Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Caleb hit the gas on the spare patrol car the sheriff had let him borrow as soon as Pops had called.
No one else was close enough to respond and the sheriff had to go to the hospital and get stitches.
The guy had fallen short of deputizing him, though Caleb figured he’d wanted to.
Neither of them had addressed the legalities of Caleb driving this car with no authority to act on the department’s behalf, let alone run the lights and sirens—which he would until he got near the ranch.
Then he’d shut them off so Kessler didn’t know he was coming.
Caleb gripped the wheel and instinctively employed all the defensive driving skills he’d been taught, holding on with both hands and going around the bend in the highway without slowing down.
His phone started to buzz in the cupholder where he’d dropped it.
Could be Pops.
He slid his thumb over the screen and glanced at it long enough to see the speaker button. “Rourke.”
“It’s me.” Noah’s voice moved over him in a way that made Caleb react physically.
Instinctively, he felt better. He also realized just how much he’d missed seeing his brother on a regular basis.
“What’s going on?”
Caleb inhaled a sharp breath, keeping his attention on the road. “Pops called me. One of Kessler’s men is at the house. He’s got Tessa.”
“The neighbor girl?”
“You can be my best man. When I get everything squared away. But that means I need to save her, which means I need to get there before he does something I’m going to make him regret.”
“That’s…a lot. But congratulations, I guess.” Noah paused. “I’ve got info for you about that bank account.”
“Good, I’ve got a couple of minutes before I’m there and I could use a distraction.” Trees whizzed past on both sides of the two lane road. Caleb hit the gas and overtook a compact that had pulled to the side since he was running lights and sirens. “What did you find out?”
“Actually it’s an account number I needed. We’ve been trying to put together information about a group that’s operating within the government, and they have assets in the CIA. They’re trying to subvert justice, and control US policy.”
“How does that account connect? Is Senator Chathers part of what you know?”
“Is he connected to you?”
Caleb said, “Somehow. I thought I was going after Nathan Kessler.” Right now he barely even cared about that. All he cared about was getting to Pops and Tessa in time.
Before the worst happened.
He continued, “Kessler is connected to Chathers somehow. I haven’t even started to dig into what it all means.
The most that I know is that account number was on the back of a photo of Kessler, and the envelope was sent to the preacher for safe keeping.
Or so he could give it to me. I never found out which it was.
But bro…” Caleb had trouble even saying it. “Mom and Dad are the ones who sent it.”
He had to believe he’d been meant to find it. Or his parents were safeguarding information but keeping it out of the hands of the person who needed it the most.
“Dude.” Noah paused. “Mom and Dad aren’t dead.”
“You know?”
“I was trying to find actual evidence so I could tell you and I’d have proof,” Noah said. “All I’ve heard is hearsay, about how they had to go into hiding.”
“What on earth?” Everything in Caleb wanted to have a tantrum like a toddler with no impulse control. But he couldn’t rage against the unfairness of it or getting burned and left for dead would have destroyed him.
“I know.” Noah’s tone softened. “I should’ve told you. I’m sorry I didn’t, or you wouldn’t have been blindsided like this.”
“I need to get to Tessa.” He couldn’t think about the rest right now. “If they didn’t even care to tell us they were alive, or promise that they’d come back one day, why should I care about them. Sending one envelope that may or may not have been for me doesn’t make up for them abandoning us.”
“We were kids. We wouldn’t have understood.”
Caleb pressed his lips together. He shut off the lights and sirens.
“That was you? I figured you had the sheriff on your tail.”
“I’m trying to get to Tessa and Pops before a dirty FBI agent I know kills them.” He was yelling by the end of it. Taking out his powerlessness and his frustration on his brother.
“I’d be there, you know I would. I’m in Istanbul.”
“This will be over before you could catch a plane, but…you should come home.” He needed his brother for this.
“Don’t know why I didn’t ask before, but I’m asking now.
I need your help, No.” The shortened version of his brother’s name slipped from his lips so naturally. Like the years fell away in one moment.
“I’ll be there.” Noah paused like he always did, taking a moment to think through what he was going to say, not just blurting out the first thing in his mind the way Caleb did. “Even if it wasn’t connected to my operation, I would still come. I’ll tell my boss I need some time.”
“Tell them you’re going to get a lead.”
Noah chuckled. “Okay, fine. You be safe.” He emphasized that last word. “Keep them safe.”
“Copy that.”
“See you soon.”
Noah hung up.
Caleb sniffed back emotion and rubbed his nose, praying over this whole thing. He took the drive too fast, spraying gravel off the road the way Pops used to ground them for doing. Right now Caleb figured he wouldn’t mind.
He parked off to the side, listening out the window. He could hear Gus barking in the barn where Pops had shut him inside.
Caleb grabbed his gun and phone, and left the sheriff’s truck, opening the door for Gus so the dog could help. He used the mudroom door, trying to sneak in even though it was probably pointless. Surely Edwards knew he was here.
Lord…
The guy was ruthless if he wanted to be, and there might be nothing Caleb could do to save them. Gus might be a decent distraction.
The dog ran ahead of him.
Caleb listened for a split second, then headed in.
Gus barked, standing over a form on the floor. Caleb ran over and crouched beside Pops, who had a bleeding knot on his head.
“Clocked me.” Pops started to sit up.
Caleb set a hand on his chest. “Don’t move just yet. Tell me what happened.”
“He took Tessa.” Pops’ eyes didn’t focus. “Knows he won’t get what he wants. Kessler isn’t going to clean up every loose end. You aren’t going to stop.”
Caleb figured out what all that meant. “He’s going to kill Tessa?” He could’ve killed Pops, and maybe thought he’d left the old man for dead. But it took more than a crack on the head to kill a Rourke man.
Pops nodded, a slight movement. Gus lay down beside him, his muzzle on Pops’ shoulder.
“Where is he taking her?” Caleb pulled out his phone and called the sheriff’s number. Hopefully the guy would answer.
“Out the door,” Pops said. “Next door.”
Okay, he’d have to track them on foot since Pops’ truck, the one Edwards had run off with, was still outside. They were on foot and couldn’t have gone that far.
“I’ll come back.” He put the phone on Pops’ chest on speaker and when the sheriff answered said, “My Grandfather needs medical attention. Now.”
Caleb didn’t wait around for the answer. He launched up and ran for the door, but the front was locked. He stopped without going out and turned back. At the other end of the hall, through the storage room at the back, the door was slightly ajar.
Yeah, they’d come this way.
Thank You.
He kept praying, stepped outside and swept the back of the house with his gun aimed. Watching for a sign of them.
The rear pasture beside the barn was empty, all that grass covered with a layer of frost. Snow in patches from what had fallen overnight. Caleb looked for prints and found an impression of big boots next to a smaller size shoe going toward Tessa’s house.
Thank You.
He repeated it, keeping his thoughts close to the Lord so he didn’t fall into worry or despair. Caleb jumped off the back step and raced along the field toward the tree line to the east, the boundary between Rourke property and the preacher’s family land.
He slowed at the trees, just in case Edwards was hiding and waiting for him, and spotted a smudge of blood on the bark.
Someone was hurt. But was it Tessa’s blood, or Bruce’s from where Caleb had stabbed him?
Caleb kept running, praying he was faster than they were able to go. Running along the fence line until he could jump the gate where it wasn’t electrified. The gate wobbled in a way that told him it wasn’t even secured right now.
He landed on the other side and nearly slipped on a patch of ice but kept going anyway. He took a couple steps to steady himself and pumped his arms and legs as fast as he could. What else was he supposed to do when he felt like Tessa’s life could mean the difference of a split second?
Finally he spotted them up ahead, close to the old shed they’d never torn down. The one behind the creek where the original homestead had been built. That old place burned down decades ago, and the preacher’s family had opted to build a new house where the one currently stood.
Caleb didn’t have much cover, and with the still air they were going to hear him coming. But he didn’t care. He had to get to her as fast as possible.
After all, everything he wanted hung in the balance.
Tessa dragged her feet. Edwards pulled her by the arm, obviously struggling to walk on his injured leg.
If it was Caleb, he’d have kicked the guy right where the stab wound was located, forcing him to collapse.
Tessa was way too much of a lady for that—and she didn’t have any fighting skills by the look of it.
He’d have to teach her how to defend herself so she never felt vulnerable again.
“Edwards!” Caleb raced to them. “Let her go!”
He wanted to fire his gun and hit this traitor, but there was far too much risk of hitting Tessa. Still, Caleb aimed his gun and closed the distance between them, each breath heaving out of his chest.
Edwards spun around, dragging Tessa in front of him and putting his gun to her throat. He’d always acted like wearing an FBI badge on his belt meant he could do no wrong. That it would erase all the ways he’d betrayed the law he was supposed to uphold. “I’ll kill her if you come near me.”
“Let her go, I’ll give you what I want.”
“It’s too late for that. You don’t have the envelope, do you?” His wild eyes scanned Caleb. “Should’ve brought it. You could’ve saved her life. Now she’s gonna die before she gets to save my soul.”
So Tessa had witnessed to him about God? Caleb decided then that strength came in many forms.
“You think you’re cornered,” Caleb said. “But you can still walk away from this. Tell me what I need to know to bring down Kessler and we can make a deal with the US Attorney. Maybe even get you immunity.”
Hopefully it sounded like he believed what he was saying, because deep down he knew there was no way he’d put in a good word. And little chance those in charge would agree Kessler could get away with what he’d done. Even in exchange for testimony.
He focused on Edwards, unable to look in Tessa’s eyes or he would lose his resolve.
“Let her go and put the gun down,” Caleb said. “We’ll figure it out.”