Chapter 15 #2
“That it was just a setback of him being in jail. He had friends in high places that would get him out, and when he was exonerated from all charges, and the felony charges wiped off his record, he would be the owner of Erin’s Way and Erin would be licking his boots every day, grateful to him just to be alive. ”
“Over my dead body!” Reid called out as he glared at Jake.
“Yeah, I figured you’d say something like that.
I didn’t say anything to Royal, but I did chuckle.
When I left the visitation room, we were seated across from each other with glass between us, and we talked via phone.
I told the guard that I wanted a copy of that conversation.
He nodded, made a note of it, but I would feel better if we had a warrant to cover our own asses. ”
“I’ll work on it,” Jason said as he wrote again.
“That guy sounds like Michael,” Katherine said into the silence, and shrugged when everyone turned to look at her. “He had the same entitled attitude.”
“Like Mom did,” Caleb said, and both Ryan and Kevin snorted a laugh. That broke the mounting tension in the room, until Denver spoke,
“Will all of this in information be able to be used against PITA when he goes to court?”
“Yes,” Jason answered. He looked up at everyone, then settled his eyes on Erin.
“Ilsa, Kevin, and myself will be leaving here on January tenth to go to California. We will be staying in Ilsa’s home.
Within two weeks of arriving, we will have the arrests against Grayson and his goons made.
” He looked around and nodded when he saw the look of concern on Katherine’s face.
“Larry Mason will be arrested where he is, but he will remain off the grid until it gets closer to the trial. We don’t need him to come up missing. ”
“I agree with that,” she said. “What about Michael?”
“What about him?”
“Do you think you should take Pru’s advice and send someone there to talk with him once the arrests are made?
I know he worked for Babcock, I didn’t know him as Grayson.
He said he was working his way up the chain of command and he was adamant that within two years, he would be in charge of something big.
I’m sorry to say that now I didn’t really pay attention to him when he boasted about his side job, because that’s what it was, a side job, he had a regular nine to five, and did this after hours. ”
“If you remember anything else, could you write it down?” Jason asked.
Then nodded. “Yes, I am going to go see Michael myself once the arrests are made and I’m hoping they won’t get bail.
If they don’t, then I’ll go tell him to be ready for a roommate, you know, twist the knife, hoping he might spill something. ”
“I understand.”
“Oh, and in case you didn’t catch that, I will be the one there telling the judge they don’t deserve bail, and I will also be arresting the gang members at the same time.”
“Christ,” Ryan said with a shake of his head. “Who will be making the arrests? If you’re taking out local gang bangers, and the FBI, who is going to be slapping the cuffs on those agents?”
“Since I have the President’s ear, I’m going to ask that all of you get sworn in.
If Erin can spare you, I’d like for the former Delta team, and Duane to accompany us to California to be sworn in by ATF and DEA.
I’m not saying you’ll actually handle the cuffing, but I would feel better if you guys were in the background waiting with a sniper rifle. ”
“Shoot to kill?” Lloyd asked, “Or maim?”
“Maim. I don’t care if you have to take their knee out, but I want them arrested, thrown in jail, and face their actions in front of a judge and jury.”
“Understood. Also, I know this isn’t our business, but are you going to go down as hard on the gang bangers as Grayson and his cronies?”
“If all goes as planned, I’ll be arresting them mid- to late afternoon on a Friday. They will have to stay in jail until Tuesday.”
“Why Tuesday? Why not Monday?” Marcia asked.
“Like I said, if I time it right, Monday would be a federal holiday and everything, banks, post office, schools, courts, all of it, will be closed.”
“Ah.”
“Will you talk to the gang bangers during that weekend and see if they will cooperate, then get them released on bail, but not the Feds if fingers are pointed at them.” He shrugged and shook his head. “That’s my current plan.”
“Yes, that’s the reason for timing the arrests when we do.
” He nodded and looked around the room, then at Jake.
“You and your men are more than welcome to join us. I just have to get permission from Erin to see if she would release the men to come to California for a couple of weeks, three at the most.”
Erin spoke then, “Since I don’t control what the men do, and there’s snow on the ground, major ground breaking construction is at a halt for now.
I’m sure if they coordinate with the crews for the inside work, and leave notes for us to follow through on the work, there shouldn’t be a problem with them going.
” She looked around and nodded at the women.
“I know all of you are former military, if you want to go, you’re more than welcome.
I can get workers from Erin’s Way to go to Broken and New Double to help out. ”
“Nope,” all the women said, then laughed at her expression.
“When I left the military, I left the military,” Marcia said.
“I will if I have to, like if someone is attacking us. I can’t speak for the other ladies, but I feel that if the men are gone, someone is going to have to be diligent here.
Like I said, I don’t think anything will happen, but you never know. ”
“Also,” Cole spoke. “We have two young men coming to work at New Double after the first of the year.” He looked around and grinned at the confused faces. “The Montgomery twins.”
“If you don’t mind,” Jake spoke then, “I would prefer to stay here to be backup to the ladies if something happens. We can tell Sheriff Jim and Sparrow to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity. I’m sure the middle of January would have people up to no good stick out like a sore thumb around here. ”
“You got that right,” Erin laughed with a snort, then turned to Jason. “I have no problem with the men going, but I probably should warn you now.”
“What’s that?”
“They’re not going to want to fly. I’m just assuming here, but they will be loaded to the gills and won’t be able to carry their guns on a plane.”
“I have no problem driving from here to California.” Jason looked at the men, individually. “The question is, would you want to go to California to be security for Ilsa, Kevin, and myself, as well as backup for the DEA and ATF?”
All the men turned and looked at Clark, who looked at them. There were several hand motions, and eye contact, then he stepped forward. “Only on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“The ATF and DEA do not get to dictate which weapons we use. I can’t speak for the others, but I’m bringing what I used when I was a SEAL.”
“So are we,” Reid said and everyone nodded.
“Again, I have no problem with that. I’ll pass that along. I have three copies off all of these files, and I’ve even sent a copy to Lyle Anderson.”
“Send me one,” Jake said, then shrugged.
“You can never have too many. You never know when something might conveniently come up missing.” When Ilsa and Katherine both snorted a laugh, they explained what had happened with the missing evidence from Michael’s trial, and they all shook their heads sadly, until she produced the envelope that Larry had given Lyle, who had shipped it to them.
It was still sealed in the sealed evidence bag, and once they got to California, it would be taken to a crime lab and dusted for prints.
Yet another nail to drive into someone’s coffin.