“Thank God,” he whispered. She could feel his whole body trembling with the aftermath of an adrenaline rush, much the same as the trembling she felt in her own limbs. She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him, suddenly feeling the need to be held too.
She felt Mack brush past them into the front room, and she closed her eyes, allowing both of them to take a few moments to collect themselves. Then she squeezed Blue and leaned back so she could look up into his weary face.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m totally curious to know what exactly happened here this morning. Aren’t you?”
Chapter Nineteen
Blue just nodded at Mitzi. She could see he was too tired—no, exhausted—to say anything. They turned without letting go of each other and walked into the front room, which was now swarming with half a dozen “white hat” officers.
Bloody-faced Neil and a miserable-looking Gration were trussed up side by side, sitting against the wall, while an officer read them their rights.
Mack walked up to Mitzi and Blue, fishing a tape recorder out of his pocket. “If you’re up for it, we can get your statements now, while everything is still fresh,” he said. “This is going to be a big one that’s going to go down hard. Lots of people are going to tumble after this.”
“Don’t let Kendall process this scene,” Mitzi warned.
“I know. We caught him trying to leave earlier. We’ve been here since about three, waiting for Hatfield to make his move.”
“So my call went through?” she said, surprised. “I thought the phone broke.”
“We found it face down in the grass under those trees over there.” Mack waved toward the park. “I heard the whole thing while they captured you. Lucky thing too. I mean, after I took you to the Merrick I was half expecting your call. I didn’t know what for, but I was ready. As soon as I heard your voice on the cell, I started recording. Since you didn’t block the call, I had the number and could track the phone.
“Once we had a location, I played the recording back for the FBI to convince them not to trust Hatfield’s team. Most of these white hats are federal agents. We also found your shoes and Blue’s hat over by the phone, which told us that was the ambush site. I’m afraid you won’t get those back until after we process the scene.”
Abruptly Mack put his hand up to his left ear, which Mitzi knew meant he was listening to a transmission over his tactical radio. Then he shooed them into the kitchen, away from the activity in the rest of the room. “Don’t touch anything in here,” he reminded them. “We need to process this room, too.”
“What was all the shooting going on outside?” Mitzi asked, pausing to look around at the tiny kitchen, taking note of the detritus of several days of camping out in the unit. She saw plastic cups, utensils, paper plates, and a paper bag overflowing with trash from fast food restaurants.
“Well,” Mack responded, “when Neil took a shot at the decoy—Agent Miller is fine, by the way—and you tackled him, Hatfield’s team started shooting at the window. My team moved in to disarm them. There were some shots exchanged, but once Hatfield’s team realized it was another tactical team bearing down on them, and not the kidnappers, most of them gave up. Everybody was wearing vests, but we did strike a few superficial wounds.”
“I’ll tell you what I figure was supposed to happen up here,” Mitzi said. “But one thing I never figured out was how Neil thought he was going to escape without being seen.”
Mack laughed. “Hatfield’s team didn’t bother trying to cover the back of the apartment. They had no reason to think you were going to be a problem there. My guys found a kind of Tarzan rope strung from the balcony of the unit next door to this one. I think Neil thought he was going to swing down and get away. Personally, I don’t think Hatfield cared whether he got killed or not.”
“What about Justin? Has anybody spoken to him?” Mitzi was worried about her partner.
“Yeah. He got a good whack on his head, but he’s going to be fine. His wife is with him at the hospital now. He’s yet another loose end Hatfield failed to tie up.”
“Thank God.”
Mack held up the recorder and pressed record. “You guys up for this?” he asked.
Mitzi glanced at Blue, then nodded. “Sure. For the record, my name is Mitzi Reardon, and this is my recollection of the events leading up to and including this morning, September twenty.”
⋘⋆⋙
Blue listened while Mitzi related her version of what had happened. He was amazed at the level of detail she provided in concise phrases, going straight to the point and not clouding the narration with her emotions or speculation. Her calm recital had a calming effect on him too. As she spoke he could feel the trembling in his body ease, and his breathing and heart rate returned to normal.
He heard her taking full responsibility for involving him, and he put his arm across her shoulders and squeezed.
When she was done telling about her attack on Neil, she ended by saying, “Then I came around the corner and found Mr. Thomas restraining Mr. Gration on the bathroom floor. Mr. Thomas can tell you what happened there.”
Both Mitzi and Mack turned to look at him, and he cleared his throat. “My, ah...My name is Blue Thomas, and for the record, pretty much everything Miss Mitzi said is how I recall things, except that I was the one who offered to help her, and I wouldn’t take no for an answer. She tried to give me the boot on more than one occasion.
“Now, this morning, while Neil had Miss Mitzi standing in the window, that Gration fellow had his gun pointed at me, and he was pretty intent. I thought sure he was going to shoot me. But after Neil out there took his shot out the window, he, Gration, took one shot at me before he started down the hallway. I don’t think he even had the notion that he might have missed. He didn’t wait to make sure we were behaving, or that he had hit me. He was on his way to the bedroom, I expect to kill off Miss Leigh Ann. I couldn’t let that happen, so as soon as he turned away I charged at him and ran him through the bathroom door head first. That kinda took the wind out of him, and I was able to kneel on him to keep him from moving.” He paused for a second. “Is Miss Leigh Ann really going to be all right?”
Mack smiled at him and slapped him on the shoulder. “I can see why you like him, Mitz. Yes, I just heard over the radio that her mom met the ambulance over at the Urgent Care clinic. Leigh Ann is a bit woozy from the mickey they slipped her, but she’s unharmed, and didn’t even know she was in danger.”
“What about Hatfield and Cantrell?” Mitzi asked. “Did we get them too?”
“Agent Maxon took Cantrell into custody right after he led Hatfield’s team here. Hatfield and Sergeant Murray attempted to flee, but they, ah, had a little car trouble. Seems they ran over something that gave them flat tires.” Mack winked. “We nabbed them just down the block.”
“Any idea how deep in the department this thing goes?”
“Oh, there’s going to be a huge investigation. I don’t think Internal Affairs is going to leave any stone unturned. But you two...I just heard over the radio that the Mayor told some reporters at the hospital that the two of you are heroes.”
“I don’t feel like a hero,” Blue sighed. “I’m tired. And I gotta call my daddy.”
Mack laughed again. “Well, I think we can let you go for the time being. We have your statements, but you’ll need to hang around town until this all gets sorted out. I’m sure you’ll get interviewed again.”
Blue stopped listening. All he wanted to do was go someplace quiet with Mitzi and have a cup of coffee. Beer sounded better, except that it was still pretty early in the morning.
“Well, sir, I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you came through for us.” Blue looked intently at Mack. “We were sure in a pickle, and I honestly didn’t expect to get out of it. But if it’s all the same to you, I’m happy to take Miss Mitzi away from here. When you all need me, you’ll find me at the Rustic Ranch. Just look for the ’67 Chinook.”
“Be w
ell, friend. And take care of Mitzi. She’s a tough cop, but that doesn’t mean she should be alone right now.” Mack reached into one of the many pockets of his vest and pulled out a cell phone. “Take this, Mitzi. If you need anything at all, call it in. I can be where you are in short order.”
“Thanks, Mack. You really are my hero.” She gave him a weary smile and then an awkward hug over all his tactical gear.
“Go on and get out of my crime scene.” Mack shooed them off. “Before the media circus catches up to you.”
Blue needed no more urging. He grabbed Mitzi’s hand and pulled her after him, out the door of the apartment, down the stairs, and back across the park. When she protested about her bare feet in the bark chips, he picked her up and carried her.
“Really, Blue. You need to stop carting me around,” she said with a weary laugh. But she rested her head against his shoulder and didn’t resist the ride back to the Continental.
⋘⋆⋙
Blue was glad the traffic was light for the drive back to the Rustic Ranch. He didn’t think he could have stayed awake through another long car ride. As it was, it took about twenty minutes to drive the thirteen miles home.
He pulled the Continental into Miss Regina’s driveway and shut the motor off. Before they had a chance to open the doors, Miss Regina came rushing out the back door of her home, as much as a woman her age could rush.
“Oh, Blue!” she cried as he opened the car door and slid out. “Thank God you’re all right. I’ve been watching the news, and they were saying the worst things about you! I was so worried. Then they said you’re a hero, that you saved that little Wharton girl.”
“I’m fine, Miss Regina,” he told her, accepting the hug she reached up to give him. “And so is Miss Mitzi. We’ve had a long night, and....”
“I’m sure you must have,” she said, “And I want to hear all about it.”
Blue disentangled himself from her arms and gently set her back from him. “I promise I’ll tell you the whole story, just not right now, please? We didn’t sleep last night, and I just need to call my daddy to tell him I’m okay, and then we need to rest. Please, Miss Regina?” He gave her the saddest puppy eyes he could muster, and she fluttered her hands in dismay.
“Oh, of course. What am I thinking? I’m just so glad you’re home safe.”
Blue rounded the car and opened Mitzi’s door for her. He held her hand while she slid out of the seat. “Miss Regina, this here is Miss Mitzi Reardon.”
Mitzi reached out to shake hands with Miss Regina. “We’re so grateful for the use of your car, Miss Regina.”
“Land sakes, I’d do anything for Blue, young lady. I imagine you already feel the same way, don’t you? Well, don’t let me keep you. I can wait for the storytelling. For a short while.”
Blue didn’t miss the emphasis on the word “short” and knew they were getting off easy.
“Thank you again, Miss Regina. I promise to come tell you the whole story after I’ve had a chance to rest up.”
Blue laid his arm across Mitzi’s shoulder and steered her around the little trailer and across his driveway. He stopped by the pickup and reached in the glove box for his cell phone, then proceeded to unlock the camper.
He could hardly believe it had been less than thirty-six hours since he’d first ushered Mitzi into his home, yet so much had happened. She climbed the steps ahead of him, and once inside, she sat down at the table while he quickly put a pot of coffee on. Once the pot was on the burner, he slid onto the seat next to Mitzi and picked up the phone he had set on the table.
“I better call Daddy,” he said, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, trying to fight off his deep weariness.
“Do you want me to wait outside?”
“No. I won’t be long.” He fumbled the phone open and looked at it for a long moment, fatigue clouding his mind enough that he couldn’t even think how to activate it. Mitzi reached over and turned it on for him. “Thanks.”
Once the phone was on, he dialed his dad and put the phone against his ear. Mitzi chuckled and pulled his hand down and pressed a green button. When she put his hand back up, he heard the sound of a phone ringing in his ear.
“You really are hopeless,” she smiled.
“And tired,” he replied, taking her hand in his as he waited for someone to answer the phone. To his surprise, the answering machine picked up. When the beep sounded, he took a deep breath. “Hey, Daddy,” he began. “It’s me. Give me a call when....”
Before he could finish, there was the scrabbling sound of the phone on the other end of the line as someone fumbled to pick it up. “Blue!?!”
“Hey, Janie.”
“Don’t hey me, brother! We’ve been worried sick about you. We can’t even answer the phone with all the reporters calling and harassing us. And you didn’t think to call?”
Blue heard his father in the background, then Janie apparently handed the phone over. “Son,” he heard his dad say, and that was all. He just about lost it, and squeezed Mitzi’s hand to help keep his voice steady.
“I’m all right, Daddy. I called the first chance I had.”
“I know, son. We just saw on the news that the Mayor of Denver called you by name, said you were a hero for saving her daughter’s life.”
“That’s about the size of it, sir. But I had help.”
“That detective they said you were running around with?”
Blue chuckled. “I bet they said more than that, but yes, sir. Her name is Mitzi. She’s a good woman, a good friend.”
“I’d like to meet her someday.”
“I think I’ve about got her convinced to visit.”
Just then, in the background, he heard his sister and mother shrieking, and he frowned in concern. “What’s going on, Daddy?”
“Hang on, son.” There was a muffled rustle as his dad held the phone to his chest. Then a commotion of voices, and Blue started to get worried.
“Daddy?”
Mitzi looked at him in concern, and he squeezed her hand again, unsure of what was happening.
“Oh, son!” The sound of his father’s voice had changed from weariness to something Blue hadn’t heard from him in at least two years. He sounded joyful.
“Sir?”
“Son, the news! They just...someone just asked the Mayor if you being a hero meant that you got the reward, and she said yes!”
“What?”
“The Mayor is giving you a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for saving her daughter!”
“Fifty!”
“She said you really went above and beyond, and...oh, son....” Blue could tell his dad was crying, and he couldn’t stop the tears from starting in his own eyes.
“I guess Momma was right about me coming to Denver. What a godsend.”
“Yes, you are,” his dad replied, and Blue had to take a moment before he could say anything more. Mitzi scooted closer to him and put her arm across his shoulders. She was smiling, so she must have heard some of the conversation.
“Daddy, I wish I was there with you, but they told me I probably can’t leave for a few days at least, until all the details get sorted out. But I’m going to come home as soon as possible, and I’ll tell you all about this, okay?”
“You call between now and then, you hear me, son?”
“Yes, sir. I promise.”
“Good. You take care, son. We’ll talk soon.”
“Yes, sir. And Daddy?”
“Son?”
Blue took a deep breath, and said something he didn’t say enough. “I love you.”
There was a small silence on the other end of the line, but Blue could still hear his mom and sister in the background, so he knew his daddy hadn’t hung up. Then his dad spoke again. “We love you too, son.”
Chapter Twenty
Mitzi gently took the phone away from Blue and pressed the “end call” button for him. She marveled at this man at her side. He was so strong and had just survived a h
ellish night facing brutal thugs and imminent death. Yet a simple phone call to his father moved him to tears. Somehow, that vulnerability made him that much more appealing. As if she needed him to be any sexier than she already found him.
She wrapped him in her arms, and he pulled her close. “I’m sorry,” he murmured against her shoulder. “I guess I’m just really tired.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she responded. “I’m likely to cry myself. It has been a crazy couple of days.”
“That has to be the understatement of the year,” he said with a laugh.
They held each other in silence for a few moments, and Mitzi just let it be, for once not trying to analyze or figure anything out.
She enjoyed the fact that Blue could just hold her, wasn’t making any demands on her, and didn’t have to talk about what they had just gone through.
In fact, Mitzi didn’t feel like they had left anything on the table from their entire ordeal. At least from her point of view. She had been more open and up front dealing with Blue than she ever had with anyone, even with Justin. Except in one small matter.
“Blue, why did you let me think Miss Regina was some young, hot piece of trailer trash who was just out for your body?”
“What?” he asked with a laugh, sitting up so he could look at her. “Is that what you thought?”
“Well....”
“That is what you thought. I couldn’t figure out what your problem was. I knew you had some weird notion about her, but.... Were you jealous?”
“Well, I....”
“You were jealous. And you hardly knew me.”
“I still hardly know you,” she grumbled, irritated that she had started the conversation.
He got up to pour two mugs of coffee and returned to the table with a smile. “Well, my honey, if I have my way, we’ll have plenty of time to remedy that.”
Mitzi blushed and looked down, remembering her response the last time Blue had called her his honey. She found no objection to the term this time around, but wasn’t sure if anything needed to be said.
She reached out and slid her hand along the table until her fingers were just touching his. He shifted slightly until his fingers interlaced with hers, and she looked up and smiled.
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