The sound of Harleys fills the air.
Dane Reynolds parks near us and jogs over. “Is she in there?”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I growl.
“Trying to help, Sheriff.” Dane turns and shakes his head to his men. “Spread out, find them.”
“You hold up there, Dane,” I bellow.
He stops and turns back around and cocks an eyebrow at me. “Sheriff?”
“I wanted your help before. Fuck, I begged for it. Why are you helping now?”
Dane closes the gap between us, and in a quiet voice, he says, “I get it, you’re worried about Izzy. But she’s important to us, too. Should we have shared with you that Kade had family who re-connected with him? Probably. But Carlos, you fucked up. You let these FBI fuckers put a wedge between us. That’s on you. I’ve got twenty men here, you’ve got what, nine? And you don’t know what they look like. But Kade, Zeke, Jonas, and I do. Let us help.”
“I’ve got a photo of the suspects.”
Dane frowns, purses his lips, and locks eyes with me. “Carlos, don’t be proud now.”
And I know he’s right. I know the extra manpower will help, but part of me does not want to be beholding to this man for anything, especially my woman.
“We’re wasting time and daylight. Let’s get this show on the road,” orders Deputy Dalton as she tugs on my arm.
“She’s right. Let’s get this done, but Dane… I need him alive.”
Dane nods once, and we all go amongst the crowd. There must be over one hundred people milling around. I’m scanning the crowd looking for Izzy, for Clifford or Francis Cantrill, but no one seems familiar.
A yell pierces the air, and I begin to run. There’s a crowd around someone on the ground. I push my way through the throng of people and find Clifford on the ground, bloody, beaten, and covered in dirt.
“Stop!” I yell, and the crowd moves back.
There are two guys in cuts I haven’t seen before, and they were the ones beating on Clifford. He has on a dark gray suit now covered in dust, and blood trickles from his bottom lip.
“What the fuck is going on,” bellows Clifford as he makes his way to his feet.
“Where is she?” I ask as I grab onto the front of his now dirty white shirt, with balled fists and walk him backward.
Clifford shakes his head, eyes wide in confusion. “Who?”
Kade gets between us, forcing me back. Clifford is looking around the mob of people, head swinging from side to side. And it’s at the moment, I realize he’s not the one. He’s not who we’re looking for.
“Kade, what the fuck is going on?”
Kade glances at me and holds up a hand then faces his father.
“I thought you’d left town?”
“We decided to stay on for a few extra days. Francis rented us a motel in Pearl County. I wanted to see why you stay here, son, but I didn’t want to cause you any more discomfort than I already have. I knew you didn’t want us in Tourmaline. I thought Pearl might be far enough away, and we could get to know each other again.”
“Where’s Francis? And why are you here?” asks Kade gesturing to the swap meet.
“I thought if I immersed myself in the culture here, it might help me to get to know you better. You mentioned at dinner that this was on, and I thought it might give me an insight into the person you’ve become. I’m trying Kade, I am. But to have me beaten for it, well, I don’t understand.”
Clifford wipes his face with the back of his hand, confusion coming off him in waves.
Kade nods once and says in a softer tone, “Dad, where’s Francis. It’s important. I promise to explain everything, but right now, I need to find Francis.”
The man softens in front of us at Kade’s endearment.
“I dropped him off in Tourmaline this morning. He said he wanted to talk to you to try and bridge the gap. Has something happened to Francis?”
Fuck. We’re back to square one.
The FBI joins our circle, and Agent Argos looks at me.
“It’s not him,” I state.
“The son?”
I nod.
Argos purses her lips and takes Clifford by the upper arm. “Mr. Cantrill, if you’ll just come with us, we’ll explain everything, and perhaps you might be able to help us.”
Argos tries to move Clifford, but he holds his ground. “Kade?”
“It’s okay, Dad. Go with Special Agent Argos.”
“Will you come, too?” asks Clifford, his voice pleading.
Kade nods once, and the three of them make their way through the crowd. I look at Dane and shake my head. I had all my hopes pinned on finding the car, on finding Izzy.
I stare at the two guys I don’t know, and Dane introduces us, “Sheriff, this is Rusty and Grunt. We have an agreement with the Dark Warriors in Vegas. They’re just here to pay their respects as they keep on moving. When they heard Izzy had been abducted, they offered to help.”
“You hit him,” I state angrily.
“I thought he had Izzy. I’d have gutted him if he’d hurt her.”
Puzzled, I shake my head at him. “And what’s she to you?”
“She was the woman I was going to marry.”
“Pardon?”
“The name’s Tommy Pritchard, to my friends, Grunt. Izzy and I were engaged once upon a time.”
The boyfriend who disappeared, and he’s turned up in Tourmaline affiliated with the Savage Angels. Small fucking world.
I shake my head at him and point. “When we find her, you keep the fuck away. She’s my woman now.”
I spin around and stalk away from all the MC members. Right now, I need to focus on finding Izzy not some old boyfriend from her past.
Izzy
Jules has done it. I’m sure she’s sore and tired, but she’s got her legs wrapped around the rafter above her, now all she has to do is get her hands untied. I can hear her breathing hard and using the beam as a saw to cut through the ropes.
“How’s it going?”
“Nearly there,” gasps Jules.
My head is still pounding, and I’m wondering if I’ll ever feel normal again. The sound of Jules’ feet hitting the floor has me smiling. The woman appears in front of me. She’s got dark hair and large eyes. I think they’re blue, but in the darkened room, it’s difficult to tell. Mascara drips down her face in long rivulets, giving her a deathly appearance. Jules hugs my legs briefly.
“Okay, Izzy, time to get you down.”
I grin at her. “Yes, please.”
The door to the room slams open, a figure stalks toward Jules, and she stumbles backward, letting out a squeak. He grabs her by the upper arm and spins her so she’s facing me. He’s grinning at me, manically.
“I thought she’d never manage to get loose.” His laughter fills the air as Jules begins to sob.
“Leave her alone.”
He stops laughing and cocks his head to the side. “I was hoping you’d be the one to get loose. I like this one better, but I guess I gave you too much chloroform. How’s the head?”
“Fuck you.”
Jules struggles to get free of his grasp, but he doesn’t seem to notice her and squeezes her tighter.
“Maybe later? That’d upset Carlos to know I’ve had you.”
Even in the dim light, I can see he’s mad. His eyes have a gleam to them that’s almost unnatural. He lets go of one of Jules’ arms and reaches behind his back, pulling out a very long blade. Jules struggles harder to get away. She falls to her butt and is kicking him, but he looks at me, ignoring the kicks and her screams.
“I didn’t picture Carlos with someone like you… tattoos, weird hairstyle. Now, my brother, Kade, yeah, I could see you with him. But have you seen the woman he’s with. Total babe. And if you didn’t know she used to be a stripper, you’d think she was a lady. That’s who I pictured Carlos with, not you.”
“Kade’s your brother?”
He yanks Jules to her feet, pressing her back t
o his front. “Yeah, he’s my little brother.”
Jules’ eyes are so wide, and she’s sobbing trying to get away, but this man doesn’t seem to notice. He’s staring at me and smiling. The knife is at Jules’ throat, and before I can tell him to stop, he’s dragging it across her throat. Warm blood sprays over me, and I can hear screaming. I think it’s Jules, and he’s laughing. It’s not until he lets her lifeless form drop to the ground that I realize the person screaming is me.
Carlos
They won’t allow me to be in the same room as they question Clifford Cantrill. Kade is sitting with me in my office, and we’re watching the interview via the cameras I have set up in there.
“Do you know where your son, Francis, is?”
“No, I told you, I thought he was here to see Kade. If he’s not with Kade, I don’t know where he is.”
“Tell us again where you dropped him.”
“At that diner in town. What do you think Francis has done?”
The questioning has been going on for thirty very long minutes. I stare at Kade and can see the worry etched into his face, I’m pretty sure mine would look the same.
“Kade, you need to go in there and talk to him.”
“Why me?” asks Kade as he sighs.
“He’s your father, he must know things. Shit, he doesn’t even realize he knows. Please, it’s Izzy.”
“You don’t need to tell me who he’s taken, Carlos. I care for Izzy, too. She’s a tough, smart chick.”
Kade makes his way down the hallway to the interrogation room, and I follow. Without knocking, he opens the door. Both FBI agents look up at him sharply but surprisingly neither say anything.
“Dad, they think Francis is a serial killer.”
Clifford blanches, waves a hand in the air. “Not possible.”
“Dad, it makes sense. He was living in LA when the murders first happened. That had to have been around the time you were dating that actress. I had just left home.”
Clifford shakes his head. “Francis is a lot of things, but a killer? No way.”
“Dad, where’s he been the last eight years?”
“Ahh, I see. You’re trying to pin something on him? Well, Francis has been living abroad for the past few years. Spain, France, hell, he even spent some time in England. So, you see, it couldn’t have been him.”
Special Agent Argos leans forward in her chair. “This is immensely helpful. Could you maybe write down the dates and places you remember him being in?” She pushes a notepad and pen at Clifford.
“Of course, but my personal assistant would be of more help. If you’ll give me my phone, I could call her.”
I stride out of the room and grab Clifford’s phone from my desk. Kade is waiting for me just outside the room.
“A part of me was hoping it wasn’t him.”
“You’re not your brother’s keeper.”
Kade nods. “This doesn’t help us find Izzy. It only confirms what we already suspected. How do we find her?”
I hold up the phone. “Does your brother have a phone?”
Kade frowns. “I guess he must have. Clifford would know.”
We both go back into the room.
“Dad, do you have Francis’ phone number?”
“Of course. Do you want me to phone him?”
“No,” I say quickly. “If you could just give us the number?”
Clifford frowns but writes down the number and hands me the piece of paper. “Good luck getting hold of him. He never answers or hears his phone ring.”
I smile at him and hurry out of the room with Argos right behind me.
“Do you think he’ll be stupid enough to have it turned on?” she asks.
“Let’s run it and pray he does.”
It’s nightfall. The phone is turned off, and we have no way of tracing it. Images of Izzy left at the hands of this serial killer are playing in my mind like a bad movie. Clifford is of no help, not wanting to believe his son is a serial killer. Kade is angry, he and some of the other MC members are sitting in my bullpen or on the chairs in front of it. The mood is somber as we all know the longer he has Izzy, the more he’ll do to her.
The FBI has exhausted all of its resources to find Francis and hopefully Izzy. I feel like my emotions are being pulled tight like a rubber band, and at any moment, I’m either going to snap or spring into action. All of my deputies have stayed on shift. The MC is doing patrols around town, and tension is high.
Many of the locals have come into the office to offer help or to simply find out if we know any more. I’m sitting in my office with the door closed. I can’t face any more anxious, worried faces wanting to know if Izzy is okay. In the short amount of time she’s lived here, she’s made an impression. Everyone seems genuinely concerned about her and offer their best for her safe return.
My door opens, and it’s Lucy. Her usually sunny disposition is overshadowed by dark rings under her eyes.
“Anything?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Sheriff, a bunch of people are holding a vigil for her at Betty’s. Maybe you could go down and let them know what’s going on?”
Not wanting to leave here, I shake my head. “I need to be here.”
“For what? To wait to see if he turns on his phone? Go talk to the townsfolk, they need you, too.”
With a sigh, I stand. I’m not in my uniform, but I do have my gun strapped on.
“All right, deputy. You’ll call if they get word?”
“No, but someone will. I’m driving you. Can’t have the sheriff turning up alone.” Lucy gives me a small smile, but it looks more like a frown.
“You don’t want to go either?”
“No, but I can’t wait here anymore. The waiting is killing me. Every time the phone rings, I’m hoping it’s Izzy or someone letting us know she’s been found. I want someone to tell me she just went shopping or got angry at you and went back to where she came from. It’s driving me insane.”
“She was angry at me.”
“Yeah, I know. You fucked up.”
I smile ruefully at Lucy. She’s right, I fucked up. Not that I had much of a choice. Fuck the FBI.
The diner is entirely full. There isn’t even a lot of room for people to stand. Most either have a coffee in their hands or are eating. Cassia is behind the counter looking a little frazzled, and Howie has come out of the kitchen to hear what I have to say.
“It’s true Isabella, Izzy, Finemore has been abducted. Today she was at the hall at the end of town that’s being converted into a business by her and Cassia.” I gesture toward Cass, who smiles faintly at me. “Come winter, they’ll have a thriving ATV, snowmobile, ski hire. You name it, and they’ll hire it to the tourists.” I pause as I realize I have gotten off track. “Izzy was there this afternoon waiting on a tradesman to do some work to the hall. I arrived later in the afternoon and found the serial killer’s calling card and no Izzy.”
“What did he leave you?” asks the biker who claims he was engaged to Izzy.
I shake my head. “It’s an ongoing investigation, and I can’t divulge that. I can tell you we’re looking for a man. It’s hoped he may be able to help in our investigation.” I glance at Lucy, who begins handing out Francis’ photograph.
“Did he abduct Izzy?” asks Howie.
“At the moment, we only want to talk to him. He’s a person of interest, nothing more. If you could all look at the photo and tell me if you’ve seen him around town?”
The biker annoys me. His very presence in this room, hell, this town, grates on my last nerve. For the heartbreak he caused Izzy, I want to bleed him. I know she thought he was dead.
The picture gets to him, and he nods and shows his counterpart.
“Do you know him?” I ask.
“Yeah, he nearly ran us off the road.” Grunt looks at his friend. “Where was that?”
“Yeah, yeah, the white car. He pulled into a dirt track right in front of us. Fucker nearly had us as hood o
rnaments.”
“Can you tell me where that was?” I ask desperately.
“We aren’t from around here, but we could show you,” offers Grunt.
There are FBI, deputies, and members of the MC all sitting at the base of the dirt road. It’s dark and overcast. Out here that means ‘you can’t see your hand in front of your face’ kind of dark. There are five homes on this road. Three are abandoned. It’s our hope Izzy is being held captive in one of these, but we’re going to check all of them.
Dane had his guys leave their loud Harleys at home, and they have all come out in SUVs. Everyone wants, no needs, Izzy to come home safe.
“Okay, so here’s the plan. There will be at least one law enforcement officer in every car. They are in charge. If we didn’t need to move this quickly, you wouldn’t be here at all. Having said that, thank you all for coming.”
Dane nods, claps his hands once, and says, “You heard the sheriff. The most important thing is Izzy.”
I nod in agreement. “Okay, let’s get this show on the road.”
Everyone gets into various cars, and I move toward my cruiser. Dane opens the passenger door, and we both slide in. The FBI has decided we’ll hit all the houses at once. I agree with them, but a part of me wishes I could be at every raid.
I start the car and drive down the road. It’s only a little over a mile long. I have been tasked with the last house on the right.
“You ready for this, Carlos?”
I glance at the man. “Yeah, all I ask is that you follow my lead, and if Izzy is in one of these houses, we get her out safely.”
I kill the lights on my cruiser as I pull into the driveway of the house. This one is occupied. I wanted to be in on the raids of one of the empty houses, but the FBI overruled me. The general thinking was I shouldn’t even be on the raids lest my feelings get in the way from me doing my job. Sometimes I think the FBI forgets who I used to be.
“Okay, I need you to go around the back while I knock on the front door. Remember, these are members of our community, we’re looking for Cantrill, and we want to get Izzy back in one piece. No heroics and be careful.”
Savage Life Page 14