Bound to Fall, page 14
It was a burner phone, and there was no identifying information about the message’s recipient, apart from a phone number.
Darius knelt beside Riggs. “Who did you warn?”
The SWAT officer holding Riggs down barked at him. “Answer him, or I’ll start asking the questions!”
“I-I sent it to Kyle.”
“Kyle Watts?”
“Yeah, man.”
Darius sheathed his firearm, drew flex cuffs out of his pocket. Resembling plastic zip ties, they were much lighter than handcuffs and easier to manage.
Darius Riggs’ his wrists, restrained him. “Brennan Michael Riggs, you’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit assault resulting in grave bodily injury.”
“I had nothing to do with it!”
“Bullshit!”
Then Captain Skalbeck walked over to Darius. “We’ve cleared the place. There’s no one else here.”
Darius stood, held up the phone. “He used this burner phone to send a text to Watts, warning him. Where is he, Riggs?”
“I swear I don’t know! I-I just have that number. You took our phones, so w-we had to get new ones.”
Captain Skalbeck turned to his men. “Let’s turn this place over, find out what this shitweasel is hiding. You found drugs here before?”
Darius nodded. “Cocaine.”
While SWAT tore the place apart, Darius and Deputy Marcs hauled a handcuffed Riggs out to Marcs’ service vehicle and shoved him in the back.
“Aren’t you going to read me my rights or call an attorney or let me make a phone call or something?”
“Eventually.” Marcs laughed. “You watch too many TV shows, Riggs.”
Darius sat in the front and turned to face Riggs. “You’ve got one chance, one chance to make this easier on yourself. I won’t ask again. Where is Watts?”
Riggs was sweating now, his gaze darting between his house and Darius. “He…”
“Out with it!” Darius shouted, letting his rage show.
“H-he said he had shit to do. I don’t know exactly where. Denver.”
“Another coke run?”
“Probably. I-I don’t know. H-he just said he had some shit to do in Denver. Am I really under arrest? I didn’t do anything.”
“Didn’t do anything? You just tipped off a suspect in an active investigation that we were coming for him!”
Marcs shrugged. “That’s aiding and abetting a fugitive, for starters.”
“What?” Riggs gaped at them.
“Aiding and abetting. Conspiracy to evade prosecution. Criminal stupidity.” Darius let that sink in for a moment, but he had to ask. “When did Watts leave?”
“About twenty minutes ago. I don’t know.”
If the bastard had left twenty minutes ago, he was probably still on Highway 36.
Darius climbed out of the car, waited for radio traffic to clear, then called that information into dispatch, giving them the year, color, and make of Watts’ vehicle.
Captain Skalbeck saw Darius and made his way over. “Did the shitweasel give you anything helpful?”
“Only that his buddy was on his way to Denver.”
Skalbeck nodded. “I heard the call go out. We found a small amount of powder that field-tested positive for cocaine. We’ve got a couple of computers and some flash drives. Where do you want us to take this shit?”
It was a good question. The assault on Sasha had happened in Forest County. The suspects lived in Boulder. And Darius worked for the City of Denver, while the victim lived in Scarlet Springs.
“Their phones are with DPD’s forensics lab, so that’s probably where the computers and flash drives should go. You can keep the coke.”
“Got it. What about the shitweasel?”
“Forest County issued the warrants.”
“He’s all yours. We’ll book him on drug charges later.”
Darius waited until SWAT cleared them to leave, signed for Riggs, and was crossing the street on his way back to Marcs’ service vehicle, when the sudden roar of an engine made him look. Watts’ truck was tearing down the road, heading straight for him.
Darius leaped back, drew his weapon, but he was too late.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Pain exploded against his chest, forcing the breath from his lungs, and driving him to his knees in the vehicle’s path.
“Officer down! Officer down!” Marcs’ called.
Someone dragged him out of the street, the world around him exploding in gunfire. As he fought to stay conscious, there was only one thought in Darius’ mind.
Sasha.
Chapter 15
Sasha was desperate for fresh air, sunshine, and movement. She was used to lots of physical activity, and being sedentary for so long left her restless. So, after lunch, Sasha and Nicole went for a short walk with Mocha along the edge of the reservoir, throwing a rubber chew toy for Mocha to fetch.
It was warmer today than it had been, the snow beginning to melt, the high peaks still gleaming white. Sasha spotted a bald eagle soaring over the water, wings outstretched. She snapped a photo with her phone to share later on social media. Still, she couldn’t shake a sense of uneasiness.
It’s probably just a trauma reaction.
Esri had said that might happen.
Sasha couldn’t get her mind off the footage Darius had shown her. She’d never met those men or done anything to harm them, but they had almost killed her. It was also strange to think that Darius had gone to arrest them.
Why had Riggs let it come to this?
Back home, Nicole started a fire and made tea, setting their mugs on the end tables. “You’ve been quiet all afternoon. Are you okay?”
“I guess seeing that footage bothered me more than I realized.”
Nicole sat beside her, took her left hand. “Darius and Julia will find them.”
Sasha knew Nicole was right. “I just can’t believe Riggs was behind this. I don’t even know his roommate. Why would he try to kill me?”
“Riggs must have talked him into it. He knew you’d recognize him if you saw him, so he had his buddies do it. But it’s not your job to worry about this stuff.” Nicole picked up the TV remote. “What do we want to watch?”
They ended up streaming a documentary about the first all-woman team to summit K2. As riveting as the footage was, Sasha found herself checking her phone for new emails and local news updates—something that would tell her whether Riggs and his buddies were now behind bars and her life could return to normal.
Afternoon stretched into evening. While Nicole took Mocha out to go potty and then made a run to Food Mart for a rotisserie chicken, Sasha checked her social media, sure that Riggs’ arrest would be news in the climbing community.
Then she saw it—a breaking story.
Her heart raced.
Officer shot during suspect arrest. Shooter dead. Police seeking information.
She clicked on the story and watched a live report from outside the Boulder Justice Center.
“… had just arrested one man when another suspect in the case tried to run an officer down with his vehicle and opened fire, hitting the officer twice in the chest.”
The camera cut to a man in a SWAT uniform, other uniformed officers milling around in the background.
“At approximately sixteen-hundred hours today, Boulder SWAT, in cooperation with the Denver Police Department and the Forest County Sheriff’s Department, exercised an arrest warrant in the City of Boulder. We had one suspect in custody when another approached at high speed in his vehicle and opened fire on a Denver police officer. The officer, who was wearing body armor, was struck in the chest by two rounds and injured. SWAT returned fire, and the suspect in the vehicle was killed. The officer was transferred by ambulance to the hospital, and his injuries are being treated at this time. One suspect remains at large.”
On Sasha’s screen, the SWAT captain was still speaking, but Sasha couldn’t hear his words over the pounding of her own pulse.
Denver police officer shot.
Transported by ambulance.
One suspect at large.
If Forest County and DPD were involved, it must be Darius. It had to be Darius.
Sasha tried to send Nicole a text but was all fumbling fingers. No sooner had she hit send than Nicole walked through the door, groceries in her arms.
“I think Darius has been shot. I just saw a news clip about a Denver police officer who was shot while arresting someone with Boulder SWAT and the Forest County Sheriff’s Department. That could only mean—”
“Sasha, slow down.” Nicole set the groceries on the counter. “You think Darius was shot?”
Sasha showed Nicole the news segment. “Who else could it be?”
Nicole looked worried. She drew out her mobile phone, found Sasha’s text. “I’m going to call Julia.”
Why hadn’t Sasha thought of that?
Sasha listened while Nicole spoke with Julia, the phone on speaker.
“Sasha’s worried that Darius is the officer who was shot.”
“He’s okay, but, yes, he took two forty-five rounds to the vest. His body armor held—but only just. He’s got some bruised muscles and two huge impact marks. They transported him to the hospital to make sure there weren’t any broken bones or internal bleeding. Bullets can still do damage when they don’t penetrate.”
Nicole, who’d been watching Sasha this entire time, seemed to read Sasha’s mind. “But he’s going to be okay?”
“Yeah. I just finished booking Riggs into the county lockup. Some buddies of Silva’s are picking him up at the ER and driving him back to Scarlet.”
“Are you okay?” Nicole asked Julia.
“I think this took a good five years off my life and gave me a few more gray hairs, but, yeah, I’m okay. I’m looking forward to a hot bath and a glass of wine.”
“Thanks, Julia. Sasha was kind of freaking out when she heard the news.”
“Tell her not to worry. Her hot detective is safe—and so am I.”
“We’re glad to know you’re okay, too.” Nicole ended the call. “So, he’s okay, and he’ll be back soon.”
Sasha sank into a chair, shaky with relief. “Thank God.”
Ice pack held against his chest by bandages, Darius sat on the gurney in the ER, growing more impatient by the minute. How long did it take to discharge someone? He didn’t have time for this. Riggs was sitting in the Forest County jail, and Darius had questions that needed answers.
What a fucking mess today had become. One minute, they’d been wrapping up, and the next…
Darius hadn’t anticipated that Watts would try to rescue Riggs, especially not with an overwhelming police presence at the scene. He’d imagined the bastard would run as far and fast as he could. But Watts had tried to kill Sasha out of a misguided sense of loyalty to Riggs. It made a kind of twisted sense that he would throw his life away trying to free his friend. But now he was dead.
What a waste.
Darius glanced at his watch. What was taking so long? He’d been waiting to leave for more than an hour. The X-rays had shown no broken ribs, and there’d been no internal injuries. Then again, he couldn’t go anywhere without transportation.
He heard familiar voices, exhaled in relief. At least his ride was finally here.
“We’re with DPD. Is Detective Silva here?”
“Yes. He’s in the last room on the left. I’ve got his discharge paperwork. He should be ready to go in a few minutes.”
The curtain moved aside to reveal Darcangelo and Hunter.
“Hey, guys. It’s about time.”
Darcangelo’s gaze dropped to the bandages that held the ice pack in place. “How do you feel, man?”
“Like someone took a baseball bat to my chest.” He unwrapped the bandages to reveal two dark, overlapping bruises, each with an angry, red bullseye. “X-rays showed no cracked ribs or fractured sternum, so I guess I’m good to go.”
“Damn.” Hunter frowned. “Thank God the plates held.”
“Just barely.” Darcangelo picked up the two ballistic plates that had stopped the bullets, both pitted where the rounds had struck, one cracked. “Either one of these shots would have been fatal.”
That thought had occurred to Darius, too. “I guess it wasn’t my time.”
Hunter took the cracked plate, turned it over in his hands. “You are one lucky son of a bitch. What the fuck happened?”
Darius shared the highlights, giving Marcs props for getting him out of the path of the truck. “If she hadn’t dragged me out of the street, I’d be roadkill.”
“Sounds like you owe her a beer.”
Darius couldn’t disagree with this. “At least one.”
“The son of a bitch who did this is dead, right?” Hunter set the damaged plates back on the overbed table.
“Very.”
“What about that piece of shit you arrested?”
“He’s chilling at the Forest County Jail—which is where I should be, too.”
Darcangelo rested a hand against Darius’ bare shoulder. “You need to take care of yourself first. The little fucker isn’t going anywhere. Given that he warned his buddy, the DA will charge him in the shooting.”
Darius’ phone buzzed with a text from Marcs.
Sasha is worried about you. Might want to let her know you’re okay. Just FYI…
“Bad news?”
Darius shook his head. “Ms. Dillon heard I’d been shot and is worried.”
Darcangelo crossed his arms over his chest and exchanged a knowing look with Hunter, but Darius cut them off before either of them could speak.
“Don’t make me kick your asses. Not a word.”
Hunter bit back a grin. “I’d like to see you try.”
Darcangelo’s gaze narrowed. “Listen to you. I kicked your ass when—”
Darius was saved by the timely arrival of his nurse, who went over his discharge papers and removed the IV they’d started in the ambulance. And then, at long last, he was free to leave.
He got to his feet, wincing at the sharp pain on the left side of his chest.
“I’ll carry your gear.” Darcangelo handed him his shirt, picked up Darius’ vest and service weapon. “I once took five rounds to the vest. Sorry to say, but it’s going to hurt for a while, man.”
“Something to look forward to.” Darius pulled on his turtleneck, reached for his jacket, and followed the two men out of the ER.
They piled into Hunter’s SUV and started the drive up to Scarlet, Darius’ thoughts drifting back to the case, while Hunter and Darcangelo got into an argument about Hatch versus Pueblo chiles and who made the better salsa.
“Something about this doesn’t click for me.” Darius hadn’t meant to speak aloud.
Hunter and Darcangelo stopped bickering.
Darius tried to explain. “Riggs is dumb as a rock, and he’s not a good liar. He still maintains his innocence. He claims he had nothing to do with the attack on Sasha. Based on his reactions, his body language, some part of me believes him.”
Was that a true hunch, or was it Darius’ past speaking?
“You think his buddy might have done it without him knowing?” Hunter asked.
“It’s a possibility.”
“What about the other guy—the one who was driving the stolen SUV?”
“He’s still in the wind.” But Darius would find him.
Thirty minutes later, they made their way through the roundabout, Hunter and Darcangelo talking about a wildfire that had come close to wiping Scarlet off the map a couple of years ago. Darius hadn’t realized how connected they were to the community.
“I will never forget the sight of that jumbo jet roaring up the canyon and dropping its load on the flaming front.” Then Hunter met Darius’ gaze in the rearview mirror. “Want us to drop you off at the Inn, or do you want to grab some food and a beer at Knockers? Darcangelo is buying.”
“Thanks, but not tonight.” Darius had other plans. “Take the next right.”
Hunter chuckled. “Silva is looking for trouble tonight.”
After supper, Sasha took a hot shower, blew her hair dry, and slipped into her favorite sleep camisole and shorts. She put on her fluffy bathrobe, brushed her teeth, and made her way downstairs to where Nicole was playing with Mocha in front of the fire.
Nicole looked up. “Feel better?”
Sasha nodded. “A little.”
Nicole got to her feet. She was opening the climbing gym tomorrow morning and needed to get up early. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll just curl up on my recliner with a cup of tea and stream something until I get sleepy.”
While Sasha looked through her assortment of herbal teas, Nicole got her things together, set them by the front door, and then leashed Mocha. “I get off tomorrow at two. I’ll check on you then.”
Sasha set her box of chamomile tea on the counter and walked over to give Nicole a careful hug. “Thanks, Nic. You’re the best.”
“Try not to worry about him, okay? Julia said he was okay… Oh. He’s here.”
Sasha’s heart missed a beat. She looked outside, saw Darius walking up the path to her front door.
“I’ll get out of your way.” Nicole picked up her bag, opened the door, and led Mocha outside. “Hey, Detective Silva. We heard what happened. Sasha has been worried sick about you.”
Darius’ gaze met Sasha’s. “I’m okay, really.”
Sasha held the door open for him. “Thanks, Nicole. Have a good night.”
“See you tomorrow.” Nicole made her way down the steps, Mocha darting about on her leash. “Mocha! You’re going to get us tangled, girl.”
Sasha closed the door, locked it, and for a few heartbeats, she stood there face to face with Darius, their gazes locked. She wasn’t sure who took the first step, but in the next moment, she was in his arms, holding him as tightly as she was able.
He sucked in a breath, stiffened. “Easy.”
Sasha stepped back, saw lines of pain on his face. “You’re hurt.”
“My body armor held, but the rounds left big bruises.”
