by C. M. Sutter
“Wow.”
“Is that a good wow?” Renz asked.
“Almost. Another half hour, tops, and I’d say it’ll be a super-good wow.”
Claire huffed her obvious disgust for us. “Do FBI agents always talk in code?”
I gave her my best glare. “Only when we’re babysitting criminals.” I returned a simple thumbs-up text. I would have plenty of time to spend with the agents, the sheriff, and his deputies once we arrived at the ranch.
Chapter 51
“What’s the word?” Matt asked. “Is he there or not?”
“That’s affirmative, sir.”
“Good. I’m going to have Charlie call him now, then you should see him pull out shortly.” Matt hung up, handed Charlie his own phone, and told him to make the call. “You go off script for one second, and your life as a man’s man will end as soon as you pass through the prison gates at Florence.”
Charlie sneered. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Matt cocked his head and smiled. “What do you think? Maybe you should let that image rattle around in your brain for a minute. Now, call Gary, and tell him to come here. That’s all you need to say then hang up.”
Charlie did as he was told, kept the conversation short, got to the point, then clicked off the call. Matt took the phone away from him and addressed a member of the task force. “Put this safely in an evidence bag, and don’t let it out of your sight.” He turned back to Charlie. “How long is the drive from that café to the ranch?”
“Ten minutes, tops.”
“Okay. Pay close attention because this is what you’re going to do. Curt will be standing outside with you when Gary arrives, just in case you try something stupid. There will be seven guns aimed at your center mass, again, just in case you do something stupid. That’s when you’re going to exchange cash for the woman. Curt will escort her back to the building. You’ll tell Gary to get you more girls next week, then you’ll walk away. We’ll take over after that. Any questions?”
“Yeah. How’d you figure this out?”
“That’s not your concern. We aren’t buddies, and you don’t need to know how we operate.”
Matt walked away to call Pearson again for an update. Gary should have headed for the ranch as soon as Charlie ended that phone call, and Matt wanted confirmation that Tyler and Pearson were following him.
The phone rang in Matt’s ear more times than it should have, and Tyler finally picked up.
“Why are you answering Pearson’s phone?”
“That son of a bitch made us somehow and is barreling down dirt roads that lead to who knows where. We don’t have any idea where we’re going, and we can’t do a pit maneuver on his car with a hostage inside.”
“Damn it. You can’t lose him, Tyler. Are there any road signs or markers nearby?”
“No, but it wouldn’t matter anyway. We’re going eighty miles an hour, and we can’t keep up. He’s going to crash that damn car if we stay in pursuit. These dirt roads are slick as hell.”
“Stay on him. I’ll get the sheriff’s office involved since they know the area. It’s going to be dark in an hour, then you’ll lose him for sure. I want an update every five minutes.” Matt yelled out orders to get everyone who was still present, including Charlie, to the Gilpin County jail. He didn’t have time to focus on the ranch at the moment. They needed to capture Gary, and they needed to do it before the sun set. Matt called Jade’s number. Back-and-forth texts would take too long.
She answered immediately. “Agent Weston?”
“Agent Monroe. There wasn’t time to text you again. It seems Gary spotted my men, and now they’re in a pursuit up and down dirt roads with no idea where they are. I need you to drop off your detainee at the sheriff’s office right away—the deputies have taken most of the people from the ranch there already—then we need your crew to help us capture Mr. Rhodes. I’ll text you my two task force agents’ numbers so you can be in direct communication with them. We need to scoop up Gary before we lose the light.”
“On it, sir. We’ll get rid of Claire right now, then I’ll call Agent Tyler to see if they can give us some idea of where they are.”
“My agents are in a blue pickup, and Gary is driving a late-model charcoal-gray Accord.”
“Got it.”
Matt clicked off the call and turned to Sheriff Dorfman. “How many deputies can you spare, Cal? We need everyone on board to reel in this kidnapper, and you guys know the area best.”
“I can spare six men. The rest are processing everyone we just hauled in.”
“Six is better than none. Apparently, Gary realized he was being followed about a mile out of town, then he floored it. My guys are on a wild-goose chase with him on dirt roads, and they have no idea where they are.”
“How about using that chopper you came in on? Your pilot is sitting here, doing nothing.”
“Absolutely. Get him up and circling a five-mile area between town and the ranch. We need to stop Rhodes before that woman gets hurt.”
Chapter 52
I clicked off the call. “Tommy, head for the sheriff’s office now. We need to drop off Claire.”
She jerked and bucked between Fay and me. “No! I want my mom and dad.”
“Stop it right now! We follow the law, and you’re going to sit behind jail bars until we get this situation under control. You’ll get one call when the sheriff’s office has time to deal with you. Right now, they’re kind of busy, so you’ll just have to wait your turn.”
Tommy squealed to a stop in front of the sheriff’s office several miles north of Blackhawk, a town just east of Central City. Fay and I took the crying Claire inside and told them to process her with the rest of the people from the raid on the Charlie Dunn ranch, that she was one of the kidnappers, needed to be locked up, and we would address her later.
We bolted from the building and dove back into the car. I called the number Matt had texted me. Agent Tyler picked up. I explained who I was and asked if they had the slightest clue where they were. The only thing he could tell me was that they had passed the Central City Cemetery on their right about ten minutes earlier. Since I didn’t know north from south in that area, it didn’t help me guide Tommy in the right direction. I made an urgent call to Pete.
“Pete, it’s Agent Monroe. We’ve got a big problem, and you know this area like the back of your hand. We have agents hot on the rear bumper of a fugitive, but they don’t know where they are. The last landmark one of the agents said they passed was the cemetery, and he said it was on his right.”
“That means he’s going north on Upper Apex Road. There’s a half dozen roads that turn off that one though. How long ago did he say they passed it?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
“Damn, it’s tough to say which way they’re going now. I live two miles north of the cemetery though, and I can be in that area within minutes. What are we looking for?”
“A dark-gray Accord being chased by a blue pickup.” I saw a text alert come in and read it while Pete was talking. “Pete, I just got a text saying the FBI chopper just left the sheriff’s office five minutes ago.”
“Good, have them tell the pilot to head due west. That should get them in the right area. Apex Valley Road goes east off Upper Apex Road and intersects with 119. That’s the best place to block the road. I’ll take off now, head that way, and let you know if I spot them.”
“Thanks.” I clicked off the call, texted Matt, told him where to send the pilot, then told Tommy where to go. “Take 119 south. It’s the fastest way to get to the general area, otherwise, we’d have to backtrack through Central City. We need to block the intersection of Highway 119 and Apex Valley Road in case he’s heading that way.”
“On it.”
I leaned forward between the seats as Tommy sped down the highway. “Hurry, Tommy. The intersection is about four miles southwest of here. If we get there first, it’ll block Gary’s route if he actually goes that way.”
Tommy barreled down the road as fast as he safely could while Renz and I updated everyone about the general area Gary was in. Another text had come in from Pete saying he saw a blue truck about a half mile ahead on North Clear Creek Road and that it had just turned right onto Silver Creek Road. The chopper could block Gary’s car if he landed where Silver Creek and Road 15A intersected. He would be trapped with no road to turn onto. I passed that text onto Matt as we sped on. Another text from Pete hit my phone.
“Damn it! He said to turn north on Missouri Gulch Road. We can block Gary in right there if the chopper doesn’t find the right road in time.”
Tommy cranked the steering wheel right, and the tires squealed. He pressed the gas to the floor, and the SUV lurched ahead.
My phone rang. That time Tyler was calling.
“Agent Monroe, I think we have him heading east on Silver Creek Road.”
“Yep, and we’re heading north on Missouri Gulch. Road 15A is between us. We can block him in if we or the chopper get there in time. I have a local friend directing us.”
“I see the chopper above us. I think this will work if you can get to Road 15A before he does.”
I tapped Tommy’s shoulder. “Faster. Tyler thinks we can get to Road 15A before Gary does if we speed up.” I glanced at the speedometer—Tommy was going seventy five already.
I looked out the window when I heard the chopper above us. The squeeze play was going to work. Tommy made a hard left onto Road 15A, and we saw a car barreling toward us. The chopper zoomed over our heads and hovered right in front of the gray Accord. Gary had no place to go—he was trapped.
The Accord came to an abrupt stop, and the driver’s-side door flew open.
“No! Son of a bitch, he’s going to make a run for it into the tree cover.”
We sped up, got nose to nose with the Accord, and leapt out of the SUV. The chopper took to the sky and tried to find him as he scurried through the trees.
Tommy yelled out to Fay to check the car for Melanie. Renz, Tommy, and I dove into the woods, likely several hundred feet behind Gary. I pictured myself as the fastest runner, so I yelled out that I was going to get around him and push him toward the guys. Seconds later, I heard yelling from behind. Tyler and Pearson had arrived. We would box Gary in if we could. I plowed through the trees and undergrowth as I moved along at a good clip.
Seconds later, I saw movement ahead. I prayed that it was Gary and not a wild animal, then I saw him. Between the trees, a flash of color caught my eye. He wore a red T-shirt and a tan hoodie. I stepped up my pace cautiously, not wanting to be in his direct line of fire in case he was armed.
Finally, I was parallel to Gary, and with another quick push ahead, I would be in front of him and would have the ability to catch him off guard. He hadn’t seen me, and he appeared to be watching the approaching agents at his back. At last, I was a hundred feet ahead of him and found a giant pine to stand behind with a clear view of him heading my way. With my gun drawn, I waited until the perfect moment to spring out. I heard twigs snap with every step as he moved closer to me. I was ready and bolted out from behind the tree.
“Gary Rhodes, get down on your knees, now!” The business end of my Glock was pointed directly at his chest. I could see he was weighing his options. “Don’t do anything stupid, or you’ll die trying. Now get on the ground with your hands behind your head!”
He knelt then lunged at my legs, knocking me backward.
“You son of a bitch.” I scrambled to my feet and tackled him before he had a chance to find my weapon in the ground cover.
Renz and Tommy were on him in a flash, and who I assumed to be Tyler and Pearson were right behind them. Renz cuffed Gary’s hands then jerked him to his feet as he read him his Miranda rights.
“We finally have you back where you belong—in custody. Take a good look around, Gary, since this will be the last time you see wide-open spaces. Your forever home, as I’m sure you recall, is going to be a six-by-eight-foot cell.” Renz gave him a shove toward the road. “Now, get moving.”
I picked leaves out of my hair as we walked back to the road. Fay stood at the trunk of the Accord and removed Melanie’s bindings. Although Melanie looked rattled and had a few scrapes, she appeared uninjured. To my right, I saw Pete leaning against his truck.
He grinned. “Looks like you got your man, Agent Monroe.”
I walked up to him and shook his hand. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Pete. You have no idea how much you’ve helped us, and I truly appreciate it.”
He swatted the air. “No biggie.”
“Um, yes it is. I owe you.”
He grinned again. “Okay, then how about you folks meet me and Ted at the Gold Nugget for coffee and doughnuts tomorrow morning? Say like nine o’clock? They really do have the best food in town.”
“It’s a deal, but for now, we need to have that woman checked for injuries and notify her husband that she’s safe.” With a nod of gratitude to Pete, I crossed the road to Melanie, pulled my phone from my pocket, and handed it to her.
Chapter 53
We were back at the ranch by seven o’clock. Charlie’s home was not only the holding area for victims of human trafficking. The task force was sure his computer held a wealth of information as far as names of every kidnapper, the buyers’ names, prices girls were sold for, and where the girls went. It would take time to track down people up and down the chain of command and involvement, but it would get done, and we would get those criminals off the streets across the nation, one disgusting cell at a time.
I crossed the building to Matt. “Nice work, Agent Weston.”
He let out what looked to be a happy sigh. “Likewise. Your entire team was awesome, and nothing would have gotten accomplished without the team effort.”
“Or the help of a local friend.”
Matt nodded. “I heard about him.”
“Why don’t you join us tomorrow morning at the Gold Nugget Café? You can personally thank Pete and his best friend Ted. They were both instrumental in this case right out of the gate.”
“I think I’ll take you up on that. We aren’t leaving the area until all the criminals are interviewed. We’ll need our bus to come in from Denver and transport those perps to the federal lockup until their court dates.”
“Where are the girls that were found here? I’d like to check on them.”
“We took them to the building directly behind this one when the EMTs arrived. Each one needed to be checked out and assessed for injuries. They’ll all get their opportunity to speak with us and to call loved ones soon.”
“Thank God. Okay, I’m going to see how they’re doing.”
I excused myself and waved Fay over to join me, and we headed to the building to our south.
Inside, we saw a group of girls sitting together on the floor with two deputies watching over them. We would have to decide where they would sleep that night and how the interviews would take place. We would likely conduct them right there since the sheriff’s office was already bursting at the seams with cops and criminals.
“Holy shit!” I cupped my hand to my mouth and whispered to Fay. “Go back to the other building, and get Renz and Tommy. Hurry!”
Minutes later, the three of them met up with me in the building’s doorway.
“What’s going on?” Renz asked.
“Look at the group of girls in there. The second one on the left is Hope. Apparently, she hasn’t been sold off yet. She needs to be taken into custody, and I sure as heck don’t mean protective custody.”
“You’re positive that’s her?” Tommy asked.
I pulled her picture up on my phone. “What do you think?”
“It’s her. Guess there’s no time like the present.” He jerked his head, and the four of us approached her.
“Hope Daniels?”
She instinctively looked up.
“You’re under arrest for murder, kidnapping, and trafficking underaged girls across state lines. Stand u
p, and put your hands behind your back,” I said.
“But I’m a vic—”
“Victim? Hardly. Get on your feet right now.”
She stood and began sobbing. She was so much like Claire it was ridiculous. I cuffed her and asked one of the deputies to take her to their station, then told him she was part of the human trafficking ring and was under arrest. I didn’t want to spend another second listening to her whining for sympathy.
We listened to each girl as, one by one, they told us the heart-wrenching stories of how they’d been abducted and what had happened to them since.
It was after eleven p.m. by the time we’d finished the interviews and documented every name, age, home location, and story the girls told us. It turned out that all of them in that group, other than Hope, had been sold to Charlie by other kidnappers. The ring was likely much larger than we had thought, but with the evidence in the house, on the computers, and with the statements from the girls, we would get warrants out for them all and bring them to justice. I was sure taking that ring down would only be a blip in the enormous industry of human trafficking. The thought of it saddened me because I knew the statistics, and they were overwhelming. What saddened me even more was that none of those girls were Tracy Bast or Jillian Nance, and I didn’t know if we would ever find them.
We began the process of contacting families and gave each girl several minutes to speak with their loved ones before moving on to the next. The families would be allowed to pick up the girls that next day, after noon, at the ranch. We would designate an area where we would speak with each family first then reunite them with their loved one and wish them well. I imagined we would be in the area for another full day before we would leave everything and everyone in the capable hands of the Denver FBI task force team.
