Guarded by the Marshal
Author
Sharee Stover
Reads
18.1K
Chapters
19
Tracking a fugitive… and shielding an infant. When police chief Dani Fontaine gets an emergency call, she never expects to be ambushed by gunfire — or to find her friend's abandoned baby. Now Dani must keep the child safe, while evading assailants and investigating a leak in her department. And that means working with Deputy US Marshal Beckham Walsh, the man who almost destroyed her career. Protecting a child while searching for stolen weapons becomes more perilous at every turn. And with a target on their backs and multiple suspects, it could be their deadliest mission yet…
ONE
“I’m confused how evidence in an ongoing investigation disappears.” Heartland Fugitive Task Force commander Beckham Walsh restrained his irritation while staring at the woman he’d avoided for nearly three decades. “What process did your department neglect?”
Grand Island police chief Danielle Fontaine squared her shoulders from behind her desk. Long, chestnut layers framed her oval face. Her defensive posture, complete with narrowed brown eyes, shadowed by thick lashes, and pursed full lips, reminded Walsh of her as a young recruit. Stubborn, determined, and gorgeous. All the traits that had attracted him in the beginning of their relationship three decades prior still applied.
“I assure you, we will figure out what’s going on.”
“Dani,” Walsh said, using her nickname, “that’s a placating comment.”
She sighed. “I wasn’t in command when your team secured the evidence here. I’m unaware of the particulars of this specific case. Please bring me up to speed.”
“The munitions are part of a multi-jurisdictional illegal weapons operation. Enrique Prachank, the trafficking leader, is a fugitive and about as slippery as an oiled catfish. He’s eluded capture for over a year.”
Dani sucked in a breath. “Your case is connected to Prachank?”
“Yeah.” Walsh paused. “You’re aware of him?”
“Isn’t everyone in law enforcement?” Worry replaced the calm she’d exuded. “I’m not defending or minimizing the situation, but only one of those guns is unaccounted for.” Still, that missing firearm was tied to Prachank’s many crimes, including arms and drugs dealing. The evidence could help bring Prachank down. Now they needed to determine how it’d disappeared from the Grand Island PD.
“It reflects a compromise in the chain of custody, jeopardizing the entire case,” Walsh concluded, conveying the seriousness of the implication.
Glancing at his watch, he winced: 2030. The late hour wasn’t helping his attitude at all. Thirty years of combined experience between the military and law enforcement, and the never-ending war on incompetence persisted. Still, grace overrode accusations and his goal was resolution, not blame.
“I’m certain at worst it’s a labeling issue,” Dani said.
“If you believed that, you wouldn’t have called me here,” Walsh contended.
“I didn’t.” She lifted her chin, challenging him. “As a courtesy, I notified you of the anonymous text advising the case number and missing item.”
Recollections of the intense takedown that HFTF had diligently pursued bounced to the forefront of his mind. Months of hard work, sacrifices, and stress to keep the cache of illegal weapons off the streets was now threatened.
“I’ll get to the bottom of it when I speak with Jayne Bardot, my evidence technician.”
“Why haven’t you done that already?” The words came out harsher than he’d intended.
Dani quirked an aggravated brow. “She’s unavailable. Jayne’s a trusted employee, and I have confidence she’ll clear this matter to your satisfaction.”
Walsh huffed out a breath. It was like they’d traveled back in time and replayed their original roles.
Him the accuser, Dani the defender.
The repeat of their past, resulting in the subsequent rupture of their relationship, wasn’t an event he wanted to revisit. Yet, here they were, circling the same mountain nearly thirty years later.
“Send the security footage to my team.” He gestured at her computer monitor. “We’ll scan for intruders.” And anything else that revealed the truth.
“I’ve reviewed the videos and found nothing suspicious,” Dani argued.
“Great.” Walsh forced a smile. “Then it won’t hurt for us to do it again.” The right way.
They held their silent standoff.
Only the sleek black dog splayed at her feet moved, stretching his legs and squeaking out a yawn. Walsh glanced down, a grin tugging at his lips, and addressed Dani, “May I pet him?”
“Sure, his name is Knox.”
The moment lightened the tension as Walsh knelt to stroke the dog’s short coal-colored fur.
“He’s a purebred mutt.”
“Those are the best, right?” Walsh spoke to Knox. “He has a lot of Doberman features.”
The dog shifted into a regal sphinx position, offering a better view of his narrow brown-and-black snout.
“He’s got Great Dane blood mixed in, too.” She offered him a dog biscuit from a box in her desk.
Walsh passed it to Knox, who happily munched on the treat.
Dani’s disposition softened with the canine deflection. Walsh shifted into investigator mode, aiming to gain her trust with the common interest. “What’re his specialties?”
“Evidence recovery and explosives detection.”
Ironic, considering Dani’s department lost the evidence which was their current topic of discussion. The thought lingered on his lips. He withheld it thanks to the throw-no-stones reminder nudging his conscience. He considered his failures, which left his heart and ego forever scarred. Walsh’s career centered around protecting others, and he’d botched that job with the most important person in his life. A flash of his deceased wife, Gwen, flitted to mind unbidden. Walsh shoved it away. That was a long time ago. He couldn’t change her outcome, nor did he fear a recurrence. Living as a bachelor ensured he’d never face that pain again. A ring erupted from Dani’s pocket, jolting Walsh to the present. He perched on her desk, leaning closer to eavesdrop.
Dani frowned, pushing back in her chair to create distance. “It’s Jayne. I’ll answer on speakerphone.”
Walsh nodded but didn’t move. Speaking to the evidence tech was of utmost importance.
She swiped the screen. “Hey, I’ve been—”
“I must talk to you. Now. It’s urgent!” the woman screeched into the line. “Not on the phone, only in person.”
“Jayne, what’s wrong?” Compassion overrode Dani’s question.
“Please hurry!”
“Okay. Where are you?” She spoke calmly, though Walsh didn’t miss the concern in her expression.
“Meet me at the abandoned Mills Warehouse off County Road 436 in Broken Bow.”
“Jayne?” Dani glanced at the device, as if expecting it to explain. “She hung up. Did you get all that?”
“Yes, let’s go.” He jumped to his feet.
“It’s unnecessary for you to accompany me.”
“Negative.” Walsh set his jaw. “Nonnegotiable.”
“Fine.” Dani dragged the word for several syllables. “You drive,” she said, resuming control of the situation.
Walsh grinned at the ploy.
Knox barked, quickly standing on all fours.
“Sorry, you wait here until I return,” Dani said.
“He’s welcome to join us.” If he wasn’t mistaken, Dani’s hardened expression softened.
She holstered her duty weapon and snagged a leash from the hook by the door. “In that case, come on, Knox.”
The Dobie mix trotted to her side.
Walsh led the way to his black SUV and settled Knox in the kennel behind the front seats. “We equip our SUVs with canine kennels and supplies.” The sudden realization that he’d said that to impress her had his neck warming.
“Wow, that’s very cool.” Dani was seat-belted and waiting when he slid behind the wheel. Her purse rested as a barrier between them. “Knox and I are always together since Lincoln PD partnered us eight years ago.”
That captured Walsh’s interest. “I wasn’t aware you were a handler.” He didn’t know anything about the woman he’d avoided at all costs after their clash.
“I retired Knox when I took the GIPD promotion. He’s still adjusting.”
With the impact of a swift kick to the gut, Walsh struggled not to react to her words, contemplating his own impending mandatory retirement. A poisonous snake threatening to strike and take him out of the game.
Shoving aside the dread, he reverted to his best defense—avoidance and denial. “Dogs are an intricate part of HFTF. We owe them several team successes.”
“HFTF’s reputation is unsurpassed.” Dani surprised him with the compliment, and the short reprieve from their heated discussion lessened Walsh’s tension. “Thanks. I didn’t realize you’d taken the job at GIPD.”
She nodded. “Recently, and I’m sorry for this mess. There is no excuse for the evidence issue. You have my word that I will rectify and ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
“How well do you know Jayne?”
“She’s a sweet young woman and a responsible single mother.”
Walsh noticed Dani’s stiffened posture. Fabulous. He’d put her back on the defensive. “Does she normally call panicked and demanding your attention like this on a Friday night?”
Dani hesitated, conveying more than her words. “No,” she replied. “She’s high-strung. Most likely, whatever is happening isn’t as bad as she made it sound.”
“Trying to convince me or you?”
“Both, I guess.” She shrugged and looked out her window. “We met at a women’s ministry lunch about a year ago. We’ve become close friends. She’s a great asset to the department.”
“Aha, you went into rescue mode,” Walsh surmised, then clamped his mouth shut, fearing he’d offended Dani again.
“Probably.” Her gentle response relieved him. “Most cops possess the rescuer mentality. It’s why we pursue law enforcement careers.”
“No shame in that,” he added, hoping to maintain the cordial conversation.
Dani quieted, and he traversed his thoughts. Why, after three decades, had their paths intersected? Should he broach the topic, or would that erect bitter walls?
They drove for a half hour in silence before Walsh said, “I’m not familiar with Broken Bow, so you’ll have to guide me.”
“Broken Bow is a town northwest of Grand Island, boasting a population of a little over three thousand.”
“Impressive.”
The corner of Dani’s lip quirked. “That’s one of the few benefits of growing up in this area.” She provided directions through the country landscape.
At last, the warehouse loomed ahead.
“Take the frontage road instead.” She gestured to a lane that paralleled the building.
“Perimeter check,” Walsh deduced.
“Right.”
“There are binoculars in the console.”
Dani withdrew them, surveying their surroundings.
Walsh turned off the headlights and carefully navigated the dirt grooves. Thanks to Nebraska’s summer drought, the road mimicked desert conditions. It also eliminated proof of whether the tracks were recent. They drove around the perimeter, then moved toward the building.
“Clear.” Dani replaced the binoculars. “That’s Jayne’s maroon sedan under that oak tree.”
He parked beside the vehicle and shut off the engine. Dani exited the SUV, then released Knox, snapping on his leash. Walsh checked his magazine and with his gun in hand, the trio approached the warehouse.
He gripped the door handle and tugged. “It’s locked.”
“Maybe she went through the side entrance.”
They reached the east entrance and stepped in, allowing the door to close softly. A glow at the far corner provided the only light in the expanse.
“Jayne?” Dani’s voice echoed in the eerie darkness.
Walsh touched her arm, lifting his Glock slightly in reminder. He’d activated his weapon-mounted flashlight and swept the beam around the room. Dani looped Knox’s leash over her wrist and withdrew her gun, mimicking Walsh’s moves. They proceeded cautiously.
Boxes wrapped in plastic and set on pallets consumed the area.
Decaying grain and something pungent assailed his senses. Their boots padded on the cement floor as they surveilled the warehouse. A figure emerged, looming in the shadows in an alcove between two large stacks of pallets.
“Dani!” A willowy woman burst forward, arms outstretched. “Thank you for coming!” Her long, dark hair fluttered like a cape as she rushed toward them.
Dani holstered her weapon. “What’s going—”
“I don’t think he followed me.” Jayne’s wide blue eyes bounced around the room, landing on Walsh for a second before scanning the warehouse.
“Who?” Walsh kept his gun at the ready, surveying the dim space.
Jayne shook her head. “It’s important you find—”
Rapid shots cut off her sentence.
Instinctively, Walsh and Dani tackled Jayne and Knox to the floor in a synchronized effort. She and Walsh pushed them into the safety of the corridor and returned fire.
The hollow room amplified the deafening sounds as though a hundred guns shot back.
“Dani.” Jayne’s voice was soft behind them.
She lifted a hand, silencing her friend without turning to address her. They needed to focus on the return assault.
Then, as quickly as it began, the gunfire ceased.
Dani and Walsh held their positions, not daring to move.
A thud preceded an explosion. A flash-bang grenade erupted, blinding and deafening them.
Walsh ducked, blinking hard. “Stay here.” He shifted ahead of Dani, eyes stinging, and bolted after the shooter.
Dani maintained cover for Walsh through her blurred vision, then turned to check on Jayne.
Eyes closed, her friend’s head lolled to the side.
“No, no.” Dani scurried closer, brushing her knee against Jayne’s outstretched arm.
A brass key rested in her open palm.
Dani’s attention shifted to the spreading crimson stain seeping through Jayne’s pale-yellow T-shirt. “Walsh!”
When he didn’t immediately respond, Dani hollered louder. “Walsh!”
A slamming door and heavy footfalls drew closer. “Dani!”
“I’m here! Call 9-1-1!” Her gun, weapon light still activated, lay on the ground.
He skidded to a halt, his six-foot-four-inch frame towering in front of her. “Were you hit?” He withdrew his cell phone and dialed on speakerphone.
“No. Jayne’s hurt.” Dani held her in an awkward embrace. “I can’t see where.”
“Is she—”
“No.” Dani pressed her fingers to Jayne’s neck. “She’s got a faint pulse.”
The line rang twice before a woman answered. “Nine-one-one, what’s your—”
“This is deputy US marshal, Commander Walsh,” he barked. “I need an ambulance at the abandoned Mills Warehouse. Patient is female, mid-thirties, GSW to the chest. Pulse is slight and erratic.”
“EMTs are en route,” the operator responded.
Walsh disconnected. “Let’s get her into the recovery position.”
She nodded.
They positioned Jayne on her right side, her top leg bent to brace her knee on the ground, then straightened her right leg. Walsh adjusted Jayne’s arms, sliding one straight above her head and tucking the other under her cheek.
He dug into his pockets, then tugged off his T-shirt, exposing the black compression shirt underneath. “Use this to absorb the blood.”
Dani held the tan fabric against the wound, soaking it within seconds. They had to get Jayne to the hospital before she bled to death.
Knox paced, whining softly.
“Did you check him over for injuries, too?”
She blinked, processing Walsh’s question.
“Dani?” He placed a beefy hand on her shoulder. Like an electric shock, his touch jolted her to the present.
“Come here, Knox,” she cooed, snapping out of her daze and shrugging off Walsh. She detested the quiver in her voice as she groped the dog’s short fur. “He’s okay.”
“Good.”
“I was certain I’d moved fast enough to protect her.” She stroked Jayne’s dark hair away from her face. “I’m so sorry. Lord, we need You. Please help her,” she prayed aloud.
“Help’s on the way,” Walsh assured her.
“I don’t understand what happened here.”
Knox sat beside her and nudged her arm with his cold nose.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” she whispered before returning her focus to Jayne. “How? Why?”
“I’ll secure the scene while you ride in the rig with her.” Walsh’s steady response reminded Dani of her responsibilities.
She was a cop first, and she’d not fall apart.
Especially not in front of Walsh.
“No. I’m needed here.” Dani stood, shoulders back. “Were you able to trace the shooter’s escape? See what he drove?” She assumed her command composure, emotionally distancing herself from the situation.
“I walked the perimeter and saw no tracks, though it’s hard to tell with the hardened earth.” Walsh gripped his cell phone. “Pretty sure he exited through the south door.”
Dani shook her head. “There were no other cars besides Jayne’s.”
“He could’ve driven a UTV and hidden it in the tree line.” He hesitated. “Unless he was waiting to ambush us.” Suspicion hovered in his tone.
“What’re you saying?”
“Jayne lured you here.”
“She did not!”
Walsh frowned but didn’t respond.
“Maybe he broke the window to escape after tossing the flash-bang?”
“Negative, the glass is on the inside.”
Dani glanced at Jayne. The implications slammed into her with the force of a hurricane.
She’d failed to protect her friend. Jayne worked hard, balancing her role as a single mother with her job at the PD. An impossible task in divided devotions in Dani’s opinion. She should know—her mother’s daily struggle to be enough was proof.
Dani had surrendered everything for her career, believing her ex-husband Mark’s promises that their marriage was all he’d needed. Instead, he’d abandoned her for a younger woman with whom he’d built a beautiful family. The same obligations he’d sworn he hadn’t wanted from Dani. Just as her father had done to her mother, trading them in for something better.
Bitterness welled within her at history’s cruel propensity to repeat. Never again would she succumb to that pain.
Dani swallowed the emotions rising like bile in her throat.
Why hadn’t she protected Jayne? She’d take her place this instant! Dani’s sole existence, other than her job, affected no one else. “She tried to warn me,” Dani whispered.
Dani was expendable. Jayne was young and had so much life to live. She had an infant daughter who relied on her, especially after Tessa’s drug-addict father had overdosed. Tessa would be an orphan if Jayne died.
“Tessa!” Dani blurted.
Walsh faced her.
“We have to check on Jayne’s baby as soon as we get out of here.” The six-month-old had no one else. No wonder Jayne had made Dani promise to care for Tessa if anything happened to her. Had Jayne feared she was in danger? Where was Tessa now?
“Okay. Rescue is coming. We’ll take care of Tessa once Jayne is transported.” Walsh pocketed his phone. “Locals will process the crime scene.”
“No!” She whipped her head to look at him. “I’m handling the investigation.”
“Dani.” Walsh’s annoyingly calm composure teetered on placating. “We need objectivity.”
He was right, and she hated admitting that. They were outside her jurisdiction. She studied her ex-boyfriend, and the idea bloomed.
“Fine. Then let your team do it.” Dani checked Jayne’s wound again. HFTF’s success rate was unsurpassed among neighboring task forces. Walsh couldn’t argue that. She knew of the interagency task force’s cooperative efforts with the FBI, ATF, US Marshals, and other local agencies in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. They’d sort this out.
“She deserves the best. Please.” She’d never spoken more honest words. Loath to admit her desperation, her concern for Jayne overrode her intentional standoffishness with Beckham Walsh. Regardless of their past, Jayne needed their help.
He sighed. Not infuriation, rather resignation. “Okay.”
“I’d like to be included in the case.”
He seemed to study her before dialing and selecting speakerphone. Dani appreciated his willingness to let her participate in the discussion.
“Heartland Fugitive Task Force,” a woman answered.
“Eliana, please initiate a team conference call,” Walsh said.
“I’ll patch them in,” she responded. Within a few seconds, several clicks confirmed the joining members.
“Grand Island police chief Danielle Fontaine is here with me. She’ll work this case with us.” Walsh provided a succinct recap of the events for his team. “EMS is on the way. HFTF will take the investigation lead, starting with the crime scene examination. Any evidence collected will go to the Iowa state lab to avoid conflict of interest, since Jayne is the GIPD evidence technician. Additionally, Skyler, manage all ballistics processing.”
Dani bristled, then silently acquiesced to his judgment call.
Sirens screamed in the distance.
“Finally,” Dani softly addressed Jayne, “Help’s almost here.”
“Please state your name when you speak for Chief Fontaine,” Walsh directed.
“Eliana Kastell, tech specialist,” the woman who’d answered said. “Elijah and Graham are the closest to your location.”
“Eliana’s system provides real-time GPS for the members,” Walsh explained to Dani.
“ETA 10 minutes,” a man said. “Sorry, DEA agent Graham Kenyon.”
Knox whined, his gaze flitting between the back of the warehouse and Dani.
Walsh jerked his chin, getting her attention.
“What’s up?” Dani whispered, stroking the dog’s ears.
“Good,” Walsh said. “Kenyon twins, take the lead on the evidence handling, especially recording the chain of custody, and secure the transfer to the Iowa state lab.”
“Officer Elijah Kenyon,” another man replied. “Won’t Nebraska have a problem with that?”
“I’ll notify them of the conflict of interest within this internal investigation,” Walsh answered.
“ATF agent Skyler Rios,” a woman said. “You’ve confirmed the missing weapon?”
“Yes,” Walsh responded.
Skyler added, “I’ll send all ballistics to my NIBIN contact and advise it’s an urgent request.”
Dani recognized the reference to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. An inside connection expedited processing.
Knox nudged Dani’s arm. “Shh.” She stroked his scruff.
“The rest of you assemble at the Rock by midnight,” Walsh ordered.
A chorus of “Roger that” and “Affirmative” bounced over the line before he disconnected.
“What’s the Rock?” Dani asked.
“Our Omaha headquarters.” He glanced at Knox. “Is something wrong with him?”
The K-9 whined, again nudging Dani’s arm. “Oh, sorry, sweetie, I didn’t realize I still had your leash attached to me.” She wriggled free of the lead and the dog scurried off, nose to the ground.
Walsh and Dani exchanged confused glances, then followed Knox to the far side of the building, where he disappeared into a hallway.
Dani ran to catch up and spotted a tall stack of boxes concealing a door.
Was the shooter still there?
Based on the increased siren decibels, reinforcements were closer. Walsh withdrew his weapon again. They shoved aside the boxes, revealing the sign that read Janitor’s Closet.
A strange mewing, comparable to a cat’s late-night cries, rose from the gap beneath the door. Knox scratched at the entry and the howls intensified, competing with the sirens outside.
“What’s making that noise?” Dani tried the handle. “It’s locked.”
“May I?” Walsh’s hulking size and muscular frame hadn’t diminished over the years. If anyone could break down the door, it’d be him.
She stepped aside, and he rushed forward, shoulder-first.
It didn’t budge, and he winced.
Dani peered closer. Steel. No wonder.
Remembering the key in Jayne’s palm, Dani said, “Wait here.” She spun on her heel and sprinted to the main warehouse, retrieved the key, then hurried back to Walsh.
They flanked the entrance, guns at the ready, and Dani unlocked the door, then nudged it open.
Dani gasped, dropping to her knees. “Oh, no.” She lifted Jayne’s distraught six-month-old daughter from the carrier. “Tessa.” Cradling her, she asked, “What’s a fugitive and a missing weapon got to do with Jayne and Tessa?”
“Apparently,” Walsh replied, “everything.”
