Chapter Eight
Grabbing bottled water out of the refrigerator, we headed for our bedroom.
Mom’s irritated voice sounded in my earpiece. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To visit Dante.”
“I need you to man the control room.”
“Dad has the trespassers locked up and the computers are still down,” I shot back.
“The cameras aren’t. We have too many strangers wandering around. I don’t know who is legit and who isn’t. Hell, Roberts could even be here.”
Damn. She was right. I was letting my overwhelming need to see Dante obliterate my common sense. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Jasper’s ETA is ten minutes.”
I took a seat at the command console. “Yes. ma’am.”
“You’ll be able to visit Dante tonight,” Mom added.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Julie frowned. “Jasper gives me the creeps.”
“I know. His hair looks like he stuck his finger in a light socket.”
Julie threw her hands up. “And how can he walk with his pants hanging down around his knees.”
“I’m just glad his tee-shirt is knee-length. His hairy butt is a turn off.”
Mom’s amused voice sounded in my ear. “He just pulled up, girls. Be nice to him, we need the computers up and running.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Julie and I said in unison.
The doorbell rang.
I cocked an eyebrow. “Rock, paper, scissors?”
“Not a chance. It’s your turn.”
The doorbell rang again.
“Fine.” I got up and hurried down the hallway.
Jasper banged on the front door. “Hello?”
“I’m coming.” I opened the door, and my jaw dropped. A nice-looking kid with neatly trimmed hair and blue coveralls stood there. “Jasper?”
He nodded.
“You’ve changed. A lot.”
Jasper grinned broadly. “Marie said to grow my business I needed to look more professional.”
“Marie?”
“My wife.”
“You got married? I exclaimed.
“I did.”
Julie said in my earpiece. “What is he? Sixteen?”
“Twenty,” Mom supplied.
“Congratulations.” I opened the door wider. “C’mon back and we’ll let you get to work.”
An FBI tactical officer was suddenly standing there. “Let me see some ID.”
I pushed Jasper behind me and studied the officer. Not particularly tall, but well-muscled and his high-pitched voice made me want to laugh. “No, but I’d like to see yours.”
“Show me your ID or I will arrest both of you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. It sounded like he had been snorting helium. “Not gonna happen.” I cocked my head. “Are all CIA agents as stupid as you are?”
The tactical officer bristled. “I’m an FBI agent.”
Julie was suddenly standing beside me. “How about we contact Agent Grimes and see if he knows you.”
“Your father is coming,” Mom advised in my ear.
The tactical officer’s hand dropped to his gun.
“I don’t care what you have been snorting, but if you pull that gun, you’re a dead man,” I warned.
The officer bared his teeth in a fierce grin. “You think you can outdraw me?”
Within the blink of the eye, I had my gun pointed at his face. “I know I can.”
“I heard you were a fast draw artist like your mother.” The officer slowly raised his hands.
Dad and Agent Grimes ran across the backyard.
“I don’t think he should be allowed to procreate,” Julie said. Her pistol was pointed at his groin. “Do you?”
I cocked my Glock. “Nope.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” the tactical officer squeaked.
Dad jabbed the muzzle of his gun against the tactical officer’s neck. “Yes, they would.”
“Stand down, Dodson,” Agent Grimes commanded, relieving him of his gun.
I lowered my weapon. “Please tell me he’s not one of your agents.”
“He’s not,” Grimes said.
I looked Dodson dead in the eye. “You pull another stunt like this, and I will shoot you.” I took a step back and Julie shut the door in his face. “C’mon Jasper, you’ve got a computer to fix.”
“Is it always this exciting?”
“Unfortunately,” Julie said.
I turned around and froze. Grandpa Reynolds stood in the kitchen doorway. He was dressed like an FBI tactical officer and his sniper rifle was held casually against his chest. Holy hell, this wasn’t good. “Does Mom or Dad know you’re here, Grandpa?”
Mom cursed in my ear.
“They do now.”
Julie smiled nervously and dragged Jasper down the hallway. “Let’s get that computer fixed.”
Dad slowly opened the front door, and his furious gaze locked on Grandpa Reynolds.
One glance at the gun in his hand and I stepped in front of Grandpa. “We need him alive, Dad.”
“I know.” Dad holstered his gun. “Grimes has intel that Roberts is in Arizona and has rebuilt his crime syndicate.”
Grandpa Reynolds’ eyes narrowed in speculation. “Hard evidence or just rumors?”
“Hard evidence.”
Something dark and predatory flashed across Grandpa’s face. “I want to see it.”
“Agent Grimes is waiting in my office. The evidence is on his laptop.”
“Let’s go.” Grandpa Reynolds walked out the front door.
His hands balled into fists; Dad followed him.
I blew out a relieved breath. They hadn’t tried to kill each other. Yet.
Mom walked past me. “I need a beer.”
“Me too.”
Julie added in my earpiece, “We’re thirsty too.”
“Light beer or regular?” I asked.
“I’ll take a peach beer and Jaspar wants bottled water.”
I opened the refrigerator. “Gotcha.”
Mom’s cellphone rang. “Hello. Your father told you to do what? A barbecue? Are you kidding me?” She rolled her eyes. “Fine but I don’t think we have enough food on hand. Okay. Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Mom disconnected and muttered, “That man has lost his mind.”
“Grandpa is making him all twitchy,” I replied.
“Your father thinks a barbecue will lower the aggression levels.”
“He’s probably right, but there has to be at least forty people here.”
A humorless laugh broke from Mom. “Including the deputies, there are fifty-two mouths to feed. And the kicker is: Pops is gonna park his RV in our pasture.”
“What? Are you serious?”
Mom drained her beer. “Whatever evidence Grimes showed them is bad. Really bad.”
“Sounds like Armageddon is coming to Arizona.”
“Armageddon is already here,” Mom snarled.
I opened the chest freezer and frowned. “We don’t have enough hamburger patties to feed that many people.”
“Hell.” Mom moved stuff around. “You’re right.”
A sudden idea hit me. “How about Bitsie? She owes the Alpha Dogs a favor and she has three food trucks.”
“And she can handle herself in a fight,” Mom exclaimed. “Call her and see if she is available.”
“On it.”