by BJ Bourg
“Junior, I presume,” he said, pulling on his reading glasses and scanning the affidavit. “He’s been in and out of my court a few times.”
I acknowledged it was the younger of the two Bailey men and waited for him to finish reading it. As I watched him, I wondered if it was true that he had a shotgun on a swivel under his desk and under his bench. I had heard one of his bailiffs swear she’d seen it once, but I wasn’t sure if I believed the story.
“Okay, detective. Raise your right hand and be sworn.”
I raised my right hand and swore the information in the affidavit was true and correct to the best of my knowledge, and then he signed the warrant.
I called Jerry on my way out the door. “I’ve got a mission for you and Ray, and feel free to bring Andrew along.”
“Give it to me, boss.”
I told him I needed them to conduct surveillance on Zachariah Bailey’s house and let me know as soon as they saw any signs of young Zach.
“Isn’t he the big time oil guy?”
“That’ll be a big ten-four.”
“He owns half of Seasville and he’s got cameras everywhere. How the hell are we supposed to get close to his place without being seen?”
“You’ll figure something out,” I said, pushing my way out the door and heading for the restaurant on the corner. They made some of the best hamburgers in Chateau, and I was going to grab one for the road. “Let me know when you’re in position. I should be back down there in an hour. I’ll set up north of the house and get Rachael and Melvin to set up to the south. I want to wait until Zach leaves the property before taking him into custody. That way his dad won’t automatically involve his lawyers on his son’s behalf.”
“Got it. I’ll give you a holler once the team is assembled.”
After ordering a hamburger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake, I walked next door to the district attorney’s office and asked to speak with the district attorney, Ryder Crawford.
The lady at the window picked up the phone and spoke softly into it. She glanced up and nodded, said something to the person on the other end. She then hung up and reached under her desk. She nodded and the door buzzed. “You can come in,” she said. “Do you know where his office is?”
I nodded and walked down the hall to his office. He stood when he saw me and reached across the desk to shake my hand. “London Carter…damn good to see you again, son.” He pointed to the chair opposite his desk. After I was seated, he began pushing a large stack of papers to the side and then eased into his own chair. “Are you still doing the sniper thing?”
“I am. I don’t ever see myself giving it up.”
“Well, that’s good. I might need you to look at one of my rifles one day soon. It’s been giving me fits.”
“I’d be happy to look at it,” I said.
He leaned his forearms on the desk and his hands came together in the shape of a teepee. “So, what brings you here today?”
I put the affidavit and warrant on the empty chair next to me, then placed my truck keys on top so I wouldn’t forget them. “I wanted to talk to you about Shannon Reed.”
“What about Shannon Reed? That terrorist has no business in this parish. He needs to go back to where he belongs and leave our alligator industry alone.”
“Well, he promised me he wouldn’t cut any more alligator lines if I talked to you about reducing his charges to misdemeanors. He even said he’d get out of town once the charges were resolved.”
“And you believe him?”
“I do.”
“He ran from you in a manner foreseeable that human life would be in danger. That’s serious business.”
“You’re right, and normally I’d be asking you to throw the book at him.” I shrugged. “To be honest, I kind of like the guy. His views are a bit radical, but I think he means well.”
Crawford scowled. “I don’t like reducing charges on people who resist arrest, and you know that.”
“I do know that, but I’m the victim officer and I’m cool with it. Hell, I’m the one requesting it.”
“Look, I’ll think about it, but I won’t promise anything at the moment. I want to read over the file again before I make any decisions.”
“I can’t ask for more than that.” After thanking him and leaving, I picked up my burger and walked back to my truck, then headed south to Seasville so we could arrest Zach Junior.
CHAPTER 21
Little Rock, Arkansas
The private waiting room in the hospital was cold. Dawn hugged herself and rubbed her shoulders with opposite hands. Her teeth were chattering, but she didn’t know if it was from the cold or fear. Her mother had begun running a high fever in the middle of the night. Although the doctors said it was normal and to be expected, and they assured her Priscilla was being monitored closely, it scared the shit out of her. She had read up on the type of clinical trial her mother was participating in and verified that several people had died in the early phases of the treatment. The doctors also said things could get a lot worse before her mom would start feeling better, which was why she would have to remain in the hospital for a few days, and possibly up to a week or two, depending on how she responded.
“Hey, sis, how’re you holding up?” Darby asked, walking in from the cafeteria.
Dawn only shrugged.
“Can we go in to see her now?”
“No one came out yet.” She looked around. “Where’s Dad?”
“Last I saw him, he was standing in the hall watching the door to her room.” Darby sank to a nearby chair. “God, I hope this works.”
“I can’t remember a time when I’ve prayed so hard for something,” Dawn said. “I’d give up all future prayers if this one would be answered.”
“I’ve been praying, too, and hard, but I just don’t get the feeling anyone’s hearing me. Maybe I’m just delirious.” He rubbed his tired eyes, slouched low in the chair, and threw his legs up on the center table. “Wake me up if something happens.”
Restless, Dawn nodded and stood to her feet. The television droned in the corner, but she hadn’t been paying attention to it. She walked to the door and glanced out the small rectangular-shaped window. She could see her dad’s back as he leaned against the wall in the hallway. She scowled, pushed through the door, and walked quietly to where he stood.
“Hey, Pops, you okay?”
He turned and his face brightened for a split second when he heard her call him, Pops. But just as quickly, his expression fell. “If you listen carefully, you can hear her moaning inside. She even let out a scream earlier.” He shook his head. “It’s horrible and I don’t want to hear it, but I’d feel guilty if I walked away.”
“When did they say we could see her?”
“They wanted to get her fever under control before letting us inside.” He started to speak again, but shut his mouth when the door behind them abruptly opened.
A young nurse in full scrubs and a mask walked out of the room, came straight toward them. She removed her mask and nodded solemnly. “You guys can go in and see her, but you’ll have to wear a mask, gloves, and these hospital gowns. She handed them three packs of hospital garb wrapped in plastic. “You need to understand that she’s in a lot of pain and she looks very sick. It’ll be difficult to see her that way, but we need you guys to be strong for her. Try to appear positive and upbeat. If you react negatively to her appearance, it could cause her to become fearful and she could start to panic.”
Dawn nodded. “We understand.”
“Okay, knock on the door once you’ve put on the protective clothing.”
Dawn and Evan met with Darby in the private waiting room and Dawn shoved one of the packets in his direction. “Put this on,” she said.
A quizzical expression fell across his face. “Why do we have to wear this? She’s not contagious.”
“It’s not for us, Brainiac. It’s to protect her from our germs.”
“Yeah, she’s real vulnerable right now,” Evan sa
id.
“Oh…” Darby grabbed his packet and pulled on the garments without saying another word.
Dawn recognized the look on his face. As a kid, he was always afraid of people who were injured. When their Uncle Bill had gotten into a motorcycle accident, Darby was so scared that he cried hysterically when they went to visit him in the hospital. He didn’t want to go in the hospital room and had to be carried inside just to keep the noise down in the hallway. He turned pale and nearly fainted when they entered and he saw both of Uncle Bill’s arms wrapped in casts and hanging from cables that were anchored to the ceiling. It didn’t help that their Uncle Bill’s face was smashed in and one eye was swollen completely shut.
And at this moment, his face was just as pale and he looked like he was about to faint.
“Hey, Darb, are you okay?” Dawn asked, her voice soft and soothing.
Darby gulped. “I think so, Sis. You know I’m not good at this sort of thing, and it’s even worse, considering Mom’s the one in there.”
Dawn frowned, voiced her agreement, and finished slipping into the hospital garments. When they were all done, they traded nods and walked somberly out into the hallway, where the nurse was waiting to usher them inside.
Dawn wasn’t sure what to expect, but she nearly fainted herself when she saw her mother lying on her left side in the hospital bed, her face gaunt and twisted in pain. When the door clanked shut, Priscilla opened her eyes and a gasp nearly escaped from Dawn’s lips when she saw how sunken and hollow they were.
Forcing a smile and stepping confidently forward, Dawn touched her mom’s hand with her own, surprised by the heat radiating from her flesh. “How are you, Mom?”
Priscilla looked up at Dawn and her mouth fell open, but only a groan came out. She was trembling so much the bed was moving. Dawn looked up at the nurse, fear enveloping her like a wave from the ocean. The nurse gave a little grin and mouthed, “Be strong…be positive.”
Dawn forced a smile and looked down at Priscilla. “Hey, Mom, you’re looking good,” she lied. “You’ll be up in no time, chasing after your chickens, tending the garden.”
Priscilla lifted a weak hand and waved for Dawn to get closer. Dawn leaned in and put her ear near her mom’s dry lips. “What is it, Mom?” she asked.
“Please don’t make me do this anymore,” Priscilla whispered. Her voice was haunting and hoarse. “Just let me die.”
CHAPTER 22
“You’ve got to do something,” Dawn told the doctor through a wave of tears once they were out in the hallway. “She’s dying in there!”
“I understand how difficult this is for all of you, but you’ve got to remain strong. Your mom’s going to feed off of your strength.” The doctor, a young woman with reddish hair, placed a hand on Dawn’s shoulder. Her nametag read, quite simply, Dr. Ginger. “You did great in there and I need you to keep being positive when you visit with her.”
“But I don’t know what to do. I feel like we’re being selfish, like we’re the ones making her do this.” Dawn scrubbed at a tear on her cheek. “She wants this to end. She’s in so much pain. I mean, what are our options? Should we stop the treatments since that’s what she wants?”
Doctor Ginger shook her head slowly. “There is no stopping the treatment. We explained to her that once we insert the cells, it’s over. There’s no going back. We can treat her fever and we can monitor her vitals, but from here on out, her own body is doing all the work. She’s in control and it’s really just a matter of time.”
Dawn nodded her understanding and, as difficult as it was, thanked the doctor and turned away. When she returned to the private waiting room, Darby and Evan jumped to their feet.
“What did they say?” her dad asked.
Dawn repeated what Doctor Ginger had said, and they all sat side-by-side on the sofa. Darby asked Dawn what Priscilla had whispered to her, but Dawn only shook her head and said that they should pray. Holding hands, they prayed like they’d never prayed before.
About thirty minutes later, Doctor Ginger returned and told them they could go in for another visit. Her expression was a little more urgent than earlier, and Dawn eyed her suspiciously. Visitation wasn’t for another ninety minutes. “What’s going on?” Dawn asked.
“I’m so sorry, but you need to prepare yourselves.” The doctor pursed her lips and paused, allowing her words to sink in. After a few long seconds, she continued. “As we explained to your mom and to you guys before we began the treatment, the patients who come to us have no other options. These trials are an absolute last resort and, unfortunately, they don’t work for everyone.”
“What are you saying?” Dawn asked, fighting back even more tears and trying to summon the courage to remain strong. “Is it over? Is she going to die?”
“Please understand, we’re not giving up on her—and we never will—but it’s out of our hands now.” She sighed. “Her fever is out of control and we haven’t been able to bring her temperature down. We think it’s best if you spend a little time with her now, rather than waiting for the next visitation.”
Dawn’s knees grew weak and she felt dizzy.
“Are you okay?” Doctor Ginger asked. “You look pale.”
Dawn reached out and grabbed Doctor Ginger’s arm to steady herself. Her dad rushed to her side and wrapped an arm around her. “Hey, my little rat, it’s okay. I’m here for you.”
“Did you hear what she said?” Dawn asked weakly.
He nodded his head solemnly. “I did, but I have faith in your mom. She’s a fighter. She’ll pull through just fine.”
Darby was sniffling behind them and Dawn heard his feet shuffle as Doctor Ginger led them to her mom’s room and through the door. Darby gasped out loud and Dawn felt her dad stagger beside her when they saw the condition of Priscilla. Darby abruptly turned and ran out the door. Evan fell to his knees beside the bed and clutched at Priscilla’s hand. He began praying out loud, asking God to forgive him for all the bad things he’d done and begging Him to save his wife’s life.
Dawn had seen enough dead and dying people in her short lifetime to know that her mom was in real trouble. While the doctor hadn’t verbalized it, this was the family’s time to say their final goodbyes.
You’ll never get to meet London, Dawn thought as she stared into her mom’s half open eyes. They appeared foggy. Her mouth was open wide and she wheezed loudly as she fought for every breath. She looked unconscious.
“Can she hear us?” Dawn asked.
“I’m really not sure.” Doctor Ginger frowned. “I’ll leave you guys alone with her.”
When she was gone, Dawn sank beside her dad and wrapped one arm around him and placed the other hand on her mom’s arm. She cried softly as she held onto her mom and dad, wondering if—come tomorrow—he would be the only parent she had left.
CHAPTER 23
Highway 80, Seasville, LA
“Sierra Two to Sierra One, are you still in position?” Jerry asked over the sniper-exclusive channel on the police radio.
Since I was the sniper commander, my radio call sign was Sierra One. Jerry was Two, because he was my assistant commander, and Ray was Three.
“Ten-four,” I called back to Jerry. I’d been parked along the eastern shoulder of Highway 80 for about an hour. When I first got there the sun was going down rapidly, but now there was no sign of it and everything was painted black. I was several miles north of the Bailey Mansion and Rachael and Melvin were several miles to the south. We were hoping to catch Zach Bailey leaving his house at some point, even if we had to wait all night.
“I see movement,” Jerry reported. He had been watching the Bailey Mansion from across Bayou Magnolia for most of the afternoon, and this was the first sign of life. “A red Porsche just backed out of the garage. It’s heading in your direction.”
“Is it Zach?” I asked.
“Hard to tell in the dark. It’s definitely a white male, but, beyond that, it’s hard to make out any features.”
&nbs
p; “Rachael, did you catch that?”
She radioed that she had.
“Get on him quick,” I said, firing up my engine and heading north on the highway, wanting to be in front of Zach in case he ran. “I’ll slow him down if he decides to run.”
I drove slowly, watching my rearview mirror carefully. Within a minute I saw headlights approaching at a high rate of speed. I sped up myself, wanting to match his pace. Almost as soon as I saw the Porsche’s headlights, I saw a second pair round the bend behind it and blue and red lights suddenly began flashing brightly. To my surprise, the driver of the Porsche hit the brakes and it slowed down rapidly. It pulled to the shoulder of the road and I quickly whipped my truck around, approaching as fast as I could.
When I reached the Porsche, I angled my truck to blind the driver with my headlights and smiled when I recognized Zach Bailey from the mugshot I’d seen earlier. Rachael and Melvin were already out of their cars and had their pistols aimed at the vehicle, ordering Zach to get out with his hands up.
“What the hell’s going on?” he hollered from his open window, refusing to get out of his car. “I didn’t do nothing wrong. Why are y’all yelling at me?”
Stepping out of my truck and drawing my pistol, I moved backward and around the bed to set up near the front, passenger’s side bumper. I aimed my pistol at Zach’s head. “Zach Bailey, this is London Carter,” I called to him. “I have a warrant for your arrest. Get your hands up now!”
Cursing loudly, Zach lifted his hands above his head. He moved his head behind one of his arms, trying to shield his eyes from the light so he could see who I was.
“Use you left hand to open your door,” I said. Once he’d complied, I ordered him to step out and move backward, where Rachael and Melvin were waiting for him. Once they had him in custody, I approached the car and glanced inside, shining my light around in search of any weapons within arm’s reach. Everything looked clean and I started to back away from the car when my light swept a dark object tucked into the crack of the tan-colored driver’s seat. At first I thought it was part of the seatbelt mechanism, but upon closer inspection, I realized it couldn’t be.