Lucas huffed. It would still put Hailey in immediate danger. Unless...
“Maybe we could get a cop to go in posing as you,” Lucas said. “There’s a reserve deputy, Kara Duggan, who has a similar height and build. We could arrange for there to be eyes on her and give her plenty of backup.” But then he paused. “Of course, the gunmen might be expecting a trap and come here after you.”
She pressed her lips together a moment. Clearly this thought had already occurred to her, but then Hailey’s gaze drifted in the direction of the nursery. If the gunmen came here, Camden would be in danger.
“How about you and I go to the sheriff’s office and then leak the info?” she suggested. “That way, if they do smell a trap, they’ll go after me there and not come to the ranch.”
Lucas went through all the things that could go wrong. And with hired killers, there was plenty that could go wrong.
“You know that none of our suspects will go after the decoy, right?” he reminded her. “He or she will send a lackey.”
Hailey nodded. “But if we have a lackey—alive—we might be able to find out who hired him.”
True. Once they had the hired thug’s name, then they could search for a paper trail or maybe work out a plea deal. Still, it wasn’t without huge risks.
“You’re sure you want to do this?” Lucas asked.
“I’m sure,” Hailey said without hesitation.
Lucas hesitated, but he knew this was the only straw they had a chance to grab right now. He took out his phone, but it rang before he could call Grayson to set all of this up.
Dade’s name popped up on the screen. “We got the recordings from Eric,” Dade told Lucas. “They’re actual disks. Dozens of them. He flagged one that we should listen to first. It’s a conversation between Preston and Colleen.” He paused. “I really think Hailey should hear what her sister had to say. Then we can figure out what we need to do.”
Chapter Nine
Hailey didn’t know what she was dreading more—this return trip to the sheriff’s office to hear the recorded conversation that Dade had said she’d definitely want to hear, or leaving Camden.
Still, it was necessary. Not just for the recordings but also because they needed to work out the final details for the trap to lure out whoever was behind this. She hated that the reserve deputy would be in possible danger, but Hailey was hoping that Lucas would be able to set it all up so they could minimize the risks.
“Maybe this won’t take long,” Lucas said as they got into the cruiser.
They weren’t alone. Josh and one of the armed ranch hands, Avery Joyner, were with them. Josh was behind the wheel with Avery riding shotgun. Lucas and she took the backseat.
“And I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” Lucas added.
She’d lost count how many times he’d said a variation of that, and Hailey agreed with him. She wasn’t sure it was a good idea, either, but at the moment they didn’t have a lot of options as to how to put an end to the danger. Plus, she really did want to listen to those recordings. Of course, she could have had Dade play the conversations for her over the phone, but from the sound of it, there’d need to be some follow-up action when it came to her sister.
“Colleen or Preston must have said something bad for Dade to have called,” Hailey remarked.
Lucas made a sound of agreement, but what he didn’t do was take his attention off their surroundings. Like Avery and Josh, his gaze was firing all around them, watching for anyone who might attack them. “Not a surprise, though. After all, she’s the one who likely deleted those computer files.”
True. But there was something about it that didn’t feel right. People with solid computer skills could have hacked their way in and then set up her sister to take the blame.
“What the hell?” Josh mumbled, and he slowed the cruiser.
Hailey followed his gaze to the end of the road, where someone had parked a black car. The road was barely a few yards off Ryland land, which was probably why the security system hadn’t detected it, but there were also two ranch hands armed with rifles. They weren’t pointing the rifles at their visitor, but Hailey figured they would if he tried to get on the ranch road.
“You know that man?” Avery asked Lucas.
And that’s when Hailey spotted Minton stepping from the car.
“Yeah,” Lucas answered. “That’s FBI Agent Brian Minton.”
Both Lucas and she groaned. She definitely didn’t want to deal with the agent today. Especially since he was one of their suspects. But from the way Minton had parked, they wouldn’t be able to get around him without speaking to the man. Judging from the way Lucas was cursing, the speaking wouldn’t be friendly.
“Wait here, and I’ll see what he wants,” Lucas said to Hailey. He drew his gun, reached for the door but then glanced back at her. “And I mean it about waiting inside the cruiser. If Minton’s behind the attacks, he could have snipers in the area.”
That caused her heart to jump to her throat, and Hailey caught onto his arm. “If there are possible snipers, it’s too risky for you to go out there.”
“I won’t be long,” Lucas insisted, as if that made everything okay. Hailey wanted to remind him that it took only a split second for someone to gun him down, but he was out of the cruiser before she could even gather her breath.
Josh opened his door, as well. So did Avery. And they drew their guns while continuing to watch around them. Hailey tried to do the same, but it was hard not to focus on Minton and Lucas. Thankfully, with the front doors open, she could hear Minton when he greeted Lucas.
“These men wouldn’t let me onto the ranch,” Minton complained.
“Because they’re smart and following orders. My orders. No one’s getting onto the ranch unless you live or work here. Neither applies to you.”
In addition to hearing them well enough, Hailey had no trouble seeing Minton’s steely expression. “We’re fellow peace officers. You’d think we could cooperate long enough to bring someone to justice. Especially since that someone is obviously after Hailey and now you since you’re trying to protect her. They’ll kill you to get to her.”
“Cooperate? Right. You and I have a different notion about what that means. You want me to give this investigation to the FBI, and it’s not mine to give. Sheriff Grayson Ryland is in charge.”
“Well, he shouldn’t be,” Minton snapped. Every muscle in his face was tight, but he said something under his breath. Something she didn’t catch. And then it appeared he was trying to rein in his temper. “I just need the information, that’s all. I need to know what Hailey has. Eric, too. Especially Eric, because he could have altered those recordings.” Minton paused. “I think Eric’s trying to set me up.”
“And how and why would he do that?” Lucas asked.
“I’m investigating him, and I think I’m close to giving him a dose of the justice he deserves. He’d obviously do anything to stop me, and that includes doctoring the tapes that he claims he just found. Eric’s got the money and resources to do something like that.”
Interesting. Maybe Minton was trying to do some damage control beforehand just in case there was anything in those conversations about him.
“Did you and Preston have conversations in his office?” Lucas pressed. He was still keeping watch around them, and while Hailey knew this chat could be important, she didn’t want Lucas out there any longer.
Minton nodded. “A couple of them, in fact. Remember, I was investigating both Eric and him, and I interviewed Preston. Anything I said could be altered or taken out of context, and I just don’t want my name sullied because of a snake like Eric.”
“I get that, but it still doesn’t mean you can listen to the recordings. Eric worked out a plea deal, and we have to abide by that.” Lucas glanced around again. “If you want to k
eep up this little chat, then call the sheriff’s office and make an appointment.” With that, he headed back to the cruiser.
Obviously Minton didn’t like being dismissed that way, because the flash of anger returned on his face. “Not cooperating with me is a huge mistake,” the agent snarled, and he, too, turned back toward his car.
He didn’t get far.
Because a shot slammed through the air and smashed right into the front end of Minton’s car.
* * *
HELL.
Lucas had known right from the start that something like this could happen, but he’d hoped he would get lucky. Apparently not, though.
He was still a few yards from the cruiser and started to run so he could dive in, but the next shot stopped him. It didn’t go toward Minton’s car but right at Lucas. He had to drop to the ground, and it wasn’t a second too soon.
Because if Lucas hadn’t, the next shot would have hit him.
“Get in!” Hailey yelled.
He had no trouble hearing her and the fear in her voice, but Lucas hoped like the devil that she was staying down. The windows in the cruiser were bullet-resistant. That didn’t mean, though, that these shots wouldn’t eventually tear their way through the glass and reach her.
Another shot came.
This one landed near Minton again, and like Lucas, the agent had no choice but to go to the ground and use his car as cover. The ranch hands outside took cover, as well. They scrambled into the ditch.
Good.
Lucas didn’t want them in the line of fire, but he also needed the attack to stop. Because they weren’t the only ones in danger. Anyone else on the ranch could be hit if this idiot trying to kill them had a long enough range.
Judging from the sound of the shots, they were coming from a heavily treed area across the road. The oaks were huge there and would make the perfect catbird seat for a sniper. But that wasn’t all that Lucas realized. There was more than one gunman.
“Can you see who’s shooting?” Minton called out to him.
“No. But I think they’re at your eleven and one o’clock.”
Lucas only hoped there weren’t more, but considering the other attacks, there was no telling how many the sick person behind this had sent after them.
The two gunmen were clearly working together to keep all five of them pinned down while also keeping watch on the cruiser. When Josh tried to open the door, no doubt to return fire, one of the gunmen sent a bullet his way. Definitely not good because it didn’t stop with just one shot. A barrage of bullets went into the cruiser, each of them with the possibility of being deadly.
Lucas had to do something now.
“Minton, somehow you need to get in your car and move it,” Lucas ordered.
Because until he did that, they wouldn’t be able to move the cruiser forward and get the heck out of there. There was no way Lucas wanted to go in reverse and have these hired guns just follow them onto the ranch.
Minton did try to move. He made it a few inches before the shots turned in his direction, and he had to scramble to the ground again.
By now, someone had called for backup, and even though there were several of his lawmen cousins on the grounds, they wouldn’t be able to get to them right now without putting themselves in grave danger.
The shots shifted again. Some went in the direction of the ditch. No doubt because Avery had tried to fire. Since the hands were armed with rifles, they would stand a better chance of putting an end to this than Lucas would with his handgun. It was obvious, though, that the thugs weren’t going to give the men a chance to shoot.
Lucas glanced over at the cruiser to make sure Hailey was staying put. She wasn’t. She was by the door nearest him, and she was opening it as wide as it would go. Of course, that caused the gunmen to fire at her.
“Get down!” Lucas told her.
He didn’t want her risking her life, but he was thankful about the door maneuver. It would make it easier for him to get back into the cruiser if he could just get a break from the gunmen. Even then, though, he’d still need Minton to get the devil out of the way.
“I’ll create a diversion,” Lucas said to Minton. He didn’t shout and hoped his voice didn’t carry so the gunmen would hear him. “When they start shooting at me, get to your car.”
Minton nodded. Lucas had to admit that the man looked just as concerned about this as Lucas was. Maybe that meant Minton wasn’t a dirty agent after all. But then, this could all be a ruse to make him look innocent, especially since no one had actually been shot. The gunmen would have had ample opportunity to do that when Minton and he had been talking out in the open.
Anything that Lucas did at this point was a risk, but doing nothing was even riskier, so he got into position the way a sprinter would at the start line, and after saying a quick prayer, he bolted toward the cruiser.
“No!” Hailey shouted when Lucas started moving.
But he was already doing that diversion that he hoped would work. It did. The shots started coming right at him, each of them smacking into the ground and kicking up bits of asphalt right at him. Still, Lucas didn’t stop. He barreled to the cruiser and jumped inside.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Hailey cried out. She grabbed him and pulled him into her arms.
Lucas could feel her shaking. Could feel the relief, too. Relief he understood because he was feeling it as well. But he couldn’t think about that right now. Instead, using the cruiser door for cover, he took aim and started shooting in the direction of those gunmen. They were perhaps out of range, but it might distract them enough to buy Minton a little time.
Avery joined Lucas, and both of them fired. For the first time since this attack had begun, the gunmen stopped shooting. It was just enough time for Minton to dart around to the side of his car and get in.
“Put on your seat belt,” Lucas told Hailey.
He didn’t have to tell Josh to get ready to move because his cousin had already put the cruiser in gear. Thankfully it didn’t take long for Minton to start his car engine, and as soon as he’d done that, he hit the accelerator.
Josh did the same.
Minton sped out onto the main road, turning toward town. The majority of the bullets followed him, slamming into the back of his car. But some of the shots came at the cruiser, too.
“Don’t go the same direction as Minton,” Lucas instructed Josh.
His cousin didn’t question that, probably because he already knew that Lucas considered Minton a suspect. Josh went in the opposite direction. That would also get them to town. Eventually. But it was a longer route. Still, as long as it got them out of the path of those shots, Lucas didn’t mind the extra miles.
Well, provided he could keep Hailey safe by going that extra distance. Lucas didn’t want to be near Minton, but he also hoped they weren’t heading straight for another attack.
“I’ve already called Mason,” Josh explained. “He heard the shots and was already putting the ranch on lockdown. Grayson’s sending someone to find those snipers.”
Lucas figured they wouldn’t be easy to find. They’d probably had a darn good escape route mapped out before either of them ever pulled their triggers. Still, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t leave some kind of evidence behind.
“Is anyone following us?” Avery asked, looking around.
Lucas was looking, as well, but he didn’t see anyone. Not at first, anyway. And then, just ahead, he spotted the black SUV that had pulled into an old ranch trail. Josh no doubt saw it, as well, because he muttered some profanity under his breath.
No way could it be the shooters because they wouldn’t have had time to leave those trees and make it to this point. But Lucas doubted that it was a coincidence that someone happened to be on this rural stretch of the road at the same time someone had been
trying to kill them.
“Turn around,” Lucas said to Josh. He kept his attention pinned to the vehicle while he pushed Hailey down onto the seat. “Go back in the other direction.”
It was dangerous, but he didn’t want to risk driving past that SUV in case someone started shooting at them again. Best to get Hailey to safety, and then he could have the deputies go on the search for the SUV.
“Don’t stop by the ranch,” Lucas added. “Just keep driving to the sheriff’s office.”
Josh hit the brakes, and even though the road was barely wide enough to do a U-turn, his cousin managed it by using the gravel shoulder of the road. He got the cruiser headed in the other direction. But not before Lucas caught a glimpse of the people inside the SUV.
“No,” Hailey said under her breath. And Lucas knew from her tone and her gasp that she’d seen them, too.
There was a man behind the wheel. Someone that Lucas didn’t recognize, but he sure as heck knew the person in the front passenger seat.
Colleen.
Chapter Ten
One minute Hailey felt numb from the spent adrenaline, but the next minute she wanted to scream. Yet another attack could have killed them.
Attacks perhaps orchestrated by her own sister.
It turned her stomach to relive the image of Colleen in that SUV. Less than a half mile from those snipers at the ranch. Had she been sitting there, staying close to her hired thugs? Because she certainly didn’t look like a hostage.
From the glimpse that Hailey had gotten of her, she’d seen no restraints on Colleen, but her sister had looked surprised to see her. Maybe because Colleen had figured they’d be heading toward town and not her direction.
The one good thing in all of this was that Camden and the rest of the people at the ranch were safe. Their attackers hadn’t tried to get onto the grounds to continue their rampage there. Even more, Mason had sent additional armed ranch hands to guard Lucas’s house. Of course, they wouldn’t be able to go outside, but that was better than putting themselves in harm’s way.
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