The lights in the kids’ barn were already on when we went outside. Three deputies were doing a head count and making sure the kids were okay. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a dozen youths ranging from around ten to their mid-teens and all looking scared to death. The young ones were crying, and the older ones were comforting them.
“What’s going to happen to them, Drew? They’ve all likely been here for years.”
He sighed. “The Department of Justice will take over. The young ones will be placed in foster care, and maybe we can relocate the older ones to a group home where they can stay together until all of this is sorted out.” He frowned. “There’s no missing children reports on anyone in the area?”
“Nope, we’ve already looked. My guess is that they were given up by drug-addicted parents and went through illegal adoptions. Whoever had the most money got the kids. Ranch slaves. That’s all they were, and when they were old enough to fight back, I imagine that’s when Bart killed them and dumped them along the interstates like yesterday’s trash. They had no value to him anymore. They were combative or defiant and had grown big enough to defend themselves so he needed to get rid of them.”
Agent Gray nodded. “And he did.”
I sighed. “There’s a few good things that’ll come out of this.”
He rubbed his brow. “Yeah, what’s that?”
“We have his minion, Donny, in custody. We’ll get the real story about Bart out of him, or he’ll be sitting on death row too.”
“And the other good thing?”
I smiled. “The kids will eventually be okay, and the good guys all lived to tell another tale.” I patted Gray on the shoulder. “Let’s see how our buddies are doing.”
Hours later, the kids were taken to White Sulphur Springs, where the Red Cross had set up a temporary holding area in the community center with an exam room, a makeshift cafeteria, and sleeping quarters for them. The Justice Department and social workers would oversee placement for them in the next few days. The wounded were taken to Mountainview Medical Center, where they would undergo surgery if needed. Bart’s head wound would be addressed while armed guards were stationed at his door twenty-four seven. I thought the head wound was more than fitting since that was the same type of injury Cassie had endured.
I wanted to rush into her and Tara’s room and tell them the good news, but since it was the middle of the night, that would have to wait until tomorrow.
Renz and I thanked the Great Falls FBI team that had come to our aid along with the Park County Sheriff’s Office deputies. We would likely see the FBI agents again before we headed back to Milwaukee. We checked on Burke and Knight before we left for the hotel, and according to the doctors, Burke would be spending a few days in the hospital, and Knight would be there until tomorrow morning for observation.
The next day or two would consist of going through everything at the ranch, seeing if Donny could offer us anything worthwhile, then wrapping up our part of the case. Before leaving for home, I would introduce Cassie to Sheriff Burke and the deputies. They needed to meet the brave young lady who’d broken wide-open the slave labor ring Bart had been running.
We returned to the hotel, and I said good night to Renz. I couldn’t wait to go to bed, but even more, I couldn’t wait for morning.
The last thing I pictured before drifting off was the genuine smile on Tara’s face that morning when I wheeled Cassie into her room. I closed my eyes and went to sleep.
When my phone alarm went off the next morning, I leapt from bed. I wanted to get the day started. Once the coffeemaker was going, I headed to the bathroom and showered.
We needed to get the sheriff’s office, agents from the FBI, and the county forensics department working on the tedious process of going through everything at the ranch. I also wanted to see that branding iron again, take pictures of it, and have it admitted into evidence. If anything, that was likely the most important piece of evidence anyone would find at the ranch unless they discovered what vile agency had sold those kids to Bart.
Renz and I enjoyed breakfast and waited for our replacement rental car to arrive before heading out. We met up with three deputies, Drew, and two other agents at the ranch. Drew said there were more agents en route, and they would take the lead over the county since it was a cross-country case. I was pretty sure that since Sheriff Burke was laid up and Meagher County was shorthanded, they wouldn’t object. Smythe said he would drive Burke’s SUV, although somewhat damaged, back to town.
In the daylight, we saw the real expanse of the ranch. It was enormous, and hundreds of cattle were in the fields as well as the barn.
Smythe approached us. “We found two fresh graves out in the pasture. They’ll have to be dug up and checked out. Could be animals.”
“Or human,” Renz said.
“Geez.” I looked around. “There’s probably other graves out there that’ll never be discovered.” That image alone was enough to make my head explode as I thought of Jolie. I looked at the cattle grazing out in the fields and pointed. “What’s going to happen to them?”
Smythe tipped his head. “We’ve already called some of the local ranchers. They’ll feed them every day and make sure they’re taken care of until an auction service can come out here and sell off the livestock.”
I shook my head. “If that isn’t the true definition of full circle, I don’t know what is.” I crossed the dirt driveway, walked into the house with Renz, and stared at the devastation that had taken place there last night. Bullet holes peppered the walls, blood stained the floor, and furniture had been toppled over. Several people had lost their lives that night, but again, I was thankful it wasn’t anyone in law enforcement. With gloved hands, I picked up the branding iron, set it on the table, and took a half dozen pictures of it. My thoughts were all over the place. I knew evil people walked our planet because I’d met many, but Bart was especially evil. If anyone deserved death, he did. I called Gray over. “This branding iron is the entire case. Make sure it goes into evidence and doesn’t get lost.”
“You bet. I’ll take care of it myself.”
“Okay. It was good to meet you and your team.” Renz and I gave Drew a hearty handshake. “We’re headed back to White Sulphur Springs for the rest of the day. We need to interview the guy we have in lockup again, squeeze everything we can out of him, and then we’ll forward his statement to you. We’ll be heading back to Milwaukee tomorrow morning.”
“Sounds good. I imagine we’ll all have to come back for the court date and testify unless they plead guilty.”
“We can only hope that’s what they do. None of them have valid defenses that’ll stand up in court anyway.” With a nod of thanks and a promise to email Donny’s statement and our reports, Renz and I returned to our rental car and drove away.
At the sheriff’s office, we asked to have Donny moved into the interrogation room. Meagher County didn’t have a deputy sheriff, but the next highest-ranking officer was Deputy Doug Manning. He took charge of getting Donny moved and ready for questioning. We weren’t about to go light on him either.
Renz and I walked in and sat across from him. I took the lead just because I was fired up. “Hear the good news?”
Donny shrugged. “You’re letting me go?”
I looked at Renz and laughed. “The idiot has a sense of humor. Let’s see how long that lasts.” I pointed my chin at Donny. “Bart is in the hospital with a head injury. You know what those are like, right? I mean, Cassie can tell you how it feels. Anyway, we had a full-blown shoot-out at the ranch last night. Some of your buddies are dead, but Bart, damn it, I guess I didn’t club him hard enough with that branding iron.” I gave Donny a wink and smiled. “Here’s the rub, asshole. Either you tell us everything about Bart and the ranch, or you go down for numerous murders and attempted murder of two FBI agents.”
“And if I talk?”
“Unfortunately, we’ll probably suggest life in prison instead of death, but it’ll be up to the judge in the long run. Bart? He’s definitely headed for death row. Right now is the only chance you get for a deal, and the clock is ticking. You have five minutes to give us an answer.”
“I lawyered up. You can’t talk to me.”
“Sure we can. You only had twenty-four hours to come up with legal defense before your request was nullified. You didn’t do a damn thing about it, so here we are, and either you talk now, or you’ll get the lethal injection right alongside your boss. The buddy system—two for one, you know?” I tipped my wrist. “Four minutes. What does the brand stand for?” I waited. “Three and a half minutes. Who’s buried out in the field?” I continued to wait. “Three minutes. Who dumped the dead teens? You’re running out of time, Donny. Two and a half minutes.”
“Okay, okay! It’s all on Bart and has been forever. His great-grandfather started that ranch. I heard he was a mean son of a bitch and branded not only the livestock but the employees too. It was the way things were back then, Bart’s own father told him, but with every generation, it got worse. Bart’s grandpa was as mean as hell, and during the Depression, he stopped paying the employees altogether. Then Bart’s dad continued that. The employees got food and a cot to sleep on, nothing more. Bart’s father got meaner and meaner as time went on. Hell, we’re all branded, including Bart by his own granddad. He had to work for no pay, and it’s never changed. The ranch continued to be passed down through the generations as the older men died. Bart called the ownership his legacy.”
I leaned across the table and snarled in Donny’s face. “You mean his blood legacy? Don’t forget, he’s been killing kids too. Don’t tell me nobody knew what was going on.”
“Seventy years ago, maybe, they did, but once Bart’s dad took the reins, they began bringing in throwaway kids—kids nobody knew or wanted. That way, they had no accountability for anyone. Bart’s dad and Bart himself treated them however they liked. Me and the other workers my age were some of the early ones, and we’ve been at the ranch ever since. You turn on Bart and you die, plain and simple. That’s why he started killing the older kids.”
Renz clenched his hands into fists. “Because they were about to turn on him. They wanted to fight for their freedom.”
Donny nodded as he stared at the table. “There’s more than one grave on the property. There’s dozens of people from over the years, but nobody has ever looked for them. They were unknowns.”
“Yeah, like you said, throwaway kids. You make me sick. Bart makes me sick, and I can’t wait until the judge drops the hammer on both of you.”
Wait! You said—”
I held up my hand. “I know what I said, but the final decision is up to a judge or a jury if the case goes to trial. Let’s just say you cooperated after trying to kill Cassie and us. But don’t forget, you did kill Byron. We’ll let that bounce off the judge’s brain.”
“I didn’t kill Byron. Clarence did, and Bart killed him because the wife didn’t die too. Tara was the main target. Clarence is in the newest grave out in the pasture.”
“What’s his last name?” Renz asked.
Donny shrugged. “No clue. None of us workers have last names. Never did.”
I continued. “What’s Bart’s last name? It begins with an O, right?”
“I know my place, so I never asked.”
“What does the brand stand for?”
He shrugged. “Names, I guess. All I know is that the great-grandfather’s first name was Otis.”
I shook my head and continued. “What happened to Cassie’s sister, Jolie?”
“Bart told—”
“Take some responsibility, asshole! Who killed her?”
“Me. I shot her in the back.”
I slapped the table. “Where is she?”
“Buried at the ranch next to Clarence.”
I jerked my head toward the door. “Let’s go, Renz. I feel like I need a shower.”