Bonner Incident (9 page)

“Don’t worry,” Ward chuckled.

Without moving his body, Joshua glanced at Wayne who was looking at the two agents with a grimace. “Here Wayne, you’re state. I’m voluntarily giving this contract to you,” Joshua said, tossing the contract to him.

Wayne moved his eyes from the two agents to see the contract flying at his face, he let go of his gun as he reached up with both hands to catch it. Both agents heard Joshua and turned to see the contract flying toward Wayne. Glad he chose not to stand against Ward, Gray let go of his pistol.

Nobody saw Joshua drop his hand to his open door. When Wayne caught the contract, Joshua brought up his hand holding the 1911. “I feel threatened,” Joshua said as he squeezed the trigger. Thunder roared as the bullet streaked across the ten feet from Joshua to Wayne.

Wayne’s head snapped back as the bullet hit him right between the eyes. Before Agent Ward even registered what had happened, Joshua had his sights lined up on Ward’s face and squeezed the trigger. Ward’s head snapped back as Joshua swung his aim at Gray.

At the first gunshot, Gray had reached for his pistol, but was looking down the barrel of Joshua’s gun as he grabbed it. “Please,” he said slowly relaxing his hand and taking it off his pistol.

“You want a war? You got one,” Joshua said squeezing the trigger.

Agent Gray’s head snapped back as the bullet blew out the back of his head, and Joshua looked down at the other two he had shot to see the snow around their heads turning red. Hearing Gray’s body fall, he turned around and noticed his guys standing only twenty feet away on the other side of the truck.

Each of them had an ax or hatchet in their hands to use as a weapon. “Are you guys fucking nuts?” Joshua shouted at them.

“They were going to fucking kill you Josh!” Ben shouted lowering his ax. “We weren’t going to just stand there and let them gun you down.”

“No shit,” Gene said lowering his hatchet. “We heard it and you had no choice but to defend yourself.”

Joshua shut his door and stepped over the bodies to walk to the front of his truck. “Guys, if you would’ve helped, you would’ve been accessories. This is all on me,” he said taking a deep breath to calm down.

“Let’s go tell the sheriff what happened,” Alex said as he leaned on the ax he was going to use on the agents.

“Buck can’t help me,” Joshua said closing his eyes.

“I’ll stand with ya,” Ben said walking over.

“NO!” Joshua said snapping his eyes open. “That’s what they want. My only chance is for none of you to get involved.”

“Bullshit!” Ben screamed. “I’ve known you my entire life, and you expect me to just sit back while they fuck you!”

“Ben,” Joshua said taking a deep breath. “If you help me, a jury would never believe your testimony. But I do need to ask something of all of you.”

“Name it,” Ben said and the others nodded.

“Watch my family. If I’m not there, the feds don’t have a reason to come in guns blazing, but they might lean on them hard later,” Joshua said leaning on the hood of his truck.

“You don’t even have to ask for that, Joshua,” Frank said stepping up beside Ben. “We heard them tell you they were taking everything, and basically threatened to shoot your family.”

“I know,” Joshua said as a plan started to form in his mind. “When the cops ask you, just tell them what you saw. Don’t lie or they can prosecute you.”

“What are you going to do?” Ben asked.

“I can’t tell you,” Joshua said pushing off the truck.

Ben turned and looked at the crew. “Get the low boy trailers hooked up to the rigs and get the gear you have out loaded up now,” he snapped and the guys took off running.

“What are you doing?” Joshua asked.

“Can I borrow this equipment?” Ben asked turning around.

“Why? They’re taking it tomorrow.”

“If it’s not at your shop or here, they can’t take it,” Ben said looking down at Agent Gray and the red halo that had formed around his head in the snow. “Josh, you’ve always been there for me. Be damned if I just lie down and take it up the ass while they come after you. Believe me, this much I know. If the equipment isn’t where they have warrants for, they won’t dig hard.”

Looking at the three bodies, Joshua nodded. “Yeah, especially after this.”

“You know I’ll die for William and Sonya, what else do you need? This is just between you and me.”

Not wanting to ask for anything, Joshua stared at Ben and knew he would do the same. “The BMW that’s parked at my mom’s,” Joshua said as the plan in his mind kept building. “Will you drive it and park it where I went grouse hunting with you last year?”

“Sure, I’ll leave the keys at the base of that ugly ass boulder.”

“If the feds find out about this, you could go to prison,” Joshua said giving Ben a way out.

“Pfft,” Ben scoffed. “I forget shit all the time.”

Looking over at the guys running around the landing, Joshua turned to Ben. “Until I see you again,” he said holding out his hand.

“Me and the guys will be waiting,” Ben said shaking his hand.

Turning around, Joshua looked at the dead bodies as he stepped over them. Taking the radio off Wayne’s gun belt and seeing another clipped on Wayne’s pocket, he took them. “Assholes,” he said opening his truck and climbing in.

Ben stepped back as the truck fired up and Joshua sped off. “Stay safe, my brother,” Ben said then trotted over to the landing, calling the guys on the radio. Everyone met him at the loader. “Guys, we’re taking the equipment to my place.”

Everyone looked at him, then around at the group. “Ben, that’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard,” Gene said shaking his head. “You live on three acres. When they come and question us, they will see it parked on your property.”

“Well genius, what do you want to do, just let them take it?” Ben snapped.

“Hell no, let’s take it to my house and we can put it in that gorge at the back of my property. The only way they would ever find it would be to hike in there,” Gene said and everyone nodded, liking that.

“What about all the shit at the shop?” Alex asked. “There is a shit load of stuff there.”

“Okay,” Ben said looking at the group and seeing everyone was determined to help. “We load up the Hahn and loader first and take them to Gene’s, along with the track steers. Frank and I will drive the skidder and crawler down the mountain and by the time the trucks get back, we should be close to the highway. Robert, Alex, you two take the other truck to the shop and hook up a trailer and load it down.”

Ben looked around at everyone as they nodded. “Guys, we don’t have to report a crime but if we’re asked, just like Joshua said, tell them the truth.”

“Remember, a federal agent can lie to you with impunity, but if you lie to a federal agent; you’re breaking the law,” Chris said.

“What do we say if they ask about the equipment?” Donnie asked and everyone looked at him. “Hey, I just want to make sure we have our story straight.”

“Say Josh let someone borrow it,” Ben said with a grin. “We don’t know who.”

Alex looked over at the bodies, “What do we do about them?”

“If we touch them, we are tampering with a crime scene,” Chris said. “Fuck ‘em.”

“How long you think we have?” Ben asked looking around.

“Maybe a few hours,” Chris said. “There’s no reception up here, but their buddies know where they went. It all matters on when they are supposed to check in.”

“We’ll be long gone from here by then,” Ben said looking at the group. “After the equipment is at Gene’s, everyone head to the shop and we’ll load up what we can. Then we meet at Gene’s and get our stories straight, then head home.”

“I’m sure the cops will be looking for us by then,” Frank said.

“Well then, we need to bust some ass, guys. Let’s get this stuff out of here,” Ben said and everyone took off running. He ran over to one of the log trucks and climbed in, calling out on the radio to get to the other log trucks. One answered back that he was on the highway and about to turn off. Ben told him the site was shut down by the feds, and to tell the other trucks to head home.

Chapter Four

Bouncing down the mountain road, Joshua glanced at his cellphone again still not seeing bars, but noticed it was fifteen till three. “Come on,” he said and pressed the pedal down a little further. The speedometer crept up to thirty-five and on a winding mountain road, that was hauling serious ass.

When a single bar popped up on his phone, Joshua hit Sonya’s work number. She worked as a manager at an insurance company and turned her phone off while she was at work because of company policy. “Mountain Insurance,” a female answered.

“Hey it’s Joshua. I need to talk to Sonya.”

“Hey Joshua, she just left to pick up William from school.”

“Thank you,” he said and hung up before tapping her cell number.

“How the hell are you calling me from the top of a mountain?” Sonya answered the phone.

“Have you picked up William?”

“He’s getting in the car now,” she said laughing. “Josh, I’ve never forgotten to pick up William.”

“Sonya, I need you to go to the bank right now and withdraw all our checking, savings, and the company’s checking and savings. Don’t forget to empty the deposit box as well,” he said and Sonya gasped.

“What the hell is going on?” she yelled.

“Babe, I can’t talk now, but you need to hurry. Don’t close the accounts, but get the money. Tell them I have to make a down payment on a private piece of equipment and the man won’t take a check,” Joshua said as he yanked the steering wheel rounding a hairpin turn.

“Josh, we have checks out and-.”

“Sonya, please,” Joshua begged interrupting her. “You don’t have much time.”

Panting into the phone, “Okay,” Sonya said. “You will explain why to me later, right?”

“I’ll meet you at the house,” Joshua said feeling the first bit of relief. “Love you and tell William I love him, too.”

“Okay, hon,” Sonya said with a worried tone and Joshua hung up.

Before three, Joshua was on the highway speeding home. Glancing down at his speedometer, “Shit,” he mumbled, seeing he was near triple digits and hit the brakes. Keeping the needle at the speed limit, Joshua kept working on his plan.

Reaching the house, he pulled over to the pasture and backed up to his horse trailer. All the horses and mules ran over to the fence as he climbed out and hooked the trailer up. With the trailer hooked up, he went to the gate. “King,” he called out and his horse trotted over to him.

He reached up patting the gray half Percheron. “I’m in deep shit,” he said rubbing the massive horse. King had been his since he was a colt, and Joshua treated him almost like a dog. Opening the gate, Joshua led King over to the trailer. “Get in, boy,” he said and King neighed as he stepped up into the trailer.

Closing the stall, Joshua went back for the mules. For them, he used a guide rope to lead the two mules in the trailer. William and Sonya’s horses looked at him like they were wondering why they weren’t going. “Not today, guys,” Joshua said closing the trailer.

He pulled over to the small barn and jumped out. Grabbing his saddle and the pack harnesses for the mules he threw them in the back of the truck. He looked at the stacked bags of feed and stopped. “A little more would never hurt,” he said walking over and throwing several bags in the back.

After grabbing a few more things, he drove over to the house, just pulling the truck in the front yard. Jumping out, he ran to the garage and grabbed some empty suitcases and headed inside to the kitchen. Opening the pantry, he started tossing bags of rice and beans in one of the suitcases.

Tossing a few bottles of Tabasco and others sauces in, he looked at all the canned food. “No, too heavy,” he said and grabbed bags of noodles. Seeing the suitcase was almost full, Joshua grabbed two containers of salt, putting them in and closing the suitcase.

Grabbing more dry goods, he tossed them in the other suitcase and then carried it to his office. He opened the small safe behind his desk and grabbed a large manila envelope. ‘Don’t ever take this out of the house’ was written on the outside in black marker.

“Well, I guess I’m in trouble,” he said opening the envelope. Inside were several passports and driver’s licenses. Last year, William had been up at the cabin with him and found a guy on a website that made fake IDs and William had begged his dad to let him order some. More out of curiosity if it could be done, Joshua had said ‘what the hell’ and had given William some money.

When the first ones arrived, Joshua was blown away at how real they’d looked. It was then that Joshua’s mom had asked him if he would shave his beard, just so she could see his face before she passed on. Not liking it, Joshua did it and Sonya took some pictures. With those pictures, Joshua had William send off for more IDs but this time, he’d got them for other states.