Complicated Matters (14 page)

   Andrews read over the reports. “Anything else?”

   “A man like your client should be aware that there is no such thing as privacy anymore.” One-by-one Taylor slid photos of Winthrop dealing drugs across the table. “These are pictures of your client selling drugs behind the carwash at the Jiffy Mart taken with their surveillance cameras. Most of the people in these pictures are minors.”

   “Okay, you’ve got him on dealing drugs and hitting a transport van.” Andrews grinned. “I thought you said you could tie him to two murders.” 

   “This is the final nail in his coffin.” Taylor played the emergency services recording and handed Andrews a report identifying the voices. “I would like to tie him to the murders of the transport guards. Oh, I can.” Taylor slid four more pictures across the metal table. “Thankfully, Winthrop and former sheriff Daniels didn’t think to disable the video cameras.” Taylor pointed to the bottom of each picture. “Notice the timestamp.” 

   “Life in prison,” Andrews said.

   Winthrop slammed his fist against the table. “No.” 

   “That ain’t gonna happen anyway. I’ll just have to find another way.” Taylor got up and headed to the door. “Have a good day, gentlemen.” Taylor tapped on the door and headed back to his office.

   He looked through Daniels’ personnel file and found that his hobbies were hunting, fishing, and survivalist training.
Okay, a screw up from Miami has to track down Grizzly Adams.
Taylor shook his head and rubbed his face.
No pressure there.
He hit the button on his speakerphone. “Flo, can you come in here?”

   Flo came in and shut the door behind her. “Do you know where Daniels is?”

   “No. But I think Winthrop spent all that time at the Mathews’ place looking for the murder weapon. My guess is Daniels will go after it too. Who knows how far he’ll go to get it? According to his background check he’s a modern day Daniel Boone. He could be anywhere.”

   “What are you proposing, Taylor?” Flo sat down and folded her arms.

   “Contacting Commander Phillips and going after Daniels with blood hounds and snipers. He’s in those woods somewhere. All we have to do is track him down and smoke him out.”

   “You’ve been hangin’ out with the locals too much.” Flo cocked her head. “Do you know how barbaric that sounds?”

   “How barbaric does this sound?” Taylor played the recording of the murder and torture of the agents.

   Flo slumped back down in her chair. “Contact the commander.” 

   Taylor contacted Commander Phillips and showed him the evidence against deputies Winthrop, Edwards, and Jones. 

   He also told him about Daniels’ background, and the as-of-yet missing murder weapon.

   “So, you want to hunt this man down and kill him?” 

   “Actually, I want to hunt him down and take him to trial. But we’ll take what we can get.” 

   Commander Phillips took a deep breath and let it out. “Special Agent LaBoe, you’re in charge of this operation. Taylor, get your ass out to the Mathews farm in case Daniels slips through your little perimeter. LaBoe, make sure everyone stays on my frequency and keep the line of communication open.”

   *

   Taylor drove out to the Mathews’ farm. Everything was quiet, except for the barking dog. It’s bark didn’t sound like the normal bark that Taylor was accustomed to. This was more of a warning bark. That bark soon turned into a growl.

   “Farrah Mathews,” he yelled.

   No answer.

  
Where is she?
He heard sounds coming from behind the house. He followed the sounds and discovered Farrah playing basketball.

   “Hello, Sheriff. What brings you out here?”

   “We have to get out of here, Farrah.”  Taylor scanned the outlying area. There were countless hiding places.

   “Are you insane?” She took another jump shot. “My brothers will be home soon.” 

  
Damn, forgot about the boys.
“Where are they?” He watched the dog and tried to see what she was looking at.

   “Millie’s bringing them home from work.” Farrah backed up a little. “Are you okay?”

   “Something’s bothering your dog.” He drew his gun. “Get in the house.”

   “Have you completely loss your common sense?” She put one foot on top of her basketball and placed her hands on her hips. “A barking dog is hardly a rare occurrence around here.”

   “I said to get in the house and lock all the doors and windows.”

   She folded her arms and planted her feet shoulder width apart. “Tell me what’s going on.” 

   A bullet hit the side of the house. 

   “Someone’s trying to kill you.” Taylor grabbed her by the wrist and headed to the house. “Need more proof?” He pushed to button on his tactical mic. “This is Special Agent Taylor. Send back up to the Mathews’ farm. I repeat. Send backup immediately.”

   He ran through the house locking doors and windows. “Do you have any guns in the house?”

   “Who is Special Agent Taylor?”

   “Me. If you have any guns and ammo now would be a good time to get ‘em.”

   Farrah hesitated.

   “Come on, Farrah. I need your help. Get the guns.”

   Farrah ran to her dad’s gun cabinet and returned with all his guns.

   He grabbed one of the shotguns and shoved some bullets into his front pocket. “Are these things loaded?”

   She grabbed one and stood in front of the window. “They’re of no use if they’re not.” 

   A pickup truck rattled as it came down the driveway and stopped in front of the house. 

   “It’s Millie and the boys,” Farrah gasped.

   Taylor grabbed the doorknob. “I’ll get ‘em. If someone fires at us shoot in the direction the bullet came from.”

   Farrah rolled her eyes. “I know how to cover someone.” She chambered a bullet into the breech of the gun. “Go get my brothers.”

   Taylor opened the front door and jumped off the porch. 

   A bullet hit one of Millie’s headlights sending shards of glass into the air.

   “What the fuck?” Alex yelled, when Taylor snatched open the door and grabbed him by the wrist.

   “In the house now!”

   Jess and Millie toppled out after Alex.

   Taylor took a shot in the direction where he thought the bullet came from.

   Another shot came from the tree line. Taylor muffled a scream as blood ran down his arm.

   Once everybody was in the house, Taylor slammed the door.

   Farrah turned away from the window for a second. “You’re hurt.” 

   “It’s nothing.” Taylor ripped a sleeve off his shirt, and tied it around his arm to stop the bleeding. “Does anyone else know how to use a gun?”

   “Everybody but Jess,” Farrah said.

   “Millie, cover the kitchen window. Boys, get in the attic. Alex, shoot anything that so much as bumps the door without identifying himself first.”

   He hit the button on his tactical mic again. “This is Special Agent Taylor. I need assistance. I’ve been shot. I repeat, get somebody out here. I’m hit.

   He waited a few minutes but there was no answer. 

   Another bullet crashed into the front door. 

   “I’ve had it with this shit.” Taylor put some extra shells in his pocket. “If you see Daniels--”

   “Don’t worry,” Millie yelled. “We know what to do.” 

   Taylor slipped out the back door. He made his way around the corner of the house, and stopped long enough to figure out where to run next.

   Champ was barking nonstop. Taylor ran to her kennel and let her out. The dog headed straight for the tree line.

   Taylor could hear growling, then a bang followed by a loud yelp.

   There wasn’t any time to feel sorry for the dog. He had to end this today. He edged his way to the equipment shelter taking care to keep low and check the ground for the feet of his assailant.

   He tried to listen for anyone who was around, but the sound of his own pulse was all he heard. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth in an effort to control his adrenaline charged heart.

   A shadowy figure darted from the tree line toward the house.

   Taylor edged closer to the figure. He could see droplets of blood on the ground. Champ got a piece of him.
At least she got that much satisfaction. 

   The old man was cursing.

   Taylor picked up a stick and threw it up the driveway hitting the metal mailbox.

   Daniels shot at it.

   Taylor smiled when he realized his keys were in his pocket. The Bronco the county supplied made too easy a target for his liking. He drove to the farm in his Camarro. He pushed the remote startup button on his key ring.

   The car sputtered a little, but came to life along with the radio blasting heavy metal music.

   Daniels sprayed the car with bullets. Smoke billowed from the car’s engine as it quit running. Daniels left his hiding place to inspect his work. “What?” Daniels jerked his head back. “Where is the little bastard?”

   “Right behind you.” The deadly click of the hammer being pulled back sounded just behind Daniels’ right ear. “Now put your gun down.”

   Daniels held the gun in his right hand.

   “Slowly.” Taylor reminded him.

   “Okay, Sheriff. Old Papa Daniels is gonna be a good boy.” The old man squatted down.

   Something whizzed past Taylor’s right ear.

   Daniels sprawled out on the ground. His right hand grasped his Bowie knife.

   Taylor turned around to see Farrah holding her rifle. She was shaking as tears streamed down her eyes.

   “How did you know?” he asked.

   “I saw his hand go for his boot just after he dropped his gun.”

   Taylor started walking toward the woods.

   “Where are you going?” she shouted from the porch.

   “To get your dog.” Taylor started stumbling. “She probably saved my life.” He fell down on one knee.

   Farrah opened the front door. “Somebody help.”

   Chapter 17

   Flo came into the conference room carrying a file folder where Farrah, Millie, Alex, and Jess were taken. “Hello, I’m Special Agent Florence LaBoe, with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. I already know who all of you are, and would like to thank you for your cooperation. The state of Florida owes each and every one of you a great debt.”

   Farrah chewed her fingernails until two of them were bleeding. She had never killed anything before and didn’t like the nauseating feeling she was experiencing now.  “Where’s Heath?”

   The boys jumped and stared at her.

   She squeezed her knee trying to calm herself. “I mean how is Sheriff Taylor doing?”

   Flo stared at the file folder and took a deep breath. “Special Agent Taylor is currently undergoing surgery at Tallahassee Memorial Medical Center. Daniels used a shotgun on him which makes a much more complicated wound than a rifle. But I don’t have to tell you that. He sustained a massive amount of blood loss, and an infection has set in.”

   Farrah bowed her head. The woman had the same mechanical voice Taylor did when he told her about her parents’ demise. She wondered if they taught that tone at the police academy.

   Flo went on with the debriefing. “Miss Jackson, I need to ask you a few questions for my report.”

   Millie looked at Flo with a raised eyebrow. “What do you want to know?”

   Flo sat down and took out a note pad. “Did you see the actual shooting of former sheriff Daniels?”

   Millie looked into Flo’s eyes. “No.”

   Flo looked up and took a deep breath. “Before this goes any further, I want to make it clear that Miss Mathews, is in no way, in any kind of trouble.”

   Farrah didn’t care what kind of trouble she was in. She began to wonder if the boys wouldn’t be better off living with relatives or in foster care.

   “That still doesn’t change the fact that I was standing at the kitchen window when it all went down,” Millie said.

   “I see.” Flo wrote down some more notes. “Is there anyone I can call for you?”

   “There’s no need to bother any of my family. Just let me have my truck and I’ll be on my way.”

   “I’m sorry, but your truck is evidence. We have provided you with a replacement, and another agent has retrieved your personal possessions.”

   “Thanks.” Millie stood up. “Can I go now?”

   “Do you have any questions, Miss Jackson?”

   “None you’re likely to answer,” Millie said.

   Flo handed her a business card. “These are all my numbers in case you think of anything. I’ve assigned an agent to you just in case Daniels has any more friends out there.”

   “What about the kids?”