by Rebecca Deel
Nate returned, carrying a second tray, this one loaded with a carafe and four coffee mugs.
“You should try a cookie, Nate.” Deke swiped another one.
“Nadine gave me one while she prepared the tray. She promised to send the recipe. These cookies would make a great addition to the children’s menu at my parents’ restaurant.” He poured coffee into the mugs and distributed them.
“Talk,” Riley said, his tone curt.
“We think Ty’s and Pete’s deaths are connected to Milo Wall, Ken James, Chris Turner, Luke Dyson, and Natalie Fisher,” Stella said.
He scowled. “What are you talking about?”
“Rick and Adele Ashworth went to school with the other five in Redding, Tennessee. Milo asked Adele to the prom, stood her up, and took someone else instead. Milo, Ken, and Chris ridiculed her for being overweight and desperate in front of their classmates. Adele committed suicide. Her brother, Rick, wanted Luke to go with him to confront Milo and his crew. Luke refused.”
“And Natalie? How is she tied into this?”
“She was friends with Adele and encouraged her to go on this date with Milo. Rick blames her as well for what happened to his sister.”
“How does this tie into the death of my marshals?”
“Ty asked Deke and I to search for a leak in the marshal office. He either found the leak or stirred the pot enough the leak became nervous. Pete found the connection between the five Redding residents.”
“Nice story, Grayson. Where’s the proof?”
“You should know.”
The deputy director stiffened. “Explain.”
“You’ve seen Pete’s evidence.”
“How do you know there is evidence?”
“Do you deny it exists?” Nate asked softly.
“Could be a coincidence.”
“Right. Try again.”
“I admit it looks suspicious. You think Rick Ashworth is behind the murders. How do you explain the leaks?”
“Ashworth has connections to one of the marshals or he is a marshal. He dropped off the grid as soon as he graduated from high school and left town. No record of him since.”
“Maybe he’s dead.”
“He has a motive for coming after the five witnesses plus the marshals.” Nate leaned forward, his forearms on his knees. “Explains the attack on Stella as well. She interfered in his plans for revenge.”
Riley’s gaze shot to Stella’s. “Deke’s as guilty of interfering in a revenge plot.”
“I’m an easier target. I live alone. Although I got in several licks on this guy, he still had at least sixty pounds on me, all of it muscle. If Ty hadn’t showed up, I’d be dead.”
“Have you told Jordan any of this?”
“Get real,” Nate said. “He wouldn’t believe me if I told him the sky was blue.”
The marshal grimaced. “Never did like working with the feds.”
“Hate to break it to you, Riley, but you are a fed. The marshals are an offshoot of the FBI.”
“Some are easier to work with than others.” He stood. “Any of your team been to Redding?”
“No time. You avoiding our least favorite special agent?”
“This lead’s worth pursuing. I’ll tell him if I find anything.” His glance at Stella and Deke was pointed. “I can’t guarantee I’ll find anything.”
“That you’re willing to look is worth a lot,” Deke said as he stood. He held out his hand. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You’re still on my suspect list. If I don’t find a link to Ashworth, you’ll stay on it.”
“Fair enough.”
Riley opened the door. He followed the three of them to the porch. “How can I contact you?”
Stella turned to Deke. “Your regular cell phone?”
A nod from him. “Call my cell phone, Will. I’ll check it every couple of hours. The rest of the time it will be off.”
“Smart. I’ll be in touch.” He nodded at Nate.
Out of the corner of her eye, Stella noticed a red dot on Nate’s shirt. She shouted, “Gun!” even as she shoved against Nate’s back. A rifle shot echoed in the night.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Nate fell to the porch, twisted, and rolled so he covered Stella with his body. Sig out, he quartered the area, focusing on the shadows and darkened areas near the neighboring houses. No further shots rang out. Deke leaped off the porch and dashed across the street in the direction of the shot.
A groan sounded near his ear.
Nate’s heart nearly stopped. He glanced down at Stella. “Baby?”
“It’s not me.”
He turned to Riley and scrambled to the marshal’s side. “Call 911, Stella.” He ripped off his outer t-shirt, wadded it, and pressed against Riley’s bleeding shoulder.
“Will!” Nadine screamed. She ran through the doorway.
“Get down,” Nate snapped. He didn’t think the shooter was still in the area, but he didn’t want her injured or maybe killed if he was wrong. “He’ll be fine, Nadine. Sit on his left side and hold his hand. Tough guy like your husband wouldn’t want us to see him cry.”
Stella stepped off the porch and turned her back to them, phone pressed to her hear. Nate overheard her giving the 911 operator her badge number and requesting assistance for a fallen officer.
“I’m okay, honey,” Riley murmured.
She leaned down and kissed his cheek. “I wanted you to take a domestic job so this wouldn’t happen.”
“Hazard of the job. We knew that going in.”
“I didn’t think anything could be more dangerous than your overseas assignments. Guess I was wrong.”
“Are the kids okay?”
“I told them to stay in their rooms until one of us came.”
Stella returned to Nate’s side. “EMTs and police are five minutes out.”
“Who wants to kill my husband?” Nadine asked.
“The shooter aimed at Nate,” Stella said.
“It’s not their fault,” Riley said. “I didn’t move fast enough.” A ghost of a smile curved his lips. “Guess I’ve lost a little of my edge. Where’s Deke?”
“Went after the shooter.” Though Nate kept the pressure steady on Riley’s shoulder wound, his gaze continually scanned the area. Deke had blended into the shadows as he hunted for the gunman. With the porch light on, they’d had given him or her several well-lit targets. Maybe he was the one losing his edge. The shooter might have hit Stella.
“This time I know you weren’t the shooter.”
“Going to ask me if one of my teammates shot at you?”
“No point. I didn’t learn much about you from the military, but I did discover your unit is close knit. They wouldn’t come after you unless you went rogue. Even then, Durango would bring you in, not kill you.”
“Durango would hunt me down themselves to make sure some overly enthusiastic cop didn’t put a bullet in me.”
“You have to call Jordan,” Riley said, voice soft.
Yeah, he figured that. Didn’t mean he liked dealing with the fed. “Don’t ask for much, do you?”
“He needs to know I’m down, and the story about Rick Ashworth and the witnesses. Stella can’t leave town and you won’t leave her. He can do the grunt work in Redding.”
“Sure. If he doesn’t throw me in jail first.”
“He can be a jerk, but he’s a good cop.”
A jerk who used innocents to reach an end goal. The marshal had a point, though. Jordan had a badge and jurisdiction. The big question was if the FBI agent would throw aside his preconceived notions concerning Stella and Deke.
The ambulance and first police car arrived on the scene at the same time.
Riley’s hand clamped onto Nate’s forearm. “Don’t be a fool, Armstrong. You need to bring him into this.”
“He’s already in it, but I’ll contact him. I promise.”
One of the patrol officers approached the porch, hand over his weapon’s grip. �
��What have we got?”
Stella turned. “This is Will Riley, deputy director of the Nashville marshals office. We were leaving when he was shot with a rifle.”
“And you are?”
“Stella Grayson, U.S. marshal. My partner, Deke Creed, went after the shooter.”
At her words, he reached for his mic. “Description?”
She described Deke’s appearance and the clothes he was wearing. “He’s armed. Make sure your guys don’t shoot him by mistake.”
The patrolman relayed her description and stepped aside for the EMTs to do their job. Nate drew Stella into the yard and his arms. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“We have to catch this guy, Nate. More innocent people will die if we don’t.”
He tightened his hold on her. “We’re moving forward.” The killer was desperate and desperation made him more dangerous.
While the EMTs worked on Riley, an unmarked car skidded to a stop in front of the house. The driver climbed from the car and trotted toward the group on the porch. Cal Taylor eyed Nate and Stella. “You guys okay?”
“We’re fine.”
“Creed?”
“Searching for the shooter.”
“Not anymore.” Deke crossed the yard. “Perp escaped in a dark-colored sedan. Unfortunately, I was too far away to catch the plates.”
“Which direction?”
“Toward Calhoun. I flagged down a prowl car and passed the information.”
Taylor slanted a narrowed glance at Nate. “I told you no more bodies.”
“No body this time. Riley was collateral damage.”
“You know this, how?”
“The laser focused on Nate,” Stella said. “The shooter hit Will by accident.”
The EMTs raised the gurney with Riley strapped on.
“Hold up.” Taylor squeezed the fallen marshal’s uninjured shoulder. “Anybody contacted Jordan yet?”
“Told Nate to call. You working this?”
A grin. “Until the FBI takes over. What happened, Riley?”
“Stepped out on the porch to see Stella, Deke, and Nate off. Shooter aimed for Nate. Hit me instead.” He reached up and grabbed Taylor’s arm. “My family. Can’t trust anyone in my office.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
With that promise, Riley’s hand dropped to the gurney and his eyes closed.
“What hospital?” Taylor asked the closest EMT.
“Vanderbilt.”
Nadine stroked her husband’s forehead. “The kids and I will be right behind you.”
“Mrs. Riley, I’m Detective Cal Taylor, MNPD. One of my officers will take you to the hospital. I bet your kids will like riding in a patrol car.”
“How will I get home?”
“Give me your car keys. I’ll have another officer leave your vehicle at the hospital.”
Relief flooded her face. “Thank you, Detective Taylor. That’s so kind.”
“No problem, ma’am.” He turned to Riley. “I’ll check with you later. Try not to worry.”
The EMTs hustled Riley into the ambulance and raced away.
“Mom?” A young boy stood on the porch. “Where are they taking Dad?”
“Vanderbilt. He’ll be okay, honey. Are you and your brothers ready to go?”
He nodded.
Taylor climbed the porch steps and shook the boy’s hand. “My name is Cal.”
“Drew.”
“One of these officers will take your family to the hospital to be with your dad.”
The worry in the kid’s eyes faded for a minute. “Really? Cool!”
The detective motioned to the closest officer. “Sullivan, take the Rileys to Vanderbilt. The boys would like you to run with lights and siren.”
A grin from the patrolman. “Yes, sir.”
Within a couple minutes, the Riley family roared away in a flurry of lights and sirens, with another officer following behind at the speed limit in the family’s van. The crime scene team unloaded their gear from the truck and converged on the porch.
“That was a nice,” Stella said. “I know it was to provide protection, but riding in the patrol car will thrill those boys.”
“A ride like that set me on the path to serving the public. I did a few tours in the Navy first, but I always wanted to be a cop. So, Nate, which one of us has the dubious honor of notifying Jordan?”
“I gave Riley my word.” He yanked out his cell phone and texted Josh for Jordan’s cell phone number. Seconds later, Durango’s leader sent the number and demanded a sit rep. Nate walked a few feet from the activity on the porch and called the FBI agent.
“Jordan.”
“It’s Nate Armstrong. Will Riley’s been shot.”
“What happened?”
Nate gave a rundown, ending with, “He’s headed to Vanderbilt for surgery. Taylor assigned a couple officers to protect Riley’s family.”
“Where are you?”
He rattled off Riley’s address. “I’ll tell you the rest when you arrive.”
“Twenty minutes.”
Next, he called Josh. “Will Riley’s been shot. Shooter was aiming for me, got the marshal instead.”
“Stella and Deke?”
“Fine. I had to call in Jordan.”
A groan from his team leader.
“Yep, we’ll be past curfew.”
“Let me know if we need to post bail for you.”
“Ha ha.”
With an admonition to keep him posted, Josh ended the call. Smart aleck. Nate returned to the others. “Jordan should be here in a few minutes.”
“Run me through what happened before he arrives.”
Together, Nate and the two marshals brought Taylor up to speed. The detective shook his head when they finished. “Murphy find anything on Ashworth?”
“Not so far. Ashworth’s been off the grid since he left Redding.”
“Murphy will give us something before long.”
When the FBI agent arrived, they repeated the information sharing process. Jordan dragged a hand down his face. “How bad is Riley?”
“Shoulder wound. He’ll survive, but laid up a while. Riley wanted you to conduct an investigation in Redding.”
“He actually buys your story?”
“Confirm it with him,” Deke said.
“I plan to.” Jordan turned to Taylor. “You catch this case?”
“Stella called me.”
“Why?”
“I’m working a connected case. Someone hired a hit man to kill Stella. Guy’s name was Lance Cannon.”
Jordan frowned. “Was? Wait. Cannon? I heard his name on the news. He died in his car this afternoon.” His gaze swung to Nate. “Car bomb.”
Nate held up his hands, palms out. “Not me. I was at Fortress headquarters when the bomb detonated.”
“Again?”
Taylor chuckled. “That’s what I said. I’ve seen the video feed. He’s telling the truth.”
“Doesn’t mean one of your teammates didn’t plant the bomb.”
Nate scowled. “Don’t go down that road, Jordan. Use your resources to better advantage. If I had wanted Cannon dead, I would have handled the job myself. I wouldn’t risk my team for petty revenge.”
“They wouldn’t kill to protect your girlfriend?”
“All of us would protect her in the line of duty. This was a cold, calculated murder.”
“I saw the car and the debris from the bomb,” Taylor said. “It wasn’t a professional job. Nate is too well trained to turn out shoddy work.”
“You’ve seen his work before?”
Taylor shook his head. “I was a SEAL. I worked with Delta on several missions. Their EOD guys did prime work. Nate didn’t build or detonate that bomb.”
Another SUV arrived. Nate sighed. The FBI crime scene team. Beautiful. He wondered how long he, Stella, and Deke had to remain.
Jordan gave the fed team instructions and turned back to Nate. “Did you give Taylor your statement?”
/> “We did.”
“I’ll get a copy from him, then. Don’t try to leave town. Watch your backs. Someone is determined to kill everyone connected to this case.”
“What are you going to do?” Taylor asked.
“Oversee the processing of this crime scene. My team will work with yours so we don’t duplicate efforts. After that, I’ll go by the hospital to check on Riley, get his take on things if he’s out of surgery and awake. Unless Armstrong and his friends find another body, my next stop will be Redding.”
“Are we free to go?” Stella asked.
“Be available for interviews.”
“Whatever you need. We want this killer caught even more than you do.”
Nate wasn’t sure about that. These shootings were just a job to Craig Jordan. For Nate, they were personal because the ultimate target was his future wife.
Jordan strode toward the porch and spoke with one of his own team members. The woman grabbed her crime scene kit and walked across the street where Deke spotted the shooter.
Taylor said, “I’ll be in touch when I hear news about Riley.”
Back in the SUV, Nate maneuvered around the law enforcement personnel and vehicles scattered along the street. “We need another plan.”
A groan from the back seat. “We’ve had one before now?”
“We should contact Zane,” Stella said. “Maybe he’s found something by now.”
“Let’s check in with Durango first.” He glanced at the clock. Near midnight. “I hope Z is sleeping.” He doubted it, though. “Do I need to stop for coffee or food?”
“I’m hungry,” Stella said, “but I would prefer not to stop for fast food.”
“I’ll make an easy meal at the cabin, then.”
Forty minutes later, they parked in the driveway of Micah’s cabin. The front door opened as he shut off the engine.
“About time you got home,” Josh said. “You know you’re grounded, right?”
“Sorry, Dad.”
“Everybody’s waiting in the kitchen for an update.”
Quinn, Alex, and Rio waited at the table, Spenser sleeping at Alex’s feet.
“Everybody okay?” Rio asked, his gaze focused on Stella.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Don’t worry.”
“Can’t help it, sugar. You’re exhausted and ghost white.”
