Chapter 22
Hanging In
While at the heliport, Rachel took advantage of the time and placed a call to Leslie Mullen. Karen Goodall had let it be known that there was a blackout on media coverage, and Rachel knew from her mother how frustrating it could be waiting for the phone to ring when you knew nothing about what was going on.
"Hey there, Rachel," Leslie answered her wall phone on the first ring. "What's the good word?"
"I just thought I'd touch base with you while I can," Rachel began. "The FBI and the Marshals are working together on this one. We'll need a helicopter for this one to reach the scene. I'm here at the heliport now. As luck would have it, the crime scene has no cell phone access."
"We figured as much, down in those hills."
Rachel continued, "And because the FBI is involved, the media is being held at bay."
"We figured as much on that, too."
"I've not yet seen Art and Raylan," Rachel continued with her update. "They left with Anna before dawn, but Tim and Karen Goodall drove out to the scene about a half an hour ago. I'll go next with the chopper."
Leslie sighed. "It's going to be a long day."
"Yes, pretty much," Rachel agreed. "Someone will get back with you, but it could be into the night before that's possible."
"So, we sit tight," Leslie said with confidence. Being the veteran wife of a career LEO, she had been through this drill many a time.
"Leslie? Would you do me a favor?" Rachel asked.
"You bet," Leslie answered.
"Would you please update Winona for me?" Rachel asked, a little relieved that she wouldn't be making that phone call herself. Winona's struggle with Raylan's job was well-known. "I'm getting the signal from the pilot to get on the move."
"Will do. And thanks for calling."
"Oh, and one last thing," Rachel added before Leslie hung up the phone. "The boyfriend of the FBI agent. Winona would probably know how to contact him. Would you have her do that?"
"Adam is here at the house, waiting for word with Winona and me."
"That's good," Rachel said, thinking it would be hard to wait, alone. "I'll call you back when I can. If I can't, someone will call you as soon as possible."
"Thanks again," Leslie said. "You all take care."
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-
"Alright," Karen Goodall said, raising her voice to be heard above the whirling rotors of the helicopter as it set down in a nearby field.
Deputy Marshal Rachel Brooks jumped out of the whirlybird, blades still spinning, and joined her team.
Karen continued. "Raylan, Deputy Marshal Gutterson, and I will go in the chopper to take a look. Agent Rulé, that leaves you in charge here." Looking directly at Anna, she continued with her orders. "Now that the fog has lifted, I want you and Deputy Brooks to comb this area for evidence. Art? You stay with the vehicles and help Agent Rulé cut through any red tape with local agencies that may arrive."
Glad to hear he wasn't being demoted to combing the bushes, Art responded with a casual, "I think I handle that."
"Not to butt in, Karen," Raylan said, "But shouldn't we have the FBI represented on the chopper? Ya' know, they'll be all over your case if they think ya' shut 'em out."
"Shit," Goodall set a hand on her hip. "Especially since they're paying for the chopper," she thought to herself, but to the team, to save face, she said, "Raylan's right. Since he and Gutterson are the best shots." She looked to Art for confirmation, and he nodded.
"Yup."
It was obvious to everyone that Karen Goodall did not want to give up her spot on the helicopter, but even as the person in charge, she had little choice.
"Bein' the boss ain't all it's cracked up to be, eh?" Raylan joked.
Goodall shot him a glare, then turned her gaze on Anna. "Alright. Agent Rulé will go in with Givens and Gutterson. Get your gear, and get over there."
Anna raced to the back of Art's rig and grabbed extra clips for her Glock23. Secretly relieved she did not have to search the overgrown riverbanks that surely were home to hidden, poisonous snakes, she sprinted towards the chopper and gladly accepted Raylan's hand when he pulled her up and in.
The pilot signaled to Goodall with his thumb that he was headed up. With her nod, the chopper took off. It took very little time to fly up and over the river. Tim and Raylan each surveyed the area from their respective sides of the Airbus copter.
"There!" Raylan pointed down on the ground, to what appeared to be the charred frame of Limehouse's diner. Smaller structures that he surmised were the smokehouse and some of the residential shacks were charred and appeared to be still smoldering. The pilot was able to set the bird down near the diner's gravel covered parking area.
"Holy shit," Anna uttered, looking around at the devastation. The diner, crowded with Limehouse's people when she and Raylan had been here just the day before, was completely destroyed. The only thing standing inside the charred frame was the massive stove. The smell of burnt wood and animal flesh hung in the air.
Raylan cupped his hands around his mouth, wishing he'd thought to grab Art's bullhorn. "Ellstin!" he yelled. "It's Raylan Givens. We're here to help!"
The three listened for any returning call, but none came.
The radio Tim held crackled as they carefully picked their way through the smoking debris.
"You guys in?" Art's voice came over.
"The diner's toast," Tim answered. "No sign of anyone, though. No bodies we can see."
"We got two over here on our side."
"Probably the guys guarding the bridge," Raylan figured.
"These guys were burned," Art informed them. "But not before they were shot in the head."
Raylan leaned in and held out his hand for the radio. Tim slapped it into his palm. "Hey, Art," Raylan said. "You got a survey map there in the truck?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Check out the closed mine shafts. They'd be outlined in red or blue. Seems to me there's one close by."
Anna stepped closer. "Where is everybody?" Anna asked. She took a deep breath through her nose. "I smell burnt meat, but not . . ."
"Yeah, me neither," Raylan agreed.
Tim's mouth set in a grim line, his eyes getting that faraway look they got whenever unpleasant memories pushed through his barriers. He knew exactly what Anna was talking about. Once you'd caught the smell of burnt human flesh, you never forgot it. He didn't smell it here, and that was odd. If the attack came without warning, there should be casualties.
"What're you thinking?" The sniper asked, "Think the fine folks of Noble's Holler are hiding in a mine shaft?"
"If they are," Raylan knowingly said, "they got a head's up from someone."
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-
"Who was that?" Winona asked, walking back into the kitchen dressed for the day in a blue sleeveless wrap dress that showed off her toned arms. Willa sat on her mother's hip, clinging to her with one hand and clutching the monkey with the other.
"That was Rachel," Leslie answered. She busied herself putting the morning's dishes into the dishwasher and rinsing out the coffee pot while she filled Winona in on the information Rachel had shared.
"So, we aren't going to know anything for a while, are we?"
"Doesn't look like it."
"Adam's in the shower." Winona sighed and ran a hand over Willa's hair. "I suppose when he's ready, we should go on back to Louisville." Before Leslie could respond, Winona's cell-phone vibrated in her pocket.
"Winona?" Gayle's voice, high pitched with hysteria, screeched in her ear. "Daddy's gone."
Winona's stomach dropped. "Gone?"
"He took the van while I was getting Kyle dressed. He has Davis with him! Can you and Raylan come home?" Her words tumbled out, one on top of the other, so fast.
Winona closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Raylan's working. There was an explosion down in . . ."
"You have to come home! We need the car. Can't you call him? Tell him it's an emergency?"
"Gayle, listen to me," Winona was calm but firm. "All the marshals are out of the office. There was an explosion last night. The FBI is involved at the scene. I can't call Raylan. There's no cell phone reception where he is. I don't know when we'll see or hear from him. But Adam and I will leave here and be there just as soon as we can. Okay?" After a beat, she added, "Did you call the local police? Where's Wade?"
Leslie followed her instincts and gently took Willa from Winona, leaving Winona to deal with an obvious crisis. The baby girl gave a big slobbery smile to her nursery rhyming baby sitter and willingly went to Leslie. Winona gave Leslie an appreciative nod.
Gayle answered Winona's question. "Wade's out looking for them now."
By not answering her question about the police, Winona had her answer. "You need to call the police, Gayle. Daddy has no business driving in his condition."
"I know that." The always strong and stoic Gayle began to sob. "Oh, Winona . . . Davis is with him. If anything happens . . ."
"I know. I know." Winona could feel her fear coming through the receiver. "Sis, do the right thing. As soon as we hang up, dial 911. They have a lot more resources than we do, and they can put a BOLO out on Daddy."
"Alright," Gayle agreed, sniffling.
"Where's Mama?" Winona asked.
"She's here . . . with Kyle and me."
"Good," Winona nodded. "We'll be there soon, okay? Just sit tight," she said, knowing all too well what that was like. She could only hope her big sister was better at it than she was. "I love you."
"Me, too," Gayle parroted and disconnected the call.
"Trouble?" Leslie asked, unable to keep from hearing Winona's side of the conversation. She had Willa sitting up on counter, supporting the baby's back with her hand.
Winona looked up at her. "When it rains, it pours, you know?"
"Yes, Dear. I do."
"Ma-ma-ma-ma," Willa looked at Winona with huge blue eyes.
"Your Mama's okay," Leslie reassured the little one in a soothing voice.
At that moment, a freshly showered Adam joined them. Winona abruptly informed him, "Adam, we've got to go. Now."
"What happened?" he asked, his face looking stricken.
Realizing by his reaction, she had struck fear into her friend's heart, Winona immediately corrected herself. "Oh, no, no. It's not Anna or the Marshals. It's Daddy. Daddy's flown the coup, and he's taken my little nephew with him."
"Oh, no," Adam said with genuine concern in his eyes. "Want me to drive?"
"Would you?" Winona looked relieved.
"Of course," he said, grabbing hold of Willa's diaper bag that was sitting on the kitchen table.
Winona walked over to Leslie, took Willa from her arms, and gave Leslie a hug. "You'll call me if you hear . . . anything?"
"Yes, and you'll do the same?" Leslie asked.
"I will," Winona smiled. "Sorry to leave you to wait alone."
"Oh, I'm used to it," Leslie said. "Your sister needs you." Then, Leslie smiled at Willa and cupped her sweet, little face in her hand. "Bye Miss Willa. You be a good girl for your Mama? I know you will."
Adam watched and waited as the two women comforted and reassured one another. Clearly, he was the rookie in this "LEO Loved Ones Worrier Club," and for a change, he was glad he was not alone on this one.
Leslie walked them outside the house, out to the driveway. As they waved goodbye to her and buckled Willa in the back of the Lincoln, they were soon on their way back to Louisville. On the way, Winona filled Adam in on Rachel's call with the little information she had, which reminded Adam to plug his phone charger into the console to charge his phone.
Winona changed the subject and also filled him in on some more details about what was happening over at Gayle's house.
"Well," Adam shrugged, "at least this will take our minds off of Raylan and Anna for a little while."
Winona smiled. "Thank you for that, Daddy." She was being sarcastic.
On the way, they drove through a Starbucks for coffee and some pastries. The stress of the waiting made them both decide they needed some bakery treats, as Willa took a little nap in her car seat. Once back on the Interstate, they were both all talked out, each alone with their private thoughts.
Adam couldn't help but think that their engagement celebration had been interrupted by her work - how happy they had been to be in their own little world - even for a short time. While disappointed, he could only guess that many of Winona's celebrations had been similarly interrupted. And he could feel Winona's uneasiness with her man being gone, again, out on an unknown assignment.
He finally broke the silence. "Are you hanging in okay, over there?"
"Eh," she shrugged. "What choice do I have . . . but to hang in?"
Surprised by her response, he gently responded. "I know it's hard for you not to . . . bolt and run when things get scary for you and Raylan. You should be proud of yourself . . . if not for you . . . then, for Willa's sake."
"Thank you," she nodded. After a silent beat, she added, "You get it, don't you? The worry."
"I do," he said. "We have that in common. We love two people who love their jobs. I can't see them doing anything else. And their jobs happen to be very dangerous. But at the same time, it's a safer world because they get up and go to work every day."
"Anna works some really dangerous cases, doesn't she?" Winona realized.
"Oh, yeah," he nodded. "Some of the worst. Like this guy they're after now."
"Sounds like it's no different than when Raylan goes to Harlan."
Adam scoffed. "And here, they are tracking a dangerous Federal fugitive in Harlan. What were the odds?"
Winona answered. "Exactly. What were the odds?"
"They're related," Adam surmised in a confident tone.
"I know," Winona smiled. "It's so obvious."
For the next several miles, Winona stared out the window, deep in thought . . . somewhere. The uncomfortable silence had crept its way back in the car. It was a heavy kind of silence, so heavy that Adam felt he had to break it.
"Are you thinking about your father?" he guessed.
"He would never hurt Davis, you know," she said, as if she was trying to reassure herself more than Adam. "At least not intentionally."
"No, he loves those boys," Adam reassured. "Even I could see that."
"Daddy's got a special place in his heart for his little namesake," she reminisced. "I think that was one of the proudest days of his life, at the hospital, when Davis was born. Gayle and Wade honored him by announcing his name to the Daddy and the rest of the family. It was the best surprise. Even I didn't know."
Adam glanced over and added, "It's also plain to see how proud Davis is that he's named after his grandfather."
Winona laughed. "Oh, yes. Davis is quick to tell everyone who will listen. Those two are really close. They're like "Frick and Frack."
"Did you know there really was a Frick and Frack?" Adam smiled.
"No, really?" She sounded mildly curious.
"Really. There were two Swiss skaters who joined the Ice Follies in the late 1930's. They were a comedy team," he recited his random knowledge. "Don't ask me why I know that."
Winona laughed. "Why do you know that?" she teased.
Thoughtfully, he said, "I think I remember my sister telling me about it. For some reason, it stuck."
A little later, returning back to the subject of Frick and Frack, she said, "Daddy likes to take Davis fishing. One time, when I went with them, I was standing behind them and I swear, they were standing exactly alike. I wish I'd had a camera. And you know how talkative Davis can be?"
"Yes," Adam chuckled, thinking talkativeness ran in her family.
Winona's thoughts were coming in a freeform fashion. "Well, when that little guy was fishing with his Grandpa, he didn't make a sound. I asked later him about it that day, and he said that Daddy had told him talking scares the fish. At three years old. He was so cute."
Another mile or two went by and Adam cleared his throat. "Winona . . . do you think? Do you think your father might have taken him fishing?"
Her fingertips came up and touched her lips. "Oh, my God." She fished her cell phone out of her purse and punched in the code for her sister's number.
"Hey," she said when Gayle answered. "I could be way off base, but Adam and I were talking on the drive . . . and it came up about how much Daddy loves to go fishing with Davis. Do you think . . . maybe . . . that's what Daddy had in mind when he took off this morning?"
"But Daddy took our vehicle," Gayle pointed out. "We don't keep fishing gear in our vehicles."
"No offense, Gayle, but you don't keep fishing gear anywhere," she pointed out to her sister who did not share her father's love of the sport. And neither did the man she married. In fact, out of the two girls, it was Winona who had gone fishing with her Daddy, many a time. "You have to buy a license to fish, and the bait shops rent fishing gear for the day. All you need to do is leave your Driver's License or a credit card as collateral."
"You do?" Gayle asked, suddenly open to the idea.
"Yes. Tell the police. And have them call me. I can give them a list of some of Daddy's favorite fishing holes."
"The police are here," Gayle said. "I'll tell them right now."
Adam hugged the Interstate speed limit by a mile or so per hour, in an effort to get them to Gayle's house in good time.
(To be continued . . .)