The Lawman Returns (16 page)

Jordan dropped his gaze. “Because of me. Or rather my pictures.” He gulped. “Steven was like a dad to me. He pulled me out of trouble one day and gave me an option. Straighten up or go to jail. Asked me what my dreams were and then bought me a camera. I’d never really had anyone care about what I did, so when it looked like Steven was different, I was determined to straighten up. I had the big idea that I could become a cop like him, so I decided to bust the meth ring he was looking for. I was at the meth lab, not Stan’s trailer but another one. Someone saw me taking pictures and came after me. I’d managed to get away, but I’d been lying low. Trey started asking me questions about why I wasn’t around so much and what I was doing. When I told him, he laughed and told me I was a loser. Then not too long after that, he was all buddy-buddy again.”

“To keep your trust and see what you knew?”

“Yes. Apparently.”

Sabrina exchanged a glance with Clay. She thought he looked ready to keel over. He’d been knocked in the head hard twice in a very short period of time. That couldn’t be good. “I saw the pictures, Jordan,” she said. “They had just Krissy in them and a couple of other people at the meth lab. There weren’t any of me. Why would they come after me?”

“There weren’t any
printed
pictures of you. Krissy found the ones on the camera. The ones of you and Steven exchanging the book. I saw you guys at the café sitting outside and I snapped a picture. I didn’t have one of him....” He shrugged. “I looked up to Steven,” he whispered. “He was my hero.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, when she saw the picture, she thought you had it.” He slapped his head. “If only I hadn’t said they were in the book. If I’d just said I burned them or gave them to someone, they wouldn’t have come after you.”

“But they would have killed you.”

“Probably.”

EIGHTEEN

C
lay listened to Jordan talk even while he focused on his friend. The dizziness had mostly passed, but the stabbing headache nearly blinded him. Lance lay still and quiet. Did he know about Krissy? Had he known what his wife was doing? That she was a murderer?

Clay couldn’t see it.

She’d left him to die in the cave, too.

He made a mental note to make sure they came back and gathered up the C4 Jordan had removed from the cave.

Assuming everything resolved in a favorable way.

As he finished patching up Lance, Clay offered up a heartfelt prayer.
God, I haven’t relied on You much lately. Been kind of mad at You, to be honest. You let them kill Steven, and that’s been hard to deal with. But...I’m sorry. I’m not one for hit-and-run prayers though, so I figure it’s just better not to ask for anything rather than constantly ask when I’m not giving anything back.
Weakness wanted to take over, but Clay refused to give in. He thought of his mother and how she continued to be faithful and trust in God even in her grief.
I’m asking now, God, that You spare my family and those innocent children. Don’t let Lance die. And help me keep my feet under me when we start moving.

Would God listen?

Yes. Clay had no doubt He would.

Would He answer the way Clay wanted?

That remained to be seen, but Clay would go forward as though He would.

He felt Lance’s pulse once more. “Hang in there, buddy,” he whispered, praying his friend could hear him. He was satisfied he’d done everything he could do. Now it was up to God—and Clay, who had to get him some help.

He tuned back in to what Jordan and Sabrina were talking about as he used Lance’s belt to secure the makeshift bandage over his friend’s side.

“So you’re saying they saw the picture of me and Steven exchanging the book. But I was giving it to him, not the other way around.” Clay didn’t have to look at her to hear the frown in her voice.

“Yeah, but they didn’t know that. And I had told them that the pictures were in the book before they saw the one with you and Steven.” He sighed. “I didn’t know they’d find those pictures on my camera, make the assumption you had the book and come after you. I thought they’d just look for the book. When I realized they thought
you
had it, I tried to tell them you didn’t, but they didn’t believe me.” He walked a few more steps, then looked sideways at her. “Krissy killed Trey and Steven, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

Tears filled the boy’s eyes. “Yeah.” He swiped his free hand across his face. “Well, Trey turned out to be not such a great friend anyway, didn’t he?”

Sabrina squeezed his hand, then let go. “I overheard one of them say something about a ‘boss.’ Do you know who that could be?”

Jordan shrugged and shook his head. “No. Sorry.”

Clay stood. Dizziness hit him, and he closed his eyes to let it and the nausea pass. He swayed, and Sabrina placed a hand on his arm. “Is Lance going to be okay?”

“I don’t know. I’ve done the best I can to stop the bleeding and bind the wound. My T-shirt isn’t exactly sanitary, but I figure it’s better than letting him bleed out. He needs medical help pretty fast.”

“Then we need to figure out what we’re going to do,” Sabrina said.

“Clay?” Lance whispered.

Clay felt relief sweep him. “Lance, you’re awake.”

“The pain’s sort of interrupting my nap,” he rasped.

“Can you walk?” Clay asked as he dropped beside his friend again.

“Maybe. With some help.”

“The bullet went straight through. I couldn’t tell if it hit anything terribly important on its way out.”

“I guess the fact that I’m still alive says maybe not.”

“Who shot you?” Jordan asked.

Lance’s pained face doubled. “Not sure.” He looked at Clay. “There wasn’t any domestic disturbance. When I got to the address, I stepped out of my car and got hit. Next thing I know, you’re bending over me and I feel like someone’s run a hot poker through my side.”

Clay and Jordan helped Lance to his feet. The man groaned but stayed upright.

“Where’s the nearest phone?” Sabrina asked.

“The Nelsons’ convenience store is about a mile ahead,” Clay said. “I worked there one summer when I was in high school.” The snow wasn’t deep. Yet. But it was cold.

“If there’s any power,” Jordan muttered. He glanced around. “Look at the ice on the trees.”

Clay looked at Jordan, then back at Lance. “We need to get Lance help and we need to get to a phone to call Ned as soon as possible.” His brow furrowed. “I’d send Jordan to call for help while I head for the ranch, but that’s going to take him a while and I don’t want to leave Lance here by himself.”

“You can leave me. I’ll be all right.”

“No way,” Clay said.

“I could stay with him,” Sabrina said. “But I’m not sure you’ll make it to the ranch by yourself. What if you pass out or something?”

Clay closed his eyes, having a hard time getting his brain to work. “And I don’t think I can help Lance by myself. I need Jordan.” He pressed a hand to his head and looked at the three of them. “I think our best plan is to stay together.” He glanced at his watch, then the darkening sky. “I would also say the party at the ranch is probably winding down and time is of the essence, so we need to go.”

Lance grunted. “What’s the deal? Why are you guys up here?”

Lance didn’t appear to know anything about his wife’s duplicity. “You’re not going to want to hear the truth.”

His friend frowned. “About?”

Clay sucked in a deep breath and caught Sabrina’s frown and slight shake of her head. “Looks like Stan Prescott and a partner are behind the meth lab. But we’re not going to worry about that now. We need to get you some help.” Clay and Jordan helped Lance to his feet and took a few tentative steps. “You going to make it?” he asked Lance.

“Guess we’ll find out.”

* * *

The snow continued to fall as Sabrina watched the three men start walking. She looked at Jordan. Might as well ask the question she knew was foremost on Clay’s mind. “What happened the day Steven died?”

“I had called Steven and told him I had evidence about a meth lab. Steven said he’d come get the evidence.”

“Was that your pipe in your room?” She told him about seeing it the day she went to visit him and his siblings.

“No way. I was done with that stuff. Trey gave it to me that day. I was going to throw it out, then thought it might be used for evidence. Trey was working with Krissy—”

“Krissy?” Lance stumbled to a stop. Jordan and Clay held him upright. “What are you talking about?”

Sabrina grimaced. “Krissy is Stan’s partner,” she told him quietly.

Lance swayed. “No way. I don’t believe it.” He turned pained eyes on Sabrina. “Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s true. I found evidence.”

“What kind?”

She told him, and he fell silent, his expression shattered. Sabrina’s heart broke for the man.

Jordan’s gaze flitted between her and Lance. Lance pinned Jordan with a look. “Go ahead and finish what you were saying about Trey and Krissy working together. I want to hear it all.”

Jordan bit his lip, then said, “I didn’t know it until later when they had me tied up in the barn and were talking about stuff. I even asked them questions and they were willing to fill me in.” He shuddered. “Even laughed while they told me stuff.” Terror crossed his face at the memory and Sabrina wanted to comfort him. “Before all that, I told Trey I was going to tell Steven about the meth lab. I told him I didn’t know who all was involved, but I had pictures.” He shifted Lance’s weight. Lance groaned but didn’t seem to have the strength to do more. Sabrina could tell he was getting weaker by the step. She wanted to lend her support but was afraid she’d just get in the way.

Jordan said, “Trey came over just before Steven got to the house.”

Lance groaned again and fell to his knees. Clay landed beside him and put his head in his hands. Jordan kept a tight grip on Lance to keep him from landing face-first in the snow. Sabrina grabbed him by the upper arms and lowered him gently to the ground.

She knew the basics of first aid thanks to her social work training. She placed her fingers on Lance’s wrist. His pulse beat faint and unsteady. How was he even still conscious? “Are you going to be able to make it?” she asked softly.

“The spirit is willing, but I’m afraid I may pass out.” His erratic breathing worried her, and Clay’s obvious weakness scared her. She tried not to worry about what might be happening at the Starke house. As long as there were still guests there, the family and the children should be all right. Krissy and Stan would bide their time, striking when they thought they wouldn’t get caught. The thought wasn’t much comfort. The time was passing quickly, and the temperature was dropping fast.

“Help me up,” Lance said. “We can’t stop now.”

Clay got to his feet and pulled Lance’s arm across his broad shoulders while Jordan did the same on the other side. Sabrina felt helpless. “What can I do?”

“Just stay close in case you have to catch one of us,” Clay muttered.

Sabrina didn’t think he was joking.

As they started off again, Jordan said, “When Trey showed up at the house, Steven hadn’t gotten there yet. Trey asked me if I still planned on talking to Steven. I said yeah, so when Steven got there, I told him everything and I gave him the pictures of the meth lab. He put them in the book he had in his pocket. Then Trey said he had to be somewhere and needed a ride. He suggested Steven take him while they talked.”

“He didn’t have his truck?” Clay asked. Sabrina heard the thin thread of pain in his voice.

“No. I’d picked him up on my motorcycle. Steven and Trey got in his car and left. I know Steven dropped Trey off because Steven called and told me he had to take Trey somewhere the next day and couldn’t meet me.” He gnawed on a fingernail and shook his head. “I think Trey must have set him up, told someone—probably Krissy—and she killed him,” he whispered. “I heard he was dead and I couldn’t believe it. I tried to find Trey but he was missing.” They were all listening to Jordan talk. Sabrina thought his story helped propel them onward through the falling snow, through the fatigue and the desire to just sit down and give up.

Lance stumbled against Clay, who almost lost his balance. She thought Clay looked even more pale than he had five minutes ago. “Are you all right? Do we need to stop for a minute?”

“I’m not feeling great, but I’ll make it.” Anxiety and worry for his family and the children were plainly etched into his handsome features. Sabrina knew exactly how he felt.

On the next step, Clay tripped, caught himself and paused, swaying, his grip on Lance never lessening. Lance didn’t make a sound, just cringed. She wasn’t sure how he was staying vertical. Sabrina grabbed Lance’s arm and put it over her shoulders. “Let me do this for a while. You definitely have a concussion.”

“No doubt about it, but there’s nothing to do about it until we make sure my family and the kids are safe.” Clay frowned at her. “He’s too heavy for you.”

“I’ll manage.”

Sabrina nodded and stepped forward, ignoring Clay’s weak protest. Lance’s weight almost took her to the ground. Jordan must have sensed her predicament, because he shifted the man so that Lance leaned more heavily against him. Jordan continued his story. “She killed Steven. I thought at first it was Stan because he had Steven’s wallet in the trailer, but when they had me tied up in the barn, they talked in front of me.” He swallowed hard. “I know it’s because they planned to kill me as soon as they got what they needed from me.”

“How long have they had you?”

“Since the day I called you at the trailer. Stan came after me and found me. He took me to Krissy and they tied me up and tried to get me to tell them what I knew. The only reason they didn’t kill me right away is because they thought I knew more than I did.” He cleared his throat and shivered, his voice growing hoarse. “And I let them think that. They kept asking me who knew about the meth lab and who had I shown the pictures to. They knocked me out a couple of times trying to get me to talk.”

Clay started walking again, shoulders hunched against the elements. Sabrina felt guilty for keeping his coat but knew he’d rather her wear it if she was cold. His selflessness touched her. Made her appreciate the feeling of being cared for as never before. Her grandmother loved her, of course, but Sabrina figured she was supposed to.

A sharp crack cut through the air, and a puff of white shot up in front of her. She flinched, and Clay hollered, “Get down! Get down!” He came up next to them and shoved her toward the tree line. “Get behind a tree, now! Jordan, get a tight grip and run!”

Confused but not questioning his order, she shot off the trail and into the woods. She heard the men behind her and heard another loud pop. “Go, Sabrina,” Clay panted. “Go deeper into the woods. Find a thick copse of trees.”

Someone had discovered they hadn’t died in the cave and was shooting at them again. Her breath caught in her throat, and she uttered a desperate prayer.
Lord, let this nightmare end. Please let everything work out right so we can get on with our lives. And if you could see a way for Clay and me...well...you know what I’m praying for.

They moved fast, leaving a trail to follow but hopefully putting enough trees between them and the shooter. The snow came heavier and harder, and Sabrina felt true fear shake her insides.

They finally slowed when no more shots came. Jordan separated from Clay and Lance and leaned against the nearest tree, clutching his side.

“Are you hurt?” Sabrina ran to him and pulled his hand away. No blood.

Jordan shook his head. “No. A cramp.”

Relief filled her. She turned back to Lance and Clay. “What about you two?”

“No new bullet wounds, thankfully,” Clay said. “But all that rushing caused Lance’s wound to start bleeding again.” He held his friend, who was just barely conscious.

“The convenience store is just ahead,” Clay said. “Jordan, can you run as fast as you can and call for an ambulance? You’ll have to stay behind the cover of the trees. Fortunately, the store backs up to the woods. You can jump over the concrete wall and be inside faster than we’ll be able to move together. It’ll be locked, but there should be a key in a small magnetic holder under the mailbox. Get help on the way.”