Bones and Brew Page 10

  He once again thanked her for understanding, turned, and jogged toward the elevator.

  A thousand thoughts about Louise, all of them bad, and what she might have gotten herself into cluttered his mind. Couldn’t help but recall her run-ins with the Jones brothers and how she survived relatively unscathed. “Might not be as fortunate this time,” he muttered to himself as he climbed into his shiny new pickup.

  Once on the highway, he set the cruise control at seventy-five miles-per-hour. “I haven’t spoken to you for a long time, God,” he prayed aloud. “I’ve been angry at you for Martha’s cancer and for taking her from me. Yet, you also know I’ve praised you for the lives of my sons and grandchildren.

  “So I ask you, beg you, please keep Lou safe. If you need to take someone from this earth today, spare Lou and take me.” Chuckling, he wiped the welling tears from his eyelids with the side of his hand. “I’d prefer, however, that you spared us both.” He sniffled and slightly bowed his head while keeping an eye on the road. “Thy will be done. Amen.”

  Almost instantly, warmness engulfed him. Peacefulness showered over him, filling his heart with a knowing everything would be okay. He glanced up at the brilliant white clouds contrasting against the azure sky and whispered, “Thank you.”

  After driving in silence for about ten minutes, “I promise, God, to never take another moment with Louise for granted,” he pledged. “And I promise myself not to let another moment in Louise’s presence go by without letting her know how much she means to me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  On the Hunt

  “I’m impressed.” Ruben unlatched the carrying case from the backseat. “A quadcopter equipped with thermal imagining.”

  “I just got Sanders yesterday.” Milt attached Ben’s leash before releasing his seat belt harness. “It wasn’t supposed to be delivered until today or tomorrow.”

  “It’s mind-boggling how the Universe works.” Alton pointed to the sky. “I believe someone’s watching over Mrs. T.”

  Ruben opened the case and assessed the contents. “You named your drone, Sanders. Why?”

  “I’m a bit of a dinosaur enthusiast. Sanders is short for pelagornis sandersi. The extinct bird had teeth and a wingspan of seven feet.” He patted the dash of the UTV. “This is Sarah, short for triceratops.”

  “You gotta have something named after a T-rex somewhere,” Alton chuckled.

  “My big red Ford Explorer.”

  Ben jumped out of the UTV and bolted to the trail, about jerking Milt’s arm out of the socket.

  “Whoa, Boy.” Milt planted his feet and jerked back on the leash. “Ben’s restless. Do you guys know what to do with Sanders, and are we ready to rock and roll or not?” he asked, impatience underscoring his words.

  “Just checking out a few of Sanders’ components,” Ruben answered. “We’ll be ready in another minute or two.”

  “To a hostage, minutes seem like hours. Hours like days.” Alton twisted his wrist to look at his watch. “The Barrs have had Mrs. T for what must seem like a week to her.”

  Milt exhaled a deep breath, his attention cutting between Ruben and Alton. “I don’t doubt your ability to operate a quadcopter. I just ask that you take extra good care of Sanders. Lou dipped into the town’s emergency fund to buy it.”

  “Wise investment by a wise woman,” Alton offered.

  Milt quirked his lips. “Yesterday Lou said she hoped we could use the drone to rescue someone to prove to taxpayers and Chief Frampton that it was a valuable asset.” He lifted the dark blue TLFD cap off this head and rubbed his palm across his balding head. “I know she never dreamed its first mission would be attempting to find her.”

  “But knowing Mrs. T, she’d let herself become lost and need rescuing if it were for a good cause,” Alton said in a blatant attempt to lighten the mood.

  “Indeed.” Milt couldn’t agree more. He settled the ball cap back onto his head.

  “Once Ben picks up her scent and aims us in the right direction,” Ruben pointed with his fingers configured like a gun at the rocky trail, “I’ll launch Sanders. Then we’ll regroup back here at the UTV … I mean, Sarah.”

  “I’ll stay behind and radio in our latitude and longitude and wait for the MTAF cavalry.” Alton withdrew a small GPS locator from his pocket and pressed one of its buttons. “Once our backup arrives, the Barrs won’t know what hit them.”

  Which means Ben and I better rescue Lou so she doesn’t wind up as the MTAF’s collateral damage. Milt slacked the tension on Ben’s leash and whispered, “Go find your momma.”

  MINUTES LATER

  With Ben leading the way, Milt hanging on to the leash, and Ruben carrying Sanders, they traversed the rugged trail. Having traveled less than a city block, Ben suddenly stopped and pawed the ground.

  Keeping his voice barely audible, “What did you find?” Milt asked the dog. He stooped and lightly dragged his hand across the ground where Ben had dug.

  The tip of his middle finger connected with something thin and hard. Something that didn’t belong in nature.

  He pulled it up and gasped at the sight of the piece of sterling silver jewelry.

  Ruben crouched beside him and whispered, “What is it?”

  “Emilie’s ashes.” Milt’s pulse sped up. “Lou never takes off this necklace. She keeps her little girl’s ashes close to her heart.” He brushed the dirt and leaves from the broken delicate chain and heart-shaped locket. “It’s a clue she left on purpose and wanted us to find.”

  Panting, Ben sat staring at the necklace in Milt’s hand.

  “I don’t think Ben’s going to take us any farther.” Milt rose and dropped the necklace into his shirt pocket for safekeeping. “Lou must have known her scent would be lost. But why?” He scratched behind his ear, his mind searching for reasons. “I suppose they could have mounted a motorcycle or ATV.”

  He studied the ground, seeking tire tracks, but saw none. “The Barrs have wilderness smarts,” Milt whispered, thinking aloud. “They’re hunters and trackers. Putting myself in their shoes, if I wanted to make sure a person’s scent was lost, what would I do?” He rubbed the stubble on his chin, then jerked his head up. “I’d carry her!”

  “Logical.” Ruben nodded. “Good thinking.”

  Milt analyzed the mountainside. “The terrain is steep. The Barrs are acclimated to the altitude. They’re physically fit. Lou’s light. I estimate she weighs a hundred-fifteen or one-hundred-twenty pounds. Still…”

  “Could they have a cabin close by?”

  “Possible, but not probable. As you know from the summers spent working for the Forest Service, the mountains surrounding Tumble Lake are littered with caves.” He waved his pointer finger around at the side of the mountain. “I bet that’s where they’re holed up. In a cave close by.”

  “That makes sense.” Ruben set down the quadcopter case and opened it. “It’s time for Sander’s maiden search and rescue flight.”

  Milt surveyed the thick forest. “I hope you’re a good enough pilot to weave Sanders around all these trees.”

  “No need to weave through the trees.” Ruben flashed a grin. “I’ll pilot Sanders to soar above the trees, which is the beauty of heat-sensing technology.”

  Milt swatted at the gnats buzzing his sweaty head. “Wait a minute.” He sighed as a thought squashed his optimism. “If the Barrs are hiding in a cave, thermal optics won’t do us any good.”

  “That’s why you will have to draw them out. If we’re close to where they’re hiding, they’ll hear you call Lou’s name.” A sly grin grew on Ruben’s face. “That will shoot a jolt of panic through them.”

  Liking Ruben’s logic, Milt thrust two thumbs up at him.

  “If any of them so much as pokes a big toe out of the cave, our buddy Sanders,” he nodded at the drone, “will detect their body heat.” Ruben’s lips spread into a toothy full-watt smile. “Then they’re toast.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Barr’s Cave
Haven

  Cradling an antique gray tin cup between her bound hands, Louise guzzled the water Hyrum had gathered from the natural spring outside the cave. The cool water soothed her parched throat. “Ahhh,” she sighed with satisfaction. “Thank you. There’s nothing like the water Mother Earth offers up in artesian aquifers.” She returned the empty vessel to Hyrum and scrutinized her surroundings.

  Although nowhere near as sophisticated as the subterranean homes sometimes featured in magazines like Forbes, Popular Mechanics, or the Robb Report, the Barr’s cave provided the basics.

  Positioned against opposite walls, two dark brown tweed sofa sleepers. Pillows and folded blankets were neatly stacked on end tables. Several battery-operated lanterns on tables illuminated the space. A miniature potbelly stove surrounded by open shelves stocked with canned goods, pots, and dishes made up a kitchen area. A large wardrobe cabinet was placed next to a portable toilet with a brown classic tartan plaid shower curtain encircling it for privacy.

  The Barr’s cave offered more creature comforts than the rustic cabins she rented to outdoor adventure seekers!

  Louise sat on the edge of the sofa. She shifted her weight and cleared her throat. “Will you please untie me? You’re blocking the only exit, so there’s nowhere for me to run.” She spiked a brow and eyed Hyrum, Daniel, and Morton. “Not that I could outrun any of you.”

  “True.” Morton bobbed his head. “But that wouldn’t stop you from trying, would it?”

  “True,” Louise parroted back. “But only if the opportunity presented itself and I doubt you will afford me that chance.”

  “Dad always said you spoke your mind and were sometimes honest to a fault.” A grin widened Morton’s bearded face. “Miss Louise, I respect you for that.” He eyed Hyrum. “Go ahead and untie her hands and feet.” He looked at Louise. “And let’s get those scrapes on your arms and legs cleaned up.”

  “That would be wonderful.” Once free, Louise massaged her throbbing wrists.

  “Here’s a damp washcloth and antiseptic ointment for those abrasions,” Daniel said.

  “Thank you.” She dabbed the cool moist cloth on her superficial wounds. “If you don’t mind me asking,” she glanced up at the men, “have you considered how the fallout from this mess might impact your families?”

  Blank looks on the brothers’ faces revealed they hadn’t thought that far in advance.

  “Preston was the ringleader, right?” She focused on Morton who had clearly assumed the leadership role. “I gathered from your reaction, you weren’t involved in Preston’s operation when he said he planned to use the family brew to smuggle synthetic opioids.” She gently rubbed the ointment on her scraped up elbow.

  “What’s she talking about?” Hyrum eyed Morton for an explanation.

  Morton perched on the edge of the sofa across from Louise. He raked his fingers through his long beard for several seconds before responding. “Preston talked Dad into buying macadamia nuts—”

  “Kind of like the worm in tequila,” Daniel enthusiastically interjected, “a macadamia nut would be inserted into every bottle of Barr’s Brew.” He slapped his hand against the top of his thigh. “Great marketing angle if you ask me.”

  “Your father mentioned something about that when I saw him in town this morning.”

  Morton frowned. “Dad hit the roof when he discovered Preston schemed a way to use the macadamia nuts in our beer to smuggle and distribute his goodfellas across the country.”

  “Goodfellas?” Louise had no idea what Morton was talking about.

  “It’s the street name for a fentanyl-heroine cocktail,” Morton answered.

  Daniel widened his eyes, bells presumably sounding off in his head. “When Preston mentioned goodfellas were gonna make us rich, I thought he had some connection with the Mafia in Italy. Sure, I figured it might be a little underhanded. But I never dreamed when he said goodfellas he was referring to manufacturing and distributing an illegal drug.”

  Something didn’t make sense to Louise. Drug crimes fell under the purview of the Drug Enforcement Agency. She pressed for clarification. “Wait a minute. Wouldn’t the DEA be more interested in your brother’s production of goodfellas than the Militia Threat Assessment Force?”

  The tension in the room thickened like pudding.

  She gathered her long hair in her hand to make a ponytail and flipped it over her right shoulder. “If you want me to speak on your behalf to the MTAF, I better know what I’m up against,” she advised, sounding more like a criminal defense attorney than a hostage. “So it’s in your best interest to level with me.”

  “Check the perimeter,” Morton ordered Hyrum.

  “Excuse me, Miss Louise.” Hyrum stepped around her to the wardrobe next to the sofa and opened the double doors.

  Expecting clothing in the cabinet, she was surprised to see a bank of computer monitors sitting above a keyboard on a compact desk. “Wow. You have surveillance cameras?”

  “Yes, Ma’am. Solar charged and powered.” Hyrum pressed a button, bringing the monitors to life. He pulled a backless stool from under the desk and sat down.

  “Hyrum’s a computer genius,” Morton said. “Companies hire him to debug their software and create encryption programs to secure sensitive information.”

  Hyrum scrutinized the black and white pictures on the screen. “So far, all clear.”

  “I’ll take those if you’re done.” Daniel pointed to the washcloth and ointment Louise had set next to her on the couch.

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  He gathered the items and took them into the kitchen area.

  Louise rubbed her sweaty palms on her thighs, drying them on her shorts. “You were about to fill me in on why the MTAF would be interested in your family.”

  “Sometimes we help folks buy guns,” Daniel answered almost apologetically. Rather than looking Louise in the eyes, he stared at the cave’s rock floor.

  “You mean you make straw purchases?” Louise didn’t wait for a reply. “A straw purchase here and there, even if done on behalf of a convicted felon prohibited from owning or possessing firearms,” she glanced at Morton and the handgun holstered at his side, “is a matter for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Not the MTAF.” Louise’s knowledge of the different federal law enforcement branches stemmed from Tom sharing stories of his interactions with the various agencies.

  Hyrum and Daniel looked at Morton, plainly seeking permission to divulge more information.

  Morton cleared his throat. “We may have helped supply a few organizations with some AR-15s.”

  “Organizations?” Louise hiked eyebrows. “You mean militias?”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Morton coughed into the top of his fist.

  “Let me see if I understand.” Louise reined in the chastisement about to explode from her lips. “You guys purchase the type of rifles often used by lunatics to perpetrate mass shootings, for extremists groups in our country. Is that an accurate summary?”

  “When you put it that way,” Morton scowled, “you make what we do sound terrible.”

  “How would you put it?”

  Facing Louise on the opposite sofa, Morton sat up taller. A grin of superiority floated across his face. “Patriots helping fellow patriots in need.”

  Louise couldn’t keep her jaw from slacking and eyes ballooning.

  “Semantics, if you will,” Morton chuckled, his brothers joining in the laughter.

  “Was murdering Dot your idea of showing your patriotism?”

  “Dot was a spy. A thug hiding behind a badge aimed to take away everything we worked for,” Hyrum answered as if he had practiced that response. “Killing her was an act of self-defense.”

  “No different than a masked bandit kicking down your front door and threatening to take away your life,” Morton added. “Dot wore the mask of being a relative on vacation when, in fact, she intended to rob us of everything.” He hard-boiled his eyes into Louise. “Can you see where we
’re coming from?”

  In a way, a super twisted way, she saw his point. Sort of. In her own best interest, rather than offer a rebuttal, she readily agreed. “I never would have thought of it that way. From that perspective, I understand your logic.”

  “Lou? Louise Tumble, can you hear me?” a male voice called outside the cave.

  Morton, Hyrum, and Daniel leaped to their feet. Hyrum consulted the computer screens.

  Morton and Daniel drew their sidearms and hustled to the cave entrance.

  Daniel slowly opened the wood-slatted door. Though weathered gray, the construction reminded her of the makeshift pine coffin Porter had rescued her from.

  Heart pounding, Louise perked up. Tempted to yell a reply, her gut warned not to. Instead, she stretched her neck to see the surveillance camera screens.

  Hyrum pulled the wardrobe door shut slightly, blocking her view.

  Daniel slithered out the cave’s door.

  “Lou? Louise?” The man called out again.

  She recognized Milt’s voice. Her heart swelled with hope and pride. Ben had made it to the trading post and engaged Milt’s help. Her smart boy had led Milt to the necklace, and Milt found her!

  Morton looked over his shoulder at Louise and tapped his index finger over his lips, indicating she should remain quiet.

  Acknowledging his demand, she mimed zipping her mouth shut.

  Although thrilled to hear Milt’s voice, she doubted he was armed, tilting the odds greatly out of his favor. She also worried about Ben. Should they charge up the mountainside toward the cave, the Barrs wouldn’t think twice about riddling them with bullets. No way would she sit by idly with a chance Milt or Ben could be killed.

  “Ahem,” Louise cleared her throat. “Why don’t I acknowledge I’m okay and here with you three.” Her suggestion was a long shot, but she had to try. “If you want me to negotiate on your behalf, someone has to know where I am so we can get the conversation started.”

  Surprisingly, Morton nodded in agreement and motioned for her to come to the front of the cave.