Cold Spite, page 36
part #1 of Cold Justice® - Most Wanted Series
But he didn’t think Pedro would betray him to the authorities, not immediately, anyway. He’d warned the guy what would happen to his sister if he did. Plus, Pedro had no love for the FBI and Cas Demarco in particular. Joseph was pretty sure the guy would rather die than tell Demarco anything about what they’d done.
“What are you thinking?” Virgil asked.
He stared at his brother, so like him now, it was like looking in a mirror. The only difference was Virgil was plagued with more of a conscience. “I was thinking I should take Melody out to the camp for a few days. If these bozos want to sit in a boat all day and watch me, let them.” He jerked his head toward the media vans outside. “I figure they’ll get bored after a little while or get cold or sunburned while I sit on the dock and teach my daughter to fish.”
“You think the FBI will follow you out there?”
Joseph scratched his ear. “It would keep them occupied if they did.”
Virgil nodded. “How long do you think you’d need to be out there?”
“Couple of days at most.”
Virgil nodded again and finished his drink. “Hopefully, you’ll bring home a few fish for dinner.”
Joseph nodded. “Hopefully.”
Chapter Sixty-Three
Delilah was standing beside her parents as paramedics assessed them. Aside from dehydration, cuts, bruises, and mental trauma they appeared unscathed. Agents from the satellite office in Fredericksburg had hastily answered the call for backup and were now securing the murder scene in the control tower and trying to contain the mayhem of the burning hangar. They needed statements from everyone.
Her father kept trying to give orders, eager to do what he thought was his job, but her mother thankfully managed to distract him.
The paramedic turned to her. “You need that gash looked at.”
Delilah looked up in surprise and flinched when he dabbed at the side of her head with alcohol, cleaning the wound.
“Stick a Steri-Strip on it and give me a Tylenol, and I’ll be fine.”
The guy shook his head ruefully and did as she asked. She began cleaning the blood off her neck with a wipe he handed her. The bullet had whizzed so close she’d felt it melt her flesh. Cas had saved her life with his weapon skills—and she had his years of training with HRT to thank for that.
The man in question strode toward her. And took her elbows in his hands. “I have to go.”
“What?” She frowned in confusion. “Go where?”
“Task force has been mobilized to head to Louisiana. Half of Gold Team are already en route, and the rest of us are joining them there.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m coming too.”
“What about your parents?” Cas looked toward them.
“They’ll be okay. I have to go, Cas. I have to see him caught. I might be able to help. I know Trainer hates me, but I’ll beg the director if I have to.”
“Trainer’s no longer the head of the task force.”
“When did that happen?”
“About an hour ago. Turns out he sat on DNA evidence that proves one of the Scanlon brothers killed Clarence Carpenter, which was probably why he went after you so hard this morning. Deflect the attention away from himself.”
“Why would he sit on it?”
Cas shook his head. “Possibly because it’s still inconclusive as to which Scanlon the DNA belongs to and possibly because he has some sort of personal vendetta against your father and possibly wanted to use you to smear the family name. I guess he figured it wouldn’t cost him much to delay by a day while making your life hell. Then Nicole Zimmerman was murdered and he was on damage control.”
Delilah swore.
Yael came running toward them. “Alex said we can use the company jet. Shane and the others are going to meet us at Shannon Airport where the aircraft will be waiting for us.”
“Give me two minutes to explain to my mom what’s going on. You explain to the local agents we have to go. If they want to take statements, one of them can come with us.”
Thirty minutes later, they were climbing onboard Cramer, Parker & Gray’s private jet carrying all the gear that had been in the truck.
Cas whistled. “Fancy.”
“This is how the other half lives.” Delilah forced a smile. Her brows rose as she took in ASAC Lincoln Frazer frantically pecking away on his laptop. She hesitated because she hadn’t officially been invited to this party. “Sir.”
“Relax, Agent Quinn.” He didn’t bother to look up. “I hear you recovered your parents in good health?”
“Yes, sir, ASAC Frazer.”
“Frazer will do. Take a seat. I want you to tell me everything.”
As they sat down, Shane Livingstone, Ryan Sullivan, and Meghan Donnelly arrived, dragging with them even more gear which they secured at the back of the aircraft.
As soon as they clipped in, the flight crew set about preparing to take off.
Cas had listened quietly while Delilah told her side of events. She sounded tired, and the corners of her eyes crinkled as if she was in pain. The gash on the side of her head was vivid proof of how close to death she’d come tonight again, and he wasn’t sure how much more of that he could take.
Cas took over, filling in a few of the gaps, giving Alex Parker and Yael most of the credit which the hacker brushed off.
“So who’s in charge now?” Although Cas only took orders from the HRT chain of command, he wanted to know who was running the task force.
Frazer grunted. “They’re appointing someone from HQ, but in the meantime”—his stare was disconcertingly direct and annoyed—“me.”
“What do you think Scanlon will do next?”
“I honestly don’t know, but I do know he won’t confess or give himself up.”
“How can we prove which Scanlon brother killed Clarence Carpenter?” asked Cas.
“We have means and motive for Joseph. We’re going to arrest him and let the DA worry about how to prosecute. We need to contain this guy before anyone else dies.” Frazer eyed him and Delilah pointedly.
Delilah covered a massive yawn.
“Why don’t you get some sleep?” Cas urged Delilah. “There’s a bedroom back there.”
Her eyes flashed. “Don’t treat me like the weak link.”
“I’m not. I plan to get a few hours too, and I’m hoping you’ll take pity on me and share.”
Her gaze shot to Frazer, but Cas was done pretending.
Frazer packed away his laptop and silenced his phone. “I suggest we all get a little shut eye so we can face tomorrow refreshed. And”—he stretched a brow—“I’d grab the bed quick before I pull rank and claim it for myself.”
With that, he turned off his overhead light, pushed back his plush chair until it was almost flat, and closed his eyes.
Cas waited. Holding his breath. Then Delilah took his hand and led him into the bedroom, closed the door.
When Cas slipped out a couple of hours later, it was still dark, but the others were awake and talking quietly.
“Delilah still asleep?” Yael sent him a grin.
He blushed a little even though all he’d done was hold her. He nodded and cleared his throat. “Any updates?”
“Both Scanlon brothers are believed to be home in LaCroix. Local PD had to deal with a disturbance last night when a news crew from New Orleans turned up to ask Joseph some questions about these murders. Apparently, the neighbors got pretty cranky with the press.”
Cas rubbed his face. “Any new evidence?”
Frazer steepled his fingers under his chin. “We have the DNA profile that one of the Scanlons killed Clarence Carpenter—enough reason to interview and obtain a fresh DNA sample from Joseph. We have Pedro Alvarez on camera outside FBI HQ and a trail of evidence that suggests he abducted Delilah’s parents, and most importantly, their testimony. Yael is working to isolate cell signal data that would tie Pedro and Joseph together, but presumably they’ve dumped those cell phones. We have Pedro on commercial flights that would allow for him to have committed some of the murders. We have eyewitnesses and airfield logs that show the Scanlon plane was in San Diego, Seattle, and Virginia. Once we get Pedro’s DNA and fingerprints, we might be able to link him directly to one of the other crime scenes.”
“Any idea what he’s been doing these past five years?”
Yael answered, “Fell off the radar after he was declared dead.”
Cas smiled slightly. “A bit like Delilah.” He went over and helped himself to coffee from the Keurig. “Anyone want one?”
There was a pile of pods in the trash. He wasn’t sure how much his fellow passengers had napped, but he was grateful he’d had the chance to hold Delilah close, if only for a little while.
“Yes, please.” Yael held up her mug. “My caffeine ban has been lifted until this case is over.”
“I’m sorry you’re going to miss your boss’s wedding.”
“It sucks, but this is more important.”
Frazer sent her a benevolent smile. “Maybe we’ll be back in time for the reception.”
Yael laughed. “Maybe.”
“Team is planning to stage at the Sheriff’s Office in Houma. Plan is to arrest good ol’ Joseph on his way to church.”
“Being born again has some advantages,” Cas agreed.
“As good a place as any.” Frazer nodded.
“Do we pick up the brother and father on conspiracy charges?”
“I’m waiting on a judge to sign a warrant, but so far he wants actual evidence both brothers are involved, and we don’t have it.”
“Yet.” Cas took a sip of his coffee before handing Yael hers.
“Yet,” Frazer agreed.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Scanlon opened the front door of their century old home and watched the vultures stir.
“Wait here,” he told Melody as she clutched her pink teddy bear under her arm and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Virgil stood beside her on the porch. “I’ll be back in a moment. Don’t say a word,” he warned.
“I want to make a quick statement,” he announced loudly as he walked down the front path.
Cameramen scrabbled for their equipment while reporters rushed toward him.
Once the first green light told him a camera was recording, he held up his hand for quiet and began reading a short statement he’d written as the sun had started to rise over the bayou.
“Good morning. I want to address the rumors swirling around the death of my ex-wife amongst others. I’m innocent. The Federal Government is pursuing a relentless vendetta against me, and leading the charge is the FBI. I have no knowledge of any of the murders they are suggesting I might be involved in and, indeed, haven’t left the great state of Louisiana except for one sanctioned and supervised visit to reacquaint myself with my daughter after being unable to see her during the many years of my incarceration. I know what I did in the past was wrong, but I’ve paid the price and begged God’s forgiveness. I have no desire to break one of the sacred commandments. I understand that I’m a public interest story but request, for the sake of my young daughter, to be left alone to deal with the grief associated with her momma’s untimely passing.” He held eye contact with the female reporter with the blonde hair and blood red lipstick. “Ma’am.” He nodded to her and walked back to the house then herded the three of them back inside. He tossed the piece of paper onto the side table by the door.
“Ready to go out onto the swamp and see if we can spot any alligators?” he asked the kid.
She clutched the teddy tighter but nodded.
“You put on sunscreen?”
Melody shook her head.
“Go do it. And don’t miss any spots because we aren’t coming back just because you get burned, understand?”
She nodded again and dashed away.
Virgil watched her go and shook his head. “One of us should get ourselves a woman to help raise her.”
Joseph smiled. “Maybe that pretty cop?”
Virgil grunted. “Nah, one who stays home and knows how to cook.”
Joseph nodded again. Fair point. They both liked to eat.
They met up with the others in Houma, and Delilah found herself in a convoy of black SUVs and one armored personnel carrier, sitting with Yael, Frazer, and Livingstone with Cas driving.
The Sheriff had been informed and was sending the local SWAT team to assist.
“Well, that’s irritating.” Frazer checked his cell. “Scanlon isn’t going to church this morning after all. Apparently, he and his kid got into a boat and drove away after doing a little piece for the news cameras.”
“They have a cabin, a camp, I think they call it down here.” Delilah leaned forward. “In the boonies on the lake. Location was in the case files.”
“I have it.” Yael pulled up the area on Google Maps. “Here.” She pointed to an isolated shoreline, connected to the mainland but with such thick brush and swamp it could be impossible to approach from that direction.
“What about the brother?” Delilah asked.
“Headed to the garage with the father. Apparently, it’s not uncommon for them to work on weekends.”
“Think Scanlon’s gonna make a break for it?” asked Cas.
Frazer inclined his head slowly. “He might. What are our options for an arrest?”
“We can wait for them to come back.”
Frazer shook his head. “No guarantee he’ll come back.”
“We can insert via water or air. Parachutes won’t do us a lot of good. Woods are too dense to land in, and if I’m going to have to fight an alligator, I’d rather do without a parachute holding me down.”
“Readymade sushi rolls,” Shane joked.
Delilah shuddered.
“Best bet,” Cas said, “is to set up the snipers at various points around the lake—let’s talk to Wildlife and Fisheries about the best places because they’ll know the area. Once snipers are in position, we get the Little Birds in the air, and the assaulters can fast rope on the camp.”
“Think he’ll be armed?” Delilah asked.
“The local sheriff said that the Scanlons gave up all their weapons without any fuss when Joseph was due to be released as part of the parole conditions, but there’s no way they don’t have something hidden near the camp. Even for self-defense,” said Frazer. “We need to prevent him from accessing a weapon before we have him under control.”
“He’s a Navy SEAL,” Cas said ominously. “A pencil could be a deadly weapon.”
Shane started laughing.
“There’s a child involved,” Delilah reminded everyone.
“We are aware,” Frazer said testily. “Her safety is our priority. Scanlon’s arrest is secondary. Think you can protect her?” he asked the two operators.
“Yes.” Cas said.
“Yes,” said Shane. “Even if he picks up a pencil.”
Cas punched him in the shoulder, hard, and Shane yelped.
The kid was going to be scared after losing her mother. Delilah hated the idea of her being in danger, but what choice did they have?
“Okay, let’s head to the nearest Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries building. Get the drones and helicopters in the air ASAP. We can’t sit around waiting. The local grapevine will start wondering why two dozen special operators are camped out in town, and they’re not going to believe we’re all after fishing licenses.”
“Yes, sir,” Yael murmured with big eyes.
“Please,” Frazer added. “I seem to have lost my usual assistants.”
“Well, I’m not doing anything. I might not be a whizz on the computer like Yael, but I can make phone calls as needed,” Delilah offered, wanting to be useful.
“I’ll bear that in mind.” Frazer’s icy smile landed on her. “Let’s get this done, people.”
Chapter Sixty-Five
Two hours later, Cas lay cold and damp behind tall grass in a hide usually used by duck hunters about 800 yards away from the rustic cabin that had been in Scanlon’s late mother’s family for the past seventy years. Cas was dressed for the part in woodland camouflage jacket and brown pants one of the wildlife agents had lent him. They’d decided to hide in plain sight to the point they’d even brought a 12-gauge shotgun that they’d fired a couple of times, careful not to actually hit anything because they couldn’t collect any game they brought down.
His olive drab GA Precision FBI HRT .308 sniper rifle fitted with a Leupold scope was probably a little beyond what a typical duck hunter might use. Sebastian Black lay beside him with his rifle, currently on the spotter’s scope. Unlike the one Scanlon used during his unsuccessful attempt to kill Cas on Wednesday, their scopes were coated with anti-reflective material that cut down on glare.
Cas had dialed in elevation, windage, although the direction had shifted so Sebastian checked it again. Cas also adjusted for the mirage. At least they didn’t need to worry about Coriolis effect at this distance of only about eight football fields.
With a cold bore shot and a child in the kill zone, there was no margin for error. Cas was praying Scanlon would surrender without a struggle when he realized he was facing overwhelming firepower. The guy did not have a death wish.
It felt strange simply to watch this man who’d tried to kill him and the woman he loved, not to mention all the other crimes he’d committed since he’d been released from prison, through the glass of his scope. It would be so easy to squeeze off a shot and end the threat of danger to Delilah and to his friends. Less than a second, and this could be all over, but so would his career and his chance of a future with Delilah, because he wouldn’t allow her to sacrifice her own career to stand by him.
And wasn’t that part of the problem the two of them always had—not allowing the other to put their relationship over their careers?
He pushed the thoughts aside and concentrated on the job itself. JJ Hersh and Damien Crow were set up to the west in another hide. And the other four snipers from Gold Team had slipped in covertly and were spread out in pairs at regular intervals to ensure someone should have a clean shot in the event Joseph Scanlon decided to attack the arresting officers or held his own child hostage.
