by Barbara Gee
“I’ll get there as soon as I can, Maddy. I’m in Chandler right now, meeting with a friend. I’ll call Tim to get a jet lined up and I’ll get back to Charlotte as quick as I can.”
“If you’re in Chandler, call Rob, my old boss. They have a couple of jets that they charter, and they aren’t used real often. There’s usually at least one there all the time.”
“I’ll try that. I’ll find something, Maddy, don’t worry. But I need to go so I can call the sheriff.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll be in touch, baby. Go get Libby. Lock the doors and stay away from the windows. Libby knows where Virgil’s gun case is, and the combination is written on the bottom side of the top left corner of his desk blotter. It’s probably overkill but I’d feel better if you two were armed, at least until the deputy gets there.”
“Okay, Tuck. I’ll text you when he arrives.”
Maddy hung up and Tuck strode quickly over to Ryan.
“We need to go, man. I need your help.” Tuck threw some money on the table and they left the café without delay. Tuck quickly made the call to the county sheriff’s office, using his FBI status to get put through to the sheriff himself. The sheriff hemmed and hawed, complaining that he couldn’t send a bunch of men out when there was no verified threat, but he finally agreed to send one deputy out to the ranch to stay with the women until Tuck could get there.
Tucker requested at least four more men, to enable setting up a decent watch area outside the ranch house. The best he could get from the sheriff was ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ Tuck suggested pointedly that the man get the first deputy to the house within fifteen minutes, with the others close behind.
Stifling a curse he hung up and quickly explained the new developments to Ryan.
“I’ll do whatever I can to help,” the detective said immediately. “What do you need?”
“I need to get out there as soon as possible. How close is this aviation place? Maddy suggested trying to get a jet there. If they have one available and can get a flight plan filed quickly, it’ll definitely be faster than driving back to Charlotte and leaving from there.”
“It’s ten minutes away. Follow me, I’ll take you there. And I know Rob personally. I’ll call him on the way and see if I can get the ball rolling.”
Having Ryan call about the jet meant that Tucker could use the drive time to update Tim.
“You need to get out there,” Tim said after Tucker gave him the run down. “What do you need me to do?”
“I’m going to try to get a jet from the company where Maddy worked. Ryan is working on that now. If it works out, it’ll take a little while to get a pilot called in and get the plane pre-flighted. I’ll use that time to meet with Elaine and get into Abe’s office. I’m sure he’s covered his tracks as far as the fake emails, but there might be something useful we can find in his office or on his computer.”
“We’re on it here, Tuck. We’ll check all flights going to Grand Forks and Fargo, and look for any charters as well. I’m guessing Abe has a team with him rather than going out there alone. And it’s likely that he avoided airports altogether and drove. That way he could take weapons without chartering a plane, which would be too easy to trace.”
“I agree driving is the most likely option, which is good because it would mean he hasn’t been out there long enough to do a lot of scouting. That might buy us some time. I’ll let you know if I find anything in his office. And hopefully his picture is in his personnel file so I can make sure it’s Abe we’re looking for.”
“We’ll talk soon.” Tim hung up as Tuck followed Ryan into the parking lot of their destination.
Ryan met Tuck as he got out of his SUV.
“I talked to Rob. He’s pretty sure they can have you wheels up in under an hour. That’s pushing it, but he thinks it can be done.”
“I’ll take it. I’m going to talk to Elaine while I wait, and go through Abe’s office.”
“Look, Tuck, I’m starting a ten day vacation tomorrow. I was gonna help a buddy with a house he’s flipping, but I’d rather tag along with you. If there’s anything I can do to help you track this Abe guy down, I’d welcome the opportunity.”
Tuck clapped a hand on the other man’s shoulder and urged him toward the building’s entrance. “That’s an offer I can’t refuse. You can help me ransack an office while we wait for the plane to be ready.”
Once inside the building, Tuck flashed his badge and requested to be taken to Elaine. Ryan wanted to check in with Rob first, and then he would meet Tuck in Abe’s old office.
Elaine’s eyes went huge when Tuck entered her office, identified himself, and told her what he needed.
“You’re Maddy’s FBI man?” she asked, obviously awestruck.
“I am, and she needs our help.” He told Elaine that Maddy was involved in a continuing FBI operation, and he suspected that the temporary employee Elaine had been working with for the past few weeks was involved in a plot that threatened her life. Elaine was all business after that. Tim had thoughtfully sent a file photo of Abe to Tuck’s phone, and Elaine immediately confirmed that her former temp worker and Abe were one and the same.
She readily unlocked Abe’s office and Tuck began to methodically go through the man’s desk. Ryan soon joined him, and Tuck was impressed with his thorough examination of every file, object, and piece of paper.
Tuck asked Elaine to boot up the computer and log in as Abe, just in case the man had overlooked something in his efforts to hide his tracks. Tuck efficiently set up a remote link with Emma and she took over control of the computer, poring through the hard drive.
Ryan began going through the trashcan, and a few minutes later he put a wrinkled sticky note in front of Tuck. “It was stuck to the side of the can. It’s just a phone number, but we should probably check it out.”
Tuck texted the number to Emma, and ten minutes later she called him.
“That phone number, believe it or not, was traceable. It belongs to a Wilfred Alleman.”
“Could you find any info on him?” Tuck asked hopefully.
“Yeah,” Emma said. “He’s ex-Army, and he served at the same time as Abe. They were both deployed to Iraq, and lived at the same base for seven months.”
“And his MOS?” Tucker prompted. “His job in the army?”
Emma sighed. “He was a sniper, Tuck.”
Tuck’s ice blue gaze met Ryan’s. “Keep digging, Emma. Let me know if you find anything else.”
“Bad news?” Ryan asked when Tuck hung up.
“The number belongs to an ex-Army guy, most likely a buddy of Abe’s. And he was a sniper.”
Ryan winced and paled, his eyes becoming pensive. “So was I,” he said quietly. “That should help. Once I get a look at the site, I should be able to anticipate his moves.”
Tuck frowned, surprised that Ryan had never mentioned that he had been in the Army, especially since Tuck had talked about his own time in the military.
Ryan took out his phone and placed a call. Tuck listened as he asked one of his fellow officers to retrieve a couple of cases from his office and bring them to the parking lot out front as soon as possible. Then, without another word, Ryan went back to going through the trashcan.
Deciding not to pry, Tuck started on another desk drawer. They didn’t find anything else of use, and Tucker wasn’t too optimistic that Emma would find anything on the computer either, since Abe was probably at least her equal in that area.
They were heading out of the building when Ryan’s phone buzzed. “My guy is here. Let’s grab what he brought and head out to the airfield. It’s through that gate,” he said, pointing. “Rob gave me a temporary badge to open it.”
A cop car was just pulling up beside Ryan’s Jeep. A young police officer got out and hurried to open the trunk.
“I brought what you asked, Detective. I hope I was quick enough.”
“Right on time, Harris. I appreciate this.”
Tucker stuck out his
hand and introduced himself, then watched as Ryan reached into the trunk and unsnapped the first case. He lifted the lid to show an immaculate and impressive fifty caliber rifle, one that Tuck knew any sniper would be proud to own. The other case revealed an assortment of handguns.
“I didn’t request any assault weapons, I don’t see us being in a situation where we need that kind of fire power.”
“This should do. I have a couple pieces of my own, and there’s a small arsenal at the ranch. The fifty cal is something I wouldn’t have had access to, though, so good call on that as long as you can shoot it.”
“I can shoot it,” Ryan said shortly, heaving the cases out of the trunk and handing one to Tuck. “But I’d just as soon not have to.”
Tuck stopped at his car and got his two handguns and holsters, then they walked toward the airfield gate. He kept checking his phone, waiting for Maddy’s text.
It finally came as they were boarding the plane. The deputy had just arrived at the house, and Tuck was none too happy with the sixty minute time frame. He immediately called the sheriff’s office again, to confirm that other deputies were on their way to the ranch.
The sheriff said he was trying to round some bodies up but they had a big county to cover and putting a number of guys at the Full Heart would put a crimp in his coverage of other areas.
Tuck gritted his teeth. “Like I told you the first time I called, Sheriff, we have a wanted man who we suspect has crossed state lines, and the FBI is involved whether you like it or not. The man we’re after is armed and dangerous and probably has support. The people he’s after are at the Full Heart Ranch, and the one deputy who showed up isn’t going to be enough of a deterrent if things go down quicker than we hope. When I say it’s a serious situation, Sheriff, I’m not exaggerating. And I would appreciate your cooperation.”
The other man sighed. “I’ll make some more calls,” he said, and then abruptly hung up.
Tuck wiped a hand down his face, frustration and worry churning in his stomach.
“Are all local guys that hard to deal with?” Ryan asked wryly.
“Most aren’t. You aren’t. Some get a burr under their saddle whenever a Fed is involved and no matter what we do, they second guess us.”
“You think it would be possible to get a copter out of Grand Forks?” Ryan asked. “It would cut the time it takes to get to the ranch in half.”
Tuck considered it and picked up his phone again. Tim told him he’d work on it and to check in with him when they landed.
“That was a good idea,” Tuck told Ryan. “Every minute counts. Damn, I hate being so far away. It’s like one of those dreams where you’re running as fast as you can but still moving in slow motion.”
“Go ahead and call Maddy one more time before we take off,” Ryan suggested.
Tuck stood and walked to the back of the plane, dialing Maddy as he went.
“We’re okay, Tuck,” she said when she answered. “How long until you can get here?”
“We should be in the air in a few minutes. Your old boss hooked us up. I’m hoping to be at the ranch in no more than five hours. I wish it could be sooner. This is killing me, Maddy.”
“Try not to worry about us, Tuck. The deputy here seems pretty capable. We’ve moved real heavy furniture in front of all the doors, and Libby and I are holed up in the study where there aren’t any windows. The deputy is going back and forth between the kitchen and the great room, watching both of those doors and checking the windows. But for all we know, Abe isn’t even around here yet. He might still be on his way.”
Tuck’s gut told him differently, but he didn’t tell Maddy that. “Don’t let your guard down, Maddy. We don’t want to underestimate him. And don’t forget, he knows your phone number and email. If he tries to communicate with you, don’t respond in any way. Don’t let him talk you into anything, Maddy, no matter what he threatens to do. And don’t leave the house.”
“We won’t.”
“We’re ready to take off here. I’ll talk to you again in a few hours.” Tuck closed his eyes, fighting the helplessness he felt. “Madison,” he breathed. “Please be safe.”
“We will be, Tuck. I’ll see you soon.”
“Count on it.”
Tuck resumed his seat, his jaw clenched.
“No sign of anything yet?” Ryan asked.
Tuck shook his head. “I wouldn’t be so worried if I didn’t know the kind of weapons Abe has access to through Jimmy’s connections. We need people watching that house—if Abe can get to it, he can C-4 a door like nothing, then use grenades, flash bangs, you name it. If they drove, they would have been able to take along everything they need. The question is, do they want to capture and control, or kill. Damn.”
Ryan shook his head slowly. “If a sniper is involved, they’re looking to kill someone. Whether it’s the girls or the people protecting them is the unknown.”
“Much as I hate to say it—” Tuck broke off and took a couple of deep breaths, fighting to control his fury and the feeling of helplessness that he had hoped to never feel again. “I think they’re going to go for the kill, Ryan. Jimmy’s locked up, so the baiting and taunting has lost its fun for him. Now it’s all about making me pay. He wants Libby and Maddy dead so he can get his last act of revenge on me.”
“That means Abe’s job is a lot easier. Killing is always easier than a live capture.”
Tuck nodded tensely. “My thoughts exactly.”
The two men were soon deep into a discussion of potential strategies, trying to guess how Abe and his crew would approach their goal, and making a list of things they needed to pick up in Grand Forks before they headed to the ranch. Time was precious, but preparation was key. All the time in the world wouldn’t help if they couldn’t formulate a viable plan to counter the coming attack.
The time crawled by as their jet made its way west. Tuck was beyond anxious to get to Grand Forks so he could check in with Tim and Emma. Knowing the two of them, they’d have dug up additional useful information by then.
As they drew closer to their destination, Tuck and Ryan took a break from strategizing. They had gone through every scenario they could think of, but until they knew more about what they faced, they couldn’t settle on any one option. Instead, Tuck prayed. He prayed for safety for the girls, and wisdom and courage for him and Ryan. It was going to be a long night, and Tuck needed all the help he could get.
Chapter 35
Libby and Madison were too jittery to read or play cards or watch TV. They curled up on the couch beside each other, each of them with a gun beside them. Maddy had never shot one, but she’d chosen a little pistol from the safe, and Libby had given her some basic instructions on firing it. Libby had opted for a shotgun for herself, a defiant glint in her eyes as she loaded it.
“We should have brought some food in here,” Libby said. A small fridge in the corner contained water and a few sodas, but she had already looked for food stashed somewhere and found none.
“Virgil must not like to deal with crumbs while he’s at his desk,” Maddy said listlessly. “This really sucks. I’m so tempted to go peek out some windows, but I promised Tuck we’d stay in here.”
“Abe could still be hundreds of miles away, and here we sit,” Libby said. “But then again, he could be right outside for all we know.” She walked to the door of the study and called out to the deputy.
“Anything going on out there, Deputy McCoy?”
“I just checked out the windows on all sides, and I’m not seeing anything,” he called back. “You ladies doing all right in there?”
“We’re stir crazy already, and it’s only been two hours,” Libby replied. “Can you bring us something from the kitchen? Some chips or pretzels or something?”
“As soon as some reinforcements arrive I will. I want to keep checking out the windows for now. Things can happen quick in these situations, and I’m not taking any chances.”
“So you have more guys coming?”
“Well, we’re grateful to you for coming when you did,” Libby told him.
“Yes ma’am. Glad to do it.”
Libby returned to the couch with a sigh. “How much longer until Tuck gets here?”
“Three hours or so,” Maddy said, checking the clock on her phone. “But I’m worried about when he does. If Abe sees him—” she shook her head. “I can’t even think about it.”
“This is what Tuck does, Maddy. He’s been in tight spots before. He’ll know what to do.”
Maddy prayed her friend was right.
After three and a half long hours, Tuck and Ryan landed in Grand Forks and the plane taxied to the charter jet section of the airport. As soon as Tuck’s phone picked up a signal, messages started coming in. He scanned them for one from Tim, then opened it, relieved to see that his boss had indeed been able to arrange for a helicopter to take them to the ranch as soon as they got in.
“I’ll go find out where we need to go, you keep reading messages,” Ryan said efficiently.
Tuck read through three long messages from Emma. She’d been able to access Abe’s buddy Wilfred Alleman’s phone records, and she found that he’d been in very frequent contact with four other people in the past two weeks. That led Emma to suspect that Wilfred was the one tasked with setting up the team to head to North Dakota, and when she traced those four numbers, she’d found four men with sketchy pasts, all of whom had spent time training with militias in various parts of the country. She told Tuck they were most likely mercenaries, not well known or elite, but men who would commit to anything for the right price.
As he was contemplating what this meant, Ryan returned and stuck his head in the plane.
“Let’s go, Tuck. We need to catch a ride to an outlying airfield with a private driver, so that we can take our weapons with us. It’s five miles away. Your boss has it all arranged.”
