At the Crossroads

by B. J Daniels

  Culhane couldn’t agree more. He disconnected and prayed he’d hear her voice again. Soon.

  * * *

  ALEXIS HEARD ONE of them coming through the pines. Had to be Deputy Terry Cline, she thought. He’d always been like a bull in a china shop, knocking things over in the office, banging into desks, spilling his coffee.

  It was no surprise that she heard him coming. He came crashing out of the pines headed in her direction. She peered around the rocks, saw him stumble over some downed limbs, twigs snapping under his big feet. All of it announcing him long before he reached the outcropping.

  “Come just a little closer,” she said under her breath as she watched him remove his Stetson to stop and wipe sweat from his forehead. She saw him glance back. Following his gaze, she saw nothing. The deputies must have split up, just as she’d hoped.

  Not seeing his partner, Cline moved to the rock cropping and sat down just below her.

  Alexis knew she would get only one chance. She didn’t have much time, and if she made a sound, he would hear and stand up, and her chance would be lost. Worse, he would see her above him. Once he yelled and let Furu know that he’d found her...

  She lifted the rock. For just a moment, she hesitated. If her arc was accurate, the blow to the head might kill him. Or she might miss entirely. In which case he could turn and shoot her. She didn’t want to kill him but reminded herself that these two had kidnapped her, and who knew what they planned to do with her. Letting her go didn’t seem to be an option. She suspected Garwood was using her to lure in Culhane. Once that happened, she had no doubt that it was to end with both of them dead.

  Rising slightly she hefted the rock. Her foot scraped on the loose rocks under her feet. Cline heard and rose, turning to look behind him.

  The rock caught him in the side of the head. The blow made a horrible sound like hitting a pumpkin with a hatchet. But he didn’t react. In fact, he remained standing, though dazed. She saw him fumbling for his gun, but she was too shocked to move.

  Just as she found her feet and was about to take off, he crumpled to the ground.

  Alexis stood staring down at what she’d done before shaking herself out of the shock of it and clambering from the outcrop. Furu was still out there. She had to get Cline’s gun.

  Earlier, she’d seen him carrying it. But as she hurried to his body, she couldn’t see it. Was it possible he’d fallen on it?

  The last thing she wanted to do was touch his body. She bent down next to him and tried to lift his dead weight. She was about to try again when she heard the crunch of loose rocks behind her. Before she could react, she was grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground. The deputy loomed over her, the weapon in his hand pointed between her eyes. She saw his gaze shift to Cline but quickly came back to her with a shake of his head. Reaching down, he grabbed her arm and jerked her up and onto her feet.

  “Let’s go,” he said. “Your boyfriend is waiting for your call.”

  “Wait,” she cried. “Aren’t you even going to check for a pulse?”

  Furu hesitated. “He’s breathing. I can see the rise and fall of his chest.” As if knowing what she was going to say next, he beat her to it. “I’ll call for an ambulance once we get out of here.”

  * * *

  CULHANE JUMPED AT the sound of his phone. He’d just hung up from talking to the FBI. He’d been so sure that Garwood was bluffing and that the real reason he couldn’t talk to Alexis was that she was dead.

  It was Garwood. He held his breath, debating what he would do if this was another lame excuse for why he couldn’t talk to her. He accepted the call but said nothing until he heard her voice.

  “Culhane?”

  His heart soared. He felt tears burn his eyes, and his knees went weak with relief. “Alexis.” All of his fears, his worries, his love came out in that one word. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.”

  He heard the phone being snatched away. “Now it is up to you if she stays fine,” Deputy Furu said and disconnected.

  For a few moments, he stood holding the phone, still hearing the sound of her voice and feeling both relief and fear. She was alive. But for how long?

  He looked down at the phone in his hand for a moment before calling the FBI back. Garwood would be calling soon with the meeting place for the exchange. He would double-cross them. There was no way the sheriff was going to make the trade and let them go. He needed the necklace. Culhane needed Alexis. Which meant he was going to need backup.

  Garwood sounded irritated when he called, as if he’d been trying the number and hadn’t been able to get through. Which was probably the case.

  “Do you know where those old silos are outside of Three Forks near the headwater of the Missouri?” Garwood asked. He did. “We’ll meet there in thirty minutes. Bring the necklace. Come alone. We’ll make the exchange and be done with this foolishness, although I didn’t see anything in the newspaper this morning about you dropping your lawsuit.”

  “It was on the radio this morning. Won’t be out in the paper until tomorrow or the next day.” Culhane disconnected. After today, there would be no need for the lawsuit.

  The silos were near the confluence of the three rivers. He could get there easily in thirty minutes. By then, it would be full daylight. It had snowed in the mountains last night, but by the time he got to Three Forks, the ground was bare and so was the highway.

  He had no doubt he was walking into a trap. The FBI had been alerted and knew the location. All he could do was hope that it didn’t turn into a shoot-out. Worse, that he might have made a terrible mistake by bringing in the FBI, a mistake that would cost him everything, including his own life.

  * * *

  THE SHERIFF WAS almost to the silos when he got the call. He saw it was from Furu and picked up, afraid that Alexis hadn’t been found. Still, he planned to meet Culhane and get the necklace, one way or the other.

  “Cline may be dead.”

  Willy realized he wasn’t even interested enough to ask how. “The bad news?” he demanded as he drove toward the headwater.

  Furu cleared his voice. “I have Alexis. She nailed him with a rock behind the house where you had us take her.” The condemnation was in his words.

  He wished that he’d stopped by the house where they’d been keeping Alexis and finished her before coming here. She would only complicate things further, he realized. But then, Culhane was just stubborn enough not to even show him the necklace until he saw Alexis.

  “Is she all right?” he asked.

  “For now,” Furu said.

  “Good.”

  “Apparently you let her talk to Culhane?”

  “I did.”

  “He seemed satisfied, so we’re all set.”

  Silence.

  The deputy had never been one to blather on about anything, but still Willy found his monosyllabic speech annoying. He knew he should show some remorse for Deputy Cline, but letting a woman kill you with a rock? He wouldn’t want that on his death certificate.

  “I’m sorry about Cline. I’ve set up the trade. It isn’t that far from you.” He decided since Alexis was alive—after killing his deputy—he would make the trade, then arrest her and Culhane. He gave Furu directions to the silos. “All you have to do is show up with her and leave. I’ll take care of everything else.” He disconnected. He’d shoot Culhane and arrest Alexis.

  As for Cline... He shook his head. The deputy may have done him a favor by dying while trying to bring Alexis Brand in for questioning. Good thing Deputy Furu had collared her. Then he’d used her to bring in Culhane. Unfortunately, Culhane would put up a fight and be killed. Willy could see how he could single-handedly solve the case. But Alexis would squawk. It might be simpler if they were both dead.

  Ahead he could see the turnoff to the headwater. New snow turned the mountaintops glistening wh
ite and put a chill in the air. He’d wanted to beat Culhane here and apparently had. The former deputy would expect a trap.

  Willy smiled at the thought, thinking how easily Culhane had walked into the trap at the cabin—and gotten away. That time, there had been Jana and four deputies. How Culhane had slipped the noose with Jana, he had no idea. At least Furu and Cline had been able to abduct Alexis without anyone being the wiser.

  This time, he was on his own. As he pulled into the parking area near the silos, he checked his weapon. Loaded and ready. He holstered it.

  Culhane would expect him to be armed and vice versa. It would be like the Old West. Just not at high noon, he thought, as the sun rose over the Bridger Mountains bringing daylight from behind a bank of snow clouds.

  * * *

  CULHANE THOUGHT ABOUT what he’d learned regarding Sheriff Willy Garwood while in his employ. He didn’t think most of it would be hard to prove. He had the necklace, which he’d photographed and texted to the FBI. Insurance fraud might be the easiest crime to prove against Atwater and the sheriff.

  Murder would be harder. Right now all the evidence pointed to Culhane himself. No matter how this went down at the silos, he was on his way to jail until it was resolved. While he had Jana under wraps, he couldn’t depend on her telling the truth.

  He had to believe that eventually, it would all come out—the kidnapping and everything else—and Willy Garwood would be convicted along with his rich friends. They wouldn’t get what they deserved, but at least Garwood would never be sheriff anywhere in the country again. Culhane figured that was something. If his rich friends bailed on him, the man might actually see some prison time—if he hadn’t destroyed all the evidence against him.

  Culhane tried not to think about Garwood not getting what he deserved. But he told himself no matter what, he wasn’t taking the law in his own hands. That’s why he’d called in the FBI. He didn’t trust himself. But he didn’t want the man’s blood on him, either. He’d already decided he was done with the law. He wanted a different kind of life—with Alexis and his baby and the other babies he hoped they would have.

  It was a vision of that life that he held onto as he slowed and turned off the interstate and onto the gravel road to the headwater. He could see the silos in the distance. A large black SUV was sitting in the nearby parking lot. Garwood. He’d come alone. At least it appeared so since Culhane couldn’t see anyone else.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  ALEXIS COULD TELL that Deputy Furu wasn’t in the mood for trouble, but that didn’t stop her.

  “You know this isn’t going to end well,” she said as he grabbed her roughly and bound her hands behind her with plastic flex-cuffs. “When it goes down, Garwood will let you take the fall. He’ll get his fancy friends to bail him out while you—”

  Furu stuffed a glove into her mouth, making her choke. He grabbed her arm and shoved her toward his SUV parked nearby. She stumbled along with him prodding her if she moved too slowly.

  What happened now? That’s what she kept asking herself. She might have killed Cline. Just because he’d been breathing when they’d left him didn’t mean he would survive without medical attention—and soon—given the temperature. Nor had she heard Furu make a call for an ambulance.

  Was that why Furu was in such a bad mood? Was he worried about what the sheriff would do? What could he do? Earlier Furu had let her talk to Culhane—only long enough that he knew she was alive. They must be setting up a trade. Her for the necklace? What about Jana? Was she part of the deal?

  She knew Culhane would never go for that. He wouldn’t risk another life even to save hers and his own. Surely Culhane knew that he couldn’t trust the sheriff not to renege on the deal. No way was Garwood going to let them live.

  At the SUV, Furu opened the side door and shoved her in. She fell awkwardly to the floor face-first and became trapped between the front and rear seats.

  “Stay there.” He didn’t have to say or else. The or else was in his tone, in the way he slammed the door.

  He climbed behind the wheel to start the engine. As he pulled away, he turned on the radio. A Christmas song came on, reminding her how close it was to the holiday. She hadn’t shopped yet for Culhane.

  Tears burned her eyes at the thought of how excited she’d been. This was to be their first Christmas together as a couple. Culhane had talked about them getting a tree, but neither of their apartments was large enough for much of a tree.

  “You’ve never gotten a tree for your apartment before,” she’d said. “Why now?”

  “Because I want to start the tradition with you and me.”

  She recalled that feeling that had rushed through her veins and warmed her all over. He’d moved closer, drawing her to him for a kiss. “This is the first year that I’m actually looking forward to the holidays.”

  That day now seemed like it had been months ago instead of only days.

  The song ended as Furu turned onto what sounded like a busy highway and sped up.

  * * *

  CULHANE CLIMBED OUT of the pickup and into the cold morning air. The hard ground crunched under his boots as he stuffed his gun into his jacket pocket, curling his palm around the grip, a finger on the trigger. Gloveless, he put his other hand in his pocket with the necklace.

  He knew Garwood would want to see the necklace before any exchange was made. He also knew that the sheriff wasn’t above killing him for it.

  As he approached, he could see his breath. The sun was at his back. Garwood stood in profile as if more interested in the river. Culhane wasn’t fooled. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept watch for movement. He didn’t trust this man any farther than he could throw him. Garwood wouldn’t come alone. Then again, his boys probably had Alexis. Maybe the sheriff had run out of those deputies who would do anything for him—especially if murder was involved.

  He stopped a good distance from the sheriff. He’d seen the man at the firing range. He was deadly with a handgun. But not at this distance.

  “Culhane, I wasn’t sure you would show up,” the man called, turning only his head to look at him. “Did you bring it?” Was he afraid of turning broadside because it made him an easier target? Garwood had also seen him shoot at the firing range so he should have been worried.

  “Where’s Alexis?” he called, their voices echoing off the silos.

  “She’ll be here.” The sheriff glared at him.

  “In case you’re worried, I’m not wearing a wire. I don’t even have my phone with me so you can be honest. If you remember how.”

  “You really enjoy taunting me, don’t you?” the sheriff said.

  “You’re a corrupt cop, so yes. You are everything I despise. It’s my duty to try to get some justice—especially for Jana.”

  “Jana? So she is dead. I didn’t know you cared,” Garwood shot back.

  Culhane was fine with letting the sheriff believe Jana was dead. He feared what the man might do if he learned the truth. That Jana was not in the custody of the FBI.

  “Sadly, Jana didn’t realize that making a deal with you was like making one with the devil. Have you ever kept your word about anything?”

  The sheriff laughed. “You made a deal with me, Culhane. The necklace for your... Alexis. Let’s see it.”

  “Not until I see Alexis. It’s only fair—a word you aren’t familiar with.”

  Garwood shook his head angrily. Clearly Culhane was getting under the man’s skin. They both had so much to lose, but the sheriff was on his heels. If the necklace surfaced—especially publicly, then his life as he knew it would come crashing down. Garwood might be able to wiggle out of it. He was adept at lying. But Jana could seal his fate, putting the last nail in the coffin with her testimony. What Garwood didn’t know was that Culhane had even more to lose.

  * * *

  ALEXIS THREW UP in the back of the SUV, making Furu
swear as he drove.

  “Carsick,” she said, not wanting him or his boss to know what was really going on with her. “Sorry.”

  Furu didn’t say anything for a long while. “I used to get carsick when I was a kid,” he finally said, sounding almost compassionate. “It drove my father wild. He thought I should be able to control it.”

  She lay in the back between the seats wondering where they were going. To meet Culhane and make the exchange, but where? She’d heard enough of Furu’s phone call to know that she was going to be traded for the necklace. But then what? Surely Culhane realized that Garwood couldn’t be trusted to keep his word.

  That meant she had to find a way to even the odds.

  “There was this one time after a big Thanksgiving dinner driving home...” she said.

  The deputy laughed. “I’ve been there. Miserable, huh?”

  “Yes. The other kids made fun of me because I couldn’t go on any of the carnival rides, even the ones for babies.”

  “The worst were the Twister and the Bullet,” Furu said after a moment. “I upchucked all over my friends.” He laughed again. “I hated the carnival. I loved the cotton candy—”

  “Oh, no, that only made it worse.”

  “That and the corn dogs.”

  “You’re going to make me sick again,” she said but laughed to let him know she was kidding. This was the most conversation she’d ever had with the deputy, even though she’d worked with him for several years before she was fired. He’d always been so aloof that she’d thought it was arrogance. Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe he was just ambitious. Too bad he’d grabbed onto the sheriff’s rotten coattails.

  Furu slowed. She suspected they’d been on Interstate 90, based on the sound of the other traffic and the speed with which it seemed they were traveling. The interstate speed limit in a lot of Montana was now eighty.

  “You should keep your head down,” the deputy said as he drove up a bumpy road, pulled over and cut the engine.