Chapter 9

Ace

My phone rang as we were driving up the long drive between my place and the original ranch house. I was so intent on getting to Skylar and Jaelyn that I didn’t even look to see who it was before answering it. “Wilder.”

“Ace, just wanted to let you know you can relax this weekend.” Frank Colton said.

“What do you mean, Frank?”

“I was just notified by the Missoula county sheriff they served the arrest warrant on Edward and he is being processed into the Missoula County jail as we speak. Being this late on Friday, he won’t be arraigned until Monday morning and the D.A. here will drive up to do the arranging. He’s asking for no bond because of the severity of Jaelyn’s injuries and the influence that Congressman Robinson’s name seemed to make to the Missoula sheriff’s office there in Skyview, making Edward a flight risk.”

I grunted. “You honestly think that’s going to happen?”

“Don’t know, probably not since word is the congressman is on his way to Missoula as we speak.”

“The congressman’s coming to Missoula? So he does plan to try and use his influence again to get his son out of trouble.”

“He might, but he’s going to find the sheriff less than willing to accommodate him. Especially since Edward cost the sheriff three of his deputies in Skyview.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I told you there was going to be an investigation into the Skyview sheriff’s station based on your girl’s interview. The state’s attorney has suspended, without pay, the three deputies that the reports say were the ones who interviewed Jaelyn. In all reality, that’s just the first step. At the least, those three have lost their jobs. But there is still a good chance that they will end up facing criminal charges.”

My mind wasn’t on the deputies or even Frank right now. It was on the possibility of the information we might get out of the congressman while he was in Montana this weekend. But how to do it without tipping my hand and still keeping Jaelyn safe?

“Okay, well, thanks for keeping me informed Frank.”

“You don’t sound as happy as I thought you would, Ace. What aren’t you telling me?”

I rolled my eyes. Frank Colton was the typical country sheriff.

“Sheriff Colton, did you not just yesterday tell me to stop saying things to you that you didn’t want to hear? I’m taking your advice. You don’t want me talking about the things that I know. Especially if they would force you to act on things you don’t want to act upon. At your own request, there could be many things I’m not telling you about.”

The older man sighed. “At least you’re thinking again. I don’t enjoy having my own words spewed back at me, but you’re right. Things that might cause issues between our families, I don’t want to know about. I’ll let you get back to whatever you and your crew of rogue mercenaries are doing that I don’t want to know about.”

“Thanks for the information.”

“Told you I’d let you know, and I did. Now you take care of that little girl, you hear?”

“For the rest of my life if she’ll let me.”

“Yep, figured it was going that way. I remember the day your Pa met your Ma. He was as tied up in her as you are with Jaelyn.”

“Got to go Frank. I’m behind on management duties trying to get caught up.”

“Yeah? Sure, I’ll believe that. I let you know Monday what happens.”

Then, just like my Dad, there was a click. What is it with their generation and not saying goodbye?

I took a breath. If the congressman was in town, it was a pretty good guess that Casper wasn’t, but I really would not risk the lives of people I loved on a guess. We’d keep to the plan, but already I was making another one.

“Comm one. So just got word that Congressman Robinson is on his way to Missoula to spring his son from lock up. Doubt he’s called in a hitter while he’s in town and he’ll be here until Monday. I need to figure out a way to be in two places at once.”

I heard Sam come across the comm unit. “What are you thinking?”

I was glad at the moment that Jaelyn wasn’t with me to see the cold glee that settled over me. “Comm One. I’m thinking ‘We own the night’ and the naughty congressman needs a bedtime story that helps him understand what happens when you step into our realm.”

Wildcat came across next. “What time’s that honkytonk in town close up?”

“Comm One. Two a.m., why?”

“How long to drive from here to Missoula?”

“Comm one, Seven hours give or take; again why?”

“So if you were seen in the honkytonk at say, eleven, there’d be no way you could be in Missoula before two. would there? Especially if you did something that drew attention to you being there, like asking the locals to keep an eye out for any strangers. You’d have an entire bar full of people who could swear you couldn’t have been in Missoula.”

I thought about it. “Comm One, how would I pull that off?”

“Well, you know there is a black helicopter sitting in the field behind your house. How long would that take to fly to Missoula? And how long would you need to straighten out the congressman?”

Sam came on comm. “Flight would be about thirty minutes each way.”

I thought about it and felt the old excitement of a mission about to be launched settle over me. I hadn’t realized how much I enjoyed planning those and the sheer satisfaction when the plan came together, and execution was flawless. With the help of Wildcat, Sam, and Spidey, we might convince the congressman that his son was right where he was supposed to be.

If we left Hannah Ryder and her FBI friend out of the loop and sent them to Skyview to get a warrant and search the place, I might be able to ensure that Edward never saw freedom again.

Just then, we pulled up in front of my place. The entire team poured out of the vehicles. Sam looked at me. “Until we are sure, we act like Casper is still here. Better safe than have to go to a funeral.”

I nodded and pushed past all of them as I strode into my house. I’d been away from Jaelyn too long already and I’d scared her and Skylar. To me, that was unacceptable. The congressman had a lot of red in his ledger, and it was time to introduce him to the guy with the black paint that wipes it out.

Before anyone could say much, I was in the safe room and holding my heart in my arms. My lips poured my love, devotion, fear, and passion into the woman I was never letting leave me. Thankfully for me, she met me with just as much ardor as I gave her. I had to remind my body again that we couldn’t physically have what we both obviously wanted yet. We need to wait on Linda Owings to tell us it was safe and wouldn’t set Jaelyn’s recovery back.

“I’m sorry if I scared you two. Some things we’ve found out about Edward and Congressman Robinson spooked me. There’s a slight chance that the congressman may be involved with a deadly international assassin. One who has a reason to want to hurt me by hurting people I care about. So I reacted. Better safe than having a funeral or two.”

I walked over to the rack where the more traditional bullet-proof vests I had resided. I grabbed one and tossed it to Skylar. She caught it and glared at me. “What’s this for?”

“Put it on Skylar. It’s a bullet-proof vest.”

“I’m not putting that ugly thing on. It’s heavy and feels like it would be scratchy.”

I stepped close to my sister. I knew why she was being like this. When something scared her, she didn’t cry like some girls or curl up in a ball to hide. Not my free-spirit fireball of a sister. She got angry and lashed out.

Oh, she wasn’t angry at me, not really. Nope, Skylar was angry at herself for being afraid. When we were kids, she needed to prove she was as tough as me and Vince. As she got older and interested in boys, a lot of the guys around her wanted her to look pretty and be all meek and mild. But that wasn’t Skylar.

Dad said she had a gypsy soul, a free spirit, and he was right. She could glam up and give any New York runway model serious competition. Unlike those models, she could also wade into the manure, mud, and the muck, wrestle a calf to the ground, and hold it down. She could keep it penned while it was vaccinated, dewormed, and branded. So, when she got stubborn, I knew she had been scared, not knowing why I had a safe room or why I locked her in it without an explanation.

“Skylar Wilder, I know it upset you I treated you like a little girl and not the woman who helps me the most on the ranch. But there wasn’t time for debate. This man, if he is here, is the most ruthless sniper and assassin any of the men with me, including myself, have ever met. My first and only thought was to get you and Jaelyn to safety.

“Now I’m going to make this plain. We don’t know if he’s here, but you are my sister. You’re important to me. So I made sure you were safe. I’m going to keep making sure you and Jaelyn are safe. So either you put that vest on or I will slap a set of zip tie handcuffs on you and put it on you by force. You decide, but do it now.”

“I hate you sometimes, Ace Wilder.”

“Good, hate me, but put on the damn vest. If you can hate me, you’re still alive. That’s better than standing over your grave, you stubborn girl!”

She untied her shirt and smoothed it over her skin, then put on the vest and secured it. “There, are you happy, you bully?”

I smiled at her. “Yes, I’m thrilled that you think I’m a bully for wanting you to live and not take a bullet to the heart.”

I turn and put the second vest on Jaelyn, taking her cast out of the sling and holding the arm out while I slid the vest over her neck. I pulled the sling loose and put her arm back in it over the vest and then I secured the vest to her.

I could see half a pain pill from one of my stash of emergency supplies and realized she’d fibbed. Hurrying to the safe room had caused her pain, but she didn’t want to tell me. Unlike Skylar, she knew I wouldn’t have shared any of my secrets with them if I didn’t care and wasn’t really worried. I’d have to add this to the list of things to tell my family at the family meeting tonight.

Gathering up vests for the rest of my family, I loaded them into a canvas gear bag. I also grabbed a tactical knife, a set of throwing knives and their sheath, a cowl that covered my face except for my eyes. A pair of night vision goggles and a voice changer. Trying not to draw attention to myself, I stuffed two flash bang grenades into the bag and a smoke grenade. I turned to the medicine cabinet and decided on one more impressive piece of gear.

It was a small pack and if the congressman’s hotel room was high enough would make my exit much more impressive and scarier to the man. If it wasn’t, the pack weighed little and no one would be the wiser.

Then I turned back to the medicine cabinet and slipped a small prefilled hypodermic into my pack. It was something I wasn’t supposed to have anymore, but I’d reported a few damaged on each mission they issued them to me. I didn’t have a lot, but this one would come in handy tonight.

After that, I hung the gear bag on my back. Then I took Jaelyn in my arms. I would have to trust my team to watch my back. My girl was hurting, and I wasn’t putting her through that again.

“Skylar, stay beside me, please. All right gentlemen, form up.”

With a huff, my sister moved to my side and the men with us formed a tight ring around us. We went up the stairs two by two and then spread back into a circle formation with me, Jaelyn, and Skylar in the middle. When we got to the SUV, Eagle went straight to the rear door and opened it, ushering Skylar inside. Before she could scoot all the way over, Wildcat opened the other rear door, placing himself between the window and my sister.

I slid in with Jaelyn on my lap and Gear Box opened the rear hatch and placed the gear pack I’d carried in it. Once everyone was loaded, we turned and drove back to the main ranch house, where we repeated the process in reverse, getting everyone inside.

Now it was time to face the music. I had to tell my family everything I’d kept from them since I left the military. I would have to do so in a way that didn’t break the ban I was under and yet get them to see how serious the trouble we might be in was.

I walked into the dining room where Dad, Mom, Amber, Taylor, and GrayWolf all sat. Talis Ryder’s wife Melody was at the table with my family. Reed, Talis, and my brothers Taylor and GrayWolf were all standing at a point of weakness in the room. Talis and Taylor were at the windows with the curtains drawn shut. Each of them peeking out from a side to keep watch outside.

Reed leaned in the doorway, facing the rest of the house while GrayWolf faced the kitchen. As soon as I entered, my dad stood and laid into me. “What the hell, Ace? Why are the guests ushering me around? Telling me where I can go and what I can do in my own house?”

I’d had enough. The anxiety was crawling up my throat. I was in real danger of losing control. But this had to be dealt with. “SIT YOUR ASS DOWN AND SHUT THE HELL UP, DAD!”