The Safest Lies
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Debra Webb
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HarlequinChapter One
Sadie Buchanan had never been to Winchester before. The closest she’d come was Tullahoma and that had been years ago when she was first assigned to the Nashville area. A joint task force conference at the Arnold Air Force base had required her attendance for a day. Frankly, it was unusual for an agent to end up in this area, much less request a retrieval. The kind of trouble that required her participation rarely happened in small towns. Most of her assignments took her to the larger metropolitan areas around the state or deep into the desert or the mountains.
In any event, whenever an agent was in trouble, she went in.
She parked in front of the Franklin County sheriff’s office. Extracting agents from dangerous situations hadn’t exactly been a part of her plan when she started her career, but within two years of her first field assignment she found herself doing exactly that after one particular mission. The assignment as well as the agent involved had been high profile, garnering her the full attention of the powers that be. During that fateful mission she as well as the Bureau discovered her knack for getting in and out with particular ease. From that point forward, she had been focused on training for moments like this one. It wasn’t the sort of task just any agent felt comfortable doing. Success required a very particular skill set.
Go in, attain the target and get out alive.
Her father always said that everyone had a gift. Evidently, this was hers. It hadn’t failed her yet. She had no intention of allowing it to start today.
Inside the brick building that housed the sheriff’s department and county jail, a female desk sergeant greeted her.
“Special Agent Sadie Buchanan.” Sadie showed her credentials to the other woman. “I’m here to see Sheriff Tanner and Agent Ross.”
“Good morning, Agent Buchanan. Down the hall and to the left,” Sergeant Rodriquez said with a gesture toward the long corridor beyond her desk. “They’re waiting for you in the conference room, ma’am.”
Sadie thanked the sergeant and headed in the direction she’d indicated. One thing she had noticed about Winchester already and it was barely ten o’clock in the morning—it was a couple of degrees hotter than Nashville. The town was attractive in a quaint sort of way, surrounded by a lake and bordered by hills and woods. Most folks would see those hills and woods as nature’s perfect landscape. What Sadie saw in all that natural beauty were places to hide. Lots and lots of potential hiding places.
Not a good thing when attempting to locate a target.
She opened the door to the conference room and walked in. Four people waited for her but only one that she recognized: Special Agent Deacon Ross. He, too, was assigned to Nashville. They’d only worked together on one occasion, but he had a stellar reputation. The last she’d heard he had taken an extended leave of absence.
Maybe the rumors that he might not be coming back were just that—rumors. He certainly appeared to be involved in this case.
“Agent Buchanan,” a tall, dark-haired man at the head of the table said as he stood, “I’m Sheriff Colt Tanner. We’re glad you could come.” He extended his hand.
Sadie gave his hand a shake. “Happy to help, Sheriff.”
“This is Chief of Police Billy Brannigan.” Tanner gestured to another man. This one had brown hair and eyes and looked as much like a cowboy as the sheriff.
Brannigan extended his hand across the conference table. “Good to meet you, Agent Buchanan.”
“Likewise, Chief.” Sadie accepted the gesture and turned to the next man in the room. “Agent Ross.” She offered her hand.
Ross gave her hand a shake and then turned to the woman at his side. “This is Cecelia Winters.”
Sadie extended her hand once more, this time toward the petite woman with the fiery mane of red hair. “Ms. Winters.”
Winters brushed her palm briefly against Sadie’s but didn’t speak. Since she had the same last name as the target, Sadie assumed she was a wife or other family member.
“Why don’t we have a seat and get started,” Ross suggested.
Sadie pulled out a chair and sat down as the others resumed their seats. A couple of files and a stack of maps lay on the table. Not exactly the typical setup for a tactical mission briefing but she’d gotten the impression this one was different than her usual assignment. She didn’t have a problem with different. As long as it didn’t get anyone killed. Sadie was yet to lose a target once she had attained him or her.
“I imagine,” Ross said, “you were briefed on the situation we have.”
“I only just returned to Nashville late last night from an assignment in Memphis. I’m afraid the details I received are sketchy at best. I assumed I would be fully briefed when I arrived.”
This would certainly be her first briefing with a civilian present who was totally unrelated to the official aspects of the investigation. She had a feeling this assignment was going to become more and more unusual.
“A particular group of extremists in the Franklin County area was pinpointed more than two decades ago. Gunrunning was suspected to be a major part of this group’s activities. Over the past few years suspicions of their involvement with kidnapping, possibly related to human trafficking, have surfaced. My former partner, Jack Kemp, investigated this group when it was first discovered but at the time there was not enough substantial evidence that the members were involved in anything criminal or illegal to pursue any sort of operation. Just over nine years ago that status changed, and Jack came back for a second look. During the course of that assignment he disappeared. Recently, new information about what happened to him has come to light. In part, that information was obtained through a civilian informant. Like most of us, Jack worked with a number of civilian informants.”
“One of those informants is Levi Winters,” Sheriff Tanner added. “Levi has recently gone missing and we suspect this group may be involved.”
Brannigan didn’t add anything. Sadie was undecided as to whether his continued silence was a good thing. Perhaps his involvement was only for informational purposes. The target was likely outside his official jurisdiction.
“Is the Bureau opening a new case in the area?” Seemed a no-brainer. But Sadie was not up to speed on the happenings in Franklin County. The more Ross talked, the more she understood that he had friends in high places and that was why she was here. “Or is this one off the record?”
The men in the room exchanged a look, which answered the question without anyone having to say a word.
“To a degree,” Ross admitted, “the retrieval is off the record. There appears to be some hesitation about reopening the case involving the group known as Resurrection. Personally, I think we’re caught in the middle of a war between the Bureau and the ATF, leaving us blind. We’re hoping any information Levi may have will help pull this all together. But,” he qualified, “finding him is our primary goal.”
Making it doubly important that she brought him back alive. Sadie considered the other woman at the table. The hope in her eyes was impossible to miss. Right now, Sadie could walk away and that decision would not adversely affect her career since this mission was off the record. She could stand up, walk out that door and never look back rather than risk her life for some informant whom she did not know and had no idea if he was actually credible.
Chances were, if she made that decision, the informant would die.
And though that decision would not prove unfavorable to her career, it would prove immensely unfavorable to her conscience.
“Let’s have a look at what I’m up against.”
Tanner went first. He explained that he had not encountered any trouble with members of this group—at least none of which he was aware. The members of the so-called Resurrection group were anonymous. Any who lived amid the community kept quiet about their involvement. Neighbors, friends, possibly even family had no idea about their participation. The tactic was actually fairly common and had been used for centuries by one secret group or another.
Brannigan spoke for the first time, agreeing with Tanner’s summation. The Winchester Police Department had not run into trouble with anyone who claimed to be or who was thought to be involved with this extremist group. The crime rate in the county was comparatively low. Rumors regarding the group known as Resurrection leaned toward the idea of extreme or doomsday-type preppers. Part of the problem was that there appeared to be an offshoot fringe group known only as the others who were far more dangerous. More primitive and violent.
Ross took over from there. “We’ve contacted a source within the ATF but we don’t have anything back from him just yet. He can only help us so much without crossing a line. Whatever else we do, we can’t keep waiting and risk losing Winters. Ultimately, the hope is that the Bureau and the ATF will initiate a joint task force, along with local law enforcement, to look more thoroughly into what this group is doing. As I said, for now, our immediate focus is on extracting Winters.”
Sadie understood perfectly. “If the Resurrection or this offshoot group has him, we need to get their attention. Obviously—” she scanned the faces at the table “—you don’t have the location where he’s being held.”
Tanner tapped the stacks of maps. “There are certain areas we feel are the more likely places but, no, we don’t have a damned clue.”
“And there’s no time to conduct the kind of search required to locate a needle in a haystack,” Sadie suggested. “Time is our enemy.” She set her gaze on Ross’s, knowing he would understand the goal. “We need their attention. I would recommend a news bulletin about a missing federal agent last seen in the Winchester area. Keep it ambiguous for obvious reasons. Give my description but not my name.” She shifted her attention to Tanner. “I’ll start with the most likely place and beat the bushes until they find me.”
“You want them to find you?” Tanner looked uneasy as he asked the question.
“We don’t have time to locate and infiltrate any other way. Prompting them to find me will be much faster and far more efficient.”
“Isn’t that far more dangerous, as well?” Brannigan asked.
“Yes.” Sadie saw no point in whitewashing the answer. “But it’s the only way to accomplish our goal in a timely manner.”
“Agent Buchanan is highly trained for exactly these sorts of situations,” Ross assured all present.
Judging by the expressions Tanner and Brannigan wore, his assurance did little to alleviate their reservations.
“You’re suggesting going in without backup,” Brannigan argued. “The only thing I see coming of that is two hostages needing extraction.”
Sadie acknowledged his assessment with a nod. “That is a possibility. But, Chief, you can trust me when I say, if I wasn’t experienced and completely confident about this situation, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I know what I’m doing. I understand the risk and, based on what I’ve heard so far, I am not overly concerned.”
“I may be able to help.”
All gathered around the table turned to the woman who had spoken. Cecelia Winters looked directly at Sadie even as the men in the room started to argue with her announcement.
“Not happening,” Ross stated unconditionally, tension in his voice, his posture and the set of his jaw.
“He’s right,” Tanner agreed with a firm shake of his head.
“This whole thing is far too risky as it is,” Brannigan added.
Sadie ignored them all. Instead, she focused on the woman who had made the statement. “How do you believe you can help?”
Cecelia blinked at Sadie’s question. “The people in this town know me. They know what happened to me—to my family. Nothing is secret anymore. If I spread the news, they’ll believe me. They will pass it along far more quickly than something reported in the news. Not everyone around here trusts the news.”
“Cece,” Ross argued, “your getting involved could only complicate matters.”
Sadie got the picture now. Ross and Cecelia were a couple. He didn’t want her anywhere near the line of fire. A personal connection more often than not spelled trouble when it came to an assignment like this one.
“Help from most any source can be useful, but Ross could be right,” Sadie said, not to change the woman’s mind but because it was true.
The hard look Ross sent her way shouted loud and clear that he wasn’t happy with how she had responded to the offer. Too bad. He wanted Sadie to do a job, an extraction—a very risky extraction. Why wouldn’t she use any available resources?
“Levi is my brother,” Cecelia said. “I want to help.” She glanced at Ross. “I need to help.”
“You understand that when this is over, there could be a backlash?” Sadie needed her to comprehend the long-term ramifications of any step she might opt to take. Sadie didn’t like getting civilians involved but it seemed as if this one was already eyeball deep in the situation.
“I do. The past decade of my life has been one long backlash. I think I can handle a little more.”
Ross obviously didn’t think so.
Sadie stared directly at him. “Is this going to be a problem for you?”
She didn’t like problems. Especially those that came from the people who were supposed to be on her side.
He held her gaze for a moment before saying, “I guess not.”
“Good.” Sadie turned back to Cecelia. “You tell whomever you believe will get the word out the fastest that the agent who was working with your brother showed up and was going around town asking questions.” She shrugged. “Trying to help, but now she’s suddenly gone missing and you’re worried about her.”
Cecelia nodded. “I can do that.”
“The most likely starting place?” Sadie asked, looking from one man to the next.
“The church,” Ross said. He glanced at Cecelia as he spoke. “We have reason to believe the Salvation Survivalists were working with the primary group in some capacity. They were housing weapons most likely intended for the Resurrection group, but we don’t have solid evidence of that conclusion. The ATF is looking at that aspect along with numerous others but, as we’ve established, they’re taking too damned long and they’re not sharing.”
“But you’re certain the two are or were connected.”
“We are,” Ross said.
Tanner and Brannigan agreed, as well.
“Then that’s where I’ll start.” To Cecelia she said, “You put the word out about me asking questions.” She shifted her attention to Tanner. “Make sure the local news reports a missing federal agent. No name, just a description,” she reminded.
Tanner nodded. “I can make that happen.”
“I’d like to familiarize myself with maps of the area, particularly around the church.”
Ross spread the maps on the conference table and started the briefing regarding landscape. Sadie took her time and carefully committed the maps to memory. One of the things that made her good at her job was her ability to memorize maps and recall landmarks. For a girl who grew up in the city, she was a damned good tracker. As good as any hunter she’d ever worked with and she’d worked with a few.
More than anything, she paid attention. The old saying that it was all in the details was more often true than not. The details were crucial. One didn’t need a photographic memory to recall the details. She just had to pay attention.
“What about the church?” Sadie considered the map of the area around the church, which appeared to be well outside town. “I need some additional history on the church.”
“My father started the church about thirty-five years ago,” Cecelia explained. “He was a very cruel man, capable of anything. He had many devoted followers who turned to my older brother, Marcus, after our father’s murder. There are those who still believe one or both to be messiahs of a sort. I’m confident the most deeply devoted know far more than they’ve shared. If they hear about you, you better believe the word will go where you want it.”
Ross pushed a folder in Sadie’s direction. “This will give you a good overview of what we know. It’s not complete by any means, but it’s as much as anyone knows.”
Sadie opened the file and skimmed the first page. “I’d like some time to go over what you have and then I’ll drive out to the church, hide my car and start digging around. If I’m lucky, someone will come looking for me in short order.”
“For the record,” Chief of Police Brannigan spoke up again, “I still think this is a bad idea.”
Sadie wished she could convince him otherwise but to an extent he was correct. This was most likely a bad idea.
But their options were limited. Sometimes the bad ideas were the only feasible ones.
