Fire Storm (The Gathering Storm Book 2)

by Marlow Kelly

  “He lived on the streets of Granite City. He was hungry and cold. Think of how it must’ve been in winter. When you were tucked up in your bed, he was sleeping in doorways. All because you”—she pointed to Booley—“needed someone to blame.”

  She heard Mrs. Anderson gasp, but didn’t turn to look at her. Instead, Dana continued to glare at the police chief.

  Booley said nothing, his face blank.

  “And then when most men would have turned to a life of crime, what did he do?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “He joined the army and became a Ranger. Despite everything you’ve done to him, he’s still a man of integrity.”

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Joe Freeman straighten. Hopefalls was a small Montana town, a place where service to one’s country still meant something.

  “Sounds like you’re sweet on him,” Zoe Harris said. There was something in her eyes, a malevolence, that made Dana take a step back. This was a side to the mayor’s wife she hadn’t seen before. Zoe had always seemed meek, a woman who deferred to her husband, but perhaps that was wrong. Maybe Zoe Harris was a force to be reckoned with, a woman who shouldn’t be underestimated.

  Dana’s whole body tensed. She refused to back down. This man had corrupted everything she believed in. “Didn’t I just tell you my feelings don’t matter? I’ve always been a cop first. If Tim Morgan killed Ben North, then he will be brought to justice. But it is not right to blame him because it’s convenient. The case is in the hands of Detective Ramirez and the Granite City-Elkhead County Police Department. Let them do their job. I don’t even know if they have the autopsy results yet. Then there’ll be toxicology and any number of other tests to run.”

  “And fingerprints?” Mrs. Anderson added. “That takes longer in real life than it does on those TV shows.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Dana agreed. But Booley, Paul, and Zoe Harris had contaminated the scene. Could Booley have killed Ben North? Ben’s connection to the Morgans went back decades. Maybe Ben knew something about the night Aunt Alice died and had been killed because of it.

  Xavier stood next to her. “Let’s go.”

  Shelly joined them at the door.

  The three of them walked out amidst murmurs from the crowd.

  ****

  Tim melded into the shadows of the parking lot. He’d been halfway to Wind Valley when Shelly Pearson had called and warned him Booley was on the rampage. He’d stood at the door to the town hall and watched while Dana had gone nose to nose with her boss. And then she’d quit, handing in her badge and gun. He hadn’t hidden then. He didn’t need to. Everyone was so fixated on the drama unfolding in front of them they hadn’t seen him. He understood their fascination.

  He was a little overwhelmed by what he’d just seen, and he had no idea what he would say to Dana the next time they talked. She’d resigned because of him. Who would’ve thought?

  He watched her shake hands with her fellow police officer, who turned and headed toward the police station next door. Tim didn’t know his name. Then she hugged Shelly, an old friend of his mother’s.

  Maybe her resignation had less to do with him personally and more to do with the fact that Booley had misused his position. She had quit her job because staying would violate her principles. That was something he understood, and on an emotional level, it made it easier to deal with because he wasn’t responsible.

  Mrs. Anderson spotted him in the shadows of the tree-lined parking lot. He could never get anything over on her even when he was in second grade. “Shelly warned you to get out of town, not run head-on into danger.”

  “I was a Ranger. Running into danger is what I’m good at.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “You always did have more spirit than sense. I’m heading to Granite City tomorrow afternoon. I’ll pop in and see Jack while I’m there.”

  “He’ll like that. Thanks for taking the time.”

  “Oh, it’s no problem. There’s a group of us who visit Shady Pines on a regular basis.”

  “Was Ben one of them?” Tim didn’t really know why he asked, but it somehow seemed important to know more about his father’s friendship with his neighbor.

  “I saw him there a few weeks ago. It’s funny how people are. Jack and Ben had an on-again, off-again friendship. They could fight like wild dogs, but when push came to shove, they respected each other. I think Ben missed your father.”

  Tim kissed Mrs. Anderson’s wrinkled cheek. “Thanks.”

  She blushed like a schoolgirl but was smiling as she walked away.

  “That’s what I get for hiring a whore.” Booley pointed at Dana as he stomped down the steps of the town hall.

  Dana stood with Shelly in the middle of the lot. She squared her shoulders and turned to face her tormentor.

  “Maybe you’ll spread your legs for me, too,” Booley shouted as he strode toward her.

  Tim moved to intercept Booley, but Dana held up her hand, telling him to halt. He stopped six feet from the police chief. “That’s enough.”

  Dana’s hands curled into fists. “Tim, stay out of this.”

  “I see you called in the cavalry,” Booley barked as he came to a standstill in front of Dana. “Too weak to fight your own battles, are you?”

  Tim said nothing. He was close enough that he could take out Booley if need be, but Dana obviously had a plan and he would let her handle the situation…within reason.

  Stragglers from the meeting gathered in the parking lot watching.

  Dana shook her head. “Levi, don’t do this. I have committed no crime. If you attack me, I will defend myself and you will get hurt. Walk away now.”

  “You think you’re a shit-hot police woman.”

  “Compared to you, yes I am,” Dana said. “Now walk away.”

  Booley moved fast. He stepped forward and tried to punch Dana.

  She blocked his punch with one arm and used her palm to strike him twice in the chin. He stumbled, then regained his balance and pulled his fist back, ready to hit her again. Before he could strike, she used her cupped hands to box his ears. Booley yelped in pain and fell to the side, a small amount of blood leaching from his left ear.

  The young police officer came running across the lot. “What the hell happened?”

  “Booley attacked me,” Dana panted. She was probably out of breath from the adrenalin spike rather than exertion.

  “You fucking bitch!” Booley shrieked.

  “Mind your language.” Tim had seen a lot of street fights in his life. Mostly the participants slugged it out until they ran out of energy and could be broken apart. Dana’s blows had been fast and deliberate. With very little effort, she had disabled Booley and had avoided becoming embroiled in a fistfight.

  “Arrest him. Charge him with attacking Officer Hayden,” Joe Freeman demanded.

  The remaining citizens voiced their agreement.

  The young officer pulled his cuffs from his belt. “Sounds like a plan.” He grabbed one of Booley’s hands and twisted it behind his back. Before the police chief had a chance to fight, the officer threw him against a parked car and had both hands cuffed.

  The policeman nodded at Dana. “You showed great restraint. If it was me, I’d have broken his nose.”

  “Thanks, Xavier.” Dana smiled at the young officer.

  He hauled the still screaming police chief toward the station.

  Dana turned to Tim, hands on hips. Everything about her, from her stance to the way she ground her teeth, told him she was angry. “We need to get something straight. When I’m dealing with a degenerate, you will back off and let me handle it.”

  He tried not to smile at her choice of words. He didn’t want to annoy her further, and he had no idea why she was upset. Most people would be happy to know someone had their back. “You expect me to stand back and let you get hurt.”

  “I expect you to allow me to do my job and not interfere. I can handle myself.”

  This headstrong, determined, adept woman was the wh
ole package. It was hard to believe that just yesterday he’d thought to tease her and have some fun, but she wasn’t a woman to be toyed with. She followed her own moral code and had done what was right. She had given up her career because she stood for more than just a badge. Something inside him had shifted. This wasn’t just a physical attraction. He respected her, and that made her special.

  She was a police officer, which meant she was highly trained and supremely capable. That was probably why she was mad at him. She didn’t need him to undermine her position. “I was raised to believe a real man protected women, but you’re not just any woman. You’re a cop. It’s something I’ll have to remember.”

  She tilted her head to one side and studied him. What she saw he couldn’t say. “Apology accepted.”

  He winked. “You’d make a good Ranger.” As words of love went, it wasn’t much, but it was the highest compliment he could give. And then he walked away, heading for his truck. He inhaled the cool spring air. Everyone in Hopefalls knew he wasn’t responsible for Alice Hayden’s death. He was free from the allegations that had haunted him for nineteen years, free of Booley, and most importantly, he was free to pursue Dana Hayden.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Ethan Moore sat at the window of Lance Ackerman’s fifth-story upscale Granite City hotel room. All he could see was the inky black darkness of the wilderness at night. “Nice view.”

  Lance Ackerman, his boss, collapsed into the armchair opposite and rested a foot on the coffee table that lay between them. The rolls of his stomach jiggled as he made himself comfortable. “I don’t give a shit about the scenery. I came here to close a deal on a coltan mine, and now everything’s gone to shit.”

  The two-bedroom suite was large with a hardwood floor, a full kitchen with granite countertops, and two luxurious bathrooms, but Ethan new from previous experience that Ackerman was used to more opulent surroundings.

  As the Syndicate’s man, Ethan received a generous allowance. Most of the time, his duties involved payoffs and blackmail, but on occasion, when he was lucky, he got to slice someone.

  He fixed his gaze on his boss. “The town hall meeting was a disaster.”

  Ackerman shifted in his chair. “Really?”

  “It seems the police chief has been covering up a crime committed by his niece.”

  “And this affects me, how?”

  “It weakened the mayor’s position.”

  Ackerman’s sharp eyes focused on him. “Why?”

  Ethan shrugged. “I’m not sure. There were calls to fire the chief, but Harris refused.”

  “Do you think this policeman has something on him?”

  “That would be my guess. It’s obvious the cop’s a two-bit criminal. Harris should have got rid of him on the spot. The fact he didn’t was pretty damning. People are going to ask questions.”

  Ackerman gave a dismissive wave. “Let them ask. We have a strong position, and it doesn’t matter if the whole town’s against us. We have the law on our side.”

  They fell silent. A vein pulsed in Ackerman’s temple as he thought through the complexities. He wasn’t a man of great intelligence, but he was insightful. He could size up someone’s weaknesses, flaws, limitations, and ambitions in an instant, and then use those traits against them. It was his perceptive ability that enabled him to be so successful. “Do you think the cop killed North?”

  “I don’t know. But I don’t think so. I saw the mayor’s wife going up Molly’s Mountain, and within an hour, the chief and the mayor were riding up there together. But that could all be for show.”

  “How’d you mean?”

  “There’s a maze of back roads that run through the property. They could’ve killed North and then backtracked to the main road to make it appear as if they had come from town.”

  Ackerman’s cell phone buzzed. “This is my private line.” He answered on the second ring. Ethan stayed where he was. It wasn’t his job to anticipate Ackerman’s needs. If his boss wanted privacy for his call, he would ask.

  “I need to speak with you.” The caller’s voice was so loud, Ethan could hear it clearly.

  “Is this Paul Harris? How did you get this number?” Ackerman barked.

  “Look, things are happening—”

  “I said, who gave you this number?” Ackerman insisted.

  “L-Lucy.” The mayor’s panic was evident.

  “Damn. What do you want?”

  “Chief Booley has accused me of doctoring deeds at the Elkhead County Records Office in order to help you.”

  “He said this out of the blue? Why?”

  “I’m being forced to fire him.”

  “Who gives a shit?” Ackerman’s lip curled in a sneer.

  “Lucy said you would help.”

  “I don’t see that this is any of my business.”

  “If Booley knows about me, then he knows about you, too.” The implication being that the ex-police chief would tell the authorities that Ackerman didn’t own the mineral rights to Molly’s Mountain.

  None of this was a revelation to Ethan. He had assumed the deal had been secured either through bribery or forgery. It was how Ackerman did business. He knew the right people and was a man of unlimited funds. He could get whatever he wanted. And when things didn’t go to plan…that was when Ethan stepped in.

  Ackerman’s eyes narrowed. “I have a man on the ground who’ll take care of it.” He nodded toward Ethan.

  “What are you going to do? I don’t want to be part of a murder.” The mayor’s voice had climbed another octave.

  “Then why did you kill Ben?” Ackerman was gauging the weakling’s reaction.

  “I-I-I didn’t. That wasn’t me.”

  “So you say.”

  “Are you going to kill Booley?”

  Ethan couldn’t believe the residents of Hopefalls had voted for this idiot. Hadn’t he ever heard of plausible deniability?

  Ackerman rolled his eyes. “Murder is messy. I don’t kill people. This Booley character is just shaking you down. He wants a payoff. I’ll take the money I pay him out of your share.”

  Ethan knew that was a lie. Ackerman used coercion to get what he wanted, but he didn’t like to be on the receiving end and always dealt with blackmailers the same way. If the past were anything to go by, the police chief would soon be dead. And if the mayor didn’t dig deep and find a backbone, he would die, too. If only because he was too spineless to be trusted.

  “Did you murder Ben?” The tremor in Harris’s voice rang out loud and clear. This man really didn’t have the stones to be part of the Syndicate.

  “No, you idiot, I didn’t murder Ben,” he shouted down the phone. His face was red with anger. “Why the hell would I? We can’t move forward now he’s dead. His estate could be tied up for years. But I’d be tempted to kill the person who did him in.”

  Ackerman disconnected and threw the phone on the coffee table. “I want the police chief taken care of immediately.”

  Ethan stood and smiled. This was what he’d been waiting for. “And the mayor?”

  “Not yet. We might still need him.” Ackerman rubbed his stubby hand over his jaw. “The trouble is the damn environmental studies are kicking my butt on this. Who cares it there’s some precious plant on North’s land? If I had my way, I’d burn the whole damn place to the ground.”

  “Let’s call that plan B.” He knew how to set fires. They were fun, but they didn’t give him the same high as slicing and dicing.

  “See if you can blame this police chief’s death on the neighbor.”

  “Morgan?”

  “That’s the one. If I can’t mine the tantalum from Molly’s Mountain, then I might be able to tunnel to it from his ranch.”

  “Rumor has it that he needs money and is desperate to sell,” Ethan supplied.

  Ackerman shrugged. “And if he’s in jail, I’ll get it for a bargain.”

  Ethan headed for the door.

  “Do you like this Morgan guy?” Ackerman asked.


  Ethan stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “I don’t like anyone, you know that, but I’d screw him if he were inclined. Unfortunately, he isn’t.”

  To say he enjoyed killing would be to underestimate his euphoric reaction to taking a life, but there were two things he refused to do, even for the Syndicate. He would never kill a child and he refused to rape anyone. It wasn’t good business. The police were more apt to hunt down criminals who killed children, and rape was just messy. Luckily for him, the Syndicate was unlikely to ask him to perform those crimes. They were strictly about money, which suited him perfectly.

  Ackerman nodded his understanding. “I might need you to fake it with Lucy.”

  Ethan stopped again. Lucy Portman was a founding member of the Syndicate. There was no way Ackerman could order her death without a consensus from the other members. “When will you know?”

  “It’ll take me a few days to arrange a meeting, but something has to be done. Her sex addiction is getting out of hand. And I can’t believe she gave that sniveling idiot my phone number.” He thumped the arm of his chair. “None of us complained when she invited her husband to join the group. Marshall was successful in his own right. But the man had a soft streak. We all give to charity. It’s expected. But Marshall took it a step further and got personally involved. The whole fiasco last winter with Dr. Wilson was Portman’s doing. Now the world knows about that damn solar panel.”

  Ethan didn’t say anything, just stood there with his hand on the door handle. Adrenalin zinged through his veins. Two murders.

  Ackerman droned on. “And now she has another man in tow, and she gave the moron my phone number. I’ll have to dump this phone and get another one.”

  None of Ackerman’s bluster mattered. All Ethan needed were his instructions. “Am I to assume my role as a protester causing public mischief is over?”

  “Tired of sleeping in a tent and wreaking havoc on Hopefalls?” Ackerman raised an eyebrow in question.

  Ethan shrugged. It wasn’t the tent that got to him. It was the withdrawal. He hadn’t carved anyone in months. The fact that Ben North had been killed while he’d been cooking eggs and pretending to care about the environment irked him. He wanted to see blood spurt from a body. He needed the high of knowing he had the power of life and death over another human being.