Chapter Twenty
“C olton, I need to speak with you privately if possible.” Colton locked gazes with Jackson and Storm over the table, trying to figure out what Hargrove could want. They both shrugged, so Colton answered his boss.
“Sure, Major. Give me a second.” He muted the phone and peered at Storm. “Call Seneca. Find out where the hell she is and tell her to get her ass back here. With all this shit going on, she could end up hurt if something goes wrong.”
Storm nodded, taking out his phone as Colton stepped away from the counter and headed toward the back door.
As Colton stepped out onto the back porch, he unmuted his phone and lifted it to his ear. “I’m alone now, what did you need to say, Major?”
Colton’s mouth became dry. In his experience, your supervisor asking to speak with you privately was never a good thing.
“Colton, I appreciate you coming to me with this. I know it couldn’t have been easy. I wouldn’t normally do something to intervene with a federal investigation. But these are certainly extenuating circumstances.” Hargrove sighed heavily, letting Colton know the other shoe hadn’t dropped yet.
“I don’t like the shit Eames tried to pull, Colton. But this is still his case. I’ve gotta call his supervising agent and let them know what’s going on. We don’t need to make enemies with the FBI.”
He figured as much. Hargrove was a by-the-book player. He didn’t do shady shit like Holden to get whatever he wanted.
“I understand, sir.”
“Good,” Hargrove responded. “Just so we’re clear, I may have to tell those sons of bitches about what we’re doing, but there’s nothing that says it’s gotta be right now.
I’m contacting the chief in Corpus Christi to get you backup at that port.
When you get there, check in and I’ll contact the feds. ”
Colton pulled the phone away from his face and stared at it somewhat shocked. Of all the things he expected, it was not Hargrove’s total support.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Colton, I told you before, you’re a leader.
Only a leader would’ve called this in when he knew it could go sideways.
You trusted me and I appreciate that. But, Colton, if this thing goes right and it’s as big as you think, you do know you’re never gonna be able to hide as a field agent anymore, right?
If you choose to accept my offer, at least you can control where you go.
Once the chief gets wind of it, he’s gonna put you where he wants you.
Think about that and make a decision quick because your time has just run out. ”
Colton waited for the panic to set in but it never did. Instead, for the first time in a long time where his career was concerned, there was a rightness settling all the fears he’d held close to his chest since his dismissal from the army.
“Now,” Hargrove continued, “let me get off this phone so I can get you what you need. Our people will have eyes on the area by the time you arrive. You’ll be on your own between Fresh Springs and Corpus Christi.
Make sure your phone stays on so we can track you.
If shit smells even the slightest bit rank, get your ass out of there and connect with the nearest local LEOs.
You hear me? I don’t feel like calling your mama tonight to tell her something happened to you. ”
Colton tipped his head to the side and raised his brows in solidarity. Knowing how protective his mama was of him, Colton didn’t wish his mother’s fury on anyone, especially Hargrove who was doing him a real solid right now.
“I copy, Major.”
“Good.”
The major ended the call and Colton let the slightest bit of hope bloom inside him that he could take Hastings down without involving Seneca or risking his job.
“It’s gotta work.”
He slipped his phone back into his pocket and stepped back inside the kitchen. The first thing he noted was Jackson’s and Storm’s eyes pinned to him.
“What happened? Is Seneca still mad at me? ’Cause if she is, I don’t give a damn. She needs to be on property before we get this show on the road.”
“Colton.” Storm’s voice was stark and serious, two words that could rarely be applied to his friend.
“What’s wrong?”
“Seneca’s in trouble and we need to find her right now.”
*
They were only a few minutes away from the diner when the car slowed, and the sheriff pulled into the alley next to the electronics store.
Relief swept through her. If Hastings had told the truth about this, maybe he really didn’t intend to harm her and she could deploy her plan and avoid all the danger.
He shut the ignition off and turned to her. “No time to dawdle. You’ve got work to do.”
He stepped out of the cruiser and she followed suit until she was standing beside him at the side entrance of the store. A quick tap, and the door squeaked open as Mr. Bitterman stepped aside to let them in.
Gone were the kind smiling eyes that always greeted her whenever she stepped in this place.
Tonight, they were wide with fear. She wanted to ask if he was okay, but when she reached out a sympathetic hand to him, he gave a brief shake of his head to let her know to stay away.
Whatever the hell was going on here, it was obvious Mr. Bitterman wanted no part of it.
Mr. Bitterman closed the door and hurried through his shop until he was standing behind the counter, presumably using it as a barrier between him and the sheriff.
“Tell ’im what you need,” the sheriff demanded. She glanced at Hastings for a brief second while she tried to think of a way out of this.
Just keep calm and do what you do best: think.
“I need an Alienware gaming laptop. I’m also gonna need your security information for your router.”
“Can’t you figure that out on your own?” The sheriff’s question was typical of anyone who retrieved any information they’d possessed about hacking from TV.
“Yes, I can figure it out myself. But instead of me wasting time running through a million and one algorithms to figure it out, I can just ask him for it instead.”
God, he’s an idiot.
“You have one of them Alien computers she’s asking for?”
Mr. Bitterman looked at her briefly before he addressed the sheriff.
“I… I…” the older man stammered, and Seneca’s fear began to morph into anger.
Mr. Bitterman was a kind old man and the knowledge that he was afraid in his own store, the place he saw as his haven, it pissed her off.
“I don’t know yet. I haven’t gotten through all the new deliveries yet. ”
Hastings leaned closer to the counter, his lips curling into a snarl. Before he could speak, Seneca interrupted him.
“Go get your shipment receipt and check on there. Then go digging for it. We’ll wait.”
Mr. Bitterman nodded and scrambled into the back. “You two computer nerds had better not be up to anything.”
The breath she was holding came out in an exasperated sigh. “The man is scared out of his mind. Maybe lay off the intimidation and he’d be able to find what I need.”
“He’d better,” Hastings growled. “Because nobody is gonna be happy if I don’t get my damn money tonight.”
No, she thought to herself. I don’t suppose any of us will.
*
Colton stood with Jackson and Storm as they each went through the small arsenal of firearms Jackson had on the ranch. “Man, thank God you live here now. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have anything but our service weapons.”
Jackson secured his pistol on his hip before lifting his gaze to Colton. “It’s still not nearly enough. We don’t know what we’re walking into. Hastings could have the entire sheriff’s department behind him.”
Storm agreed with a pensive nod. “Jackson is right. We don’t know what we’re walking into. That’s why I called Holden.”
“You did what?” Colton was glad there was a table between them. The rage he felt swelling inside his chest might’ve made him do something irrational like snatch Storm by his collar, otherwise.
“Hear me out,” Storm proceeded cautiously. “I didn’t tell him about the warehouse or the sting we’re pulling together for that. I did tell him that Hastings had snatched Seneca and we needed his help to get her back. He’s close to the ranch, so he’ll be here any minute.”
“Storm, he’s the person who put her in danger in the first place.”
“I know,” Storm continued. “But we need him, Colton. He’s working inside the sheriff’s department; he knows Hastings’s patterns. And not to mention, we need all the manpower we can get, and Holden has a team out here. We gotta bring him in.”
Colton closed his eyes and tried to tamp down his seething temper. Seneca needed him. His grudge against Holden could wait. “You’re right,” he agreed. “We need him.”
As if on cue, Holden rang the bell and Aja called out from the front stairs to say she had the door. She escorted Holden into the kitchen and let her gaze slide across the weaponry on the table.
“I don’t care what you have to do,” Aja said as she stared directly at Colton. “You get her back safely. Whatever the legal repercussions are behind this, we’ll deal with them later. But if you need to put a bullet in the center of that son of a bitch’s head to save Seneca, don’t hesitate.”
Colton locked gazes with her and spoke directly from the depths of his soul. “The woman I love is in danger.” He didn’t bat an eyelash at how easily the word love slipped from his mouth. “No one is safe until she is.”
Aja nodded and stepped next to Jackson who handed her a Ruger LC9 in one hand and a short-barreled pistol-gripped Mossberg 500 Tactical in the other. Colton lifted a brow as he pinned Jackson with a concerned look. “That’s a lot of firepower for a civilian. You sure she can handle a twelve-gauge?”
“My woman can handle anything.” Jackson gave him a wink before turning to Aja. “If it’s not me, my men, or your people, shoot anything and anyone that comes through the door.”
“Understood. I’m going to Aunt Jo’s cabin. I called Brooklyn when y’all arrived and asked her to sit with Jo. She should be there already.”
“Have you told her what’s going on yet?” That question came from Storm who was suddenly wearing an anxious look on his face. Colton wasn’t sure what that was about. He’d been in some pretty terrible scrapes with the man and he was steady as a rock.
“Not yet. Brooklyn has a hair trigger when it comes to the people she loves. She murdered the man who molested her niece and called the cops to come get her. That is not someone you want going off script in a situation like this.”
The room was quiet. Not in surprise, but more like awe. He might not condone vigilante justice, but he damn sure understood and respected why Brooklyn did what she did.
Aja continued. “I just said security thought they saw something strange on the cameras and wanted us all to hunker down in one place until they completed a sweep. Once we know more and the situation is under control, I’ll tell her the truth.”
Aja turned to Jackson before saying, “You stay safe, Ranger.” She turned to all of them standing around the table. “All y’all stay safe. You hear?”
They all nodded, including the unusually quiet Holden who hadn’t said a word since Aja brought him into the kitchen. She returned her gaze to Jackson and leaned in to give him a kiss.
Colton’s stomach dropped. It wasn’t like he hadn’t witnessed the two of them show affection before. But knowing he might never get the chance to openly do that with Seneca made him ache.
Aja left the kitchen through the back door, leaving the four of them alone. Over the clicks and clacks of checking their weapons, Colton heard Holden clear his throat.
“You got something to say, Eames?”
“I’m sorry, Colton. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
Colton scoffed, his low chuckle soaked in derision. “You sure about that, Holden? Because to me it looks like you got exactly what you wanted. You’d always planned to put Seneca in harm’s way.”
“Not like this,” the man answered. “I always planned to have her shadowed, wired, and tracked when she encountered Hastings again. I never thought he’d be bold enough to snatch her off the street.”
“I don’t have time for this,” Colton said as he snatched up his last side arm and slipped it into his hip holster.
“What useful information can you give us about this guy? You’ve had a man in his circle for a while and now you’ve been working with him as a deputy. Give me something? Will he hurt her?”
Holden swallowed, then shook his head. “Not with his own hands. According to my guy, he always delegates the dirty work. Besides, Seneca’s the only person he knows who can get him the money he needs to recoup his losses from when Aja came back to Restoration Ranch.
As long as she keeps calm and gets him the cash, she’ll probably be all right. ”
Colton narrowed his gaze and kissed his teeth. “For your sake, you’d better pray that’s the case. Because if she gets so much as a hangnail typing while she tries to get Hastings his money, I’m gonna stomp you into the motherfucking ground.”
He’d expected Holden to get defensive quickly. Instead, he simply nodded his head and stepped aside, waiting for Colton to lead the way.
“Where are we gonna start looking first?” Storm’s question didn’t stop Colton from heading for the door.
“At the diner,” Colton tossed over his shoulder before turning to his colleague. “According to Hargrove, that’s the last place her phone pinged. Storm, what exactly did Seneca say when you called her?”
“She spoke to me like I was you. She went on and on about that terrible spicy chicken sandwich at the diner and how you loved extra sauce.”
“Anything else?” Colton asked as he focused on Storm.
“I knew she was in trouble by the chicken sandwich comment. But she said something weird. I’m not sure what it means. Something about her loving Apple products.”
“What the hell are you trying to tell me, Seneca? Where are you?”
Colton wanted to scream and lash out but that wasn’t going to help Seneca. So, he sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly before he spoke again.
“The only things open this time of night are the diner and the gas station. Let’s start there and see if anyone saw anything.”
Holden lifted a skeptical brow. “You really think the people in this town are going to speak against the sheriff even if they saw something.” Holden’s words made Colton turn around to face the three men pulling up the rear.
“No, I don’t,” he answered before tilting his chin in Holden’s direction. “But we’ve got a sheriff’s deputy who’s going to go in looking for his boss.”
Holden chuckled. “Lovesick or not, you still know how to put a plan together.”
Colton twisted the knob and opened the door, tossing a quick “Always have, always will” at Holden before exiting the house.
Seneca needed him. And although he’d told Aja he loved Seneca with ease, he needed to find the strength to say those words to her face.
His focus would be laser sharp until she was home safe and he could do just that.