Author's note-

I'm not sure when this is going to end! ;) It was only going to be about fifteen chapters, then twenty... I think it will be at least twenty five. :)

Thank you all for reading and giving me such nice reviews. Your support means a lot. It's nice to know that you're all enjoying this so much.

I might be a little bit slow getting this updated this week. I was playing with my dog yesterday and she caught my hand with her teeth. I'm okay- just a few stitches on a couple of fingers and my palm. Well, actually, more like five or six... Darn things are slowing my typing down. Grr...

Anyway, enough about me. Go read the chapter. :D

Lou

Chapter Twenty Two

Tim jabbed his finger down on the intercom button. Static hissed as it connected.

"Yes?" a distorted female voice asked. The connection was bad, making her voice lift and shake oddly.

Tim leaned closer to the mike. "Deputy US Marshals Tim Gutterson and Rachel Brooks. We're here to drop off a prisoner."

He held his breath, listening for a reply. The wind changed direction, gusting into the car. It made him shiver, glad that he was wearing a heavy jacket against the chill.

"Drive into the yard," the voice said.

An alarm sounded as the huge gate in front of the car crawled open. Rachel eased the car through the gap.

The prison yard spilled out in front of them. Spotlights kept it as bright at day. The walls were made from white-washed concrete. Gates and grills were set into the walls at odd intervals, leading to distant parts of the jail. The main doors were painted bright yellow, making them stand out.

"You can't do this to me!" the chief yelled. "You don't have the right!"

Rachel and Tim exchanged glances. The chief leaned forward, banging his cuffed hands against the seat.

"You can't make me go in there! You don't have the right to do it!" the chief yelled again.

Rachel pulled the car into a parking space and turned off the engine before twisting in her seat to look at the stocky man. Strength of will kept her face blank, and her hands resting on the seat in front of her. A muscle twitched in her cheek as she ran her eyes over the chief.

"Yes, we can," she said flatly and nodded towards Tim. "We are both law enforcement officers. We have proof that you where involved in a crime. You were read your rights." She faced forward again and unfastened her seatbelt, stepping out of the car.

Tim watched her across the roof as she yanked the door open and gestured for the chief to climb out.

He did, jamming his shoulder against the door to catch his balance. His cheeks were flushed with anger.

She leaned close to him, getting in his face. "There's not a damn thing you can do about it."

Tim slammed the car door, taking the chief's right arm. Rachel caught hold of his left, keeping him between them as they walked towards the main door for the jail. Their footsteps rang out against the concrete floor.

"Well, you could start talking." Tim held up his ID towards the small security camera. "I bet that would help. Lots of nice details, like who put you up to this."

Rachel pursed her lips. "Can't hurt, can it?" she agreed. "Might even take a few years off your time."

The heavy metal door scraped open. A tall, well built black guard stood on the other side.

"This our new inmate?" the guard asked, swinging his keys. They chimed softly as they struck each other. "You want him in solitary, right?"

Tim stepped though the door first, pulling the chief after him. He paused and looked back at the stocky man. "Eh, I dunno. Spending a little time getting to know his new friends might be good for him. What do you think, Rachel?"

She tilted her head, frowning. "I know what I'd like to do with him. We need the information he's got though."

The guard shrugged, taking the paperwork she offered him. "I heard he shot a patrolman."

Tim nodded and pulled a pen from his pocket. "You heard right. We got the video back from the poor bastard's patrol car a couple of hours ago. He didn't stand a chance."

The chief struggled against his restraints. "That son of a birch was gonna to get us all killed!"

Rachel shook her head. "Well, I'm sure his family will be greatly comforted by that information," she said dryly.

Tim signed the last sheet of paper and handed the pile back to the guard, tucking the pen back into his pocket. "All done. He's your problem now."

"And don't that just make me the happiest man alive." The guard sighed. "Solitary, right? Might keep the son of a bitch alive long enough for you to question him."

The chief clenched his hands into fists so tightly his nails bit into his skin. He trembled, rage consuming him. "I'll get you for this!"

Rachel looked at Tim. "Did he just threaten us?"

Tim pursed his lips, then nodded slowly. "I think he did."

The guard laughed. "Well, they say you can't fix stupid. I guess they're right."

Despite the shackles on his wrists, the chief launched himself at Rachel, taking her to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

She grunted with pain as she hit the cold tile, then reached up, catching the chief's hands as he tried to choke her. He scraped his fingers over her skin as he fought to keep hold of her throat. She slammed her knee into his groin with all the strength she could muster.

The angle wasn't the best, but the blow hit with solid force. The chief let out a strangled scream and curled into a ball, hands clutching the injured area.

Tim grabbed hold of one of his arms, hauling him to his feet just as extra prison guards arrived.

The uniformed men grabbed the chief roughly, pinning him to the wall as they waited for the gate to open.

The stocky man found his voice long enough to yell. "You'll never find them. The little bitches are all going to die because of what you did here!"

Everyone ignored him. Tim offered Rachel a hand up, brushing a bit of dust off her shoulder. He ran his eyes over her, checking for injuries.

"You okay?" he asked. "Nice moves there. Shame you didn't hit him a bit harder."

Rachel smiled and nodded. "I'm fine. Son of a bitch surprised me. I didn't think he'd be that stupid."

The black guard handed Tim a copy of the paperwork. "Don't worry. We'll keep him nice and safe so you can question him." He nodded towards the interior door. "There he goes to his room right now."

Tim and Rachel looked over, seeing the chief's back as the guards dragged him down the narrow hallway. The stocky man was still screaming insults.

"I don't envy you that job," Rachel murmured.

The guard shrugged. "He'll settle down soon enough. Most of them do."

"We'll be back in the morning to question him. Can you give us a private room?" Tim asked.

The guard nodded. "We surely can. Just let us know when you're on your way, and we'll sort it out for you."

"Thank you." Tim smiled and held out his hand. "Well, we'll see you in the morning then."

The guard laughed and shook his head. "Oh, you won't see me. I'll be away home by then."

Rachel raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that where we all want to be?" she asked.