. He ran to Rio and dropped to the ground, cradling her in his arms.
The gunfire slowed. Billy scanned the area. The first set of guys scattered.
One of the Feds used his cell phone and started barking out orders. “I need a chopper up here now. We have an agent down. She has multiple gunshot wounds.”
Billy felt the wetness of Rio’s blood soaking through his clothing. “Rio…” He called her name with frantic intensity. “Talk to me!”
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “My friend…” her quivering voice trailed off. She took a deep breath. Her eyes closed and her body went limp.
“Rio? Wake up, Rio…” Despair poured out in his voice.
Rio’s spirit rose from her body. She watched with vague curiosity as federal agents rushed to her side. They forced her away from Billy and started CPR.
One of the agents looked up at his senior officer who was still on the phone. “Sir.” He shook his head. “She’s not breathing.”
Billy yanked her away from the agent and starting performing mouth-to-mouth. Between breaths, he yelled at her, “Don’t you do it, Rio...damn it. Don’t you leave.”
Rio felt no pain, no loss, no remorse as Billy tried with desperate fervor to revive her. All the while, a helicopter hovered overhead and landed on the hilltop.
“One, two, three…” Billy continued to perform CPR on her. “You wake up, Rio. Do you hear me?”
Paramedics emerged from the helicopter and scrambled down the hillside.
“Billy…” Janey called out softly, but Rio heard her loud and clear.
Janey took a couple of steps toward Billy and Rio’s body.
Bill clutched Janey’s shoulder with a gentle, yet firm, touch. “Janey, he’s got to try and save her,” Bill said. “Otherwise, her death will forever be on his conscience.”
Rio looked at Billy. Her death on his conscience was not what she wanted.
Involuntarily, she slammed back into her body.
Rio gasped for air.
“Rio…” Billy hugged her. “Thank God!”
~~~~
CHAPTER 42
Inside the hospital waiting room, the Tajans waited for some news about Rio’s condition. Their friends were scattered about. Everyone sat in silence. No one was talking. A downhearted veil seemed to have been cloaked around the group. It was as if, in their anguish, they’d forgotten that she’d been accused of deceiving them.
But Rio had paid her dues. And in the end, she’d proven where her loyalties lay.
Billy sat quietly beside his parents. Janey was at his side. He wished someone would come out soon and give them an update.
The senior FBI man from the site charged in. Scanning the room, he caught sight of Billy. “Is there any news?”
“No,” Billy stood and met him face-to-face. “Who are you? Why were you calling Rio an agent?”
A smile tried to curl on the fed’s lips. “Rio and I are FBI.” He took an empty seat across from Billy’s parents and waited for Billy to return to his seat. When he did, the fed said, “she’s been investigating Turner Atkins for a long time. Five years.”
A doctor, an older man with balding, white hair emerged from behind the double doors leading into the ER’s treatment area. He paused and surveyed the room. His attention landed and stayed on the Tajans and their support group.
Seeing the doctor looking their way, Billy stood and moved toward him.
“The family of Rio Laraquette?” the doctor inquired.
“Yes. We’re her family,” Billy said, and read his name tag. Dr. Edward Sharp.
“Well...” Dr. Sharp shook his head. “She’s lost a lot of blood.”
“I’ll give it to her,” Billy said without hesitation.
“Her type is rare.”
“Let me guess,” Billy said. “A-B negative.”
“How did you know that?”
“Because that’s my blood type.”
“Of course,” the doctor said. “You’re family.”
Billy donated his blood, and once finished, he massaged his arm and left the lab. He headed down the hospital corridor. He’d had lots of time to sit and think about what had happened while they were retrieving his blood. He made up his mind before finishing in the lab—as soon as he was done helping Rio, he was going to find Turner Atkins.
Locating Turner’s room was easy. Billy walked inside and stood over him.
Turner’s eyes popped open. Uncertainty, and then fear bulged his eyes.
Good.
Billy backed into the chair beside Turner’s bed. “If you’re wondering about the guards...” He propped his feet up on the bed. “They’re not going to help you.” He shook his head and flashed Turner a wicked grin that he could’ve been proud of had he not been on the receiving end. “They know I’m in here…and they really don’t care.” Billy latched his hands behind his head. “I have connections with the FBI, you know.” He couldn’t help smirking. “So I guess, when you hired her…the thought that she might actually be my cousin never crossed your mind?”
Turner didn’t say anything. He looked petrified.
“Funny how that works. You hired her to pretend to be someone she already is.” Billy laughed at the irony. “But you know what the best part is...you ended up with a bunch of fool’s gold.”
Turner gave a pained sigh.
“Yep. That’s right. Fool’s gold.” Billy snickered. “I don’t think the FBI’s going to let you keep it though.” His tone grew serious. “But I can guarantee you this...I personally will be right there to testify against you in court. You better pray they convict you, too,” his voice was filled with resolve. “Because if they don’t, I’m going to hunt you down and kill you myself. And that’s not a threat...it’s a promise!”
~~~~
EPILOGUE
Las Vegas
Six Weeks Later
Time passed, and Rio’s wounds had almost healed completely. But the pain in her heart hadn’t lessened a bit. She’d taken home an emptiness that would never heal. One she’d never be able to fill.
She knew the only thing that could ever help her mend her broken soul was Tajan.
But that story had played out a long time ago. It was a tale about Tajan and Maggie. But she wasn’t Maggie. Not anymore. Now she was Rio. And she didn’t understand how or where she could possibly fit into Tajan and Maggie’s story.
She sat alone on the snack bar in her kitchen. For the first time in a long time she wore a pleasant smile as she read Billy’s letter.
Dear Rio:
I’m happy to hear that you’re recovering so well. I wish you would’ve stayed up here for a while during this period. But I can understand that you needed a change of scenery.
Everybody up here is doing well. My father, your uncle, says to say hello and that he sends his love. We hope that you understand, Rio, you were born a part of this family and you always will be a part of it.
You were right about that guy you hooked us up with. He did get us a fair price. Now, in the end, we’re an extremely wealthy tribe.
I do have some excellent news. Janey has agreed to marry me. Yes, can you believe it? I guess Maggie was right, huh? But you knew that all along, didn’t you?
The wedding is in August. I know it’s short notice but Janey and I both want you to be here. So, we’re hoping that you can get the time away.
Rio, I hope that someday you’ll find the means to be as happy as I am with Janey.
Your friend and cousin,
Billy Tajan
Tears soaked Rio’s eyes as she folded the letter up neatly and laid it on the counter. “Well…” she said, “I don’t think that’s ever going to happen for me, Billy.”
The telephone rang. It stopped Rio from dragging herself down, even further into the pit of despair which she seemed to be so friendly with these days.
She grabbed the receiver and looked at it, making sure it wasn’t her old friend Michelle. She wasn’t quite ready for her brand of digging just yet. Instead, thankfully, it was Michelle’s dad—Rio’s boss, and the man she’d been emailing while she was in Carson City.
Rio propped the phone against her ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, Rio,” Gabe Dalton said in a friendly tone. That in itself set Rio’s nerves on edge. Gabe was never this pleasant unless he wanted something. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, Gabe. Thanks.” She tried to remain cordial while waiting for his bomb.
“Hey, listen, I’m over at The Grill—” He said of the local agent hangout. “—why don’t you meet me over here?”
Really? He wanted to hang out with her and have a beer? He was definitely up to something. “What’s up?”
“I’d like to discuss your returning to work.”
“You’re not going to fire me, are you?”
Gabe shifted his cell phone from one ear to the other. “Are you crazy?” He was sitting at the bar with a beer in front of him and he was fiddling with a bowl of pretzels. “Why in the hell would I want to do that?”
“I’ll be right there.”
Gabe snapped his phone shut and turned to his companion.
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