Chapter Thirty-One #3
A staring contest went on for a minute before Simpson gave a slight nod.
Behind Owen and Elliot, another team arrived who were dressed in the standard uniform of Fortress Security, black from head to toe.
The one in charge of the new group turned to David with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you said you were outnumbered and outgunned. We broke speed records to get here only to find everything is under control. Care to explain that?”
David glanced at Cam and his teammates, then faced the stranger again. “My new Search and Rescue team turned the tide in our favor. Sorry to bring you out here for nothing, Josh.”
“Any time I can wake Ethan Blackhawk to cover my night shift is a good one.”
Josh. Ethan Blackhawk. Cam’s eyes widened. This was Durango, the Delta team that worked for Fortress Security and owned Personal Security International, the bodyguard training school. He caught Josh Cahill’s eye and gave a slight nod of thanks.
He turned and pulled Sedona into his arms. When he felt her shaking, Cam bent until his mouth was beside her ear. “I’ve got you,” he murmured.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” she whispered.
“I’m okay, Tiger. We’re okay.”
His SAR team continued to do its job. “Suspect secured,” Dario confirmed.
“Weapon recovered,” Spencer said.
“We’re clear, sir,” Dario added.
“Copy that. Prepare to leave.”
“Did I hear that correctly, Officer Sims?” David asked. “You’re leaving a crime scene before you’ve been dismissed?”
“That’s right, sir. Sedona needs to go to the hospital to have her wrist x-rayed.”
“We have these things called ambulances. You might have seen them. I’m sure an ambulance can transport your girlfriend while we clean up this crime scene.”
“Respectfully, sir, I’m not leaving Sedona’s side. We don’t know if all of the people involved in this mess have been rounded up. I’m not taking chances with her life.”
David scowled.
Owen shook his head. “You’re fighting a losing battle, bro. You know how you were with Emma when she left WITSEC.”
The sheriff looked as though he would argue, then sighed. “All right. I know when I’ve been outvoted. Go with Sedona, Sims. Just remember that you now owe me at least three months of favors, and part of that includes working every night shift assigned to me.”
He flinched. Although that was a heavy price to pay for skipping out on paperwork until later in the day, he’d gladly take the night shifts for the hours spent protecting the woman he loved. “Yes, sir.”
“David, are you sure Mr. Lyons is all right?” Sedona asked.
“He’s fine,” Cam said.
Sedona’s attention stayed on the sheriff.
David snorted. “He ought to know. Your boyfriend sent in a team from the Tennessee Highway Patrol to back us up.” David was clearly offended by the implication that he couldn’t handle himself or an operation.
“I didn’t send them to back you up.” Not exactly.
“I sent Finn Stevens to help Sedona if he arrived before we did. He thought Simpson would have Sedona with him when he infiltrated the suite. Turned out not to be the case.” Finn was the best at getting into tight places with top-notch security, and that described Martin Lyons’ place.
More silence.
Finally, Cam said, “Would you have handled this differently?”
A long, weighted silence later, David sighed. “No, I can’t say that I would. It was a good plan. The THP team was waiting for Simpson and his party guests. In all the chaos, Simpson slipped away and regrouped with more of his men.”
“So Lyons is safe?”
“Oh, yeah, he is.” David’s disgust was clear.
Uh oh. “What happened?”
“Our eccentric billionaire is good friends with Harlan Pike.”
Cam stared. “Are you serious?”
“Unfortunately. Simpson is right. Lyons was responsible for his uncle’s death in a way.
I asked Lyons about Simpson’s accusation.
He said, ‘Of course I sent Amos Osborn to Pike. You don’t think I lend out my hard-earned money, do you?
I’m not a fool.’ They grew up next door to each other.
Osborn thought Lyons was his friend, so he took Pike’s offer of money to pay off his gambling debt. ”
“But he thought he could beat the house, pay off his gambling debt, and have seed money for more gambling, didn’t he?”
“You got it. That led to more gambling to get his money back, which never happened, and eventually led Osborn to bank robbery.”
“If Simpson loved his uncle so much, why didn’t he get Osborn some help before he hit rock bottom?”
“He didn’t know about the gambling. Osborn hid it from him. I know you need to go, and I have almost a dozen thugs to process and book. You and Sedona come to the station later today so we can clear up the paperwork, Sims.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll be there after lunch or sooner, depending on how busy the emergency room is.”
“If a sprained or broken wrist is the only injury she carries away from this, it will be a miracle.” He motioned for them to go.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Get lost, Sims, or I’ll put you to work.”
“Copy that, sir.” He scooped Sedona into his arms and walked away from the clearing.