Chapter 28
Cowboy’s headlights lit up the dirt road as he made his way to the outdoor shooting range just outside downtown Atlanta. He’d been home in bed with Charlotte when Jessa called, concerned because she didn’t know where Jax was and he wasn’t answering his phone.
It was June eleventh, which meant Cowboy immediately knew where to look.
Seven years ago to the day, Jax had started HERO Force with a staff of three: Hawk, Garrison Cole and Cowboy. The night of HERO Force’s first anniversary, Jax and Cowboy shot Cole, dead.
A pothole rocked his old Blazer. It had been dark that night, too—a moonless night that made it difficult to see, though in his memory everything about that night had been hard to interpret.
Back then, Jax had been pretty active in local politics, convinced he needed the approval of the officials to have HERO Force be a success. But that particular night, he hadn’t felt like going to Royce’s campaign fundraiser and had sent Garrison in his place.
Garrison, with his PTSD and drinking problem.
Royce showed up the next day in a rage, saying Garrison had molested his twelve year-old daughter the night before. Cowboy told him to call the police, but Royce refused. “Do you know what they’ll do to her at the police station, and worse, at the trial? Where is Garrison? I’ll handle it myself.”
Cowboy had driven his brand new Blazer to the shooting range with Royce and Jax in tow, right down this same road. Garrison was there trying out some new weapons, or so he’d said.
But when they arrived, Cowboy shined his headlights across the open field, and there—sitting in the grass in the middle of the range—was Garrison.
“Took you long enough,” he’d said.
Royce was irate. He walked into the field. “I know what you did to my daughter, you son of a bitch.”
That’s when Cowboy saw Royce held up a pistol. “Put down the gun, Anthony.”
“Doesn’t matter to me,” said Garrison. The steel of the semi-automatic in his hands gleamed in the headlights. “I’ve been sitting here all day thinking about eating one of these bullets.”
Royce shouted. “I’ll shoot you!”
Suddenly, a deer darted in front of Cowboy’s SUV and he slammed on the brakes, adrenaline rushing into his bloodstream and focusing his attention back on the present. Sure enough, Jax’s truck was pulled off to the side of the road.
Cowboy pulled in behind it, honking his horn twice to alert Jax to his presence. He left his headlights on, just as he had that fateful night six years ago.
“You didn’t need to come out here,” said Jax.
“Jessa’s looking for you.” Cowboy sat down next to him. “You never told her about Garrison?”
Jax took a drag of a cigarette, the orange tip glowing brightly. “You ever tell Charlotte?”
“Nope.” Cowboy hadn’t seen him smoke in years, the smell of it bringing him back in time to the night Garrison was killed.
Cowboy could see Garrison in the headlights, Royce threatening to kill him. He and Jax had come up on either side of Royce, prepared to stop him from firing.
“It’s a hard thing, killing yourself,” said Garrison. “I should know. I’ve tried it several times.” He cocked his head. “Maybe I’ve been doing it all wrong.” Just like that, he trained his weapon on Royce.
Cowboy pulled his gun and fired at Garrison. Jax did, too.
Garrison fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
“I didn’t mean to do it,” he cried.
Cowboy ran to him, falling to the ground by his side. “Call 9-1-1.”
“I thought she was older. I was drunk.”
Royce’s voice was cold. “I hope you burn in hell.” One last shot rang out, this one hitting Garrison in the head.
Jax took a drag of his cigarette. “I swear, I still hear the shots out here at night.”
“He had his demons.”
“Suicide by SEAL,” said Jax. “He wanted us to kill him so he wouldn’t have to do it himself.”
“We didn’t have a choice.”
“Nope.”
“Give me one of those.” Cowboy’s cell phone rang. “That’s probably your wife.”
“Tell her I’m not here.”
“You’ve got it.” Cowboy pulled it out. “It’s Logan.” He answered it. “What’s up?”
“Gemma’s missing and so is her security guard. I need backup. We have to find her.”