Lose Your Breath (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“I’ve told you everything I can. She’s not a born Montanan and had to make her stand in Black Rock Falls. She’s fighting to prevent violence against women and won an election for a four-year term. We’d like to see her succeed. It’s a big county with many undesirables and she needs someone like you to watch her back.”

Dave scrubbed a hand through his short hair and sighed. “She’ll look at me as a threat to her job.”

“Then you make it clear from the get-go you’re looking for a quiet life.” Terabyte paused for some seconds as if thinking. “It’s the chance for a normal life, Dave. Fishing, hunting, camping in the forest. Peace.”

Could he leave? Annie would always be with him, no matter where he went. As sure as hell, he couldn’t stay holed up in a hospital for the rest of his life. At the moment he had no purpose. He’d become weak in mind and spirit but had the willpower to change. He just had to get with the program and stop wallowing in self-pity. Nothing would bring his wife back. The only way was moving forward alone and he’d survived alone before just fine. He rested his forehead on the glass, allowing the sun to make rainbows in his tears. He could almost hear Annie’s voice in his head, encouraging him. “Okay, I’ll do it. One step at a time, right?”

“Yeah, Dave. One step at a time.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was coming into winter as Dave strolled along the sidewalk, kicking at the leaves. A shiver of excitement went through him and the freezing wind had nothing to do with it. It was cold in Helena, Montana, and when an icy chill hit the metal plate in his head, the headaches would come in a rush. He’d worn double woolen caps and pulled up the hood on his jacket to keep warm but he’d need to acclimatize a little more before heading to Black Rock Falls. He’d recovered almost completely; the metal plate would always be a problem but his body was better than before, and now he hit the scales at two hundred and sixty-plus pounds of solid muscle. He hadn’t lost his ability to shoot the wings off a fly and still never missed. He’d surprisingly returned to peak performance.

Over the past couple of months POTUS had forwarded him specifications of a high-performance truck, bombproof and with bulletproof glass. Tricked out with all the gadgets, it had a safe and gun locker built in and flashing lights set into the grill. It was a magnificent truck. The one thing Dave understood was engines. He could rebuild just about any engine by the time he hit sixteen and, being alone on missions, his skill had saved him many a time. He increased his pace. Up ahead he spotted the truck stop and scanned the parking lot for a blue fourteen-wheeler. The early morning ice cracked under his boots as he made his way over the gravel. He approached the truck and a man jumped down from the passenger side and headed toward him. Dave stood his ground, hands loose at his sides. If this was his delivery, it would be covered by a US Marshal or Secret Service. Without saying a word, he pulled out the paperwork and handed it to the man.

“Okay.” The man handed the papers back and walked around the back of the truck, opened the doors, and dropped down ramps. “Stand back.” He gave a hand signal to the driver.

A mechanical sound came from inside the truck and very slowly a massive black truck emerged, rolled down the ramps, and settled on the ground. It was bigger than Dave expected, and the paintwork had a protective coating that made it shine. He swallowed hard. It was his dream machine. He looked at the man. “Thanks. Where are the papers and keys?”

“It has smart keys. They’re in the glovebox with the paperwork, plus I’m to give you this.” He gave Dave an envelope. “We had one hell of a job getting it into the truck. It’s a beast of a thing.”

“Yeah.” Dave smiled. “But it’s my beast.”

He waited for the fourteen-wheeler to leave and walked around his prize. He climbed inside, retrieved the keys, and looked over the registration. The interior smelled of leather and when he hit the start button, the engine roared into life. He allowed it to idle and opened the envelope. The letter was from Terabyte. Inside was an application for the deputy sheriff’s job in Black Rock Falls. It was completed apart from his signature. He grinned. He had to post it. “Man, do they still post mail around here?”

The letter contained information for the combination to a safe hidden in the back of the truck. They’d used his father’s birthday, same for a gun locker containing various weapons, his sniper rifle, and ammo. He could change the combination and add a thumbprint for security. The safe held $200,000, five passports in various identities, and six burner phones. His getaway package. After memorizing the information about Sheriff Alton and Black Rock Falls, he stepped out of the truck, and using a Zippo, burned the letter in a nearby garbage bin.

It was all set. He had his vehicle, the job would come through in a couple of weeks, his wallet held a card to a virtually bottomless bank account, and now he had the Beast. Yeah, a good name for his truck. He climbed back in and took the brute for a run. It was easier to handle than he imagined and he headed out on the highway. The Beast was well named and roared with power. Driving it make him feel as if he were flying a jet. After an hour of excitement, he reluctantly headed back to his hotel.

After reading through the application, he added his phone number and email address, saying he was traveling. His cover story was set in place and he’d memorized it without a problem, even making sure he knew all the little things about his former workplace he should know on the off chance someone might question him. He understood Sheriff Jenna Alton would check out his creds and then decide if she wanted him on her team. After so long with no applications for the deputy sheriff’s job, it should be a slam dunk. His cover letter mentioned he’d seen the advertisement some time ago and queried if the position was still available. His stomach rumbled and he checked his watch. The local diner would be open for breakfast and he planned to eat everything on the menu and then find a mailbox and post his letter. As he headed downstairs, his phone chimed. The only person who had his number was Terabyte. “Morning.”

“I recall your interest in profiling and criminal behavior. It was in your field of study and I added it to your list of qualifications on the job application.”

Dave smiled. “Yeah, so I see, not that I’ll need it in Black Rock Falls.” He chuckled. “Unless I need to profile a cattle rustler.”

“That’s beside the point.” Terabyte took a breath. “Every few years they have a law enforcement conference in Helena, with speakers on the criminal mind and various advances in technology. It’s next weekend. I thought maybe you’d like to go.”

Dave headed out of the hotel and hustled along the sidewalk toward the smell of the diner. “I’m not currently in law enforcement, and how would I obtain a ticket at this late date?”

“Why can’t I ever get a straight answer from you? Do you want to go, yes or no?”

Stepping around a woman being pulled along by two massive dogs, Dave grinned. “I’d love to attend.”

“Good. Pick up your tickets at the door. I’ll send you the details.” He disconnected.

Dave spent his time exploring Helena and giving the Beast a daily workout. The first snow came in a rush of white. The air was so clean and fresh it made him want to forget the idea of becoming a deputy and just stay in Helena, but he had his orders. After hearing the weather forecast, he decided to fit his truck with snow tires. When the offer of a job came through, he’d need to carry supplies in the snow for the trip to Black Rock Falls. The town wasn’t at all small but it was remote. The county’s long border ran alongside two other counties and even getting to the outskirts of Black Rock Falls would be a long arduous trip, with nothing in between the smattering of towns. He made a list of things he’d need: fuel, water, spare tires, and food. His clothing was reasonable but as the temperatures dropped daily, he headed for the local supply store for extra boots, jeans, jackets, and thermal underwear.

On his return, from an early breakfast, he filled his thermos with coffee at the diner and headed back to his room. The hotel offered food but not in the quantities or quality he required. The diner catered to truckers and offered the portion sizes he preferred. He placed the thermos on a small desk, sat down, and opened his laptop. The email logo flashed and he smiled at the official letter. It was confirmation of the deputy sheriff’s job. His salary was more than reasonable for doing practically nothing, and an offer of housing if necessary. They supplied everything, apart from a weapon. He composed a reply and shot it back saying he’d be heading their way.

In a few minutes, the cheerful welcoming email from Deputy Rowley arrived with the GPS coordinates for the Black Rock Falls Sheriff’s Office. Dave stared at the page wondering why the sheriff hadn’t replied to him personally. He shrugged. There couldn’t be an outbreak of crime in such a backwoods town, although from the map, the county encompassed a million square acres, most of it comprised of Stanton Forest and the Black Rock mountain range. The falls, from what he could see from the images on the internet, consisted of the vast Black Rock Falls and various smaller falls all of which ran into rivers and lakes throughout the county and beyond. The two neighboring towns were Louan to the north and Blackwater to the south. The county of Black Rock Falls, although isolated, had working mines, timber mills, and a meat-processing plant, all set

in a massive and diverse industrial area in the lowlands. The main township was fast becoming a tourist destination, especially during the many festivals.

He read with interest about the art exhibitions in the town hall. The local hockey team had won the finals the previous year. The town appeared to have an endless supply of surprises. The images of the school and a college campus intrigued him, especially with the diversity of studies available. It seemed the “small, backwoods” town Terabyte had selected for him to “retire” was a huge diamond in the rough. He rubbed his chin, perusing the images of the main street: wide with a ton of stores and a park for kids that took up a good space on one side, banks, a turf-and-surf eatery, and a cute diner by the name of Aunt Betty’s Café. He smiled to himself. Gotta love that.

After checking out the local accommodation, he found a motel on the outskirts of town, and, from the tariff, what looked like an upscale hotel. He made a note of the phone number. It was winter and he doubted he’d have any problems getting a room at The Cattleman’s Hotel on arrival. He’d stay there until he found himself a place to live. He’d prefer to choose a place himself, away from other folks. Out of town maybe. He wasn’t a social animal. From the local real estate listings, he’d have a choice of many rental properties. He stood and packed his overnight bag. The Beast was out front and ready to go.

After checking out, he headed out to his truck, placed the thermos into the console, and made sure everything he needed was at hand. He turned on the radio to catch the latest road report, punched his destination into the GPS, and eased the Beast into the flow of traffic. The time alone had been relaxing. Being in Montana and feeling the unrestricted freedom of space had eased his pain. He’d take the future one day at a time because he knew his wife would always be with him, locked in his heart. As he headed for the highway, all around him was a sea of snow. It was beautiful. He smiled. “Well, Annie, here I go to start a new life. Stay close. I figure I’m going to need an angel on my shoulder.”