by Misty Malone
Two FBI agents made their way around the building Bryce was in, one on each side, looking for the man who had chased them, while the other two approached the hospital building. Deputy Armstrong dodged to the back of the hospital building, while Agent Caldwell stayed in the front, behind a tree, with his gun trained on the door.
Agent Caldwell yelled, “Lester and Ray, this is the FBI. We have you surrounded. Put your guns down, your hands in the air and come out now.”
The shorter man yelled, “How do you know who we are?”
When he yelled it told the FBI agents going down the building where he was, which made their job much easier. One was close and got behind him and started to move up behind him. The agent was able to get real close before he realized someone was behind him. When the agent yelled, “Don't move a muscle,” the man had no choice. He froze. The agent soon had his weapon, and the man was handcuffed.
He yelled, “I've got one. There's still one in the bigger building. I'm taking this one behind the smaller building.”
Agent Caldwell yelled, “You heard that. It's you against the five of us. Come out now.”
His response was a shot that hit the tree the agent was taking cover behind. He looked around the tree to see where the shot came from, and ducked back in quick as another shot went sailing past.
Agent Caldwell tried to keep him engaged, allowing the others to get close to him from the other direction. “I don't think you want to do this. This is your last chance. Come out now with your hands in the air.”
Just as expected, he fired another shot at him. To give his men more time, Agent Caldwell dodged from behind the tree to behind another tree. He barely made it behind the tree when another shot rang out. His moving served its purpose, though, as shortly thereafter he heard one of his agents order, “Don't move. You're surrounded.” A second later a shot was fired.
“Report!” yelled Caldwell.
“Suspect down and in custody!”
A few seconds later an agent came out and said, “Call 911. He was shot in the hand as he turned to fire at us. He'll be okay.”
Agent Caldwell made the call, and by the time he was done Deputy Armstrong brought his captive out in handcuffs. Sheriff Hollinger motioned for Bryce to open the window and told him it was safe to come out. He explained the situation, saying, “A squad's on their way to get the one that was shot in the hand.”
“I can look at it, do what I can until the squad gets here.” Bryce said. Everyone turned to stare at him. “Hey, I'm an EMT, remember? I was trained to help people.” He ran to the barn to get his supplies.
Chapter 13
Agent Caldwell was more than a little surprised. “He's an EMT?”
“He is,” Sheriff Hollinger confirmed. “But I don't think anyone expects him to help this guy.”
“No, he's right,” Janelle said. “I understand what he's saying. He was trained to help someone that's hurt, just like I was trained to help a hurt animal. He would feel bad if he didn't try.”
Bryce returned with his supplies. “Is he in the barn?”
“He is,” Agent Caldwell said. “But you don't have to do this if you don't want to. Under the circumstances, no one would question it.”
“I would,” he said, and headed to the barn.
Janelle ran to catch up to him. “You assisted me once. Let me know if you need my help.”
He started to object, but looked at her and knew it was as important to her as to him. He nodded and led the way into the barn, followed by Agent Caldwell and Sheriff Hollinger.
“He's an EMT,” Agent Caldwell told his men who were guarding their prisoner.
They looked from Bryce to Agent Caldwell, who nodded. They moved out of the way enough that he could get in to look at his hand. “Hey, you're the rancher,” the injured man said. “What are you doing to me?”
“I'm going to wrap your hand to stop the bleeding until they can get you to the hospital.” He set about doing just that, and when the rescue squad got there several minutes later they were surprised to see their victim's hand wrapped and ready for transport.
Agent Caldwell met the EMTs and took them to the injured man. “This man has been placed under arrest, gentlemen. One of my agents will ride along in the rescue squad to be sure he doesn't cause any trouble. I'll also call ahead to the hospital so they're aware of the situation.” They handcuffed his good hand to the gurney and loaded him into the squad. An agent rode next to him, along with a medic.
Bryce called his men and told them they could all come back to the barn now, and he called Lena to tell her the excitement was over, and they'd explain everything to her over lunch.
As the rescue squad disappeared, Agent Caldwell turned to Bryce and Janelle. “Are you both okay?”
They nodded. “Thank you for coming so quickly,” Janelle said.
“Just in time,” Bryce added.
“That was very good, fast thinking on your part, Janelle, to let me know something was wrong.”
Bryce had Janelle pulled to his chest, holding her tight against him. “Do you know how they found her?”
Sheriff Hollinger spoke up. “Bryce, you won't believe this, but we think it was Doc Alexander.”
Bryce looked stunned. “Seriously? He's been my vet for years. I never would have thought he'd do anything like that. How is he involved in all this?”
“His sister is married to someone who works for Congressman Bartello. We're pretty sure he's the one providing the poison for the race horses.”
“Are you sure?” Bryce looked shocked. “I can hardly believe he'd do that.”
Janelle shook her head. “How can a vet that cares for animals hurt them?”
“That doesn't make sense,” Bryce agreed. “I know one thing, if he is the one that provided the poison, he won't be caring for any more of my animals.”
“The bad thing is he's the only vet around here. Everybody uses him,” Clay said.
Bryce looked down into Janelle's eyes. “Not anymore. We just have to convince this one to stay. I will be working hard on that.”
Janelle's face turned red, especially when Bryce leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. She leaned into him, laying her head against his chest, though. She looked at the sheriff. “What will happen to him? Will he still be around here?”
“If he poisoned the horses, he'll be arrested for that. But I also want to talk to him about how those two knew you were here. If he was part of that whole scheme and he told them you were here, which is looking very likely, he'll be facing charges for that, as well. That will tie him into the whole corruption in office scheme and all the illegal activities that have taken place. There are a couple agents in my office who are still looking into what all the congressman's done. They couldn't get to a lot of his records without alerting him, but once he's been arrested they'll be able to delve further into his dealings. It's hard to tell what all they might find.”
Bryce looked hesitant. “Do you think the congressman may have been involved in something other than the horse incident?”
“He was definitely hiding the money from the horse and never paid taxes on it,” Agent Caldwell said. “We don't know yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if they find something else he's involved in. But that will take time.”
“When are you going to arrest him?” Bryce asked.
“He may be under arrest already,” the agent said. “When Janelle alerted me, I sent word to all the agents that were trailing these guys to go ahead and arrest them. They should be gathering them all up now.”
“So watch the news tonight,” Bryce suggested with a chuckle.
“And for the next several weeks, probably,” Sheriff Hollinger said.
“The fun's just now starting,” Agent Caldwell agreed. “We have to talk to all of them and see who's willing to talk and who's not. We'll just have to see where it leads.”
“I don't suppose the congressman will admit to anything,” Bryce said, thinking out loud. “But I have one qu
estion. When all this started, Sheriff, you said you'd try to keep Janelle's name out of this. Are you going to be able to do that?”
Agent Caldwell fielded his question. “We're going to do everything we can, Bryce, yes. The news media will be told two men were overheard discussing the poisoning of a racehorse. The person who overheard the conversation reported it to local authorities and an investigation ensued. Her name will not be mentioned, nor the chase, her amnesia, or today's incidence. The name of the ranch won't be mentioned, either. The only thing we plan to say about location is the investigation covered a two-state area.”
“Oh, good,” Janelle said, sounding relieved.
Bryce still looked concerned. “What about at the trial? It will come out then, won't it?”
“If it goes to trial it will,” Agent Caldwell admitted. “But once they know we have solid proof they may not want to take it to a public trial and air everything, all their dirty laundry. If it does go to trial it'll be two years down the road. By then the public will have heard so much about it that Janelle, you'll look like a hero.”
“Will there be any danger to her if it comes out?” Bryce was being Bryce, protecting his sunshine.
“I don't think so,” Agent Caldwell answered. “The guys looking for her are going to prison. Besides, they were just doing what they were told to do, what they were getting paid to do. Once the person signing their paycheck is in prison they won't have any reason to pursue her. Nor will anyone else that may have been connected to him.”
“That makes sense,” Bryce said. “With the congressman gone there will be no more paychecks for any of them.”
“Exactly. The congressman was the leader of the gang, so to speak, and we got all the main players. After any kind of corruption in office the FBI watches all his employees that weren't arrested. If there was anything else going on and someone were to still pursue it, we'll catch them. People know that and even if they were involved and should have been arrested, they know they dodged one bullet already, and they're careful. They won't do anything else.”
“So I can get back to a normal life, whatever that is?” Janelle asked.
“You can,” Agent Caldwell said. “You poor thing. You hadn't even gotten settled in yet before this happened. I'd say you're free to go home now, but --”
“I hope this is her new home,” Bryce said, turning to look at her. “And the first thing we're going to do is I'm taking you out on our first date.” He leaned down for a quick kiss, which she returned.
Sheriff Hollinger had to laugh. “Bryce, I must have been doing something wrong all those years. I never got a kiss like that before I took a lady out on a first date. Usually not even after the first date. It usually took three or four.”
Bryce chuckled and kissed her again. “You weren't doing anything wrong, Sheriff. You just never found a lady unconscious in your tree that had amnesia and two men chasing her. It's just that simple.”
They all enjoyed a laugh over that, which is what everyone needed to break the tension and help them all relax.
The sheriff was the first to recover. “Well, Bill, we better go get Dr. Alexander and take him in and talk to him.”
“You're right,” the agent agreed. “And I'm eager to see if the agents got all their men. I'll feel much better when I know everyone's behind bars.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he turned toward his cruiser. “And now all the paperwork begins.”
“There's enough on my end,” the sheriff said, “but I hear the FBI has even more forms and paperwork to deal with. Good luck with that, my friend.”
Bryce, Janelle and Clay laughed again. They heard the sound of horses coming and turned to see the men all coming from different directions, all coming on a run. Most were on horses, but there were two tractors headed toward them, as well.
Bryce ran his hand through his hair. “I've got a lot of explaining to do,” he said. “Lena's been upstairs, so she hasn't had a chance to cook lunch, and she was going to cook for the hands, as well as us today. The bunkhouse cook is out today. I wonder if we could go get something for lunch for all of us and we can explain all this just once?”
Janelle started giggling.
Bryce looked at her, eyebrows raised. “How is that funny?”
“It's not that,” she said. “I just had a thought.”
“What's that?”
“You know what? I really feel like pizza for lunch.”
Bryce burst out laughing. “You are one smart lady,” he said again. “That's an excellent idea.”
“Pizza has done me well today,” she said with a chuckle.
“Pizza has been a lifesaver for us twice today,” Bryce agreed, taking out his phone to tell Lena not to cook. Next he called the local pizza shop and asked if he could get ten pizzas delivered. He had to convince them he was serious, but they finally agreed.
He met the hands as they came in and assured them everyone was okay, and promised to explain during lunch, which would be pizza and had already been ordered. He put them to work setting up lawn chairs and folding tables. Lena and Janelle got paper plates and cups, along with pitchers of iced tea, lemonade, ice water and lots of soda.
The pizzas arrived, and they all sat down to eat. While they did, Bryce and Janelle explained everything that had happened. There were several questions, and they answered them, as well. Everyone was shocked to hear about Dr. Alexander's possible involvement.
“Well, we don't know that for sure yet,” Bryce warned. “That's what they believe happened, but it hasn't been confirmed yet. They promised to keep us informed as they arrest these people and question them. I have no idea how big a thing this will turn into, but I'd say we'll hear about it starting on tonight's news.”
“That soon?” Garrett asked.
“They were arresting the congressman today, so yes, I'd say it will hit the news tonight.” After answering a few more questions, Bryce told them one more thing. “Janelle's name and the name of the ranch are not being given out, and we'd appreciate it if you didn't spread that around. I'd like to give the officers time to be sure they have everyone involved first.” Everyone readily agreed.
“Janelle,” Landon asked, “I don't mean to be too personal, but are you going to be staying here now that this is over, taking care of our animals?”
“We haven't had a chance to talk about that yet, but you can bet I'll be trying to talk her into it,” Bryce said, looking at her meaningfully.
“I hope you stay, too, Janelle, for what it's worth,” Landon said. “I've seen you with our animals, and I'm impressed. You're a good vet. But something else that's important to me, as well, is seeing our boss smiling more.” The men burst out laughing and applauding.
Bryce was a good sport, laughing along with his men. “Another reason you should stay,” he told Janelle. “They're right, you know.”
They finished lunch, and Bryce encouraged them to relax and enjoy themselves before going back to work. They all needed a little time to unwind.
* * *
It was three days later when Agent Caldwell and Sheriff Hollinger met with them to fill them in. “A lot's happened, and I want to bring you both up to date on it,” Agent Caldwell told Bryce and Janelle. “As I'm sure you're aware, Congressman Bartello was arrested, as were all his employees that we were following. We've talked about all of them, I believe, and the three men that were here trying to get to you, Janelle.”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Dr. Brad Alexander has been arrested, too.”
Bryce frowned. “I always liked him. I hoped he somehow wasn't aware of what he was doing, or was coerced, I guess.”
“We thought that might have been the case, and in all honesty, I believe it started that way. By the end, though, he knew enough of what was happening that he should have backed out. Unfortunately, he had too much loyalty to his sister and her husband. She's expecting her second baby, and Brad didn't want him to lose his job.”
Bryce was obviously upset
. “I take it he's the one that told them where Janelle was?”
“He is,” the sheriff confirmed. “I think he feels bad about that, though. He regrets it now.”
“I think he does, too,” Agent Caldwell agreed, “and not just because he got caught. He knew they'd come looking for you, Janelle, but I don't think he realized how ruthless these guys were.”
“Or Congressman Bartello, for that matter,” the sheriff added. The agent nodded his agreement.
The sheriff hesitated a moment, but looked at Janelle. “I don't mean to pry, but have you decided if you will accept your position back in Kansas or if you'll be staying here?”
“Not yet, but—”
“I don't mean to put you on the spot, and I apologize, but I'd just like to say this area could sure use a veterinarian. I've heard a couple people asking around, if anyone knew of one. The closest vet is an hour away, and that's not very convenient. If you stay, let me know, I'll be more than happy to spread the word. I know you'll have lots of work in no time.”
“Thank you, Sheriff. I appreciate that.”
Bryce looked at her, smiling. They'd talked some and he was pretty sure she was going to stay, and this would not hurt his chances of talking her into staying. “Are people admitting anything, or is everyone denying everything?
“Some of both,” Agent Caldwell answered. “The congressman's denying everything, but that's to be expected. He has a lot to lose, and everything he does is being reported to the public, and the public is very interested. Most of the others have been willing to talk to get a lighter sentence. The one I'm most interested in is Dr. Alexander's brother-in-law. The prosecutor has offered him a deal if he testifies against the congressman.”
“Do you think he'll do it?” Bryce asked.
“I think he will,” Sheriff Hollinger said.
“I do, as well,” Agent Caldwell agreed. “He has a lot to lose if he doesn't. Like we said, his wife's pregnant, and they have a two-year-old boy at home. He will do time. If he doesn't testify he's probably looking at ten years minimum. If he testifies against his boss, he could get paroled within a year.”
