Chapter Fourteen #2
The suddenly tension-filled silence was interrupted by Collier. “I’ll go ahead and provide an update on the progress of our investigations since the first shooting that occurred. Is that okay with you, Chief?”
Beau didn’t even bother to correct Collier for calling him Chief again. Instead, he sat back and crossed his arms. “By all means. Go right ahead, Chief Collier.”
Collier’s brows rose, but he picked up a printed report and began reading it, explaining what each of them had been doing and what leads had been followed.
In short, although they’d collected a lot of evidence at the first two sites, they hadn’t caught any of the men after them and had no real leads as to their identities, other than that the leader appeared to be the brother who Sierra had believed to have been killed a year ago.
They also, so far, hadn’t been able to identify any of the dead men from the roadway shootout.
“I’m prepared to call Sheriff Galloway in Chattanooga and ask him to send deputies tomorrow morning to assist with a search of the safe house area,” Collier said.
“But doing so would require that I notify the mayor first. I can handle that, no problem. But being upfront about this situation means also revealing that the Covington family, at the very least Sierra and Esteban, are involved. If that news gets out, I predict that Mystic Lake will be overrun with Feds from every agency you can imagine in a matter of hours. I don’t have to tell you what that would do to our own investigations. ”
Beau tightened his fists. “It would shut them down, cold. The Feds would turn this into an all-out effort to catch Michael Covington and put him out of business rather than focusing on Esteban’s role and why he’s here in Mystic Lake.
” He eyed Fletcher, O’Brien and Collier.
“You three have already made up your mind, haven’t you?
You’re not calling the sheriff. And you’re not telling the mayor. ”
This time it was O’Brien who spoke up. “As a former FBI agent myself, I can verify that what Chris just said is the absolute truth. Bring in anyone from the outside at this point and you’ll never find the truth behind what’s going on in Mystic Lake.
Why? Because no one outside of our town cares.
They’re all about bringing down organized crime.
I get that. It’s a noble goal. But they’ve been after Mr. Covington for decades.
I haven’t seen anything recently that makes me think they’d have any better chance at bringing him down now, if they come here investigating, than they’ve done in the past. It’s my opinion that we’d come out of this with absolutely no useful answers, no arrests, nothing.
And both you and Ms. Covington would be in as much danger, limbo really, not knowing who to trust, as you are right now. ”
Beau blinked in surprise at the feel of Sierra’s hand closing around his.
He looked at her, fully planning on pulling his hand away and telling her to focus on the meeting and stop playing around.
But when he saw the fear in her eyes and that she was staring at the TV screen, he realized she wasn’t playing.
She was terrified.
While he didn’t return the gesture by squeezing her hand, especially with his team watching, he didn’t pull away either. He looked back at the TV and pretended he didn’t want to pull Sierra into his arms and try his best to chase her fears away.
“Collier, what’s your plan?” he asked.
The three of them looked at each other before he answered.
“We know we can’t keep this a secret for long, a few days at most. There are already mumblings in town about people hearing gunshots.
Fletcher put out a cover story about poachers and an accident on the main road to explain the debris after we quietly hauled away that SUV and did our best to get the area rinsed down.
But people will talk. The truth will come out.
We need to do everything we can in the next forty-eight hours to delay that.
But more importantly, we need that time to dig in and get as much information as we can before all hell breaks loose. ”
“That’s as apt a description as I’ve heard so far. All right. If you’re looking for my blessing, I’m afraid I can’t give it. Not telling the truth, hiding any of this, puts all of your careers in jeopardy. So the decision is entirely yours, as a team, including Ortiz.”
“We’re all in agreement,” Collier said. “We already voted on it earlier. The result was unanimous. We want all five of us, including you, Chief Dawson, to resolve this together or go down together. Fighting. And even though I’m acting chief, that’s just for show, for the mayor and the city council.
We’re looking to you for direction. Give us our marching orders, Chief. ”
Beau shook his head. “I never realized you were this stubborn, Collier. All right, then. We do this together. As a team. Buckle up. It’s going to be a fast, bumpy ride. I’m tired of running.”
“So am I,” Sierra said, still clinging to his hand.
He gave in to the impulse and lightly squeezed her hand in response and gave her an encouraging smile, in spite of the officers watching. “No more running. No more hiding. It’s time to go on the offensive.”
Nearly an hour later, Beau ended the call and turned off the TV.
“We need to talk.” Sierra crossed her arms.
He drew up one knee to face her as he rested an arm across the back of the couch. “You don’t agree with everyone’s assignments? I could see you weren’t exactly thrilled when we discussed our plans for today.”
“Honestly, I’m not thrilled about any of this.
In spite of my earlier teasing, associating so closely with police and trusting them to actually help me doesn’t come easily.
Not that I have anything against law enforcement in general.
It’s just that they’ve always been so aggressive in their pursuit of my family that I don’t exactly trust them to have my best interests at heart. ”
He considered that. “I understand your concern.”
“No. I don’t think you do.”
“Then enlighten me.”
She let out an impatient breath. “I appreciate what your people are doing, in theory, if they really do dig for information and pound the pavement or whatever they called it, trying to get a lead on any nonlocals hanging around the area. And them looking for clues up at the safe house to try to pick up the trail. Researching the SUV to see if they can figure out where it came from, who owns it, all of that. And checking the vacation cabins in the mountains to see which ones show signs of four-wheelers being in the area and—”
He laughed and held up his hands. “If you’re trying to prove that you paid attention, I believe you. You listened to the discussion and understand what each person is going to do today. Trust issues aside, what’s bothering you?”
“You.”
His smile faded. “Me? You don’t trust me?”
Her eyes widened. “No, no. I mean, yes. I do. Well, as much as I can trust any cop. I was getting nowhere on my own and was desperate for help. I slogged through the internet for weeks for background information on you before I decided to risk approaching you.”
“Basically you don’t trust me because I’m a police officer, or was one, and—”
“Once a cop, always a cop. Kind of like the Marines.”
“Maybe you’re right about that. Regardless, what you’re telling me is I’m the lesser of evils and you wouldn’t have come to me if you believed you had any other option. Is that accurate?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get all defensive.
You know my situation, my background. It was beyond difficult going to you.
But I did. And I don’t regret it. You’ve saved my life over and over and risked your own each time, for no reason other than you’re one of those really good people that is so rare these days. ”
“You make me sound like a dang Boy Scout.”
“Were you? A Boy Scout?”
“That’s not the point. What’s the problem, Sierra? What do you want me to do to make you feel more comfortable with how we’re approaching the investigation?”
“Take me with you.”
He stared at her, then shook his head. “No. We agreed you would stay here when I go out.”
“No, you and your team agreed. I wasn’t consulted about being told to stay put. I want to be an active participant in the search for the truth.”
“You’ve been investigating for months with no progress.
It’s my turn to give it a try, which would be much easier without me worrying about your safety.
I need you here, in the cabin, with a locked door, a gun—although the thought of that actually scares me—and an emergency phone.
Keeping you out of sight is the best way to ensure your safety. ”
“Let’s go back to your comment that I’ve been investigating for months and now it’s your turn.” She tilted her head in that defiant angle that was becoming all too familiar. “You investigated the alleged drowning of Jake Randolph, aka my brother, for months. And you came up with nothing.”
“Ouch.”
She took his hand in hers again, her soft skin doing alarming things to his pulse.
“Beau, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not good at subtlety or sugarcoating things.
I tell it like it is. But I’m not trying to criticize you.
I’m really not. I’m trying to say that, separately, neither of us were successful in figuring out what my brother was up to.
It only makes sense that to view things in a new light, to make real headway, we need to work together.
Be the yin for each other’s yang. Shake things up. ”
She pushed herself up off the couch. “Which is why I’m going with you.”
He stood as well, towering over her, purposely using his size to try to intimidate. “You’re staying here. That’s my final decision.”
She put her hands on her hips. “If you think you’ll be able to walk out that door without me hot on your trail, ?estás loco!”
“Are you calling me crazy?”
“That’s one interpretation, gringo.”
He threw up his hands. “Fine. You win. You can come with me. But only if you follow rule number three.”
“Another rule? How many are there?”
“I told you, I’m—”
“Making them up as you go, sí, sí. Comprendo. I understand. Just tell me this latest Beauism and let’s get it over with.”
She was so outrageous it made him want to laugh.
He had to struggle to maintain his serious demeanor.
This was serious. He needed her safe and preferred that she not go with him.
But she did have a point. She was the yin to his yang.
Or rather, she had a different perspective than he did because of her background being the opposite of his.
As he interviewed people and tried to uncover information about her brother’s comings and goings in Mystic Lake, her knowledge of her family and who they associated with could come in handy.
Something he wouldn’t think was useful might end up being a key to the investigation depending on her interpretation of it.
“The rule is that if you go with me, you do exactly what I say, when I say it.”
“Control freak much?” she complained.
“I mean it, Sierra. Not because I want to boss you around. I don’t get off on that, in case you haven’t figured that out yet.
I treat people with respect and expect the same in return.
The reason I need you to follow my lead is to keep you safe.
Period. I’m allowing you to go with me, not because of your threat but because it obviously is important to you.
On the other hand, if you don’t agree to rule number three, I’ll handcuff you to the bed and go without you. Your choice.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
Her cheeks flushed. She was obviously on the verge of letting loose with one of her tirades. And while he secretly enjoyed the anticipation of finding out what outrageous things she would say every time she lost her temper, he didn’t have time for it right now.
“Choose,” he repeated. “If we leave now, we’ll have a good six or seven hours of daylight.
That may sound like a lot, but since we arrived by boat to avoid being seen by your brother and his men out on the roads, our only transportation right now is a combination of boating and hiking.
Even using some of the tunnels around here as shortcuts, that will take a big chunk of our time just getting around.
And when we do go out in the open, it will only be after carefully waiting and watching to ensure that your brother and his men aren’t around.
We need to leave now. I gave you your two options. Choose.”
“Okay, okay. I agree to rule number three.”
“And you’ll still comply with my earlier rules.”
“Yes, yes. I already said that.”
“Then, let’s go.” He started toward the door.
“Wait.”
He sighed and turned around. “What now?”
“I need my shoes. And I have to pee.” She ran down the hallway, slamming the bathroom door behind her.
Beau blinked, then started laughing. He laughed so hard that Sierra started swearing at him in Spanish through the bathroom door. He hadn’t missed her latest adorable tirade after all.