36. Cody
CHAPTER 36
Cody
I shifted my butt on my cell’s concrete seat and leaned my head back against the cold block wall. I’d spent three days staring at these concrete walls, trying to comprehend how I’d ended up here in prison uniform.
How could I be so blind?
How could all that horror have happened right under my feet?
But even if I had answers, would any of that help?
I’d had some horrific nights in my life. The night the cops raided my house after Dad robbed a bank. The night Mom was arrested in the middle of our living room. Even the first couple of nights after I’d been dumped on the front porch of an uncle I’d never met before were shit.
But last night took the cake. After a cold shower, and a meal that was way too small, I had forced my battered body to lie back on the rock-hard bed. That was when a young bloke who was stoned off his face was marched into my cell. He’d spent the following hours alternating between being slumped in a stupor on the floor and yelling that he was innocent at the top of his lungs.
I was innocent too. Fuck lot of good yelling did.
Nobody listened. I didn’t blame the cops for being suspicious of me. Not after the amount of evidence they’d found on my farm, and those poor people.
But Jewel. She should have believed me.
“Oy, when are ya gonna feed us?” My cellmate yelled through the bars. His high-pitched voice bounced off the concrete walls and pierced right into my brain. “Hey! Is anyone there? I’m hungry.”
My stomach groaned as if it knew what he said, and images of Jewel and I eating bush tomatoes in the rainforest drifted into my mind. Closing my eyes, I could picture her like she was right in front of me. Her thick, dark hair that curled under her chin like it was cupping her face. The tiny dimple in her right cheek that made an appearance when she truly laughed. How spectacular the weight of her breasts were when I held them in my hands.
My damn cock throbbed, and I yanked my eyes open.
“Hey! We’re fucking starving.”
“Calm down,” I said. “They’ll be here when?—”
He spun to me, snarling like a rabid dog. “What’d you say?”
I stood and raised my hands in a peace gesture. “Just calm down.”
He lowered his shoulder and charged at me like a marauding bull. I dodged aside, and shoved his back, sending him sprawling across the floor.
The bastard seemed to bounce off the concrete like he was made of rubber. He launched to his feet and spun to me with his fists raised and blood pouring from a cut on his lip.
“You fucking idiot.” He wiped his mouth, smearing blood over his chin.
I cracked my neck from side to side. “Don’t do it, asshole.” I kept my voice calm like I was in control, but I was a long fucking way from being in control.
He stepped closer, and his lip twitched as he glared at me.
The only physical fight I’d ever had was with Uncle John. That had been so unexpected and so fucking wrong, I still couldn’t believe that had happened. John had been drunk, and I was bigger and stronger. It hadn’t stopped the stupid bastard from taking me on. He’d underestimated me though. Just like this dumb shit.
I was angry enough to take down an entire mob.
“I’m warning you.” I clenched my fists.
“Oh yeah, think you can take me?” The kid jumped forward, swinging his fist in a wide arc.
I dodged his swing and punched his cheek. His head snapped around, but he spun on his heel, whipping up his foot, and whacked me on the side of the head. I stumbled back toward the concrete bedframe and only just managed to halt my fall by gripping the edge of the bed. Stars danced across my eyes and the bitter tang of blood pooled across my tongue.
“You fucking asshole,” I growled, turning to him with my fists raised.
Grinning like a lunatic, the kid danced from side to side. “Got ya, ya geriatric fool.”
I spat on the ground and the bloody globule splattered the concrete between us. Clenching my fists until my nails dug in, I glared at him, trying to work out how my life had gone so horribly wrong.
He pounced forward, jabbing with his fist. I punched under his chin and his head snapped up. Growling like a beast, I darted behind him, hooked my arm around his neck, and squeezed.
The kid pushed back, but I held my ground.
He thumped his fists against my thighs. I didn’t let go.
Blind rage blazed through me. Owned me.
I wasn’t a farmer anymore. I had no fucking idea who I was.
Shouts rang out behind me, but I barely heard them through my pulse pounding in my ears.
Rough hands grabbed me.
“Let him go!” a man yelled in my ear.
Something whacked against the back of my knee. I crumbled to the ground, landing on my hands and knees.
“He tried to kill me!” the kid raged. “You all saw it. You’re my witnesses.”
“Shut up, Taylor. Get up. Face the corner.” The guard’s gruff tone bounced off the cold stone walls.
“What? Why me? What’d I do wrong?” Taylor whined.
“Do it now, before I make you.”
“Ah, for fuck’s sake.” The kid threw his hands out in frustration. “Nobody believes me. You got cameras, ain’t ya? Check ‘em. You’ll see who took the first swing.”
Frowning, I tried to rewind back to which of us threw the first punch. Was it me?
I dragged my body upright.
“Stay there.” The guard pointed a finger at me.
I stepped back and folded my arms over my chest. A second guard stood at the open door. He nodded at me, then trained his gaze on his partner.
The guard grabbed the kid by the arm, dragged him to the concrete bed on the other side of the cell, and leaned into his ear. Whatever the guard said, it took all the fight out of the young man. “Do not move until I tell you.”
The kid nodded.
“Say yes,” the guard barked.
“Yes.” Taylor sounded like he was ten years old, and I felt sorry for him.
He looked so lost, it transported me back nearly twenty years to the night my mother was taken away, and I’d spent the night in an emergency shelter for kids. My allocated room had four bunk beds, but nobody else had joined me. The next morning, a woman in a green uniform made me sit on the bed and tell her my name, age, and a pile of other pointless shit. I’d begged and screamed for my mother, but she’d ignored me.
The guard strode toward me, snapping me from my memory landslide. “You okay?”
His question surprised me.
I huffed. “Define okay.”
A smile crawled across his lips. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
He eased in behind me, and pressing his hand against my shoulder, he forced me to walk toward the open door. As the second guard led the way up the corridor, the gate to my cell was locked in place behind me.
“Hey! Can I move now?” Taylor’s holler bounced up the hallway.
The guards led me through a series of locked gates without any word of where we were going or why. I didn’t ask. I didn’t care either. After what I’d been through, nothing would surprise me anymore.
The first guard peered through a glass panel on a door, then pushed it open. I stepped inside and my breath hitched. Jewel and Lacey were seated at a small metal table.
“Cody.” Jewel jumped to her feet. “Jesus, you’re bleeding. What happened?”
Her hand hovered over her mouth.
“I’ll come back in a few minutes with the paperwork,” the guard said, then he shut the door behind him.
“Oh, Cody. Are you okay?” Jewel stepped toward me and her chest heaved. “I’m so sorry this happened.”
“What do you want, Jewel?” I clenched my jaw, determined to fight through the wild emotions racing through me.
She cleared her throat. “Come. Take a seat.”
“I don’t need a seat.” I folded my arms.
“Okay.” She let out a slow breath and sat down again.
“You’re being released without any charges,” Lacey said.
I cocked an eyebrow. That was a shocker. With all the evidence they had, I thought I would die in jail like my mother.
“Please.” Lacey nodded to the chair opposite her.
I shoved the chair back from the table and sat, forcing my gaze to only look at Lacey.
“Do you need medical attention?” Lacey indicated to my lips.
I ran my hand over the back of my mouth, wiping away blood. “I’ll live.”
Lacey turned over the cover of a manilla folder in front of her and passed a photograph toward me. “Do you know this man?”
“That’s Grant Hughes, the farm accountant.” Although in that photo he was so pale he looked half dead. Maybe he was.
“Grant Hughes has been arrested for a string of charges including human trafficking and drug smuggling.”
I shook my head. “As I keep saying, I had nothing to do with that?—”
“We know,” Jewel said. “We know you’re innocent.”
“Told you I was.” I swallowed a wave of emotion that wedged in my throat.
“I know. Cody, please accept my apology.” Jewel reached across the table, but I slinked my hand away.
Lacey slipped another photo across the table.
“That’s my Uncle John.” I preempted her question. “You arrest him too?”
“No. He was found in the bushes near Grant Hughes’ house. He’d lost a lot of blood, and unfortunately, they were unable to save him.”
Questions swirled around my brain. “Lost blood from what?”
“His arm was severed in a helicopter crash.”
Now that was surprising. “Grant’s helicopter?”
“Yes. Grant’s been helping us with our inquiries, and he told us that after they couldn’t find you and Jewel in the jungle, Grant and John had a fight in the helicopter, and they crashed.”
I chuckled. “Stupid bastard. So he’s dead?”
“Yes. I’m sorry,” she said.
“I’m not. After what he was doing on my farm, he deserved to die in agony.”
Lacey cocked her head, frowning. “So, you knew it was your farm?”
“Yes. What do you mean?”
“As in, did you know the property was in your name?”
“What?” I jerked back. “No, it isn’t. I just work the farm. That’s a lie.”
She shook her head. “The property was transferred into your name six years ago.”
“But how? I never signed anything.”
“We thought that may be the case. We have fraud investigators looking into the paperwork now.”
I lowered my head to my uncle’s photo on the table. “He told me he’d always hated me, but I still can’t believe he used me like that. What about Bruce?”
“He’s dead too,” Jewel said. “He died in a shootout while we were searching for Dane.”
My breath hitched. “Oh God, Jewel, is your brother okay?”
“Physically? He’s fine.” She raked her fingers through her dark hair, pressing her temples as if to ward off pain. “But they’ve charged him with drug trafficking.”
A broken sound escaped me. “I’m so sorry.”
Her bottom lip trembled, betraying the composure she fought to maintain.
“It’s not your fault. He was silly enough to get involved in these crimes, so he’ll . . .” She sniffed. “He’s likely to go to jail for several years.”
A tear spilled down her cheek and when she flicked it away, something cracked inside me.
I pushed my hand across the table. “Are you okay?”
She reached for me and when our palms met, she squeezed our hands together. “I’m okay, but I’m just so sorry that I didn’t believe you.”
“It’s okay. With all that evidence . . .” Halting, I turned to Lacey. “With all that evidence on the land you say I own; how did you work out I’m innocent?”
“Grant Hughes,” she said matter of fact.
My jaw dropped.
“He was severely wounded in the chopper crash with John, and he was half dead when we found him. Maya brought him back twice during the rescue flight from Grant’s house to the hospital.” A weird expression crossed her face. “Both his legs had to be amputated.”
“Holy hell.”
“Yeah. He was actually lucky we found him when we did,” Lacey said.
“And we are lucky too,” Jewel added. “He told us that you had absolutely no idea what was going on under the farm.”
I nodded, once again trying to work out how I could have missed it all. “How long were they . . . you know, doing that shit?”
Jewel scrunched her nose. “Years.”
“How many years?”
“Since before you went there,” Lacey said.
“Son of a bitch!” My stomach twisted at the horror. “They’ve been trafficking people there all this time. How the hell did I miss that?”
Lacey shook her head. “Grant said they used to pay people to work in that drug lab under Bruce’s place, but too many got greedy and wanted more or threatened blackmail. So they started trafficking people to do the work.”
“Fucking hell. Bunch of bastards. What’s going to happen to Grant?”
“He’s cooperating with us,” Lacey said.
I leveled my gaze at her. “That bastard doesn’t do anything unless there’s something in it for him.”
Lacey nodded. “You’re right. He needs protection.”
“From who?” I frowned.
“Have you ever heard them mention a woman named B?”
I felt like this was a test, and frowning, I searched my memory. Shaking my head, I said, “No. Sorry. Who is she?”
Lacey shrugged. “We already had a lot of intel on her since her name cropped up during an investigation into an underground drug lab that we found in the Everglades.”
Jewel nodded. “It was just like the one under Bruce’s place. You’d never know it was there if you weren’t looking for it.”
“I couldn’t believe it when they found that room under his house. Sneaky fucking bastards. What else do you know about B? Any idea what she looks like? Maybe she’s been on the farm, but I didn’t know who she was,” I said, wishing I could be more helpful.
Lacey scowled. “No. We don’t have any intel on her age or appearance, but we know she’s been running Scorpion Industries since Chui and Frank Morgan died. And she stepped in damn quick, so she has connections.” Her scowl deepened. “If Grant can be believed, she has a couple of crooked cops in her pocket. I’ll strangle them myself when we find out who they are.”
“So that’s why Grant needs protection?” I asked, leaning forward. “Because he’s worried a cop will kill him?”
“Not just cops. It seems B has connections everywhere, like at the wharf, and the crematorium. Apparently, that’s where a few people vanished.”
“Jesus. It’s like something out of a movie.” I sighed, shaking my head.
Jewel tilted her head slightly, a small smile playing on her lips. “I thought you didn’t watch movies.”
“Ha. Ha.” I nodded at Jewel. “So was it B’s connection at the wharf that involved your brother?”
She fidgeted with the earrings in her left ear. “Yeah, they preyed on his naivety.”
“Assholes,” I muttered.
“Anyway.” Lacey pulled the manilla folder toward her and pushed back on her seat. “I have to go. Cody, on behalf of the Queensland police, we offer our sincere apology.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I tried to keep the frustration from my voice. “Does this mean I can go home?”
Although the thought of going back to the plantation sickened me to my core, I had nowhere else to go.
They shared a look between them that yanked my hopes clean out of my head.
“I’m sorry, Cody,” Lacey said, “but that corn plantation is a major crime scene, and the asset has been seized as suspected proceeds of criminal offenses.”
“What?” My jaw dropped. “But my place is there. And my stuff.”
“You can’t return to that property,” Lacey said.
I blinked at her . . . then Jewel. “Jesus. What am I supposed to do now?”
The guard walked into the room. “Okay, I’ve got all your paperwork ready.”
Lacey tapped the folder on the table. “That’s my cue to leave. Cody, if you think of anything, no matter how small, you call me.” She slid her card across the table. “But I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you around.” She winked at me, then strode out the door.
“If you follow me, I’ll get you out of here.” The guard peered at me like he expected me to give him a high five.
As I followed him along the corridor, Jewel kept a couple of paces behind me. She stayed that way as I was processed through the various stages of release. I was told to change out of the prison uniform, and they handed me a bag. Inside the bag were the filthy clothes I’d worn into the prison and the foul odor wafting up from the jeans and shirt I’d worn for four days in the Daintree nearly made me gag.
“Here.” Jewel handed me a different bag. “I asked my friends to grab some things from your place. I hope that was okay.”
“Yeah, thanks.” My thoughts were a tangled mess as I stepped into the men’s room to change. In the mirror, I scowled at my reflection. My beard was the longest it had ever been. I had black smudges on my temple and forehead, a red welt was forming on my cheek, and dried blood was smeared across my lower lip. I splashed water onto my face and used a paper towel to clean away some of the mess.
I needed a long hot shower. And a good sleep. Once I put my head down on a decent pillow, I would probably sleep for a week.
As I tugged on the T-shirt Jewel had provided, a question blazed across my mind like a hazard symbol: what the hell was I going to do once I got out of here?
I pulled on a pair of sneakers that I could only vaguely recall buying. Where had they found these? My brain skidded to the answer. They would have combed every inch of my place, searching for evidence.
Just the thought of returning there made my skin crawl. The trafficking and illegal drugs were horrendous, but it was the lies and deceit that would forever ruin any potential joy of living and working on the farm again. The Fall Armyworm would have completely decimated my current crop anyway.
That plantation is dead to me.
I stepped out of the men’s room. Jewel and the guard were chatting like they were old friends. Maybe they were. She seemed to know everyone.
“Rightyho, cowboy. Let’s get you out of here.” Jewel nodded at the guard. “Catch you around, Jones. Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime, Whisper. Tell your mom I said hi.”
“Will do.” She led the way out the door.
I squinted against the brilliant sunshine.
“This way.” She led me to a shiny, red sports car. “Get in.”
“Do I have a choice?” I fought the grin teasing my lips.
“Nope.” She dropped into the driver’s seat.
I had barely buckled in before she screeched out of the parking lot like rebels were attacking.
“Where are we going?”
“I have a place for you to stay.” She turned onto a four-lane highway and took the car up to fifth gear.
“Were you a rally driver, or something?”
She flashed a spectacular smile at me. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me all day.”
I growled at her. “It’s been a rough day.”
She touched her lip. “What happened there?”
“Just making friends with my cellmate.”
“Ha. Cute.” She turned a corner so fast I had to grip the ceiling to stay on my seat.
“I feel like I’m being kidnapped.”
She burst out laughing. “You’re a funny guy, cowboy.”
And you’re delightful . . . my lady.
She hit me with a look that was so intense, I wondered if I’d said that out loud. “What?” I said.
Shaking her head, she smiled. “Nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing. Tell me what you’re thinking. We have an honesty pact, remember?”
She cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t think so. What went on in the jungle stays in the jungle.”
“Well, not everything, I hope. There are some things that are worth repeating.”
Giggling, she floored the accelerator, and at the top of the rise, she took us airborne. We crunched down on the other side of the hill, where a spectacular panoramic view of the ocean spread out before us.
“Wow, now that’s a view,” I said.
Halfway down the hill, she stomped on the brake, just about launching me through the windshield, and turned into a steep driveway of a two-story timber house that was painted white with gray trims. “Welcome to your new home.”
“What?” I asked, taking in the overgrown terraced gardens at the front.
“Come on.”
“Jewel. What’s going?—?”
She didn’t respond, just climbed out of the car and slammed the door. Leaning against the front bonnet, she glared at me through the windshield. “Come on, cowboy. There’s something you need to see.”
Groaning, I couldn’t decide if I liked being bossed around or not. Then again, Jewel could ask me to run naked up the street, and I would probably do it.
I slid out of the car and followed her through a solid timber front door, which she opened without knocking.
“Hello,” she called, and her voice seemed to echo about the space.
“You’re early,” a man’s voice echoed from up the stairs. “I’ll be down in a sec. Make yourself at home.”
I followed Jewel into a sparse living area, but the spectacular view of the ocean through floor-to-ceiling windows commanded my attention, and I strolled toward it.
Jewel came to my side. “You like it?”
“It’s beautiful.” I turned to her, frowning. “What’s going on?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll let Ryder explain.”
“Ryder? Your boss.”
“Yep. Now, what do you want first—a drink, something to eat, a hot shower, or sleep?”
“Answers.”
“Party pooper.” She strode across the living room to a fridge that was too small for the allocated space in the kitchen.
Ryder came down the stairs carrying a vacuum cleaner, and behind him was a woman carrying a bucket.
“Hi, Cody, how you doing?” He put down the vacuum and offered his hand.
“I’m okay. Confused, but okay.”
“That’s the Whisper effect,” he said, rolling his eyes. “This is my partner, Piper.”
Piper stepped forward and shook my hand. “Nice to meet you.”
A pop sounded in the kitchen. “Yay.” Jewel squealed as she held a bottle of champagne.
Everyone turned to her.
“Bubbles anyone?” She waggled her head.
“Ooh yes, please.” Piper rubbed her hands together as she slotted onto the barstool next to the kitchen counter.
“Ryder, can you please tell me what’s going on?” I asked.
“Oh, sorry, I thought Whisper would have told you. She usually can’t keep her mouth shut.”
“Jeez, thanks, boss. Champagne?”
“Sure, but just one glass. We’re taking Scout to see Dane.”
Jewel’s expression morphed from joy to sorrow in a nanosecond. “How is she going?” Jewel turned to me. “Piper’s daughter, Scout, was dating Dane.”
“ Is dating Dane,” Piper corrected.
Jewel’s expression morphed again to surprise. “She didn’t break up with him?”
“Of course not. And you know that blog of hers?” Piper seemed to shudder.
“Yes, Scout’s Fucking Honor.” Jewel grinned.
Shaking her head, Piper cringed. “Yeah, well Scout and Dane are using his, um . . .”
Piper seemed lost for words.
“Fuck up,” Jewel finished her sentence.
“Yeah. That.” Piper swept her wavy red hair behind her ear, and the massive diamond engagement ring on her finger twinkled in the kitchen lights. “Well, Scout and Dane plan to use his experience as a lesson for everyone. According to Scout, people are scrambling over themselves to read her blog posts about her and Dane.”
“Wow. He’s so lucky to have her support.” Jewel heaved a sigh.
“He made a mistake,” Piper said, “and you know Scout was no angel. They have a connection.”
Jewel fiddled with the stem of her glass. “Well, I guess if anything good can come from this, hopefully, it will stop other young people from making the same mistakes Dane did.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Piper raised her glass.
Ryder glanced at me. “There’s beer in the fridge if you prefer. You okay, buddy?”
Was I okay? I had no idea.
“Beer sounds good. Thanks.” I stepped forward. “What’s a blog?”
They all burst out laughing.
Jewel skipped around the counter to my side and wrapped her arm around my waist. “Oh, Cody, I’m going to have so much fun bringing you up to speed.”
“Should I be worried?” I asked, although I was looking forward to whatever lessons she had in mind.
“I would be if I were you,” Ryder joked. “Whisper is full of surprises.”
“Oh, don’t I know it.” I chuckled. Although, truth was, Whisper was the best surprise I’d ever had.
As Ryder and Jewel exchanged barbs, the respect in his eyes was unmistakable, even when he called her a handful. A pang of longing echoed within me. Back home, respect had been non-existent. Uncle John and Bruce only barked orders and cast sidelong glances that were heavy with mistrust. Never had they looked at me the way Ryder looked at Jewel.
I took another swig of my beer, letting the cold liquid slide down my throat. As Jewel's laughter blended with Piper's, the sound washed away my lingering questions. Their joy filled the room like a melody, and something inside me stirred. All those years of toiling from sunup to sundown, head bent, mouth closed—maybe it was a blessing in disguise to have that life yanked away from me.
These people had something I’d never known existed: real friendship, belly laughs, dreams worth chasing. Jewel’s eyes sparkled as she told another story, and I knew I wanted more than just their lifestyle.
For the first time in my life, I wanted to know what it was like to fall head over heels in love.
Then Jewel swept me up in her captivating gaze, and I knew I already had.