A Father's Justice Pt. 06

From what he and Jones saw, it appeared that at least 15 people had been staying here full time. Surely, Knight wouldn't have left them here without transportation. And could someone really have heard the gunfire from 12 miles away? Something didn't make sense here, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Okay, lets get on outta here," he said. "I'm tired and I could use some sleep."

"Sure, boss," Jones said.

...

Ryan finished making his calls and went back in the house. Sarah was playing with little Ryan out by the pool, so he went into his office. He knew he would have to get rid of any evidence from last night's raid, so he disassembled the weapons he and Smith used, cleaned them thoroughly and placed them in a box. He would have to get rid of them, but how?

He picked up his desert camouflage and the gloves he wore, and noticed the dried blood. His boots also had blood on them. He put it all in a bag and carried them to an incinerator by his pistol range where he burned most of his trash. He put the clothing in the unit, along with his garbage and fired it up, hoping it would do the trick.

He took the box of pistol parts and dug a hole by the range, covering the box with dirt. He knew he would have to eventually dump the parts somewhere else, but at least this would get them out of the house.

He got back and had just cleaned up when he heard a car pull into his driveway. He looked and saw it was Sheriff Coltrane. He looked around to make sure there was nothing incriminating in the open, then opened the door and went outside.

"Good morning, Sheriff," Ryan said as he stepped onto his porch. "What can I do for you this morning?" Sheriff Coltrane came up to the porch and offered his hand, which Ryan accepted. "Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea?"

"No, but thanks for asking anyway, Mr. Caldwell," he said. "Mind if we talk for a couple minutes?"

"Not at all, Sheriff," Ryan said. "Have a seat. Mind if I light up?"

"Your house," the sheriff said. "Mind if I join ya?"

"Help yourself," Ryan said, lighting up a cigarette.

"How's Beverly these days?" Sheriff Coltrane asked.

"Doing quite well, thanks for asking," Ryan said. "She's out delivering eggs this morning."

"Yeah, I saw her over by the Jennings place," the sheriff said. "You two getting along okay?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I asked her to marry me," Ryan said. "And she said yes."

"Good for you," Sheriff Coltrane said. "Congratulations. I knew the two of you would hit it off." he took a long drag off his cigarette before continuing. "I see y'all got home safe and sound last night. Everything go okay?"

"Yeah, it did, thanks," Ryan said. He knew the sheriff was toying with him and waited for the other shoe to drop.

"You see the news this morning?" the sheriff asked. Here it comes, Ryan thought.

"You mean about the incident in New Mexico last night?" Ryan asked. "Yes, I did."

"Interesting, the FBI guy they interviewed was the same fella I talked to last night," Sheriff Coltrane said. "I took a look at my map, and noticed that camp's not too far from where I left you at the state line last night. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Ryan shrugged his shoulders. He looked at the sheriff and tried to read his expression, but was unable to. He thought for a moment and made a decision. He hoped it was the right one.

"They had my daughter and my grandson," Ryan said quietly. "They were going to rape her then sell her off and do God knows what to the boy if the feds didn't back down from prosecuting Knight Petroleum." He looked at the sheriff, but was still unable to read his face. "Tell me, sheriff, what would you have done if it was your daughter? Your grandson?"

"Well, Ryan," the sheriff said. "May I call you Ryan?" Ryan nodded his head. "I reckon if it were me, I'd move heaven and earth to get 'em back." The sheriff looked at him hard before continuing. "You know, Ryan, I may be a country sheriff, but I'm not stupid," he added, his west Texas accent all but gone. Ryan looked at him, confused. "I figured it was something like that. I understand the secrecy, but I just wished you would've told me up front." Ryan nodded his head.

"So, what are ya gonna do now?" Ryan asked. Sheriff Coltrane shook his head.

"Nothing I can do or say, even if I wanted to, which I don't," he said. "That FBI fella swore me to secrecy, remember? Besides, there ain't no law against riding in a van late at night. At least not in this county. Far as I'm concerned, if you took that bunch out, you did us all a big favor." Ryan chuckled, noticing the accent had returned. Who was this guy, really, he asked himself.

"Speaking of the law," Sheriff Coltrane added. "You ever consider going into law enforcement?" Ryan laughed.

"Seriously?" he asked. "I'm an old man, and I only have one eye." Sheriff Coltrane laughed.

"Old?" he asked. "Son, I'm a lot older than you. Besides, I have to deal with this," he said, lifting one trouser leg to reveal a prosthetic limb.

"So, why are you asking me?" Ryan said. "I've never done police work in my life, and I'm too old to start out at the bottom."

"Fortunately, that's not a requirement to be sheriff in this county," the sheriff said. "Sheriffs here are appointed by a county board, based on recommendations from local citizens."

"That's all well and good, but where are you going?" Ryan asked.

"I'm planning to retire in a couple months," the sheriff said. "Been thinking about who might be best to take my place."

"Surely you have deputies who would be far more qualified than me," Ryan said.

"Yeah, they're a good bunch of fellas alright," Sheriff Coltrane said. "Hell, one of 'em even served on the LAPD before coming here. But none of 'em want the job. I already asked."

"Why me, then?" Ryan asked.

"Folks here like you," the sheriff said. "They all say you're a good man, and I agree. Besides, you command respect. Trust me, it's a lot safer than what you did before you moved here." Ryan looked at him, shocked.

"Oh yeah," the sheriff said. "I know all about you. You're not the only one with friends, you know. Does Beverly know?"

"Yes, she does," Ryan said.

"And she's okay with it?" Ryan nodded his head.

"Well, there ya go," the sheriff said.

"If I do this, will you at least help snap me in?" Ryan asked.

"Of course," Sheriff Coltrane said. "I wouldn't just throw you to the wolves."

"I have a few loose ends to tie up and I'd have to talk with Beverly about it first," Ryan said.

"I'd expect nothing less," the sheriff said.

"When do you need to know?" Ryan asked.

"Anytime in the next few days will work. Just don't wait too long, though," the sheriff said. "You let me know, and I'll put in my recommendation to the board. By the way, when are you and Beverly getting married?"

"We haven't set a date yet," Ryan said.

"Well, I'd appreciate an invitation," the sheriff said. "Believe it or not, I think the world of her. She's been through a lot."

"Consider it done," Ryan said. "By the way, why don't you come on in and meet my daughter and grandson?"

"I'd love to," he said. "And please, call me Russell, willya?"

"Okay, Russell," Ryan said. They went inside and saw Bob, Sarah and little Ryan in the kitchen. Sarah looked up as they walked in.

"Bob, Sarah, this is Sheriff Russell Coltrane," Ryan said. "Russell, this is my daughter, Sarah, her husband, Bob and my grandson, Ryan." Russell smiled as he gave Sarah a hug, then shook Bob's hand. He knelt down to say hello to little Ryan, but the youngster held on to Sarah's leg.

"It's okay, young feller," Russell said. "I'm a friend of your granddad's." Little Ryan looked up at Sarah then at Ryan, who smiled and nodded his head. Slowly, he let loose of Sarah's leg and held out his hand. Russell smiled and took the boy's hand in his and gently shook. Russell stood up and looked at Sarah.

"That's quite a young fella you got there," he said. Sarah smiled nervously as she thanked him.

"It's alright, sweetheart," Ryan said. "He knows." Russell nodded his head.

"Are you alright?" Russell asked her.

"Yes, we're doing fine, thanks," she said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Russell said.

"Are you going to," she began before Russell shook his head.

"Arrest your father?" he asked, finishing her question. She nodded her head. He shook his head before speaking. "No, I'm not. Hell, I'd have done the same thing if it were my daughter. In fact, I'd like your dad to take over when I retire."

"Really?" she asked, shocked.

"I can't think of anyone better to protect the folks in these parts," Russell said.

"Wow," she said, smiling. "My dad, the sheriff." Ryan shrugged his shoulders.

"Are you gonna do it, Dad?" Bob asked.

"Well, I need to talk it over with Beverly first and I have a couple loose ends to deal with, but I think so," Ryan said.

"Well, congratulations, Sheriff," Bob said, holding out his hand. Ryan smiled as he shook Bob's hand.

"Well, folks," Russell said. "I've got to be going. Good meetin' y'all."

"Good meeting you, Sheriff," Bob said. Ryan walked Russell to the door just as Beverly drove up. They met in the driveway.

"Hey, Beverly," Russell said.

"Hello, Sheriff," she said. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine dear," Ryan said. "He knows." She looked at Russell, wondering if he was taking her husband away.

"It's alright, darlin'," Russell said.

"So you're not going to arrest Ryan?" she asked.

"Arrest him?" Russell asked. "Hell no. I plan to make him sheriff." She looked at him shocked.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Well, the final decision is up to the county board, of course, but if I have my way, yes," Russell said.

"I haven't said yes yet," Ryan said. "I told him I needed to talk to you first."

"Thank you for that," she said. "Personally, though, I think it'd be a great idea. It'd get you out of the house anyway," she added with a smile. Russell laughed before continuing.

"By the way, I hear congratulations are in order," he said. "You're daddy would be so proud."

"Thank you," she said. Suddenly her face changed. "Oh my God, that reminds me."

"What?" Ryan asked.

"Who's gonna walk me down the aisle?" she asked. Ryan looked at her for a moment, then they both turned to Russell. Beverly spoke up first. "Sheriff, I hate to ask, but would you..."

"What? Walk you down the aisle? Why, I'd be proud to, Beverly," Russell said. "That is, if Ryan doesn't mind."

"Not at all," Ryan said. "In fact, I can't think of anyone better."

"Well then," Russell said. "It's settled." Beverly wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek."

"Thank you so much," she said.

"You're welcome," he said. "But only if you start calling me Russell."

"I will, Sher, er, Russell," she said.

"Well, I'd better be getting," Russell said, opening his car door. "Y'all have a good day, y'hear?"

"Will do, Russell," Ryan said. "And I'll call when I get back. I wanna talk to you a bit about this before I make a final decision."

"Sounds good, Ryan," Russell said. "See ya then." They waved as Russell drove off. Ryan helped her carry her things into the house and poured her a glass of tea.

"So, what happened?" she asked when he handed her the tea.

"Did you hear the news this morning?" Ryan asked.

"I heard something about it on the radio," she said. "They're suggesting it was a drug cartel or something."

"Well, as I suspected, Russell saw the report and put the pieces together," Ryan said. "He came out to talk to me about it. I thought for a moment he was going to arrest me, but he didn't. Said Smith swore him to secrecy. He also said he knows about my past. He had every right to put me in cuffs and haul me off, but he didn't. Instead, he says he wants me to take over his job when he retires."

"I guess someone's looking out for you," Beverly said.

"Reckon so," he said. "So, how'd it go with you today?"

"Went very well," she said. "I picked up a couple more customers today."

"Good," Ryan said. "By the way, I've got reservations to fly the kids back set for this afternoon. I didn't want to leave until you got back."

"I appreciate that," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't wake you up this morning, but I figured you'd be plum tuckered out. I know I was."

"Thanks, I appreciate that, but you still should've woken me up," he said. "I'd have gladly helped you out."

"I know, but I wanted you to get some sleep," she said. "Speaking of sleep, I'm wiped. I hope you don't mind if I go home and crash."

"I don't mind a bit," he said. "You deserve a good night's sleep."

"Thanks," she said, standing up. He took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

"I love you so much," he said. She smiled and kissed him back.

"I love you more," she said. "Call me tonight, okay? I wanna make sure you got there okay."

"I will," he said. "You run on home now. I'll call you this evening. Maybe when I get back you can model those little shorts for me again."

"Maybe I'll make a new pair, just for you," she said with a wicked gleam in her eye. They held each other for a bit, looking in each other's eyes.

"Okay guys," Sarah called from the kitchen. "There's young eyeballs here." Ryan and Beverly smiled and turned to Sarah who was holding little Ryan. The boy looked at Beverly, somewhat frightened. Beverly walked over to the young boy and ran her hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, we've never really met," Beverly said.

"Are you grandpa's friend?" little Ryan asked.

"Yes, she is," Sarah told him. "In fact, she's gonna be your new grandma." The boy looked at Beverly for a moment, confused.

"Are you really gonna be my new grandma?" he asked. Beverly smiled and nodded her head.

"Yes, I am," she said. "Is that okay with you?" The boy thought for a moment before answering.

"Are you gonna help grandpa find his eye?" he asked.

"If he wants me to, yes," Beverly said. Ryan looked as if he was deep in thought. Then he looked up at her.

"Okay then," he said. "You can be my new grandma." Beverly smiled and took the boy in her arms.

"Thank you," she said. "That means so much to me."

"You're welcome," he said. Beverly stood up and looked at Sarah.

"He's a lovely boy," she said. "Reminds me of my own son. Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to run home and get some much needed sleep."

"Sure, Mom, you've earned it," Sarah said, hugging her. Beverly's eyes watered as she heard Sarah call her "Mom." They broke apart and Beverly headed for the door.

"Don't forget to call," she said as she opened the door.

"I won't, dear," Ryan said. He walked to her and gave her one more kiss. "Have a good sleep, okay?"

"Don't worry, I'll be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow," she said. He watched as she walked to her car. He waved when she left and saw her wave back.

"She's gonna be good for you, Dad," Sarah said from the kitchen. "I just know it."

"I know," Ryan said. "Well, are y'all about ready to leave? The plane leaves at 2:00."

"Just about," Bob said. "I'm just finishing up."

"Well hurry up, we need to get going," Ryan said.

"On my way," Bob hollered back. Ryan shook his head.

"Kids," he said jokingly. "Take a bullet and they think they can get away with anything." Sarah laughed.

"It's good to see you joke, Dad," she said. He smiled as he gave her a hug. Bob came back downstairs carrying a suitcase.

"Okay, I'm ready," Bob said. "Let's hit the road." Sarah chuckled as Ryan shot her a sarcastic look. He checked the doors and grabbed his duffel bag, then followed Sarah and Bob out the door. His phone buzzed when he parked the truck, letting him know he got a message. He pulled his phone out and saw he got a text from Agent Smith.

"Long day," the message said. "Watch tonight's news. Interesting developments. Call me after. Gotta get some sleep. Too old for this shit." Ryan chuckled and put his phone away. He was curious to see what Smith had to say.

They headed into the terminal, checked in and headed for the security area. His phone buzzed again, and he saw it was a call from Bill.

"Yeah," he said when he answered.

"Verified that Jake has a court appearance at 8:00 tomorrow morning," Bill said. "Also took a look and found they're going to be doing maintenance on the video surveillance system all day tomorrow. I think they're gearing up for possible protests and such."

"Interesting," Ryan said. "That's good to know."

"I thought so as well," Bill said. "So, how'd it go with the sheriff?"

"He figured it out," Ryan said.

"What? And you're still walking around free?" Bill asked.

"Yeah," Ryan said. "In fact, he wants me to take over as sheriff."

"Damn," Bill said. "Talk about luck."

"Tell me about it," Ryan said. "Anyway, we're getting ready to board the flight now. I'll call you later. Oh, Smith texted me, said to watch the news tonight. Maybe you can catch it while you're on the road."

"Yeah, sure, will do," Bill said. "That's pretty much all they've been talking about today. Knight Petroleum is taking a beating on the market."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of assholes," Ryan said. "Talk to ya later."

"Okay, boss, talk to you later," Bill said, ending the call. They finally settled into their seats and were sound asleep by the time the aircraft reached its altitude. When the plane landed, they disembarked, grabbed their luggage and headed for the car rental where Ryan got a nondescript sedan.

After they arrived at Bob and Sarah's home, Ryan and Bob put everything away. Fortunately, most of the mess left behind by the abduction had already been cleaned up, but the house still smelled of bleach and antiseptic. Sarah opened the windows to air the place out. Bob grabbed a couple beers, handing one to Ryan. They sat in the front room and turned on the news.

They listened as the anchor read off a few local reports, but their eyes were soon glued to what was hailed as "breaking news."

"This just in to Eyewitness News," the anchor said. "Federal authorities have released the names of those killed in a raid on a New Mexico retreat owned and operated by Knight Petroleum. According to officials, the casualty list includes six of the seven members of the company's board of directors, including Elmer Jenkins, the chairman of the board.

"That follows reports from the UK that say another board member, Colin Blackstone, was found dead in Manchester," the anchor said. "In addition, the chief financial officer of Knight Petroleum was found dead in New Mexico. We now turn to Brenda Carpenter, reporting from El Paso. Brenda..." The scene shifted to an attractive blonde standing outside a tall building, presumably in El Paso, Texas.

"Yes, Jerry, thank you," she said. "We spoke to federal officials earlier, and they informed us that in addition to the Knight executives, at least four Mexican nationals were among those killed in New Mexico. Additionally, a large cache of drugs and guns were found at the facility, leading investigators to suspect involvement of a drug cartel." Suddenly, Smith's face appeared on the screen, his eyes covered with a pair of extremely dark glasses.

"We are still going through all the evidence that's been collected," Smith said. "But at this point, we believe the compound was targeted by a drug cartel."

"Can you confirm reports that claim the site was used for illicit sex parties and human trafficking?" one reporter asked.

"The evidence we have seen so far would suggest that is the case," Smith said.

"There have also been reports that two of your agents were killed in Central City," another reporter said. "From what we were told, they were protecting the daughter of Lisa Knight, the interim Knight CEO who was gunned down in a company parking lot. Can you confirm that report and is it related to this incident?"