London Carter Boxed Set: Books 1 - 3

by BJ Bourg

Cade took a cautious step back, stealing a glance in my direction as he did so.

  Ray’s voice came over my earpiece. “He’s looking skittish.”

  I nodded my agreement, knowing they could see me.

  “Why are you asking that kind of question?” Cade asked, licking his cracked lips and looking around. “You sound like a cop.”

  “Why are you so paranoid?” Dawn shot a thumb toward the car and smiled. “You’re not about to sell me a stolen car, are you? That could cost me my job.”

  “No,” Cade quickly said, still unsure about what was going on. “But you didn’t answer my question. Are you a cop?”

  “I didn’t answer your question because it’s ridiculous.” Dawn pulled a checkbook from her back pocket. “If Wilton agreed to five thousand dollars, then that’s what you’ll get, but I’ll be negotiating any future deals.”

  Cade’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, that’s what we agreed to.”

  Dawn started filling in the check, then paused, her pen in midair. “Wilton died suddenly and his wife was left with a lot of questions. Did he say anything at all about what he was up to last night? Maybe tell you where he was going?”

  “You are a cop!” Cade turned and bolted for the fence, clearing it in one jump. He landed with a grunt in the tall grass on the other side and bolted between the two trailers.

  Dawn reached the fence a step ahead of me and grabbed the top bar to launch herself over it. Just as she landed, the pit bull reached her and tried to bite her calf. I hollered as I went airborne and the dog jerked around to face me, his mouth opened wide to expose a row of menacing teeth. I saw Dawn start to react to the dog coming at me, but I told her to keep going and she did.

  I landed on my feet beside a large garbage can and quickly dragged it in front of me and in the dog’s face. He backed away and then circled around the garbage can, coming straight for me. When he was within biting range, I kicked out at him, but he deftly ducked away from my kick and circled toward my left, looking for another opening.

  I heard a muffled voice over the radio and realized my earpiece was slipping from my ear canal. I shoved it back in and kicked at the pit bull a second time, keeping it at bay.

  “Repeat…Sierra One, do you want me to take him out?” Ray called over the radio. “I’ve got him in my crosshairs.”

  I shook my head and waved him off, narrowly escaping another charge from the pit bull. Thinking quickly, I removed my shirt and wrapped it securely around my left arm, moving away from the dog as I did so. I yelled and kicked out at him, but he wouldn’t be deterred. He continued to lunge forward, searching for an angle and trying to bite any part of me he could reach. I didn’t want to have to shoot him and I didn’t want Ray or Jerry to shoot him, but Dawn needed my help, so I knew I didn’t have much time to waste.

  I dangled my left arm in front of me like bait and backed toward the rear of the yard, hoping to reach the opposite side of the fence before the pit bull got to me. I continued backing away until the heel of my left foot suddenly came into contact with something hard and I stumbled backward. As though sensing my disadvantage, the pit bull lunged into the air, his mouth open and his intentions evil.

  I shoved my protected forearm in his direction and he latched onto it like a bear trap. He began shaking his head from side to side and it was all I could do to remain on my feet. Gritting my teeth against the painful pressure of his teeth smashing down on my forearm, I grabbed onto my left wrist with my right hand. Spreading my feet to balance myself, I lifted him into the air until only his back legs were touching the ground. I then stepped into him, pressing my body up against his, and quickly wrapped my right arm around the back of his neck.

  Taking a deep breath and keeping his body pressed firmly to mine, I slowly began to lean forward, bending him backwards. As I applied pressure to his spine, I heard him start to whimper and I felt the grip on my forearm loosen. I knew all I had to do was bend forward sharply and his back would break, but I didn’t want to kill the dog—I simply wanted him to eat something other than me.

  I bent forward a little more and he whelped, fully releasing my arm and squirming in pain. I straightened and pushed him away from me, ready to continue the fight if necessary. It wasn’t.

  As soon as he crumbled to the ground, he twisted around and shot like a bullet toward the underside of the trailer, whimpering his apologies as he ran.

  I quickly unwrapped the shirt from my arm and pulled it over my head. Running between the trailers, I called over the radio and asked if Ray or Jerry had a visual on Dawn.

  “Negative,” Ray called. “I lost sight of them when they hit the tree line.”

  Jerry responded and said he couldn’t see her either.

  When I reached the back fence, I jumped clean over it and plunged into the thick underbrush behind the property. There was a faint trail through the thick weeds and it marked the route Dawn and Cade were traveling. I sprinted hard, dodging trees and jumping over downed logs, trying desperately to catch up with them, and calling Dawn’s name as I ran. Picker bushes ripped at my arms and thick branches smacked my face, but I didn’t slow down. Cade was a dangerous man and I needed to reach them as soon as possible.

  CHAPTER 14

  Dawn ran as fast as her legs would carry her. While she’d never been the quickest sprinter she knew, she had stamina and was certain she’d outlast Cade, who was somewhere ahead of her. The greenery was too thick to penetrate with her eyes, but she could hear him crashing through the underbrush like a bull with its ass on fire.

  She knew she’d probably be on her own once she caught up to Cade, because London was fighting with that mean-looking pit bull the last time she saw him. She hadn’t heard a gunshot yet, so she figured he must still be wrangling with the animal.

  A large branch loomed ahead, just at eye level, and Dawn quickly ducked under it. The trees were starting to thin out a bit and she finally caught a glimpse of Cade. He was about twenty yards ahead of her and he looked to be slowing.

  “Stop or I’ll shoot!” Dawn ordered, trying to run faster.

  Cade didn’t even look around. He jumped over a log and slowed just a little to pull his jeans higher on his butt. Dawn gagged when she saw his ass crack sticking out above his waistline.

  “I’m serious, Cade,” she hollered. “I’ll shoot your ass if you don’t stop.”

  All of a sudden, Cade leapt forward into the air and disappeared. Dawn quickly slowed when she heard a large splash. She approached the area cautiously and grunted when she saw a large drainage canal cutting through the center of the woods. Cade was already halfway to the other side, paddling as though his life depended on it.

  Keeping her pistol trained on the back of his head, Dawn waited until Cade climbed up the opposite bank. He turned briefly and smiled when he saw her standing there, about fifty feet away. He then plunged into the woods on the other side, but not showing as much urgency as earlier.

  Now that he was gone, and knowing he was their only lead in the murder case, Dawn kept her pistol in her hand and stepped softly into the water. She shivered when her boots sank in the soft mud and the cool liquid quickly saturated her pants. She found herself in waist-deep water at first, but it grew deeper as she trudged closer to the middle. Before long, her shirt was also saturated and she was shivering in the deep shadows of the thick forest.

  When the water level had reached her breasts and soaked her bra, she gasped and stood frozen for a moment, cursing Cade and the damn canal. Why couldn’t he just run up the street like a normal criminal?

  Something splashed to her right and she jerked around, her pistol at the ready. She scanned the surface of the water, searching for the source of the splash. If it had been an alligator, it was out of sight now, which meant it was under the water and could be heading straight for her.

  Needing no further encouragement, Dawn hurried forward, stumbling in the soft mud and paddling with her left hand. When she could no longer touch the bottom, she kicked off and began
to swim, struggling against the weight of her clothes and boots. She no longer cared about being heard. At this point, she needed to avoid drowning and becoming alligator bait, so she kicked with her feet and splashed with her hands, fighting desperately to reach the other side of the canal.

  It was a struggle to keep her head above water so she could watch for Cade and she almost lost her pistol several times, but she finally managed to reach the shallow water of the opposite bank. Before she could relax, something bumped the back of her leg and she jumped in her skin. Stepping high and struggling fiercely with the soft mud, she raced forward. Water shot high into the air as she stumbled forward and some of it splashed into her eyes, blinding her. The bank was now a blur, but when she thought she was close enough, she launched herself into the air and landed with a thud on the solid ground.

  Turning onto her butt, she scooted backward toward the trees with her feet and one hand, while keeping her pistol pointed toward the water with her right hand. She had barely reached the security of the forest when she saw the head of a large alligator rise above the surface. Its mouth was half open, giving it the appearance of laughing at her.

  Cursing the alligator under her breath, Dawn spun around and ran into the woods, heading in the direction she’d last seen Cade. She wasn’t sure how she would cross the canal on the return trip, but she planned on using Cade as a decoy if she had to.

  The ground on the northern bank was packed and clear of underbrush, which made it easier for her to move covertly. It would also make it harder for her to hear Cade, so she slowed her pace and scanned the area ahead carefully as she stalked forward. With each step she took, water sloshed in her shoes and it was difficult to move without making a sound.

  After traveling about thirty yards from the canal, an uneasy feeling crept over her. She stopped and squatted beside a tree. All was quiet. She turned and scanned the route from which she’d come, unable to put a finger on what caused the feeling of trepidation.

  Am I just being paranoid? Dawn gripped her pistol in both hands and took a deep breath. She remembered London once telling her how deadly it was to be the seeker in hide and seek with guns. While she wasn’t sure if Cade had a gun, she had to assume he was armed. She definitely knew he was dangerous. She weighed her options, knowing she only had two choices…she could either continue pursuing him or turn around and live to fight another day. No one would blame her for turning back.

  Dawn gritted her teeth and shook her head. London would not turn back and neither would she. This man was their only lead and it was up to her to bring him in…and by God she was going to do just that.

  With renewed vigor, she straightened and turned back toward the north. She gasped when she saw a dark figure rushing toward her. She’d only seen Cade Baryon briefly, but there was no mistaking his ugly frame covered in mud, and there was no mistaking the large tree branch he was swinging right at her head.

  CHAPTER 15

  I wasn’t sure how far I’d run, but I was beginning to worry that I hadn’t caught up to Dawn and Cade yet. I paused for a moment and scanned the ground, looking for sign. I nodded. There it was, plain as day. I was heading in the right direction, but I still didn’t hear or see them. Grunting, I pushed on, running like Dawn’s life depended on it.

  Before long, I reached a drainage canal that ran from east to west, cutting the forest in half. I glanced down and saw two sets of tracks leading into the water. Icy fingers suddenly clawed at my heart as I scanned the opposite bank. It was too far away and I couldn’t see if they had come out the other side.

  “Shit!” I couldn’t believe Dawn had gone into the water. Those canals were death traps and she knew it. Our department had worked at least two cases where patrol deputies chased suspects into similar canals and never came out. Their bodies had later been dragged up from the mud below.

  One thing was certain; I had to get to the other side to find out if Dawn had made it out of the water. At the moment, I didn’t want to consider the alternative. Without hesitation, I jumped into the water, diving forward at a shallow angle, taking care to skim the top of the water like a rock. Kicking and paddling like an Olympic swimmer going for a record, I quickly crossed the width of the canal and pulled myself onto the muddy bank on the northern side. After a quick search of the ground, I breathed a deep sigh of relief. There, in the soft mud, were small boot patterns consistent with the size of Dawn’s feet. Mixed in with her boot prints were the socked impressions of Cade Baryon’s feet.

  I clenched my fists and plunged into the forest, following Dawn’s faint boot prints in the packed earth. I began hoping that Cade would resist arrest when I caught up with him. “If you do,” I said aloud, “I’m going to take you apart one little—”

  A blood-curdling scream suddenly interrupted my bitch session and I drew my pistol with the speed of an old western gunslinger, scanning my surroundings as I did. The scream had come from somewhere to the northwest. Keeping my pistol at the ready, I broke out in that direction, my heart racing as I called upon my legs to give me everything they had. I couldn’t identify the owner of the scream, which terrified me. What if Dawn was in trouble? What if it was too late to help her?

  I pushed the evil thoughts from my mind and pressed on. I’d gone about twenty yards when I heard movement in the bushes just ahead. I circled to my right and broke out into a small clearing, ready to shoot Cade if need be.

  When I saw what was going on, I skidded to a stop and stared in shock. “What in the hell happened?”

  Dawn looked up when she heard my voice and stood wearily to her feet. Shaking her head, she said, “He left me no choice.”

  Cade was lying on his back in the mud, blood pouring from his severely damaged nose. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was dead, but it was clear he was merely unconscious.

  Dawn leaned forward and wiped her bloody gun barrel on Cade’s blue jeans. Her wet shirt clung to her body like a glove and exposed every curve on her perfect frame. I tried to look her in the eyes when she turned to face me.

  After she holstered her pistol, she pointed to a large tree branch on the ground at Cade’s feet. “He snuck up on me and attacked me with that branch.” She shook her head. “He shouldn’t have done that.”

  I squatted near his shoulders and tilted his head to examine his nose. It looked like it had been knocked clean off his face. “You hit him with your pistol?” I asked.

  Dawn nodded. “He almost got me. Luckily, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and ducked just in time. When I looked back up, his face was right here”—she held her hand out in front of her—“just waiting to be destroyed. I clubbed him on the side of the head and he began screaming like a little bitch.”

  I pushed Cade’s head back and saw a split along his temple. It was a separate injury from his nose. “You hit him twice?”

  “Yeah…he was still moving after the first one.”

  CHAPTER 16

  3:00 PM

  It hadn’t taken long for us to find a clearing in the woods large enough for Ben Baxter—our department’s helicopter pilot—to land his helicopter, but the hospital visit took a little bit of forever. When Dawn and I finally got Cade Baryon to Payneville and were seated across from him in the interview room, I read him his rights and asked if he was willing to speak to us.

  His swollen eyes shifted warily from the rights form on the table in front of him to Dawn, and then back to me. “Is she going to pistol-whip me again?” His voice sounded nasally and I stifled a chuckle.

  “Are you going to swing another tree branch at me?” Dawn asked in a stern voice. When he didn’t answer, she leaned forward. “Are you?”

  Her brown eyes were slits and I knew she was still pissed at him for trying to knock her head off.

  Cade knew it too, and cowered in his chair. “I…I already told you I was sorry about that.”

  Dawn grunted at how pathetic he looked and stood to her feet. “I’ll be outside in the observatory, but I’ll be watc
hing closely.”

  When she had closed the door behind her, Cade seemed to breathe a little easier. “She scares the shit out of me.”

  “You didn’t seem too scared when you tried to take her head off with that tree trunk.”

  “I thought she was someone else.”

  “Who?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know who…I just didn’t think y’all were cops.”

  “Well, now that you know who we are,” I began, “are you willing to talk to me about your arrangement with Wilton Michot?”

  “I didn’t have no arrangement with Wilton.”

  “Something was going on between y’all, considering he was going to pay you five thousand dollars for that piece of shit.” I folded my arms in front of my chest. “Time to come clean, Cade. Otherwise, you risk making us think you had something to do with his murder.”

  Cade’s rough face lost all of its color. “Murder? Wilton was murdered?”

  I nodded. “Someone wanted him dead and I want to know why.”

  “How would I know? I barely even talk to him. Hell…that was the first time we’d talked in quite a while. At least three months.”

  “What’d y’all talk about that last time?”

  “The same thing.”

  “What thing?” I asked.

  “I had a car to sell.”

  I tapped my pen on the desk as I studied Cade. There was something about him I didn’t trust. “How often would you sell cars to Wilton?”

  Cade shrugged. “You know…whenever I needed the money.”

  “And where would you get these cars?”

  “Different ways.”

  “Really? What were some of those ways?”

  “Usually, I would find an old car in someone’s yard and offer to take it off their hands in exchange for some work.”

  “What kind of work?”

  “I’d do anything, really, but mostly odd jobs around their house.”