CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Looks like Collins is tightening the collar on Burton,” said Jill at breakfast the next morning. “Unfortunately, he had a hit squad waiting for agents that were going to corner him. His head of security was shot twice.”
“Is he alive?” asked Cam.
“He is. He’s in our hospital in protective custody,” said Jill.
“Ours? Why? Why are we protecting him?” asked Luke.
“That’s what you’re going to have to ask him. He won’t speak to anyone except you guys,” she smiled. “I’d say that a good sign for us and a bad sign for Burton.”
Cam, Luke, Hex, and Eric went to the front of the property, entering the hospital through the back emergency door. On the third floor, in a corner room, two of the new men brought on when Grayson retired guarded the room.
“Morning, sirs,” said Brunson. Luke rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
“Morning, sirs,” repeated Rowe.
“One time. I’m only saying this one time,” said Luke. “We’re not sirs, we’re not lieutenants or captains or master sergeants. We are just Luke, Cam, Eric, and Hex.”
“Yes, sir,” said the men in unison.
“Luke, give it up,” laughed Eric. He looked at the two men. “It’s cool brothers, just try to remember we’re all equal here.”
“Sir, there is not a world that I’ve lived in where we are equal to all of you,” said Rowe.
“We promise,” said Cam, “we’re all equal. Has he said anything?”
“Not a word. He just kept asking to speak to one of you. He’s not fighting, not asking for a lawyer, nothing.”
“Now I’m really curious,” said Hex opening the door. The man in the bed appeared pale and obviously in pain. According to Jill, he’d refused all attempts at pain medication until he could speak with them.
“Lyle Voss?” asked Luke. He nodded. “I’m Luke Robicheaux. This is Cam Dougall, Eric Bongard, and Hex Vernon. We understand you wanted to speak with us.” He nodded again as the men took a seat on the chairs lining the wall.
“I was head of security for Burton Drilling for almost twenty-three years. Ms. Martin was one of the kindest, sweetest women I’ve ever met. She paid for me to complete my master’s degree, she sent me gifts on my birthday, at Christmas, even sent Easter baskets to me.”
The men just stared at him quietly waiting for the story to conclude.
“When Platform Nine happened, she asked if we could meet privately. I spent my day off driving to Baton Rouge to meet her. She wanted to be sure no one saw us together. She was worried about me, not herself.
“We met at a small café off the LSU campus. She showed me all the evidence she had on Platform Nine. I had to excuse myself and vomit in the bathroom.”
“Didn’t you have a clue before then?” asked Luke.
“Hollis is very good at ensuring I hear things he thinks I need to hear or that will provide evidence for where he was at a certain time or date. But as it relates to the platforms, I’m not usually in the room. I knew a few things about Platform Nine because Dorothy had told me.
“When those twenty-seven deaths were brushed off as an inconvenience, I couldn’t handle it any longer.
My father had been rig worker in Alaska.
I knew what those men did and how hard they worked.
So, Dorothy and I started to formulate a plan.
I gathered more and more evidence as he became consumed with the trial.
“It seemed to take forever, years to get him before a courtroom. In the end, he got no jail time. Nothing. Just paid out a bunch of money for the environmental damage and other bullshit.”
“There’s still the civil trial,” said Eric staring at the man.
“How do you think that will go?” scoffed Voss. “He’ll find a way to pay out of court. Sell his precious yacht or one of his vacation properties. It’s sickening. I started feeding the information that Dorothy gave me to Mr. Collins. Then we began working together, face-to-face.”
“I see,” nodded Cam. “That’s how he got all that information.”
“Yes. But Dorothy. Dorothy knew it wasn’t enough,” he said swallowing hard, tears in his eyes. “We planned it. All of it.”
“All of what?” frowned Luke.
“Her death.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” growled Cam.
“Sh-she made sure to give herself extra insulin even though she didn’t need it. That’s why her blood sugar dropped so fast. She wanted to be on the porch, watching the rain that night. We had to make it look like it was more,” he said shaking his head, the tears coming freely now.
“Dorothy told me to wear double gloves and put some of the oleander on her arms and legs, then set it on fire. Except, it was raining so hard it didn’t burn for long. I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t want her to die alone. She didn’t want anyone to see me.
“So, I stood around the corner of the house in the dark and we just talked. She was rocking slower and slower, her speech becoming slurred. I begged her to let me call an ambulance. There had to be a better way. She said this would ensure she was finally free of Hollis and the evidence she left behind would force him to hang himself.”
“Jesus. An English teacher figured all that out by herself,” frowned Eric.
“She was much more than that,” said Voss. “She had degrees in engineering, computer programming, and art history. She was brilliant and kind and the loveliest human being ever. And she wouldn’t let me save her.”
“Why? Why not bring all the evidence to the feds or anyone?” asked Luke.
“Dorothy said that Hollis would find a way out of it like he always did. So she planned the whole damn thing. The keys he had to find to the lockers that were empty except for more frustrating clues. The house going to that firefighter. The oleander on her skin. Every damn piece of it.
“When the feds arrived at that warehouse, I thought we had him. I had no clue he’d hired an outside mercenary crew he’d bought without my knowledge. His men killed all those feds and dumped their bodies.”
“Fuck,” muttered Luke. “Now he’s got murder written all over him. There were cameras in the warehouse, right?”
“Inside and outside but I don’t know if he got the footage. He shot me, left me to die in the building, probably to make me look guilty.”
“Where is he now?” asked Cam.
“If I had to guess, his yacht. It’s his safe place, or so he thinks.
” Voss tried to reach for his phone but the pain was too much.
Cam grabbed it and handed it to him. “Take the phone. I have bugs inside the yacht unless his new crew has swept for them. You should be able to hear where he’s going.
His home isn’t safe any longer because of the protesters. ”
“Does he have homes in other places?” asked Luke.
“Several. The Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican, any island that would take him, he’s built a home there and the yacht can take him there.”
“Lyle, why didn’t you come to us sooner?” asked Luke. “Surely Ms. Martin knew about us, she knew my grandparents.” Voss chuckled, shaking his head.
“You’re going to think I’m crazy but she told me she didn’t want to see the Robicheaux boys get hurt. Her words, not mine. Not that I wanted you to get hurt,” he smirked. “She didn’t want anyone to be touched by Hollis Burton and his evil.”
“If he leaves the country now, the feds will be after him immediately because of the upcoming civil trial. So, he might be wandering around the gulf or the ocean, but he’s probably within American waters,” said Hex.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” said Voss. He hissed with the small movement, the pain hitting him like a hot poker. “H-he has his ways.”
“Okay, okay,” said Luke lightly touching his leg. “It’s time for pain meds. You’ll be guarded. No one gets in here except our team. We’ll take what you gave us and make sure we find him.” Cam ducked his head out the door and called for Ambry or Marnie who were standing at the nurses station.
“Is everything okay?” asked Marnie.
“He’s ready for pain meds now,” said Luke.
“Finally! You’re going to feel a lot better and heal quicker with this. Just hang on,” she said leaving the room to get the medication.
“Rest easy,” said Eric. “We’ll let you know what happens from here.”
“Make sure the witnesses and family members are protected. I wouldn’t put it past him to either bribe them or kill them,” said Voss. Ambry injected the medication into his IV and his eyes slowly fluttered shut.
Outside the room, Luke, Cam, Eric, and Hex whispered among themselves, finally Luke nodded.
“It’s time to hunt.” As they walked away, Brunson and Rowe smiled at one another.
“Did you hear that? ‘Time to hunt’. Epic movie shit, brother. Epic.”