CHAPTER FIFTEEN
May 15, 2015
6 A.M.
High Mountain Valley
Near the Central Idaho Primitive Area
Julia had leaned against him, dozing. The faint sun was just starting to color the very tops of the hills, but it was still pitch black around them.
During the night they had taken turns watching the road, munching on the crackers, and dozing. They had talked some, but mostly about possible plans.
They were both in agreement that if this did have something to do with Williams, if Trish’s death helped stop Williams, she would not have died in vain.
They were also both convinced that she had seen something from that lawn chair and had gone in to report it to the county sheriff and that had gotten her killed. So more than likely the sheriff and other law enforcement officials were on Williams’ payroll.
Lott had no idea how they were going to prove any of this, if it were true.
About an hour ago, Lott had gone out in front of the Jeep again and called Fleet while Julia stood guard, her back against the garage watching the parking lot and the road, her gun drawn.
Fleet said that he had had two of his best people on cracking who really owned the cabin and the land along the lake. It turned out it was a Williams’ holding company four companies deep.
And Williams also had shell companies that not only owned the mortuary in McCall, but a casket manufacturing and shipping company in Seattle.
“See you in an hour,” Fleet had said.
Lott had gone back to the car and Julia had joined him.
“Looks like we’re going to find a lot of bodies out there in that water,” Lott said, not really sure if he should feel excited or really sad.
“What?” Julia asked.
“Williams owns this land,” Lott said, “the McCall Mortuary, and a casket manufacturing and shipping company.”
“Oh, shit,” Julia said, staring off into the dark.
That was all they had talked about.
He convinced Julia thirty minutes later to doze leaning against him and she did. Under different circumstances, he would have loved that.
Now, as the early dawn light hit the tops of the hills, Lott could hear a faint rumbling sound.
He nudged Julia and she came awake.
They both grabbed their guns and went out into the freezing night air. Julia vanished back near the garage and he went out and up the hill slightly behind the base of a large pine. He tried not to breathe too hard for fear that someone would see his breath in the faint light. He could feel his fingers going numb as he held the gun up, ready for anything.
The rumbling sound got louder and louder until it seemed to shake the entire forest around him.
Both Lott and Julia had decided to stay in place, hidden, until they saw Fleet. Williams was more than rich enough to send in a helicopter as well. And if he had heard the conversation Lott had had with Fleet, a helicopter in quickly might be the only way to deal with this mess.
The valley around Lott was now shaking and pine needles were falling from the tree over his head. It was like a thumping sound, but he couldn’t see anything.
Suddenly, like a bad science fiction move, the first helicopter turned on bright floodlights about a hundred feet over the large parking area.
The light was so bright, Lott had to turn his head slightly to let his eyes adjust.
The helicopter expertly landed to one side of the wide parking area.
The helicopter was large and looked almost like a National Guard military-style chopper. How was that possible? What kind of pull did Fleet and Doc have, anyway?
A second helicopter, much smaller, that looked like a private helicopter, came in for a landing on the other side of the parking lot, much closer to the Jeep and where they were hidden.
Both helicopters cut engines, but the sound of them slowing down still seemed to shake the trees and the valley. Those landings must have been heard thirty miles away.
The door to the smaller helicopter slid open first and Fleet stepped out. He was still dressed in a silk business suit, dress shoes, but no tie. Not wearing a tie had to be a first for Fleet.
In all his life, Lott had never felt so relieved to see someone.
Lott holstered his gun and climbed down the slight slope, brushing off pine needles from his hair and sweater as more men poured from the two helicopters.
Julia came around from the back of the Jeep, smiling.
She came over to Lott and put her arms around him and hugged him.
He hugged her back and that felt flat wonderful.
Then together, arm-in-arm, they moved toward Fleet as the noise of the helicopters finally died off into the still dark trees.
Fleet smiled and shook Lott’s hand, then gave Julia a hug.
“I’ll tell you,” Fleet said, “I need to call your daughter and Doc before they both have a fit. Never seen two people as worried as they were. They are almost to Boise as we speak. And Andor is having a fit down in Las Vegas as well.”
“Talk about worried,” Lott said, laughing, the tension slowly draining. “You should have seen us about eight hours ago.”
“This place is damned creepy at night,” Julia said, her arm still around Lott.
They headed back up the steps toward the lodge. A number of men with high-level equipment were scanning the grounds and the area.
Two other men from the larger helicopter came up to Lott and Julia. “Detectives, where is the body you found?”
Lott pointed past the home to the shed down by the edge of the water.
Both men nodded and carrying bags, headed there at a brisk walk.
“FBI forensic field team,” Fleet said, explaining them as the two men walked away.
Fleet pointed to the other group doing the scanning. “FBI surveillance team. The best. Another branch of them are also watching Williams as we speak.”
“What about the poor girl adducted in Seattle?” Julia asked.
“With your lead on the embalming,” Fleet said, “and my people tracing the ownership of the casket manufacturing and shipping company, they found her after Williams had already got her ready to ship to McCall. The FBI replaced her out with a dummy and the casket is on its way to McCall as Williams scheduled.”
“She was alive?” Julia asked a fraction of a second before Lott could.
Fleet smiled. “She was alive. Heavily sedated, but very much alive.”
Julia started to cry softly and then said, “Thank you, Trish.”
Lott knew exactly what she meant. Her friend might be dead, but her death had saved another life. And who knew how many others.
Lott hugged Julia with one arm as Fleet went on.
“That has not been announced yet in any fashion because the FBI want to really make sure this Williams guy goes down for all of his crimes. In all three states. And they want who has been working with him as well. They haven’t even told the local Seattle police yet for fear of a leak to Williams.”
“A trap?” Lott said, surprised. “They are setting a trap?”
“That’s the plan,” Fleet said, “if we find here what you are afraid we are going to find.”
“Can we help?” Julia asked, her voice intense.
“They tell me that is also the plan,” Fleet said, smiling.
And Lott loved the look of that smile.