Follow the Evidence (A Mac Everett Mystery Book 2) (31 page)

“I can tell you don’t believe
that,” she said, “It’s in your eyes.” Her voice was weaker. “Is Lia all right?”

“Yeah, she’s OK,” I said.

“She’s a good kid,” she said. “I
tried to help her.”

“Yeah, she is,” I agreed.

“Could you have loved me?” she
asked. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

I nodded. “Yeah, I could have,” I
said.

Her face lit up for a moment then
she passed out.

“But loving me can cost ya,” I
mumbled. I eased her to the floor.

As I stumbled toward the stairs, I
noticed Jennifer cowering in the corner. I grabbed her by the hand and dragged
her up the stairs.

“Mac,” Lia said as I got to the
bridge. “I got the Coast Guard.” She noticed the blood on my head and gut.
“You’re hurt.”

“Find the first aid kit will ‘ya.
Look for some gauze,” I replied. I grabbed the mic.

“Motor yacht
Wind Chaser
,
Motor yacht
Wind Chaser
-This is the United States Coast Guard, heave to
immediately. Assistance is enroute. ETA twenty minutes.”

“Understood, Coast Guard. Stopping
engines now,” I replied.

“That looks like a throttle,” I
said to Lia. I pointed at two sets of double handles. “Pull them toward you.”

Lia pulled the handles and the big
boat came off plane nearly throwing us to the deck.

“Good job,” I said. “Now help me
with the first aid kit.

Twenty minutes later Rescue Swimmer
Marty Webber was on deck assessing my wounds.

“You’re lucky, Mr. Everett,” Webber
said. “It’s a good thing you had that field dressing. It slowed the bleeding.”

“Lia did all the hard work,” I
replied. I hugged Lia’s shoulder. “Marty, how’s the woman below?

“She’s lost a lot of blood, but I
think she’ll be OK,” he said. “I’m going to send you and the three ladies up to
the chopper. You’ll be in a hospital in forty minutes. A cutter isn’t far
behind.”

“…so then Ben tells ‘em, you go
look at ‘em for yourself,” Roscoe said.

He had his feet up on my hospital
bed and his hands behind his head basking in his ability to tell war stories
again.

“I can’t believe they sent three
rookie deputies to a call like that,” I said. “I bet took ‘em a month to write
the report.”

“Stan straightened ‘em out, pretty
quick,” he replied.

“I’m sure he did,” I said.

“One of the deputies is dating one of
them girls now,” he said. He pulled his feet off the bed, sat up, and slapped
his knee. “Yep, the one with the short dark hair that was close to the
door-remember her? He’s dating her.”

“There ought to be a law,” I said.

“Yeah,” he laughed. “Has Stan been
in to see you?”

“He came twice. He didn’t stay long
or say much,” I said. “He took a lot of heat over this mess. There’s going to
be…”

There was a knock at the door and a
round red face poked through the door. Sheriff Winton stepped into the room.

“Mr. Everett,” he said. “I see
you’re up to visitors. Do you mind one more?”

“I can come back,” Roscoe said.

“Thank you,” the sheriff said. “We
have some business to discuss.”

I didn’t like the sound of that.

“See you late,” Roscoe said as
waved.

“OK, See you,” I replied.

“Sheriff,” Roscoe said as he nodded
to my new visitor.

When Roscoe was gone, the sheriff
pulled the room’s only chair closer to the bed and took a seat.

“Are they treating you…?”

“Come on sheriff, out with it,” I
said.

He ran his hand over his florid
face.

“Have you heard how Ms. Massey is
doing?” he asked. “No one seems willing to tell me.”

“Only that she pulled through,” I
replied. “We’ve learned something else though.”

He had a puzzled look, as though he
questioned what he should say.

“Are you going to tell me?” I
asked. “She did string me along but she saved my life.”

“We’ve confirmed Ms. Massey was an
FBI informant,” he blurted out. I was as though he couldn’t believe it himself.
“The Federal authorities…”

“You’re kidding me,” I said as I
sat up in the bed.

“Seems she was involved with a drug
dealer she was investigating out in LA,” he said. “She leaked some information
that blew a big drug bust. The Feds found out and leveraged her cooperation in
exchange for...”

“They do that,” I said. “Was there
a gun fight? Were any cops killed?”

“No, it was just an information
leak,” he replied. “The FBI turned her. She worked for them while appearing to
go along with the dealer. His name was Munoz. She’ll get immunity.

Randi was involved with Munoz.
Perfect. What a five star chump I’d been.

“Oh of course,” I replied. What
will happen…?

“She’s gone…witness protection,” he
said. “We didn’t even get a chance to interview her.”

“Perfect,” I said. “Now I’ll get
indicted for doing my job. What more could go wrong?”

“Everett, I asked you for a favor
and it got you shot up and in hot water,” he said. “I’ve talked to everyone
involved. Information you developed led to the release of the nine abducted
women here and a dozen more in the Bahamas. I don’t know what you could have
done differently.”

“Let’s hope a grand jury agrees
with you,” I said.

“There’s not going to be a grand
jury,” he said.

“What?”

“I’ve already cleared it with the State’s
Attorney,” he replied. “The grand jury has been canceled and you work for me.
I’m back dating your deputy sheriff appointment to the day we spoke, November
14,” he said.

I was speechless. The last sheriff
had tried to run over me with a fleet of trucks. This guy was sticking his neck
out for me.

“I can’t let you do that,” I said.
“It won’t hold up and you’ll be in trouble too.”

“Everyone who could object is
onboard,” he said. “It’s settled.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I said.

“Don’t say anything-to anyone.
Let’s keep this as…”

“I told you before, I don’t play
that way,” I said. “If this is an embarrassment for you…”

“No. it’s not about me,” he said.
“It’s to keep the affair out of the media for the time being. Jennifer Parker
is a cooperating Federal witness against Diego Sebastian. Randi Massey gave a
detailed deposition. The FBI promised us a copy, but we haven’t seen it yet.
The FBI, Interpol, the Coast Guard, even some office at the UN has a piece of
this. Nine countries are preparing to take Sebastian’s organization apart based
on the Intel discovered on that yacht. We have to keep things quiet until
everything is in motion. Going after you…”

“Going after me would upset the
apple cart,” I said. “I get it.”

“So you go on the county payroll
for a...”

“…a limited time,” I said. I
nodded. I was beginning to get the picture.

“That’s right,” he said. “If you
were acting in an official capacity, we can legitimately call it an ongoing
investigation.”

I’d taken Sergio’s operation down.
His records would keep the authorities busy searching for abducted women for at
least a year. The information on Diego Sebastian’s organization would dry up
two thirds of the drug and weapons smuggling in the Americas. My lone regret
was losing Madison. She knew the risks, but I brought a load of hurt to town
and she paid for it with her life.

“I have one condition,” I said.

“Oh, I’m not sure I can…”

“It’s a simple request,” I said. “I
want a scholarship fund for Lia Green. She’s going to finish Business College
soon. After that she’s go to the university. We’re going to pay for it.”

“We?” he asked.

“I’ve already started an account
for her. You’re going to help fund it.”

“You’re a funny sort of guy, Mac,”
he said. “Just when I think I’ve figured you, you do something like this.” He
had an odd half smile. After a moment, he nodded. “Done,” he said. “I’ll take
care of it personally.” He reached out and shook my hand.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Thank you, Deputy Everett.”
Sheriff Winton said.

I had a rough time in the hospital.
Munoz just grazed my head, but the belly wound needed two surgeries. The
infection that set in nearly did what IEDs, snipers, and thugs couldn’t. They
called it peritonitis, but to me it just hurt like hell. I missed the reunion
I’d help arrange between Danny Lewis and his Coast Guard rescuers. Lia
presented him with a Wheel Bright for his bike. She brought me a picture and
the hug the boy sent my way.

Eight weeks after becoming a secret
backdated sheriff’s deputy the infection finally resolved. I was ready to go home.
Stan, Roscoe, and Lia were there for my release.

“With this crowd to see you off
you’d think you didn’t like us, Mr. Everett,” Claire, my favorite nurse, said
as she helped me into a wheelchair.

“Nothing personal,” I said.

“We’re glad to see you recovered,”
she said. She patted my hand.

We commandeered our own elevator
and filled it with chatter.
I’m going home.

“Did you bring the Camaro?” I asked
Lia.

“Of course,” she replied, “but
you’re sure you want to drive?”

“I’ve been dreaming of this day,” I
said. “I’m going to scream out of here and get a speeding ticket just for the
sheer pleasure of it.”

Claire rolled me from the elevator
and out to the curb. Lia handed the valet a ticket and he jogged off to
retrieve my car. The sidewalk was crowded with people, patients walking, and
men and women in white coats and scrubs scurrying about.

“Can we get something to eat?” I
asked. “I’m ready for some real food.”

“How about that seafood place,
Murray’s on 436 you like?” Roscoe suggested as the valet drove up in my Camaro.

“OK, who wants to ride with me?” I
said as I eased out of the wheelchair. I was weak but determined to leave under
my own steam.

Roscoe said, “I didn’t like riding
with you when…”

I don’t know what caught my
attention. It could have been the emaciated figure in the crowd or his limp or
the fedora pulled down to obscure his face. No one wears a fedora any more.
Whatever it was, my attention shifted to the man.

“Hey. Are you paying attention?”
Stan said. “Focus, Mac. Where’re we going to eat?”

“Sorry,” I murmured. “Murray’s
sounds fine.”

“What’s the plan?” I asked. “Who’s
going with who?” I turned to try to spot the man, but I couldn’t pick him out.
I tried to hone in on why he was familiar.

“You OK, Mac?” Roscoe said.

“It’s nothing,” I said.

I looked behind me, but still
couldn’t spot him.

“What are all these people doing
here,” I said to no one in particular.

My friends stopped their chatter
and scowled at me.

“Are you OK?” Roscoe asked.

I didn’t know what to say. I was all
right but
something
was wrong.

“I thought I saw…”

“What’s got you spooked,” Stan
said. He pulled up his shirttail and put his hand on his Glock.

Like a slap on the back of the
head, it came to me, but in the same instant, I saw Diego Sebastian coming toward
us, a gun in his hand.

“Stan, gun-behind you,” I shouted.

My friend drew his weapon as he
turned to meet the threat. “Deputy Sheriff,” he shouted. Drop your weapon,
now!”

“You killed my son,” Diego
Sebastian shouted as he limped toward me, his gun hand extended.

I pushed Lia to the sidewalk.
Before I could turn to face the gunman, someone shoved me down too. I fell
covering Lia with my body.

I heard Stan shout again. “Drop it,
now.”

Before the sound of his voice had faded,
the air erupted with the sound and smell of gunfire. The crowd scattered in a
gale of screams. I turned to see who was on top of me. Randi had appeared out
of nowhere and put herself between my assassin and me. Now she lay bleeding on
the sidewalk.

“Where did you come from?” I said.
“You saved...”

“Save it,” she said. She was
holding her left shoulder. Blood was seeping between her fingers. “Shit,” she
said with a grimace. “It’s almost the same place Sergio shot me.”

“Will you get off me?” Lia said as
she pushed me aside and sat up. She saw Randi and her hands went to her mouth
as her eyes went wide with fear.

Ten feet to my right, Stan knelt
next to the body of Diego Sebastian as it laid half in the gutter. We wouldn’t
have to worry about him anymore.

“Are you all right?” Stan asked,
glancing over at me.

I nodded. “Randi’s hit,” I said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I
noticed Roscoe pull out his phone. I guessed he was calling for help, but we
were already at the hospital.

“What happened?” Lia asked.

“Yeah, what did just happen,” I
said. “I thought you were gone-in witness protection.”

“I had to see you one last time,”
she said. “I was going to just stand in the crowd, but I saw Sebastian…Mac,
you’re hurt.”

There was blood on my shirt,
Randi’s blood.

“No, I’m OK,” I said. “A stain is
the price I pay for you letting you stand behind me.”

She smiled, took my hand, and
closed her eyes.

“Mac,” Lia whispered, “what just
happened?” She slipped her arms around me as we huddled together on the
sidewalk.

How do I answer her?
I
looked at Randi, and then into Lia’s her beautiful green eyes, and said, “The
book’s just closed on a ton of heartache.”

I hope you enjoyed
Follow the Evidence.
While this story is fictional, the crime of human
trafficking is real. During the final preparation of this novel three
individuals were convicted of Human Trafficking of a child for sexual purposes
in my own community. Please educate yourself and check out the resources about
this crime.

Word of mouth is
critical for any author’s success.
It would be immensely helpful if you
would post a review for this book on Amazon.com, even if it is only a sentence
or two and give this book as many stars as you think it deserves.

Thank you very
much. I hope you will look for additional Mac Everett Mysteries and other
stories coming in the near future.

Nick Vellis