A Moment Of Panic #2
Wyatt agreed with Gray.
They moved toward the road with Downey in the middle. If he didn’t want them to touch him, he had no choice but to move. “My camera. I need my camera.”
None of them slowed down. Downey scrambled to avoid letting any of them touch him. “You can’t keep my camera. That’s theft. That’s my property.”
When the man looked at Wyatt, he shook his head. “It’s evidence.”
“It’s mine. You can’t have it.”
He kept up the whiny protests all the way through the garden. Light from the inn’s kitchen proved Mara was at work. He hoped no one else had been disturbed by this jerk.
Once at the drive, Downey tried to make a run for it. Wyatt grabbed the back of his shirt. “Resisting arrest?”
“You’re not a cop.”
Wyatt didn’t respond.
“You didn’t identify yourself as a cop. I know my rights.”
Wyatt bet that statement was true. With his job, he probably knew exactly how to skirt the law without breaking it. Despite their comments earlier, the only thing Downey had done was trespass.
Marcus drove in with lights flashing, but no sirens. Arrow had likely turned on the lights to ensure the man knew he was a police officer. He parked next to them, turned off the lights, and exited the car in full uniform.
Arrow drew himself to his full height and kept his blank cop face in place. Wyatt knew his military reputation was top-tier for a reason. The man knew how to evaluate a situation at a glance.
He didn’t spare Wyatt or the others a moment. He walked forward until he was in front of Downey, who tried to shrink back. When he backed into Claus, he flinched and leaned forward, eyes searching for an escape route.
“I’m Police Chief Ramirez. Explain yourself.”
Downey whimpered again. “I didn’t do anything.”
Marcus glowered at him, but said nothing.
Downey managed to stay silent for all of ten seconds. “I wanted to take pictures of the sunrise. I was looking for a good place. That’s all. I didn’t know it was private property. I’ll take my camera and leave.”
Marcus didn’t react with so much as a blink.
Downey twisted his hands together. “These guys are holding me at gunpoint. You should be arresting them. I didn’t do anything. I just want some pictures.”
Another silence.
“I just want some pictures.”
“Tristan Downey, you are under arrest.”
Absolute shock registered on Downey’s face. “How do you know who I am? How do you know my name?”
Of course, Arrow didn’t answer that.
“I just want some pictures. You can’t arrest me for that.”
Marcus’s eyebrow shot up. “You think you know Vermont law?”
Downey’s mouth gaped open for a long moment. “I’m a photographer. I take pictures. That’s legal anywhere.”
“Trespassing isn’t. Neither is stalking.”
While Downey sputtered protests, Arrow took his arm firmly and guided him into the backseat of the cruiser.
When he had the man contained, he moved so Downey couldn’t see him grin. “Asshole. You’ve left the evidence in place?”
When they nodded, he gestured to the others. “Stay here and look intimidating. Wyatt, walk with me and talk me through it.”
Leaving the others spread out around the car, Wyatt walked with Marcus into the garden. “He had a camera bag and a small backpack with him.”
Marcus smiled. “And I bet he’s missing a lens cap.”
Wyatt slapped his friend on his back with a grin. They had him.
Esme couldn’t hold the mug without shaking, so she rested it on the table and wrapped her hands around it to warm them.
Jolie and Thea sat with her.
“You’re sure they’re all okay?”
Jolie nodded. Mara had texted them about the situation. Esme hadn’t heard any of the men leaving the home, and she hadn’t realized there was a problem until she’d got the text.
The men had put themselves in potential danger because of her.
A hooded figure had snuck onto the farm and alerted the men through the security app. Mara was up because she baked fresh goodies for the inn daily.
Seth had kept her in the loop and she’d forwarded the information, so they all knew that they’d found Tristan Downey in the garden, and that the men had contained him.
Thankfully, Downey didn’t have a weapon. Well, the way he used his camera, she considered it a weapon, but it wouldn’t hurt any of the men.
“I’m sorry.”
Jolie and Thea laughed. “So you’ve said at least a hundred times. This isn’t your fault. He’s an ass, and the guys have him contained.”
“But they didn’t know he wasn’t armed until they found him.”
Thea squeezed her hand. “You’re right, but they’re highly trained. Each of them is from a special forces unit in the army. Their training is top-tier. Even without weapons, they can handle pretty much anything on their own. When they’ve got a few of them together, they’re pretty spectacular.”
Esme could imagine. They were all big, strong, and confident.
She saw it in the way they moved and reacted to new situations.
Each of them would be a catch for a photographer looking to portray courage or teamwork.
She imagined it would be a success if the military recruited them to create posters intended to encourage people to sign up.
Most people would want even a tenth of their inner strength.
“I’m still sorry.”
Thea nodded. “I know, but they got Downey, and they’re fine.”
Their phones all pinged with a new message from Mara. “All clear. The guys are heading your way so you can come over for breakfast.”
That way, they’d all get the story at once.
By the time they’d switched from moccasins to boots, Wyatt was at the back door. Esme cleared the security alarm and threw herself into his arms. “You’re okay. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
He squeezed her to him, held her firmly. “I’m okay. No one’s hurt, not even the asshole.”
She managed a watery laugh.
Ford and Knox waited on the porch. Behind her, Jolie and Thea locked up and secured the alarm. Esme couldn’t bring herself to let go of Wyatt. Not even for a second.
“See you in a while,” Knox’s voice held a smile.
Wyatt nodded but didn’t let her go.
Esme struggled to keep the tears inside. “I was so scared.”
His hands roved over her, offering comfort. “I hoped you wouldn’t know anything. We thought you’d all sleep through the whole thing.”