If I Should Die

THIRTY-SIX

With Adam following in the ATV, Ricky drove his car to the Kelley Mine’s main entrance. He was worried about being seen, but it seemed Gary Clarke and Uncle Butch were still at the Foster house waiting to surprise Sean.

He was preparing to send Sean a message about the trap and tell him what he was doing, but as he was about to press send, he feared that Sean was already in trouble—or dead. Instead, he called. A man answered who sounded nothing like Sean. Ricky almost hung up, then the man said, “Who’s this?”

“Who’s this?” Ricky responded.

“FBI Special Agent Noah Armstrong. You’re calling the cellular phone of Sean Rogan.”

Ricky sighed in relief. “I’m Ricky Swain.”

“Are you all right?”

“Adam Hendrickson and I are looking for Tim. Three men came to the Foster house where we were hiding. They were driving Tim’s truck, and are now waiting at the Fosters’ for Sean to show up. My Aunt Bobbie wants him.”

“And you are looking for Tim Hendrickson where?” asked the FBI agent.

Ricky hesitated. How could he be certain the man he was talking to was a real agent? And even if he was, he could be a bad cop—Ricky knew Deputy Weddle worked for his aunt.

“You still there, Ricky?”

“Yes.”

“Sean’s partner Patrick is with me. He says Tim was heading to the mine.”

Ricky sighed audibly. He had to be legit, right? “I’m almost there.”

“I need to advise you that it could be dangerous. It would be safer if you came into town. We’re on our way to secure the Lock & Barrel and use it as a staging area.”

“Adam is worried about his brother. We’re headed to the mine first.”

He heard voices, but couldn’t understand what they were saying.

Then the cop said, “I’m not going to lie to you, Ricky. Your aunt has Sean.”

“It’s my fault. I should have found a way to warn him.” Ricky frowned, wishing he knew what to do.

“It wasn’t your fault, Ricky.”

In the dark, he almost missed the road that led to the main entrance to the Kelley Mine. He turned quickly, and his car bounced down the long gravel and dirt road leading to the entrance. Adam was still right behind him. “I’ll call you back,” he said. “I’m at the mine.”

“Ricky, promise me you’ll find a place to hole up or get to the Lock & Barrel,” the FBI agent said.

“All right.”

“Keep your phone on you.”

“I will.” He hung up and stopped his car in front of the boarded-up building.

Adam was off the ATV before Ricky got out of the car.

“Tim!” Adam called, heading toward the mine entrance.

The door to the boarded-up building opened, startling both of them. Ricky reached for his gun, then recognized Jon Callahan.

“Jon!”

Adam turned around. “Where’s my brother?”

“Gary Clarke shot him in the leg, but he’s okay. Ricky, give Adam your car keys. Adam, take Tim to your house. Stay there; it might be the only place you’re safe. Ricky, I need your help.”

Ricky walked toward Jon. He didn’t know what Jon had planned, but his mother had trusted him. Ricky needed to as well.

“No!” Tim shouted from inside.

“What’s going on?” Adam said running toward the building. When he passed Jon, Jon grabbed him and pushed him to the ground. A gun appeared in his hand and Jon ordered Ricky, “Take his gun.”

“What are you doing?” Adam asked. Ricky wasn’t sure if the question was addressed to him or Jon. “Dammit, Jon! Are you part of this?”

He shook his head. “I’m part of the solution.”

Ricky searched Adam and pulled his gun from his waistband. “I’m sorry.”

“Did you plan this?”

“No, but he won’t hurt anyone.”

Jon grunted out a bitter laugh. “Not anyone who doesn’t deserve it,” he said. “Adam, Bobbie had your father killed. I have no choice anymore. She has to be stopped.”

Adam slowly rose from the ground. “Sean told us he suspected my dad was killed because he’d contacted the authorities about some pot farms.”

“It wasn’t the marijuana; it’s so much bigger,” Jon said. “I turned my back on the pot because the town was surviving. What harm could growing a little weed do? It was better than the meth labs. But Joe figured out something else was going on. I agreed to help him find out what, but by then it was too late. Bobbie learned that Joe planned on turning over photographs he’d taken of her meeting with a gunrunner, a really nasty guy who’s on the Most Wanted list. It’s all coming to a head at dawn.”

“Bobbie has Sean,” Ricky said.

“I’m sorry.” Jon turned toward the building.

Adam grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. Jon pulled back, held up his gun. “Don’t do that again. I don’t want to shoot you, but a bullet in the leg will slow you down.”

“Didn’t you hear Ricky? Bobbie Swain took Sean. He’s in danger. You can’t let her hurt him.”

“I’m not letting her do anything,” Jon said. “Until this week, she thought I was still in her pocket, that I was another one of her loyal lap dogs. I haven’t been there for a long time. Just waiting for the right opportunity.” He shook his head and stepped into the building. “I waited too long. She killed Joe, she killed Victoria, and I’m not letting her live through the night. But first, I have to make her suffer.”

“Listen to yourself, Jon!” Tim spoke up from his spot on the lone metal chair in the building, which was really nothing more than a large, crumbling shack. His leg was bandaged, but he was pale and his eyes were bright with pain. Adam knelt by his side and checked the dressing.

“I know what I’m doing,” Jon said.

“Who’s Victoria?” Ricky asked.

“The woman I was going to marry.” Jon motioned to the last three boxes in the room. “Ricky, that’s the end of it. Grab them, one at a time, and take them to my truck.”

“Don’t help him,” Tim said.

Jon ignored the comment. “Ricky, I need you to help set the trap. It’s the only way I can make it work under the circumstances. It’s my leverage to get my aunt and uncle to safety, and Sean if I can. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you are safe. I owe it to your mother. I owe it to Jimmy.”

“Jimmy?”

“I couldn’t protect him, but I never wanted him to die.”

Ricky asked, “Why did Bobbie kill him?”

“She didn’t want him dead,” Jon said. “She was furious that Victoria’s body had been found. Jimmy didn’t dump Victoria into the pit like she ordered. He’d laid her out properly. I promised him I was going to bury her this summer …” His voice trailed off.

“I don’t understand,” Ricky said.

“Victoria was my fiancée. I loved her. She was helping me plan a way to take down Bobbie, but Bobbie found out she was a Fed. And it’s my fault she’s dead because I told her it had to be off the books, I just needed some information. I didn’t want her to get involved, but she overstepped and Bobbie found out. I don’t know how, but she did.

“I couldn’t have her dumped at the bottom of the mine! She wasn’t garbage, she deserved a proper burial. Jimmy was just helping me. Tyler Weddle was freaking out that Bobbie had poisoned a federal agent, so Jimmy told him he’d take care of the body and Bobbie wouldn’t need to know he flaked.

“Reverend Browne ordered Gary Clarke to bring Jimmy in alive. Bobbie would have killed him after the deal was signed, sealed, and delivered tomorrow, because then she can disappear again. She’s real good at that. After she gets the money, she can hide. Certain people are definitely going to want her dead when we turn over the evidence that she killed her husband to start a drug war in Miami, all so she could prove something to God knows who.”

All this was overwhelming, but it came down to the fact that Ricky’s aunt was a monster. He picked up the box that Jon wanted him to carry. “Let’s go.”

“Thank you, Ricky.”

Adam said, “Don’t do it, Ricky. Don’t be part of this.”

“She killed your dad, Adam. She stole money. She is going to kill Sean Rogan, who you said was your friend. You don’t know Bobbie like I do.”

Jon said, “Adam, if you really want to help, get Henry and Emily out of the house.” He glanced at his watch and began to grow more impatient. “They’re tied up in the back bedroom, downstairs, where Uncle Henry moved my aunt after her stroke. I’m afraid Henry is going to do something rash, and I won’t be able to get to them for a while.”

“You should put aside whatever foolish plan you’ve made and help your family!” Tim shouted.

Adam concurred. “We’ll do it together.”

For a split second, Ricky thought Jon waffled. He had no idea what Jon wanted his help with, but right now he could go either way. Whatever Jon thought was best. Because he was right about Bobbie—she was pure evil. She had to be stopped before anyone else got hurt.

Jon shook his head. “Uncle Henry understands. I have to do this. Victoria deserved better.” To Ricky he said, “Take that box. We need to go.”

They loaded the last of the boxes into Jon’s truck while Adam helped Tim into the passenger seat of Ricky’s Camaro. “I hope you both know what you’re doing,” Tim said solemnly as they drove off.

Jon followed them up the mine road to the highway. Ricky said, “I want to help Sean. I barely know him, but he was trying to help me and I feel like I owe him. And what about your uncle?”

“I’m hoping that when we start this series of events that Bobbie will be distracted enough for Adam to get Henry and Emily out of the house. I’d planned to get back there, but this works out much better.”

“Is that where she took Sean?”

“I don’t know. It’s the best I can do for now.” He glanced at Ricky. “I am really sorry about Jimmy.”

Jon continued. “Jimmy called me for help. I couldn’t. There was nothing I could do at that point, and I knew Bobbie didn’t want him dead because of what your father and I have on her.”

Ricky didn’t respond at first, torn over what Jon was telling him about Uncle Jimmy. Then he asked, “Why didn’t you and my dad just turn over the evidence you had on Bobbie when you got it? Why keep it?”

“Paul isn’t a saint. Before he went to prison, Bobbie was playing a dangerous game with big-time drug dealers. Paul was having her watched. She killed a high-ranking lieutenant, and framed a rival cartel, then walked away with money and information.

“Before Paul could use the information he’d amassed, she set him up. He got sent away. But he kept the evidence—and she knew it. The only thing she didn’t know was that he gave it to me. That’s protected you for all these years. Bobbie would kill you just to spite your father.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you didn’t turn it in when my dad went to prison.”

In front of them, Adam turned the Camaro off the highway toward the lodge. Jon watched them a long moment, until he passed the private road and sped up.

“The same information that would put Bobbie in prison, or get her killed, would also be the end of Paul’s life. The big drug cartels are ruthless and they always seek revenge. That Paul knew what happened and didn’t give the information to the cops would get him more prison time, maybe—but because he knew and didn’t give the information to one or both cartels? That will get him killed. Turning it over six years ago would have been suicide.”

Ricky was beginning to understand the balance. He wanted nothing of the life his father had led. He didn’t know if Jon had the solution, but anything was better than letting Bobbie go free.

“Okay, I understand. I’m in.”

“Thank you.” Jon turned off the highway toward the town proper, then passed through it.

“What is your plan?” Ricky finally asked.

“Destroy everything Bobbie Swain has built, not only here in Spruce Lake but everywhere she has her tentacles. Then set the final trap. When she steps in it, she’s toast.”