Montana Standoff

by Sharon Dunn

  They waited a moment, both of them ready to shoot. Seconds ticked by. Sarah tensed. She brushed away images of Crew being harmed.

  At Bryan’s signal, the second officer strode forward and opened the van doors.

  The interior was empty.

  TEN

  Sarah’s footsteps pounded behind Bryan. Her voice was drenched with anguish. “Where is he? What happened?”

  “They must have pulled into the lot here to switch vehicles.” Bryan holstered his gun. Whether they’d planned it ahead of time or got the car into place when they realized they were being pursued, it was a clear indication that a mastermind was behind the whole operation.

  “What do we do now? They’re going to hurt him...or worse.”

  “We’ll impound this vehicle for evidence,” said the other officer. “I can take care of that.”

  “That won’t help my brother.” Sarah rested her palms on Bryan’s chest, her eyes pleading. “We need to find those people now.”

  “We don’t even know what kind of car they got away in.” He could feel Sarah’s desperation in every word she spoke. It was his desperation, too. This wasn’t just about Mason. The clock was ticking for Crew. “We go to the source.” Bryan stalked back toward the police car.

  Sarah followed behind him. “What are you talking about?”

  Once they were inside the car, Bryan gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “I know Tyler Mason is behind this. I’m going to go to him and get some answers now.”

  Sarah buckled her seat belt as Bryan sped through the parking lot.

  “I’ll take you back to the station,” Bryan said.

  “We don’t have time for that.”

  Bryan tapped the steering wheel. Sending his business partner on a vacation was a good indication that Mason knew the spotlight was back on him. He doubted his appearance would come as a surprise to Mason. Sarah’s appearance, on the other hand...who knew how the man would react to the arrival of the woman his thugs had been trying to capture for the past day? “No, it’s not safe for you to come with me.”

  “I can’t sit in that police station thinking about what my brother might be going through. I have to do something.”

  They were wasting precious time arguing. “All right, come with me, but stay in the reception area, where there are other people around. Mason wouldn’t try anything, even on his home turf, if there’s a chance he might be seen. He’ll do everything to keep his hands clean.”

  “I want to meet this man who you think is behind all this.”

  “Sarah, I don’t think you want to look into his eyes.” They were the eyes of pure evil.

  The force of his voice took any argument out of her. “All right, I’ll do what you say.”

  He took several side streets into a business district. With each passing block, the rage inside him simmered to a boil.

  “Do you think they were looking for Crew because of the woman his roommate saw him with, the woman he’s trying to help?”

  Bryan nodded as he watched the street addresses. “I suspect that they want information from him...probably about this woman.” The idea that the woman might be Eva, his missing witness, still tickled his brain. Why else would Mason work so hard to get at her?

  He arrived at a building with doors marked for a bookkeeping business and a massage studio. He parked in front of the office that said Workforhire.

  Sarah rested her hand on his. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Her touch soothed his ragged nerves. “We’re out of options. We have to find your brother before it’s too late. We need to stir things up. See if Mason blinks.”

  “Let’s do this,” Sarah said.

  They swung open the door and stepped into a reception area done in rich browns and tans. A man and a woman both dressed in suits sat on the high-end leather couches. Bryan’s investigation revealed that Mason had a number of legitimate clients. But the math didn’t work out for the kind of assets Mason owned compared to the number of people who openly found work through his agency. Most of the other businesses Mason owned barely broke even.

  Sarah took a seat on the couch. Bryan stalked over to the receptionist, a twenty-something blonde with short, spiky hair. She adjusted her headset as Bryan approached. Her eyes grew wide with recognition. He’d come to this office several times when he’d been running the investigation.

  No doubt, Mason had trained her in the latest diversion and stall tactics if he were to show up. He skirted past her without even making eye contact.

  “Sir, where are you going?”

  Bryan strode toward an ornate wooden door. He pushed it open.

  Mason looked up from his keyboard. His mouth formed a perfect O shape. His cold gray eyes gave away nothing.

  The receptionist scurried up behind Bryan, directing her comments to Mason. “I tried to stop him.”

  “It’s all right, Cassandra. It seems Officer Keyes is quite adamant about talking to me. Close the door on your way out.” His voice was icy, his words clipped.

  Cassandra backed out, easing the door shut.

  Mason laced his fingers together. His skin was tanning-booth orange and his dark eyebrows stood in sharp contrast to his brassy blond hair. “I guess I can’t call you Officer Keyes. The last I heard, you were babysitting a forest.”

  Mason’s condescending tone was calculated to get a rise out of him. The man wanted him to lose control. Despite the rage that smoldered inside, Bryan wasn’t about to take the bait. “Well, I’m back on the force.”

  Mason made a clicking noise with his tongue. “Oh, good, back to writing tickets for the jaywalkers.”

  Bryan planted his feet. “I know that you’re responsible for Crew Langston being kidnapped.”

  Mason raised his eyebrows. “I’ve never heard of the man.” The nervous tapping of his fingers on the desk gave him away. He was lying.

  Bryan lunged toward Mason’s desk. “What have you done with him?”

  Mason stood up. “Officer Keyes, why must you persist in this line of questioning?” Despite the plastic smile, his voice had a waver to it. Mason was behind all of this. He was sure of it now.

  Bryan gritted his teeth. “If anything happens to him, I’ll see to it that it’s hung around your neck.”

  Mason skirted around his desk and sat on the corner. “And I told you I’ve never heard of the man.” He lifted his chin in a show of superiority.

  Bryan’s rage threatened to explode.

  Keep your cool. The last thing you want is for him to file assault charges.

  Bryan leaned toward him. “What has he done? Did a high school dropout junkie actually manage to get one over on you?”

  Mason blinked and looked away. Bryan detected a flicker of emotion. Mason was good at hiding his true motives. But the mask had fallen away for a second, revealing fear. Somehow, Crew had managed to outsmart the mighty Tyler Mason.

  “This is a business, Mr. Keyes. I don’t appreciate your threatening attitude. Unless you have need of some temporary labor or would like to sign up for our service, I suggest you leave.”

  The nerve. Mason’s holier-than-thou posturing made his blood boil. He had to get out before he took a swing at Mason. “If a hair on Crew Langston’s head is harmed, I will come after you and nail you to the wall.”

  “You tried that once, Officer Keyes.” His words dripped with sarcasm. “It’s hard to send an innocent man to jail. And that’s what I am—an innocent man. So I suggest you quit harassing me.”

  Bryan’s hand curled into a fist. His voice turned low and husky. “I’ll see myself out.”

  Sarah rose to her feet when he came to the reception area. She waited until they were outside before she spoke.

  “Did he say anything about Crew?”
<
br />   “It’s what he didn’t say. I’m more convinced than ever that he’s behind this,” Bryan said.

  “Where do we go now? How does this help us find Crew?”

  Bryan mulled through the possibilities. “I stirred up Mason. Let’s watch this place and see if he leaves...sends someone out to check on things. My guess is he’ll use the receptionist.”

  “They’d want to take him somewhere they could question him and not be disturbed.” Sarah opened the passenger-side door. She rested her elbow on the hood of the car, a note of urgency laced through her words. “We don’t have much time. I doubt their methods of questioning are humane.”

  “I know, but what are we going to do? Search every building in town?” Frustration formed a tight knot at the base of his neck. “Our best bet is to see how Mason reacts. He has to lead us to them.”

  Sarah pressed her lips together and hung her head. He understood the sense of helplessness she must be wrestling with.

  She looked off into the distance. “I guess they won’t kill him as long as he doesn’t tell them what he knows. He’ll hold out. My brother is more stubborn than me.” She slipped into the car.

  After he sat behind the wheel, Bryan turned the key in the ignition and pulled the patrol car into an out-of-the-way spot. “I’m going to call the station, have them bring over something less conspicuous.”

  Within ten minutes, an officer had shown up with an unmarked car, a white sedan. Bryan and Sarah waited through the early evening. The sun was low in the sky when Cassandra emerged through the front doors. They tailed Cassandra around town while she stopped at several businesses and an office supply place. None of the buildings she entered were likely candidates for holding Crew.

  Bryan wondered if he’d made a bad call when the police radio sparked to life.

  “Unit Nine, I’ve got a report of a disturbance. Car dealership on Nineteenth and Main. Neighbor saw lights flash on and off. Place is supposed to be closed.”

  Bryan grabbed the radio. “This is Unit Fourteen. I’m taking that call. We’re en route.”

  “Affirmative,” dispatch responded. “Are you in the neighborhood?”

  “Close enough. Send backup. No sirens.” Bryan sped up the car. “This is more than a disturbance.” He hung up the radio.

  Sarah looked at him, her eyes questioning.

  “The dealership on the corner of Main and Nineteenth is Crazy Ray’s. That’s got to be where they took him.”

  ELEVEN

  Sarah gripped the armrest as Bryan sped down Nineteenth Street. The businesses on this end of town were all on one-and two-acre lots, mostly RV and motorcycle dealerships and home repair stores. They passed two lots that had buildings with For Sale signs. He pressed the brakes as they rolled into Crazy Ray’s, past rows and rows of cars. Bryan killed the headlights and slowed to a snail’s pace. He stopped. “Let’s not park too close. You stay here. My backup should be here any second.”

  “Okay.” She wasn’t about to wait this out in the car. Crew was her brother. But they didn’t have time for arguments. She’d do exactly what he’d said—she would stay there...right up until she got up and left. He hadn’t specified how long she should stay there, after all.

  She waited until Bryan was twenty feet from the building before pushing open her own door. She sprinted with a light step, came up behind Bryan and placed her hand on his back.

  “I should have guessed you weren’t going to stay in the car,” he whispered.

  She stared out into the lot. Where was that backup?

  Bryan drew his gun. The dealership was dark. A note on the door indicated the store was closed while the owner was on vacation.

  Another car with lights turned off rolled through the lot. That must be their backup. Two officers, barely shadows in the twilight, exited the car. Responding to Bryan’s hand signals, they disappeared around the side of the building.

  Bryan pushed on the front door. It opened. A place like this probably had all kinds of security and an alarm system—which had been turned off. A clear sign that somebody was here.

  Bryan slipped inside, Sarah pressed close behind him. Darkness covered the showroom floor. Cars appeared in silhouette.

  Bryan raced over to a room marked Office. “Stand back and to the side.” His whisper was forceful.

  Sarah pressed against the wall.

  He tried the doorknob. “Locked.”

  Sarah turned her head. To her side was a white door, slightly ajar. She tugged on Bryan’s sleeve and pointed.

  He tiptoed across the floor. Resting his back against the wall, he pushed the door open, revealing a repair shop connected to the dealership. She could discern only the outlines of cars and equipment. No movement, no light. Only silence.

  Yet, the pathway of unlocked doors suggested this was the way the perpetrators had come. Could they have left already?

  Her heart drummed wildly, sweat snaked down her back.

  A muffled thud emanated from a corner of the room.

  A single word boomed through the space. “Police.”

  More noise, banging, louder this time.

  Bryan hit the lights. The main area contained only an elevated car.

  “There!” said Sarah, pointing at the door across the room. Bryan took the lead, kicking the door in. An officer lay on the floor by the door that led outside, not moving.

  She gasped. There was blood everywhere. Not just on the floor by the downed police officer. She saw blood on a tan leather chair. Duct tape around the arms of the chair.

  The second officer burst through the outside door.

  Tires screeched in the parking lot.

  “I got this,” the officer said, leaning over his partner. “You go catch those guys.”

  Bryan pulled her through the door and dragged her to the car. She’d gone numb.

  That was Crew’s blood in there.

  Though she had no clear memory of her actions, she must have gotten in the car. She shook herself free of emotional paralysis at the moment Bryan pulled out of the lot onto the street. Red taillights burned in front of them.

  Bryan stayed close to the brown car as it sped through the streets up until a delivery truck pulled out from a side road, slipping in between them right before they came to a stop at a red light.

  Bryan angled his head. “I can’t see him.”

  Though the delivery truck blocked their view, the light must have turned green. The row of cars eased forward.

  Bryan rolled down the window and leaned out. “He switched lanes. He’s turning.” Bryan cranked the wheel, pulling out of the line of stopped traffic. Several cars honked as he headed up the street where a green arrow indicated cars could make a left turn.

  Sarah scanned the street. Though traffic was light at this hour, it was hard to find the other car. Then she caught sight of a brown vehicle turning off onto a side street, traveling faster than the flow of traffic. Bryan closed the distance between them. He radioed his position and the direction the car was going. Sirens sounded in the distance. The car doubled back toward Crazy Ray’s but abruptly turned into one of the for-sale lots, a former car repair place. Taillights disappeared around the empty building.

  Bryan followed as the sirens grew louder. They sped around the corner. Her vision filled with taillights. The thugs had stopped for some reason, but now they were trying to get up to speed again.

  Sarah searched the dark lot. “Stop, I think they dumped him.”

  Bryan didn’t slow down. An engine roared as the assailants’ car rolled back out onto the road. “Why would they push him out?”

  She searched the dark lot. “Maybe because they knew they were going to be caught. I saw them come to a full stop.” She discerned a lump toward the edge of the lot. Her heart squeezed tight.

 
Bryan stopped the car and radioed the patrol unit to continue up the road after the car. “We were the ones with the best chance of catching them. Those guys will get into the flow of traffic and be lost. I hope you’re right about them dumping Crew.”

  Sarah pushed the door open.

  In the dim light, it was hard to see anything. Frantic, Sarah sprinted toward the motionless shadow at the edge of the lot.

  They had taken a gamble by not following the car. She could only hope—and pray—that it would pay off.

  Please, God, let it be Crew.

  As she drew closer, she was able to see the outline of a man lying on the ground, still not moving. Her heart stopped. Time seemed to slow down as she took the remaining steps toward the body.

  “Crew? It’s me.” No response. She dropped to her knees.

  With trembling fingers, she touched his neck. A faint pulse pushed back. The coppery scent of blood filled her nostrils. “Hang in there. We’ll get you help.”

  Behind her, she could hear Bryan already calling for an ambulance.

  Bryan approached and kneeled beside her. Leaning closer to Crew, he placed his palm on Crew’s chest, examined the blood on his clothes and then took his hand and squeezed it. “He’s pretty beat up.” His voice was filled with indignation.

  Sarah released a cry. “I know.”

  In the distance, the sirens cut through the stillness of the night.

  Moments later, the flashing light turned into the lot. Bryan ran out to meet the ambulance and direct them to where Sarah waited with Crew.

  Two EMTs, a man and a woman, carried a stretcher over to them. When the man shone a flashlight on Crew’s face, the amount of crusted dried blood shocked her.

  Crew was lifted onto the stretcher.

  “I’ll ride in the ambulance.” Her voice came out monotone. Shock had settled in. She felt only numbness.

  Bryan rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  She draped her hand over his. “Thank you.”