The Unseen Enemy Series

Chapter 224

The sun was high in the sky when Jim opened his eyes again. Beth was next to him, still sleeping, and he gazed at her, amazed, grateful, worried.

Carefully, he got out of bed, trying not to disturb her. He found his jean jacket in the living room and checked his cell. It was no shock at all to see that he’d missed eleven calls from Dallas. It was a surprise, however, to realize that Sully had also called him. Six times.

He glanced over at the bedroom, debating waking Beth up before returning any calls, then he decided to get the news first. He’d find out what was happening, if anything, and then he’d fill her in. Maybe they could make some decisions today. Together.

Jim called Dallas, barely breathing as he waited for the other man to pick up.

“Jim? Where the f**k have you been, Alden?”

Jim grinned. “Uh, well. That’s kind of a story. What’s up?”

“Ferguson is holed up on a farm in Utah.”

Jim stood totally still. “What?”

“Yeah. Sully and Mark went to Oregon yesterday and immediately, Sully figured out that some cop named Halloway was in on it in a big way.”

“How did he figure it out?”

“Dunno. Some Jedi mind trick that Cordelia taught him, apparently. Something about Halloway’s eyes and Sully said that he just knew that Halloway knew way more than he was letting on. Anyway, turns out that Ferguson had gone to this guy’s parents’ house in Salt Lake City, and was holding them hostage in their own living room. Called Halloway, threatened to slit their throats unless he got some help with a place to hide out.” Dallas sighed. “Halloway told him about the family farm down-state and the parents took Ferguson there.”

“So, wait. You’re telling me that he’s trapped – with hostages?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Not the best plan, but I think he’s panicking.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yeah, but the thing is, he doesn’t know he’s trapped and surrounded.”

“I don’t follow you,” Jim said.

“Nobody’s made a move. Sully and Mark and the local cops are there, but they’re way back out of sight. Halloway’s been in contact with the dickhead and not said a word about anything. As far as Ferguson knows, he’s still safe.”

“So when are they going to bring down the hammer on him?”

“Soon. They’ll grab him when he leaves, hopefully alone. I can’t see him taking two seventy-something-year-olds on a state-wide escape, can you? They’d slow him down.”

“Any idea when he might be leaving? Any sign of movement?”

“No. But there are two ways for this to end, man. Either he surrenders and they haul his ass back to jail – or they shoot him dead. At this point, I have no real preference.”

I do, Dallas. God help me, but I want him dead. That’s the only way to be totally sure that Beth is safe.

“So we wait?” Jim asked.

“We wait.”

After hanging up with Dallas, Jim made a pot of coffee and thought it all through. He felt sick for the elderly couple, and he hoped with every fibre of his being that they came out of this with nothing more than a few bumps and bruises. He hated to think about how afraid they’d be after, though.

This asshole just terrorizes and hurts people everywhere he goes. The world would be better off without him.

His days were numbered, though, that much was absolutely true. Jim knew that Ferguson was as good as captured, as good as in jail, as good as dead. Any way this ended, he was done.

Jim looked out the window at the Rocky Mountains in the distance. He was so, so grateful that Beth had changed her mind and come back to him the day before… if she’d gone, then he might well have lost her forever.

She may have never heard about Ferguson being captured or killed – and if she had, she may have been too afraid or ashamed to return to Denver. She may not have wanted to face any of them, in their anger and hurt. She may not have believed that they’d have forgiven her… that they loved her.

That he loved her.

Jim took a few deep breaths, looked up at the clear blue summer sky. Then he went into the bedroom to wake up Beth and tell her what was going on. Jim couldn’t say for sure how this was all going to end for her personal monster – in handcuffs or in a body bag – but Jim could tell her that it was almost over. That she was safe.

At last.