The Glue Guy: The Zoo Crew Series Book 4

by Dustin Stevens

  Said nothing.

  The sound of footsteps approached from the hallway accompanied by the jangling of a key ring. Bodies moving fast. Trying to perform fine motor skills through hands numbed by adrenaline.

  “You two, come with me.”

  The voice belonged to Poe, spinning Drake and Kade away from the window. By the time they turned he was already back out into the hall, heading in the opposite direction.

  Without so much as a glance they circled away from the glass. Jogged into the corridor. Maintained the pace until they were a step behind Poe.

  He himself just a step behind Humboldt.

  “What happened?” Drake asked.

  Was met with complete silence as Humboldt led them to the holding cell. Unlocked the door. Turned and marched away as fast as she’d come.

  For the first time Drake and Kade both got a look at her face. Saw the strain she wore. The concern pulling her features tight.

  Drake waited until she was gone. Turned to Poe. “What happened?”

  Poe glanced between them. Into the holding cell where Tyce stared back. Looked genuinely confused. Pressed his hands to his thighs and rose to a standing position.

  “Your intel was correct. They found the guy from the photos,” he looked at each of them again. Lowered his attention to the floor. Shook his head. “He tried to get away. There was an accident.”

  Again he stopped. Shook his head again, as if it were a bad dream he could wake himself from.

  Turned to the holding cell.

  “Tyce Riggins, you’re free to go. Officer Humboldt will have your personal effects at the front desk in just a moment.”

  Inside the cell, Riggins’s jaw dropped open. He looked from Drake to Kade. Back to Poe.

  Said nothing.

  “Just like that?” Drake said.

  Poe made a pained expression. “Not right now, okay? He’s clearly not the guy. The one who did do it has been eliminated. The officers on the scene have been injured.”

  “How bad?” Tyce asked. Voice very low and even.

  Pulled the attention of all three men in his direction.

  “I don’t know,” Poe said. “Humboldt is closing the station as we speak, turning it over to the sheriff’s dispatch to handle any calls.”

  “Where—“ Drake began to ask. Was cut off by Poe.

  “We can have this conversation later. Right now you guys all have to leave so we can get to the hospital.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Prudence.

  Sounded more like an insurance company than a hospital.

  Walking up to the front of the place, Drake said nothing about the name. It barely even registered with him.

  Instead his thoughts were focused square on their presence there. On the fact that Tyce had insisted on going straight over once he changed clothes.

  Had even called Kara from Drake’s phone and asked her to meet him.

  Striding directly for the front door, Drake could hear their reunion going on behind him. Both crying. Kara slightly louder.

  Lots of exclaiming their love for one another.

  Once that part of the interaction came about, Drake tuned out. Turned his attention to the west. Saw just a sliver of orange sun sitting above the jagged horizon line cut by the Highland Mountains.

  Saw that most of the smoke had dissipated. A low fog of white drifting to the south. Nothing more.

  “Fire department’s there,” Kade said. Motioned with his chin. “That’s why the smoke is now white. It’s mostly just steam.”

  Drake nodded. It made sense. Whatever had been set ablaze had now been burning the better part of a half hour.

  In a town the size of Butte, help would have been there in less than half that.

  “Should we wait out here?” Drake asked. Paused just outside the glass door to the Prudence Healthcare emergency room.

  Saw a large cluster of people, predominately men, had already gathered. Most wore uniforms from the police or fire departments. The remainder looked like they fit the part. Had been called in on a Sunday for one of their own.

  A couple glanced out at Drake and Kade standing to the side. Paid them no mind.

  Kade bounced in place a moment. Raised his coat up higher around his shoulders. Buried his hands deep in the pockets and pulled them close by his waist.

  “Probably. Won’t do my cold any good, but whatever.”

  Again Drake nodded. He knew there would be no outright hostility at their presence. Might even be some appreciation.

  Based on their experience at the fire station two days earlier though, he didn’t want to chance it.

  The decision to come had been made by Tyce. Wouldn’t think of not stopping by. Said he knew many of the men in both departments. Wanted to show some support. Refused to succumb to hard feelings.

  Two thoughts in equal measure sprung to Drake’s mind as he relented. Drove them across town to the dingy white facility right off the freeway.

  First was that the action fit with everything he remembered about Tyce.

  In some small way, it warmed him, knowing there were still good people around. Folks that thought well beyond themselves. Still maintained the wherewithal to forgive.

  Just as fast flooded in the realization that he didn’t know if he was one of those people.

  Even in the limited capacity he had been associated with the situation, he couldn’t help but be a bit bitter. If Taggert or Sharp had done their job from the beginning, it stood to reason that none of what came after would have occurred.

  Had he actually been the one incarcerated for the past week, there’s no telling how he would have reacted.

  Digging his hands into the pockets of his jeans, Drake raised his shoulders. Let the effort pull him to his toes. Held the stretch a moment. Rocked back down to flat feet.

  Turned to see the Riggins’s approaching across the lot. Locked arm in arm. Both faces puffy and wet.

  Drake and Kade watched them grow closer a moment in silence.

  “We did a good thing,” Kade said. Not a question. Definitely a statement.

  Turned to stare at Drake.

  Without returning the look, Drake glanced to the horizon. Saw the smoke rising. Thought of Wes Koenig’s place doing the same thing. Of Wylie Dern and Susan Stump now out of jobs. Of the mine Lee Bertram ran being closed.

  Wasn’t sure that anything that had happened in the preceding week was a good thing.

  “That mean you’re all in on getting your PI license?” Drake asked.

  For the first time Drake looked back at his friend. Smiled.

  Kade said nothing. Didn’t need to.

  “Fellas, really,” Tyce said. Released his grip on Kara. Looped his arm up over her head. Closed the gap between the two sides. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  Reached Kade first. Went straight in for a hug. Almost knocked the smaller man from his feet.

  Pulled a small chuckle from Drake.

  “Sure, no problem,” Kade said. Regained his bearings. Gave a weak hug in return.

  “How about next time we just have dinner or something, huh?” Drake asked. Smiled. Braced himself for the bear hug headed his way.

  Still had trouble not being rocked back a few inches.

  “Yes!” Tyce said. “Anything you guys want. We’ll drive to Missoula and take you out. You can come to the house and we’ll cook.”

  Pausing, he glanced to Kara. “Well, I’ll cook.”

  He delivered the words in a rapid fire staccato. Barely allowed enough time for everyone to chuckle at his joke.

  Energy and appreciation spewed from him. Caused him to almost tremble as he spoke.

  “Careful now,” Drake said. “We’re not as large as we once were, but we can still eat.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Kade said. Puffed himself up a bit. “I’ll have you know I’m still at my playing weight.”

  Drew a small laugh from the crowd. Smiles that lingered on faces. Stayed there as the double door behind
them parted in the middle. Released an audible burst of air.

  Through it walked Merrill Poe.

  Still wearing his velour tracksuit, he had added a puffy black down jacket to the mix. His hair looked disheveled and windblown atop his head.

  Made the thinning of it even more obvious.

  At once all four grins faded. Drake and Kade shifted. Stood on either end of the Rigginses.

  Formed their own makeshift wall.

  Pulling up in front of the group, Poe looked as if he might extend his hand to Tyce. Thought better of it.

  “It was nice of you folks to stop by,” he said. Resignation, defeat, in his voice.

  “How are they?” Drake asked. Saw the other three keep their attention on Poe.

  Turning at the waist, Poe glanced over his shoulder. Shifted back. Sighed.

  “The guy you found photos of was named Dale Garvey. Had a sheet from up in Alaska, pretty well known in the enviro crowd for being a bit extreme.”

  Kade snorted. Said nothing.

  “When the detectives showed up at his house to question him, they found his girlfriend beat up in the front seat of his truck. Looked like he was about to skip town.”

  All four nodded in understanding. Remained silent.

  “When they got there he jumped into her car, tried to make a run for it. Shots were fired.”

  “That was way too much smoke to be a car fire,” Kade said.

  “Yeah,” Poe conceded. Raised his eyebrows as such. “I guess another canister of that gas was in the passenger seat. A bullet passed through, hit it head on.

  “Scorched just about everything within a hundred feet, trees, house, everything.”

  Kade let out a low whistle.

  “LNG,” Drake whispered. Imagined what it must have done to Garvey on contact. “How are they?”

  Poe glanced over to him. Back at the concrete between his feet.

  “Taggert and the girl were positioned behind Garvey’s truck when it went up, which took the brunt of it. They both sustained pretty heavy burns, are being treated and held for observation.”

  “And Detective Foye?” Kade asked.

  Again Poe turned at the waist. Looked back over his shoulder.

  “He was more exposed, down by the tailgate. Took a much greater force of the blast, caught some shrapnel from the car exploding.”

  He paused. Made a pass over each of their faces.

  “He’s in surgery now. Pretty touch and go at the moment.”

  Drake nodded. Said nothing.

  The news was terrible but not near as bad as it could have been. Like most everything connected to the situation though, that certainly didn’t make it a good thing.

  “Sorry about holding you this week,” Poe said to Tyce. Pressed his lips together and nodded. “Wasn’t personal. That’s just where the investigation took us.

  “You can thank your friends here for helping us sort things out.”

  At that, Drake met Kade’s glance. Raised one eyebrow in a questioning fashion.

  Said nothing.

  Epilogue

  Garbled.

  Stuttering.

  Every possible sound a piece of mechanical equipment could make, the ski lift had made on their assent up the mountain.

  Drake jumped free from the chair he was sitting on ten feet earlier than usual. Landed hard with one foot snapped into his snowboard. Unclipped the other and picked it up from the ground.

  Was joined a moment later by Sage. Always his partner on the ride. She too not trusting the machine any further.

  “Well, that was…something,” she managed. Unsnapped her right boot. Picked up her board and fell in beside him.

  Together they walked on ahead. Saw the top of the run forty yards away. Not a single other person on the mountain yet.

  The Crew were the only souls brave enough to chance the newly repaired lift. Especially in time with the first glow of morning still just barely peeking over the horizon.

  Behind them Kade and Ajax hopped off the lift. Gathered their equipment – board for Ajax, Kade the sole member of the group still clinging to traditional skis.

  “Did it get colder up here in the past week?” Ajax asked. Pushed a cloud of vapor away from his face.

  Drew laughs from his friends.

  “You rode that rickety, belching machine the entire way up here and the cold is what you comment on first?” Drake asked.

  Knew the question was nothing but rhetorical even as it left his lips.

  The cold was the first thing Ajax mentioned every morning beginning in October. Stayed that way until almost May.

  “Should have heard him on the ride up,” Kade said. Carried one pole and one ski in either hand. Shifted into Drake’s prints in the snow. Stayed there as the group moved forward together.

  “Just to be clear, there are places in the world with sun and sand and warmth,” Ajax said.

  Again drew smiles from the other three.

  When no response came he added, “I’m just saying, the Crew would survive on Maui too, you know. We could surf and snorkel and stand-up paddle.”

  “The Maui Crew?” Drake asked. Scrunched his face.

  “Doesn’t have the same ring, does it?” Sage asked. Turned to look him. Made the same expression.

  “We could still hike and fish,” Ajax added. Plowed ahead undeterred. Completely ignored their comments. “All while wearing board shorts. I’ll even wear a t-shirt so you guys don’t get ab envy.”

  Kade was the first to react. Pushed out a long exaggerated chuckle. Was joined an instant later by the others. Loud laughter rolled out over the morning. Carried down the pristine slopes. Echoed off the snow shrouded pine trees in the distance.

  Moving in groups of two, they found their way to the top of the trailhead. Buried the ends of their boards into the snow. Leaned on them. Surveyed their surroundings.

  For three hundred and sixty degrees, everything was painted white. The occasional rocky outcropping, thick swaths of pine, the only smudges of color on the world.

  Rising in the east was the morning sun. A pale ball just inching its way upward. Light already filtering through cloud cover.

  Another colorless winter day in Missoula.

  “Come on,” Drake said. Watched the sun move a bit higher in the sky. “Would you really want to miss this?”

  “I mean, just something to think about,” Ajax responded. No small amount of reverence in his voice. “I hear the sunrise atop Haleakala is nice too.”

  This time the comment earned only a half-smile from Drake.

  Knew there was nothing to worry about. His friend wasn’t going anywhere.

  “How about you?” Sage asked. Cast a sideways glance at him from beneath her ski cap and goggles. “Would you really want to miss this?”

  Drake looked back at her. Paused a long moment.

  Finally realized what she was alluding to.

  “Emily flew out last night,” he said. “And I’m here now, aren’t I?”

  All three turned their attention to him. Ignored the rising sun before them. The ailing ski lift behind them.

  The fresh powder almost begging them to take the maiden trek through it.

  “What did you tell her?” Kade asked.

  Drake was aware they were all staring at him. Kept his hands crossed over the front lip of his board. Rested his chin atop them.

  “Same thing I told her three years ago. My family is here. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “And how’d she take that?” Ajax asked.

  “Same way she did three years ago,” Drake said.

  Silence fell for a long moment.

  Kade was the first to move. Dropped his skis to the ground. Snapped his boots into place. Motioned for Ajax to do the same.

  “Well, family or not,” he said, “you’re still buying breakfast today.”

  Flashed a wicked smile. Lowered his goggles into place. Disappeared in a flurry of long hair. Whooped as he hit the snowpack. Let the sound prec
ede him down the mountain. Carry into the distance.

  “I think I’ll have steak,” Ajax said. Fit his mirrored black frames down over the top half of his face. “Maybe some escargot.”

  Gave them a toothy grin. Pushed off down the mountain. Carved lazy S curves in the snow.

  Together Drake and Sage watched them go. Made no effort to join them.

  “Do you think we’ve given them enough of a head start yet?” Sage asked. Walked up next to Drake. Stood with her shoulder leaning against his.

  “Eh,” Drake said. “When was the last time they actually beat us? Better let them get a little further on.”

  Lifting her chin towards him, she smiled. “Feeling charitable today?”

  “After this past week, I’d say they’ve both earned breakfast,” Drake said. Shifted his attention to Sage.

  Matched the smile.

  “Besides, we’ll get them back soon enough. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere.”

  About the Author

  Dustin Stevens is the author of The Zoo Crew series, Cold Fire, Going Viral, Quarterback, Be My Eyes, Scars and Stars, Just a Game, 21 Hours, Liberation Day, and Catastrophic. He is also the author of several short stories, appearing in various magazines and anthologies, and is an award-winning screenwriter.

  He currently resides in Honolulu, Hawaii.