by Geri Foster
“That name’s familiar. I had a run in with him again last night.”
“What happened?” Lucas asked. “Did you see him?”
“He tried to run me and Nancy off the road after we left Frankie’s Bar. I ended up slamming into the side of his vehicle, sending him out of control. He managed to get the car righted and sped off.”
“You saw his face?”
He nodded. “Enough to know it was him. I keep wondering what the guy wants.”
“I’m not sure about what he wants, but we did get the forensics report back,” Lucas explained. “His DNA pulled a match in the system. Alec Opara. The guy’s been charged a couple times with gang related activities, spent a few nights in jail.”
His blood went cold at the name. “Opara? It couldn’t be…”
The lieutenant cleared his throat. “That’s what I came to discuss with you. Eli Munson has been in contact with a man going under the name of Alec Jones, but his real name is Opara. He’s Hector Opara’s brother.”
The shock nearly floored him. “Why is he here, why go after Nancy?”
“According to the tap we put on Munson’s phone, along with a CIA agent named Cal Felix’s, we uncovered that, while in Iraq, they had a weapons deal with Al Qaeda. You and your team were getting too close to the action and had to be shut down.”
He sighed, shaking his head. He had suspected something like that all along but couldn’t prove it. Ten young, innocent warriors died for cash. Because of a crooked commander and a CIA agent. What was the world coming to? “I hope to God you’re lying.”
“I’m not. That’s why I’m here. We arrested Munson and Felix last night, and they are both being held in a federal compound until they go to trial for treason.”
All of this was coming together too quickly, too easily after the years of anguish he’d endured at his own inability to set things right. He had to know this was solid, that the criminals were going to be prosecuted for sure. “How did you come by all this information? This happened years ago. The case was not only cold, it was nearer to frozen.”
“A young man who used to be a runner for Al Qaeda came forward when it was exposed that his entire family had been killed by one of the guns Munson and Felix sold to the terrorists.” Fusco took in a deep breath. “He wanted Al Qaeda to pay. So, he contacted us with all the information.”
“So, where does Opara’s brother fit in?”
“After Hector Opara died, his family fell apart. His father left for a while, his mother found refuge in drugs and his sister hit the streets. Alec blames all his family’s problems on Hector’s death.”
“Opara was a long way from home, he probably didn’t have much influence on what went on in his family.”
“You’re right, but Alec was a young, mixed up kid. What did he know? He couldn’t do anything except watch his family disintegrate.”
Fair point. A soldier’s death often had a domino effect on a family. They’d all been fully briefed on that. It was part of his job to make sure his team made all the legal and personal arrangements in the case of their deaths. That meant that many personal goodbye letters had been stuffed in his locker, just in case. He’d also written his own letter, knowing how his death would’ve affected his only family, Russ and Austin. At the funerals, he’d delivered them all, along with his deepest regrets and sorrow.
Thinking back, he now realized why Alec Jones-Opara looked familiar. When he’d delivered Hector’s letter, it had been to his younger brother.
“You still haven’t explained why Alec is here,” Lucas reiterated his earlier question.
“In the recordings, we captured Alec calling the Commander trying to find out about his brother’s death. Claims he’d lost everything, and he planned to go to the Middle East and mow down all the terrorists who’d killed him.”
“So, he wanted revenge, too,” Austin said. “How’d that lead him here?”
“On that recording, Munson convinced the kid Jeff had been the reason his brother died. Even told him about you getting expelled from the military with only a General Discharge.”
He scoffed at the reminder. “That doesn’t matter to me. Beating the living hell out of Eli Munson was worth everything I lost. I didn’t believe the best of the military anyway. If they’d been the good guys, how did Munson and Felix get away with killing ten good men?”
“We looked at it the exact same way when we started getting intel from Iraq. I went there personally and interrogated the man whose family had been killed.”
“And you’re convinced this Iraqi guy is on the level?”
The lieutenant nodded. “I am.” He picked up his hat from Lucas’ desk. “I double-checked his story. It took me eight months, but I learned the truth and that lead me to the CIA as well. They weren’t even supposed to be there.”
“But they were. It was Felix who came into the briefing with new Intel that our target had moved and where we could find them. I didn’t like it then and I don’t now. I learned a long time ago not to trust government agencies. They’re too money hungry, and there was a lot of money to be made over there.”
“So,” Lucas said. “This Alec Jones, slash Opara, is here to kill Jeff because he thinks he’s responsible for his brother’s death?”
“That’s what we believe.”
Austin stood up. “Then why did he go after Nancy Wigan? She didn’t hurt anyone.”
“We’ve learned in the last couple of days that Alec not only murdered his own father, but he’s killed many times in the past while being a part of the Tri-City gang in Chicago. His last victim was a police officer. He’s a killer and dangerous. In my own personal opinion, he planned to kidnap Miss Wigan in hopes of hurting Mr. Crawley or making him suffer.”
“That’s kind of the long way around, isn’t it?” Lucas asked. “Why didn’t he just go after Jeff?”
“Maybe he’s afraid of his reputation. According to SEAL Team Five, Opara thought Crawley was quite the hero. He has a ton of medals and accommodations. And he has a reputation for being accurate and dangerous.”
“I’m washed-up and out of practice.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to figure this all out. He was responsible for Nancy being in danger. He’d considered that before, true, but he hadn’t been able to prove it. It was more like one explanation in a sea of reasons for her attack. He hated the thought, but now it had been brought home. This was all his fault.
If anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. He had enough guilt on his shoulders for any one man to bear, but this—this would push him over the edge and he knew it. He couldn’t lose her. Not Nancy.
“You’re not that out of shape,” Austin said, with a scowl. “You do the work of two men. I can’t even keep up with you, and I’m twenty years younger.”
Ignoring the comment, he looked the lieutenant in the eyes. “Where is Alec now?” he asked, voice low and deep.
“We don’t know. We tracked him as far as Denton, to an apartment he’d rented, but the landlord said he hasn’t been there in a couple of days. He padlocked the door since it appears Opara punched a hole in the wall and left the place a mess. When your test came through the system, we knew he was in this area somewhere, but we haven’t found sign of him yet.”
“Where could he have gone since last night?” Austin asked. “He’s gotta still be in the area if his car was as wrecked as you say it was Jeff.”
“The Western Unions Alec picked up the money in, were they all in Denton as well?” Lucas queried.
“Yes. He used three, in three different locations, but all in Denton.”
Lucas groaned. “That place is a lot bigger than Rainwater.”
“I do have some good news.”
“Well, that’s certainly welcome,” Austin said.
“Alec has a friend in Buffalo, New York. They grew up in the hood together and were involved in a few petty crimes in their earlier years. Lou notified us he’d heard recently from Alec and he was looking for
a place to hide out for a while.”
Not seeing the connection, Jeff asked, “What does that have to do with this case?”
“Lou is a petty crook turned Confidential Informant. When he contacted his handler with news of Alec, we were able to connect the dots and find out the guy’s plan. He needed Lou to lay low after killing you.”
“That guy has a lot of confidence for someone afraid to come out and face me.”
“We’ve had Lou working Alec to find out where he’s at. He notified us last night that last he heard, Alec was able to get some cheap hotel on the outskirts of Denton.”
“Since you said you don’t know where he is now, I suspect that was a dead end, wasn’t it,” Lucas concluded.
“Unfortunately, yes. We found the car he stole in Chicago, and recovered the switched license plates, but Alec wasn’t there. But that, along with your sighting of him last night, tells us he’s around here somewhere, hiding. It narrows the field.”
His blood boiling, Jeff couldn’t hold back his rage. “You just now telling us you’re sure he’s in Rainwater?” he shouted. “That means Nancy could be in danger. He could be at the bank right now.”
Fed up with all the bullshit talk when his woman was in danger, he turned and ran out of the office, jumped in his pickup and headed for the bank, his heart beating so hard his chest hurt. Driving dangerously fast, he ran the only stoplight in town and in minutes pulled to a stop in front of the bank. Without turning off the engine, he jumped from the vehicle and shoved his way inside.
One quick glance around proved that Alec wasn’t there...yet. He spotted Nancy immediately, waiting on Mr. Humphries. He owned the hardware store, and Russ had told him that George might be expanding his inventory. Maybe he came to talk about a loan.
Confident she was in no immediate danger and not wanting to cause a scene, he waited on pins and needles for her to be free. Soon, George stood up, shook her hand, smiled and walked out the door. Letting out his held breath, he moved in swiftly. Standing at her desk, he cleared his throat to get her attention.
“Hi, there,” she said with a brilliant smile. “How’s your day going?”
He glanced around. “Is there a place we can talk?”
Concern etching her brow, she led him to the President’s office and shut the door. “Come in and sit down. What’s on your mind?” She glanced at her watch. “It’s too early for lunch.”
Instead of sitting, he paced. “I just came from Lucas’ office and I’ve learned a lot about Alec Opara.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Who?”
“Alec Opara. That’s his real name. Not Jones.”
“Oh. So, you were right. He was lying.”
“A lot of good that does. He’s not after you—well, not exactly. He’s after me and he’s willing to use you to get to me. He thinks I’m responsible for his brother’s death, but nothing could be farther from the truth. I loved Capone like a brother.”
In all his rambling one thing stuck out to her and she furrowed her brow. “Capone?”
He let out a big gust of air. “That? That is what you focused on in all that?” He grasped her face in both his hands and kissed her forehead. “You sweet, beautiful woman.” Leaning back, he repeated, “Yes. Capone. Opara was from Chicago.”
She still looked puzzled.
“Al Capone, the gangster?” After long seconds, she finally said, “I don’t get it. Why call a man a gangster instead of his own last name?”
“SEALs don’t do that. Everyone has a nickname.” He held out his hand. “Opara was called Capone because he was from Chicago and so was Capone.”
“So,” she squinted at him. “What was your nickname?”
Embarrassed to be telling her, he gritted out, “Cowboy. I’m from Texas and I ride horses.”
She bit her lip, holding back a laugh. “So, instead of calling you Jeff, you were Cowboy?”
“Yes, it all makes perfect sense to us,” he rushed on, inhaling deeply. “Besides, to be called by your last name means no one likes you enough to give you a different handle.”
She threw up her arms. “I give up. None of it makes sense to me.” She pinned him with an inquisitive look. “What are you doing here again?”
“That’s what I was trying to tell you. The guy who attacked you, Jones, he’s not here for you, he’s here for me. He wants to kill me, Nancy. But that means you are in danger, because the man is a killer and he has no problem taking you out in order to do that.”
Her mouth fell open in shock. Now she was getting it. “But, but why me then? Why think he could get to you through me?”
He shook his head, chuckling sardonically. Looking her deep in the eyes, he stated plainly, “Because I care for you. You mean something to me, Nancy. You mean—” he cut himself off. Now was not the time. “I came to see if you could leave for the day.” He held out his arms as a means to keep her from thinking he intended to boss her around. “Since he’s after me, the general consensus is he wants to kidnap you to make me suffer.”
“That’s not very nice,” she said, softly, nervously.
“No, it’s not, but I don’t want to take the chance that he might come in here and hold you at gunpoint until you leave with him.”
“Gu-gunpoint?” she stammered. Looking around, a little lost, a little panicked, she mumbled, “James is here and he’s armed.”
“Sweetheart, do you really think Alec cares? He’s already murdered several people including a police officer in Chicago.”
“But…I can’t just leave my job. There’s no one to cover for me.” She stared into his eyes imploringly, pulling on any sense of normalcy to help her cope with the situation.
Taking her in, he recognized she was one step away from losing it. Understanding the need for routine in order to keep yourself together, he decided he wasn’t going to go there. No fighting. It would only make things worse. “Okay. Okay,” he rubbed her arms and shoulders reassuringly. “I’ll just sit out in the lobby until quitting time.” Decision made, he moved toward the door.
“Wait a minute. I don’t want you doing that.”
He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. “I honestly don’t mind if it keeps you safe.”
He hoped she didn’t hear the annoyance in his voice. He had to find a way to make her realize he meant business without invading her damn space.
“Jeff, if he’s after you, shouldn’t you be at the police station? Somewhere really safe?”
Ah. He let out a breath and turned back to her, surprised. She was worried about him. This wasn’t about her independence at all. It was about keeping him safe. She really was one hell of a woman.
“I can take care of myself, Nancy. Now, let me take care of you.”
* * *
Sitting in an empty alleyway between two stacks of discarded cardboard boxes, not too far from his last hotel, Alec considered his options. Breathing hard, he knew he had to get a set of wheels. His last car was a wreck, for one thing, and wouldn’t make it too far after what Crawley had done to it. Bad enough he had to stay in Rainwater overnight, but now the cops had shown up and were checking out the damage, so the car was a no-go anyway.
Stupid. Of course a wrecked car stood out. He should have hidden it better.
No, would have been much better to have gotten out of town last night. But he hadn’t, and now he regretted being so lazy and careless. He’d woken up this morning, groggy and achy with a sinking feeling in his gut. Glancing out the third-floor room, he’d seen the police and a couple of suits nosing around his vehicle. Expecting the man at the counter would direct them right to him, he’d had to get out as quickly as possible. Grabbing his few belongings, he’d hit the fire stairwell and, once on the bottom floor, crossed the lobby unnoticed, exiting out the back door.
Squatting in a dirty and dank alley now, he hadn’t planned on going after Crawley until tomorrow, but plans change. How in the world had the cops found him so quickly?
Taking out his ce
ll phone he punched in the Commander’s phone number. It rang three times before a stranger answered.
“Who’s this?” he asked. “I want to talk to Commander Munson. This is a friend.”
“Alec,” a deep voice said. One full of authority and conviction. “It’s time you give yourself up, son. This is Sheriff Lucas Quinn in Rainwater. I want you to come in and surrender. No one needs to get hurt.”
“I ain’t going nowhere. And what did you do to the Commander?”
“He was lying to you from the start. Jeff Crawley wasn’t responsible for your brother’s death. Commander Eli Munson was. That’s why he was kicked out of the Navy and stripped of everything.”
“No, no. That’s a damn lie and you know it. The Commander is a hero and he told me exactly how that arrogant bastard led his team right into the enemy’s arms.”
“It didn’t happen that way. Jeff was a good soldier and an excellent combat veteran.”
“Then why was he kicked out?”
“He beat the hell out of the Commander when he learned his team had been sent on a death mission.”
“I don’t believe a word you’re saying. You just want me to give up and let the coward get away without paying for what he did.”
“I want you alive, Alec.”
“No, you want me locked up behind bars where I’ll never see the light of day again. But that won’t happen. I’m going to kill Crawley and then I’m out of this rotten state.”
Shaking and sweating like a new gang member during initiation, he hung up and slumped against the brick building at his back. How in the hell had they found the Commander? And why arrest him, of all people? It was Crawley who deserved to be in jail. He was the one who’d killed ten men. Who’d killed his brother.
With the Sheriff of Rainwater knowing about him, he figured Crawley knew he was coming for him as well. That meant no chance of a surprise attack. Now, he could only wonder who else knew.
Chapter 13
Take care of her? Nancy was completely unfamiliar with the concept of someone else taking care of her, but hearing those words from Jeff’s mouth reached something deep inside her. Here he was, in apparent life and death danger, and he was worried about her. It was very romantic, and very brave, but she wasn’t going to let him put himself in danger for her like that. No sir. He might be the tough and hardened soldier, but she was no pushover herself.