Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
The next morning, Dawson stood in front of Chief Garcia.
His boss was seated behind the broad expanse of his desk.
Papers overflowed his plastic inbox, and on the credenza behind him were photographs of his family along with ones from various social events, including pictures with the mayor and city council.
Smart and dedicated, the chief understood his job wasn’t just about law enforcement but politics too.
He balanced the two better than anyone Dawson had ever worked for.
“I’ve searched through everything we found at the train depot—Grace’s car seat, the backpack, and the toys inside—but didn’t find anything unusual,” Dawson said. “If Lilia stole something valuable from Cade, she didn’t hide it with the baby.”
“Can we even be certain she stole anything?” Liam asked from his position on the other side of the room, where he leaned against a large bookcase. “When Marvis broke into the hotel room, he went for Grace. Why? If Cade’s only interested in getting the evidence back, why steal the baby?”
“To use her as leverage.” Peyton was seated in a visitor’s chair, her posture was straight and her gaze unwavering.
Ever the professional. But the dark circles shadowing the area under her eyes showed she hadn’t slept any better than Dawson last night.
“I don’t think Cade knows where Lilia is.
Or where she hid the evidence. He’s trying to flush her out, and Grace is the way to do that. ”
Chief Garcia leaned forward. “And the attacks on you and Dawson?”
“Cade wants me to stop looking for Lilia. And I’m sure he’s worried that I may stumble across whatever she stole.
” Peyton quickly glanced at Dawson before focusing back on the chief.
“Last night was a message for me. The sniper used a scope with a red light, which he flashed over Dawson’s body several times to attract my attention.
He took the shot only after Dawson was on the ground.
Cade wants me to know that if I don’t stop looking for Lilia, he’ll come after anyone I care about. ”
The chief looked at Dawson, his expression neutral. “Is that your assessment as well, Detective?”
“I agree it was a message, but I’m not sure Cade was the one who sent it. Jax reached out to a couple of his informants, and we’ve confirmed Marvis wants to take over the leadership of the Iron Serpents. He could be the one behind these attacks.”
Peyton narrowed her gaze. “So now you believe Cade is being framed?”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, Cade doesn’t want you meddling in his business, and he’ll kill you in an instant if he feels threatened.
But I don’t trust Marvis either. He could be using this to his advantage, doing everything he can to put pressure on Cade and keep law enforcement breathing down his neck. ”
“True, but I agree it would be unwise to take anything Marvis says at face value.” Chief Garcia frowned. “Where was the sniper?”
“Located across the street. My neighbors are in Florida visiting their daughter. The perpetrator broke into their home and used an upper-story window to gain a clear line of sight.”
“Forensics worked their magic, but didn’t collect anything useful.
” Liam pushed away from the bookcase and claimed the other visitor’s chair, hooking one arm over the back of the seat.
“The perpetrator was also smart enough to collect his shell casings before fleeing, something that most newbie criminals forget in their panic to get away.”
“So you think we’re dealing with someone experienced?”
Liam shrugged. “At least moderately. But I don’t agree with Peyton and Dawson.
It’s impossible to know why the sniper missed.
It could’ve been a warning, designed to frighten Peyton, or the perpetrator could’ve gotten cold feet about shooting a law enforcement officer in cold blood.
Either way, I don’t think it matters. We should take precautionary measures. ”
Dawson opened his mouth to respond, but Peyton beat him to it. “Grace and I can move to a safe house. Our presence has put the Graham family in danger, and I don’t want to risk that an innocent civilian will get hurt.”
His gaze shot to her. Why hadn’t she discussed this with him on the way to the police department this morning?
Dawson knew her first priority was protecting Grace, and he believed Peyton wanted to protect his family, but a part of him wondered if this was a response to their kiss last night.
A convenient excuse to put some distance between them.
They hadn’t discussed what’d happened, or where they stood. Dawson wasn’t even sure about his own feelings. He didn’t regret kissing her, but one tender moment didn’t erase the past. How could he reopen his heart to her when he didn’t fully trust her to stay?
Even now, it felt like she was running. The thought wasn't entirely fair, and he knew it, but Dawson felt his own shields going up.
Peyton purposefully avoided looking at him, instead staying fixed on Chief Garcia. “I know your resources are limited, and finding Lilia has to be a top priority. With Grace and me hidden away, I hope you all can focus on solving the case.”
“If the Knoxville PD had a safe house, I’d agree with you, but our budget doesn’t allow for that.”
“I can call my supervisor. Maybe he can swing something.”
“I have a better idea.” Chief Garcia rested his arms on his desk.
“There’s a group of former soldiers living in town.
I’ve nicknamed them the Special Forces. They’ve assisted us with cases in the past, and when the occasion arises, they’ve provided protection details.
We can ask them to guard the Graham property.
This way, you can continue to assist on the case, but Grace and the ranch are protected. ”
“If I may, sir,” Dawson interjected. “I’ve already arranged for the Special Forces to assist. Hayley and Tucker have created a schedule, and the first shift should arrive within the hour, allowing for the patrol officer currently stationed outside my house to return to his normal duties.”
Officer Tucker Colburn and Assistant Chief Hayley Montgomery were both part of the Special Forces group.
Tucker was a former Army Ranger, and Hayley worked as a military police officer before joining the Knoxville PD.
After the sniper incident last night, they were some of Dawson’s first phone calls.
Peyton turned to face Dawson. “You trust them? The Special Forces?”
“A hundred percent.” He met her gaze. “Grace and my family will be safe. You don’t need to worry.”
Some of the tension in her shoulders eased. “Thank you.”
“Good. Now that the matter is settled.” Chief Garcia brought everyone’s attention back to him. “Let’s discuss where—”
A knock on the door interrupted him. Assistant Chief Hayley Montgomery opened it and slipped inside.
Her dark pixie cut was sharper than usual, and the sleeves of her button-down were rolled to the elbows, exposing the mottled scars on her right hand and the scripture tattoo on her inner wrist. At five months along, the slight swell of her belly was just visible beneath her shirt.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Supervisory Special Agent Derek Fallon from the ATF is here to see you. It’s about the Lilia Morrison case. ”
Shock vibrated through Dawson. The ATF didn't make house calls to small-town police departments unless something big was at stake. He exchanged a look with Liam, who'd gone still in his chair.
Chief Garcia's expression didn't change, but his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “Send him in.”
She nodded and then turned to Dawson. “I’ve scheduled the Special Forces to protect the ranch until the end of the week. If you need them longer than that, let me know and we’ll make arrangements.”
He flashed her a grateful smile. “I appreciate it, Hayley.”
She snorted, reaching for the door handle. “You may regret it once my husband arrives for tonight’s shift. I’ll send Walker with snacks, but he’s been known to raid the fridge like a wild raccoon.”
Dawson made a mental note to warn his mom. She’d be thrilled. The only thing that made her happier than taking care of babies and kids was feeding people.
Hayley left and returned moments later with a tall, silver-haired man in an expensive charcoal suit.
Chief Garcia made the introductions, and SSA Derek Fallon politely shook everyone’s hand before setting his briefcase on the corner of the desk.
He declined Liam's offer to sit and positioned himself where he had a full view of the room.
“Forgive me for dropping by unannounced, but it’s come to my attention that your missing person’s investigation has run afoul of a federal investigation into the Iron Serpents and Cade Maddox.
I’m not at liberty to discuss details, but we have assets in play.
Your visit to Sidewinders drew attention and put my people at risk. ”
Dawson blinked in surprise. The ATF had undercover officers embedded in the Iron Serpents? Since when?
“We apologize, SSA Fallon, but we didn’t know about a federal investigation into Iron Serpents.” Chief Garcia arched his brows. “It’s customary for the local police department to be notified of such investigations in order to avoid an overlap that would put an undercover officer’s life at risk.”
Fallon acknowledged that with a slight nod. “There was a mix-up in our office.”
The chief grunted. “And did you mistakenly forget to inform the Texas Rangers as well? Because they’ve been working with my department for months investigating the various aspects of the Iron Serpents' criminal enterprise.”
“Casting blame at this point gets us nowhere, Chief. I’m here to handle the matter at hand. The ATF has been running an operation targeting the Iron Serpents, and we're close—closer than we've ever been—to dismantling the entire organization. We need your cooperation.”
“What precisely are you asking for?”
“Stay away from Cade Maddox and the Iron Serpents.”