| |
As soon as Hawke had cell service, he called Herb.
“Hawke, where are you? All kinds of rumors have been going around,” Herb Trembley, his landlord, answered.
“I’ll tell you when you pick us up at Moss Springs. Bring a horse trailer, sandwiches, cookies, and milk.”
“When do I need to be there?”
He knew he could count on Herb. “We should be at the trailhead in an hour and a half.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Is he coming?” Kitree asked.
“Yes. Let’s keep moving.” They’d managed to get down the last ridge staying under the cover of trees and battling less and less brush. He’d heard the thump of a helicopter at one point but it had sounded far off.
They crossed Little Minam River. The trees were thick the rest of the way to the trailhead. He didn’t know when he’d been so relieved to leave the mountains. He usually didn’t want to go back to civilization. But this trip had turned from a routine into a mystery and a life or death adventure.
Another forty minutes and the horse and mule walked out into the wide-open parking lot. Hawke scanned the half a dozen trucks and trailers. Herb hadn’t arrived yet.
He spun the horse and mule back to the trees and pulled out his phone. Scrolling through his contacts, he found Herb’s number.
“Herb,” the man answered.
“Hawke. What’s your location?” He glanced over at Kitree. He didn’t want to alarm her, but he didn’t like the fact Herb hadn’t been here when they arrived.
“Just about there. I had to evade the FBI. After I talked to you, an SUV full of them rolled up to the stable.” Herb cursed under his breath. “This road is full of potholes, I’m going as fast as I dare without shaking the trailer apart.”
“Take your time. We’ll hang out inside the tree line until you get here.” Hawke disconnected. Why had the Feds been at the Trembley’s looking for him?
“What’s wrong? You’re scowling.” Kitree’s young voice pulled him from his reveries.
“Herb was held up. He’ll be here soon.” Hawke dismounted, grimacing at his stiff and swollen shoulder. He didn’t like that it was swollen. He didn’t have time for an infection of any kind.
Kitree slid off Horse and patted Dog on the head. “I hope it’s soon. I’m starting to itch.”
Hawke grinned. She’d gone nearly two weeks without a shower. A boy wouldn’t care, but she was showing her feminine side by wanting to be clean. “You can get a shower as soon as we get you to the state police. Someone can run to a store and get you clean clothes.”
“Can’t I stay with you?” she asked, sitting on a downed log.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t.” He glanced at her. He didn’t like the idea of her being in foster care with people who wouldn’t know how to deal with someone who might be out to harm her. He wished he could hide her someplace. But the law was the law. She had to be turned over to child services.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Lt. Titus, his superior, in the State Police at La Grande.
“Titus.”
“Sir, I’ll be bringing the Poulson girl to headquarters within the hour. Could you make sure there is a woman to help her get a shower and send someone to purchase a set of clothes for your average sized ten-year-old girl?” He smiled at Kitree. She gave him a half-hearted smile back.
“I’ll have everything ready.” The lieutenant closed the connection.
“Why can’t I stay with you?” Kitree asked again.
“I’m single and live in a two-room apartment over a stable.” He shrugged. It was pretty plain he didn’t have a need for family by the way he lived. But this little girl and all her charms were making him wonder if he might be missing out on something by not having a wife and children.
“An apartment over a stable?” She plucked a stem of grass and placed one end in her mouth. “Isn’t that kind of smelly?”
He laughed. “Some days in the summer it can be. But Darlene cleans out the stalls every day. And I take care of the paddock I rent for Jack, Horse, and Boy.” He studied the girl. “Darlene gives riding lessons. She has an indoor arena. That’s where my apartment is. At one end of the arena.”
“Fun! Do you get to ride...” Her excitement dwindled. “I guess you ride so much for work, you don’t really want to ride in the arena.”
“The kind of trail riding I do, I don’t need to practice in an arena. But it’s a good place because I can live close to my animals.”
Her eyes lit up. “I’ve always wanted animals.”
He hoped she got her wish with whomever she lived with.
They were only far enough in the trees to not be seen. He watched the road that Herb would be coming in on. The front end of the Trembley’s truck appeared at the end of the parking lot.
“Here he comes.” Hawke led Jack and Horse out into the parking lot with Kitree beside him. Dog walked ahead of them.
Herb pulled up beside them and parked.
The sound of helicopter blades thumped in the air.
“Jump in the pickup,” Hawke told Kitree.
She did as she was told. Hawke casually walked the animals to the back of the trailer where Herb held the door open.
“From the looks of you, I should drive you to the Grand Ronde Hospital.” Herb nodded toward Hawke’s bandaged shoulder.
“It can wait. We need to get Kitree to the State Police.” Hawke tied the horse and mule in the trailer and walked out.
The helicopter hovered over the parking lot. Shit! He didn’t need the killer finding them now.
“Don’t think we’re going to make it to the State Police with that little girl. That’s the FBI. They’ve been flying in and out of the county ever since they brought the man and woman’s bodies off the mountain.” Herb shook his head and closed the trailer door as the helicopter landed across the parking lot from them.
FBI. All this time he’d been hiding from people who could have saved them all the backcountry travel. Hawke mentally slugged himself and walked toward the two men climbing out of the aircraft.
They both had on dark glasses and suits. “Trooper Hawke,” the first to meet him held out a hand.
Hawke shook hands.
“Special Agent McKinney. This is Special Agent Dolan.”
Hawke held out his hand to shake with the other agent and realized it was a woman. She was tall, thin, and the suit didn’t show off any curves. Her hair was cut pretty much like Agent McKinney’s.
“Ma’am.” Hawke glanced at the helicopter. “You the ones that have been flying all over the mountain today?”
“We are. Once we persuaded Ms. Singer to tell us where to find you, we’ve been in the air looking for you.” The agent nodded toward the pickup and trailer. “You’re a hard man to find.”
“Just protecting a witness.”
The dark glasses hid the man’s eyes but his brown eyebrows rose above the black rims. “Ms. Singer didn’t say the girl saw the man who shot her parents.”
He couldn’t tell by the agent’s tone if he found that a good thing or a bad thing. The hair on the back of Hawke’s neck tingled. He didn’t like this guy, FBI or not.
“If you hand over the girl, we can be on our way.” As McKinney said this, Agent Dolan took two steps toward the pickup and trailer.
“I’m taking her to the Oregon State Police headquarters in La Grande. You’re welcome to join us there.” Hawke pivoted and headed to Herb’s vehicle. He wasn’t going to let these two take Kitree anywhere until he’d cleared them both.
“We have seniority on this case,” McKinney said, walking beside him.
“How?”
“The parents were in the federal witness protection program.”
“And see where that got them?” Hawke stopped, put his good hand out, and stopped the agent twenty feet from the pickup. “I’m taking my witness to State Police Headquarters. When, and if, my superior says to hand her over to you, I will. After I’ve made enquiries into your trustworthiness and the statutes.”
The pickup engine started. Hawke hurried over to the vehicle, hopped in, and Herb headed back the way he’d come.
“What was that pissing match about?” Herb asked.
“Tell you later.” Hawke stared in the side mirror, watching to see if the agents followed them. They looked to be in a heated conversation as the trees blocked his view.
“Did they want me?” Kitree asked softly from the back seat.
Hawke turned the best he could with his sore shoulder, trying to look her in the eyes. “They did. But I’m not turning you over to anyone I don’t know.”
The relief that smoothed the child’s etched brow, had him vowing to keep that promise.
«»«»«»
By the time Herb pulled the pickup and trailer into the State Police headquarters in La Grande, Hawke and Kitree had eaten three sandwiches, all the cookies and drank two of the small cartons of milk.
His brain worked better on a full stomach, but he’d noticed Kitree was getting sleepy. He pulled out his cell phone and called his superior in the building.
“Titus,” the lieutenant answered.
“Lieutenant, this is Hawke. I’m sitting in a pickup outside headquarters with Kitree Poulson. I need to see a doctor, and she needs sleep before she talks to you. Any chance I can take her to the county, let her sleep and get some food before I bring her back here for you to interview?”
“Hawke, you can’t haul a possible suspect in a shooting all over.” The lieutenant’s voice reprimanded.
“She isn’t a suspect. I took a bullet to the shoulder to keep the man I’m pretty sure killed her parents from killing more people along with Kitree.” Hawke pinched the bridge of his nose. His shoulder throbbed, and he wanted to sleep for a week.
“Hawke, bring her in here. I promise she will get cared for and be safe. You need to get to a hospital.”
He closed the conversation and opened his door. His shoulder was beginning to throb and ache, making it harder to think. He trusted every officer in the State Police and if Titus said they would keep the girl safe, they would.
“Want me to help you?” Herb asked, from behind the wheel of the truck.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine. Your face gets paler and paler.” Herb got out of the driver’s side and came around, opening the back door of the truck. “Come on, sweetheart, you need to come with us.”
Hawke stepped back as Herb navigated the child inside the building. He followed not wanting to get too much distance between them. Once inside, they were met by Lt. Titus, a female trooper, and someone who said she was with Child Services.
“Hawke you look like hell,” Lt. Titus said, pointing to his shoulder. “Get that fixed up, some sleep, and get your report filed. We need to know what we are dealing with.”
The female trooper and Child Services’ woman started to lead Kitree away. She whirled around and ran back, flinging her arms around Hawke’s waist. “I don’t want to go with anyone else.”
He knelt on one knee. “You’ll be safe here and I’m sure,” he glared over her shoulder at the Child Services worker, “that this woman will make sure you are in a place that will keep you safe.” He reached in his pocket, pulled out his business card case, and held it out to her. “Take one of these and my pen.”
Kitree did as she was told.
“Write my cell number on the back of the card.” He recited the number and she wrote it down.
“You can call me any time, I don’t care if it’s day or night, if you need to talk or you’re feeling scared.” He took his pen and gave her a one-armed hug. “You won’t be alone if you remember your parents and call me when you need to talk.”
She sniffed, kissed his cheek, pulled her wildflower book out of her coat pocket and tucked the card in the book. Staring at the floor, she walked slowly back to the two women.
He watched her disappear through a door.
“Looks like you became attached to our witness,” Lt. Titus said.
Hawke slowly stood and faced his boss. He wasn’t going to admit to his superior how attached he’d become. “Two FBI agents met us at the trailhead. I told them I wasn’t handing over the girl until they were checked out. They were McKinney and Dolan.” He went on giving their descriptions. “I told them I was bringing her here, and they could come here. If they show up make sure they are legit. There were four men who tried to get Kitree. Whatever the reason the parents were killed, it’s bigger than the witness protection.”
“We’re already digging into the deaths. I’ll make sure the FBI doesn’t get their hands on the girl. She’s our witness. I’ll do my best to find out what they want.”
“Thanks. Herb will take me to the doctor and then I’m going home to sleep.” Hawke slid a glance at the door where Kitree had disappeared and walked out of the building. He had to get healed to help with the investigation.
Herb followed him out the door and to the pickup. “The hospital here?”
“Yes. Then home.” Hawke tipped his head back and closed his eyes.