AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Did you tell your people?” King asked, curious if now this real danger and the willingness of some to leave legitimized the mission enough for her to be transparent.
“Yes.” She cleared her throat nervously. “It was difficult, but I couldn’t keep it from them any longer. How is Bailey?”
“Pissed.”
“I’m sure. I hate that she thinks I was having her spied on. I was so worried. I knew her mother was still mixed up in things and that her father had to have some control even from prison. That doesn’t likely change how she’s feeling about my tactics.”
“Or mine.” King gulped.
“You were there to do a job,” Carmen replied kindly.
“Well, while I was here doing that job, we...”
“Oh King. Seriously? Part of the reason I picked you was because your whole vibe was all business. Did she fall for you?”
“There was some mutual falling. But once she found out why I was here, it hurt her. She assumed since it was a lie, everything else I said must have been too.”
“I’m trying to remind myself that we had no other choice. Without this intervention someone could have been hurt or killed.”
“Getting people out is one thing,” King began. “But one of those people won’t be Bailey. She’s not going to leave. That’s why I’m calling. The local police won’t be likely to act. Or if they do, not with the urgency we need. This is a powder keg, lit matches everywhere. We need some other agency to step in.”
“I’ve made a lot of calls,” Carmen reported, sounding pessimistic. “There is nothing federal to call in at this point. I need more.”
“I might have it. I went down to their camp today and they were talking about some trailer they have. Bailey found a list of supplies her father instructed them to get. Pseudoephedrine, lithium batteries, hydrochloric acid, red phosphorus, iodine crystals, anhydrous and ammonia to start.”
“They’re cooking meth?” Carmen asked skeptically. “That can’t be right. Dale was a pious and strict leader who banned any kind of substance or distraction. He worried any amount of mind-altering substance would be a threat to his control over their thoughts. This would be in direct conflict with that ideology.”
“Dale knows they need cash to get back on their feet. They have enough privacy up at that camp to pull it off and we think they’re selling to all the surrounding towns and using their sale of firewood as a cover.”
“Do you have proof?”
“Not yet. Just the list of supplies and some talk I overheard about the trailer. Arnoldo said there has been chatter in town about an increase of problems with drugs, but it didn’t sound like anyone had tied it back to James and his men. I can get proof though. I’ll have to figure out where the trailer is, but if I send you photographs of their operation, will that be enough.”
Carmen paused. “I honestly don’t know. It’s not a substantial drug ring. We don’t know that they’ve crossed state lines with it. The men don’t have warrants out for their arrest as far as we know. It would be hard for me to make a case for anyone who might have jurisdiction there. The safest thing to do would be to convince everyone to leave. Everyone. If we clear out Cinderhill and regroup, we might be able to get them on something that puts them away for good.”
“She’s not going to leave.”
“I need to talk to her. Do you think you could convince her to call me?” Carmen sounded desperate.
“I’ll try. I don’t really know what she’s feeling right now; the only thing I’m certain of is she’s dug in about staying here. So are some others.”
“See if you can get her on the phone with me. I’ll do what I can to convince her.”
King disconnected the call and stood in the darkness, the sound of his own exhausted breath filling his ears. He thought about the trailer. How he would find it. What evidence he could gather. He thought about Bailey and how he’d convince her to call Carmen. More importantly, whether that would work.
“King,” he heard Bailey whisper in the darkness, “Carmen wants to talk to me, doesn’t she?”
He moved toward the sound of her voice and stretched out his cell phone hoping she would take it. “She just wants to make sure you’re all right.”
The delicate touch of her fingers against his was a dagger to his heart. Those were hands he wanted to hold but knew he’d lost his chance. She took the phone, at least a step in the right direction.
“You should get some sleep,” she instructed, her voice flat and cool. “It’ll be busy here in the morning getting everyone on their way.”
“You’ll call Carmen?” He knew he sounded anxious and he didn’t care.
“I’m going to stare at the phone for a while and wrestle with the idea.”
Her honesty was refreshing. At least she still trusted him enough for that.
