The Lawman Returns (17 page)

“Sure.” He took off, careful to move from tree to tree. Sabrina held her breath and when no more shots came, sent up a silent thank-you. “How did you know where the key would be?”

“I used to work there when I was in high school. I’m just praying it’s still there.”

Clay caught Lance. He felt his pulse. “He’s passed out. His pulse feels weaker.”

“It wasn’t that strong to begin with. I’m really worried about him.”

“I’m worried about all of us.” He held Lance against him. Sabrina thought the color in Clay’s face looked a bit better. He said, “Can we keep going? See if we can get him into the store?”

“Yes. Of course.”

It wasn’t easy, but they made it to the back entrance, using the trees for cover, just as Jordan came rushing out. “The phone’s dead.”

NINETEEN

C
lay helped his friend stretch out on the floor. The mom-and-pop convenience store was warm enough but cooling rapidly. “The power hasn’t been off long. See if you can find a kerosene heater and some propane.”

Jordan held up the cordless phone. “These things work great as long as you have electricity.”

“The Nelsons own this place,” Clay said. “They have cell phones, so they probably don’t worry about it if the power goes out.” He sighed. “Great.”

“Lance is unconscious?” Sabrina asked.

Clay nodded. “Yeah. And we’ve got a shooter out there who may have figured out where we were heading. But the shots were coming from behind us. That’s one of the reasons I sent Jordan running ahead. That and it was a good idea to get to a phone as fast as possible.”

“Good thinking.”

“But now...I don’t know who’s shooting. I’m assuming it’s Krissy or Stan, but it could be whoever the boss is.”

“So what do we do? If we go out there, we could get shot. If we stay here, your family and the kids could die.”

Clay’s head pounded with the decisions. Stay or go? Jordan had found a heater and had it humming along.

“There’s no choice,” Sabrina said. “We have to go—you realize that, right?”

He looked at her. “That’s an open field out there.”

She went to the window. “And the snow is coming down pretty hard.”

She bit her lip and he reached out to cup her chin. “Are you praying?”

“With every breath.”

He gave her a light kiss on her lips. “Me, too. I want to get this settled. I want the good guys to win and the bad guys to be in jail. Then I want to talk about us.”

She nodded. “I’d like that, too.” Her brows dipped. “But what about your family? Your uncle Abe and how he feels about me?”

“Uncle Abe doesn’t control me or my family, Sabrina.”

“But the money for the ranch—”

He placed a finger over her lips. “Will you trust me?”

She gave a slow nod. “Good.” He released her and walked to the window. “It’s snowing like crazy, but this could work in our favor.”

“So we go?”

Clay sucked in a deep breath. “Well, I go. Jordan, you and Sabrina are going to have to stay here with Lance.” He walked over to the register and wrote a note to the Nelsons. Then he grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen and downed four. Next he grabbed a ginger ale and handed it to Jordan. “Try and get Lance to drink this. It’s not exactly an IV drip, but he needs fluids. Write down whatever you use, and I’ll make sure the Nelsons get paid for it.”

Jordan nodded, then shook his head. “I want to make sure Tony and Maria are safe.”

“And I need you to do this for...” Clay swallowed hard.

“For?”

“For Steven, Jordan. Do it for Steven. I’m going to go down that hill and put his killers in jail. I need you to take care of Lance.”

Clay thought the teen would refuse at first, but then he nodded. “Please don’t let anything happen to them.”

“I’m going with you,” Sabrina said.

Clay frowned. “It’s quite a hike, and there’s a guy with a rifle out there.”

“We can stay close to the tree line. It’s the long way, of course, but it’ll take us right to the Updike farm. They’ll have a phone we can use.”

“Sabrina—”

“I’m going. If you pass out and we’re back here, you could freeze to death out there and there wouldn’t be anyone else to go for help. No way. I’m going with you.”

He gave a reluctant nod and touched the lump on his head. At least his mind seemed to be a little less foggy. “I’m feeling better, but... Fine. You’re probably right.”

Jordan sat on the floor beside Lance, trying to get the man to drink. Lance blinked, took a sip, then passed out again. Clay clapped him on the shoulder. “Just keep trying, okay?”

“Sure. Be careful.”

Clay grabbed the heaviest coat he could find on the clothing rack, two scarves, two hats and a pair of gloves to fit Sabrina. She pulled them on.

Next he went behind the counter and found the safe. He said a prayer that Gerald Nelson hadn’t changed the combination in the past ten years and twisted the dial. It opened and Clay breathed a prayer of thanks. He reached for the key that would open the gun display case.

He grabbed a Sig Sauer P224 and a Glock 17 and two boxes of ammunition. “Here, can you carry this?”

She took the smaller Sig from him, loaded it and stuffed it in her coat pocket. “I don’t think I can use it. I’ve never shot a gun before.”

He lifted a brow. “It’s not hard. Just point and shoot.”

She shuddered. “Guns are a way of life out here and especially on your farm—I know that. But I grew up in town and never had the opportunity to learn.”

He touched her cheek. “You don’t have to explain. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing how to use it.” He frowned. “Just hold it for me in case I need it.”

She nodded.

Clay took her by the hand and led her out the back and into the cold. Wind whipped her hair into her eyes and he helped her stuff it up under a black wool cap. “It’s going to be a cold walk.”

“I know.” She squeezed his hand. “Are you going to be able to make it?”

“I have to.”

Together they started through the blowing wind and snow, scarves wrapped tight, shoulders hunched. They kept to just inside the tree line. “Who do you think the boss is?” she asked as she avoided fallen logs and scattered branches.

“I don’t have a clue. I haven’t been back in the area long enough to figure out who’s who, who has a pattern, et cetera. Ned might have some ideas.” They stopped talking for the next few minutes. Clay heard Sabrina’s breathing quickening. He was grateful for the lack of dizziness and the fact the stabbing pain in his head had abated. No more shots came their way, and he silently thanked the Lord.

“There it is.” She pointed.

“Finally,” he breathed.

Clay picked up the pace and headed for the log cabin–type home. Sabrina stayed with him right up to the front porch, where he lifted a gloved fist to knock on the door. “Mr. Updike? You home?”

“It looks dark. Deserted.”

“They have family in Florida. Probably went there for the holidays.”

“Smart. I wish I had family in Florida,” Sabrina muttered.

Clay knocked again.

“I’ll try the back door,” Sabrina said. She rushed around to the garage to find it closed. Clay joined her. “They’re not here.”

“We need to get inside and use the phone.”

“Power’s off here, too. Let’s hope they have a wall phone that doesn’t require electricity.”

Clay went back to the front door, scanned the area.

And found what he was looking for.

He brushed the snow from the turtle nestled in the small rock garden under the bush. A silver key glinted up at him. He grabbed it and unlocked the door. Sabrina stepped into the warmth and let out a sigh. They’d made it. Now the phone.

Clay was already in the kitchen pulling the receiver from the base. He gave her a relieved look. “It’s working.”

She clasped her hands in front of her. “Call your parents first. Warn them about Krissy and Stan.”

He dialed and waited, his tension high, head throbbing hard enough to make him nauseous. He pulled in a deep breath and closed his eyes, praying for someone to pick up the phone.

When no one answered the landline, he dialed his father’s cell phone.

No answer.

Every number he dialed, no one picked up.

Clay hung up the phone as though in slow motion while his brain spun out of control. He looked at Sabrina, her fear for his family blanching her face.

His hands fisted at his sides. “We may be too late.”

* * *

Urgency swept over Sabrina. Worry and more worry settled over her, and the desperate need to get to the ranch filled her. She waited while Clay dialed Ned’s number. Anxiety threaded through her. “What if he doesn’t answer?”

But Clay closed his eyes in relief. “Ned. I need you to send an ambulance to Nelson’s Convenience Store on Twenty-Sixth. Then I need you to get everyone out to the ranch. Krissy and Stan are behind Steven’s death. They just tried to kill us.” Sabrina heard Ned’s roar over the line. “Lance is hurt. Bad. I’m not sure he’s going to make it. But Tony saw Krissy kidnap Sabrina, so I feel sure she’s headed to my parents’.” He paced in front of the refrigerator. “Look, Sabrina’s with me. We’re on the way to the ranch. Just get help there now.”

Clay hung up and checked the garage. “No car.”

Defeat slammed her. “Now what?” She stood at the window. The pastures rolled with gentle snow-covered hills and the barn rose in the distance, a splash of red against the white backdrop. “I mean, I feel a thousand times better now that we’ve managed to get Ned involved, but I’m still worried.”

“So am I.” He brought a fist down on the counter. “Who else lives close by?”

Sabrina straightened. “The horses.”

“What?”

“The Updikes have a lesson barn.” She moved toward the door. “They have horses. Come on—I know how we’re getting to your ranch.”

She heard Clay follow her out the door. Her back tingled as though she had a great big bull’s-eye on it. However, within seconds, they were in the barn.

With the horses and the tack they needed.

Clay caught on fast. Together they chose two horses and had them tacked up and ready to ride in record time. “Let’s go. We should be there within ten minutes taking the back trails and shortcuts.”

“Thank you, God, for a full moon tonight,” she said.

“Amen.”

Sabrina swung into the saddle. Clay did the same, but she saw him wince. He wasn’t feeling as good as he was letting on. She just hoped the ride didn’t hurt his head too much.

They rode hard and fast and stayed to the back trails that would lead to the Starke ranch. When Clay pulled up, Sabrina followed his lead and walked her animal up next to him. He pointed. “The ranch is just over that hill.”

“How’s your head?”

“That ride didn’t help it, but I’ll manage. How’s yours?”

“Ditto.”

“Ned should be there by now, but let’s approach cautiously, okay? We may still have a shooter on our tails.”

“Of course.”

“Not only that, we’re going to be out in the open for a while to get down there.” He drew in a deep breath. “I don’t like it.”

“We don’t have a choice. Let’s go.”

Clay reached over and grasped her hand in his. He started to say something, then snapped his lips shut and let go of her fingers. He nudged his horse into a slow walk.

Sabrina stayed beside him until they crested the hill to look down on the Starke ranch. The desolate white landscape looked peaceful and much too quiet all at the same time. “Where’re Ned and the other deputies?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

They made their way down the hill, Sabrina keenly aware of the fact that if someone wanted to start shooting, he probably wouldn’t miss this time. “Something’s not right, Clay. Do you think they got to Ned?”

He held his weapon in his left hand, the reigns in his right as he pulled his horse to a stop. “I’m not sure. I agree, though. Something’s not right.”

“I don’t see anyone—do you?”

“Nothing. It’s like a deserted town.” He stayed put for just a moment, then nudged the horse forward. “Let’s get the horses inside the fence and walk the rest of the way.”

“All right.” She followed him to the fence line and around to the gate. He slid to the ground and handed her his horse’s reins. He opened the gate and she walked her horse through, pulling his behind her. Clay shut the gate and she dismounted. “What now?”

“Now we go find my family.”

TWENTY

C
lay had to admit he was scared. A ball of dread and worry sat like a rock in the pit of his belly. He knew Krissy and Stan wouldn’t hesitate to kill his family if they thought it would further their cause—or keep them from going to jail.

Having Sabrina beside him made him all the more sensitive to the fact that he would have to protect her, too. He should have convinced her to stay at the store, but now he was concerned that no one had arrived to help Jordan and Lance. “Let’s check the stable first.” They’d left the horses in the pasture near the trees, where they could seek shelter if they wanted to. They’d be fine for now. Once he made sure his family was safe, he’d return the horses to the Updikes’ barn.

Sabrina walked beside him, anxiety in every step. His gaze swept the area around them. Nothing but white. No movement, no sound. Something was very, very wrong.

At the barn, Clay stepped inside, his gun held ready. The horses nickered at him. All seemed right enough.

Except for the movement near the last stall. Sabrina sucked in a breath. She’d seen it, too. Clay aimed his gun. “Police! Freeze!” The movement ceased. Clay darted forward. “Who’s there?”

“Clay?”

Clay stopped and lowered his weapon. “Abe? What are you doing here?”

“Trying to figure out how to get the cops out here.” He lifted his cell phone. “Just getting ready to call.”

“Where are Mom and Dad and the rest of the family?”

“Trapped inside the house.” Abe glanced in the direction of the main house. “They’re going to kill them. They’re just waiting on you two.”

“What do you mean?” He’d never seen Abe look so pale before. Stark terror for those he loved stood clear in his eyes.

“I overheard Krissy talking on her phone. Said the plan was to wait until you two got here and they could do away with all of you at once.”

“Did you happen to hear how she planned to do that?”

“A house fire,” Abe said, his voice hoarse. “She told someone to bring gasoline.”

Clay swallowed. How could someone deliberately plot the murder of another person? He didn’t get it. Never would. “Has that someone arrived yet?”

“No, not yet. They got ’em all tied up in there.”

“How did Krissy and Stan manage to get the whole family under their control?”

“Krissy held a gun to the little girl’s head and said she’d blow her away if they didn’t cooperate. Stan tied them up while Krissy watched their every move.”

“And you couldn’t get in there?”

“Nope, figured I was better off going for help. That’s why I was in the barn. I needed a horse. They disabled all the vehicles.”

Clay shook his head. “Then we have to figure out a way to get them out. Where are the cops? I called Ned and told him to send law enforcement out here.”

“Haven’t seen Ned.”

Now Clay was seriously concerned. “What are they tied up with?”

“Duct tape and some rope, I think. I could see what all they used.”

“Let me have your cell phone.” Abe handed it over and Clay quickly punched in Ned’s number. It went straight to voice mail. “Ned, where are you? I’m at the ranch and I need help. Call me ASAP.” He snapped the old-fashioned phone shut. “Now he’s not answering.” Clay opened the phone again and called one of the other deputies, Donnie Kingston. “I need backup at the ranch and I need it now.”

“Have you seen the snow, Clay? We were blessed to get home from your parents’ barbecue. Roads are getting bad.”

“I don’t think you understand, Donnie. My family is being held hostage!” Sabrina placed a hand on his arm and he realized his voice had risen with each word. He took in a deep breath. “I don’t care how you get here—just do it.” He hung up and called his department in Nashville. “I know it’ll take an hour for you to get here, but get a chopper in the air, something. I’ve got two killers in my house, and I need help now!”

His head pounded in time with his pulse. How was he going to do this? Abe’s phone rang. He handed it to his uncle.

“Hello?” Abe listened. Then his eyes rose to meet Clay’s. “It’s for you.”

“What?” Clay took the phone back. “Hello?”

“You have exactly sixty seconds to get inside this house or I start killing family members,” Krissy said. She might have been ordering a pizza for all the inflection in her voice.

Clay’s blood ran cold. “What do you want?”

“I just told you. Sixty seconds.”

* * *

Sabrina watched Clay pace for five of those seconds. Then he stopped sharp and bolted for the tack room. When he returned, he looked at her and Abe. “Wait for backup. I’ve got to go in or they’re going to kill someone.”

“Clay—” she whispered.

He placed a hard kiss on her lips and, without another word, headed from the barn and out into the hard-falling snow.

Sabrina looked at Abe. “What are we going to do?” she demanded. “Wait for backup that may or may not be on the way?”

Abe ran a hand down his face. “That doesn’t seem to be a good idea, does it?”

“He can’t die, Abe.” Her voice cracked, and she bit her lip. “None of them can die.”

“You’re right. They’re not dying. Not while I have breath left in my body.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to see what I can do about getting them out of there.”

“How?”

“If I knew that, I’d tell you,” he snapped. “Now you stay put.”

“Nope. I’m going.”

He stared at her. “You’ll just get in the way and likely get yourself killed. Stay put.”

She held his gaze. “No.” Sabrina wasn’t sure she wanted to work with a man who held her, at the very least, partially responsible for his bitterness, but she figured she didn’t have any other options. She wasn’t going to be left behind.

She saw the moment he realized he wasn’t going to win this argument. He tightened his grip on his rifle and motioned her to follow him. Sabrina belatedly remembered the weapon in her jacket pocket. She slipped her hand in the pocket and curled her fingers around the grip.

Then released it. She knew she had to make a decision. Could she use the weapon or not? She pictured Krissy with her gun held to little Maria’s head and felt certainty come over her.

She could do it if she had to.

“It’s just the two of them. They don’t have enough manpower to monitor all sides of the house. They might be glancing out the window every once in a while, but we’re gonna sneak up on ’em.”

Abe led Sabrina from the barn and to the side of the house. He sidled up to the window, and Sabrina held her breath. This was crazy.

Abe was crazy.

She glanced back toward the drive that would bring help. Emptiness stared back at her.

Please, Lord, bring help and bring it fast. Keep Clay and his family safe. Please don’t let them die.

* * *

Clay held his hands up and focused his attention on Stan, not on the family who sat tied to various pieces of furniture in the den. He’d taken everything in with one glance when he’d walked through the kitchen door. No one had put up a fight. Krissy still held Maria by one arm, her gun never wavering from the little girl’s head. Stan had Tony in much the same position. Only Stan had his sawed-off shotgun aimed in Clay’s direction.

Clay pulled in a deep breath. “I’m here. Now what?”

“Where’s Sabrina?” Krissy demanded. “I know she was with you.”

“She was. She’s safe now. You don’t really think I’d let her walk into a situation like this, do you?” She frowned as though she wasn’t sure whether she believed him or not. “You killed Steven.” He kept his voice soft. Low. Almost soothing. It was a testament to his self-control.

Seth sat on the couch, his casted leg propped on a pillow. A fist with white knuckles lay against his thigh. He wanted to act. His parents sat in their matching recliners, hands and feet bound. White-hot rage nearly blinded him. His sister, Amber, sat on the love seat under the window, eyes narrowed and assessing, fingers clenched tight.

The pile of cell phones in the middle of the coffee table in front of her explained why he couldn’t reach anyone.

Aaron lay on the floor, unconscious, a gash on his temple bleeding slightly.

“Yes,” Krissy said. “But you can blame Jordan for that. He was being a tattletale.”

“Who’s your boss?”

Stan snorted and Krissy laughed. “You haven’t figured it out yet?”

A chill swept through him. His mind clicked. The phone call. Abe’s phone. Crushing despair ratcheted through him. “Yes. I think I have.”

“A little late to do anything about it, though.”

“So what now?”

“Now we wait on the boss to get here, and we burn down your house with everyone in it.”

His mother’s whimper nearly snapped his tight hold on his control. Not yet. Not yet. He flicked a glance at Seth. They’d taped only his hands together—in front of him. His crutches lay beside him next to the couch. Clay caught Seth’s eyes and looked down at the crutches, then back up. Seth gave a slow nod.

Stan let Tony go, and the boy ran to Clay’s mother and hugged her knees. She lifted her taped hands to rest them on his head. Stan jerked Clay’s arms behind his back and used the silver duct tape to secure them. He then shoved Clay into the wingback chair near the far wall. “Don’t move. In a few minutes, the boss will be here and this will all be over soon.”

The minutes ticked by.

Clay worked on his bonds while he tried to communicate with his eyes. Stan no longer held Tony hostage, but any wrong move might spur Krissy into pulling the trigger on Maria.

Krissy and Stan didn’t speak. Stan paced, and Krissy twitched, her nerves ready to get the best of her. Clay cleared his throat. “While we’re waiting on your boss, will you please tell me why you had to kill Steven?”

She looked almost relieved at his question. “Trey called and said Jordan had pictures of me and my customers at the meth lab on his camera and that he’d given some hard copies to Steven. I couldn’t take a chance he would figure out who was in those pictures.”

“So you had Trey set him up and you killed him. And Trey.” Rage ripped through him, and he had to concentrate on keeping his cool, staying calm. Going ballistic wouldn’t help the situation.

“It’s the way things work sometimes.”

“No, not for sane people,” Clay retorted.

Krissy’s eyes flashed. “Jordan had been snooping around. One of my customers saw him and went ballistic. Jordan ran, but I knew who he was. I had to get him and his stupid camera. But he was pretty quick and sneaky. I ran into him in town and when he didn’t react to seeing me, I realized he didn’t know who I was, that I must not have been in his pictures. I know now I was, but I was a blur. So the fact that he didn’t know I was involved in the meth ring made things a little easier.”

“Easier to set him up to kill him?”

She snickered. “Yeah. Exactly.”

“But then he found Steven’s wallet in Stan’s trailer.”

Krissy’s pleased expression sobered and she shot a look at Stan. “Apparently.”

“How did it get there, Krissy?” Clay asked, keeping his voice soft. “Did you plant it there hoping Stan would take the fall for Steven’s death?”

“Murder,” his father stated. “Call it what it is.”

Krissy’s gaze swung to Clay’s father. Clay caught the man’s eye and gave a slight shake of his head. “Come on, Krissy, you were trying to set Stan up. With Sabrina dead, the authorities would swarm the place, find the wallet in Stan’s trailer, and Stan would take the fall for everything.” He blinked. “No, that’s not the way it was supposed to go down. You couldn’t let Stan take the rap. He had to be dead, too, didn’t he? Because he could identify you. You were going to kill them all, weren’t you?”

Krissy’s mouth worked and Stan’s jaw hung, his face turning a different shade of red with each word Clay uttered. Clay pushed the point. “Yes, I think I have it figured out now. You told Jordan to lure Sabrina to Stan’s trailer. You planned to kill her and Jordan. Then you were going to lie in wait for Stan to come home and kill him, probably making it look like a suicide.”

Krissy’s face whitened and she took a step back.

“I knew it!” Stan roared. “You said the kid had the wallet all along, but you were setting me up!”

“Stop it, Stan. Think about what Clay’s saying. What he’s doing. He’s trying to get us to turn on each other. So just settle down.” She looked back at Clay. “Now I think it’s time for you to shut up.”

“Just one more question.”

“What?”

“Why?”

Krissy frowned. “Why what?”

“Why choose this life? You have a husband who loves you, people in town who think you’re a great teacher and respect you. Why throw it all away?”

She stiffened. Maria wiggled, and Krissy jerked her back. “Be still, brat.”

“Let me go! You’re mean!”

Krissy ignored her and looked at Clay. “I’m not throwing it all away. I’m simply tying up some loose ends to ensure no one finds out.” She sneered. “I hate this dead-end town. I want out.”

“They why not just leave?” Seth asked her. Krissy stood next to the sofa now. In her rant, she’d tried to pace. Keeping Maria with her had hindered her progress a bit, but Clay was satisfied with her location. He raised a brow at Seth, who nodded and shifted.

“And go where?” Krissy shouted. “And do what with no money? Why? You want to know why? So I
could
leave. Leave it all behind. My sick mother, my suck-up brother and my lame husband.”

The door slammed open, and Clay flinched. He twisted so he could see. Sabrina stepped through first, hands held high, followed by Abe in the same posture. Behind them, rifle held centered on Abe’s back, came the boss.

Clay’s jaw tightened. He forced it to relax. “Hello, Ned.”