Hidden Creed

by Alex Kava

  She was smiling at him. Not the subtle, one-sided, flirty one, but a full smile.

  “I know, it’s lame, right?” he asked.

  “Not at all. I think it’s sweet.”

  He groaned.

  “Noble,” she said attempting to fix it.

  “Oh God, no.”

  “What’s wrong with noble?”

  “Girls don’t want noble. They don’t want sweet. They want the bad boys.”

  She shook her head at him but was still smiling. When her eyes met this time, they were serious. She told him, “I think sweet and noble would be a very welcomed change.”

  And that’s when Benny and Colfax decided to show up.

  Chapter 63

  Creed felt like he was interrupting a party when he arrived at Walter’s Canteen. He needed them sober and serious. From the sounds of their raucous merriment, he realized he might be too late. He found himself smiling at them instead of being disappointed.

  Creed couldn’t remember seeing Colfax laugh...ever. One side of the man’s face looked like it had melted. Scar tissue ran from his temple down his cheekbone. It seemed to move and come to life with his laughter.

  Benny had shoved his wheelchair away from the table and was slapping his thigh, sending the empty pant legs below both knees waving a bit where they weren’t tacked down.

  Creed saw the gray-haired owner and figured Walter was telling one of his stories, but even his head bobbed with laughter.

  No, the person responsible for regaling all four men and putting them in stitches was a pretty blond sitting next to Jason.

  It was Jason who noticed Creed first. He stood before Creed crossed the room and pulled a chair from an empty table close by.

  Walter looked up at him then glanced down around Creed’s feet and said, “No Grace?”

  “Not today.”

  “Ryder Creed,” Jason gestured toward the young woman, “This is Taylor.”

  He reached over the table to shake her outstretched hand.

  “Donahey,” she told him. “Taylor Donahey.”

  “I didn’t realize,” Walter said. “An Irish lass.”

  “Careful,” Creed told her. “Commander Bailey has more charm than all of us guys put together.”

  “Oh, I’m already aware of that,” Taylor said. “Actually, he promised me a real drink out on the patio while you men do...” She stood and looked around the table then waved her hands and said, “Whatever it is that you do.”

  “That’s right.” Walter used the edge of the table to help him stand. “Good thing my knees have a bit of arthritis or you boys wouldn’t have a chance.”

  “You two don’t need to leave on my account,” Creed told them. He didn’t want to end their fun.

  “No, no. We’ll be back,” Walter said.

  “You will be back, right?” Jason asked Taylor.

  Creed realized the kid had it bad. He glanced at Benny who rolled his eyes. Colfax, however, seemed equally enamored and anxious for her return. But the look on Jason’s face was enough to convince Creed he wouldn’t let the kid come with him to track the killer. It wasn’t worth the risk.

  As if on cue, a waitress replaced the empty pitcher in the middle of the table with a full one. She set a glass in front of Creed.

  “Get you something to eat?” she asked him.

  He glanced at the platter with empty shrimp shells.

  “Some more of these. And a pile of fries.”

  “You got it.”

  “Oh, and bring the whole bottle of ketchup,” Jason told her.

  Benny maneuvered his chair closer to the table so he could pour himself another glass of beer. He held up the pitcher and looked to Creed, motioning for his glass. Creed slid it over. When Benny handed the full glass back to him, he looked sober and serious and ready to give Creed his complete attention.

  “Jason filled us in about this asshole in the forest,” Benny said. “Tell us what you need.”

  “I was able to get my hands on a ball cap that the investigators found, but they’re not sure it’s his,” Creed told them.

  “What kind of cap?” Benny wanted to know.

  Creed wasn’t sure why it mattered. “Sports cap. Wide bill. Black with a skull and crossed swords. Football in the middle. It’s the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”

  “That’s definitely the killer’s,” Colfax said.

  They all stared at him, waiting for his explanation. He gulped his beer and wiped his crooked mouth before he noticed.

  “What?” he said. “Nobody in their right mind wears a Buccaneers’ cap.”

  They all laughed again, and Creed told himself that he really needed to spend more time with these guys.

  “So you’re thinking Grace can get his scent off the cap,” Jason said. “But what if it really isn’t his cap?”

  “Then she leads me to another grave,” Creed told him. “But also I wondered about using some other technology. I have night vision goggles.”

  Benny waved a hand at him to dismiss that idea. “Not gonna help much at night in the forest. Night vision devices still need some light. Plus, you can’t see if he’s behind a bush or a tree.”

  “What about heat-detecting equipment?”

  “Yeah, exactly,” Colfax said. “That’s what you need.”

  “But I need something that’s not big and clunky,” Creed said.

  “We need something,” Jason corrected him.

  “I got a couple of thermal imaging cameras,” Benny said. “These are the coolest devices. They’re about eight ounces with a six-inch microbolometer. They’re made to be handheld, but you can easily use a mini-rail and attach it to a helmet.”

  “How does it work?” Creed wanted to know. “I get that it detects heat signatures, but what do you actually see?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to try these new ones out yet. But it’s not going to give you a clear picture. It distinguishes an object that’s giving off warmer temperatures.”

  “So I might not be able to tell if it’s a person or an animal?” Creed asked.

  “No, no,” Benny insisted. “You’ll be able to tell it’s a figure walking upright. You can see him and his movements. Just not clear enough for facial identity.”

  “How soon can I borrow those?” Creed asked.

  “I brought them in my pickup,” Benny said, sitting up proud of himself. “We brought a few other things, too. I know you like all the security cameras and those gadgets, but dude, for this, you need some serious stuff.”

  “Hey,” Jason elbowed Creed. “Did you invite Maggie or tell her about any of this?”

  “No. And I don’t want her to know.”

  “Well, she’s here.”

  “Hi guys,” she said as she approached their table. “Benny and Colfax, right?”

  Creed watched the two men, all gaga again in the presence of a beautiful woman. Colfax stood and pulled out a chair for her. Benny was already waving down the waitress for another glass.

  “I’m staying next door,” Maggie said. “At Margaritaville and saw Benny’s pickup.”

  “It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?” He smiled at her.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just stopping by to say hello.”

  “We always welcome a pretty woman at our table,” Colfax told her, helping push her chair in like a gentleman.

  Creed could feel her glance at him. She had asked him to have dinner with her on the beach, and he never mentioned that he was already having lunch on the beach. But that wasn’t what she’d be upset about.

  Although she hadn’t said anything back at the medical examiner’s office, he could tell she knew exactly what he wanted the black ball cap for. And he could tell she wasn’t happy about it.

  Chapter 64

  Blackwater River State Forest

  Udie transferred all the gear and new equipment he’d bought at the hardware store from his truck to the boat. He wondered if two five-gallon cans were enough, but he didn’t have room in the boat fo
r more. He had already stacked things that probably shouldn’t be stacked on top of each other, but he wasn’t going far. He wanted to offload everything before sunset.

  For once the afternoon thunderstorms held off. Luck was on his side. But there was a small timeframe before the storms rolled in later in the evening. By then, Udie hoped to be finished. If things went as planned, he’d be in bed before the downpours came.

  Udie pulled out the dead man’s cell phone. He’d added the wildlife cams because the apps loaded quicker than they did on his old phone. He tapped the first one and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He brought up the second camera, and low and behold, he had a birds-eye view of a sheriff’s deputy. Yesterday he caught one of them taking a piss, and he wanted so badly to turn on the audio and scare the hell out of him. But then it would be all over.

  On closer inspection, he realized this wasn’t one of the regular deputies. This was the guy he met in the boat, the evidence collector. The women hadn’t come back, but this guy kept digging up stuff. Udie wished he’d been able to put up the cameras earlier. He had no idea what they’d taken so far. But he was going to make sure they didn’t take anything else.

  The cell phone vibrated with another text message. His partner had already left a string of them along with a half dozen voice messages. The guy sounded like he was becoming unhinged.

  He figured the guy would be amazed and proud when he saw that Udie had taken care of everything. So he ignored the messages. After tonight, neither one of them would need to worry about this dumping ground ever again.

  Chapter 65

  Walter’s Canteen

  Pensacola Beach

  Taylor had forgotten what this kind of camaraderie could feel like. After baring her soul to Jason, she thought she’d want to slink away. But being around these guys was a quick reminder that they all had scars and regrets and stories that few others would find funny. It was one of the things she actually missed about Afghanistan. She was having a great time, and she wasn’t even drunk. Well, not drunk by her standards. She definitely had a pleasant buzz going.

  There was only one problem. When she and Walter came back to the table, Taylor immediately felt the scrutiny of the latest guest. A woman. An attractive woman.

  Jason introduced her as an FBI agent. She obviously knew all of the others including Walter, although there was some mention of her staying at the hotel next door. So this woman—Maggie—was not a regular part of the guys’ group. And yet, she seemed to fit in so easily.

  Taylor tried to relax. She convinced herself that she was simply disappointed because she enjoyed being the only woman and having all the attention. Definitely a flaw she needed to work on. She had very few women friends. Okay, she had no women friends at the moment. She quickly admonished herself. None of that had anything to do with why she was having such a good time earlier.

  But just when she started to settle in again, she noticed Maggie look up at her from across the table. She had her cell phone out and in seconds her eyes returned to the screen.

  Taylor ignored feeling intimidated again. It couldn’t be personal. The woman didn’t even know her. She was being ridiculous.

  Walter excused himself to greet new guests. A few minutes later Ryder checked his watch and said he needed to get back to work. Taylor watched him exchange a look with Maggie, but the FBI agent didn’t appear compelled to leave her seat at the table.

  “I’ll talk to you later,” Maggie said.

  Taylor thought she noticed that Ryder was a bit surprised. Earlier she thought the two might be a couple, but now she dismissed it.

  “I need to steal the guys for a few minutes,” Ryder said.

  “All of them?” Taylor laughed and hoped it wasn’t too obvious how much she did not want to be left with this woman.

  “We just need to help Benny unload some things,” Jason told her. “We’ll be right back.”

  She watched them leave. Maggie did not. She was still occupied with her phone. Taylor pulled the pitcher over and filled her glass though she really didn’t want any more beer. She wanted to leave with the guys. She watched other people. Looked for the waitress. Thought about going to the bathroom.

  “Sorry,” Maggie suddenly said, surprising Taylor. “I didn’t mean to be rude.” She held up her cell phone. “I’m working a case that just keeps getting more puzzling. You might have heard about it on the news. A couple of bodies were found in the forest.”

  “I did hear something about that. Are Jason and Ryder working on that case, too?”

  “Yes. They and their dogs are amazing.”

  Taylor didn’t know their dogs, only that Scout had come in contact with the same drug paraphernalia that had sent Jason to the ER. She figured it must be a drug case. Dogs were used to sniff out illegal contraband. It made sense that the feds would be involved.

  Another awkward silence, only Taylor noticed that Maggie didn’t look uncomfortable at all.

  “Have you known them long?” Taylor asked looking for some common ground.

  “The first case Ryder and I worked on was about two and half years ago. How about you?”

  “I met Jason, Benny and Colfax a few days ago,” Taylor said. Had it only been a few days? She sipped the beer.

  And then as if it were simply a normal part of their conversation, Maggie asked, “So how long have you known John Lockett?”

  Chapter 66

  Maggie watched for her reaction as Taylor almost spit out her beer.

  “Excuse me, what did...what was it you just asked?”

  Maggie tapped her cell phone, swiped the screen then held it out, up and over the table. It was one of the photos Agent Alonzo had sent her earlier in the day. One from John Lockett’s Facebook page. From the minute the young woman sat down, Maggie knew she recognized her. It just took a while to remember where she had seen her.

  The woman looked surprised then confused. Maggie wasn’t sure what she had expected. But Taylor’s reaction certainly didn’t amount to culpability in a murder.

  And as realization seemed to wash over the woman, Maggie watched the look of shock transform into grief and sadness.

  “Oh my God. Is John...” She sat back and gulped in a deep breath. “You found him in the forest?”

  Maggie glanced back at the door, glad that the guys were taking a long time. She had been torn about whether to follow them out and talk to Ryder. He and Jason were plotting to do something. She felt like she was teetering on a tightrope, because she knew if she offered her help or advice, it would be seen as interference.

  Besides, if she could identify the killer soon, they wouldn’t need to run off into the forest and try to catch the guy. And right now, she had something better than any of the bagged evidence the medical examiner had. Maggie may have just stumbled on the reason John Lockett had left his home in Virginia to travel down to Pensacola, Florida. And that reason was sitting in front of her.

  She picked up her glass, stood and moved around the table to take a seat next to Taylor. She poured herself another beer trying to keep up a casual appearance, so if anyone else noticed Taylor’s distraught face, they might discount it as two friends in conversation and not as an interrogation of a witness.

  “We haven’t publically identified him yet,” Maggie said. “But yes.”

  Taylor sat still while her eyes darted around the room. Maggie tried to track where she was looking, and finally wondered if the woman was simply watching for Jason’s return.

  “How?” she asked. “How did he end up in the forest? He didn’t...”

  She was struggling now. Maggie couldn’t determine if it was guilt. Maybe she did know more.

  Finally, Taylor asked, “He didn’t commit suicide, did he?”

  “Because you rejected him?”

  There was a quivering sigh. Her hand shot up to rub her forehead. She pushed her hair behind her ear.

  “Yes,” she said and then came her confession. “He came all this way because he wanted us to be togethe
r. I told him I couldn’t. Not now. I tried to be gentle. But I told him he needed to go home.”

  “Taylor,” Maggie said calmly and waited for her eyes. “He didn’t commit suicide.” She waited a beat before she added, “He was murdered.”

  Maggie watched again, measuring the reaction. She could swear the woman was less surprised by this outcome.

  “He had his dog with him,” Taylor said, and now her eyes searched Maggie’s. “Is Hank dead, too?”

  That she was concerned about the dog, moved Maggie to ease up on her. She didn’t think Taylor had anything to do with Lockett’s murder. But she suspected the woman might know the man who was responsible.

  “We think Hank’s okay, but he was shot, too.”

  “Shot?”

  And now, Maggie wondered why that part was a surprise. She was about to ask when out of the corner of her eye she saw Jason maneuvering his way through the guests at the entrance waiting to be seated.

  “I need you to talk to me about this,” she told Taylor in a low voice. “But not in front of the guys, okay?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Taylor glanced up, and in a matter of seconds Maggie saw that the woman was very good at tucking away her emotions.

  “Taylor, Maggie, I’m really sorry,” Jason said, his expression serious and his tone urgent. “We just found out one of our buddies is being air-lifted to the hospital.”

  “Baptist?” Taylor asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Would you like us to come along?” Maggie asked before Taylor decided it would be a good excuse to just get up and go with him.

  “No. Thanks though. You two stay. Ryder already took care of things with Walter, so please stay. Have some dinner. Or dessert. I’ll text you both as soon as I know something.”

  He started to leave then turned back. “Actually, I’ll text Maggie,” he said directly to Taylor. “But Maggie, you mind giving Taylor my number?”

  “Sure,” Maggie said, and she was trying to decide whether to be impressed or suspicious that Taylor hadn’t given him her phone number yet.