Rising Storm (23 page)

"Sheriff, we got them. Kenna, you'll have no problem prosecuting them, although most of them will be heading up to federal court I think," Marshall told them.

"I guessed that and put in a call to the U.S. Assistant Attorney. She'll be calling you in the morning to set up a meeting. After their trial, we'll prosecute on smaller charges if we feel like they need more time in jail."

"So, what happened to them? Did they get shot in the crossfire?" Sheriff Nuggett asked as he nodded to the Watkinses being loaded onto stretchers.

"Um, no. Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt shot them in self-defense when they thought they were reaching for a weapon."

"Who, them?" Nuggett asked looking over to where Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt were standing. "Christ, they don't look they could even lift a gun. No wonder their aims were so far off."

Marshall choked as he glanced over his shoulder at the Wyatts. Beauford was hunched over and using his rifle as a cane. Mrs. Wyatt was in the middle of what could only be called the vapors. Marshall turned to where a truck with a flashing light was approaching, followed by a large box van painted black.

"I called Cole to assist since we have a lot of people to process and a lot of the charges will be federal. I also called the DEA to help with all the drugs around," Annie said as she approached the group.

"Blake! How the hell are you?" Special Agent in Charge Vincent Romero said as he stepped down from the box truck.

"Good, thank you. But, it's Davies now," Annie said as she shook her former boss's hand.

"That's right. Left us at the DEA for the football coach, how's he doing?"

"He's good. We're going to have a baby around Christmas," Annie told him.

"Then what the hell are you doing out here? Go home at once!"

"I tried that already. It didn't work," Marshall sighed. "She doesn't take orders very well."

"True. So, what's going on Sheriff?"

Marshall took Romero around to introduce him to all the people working the scene as he filled him in on the dog-fighting ring and all the subsequent drugs and weapons that were found.

Marshall had never filled out so much paperwork in his life. He interviewed everyone who was able to talk and only got more frustrated. Although they had gotten the Watkinses, they were still missing two crucial players. He had learned from the interviews that there was a beautiful woman who was the bookie. She ran all the numbers, collected and disbursed all the gambling money, and was feared more than anyone there. She was rumored to have ice flowing threw her veins. She never smiled except when she counted money. Her dress was always impeccable and so was her memory. She remembered every bet and the amount every person owed.

He also learned about a man who was the contact in the government. Which government, they didn't know. No one knew his name and when he came, he always wore a baseball cap or a cowboy hat that partially covered his face. People just called him "The Man." He was the man everyone in the area contacted to get the okay to have the fights. He was also the man everyone called if they needed the law off their butts.

As the people were taken into custody, more and more of the town had shown up. Marshall had kept one eye on Katelyn the whole time. He had just wanted one moment alone with her, but he knew his chances were slim when his sister had shown up along with Dani, Mo, and Ahmed. Then the rest of the town had shown up, and by the rest of the town, it was literally the rest of the town.

He just worried about her and couldn't wait to take her away from here. As the night went on, she looked more and more pale. She had taken a seat on the ground holding onto Ruffles the whole time. The humane society and some rescue groups had shown up a short time ago to help take the remaining dogs away to foster them and to hopefully rehabilitate them so they could be adopted. As the dogs were taken away and most of the criminals had either been transported to jail or the hospital, the crowd was starting to thin out. Maybe he could get some time with her before she went home. He had to tell her how much she meant to him and that he wanted her in his life, now and always.

He started to walk across the large clearing towards her when Alice's nose suddenly shot up. A breeze had rustled the leaves and brought with it the smell of an approaching summer storm. Alice stood up and pulled on her pink sequined leash.

"I think she needs to powder her nose. Can you take her Beauford?" Mrs. Wyatt asked as she handed her husband the leash.

"Of course, Sweet Pea. Come on Alice, there's my good girl."

Alice, with her nose to the wind, pulled Beauford across the clearing and around the ring to the far side of the area. There was a knocked over table that Alice began to sniff. The wind shifted and Alice followed it with her nose. She took deep sniffs of the air as she paced back and forth around the table alternating between smelling the air and sniffing the ground.

When the wind blew again, Alice's ears perked up and her nose shot up from the ground and towards the woods. She barked and rocketed into the woods, pulling the leash out of Beauford's hand as she ran under the crime scene tape and into the darkness surrounding the trees.

"Alice!" Beauford yelled as he followed her into the woods.

Marshall jogged across the clearing while the rest of the town went the long way, staying outside the crime scene tape to try to find Alice. He heard the twig snapping and the chatter of the town as they hurried to keep up with the Rose sisters leading the way. Off in the distance he heard Beauford calling for Alice and Alice barking. He ducked under the tape and looked into the darkness. He could see Beauford standing under a tree, trying to get the leash on Alice.

"What's going on Beauford?" Marshall called as he walked the twenty or so feet into the woods.

"I don't know. She just keeps running around this tree," Beauford called back.

"Beauford, dear, did you find her?" Mrs. Wyatt called out as she and the rest of the town approached through the woods.

"Yes, Sweet Pea, she's right here."

Alice jumped up with her front feet and clawed at the tree, barking. Marshall grabbed her collar and held her for Beauford, but Alice was refusing to be quiet. She lunged time and time again at the tree, looking up into the depth of the branches. Marshall looked up at the tree. There was something off, but he couldn't place it. Alice probably just treed a raccoon or possum.

"What's that up there?" Katelyn asked as she came to stand beside him.

"I don't know. My flashlight was dropped sometime while I was fighting."

"Here you go. I had mine in the truck," Cole said as he handed him a large mag light.

Everyone stepped closer as Marshall flashed the light up the tree. At first he didn't see anything, but then he saw a beige high heel hidden among the leaves. As the light traveled upward he followed the legs to the torn tight peach-colored skirt of the woman in the tree. Her face was hidden behind the trunk of the tree as she held on, trying to blend in.

"Is that a woman up there?" Miss Lily asked, squinting up the tree.

"Ma'am, this is the Keeneston Sheriff, you need to come down immediately." Marshall watched as the woman tried to disappear behind the tree trunk. "Ma'am, I need you to identify yourself immediately and come down from that tree." He pulled the gun Annie had given to him as he waited for her to acknowledge him.

"Are you stuck, dear?" Miss Violet called up, but then shrugged when the woman didn't answer.

The woman put one leg on the branch below and slowly climbed down a limb at a time. The only thing Marshall could tell about the woman was that her skirt was ripped up to her thigh as she climbed down the back of the tree.

She jumped the last couple of feet to the ground with her back to him. Her brown hair had started to fall out of its twist and leaves were stuck throughout it. She was average height, slim, and her suit said she had some money. She had a leather satchel over her shoulder that appeared to cost more than most people made in a month. This was not the type of person he expected to see hiding from the police.

"Okay, turn around slowly and keep your hands where we can see them," Marshall called out.

He felt, rather than saw Cole pull out his gun and aim it at the disheveled woman. Her back was stick straight as she slowly raised her hands. Beauford was holding onto Alice's leash with all his might as she growled at the woman. Katelyn was similarly struggling with Ruffles. Whoever this woman was, she was not liked.

The woman raised her hands to face level and slowly started to turn around. Gasps and whispers started on the far side of the town that saw her face first. Cole cocked his gun and Marshall did the same. Whoever it was, she was turning the town on its collective ear. As she turned to face him, he understood what had worked the town into a tizzy.

"Nancy?" he gasped.

He dropped his gun as she fully faced him. Her makeup was smeared and her normally perfect hair stuck out in various directions. Her white silk blouse was covered in dirt and her peach suit coat and skirt was ripped in many places. However, for all of her appearance, she held herself straight and with total confidence. She glared at the town and maintained the hoity air Marshall always hated.

"Would you care to explain what you were doing up a tree at an illegal dog fight?" Marshall asked.

"No, I wouldn’t." She turned her nose to him and continued to stare at the town.

"The muffins," Marshall whispered.

"At your deputy's shooting?" Nuggett whispered back.

"Yes. She's known for her famous banana nut muffins. That's why it was bothering me. She had made me some just a couple of weeks ago." Turning to Nancy he raised his voice. "You shot Noodle, didn't you?"

The town gasped and Nancy just glared at them.

"You can't prove that."

"I can. Apparently shooting at an officer makes one hungry. You left behind a couple banana nut muffin wrappers."

Nancy didn’t respond, but the town gasped collectively. It may not be enough evidence in a court, but it was the nail in the coffin according to the town. Everyone knew about Nancy's banana nut muffins.

"What are you all talking about? You're nothing but trash. You have no idea the work and information I have on people. But the worst of you all is you, you bitch." Nancy narrowed her eyes at Katelyn.

"If it weren't for you I’d have married Marshall and then known all about these plans. I could’ve kept the ring safe and secret and continued to make more money than you all could every dream of. But, no, you have to come to town and distract him."

Marshall couldn't believe the venom she spewed. Her words were full of such hatred and elitism that he was temporarily stunned. The look on Katelyn's face changed from disbelief to horror as he realized he had lost his focus. Nancy had reached behind her back and pulled out a gun from under her suit jacket. She swung it toward Katelyn as Marshall raised his. Screams, barks, and gunshots filled the area.

Marshall froze as his eyes searched for Katelyn. He couldn't find her! He scanned the crowd again and found her lying on the ground, covered by Ruffles. His heart stopped as he feared the worse. Ruffles' tail thumped as Katelyn's arms came up from the ground and hugged her dog. She was alive!

He viewed the figure on the ground and knew Nancy was not so lucky. Looking around he saw Cole, Annie, Dinky, Nuggett, Romero, and Ahmed with their guns drawn.

"I told you I never liked her," Annie said dryly as she put away her gun.

"I've missed you Blake. Davies. Whatever. You're welcome back to the DEA anytime. I'll send you the ballistics on my gun for the investigation, Sheriff." Romero said as he went over to check Nancy's pulse, or lack thereof.

"Thank you. Now, stop trying to steal my deputy." Marshall bent down and picked up her satchel, even though every cell in his body was screaming to see Katelyn.

Inside he found a black, leather-bound book and approximately $100,000. He paused as he opened the book and stared at the names, the numbers, and the addresses of every gambler, dog fighter, and dealer that did business with her.

"Holy moly," Cole said with a whistle.

"My thoughts exactly."

"What's that?" Romero asked as he came up and looked over his shoulder. "Jesus H. Christ. We've been looking for some of these people and this is a whole book full."

"Us too. I'll call in the office. Operation Round Up starts in thirty minutes if Marshall will allow us access to that book." Cole said, looking at Marshall, raising his eyebrow in question.

"If we can meet at the FBI office in thirty, we can contact the agencies here and in Louisville, Nashville, and Knoxville. By morning we can round up everyone in this book." Romero had the look of a boy on Christmas morning as he stared at the names within the book.

"I'll put this into your custody as soon as Annie logs it into evidence. Get to it men." Marshall handed the book to Annie who slipped it into a clear evidence bag and started to label it.

He saw Katelyn stand up out of the corner of his eye. She was still surrounded by her grandparents, Paige, and the rest of the group of friends. She looked at him, and when her eyes met his he felt his heart break. She was so pale and she looked so lost and so tired. Marshall went to her then, no longer being able to stop the pull he felt when near her.

"Are you okay sweetheart?"

"Yes. Ruffles saved me, again. She jumped on me and pushed me to the ground," she said in awe.

"I think you have two dogs that need big treats when they get home," he bent down and gave each dog a hug as they wagged their tails. With all tension removed, they nudged each other playfully.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. Let's get our girls home Sweet Pea." Beauford put his arm around Katelyn as Mrs. Wyatt took the dogs' leashes.

Now was not the time to tell her he loved her. He sighed and gave her a weak smile as she turned one last time to look at him before being put into Mrs. Wyatt's Lincoln, which Henry had just brought around for them.

"Mrs. Wyatt?" Marshall asked, his head tilted to the side as he looked at the car.