Truth Avenged (Green Division Series Book 1) (5 page)

“
Thank you.  Thank you so much.  You saved our daughter and for that we can never repay you.”

“
Her doctors deserve far more credit than I do.”  She released her grip on him.  “I’m glad she’s going to be okay, ma’am.” 

“
What about the men who did this to her?”

Tuck wished he had a better answer. 

“We don’t have any suspects as of yet.” 

She sighed. 

“We’ll find them.”

“
Thank you for all you’ve done.” 

“
When she wakes and is able to answer a few questions, call this number.”  Tuck took a notepad from his cargo pocket and scribbled a number on it. “That is Sergeant Michael Kerr’s number.  And if you aren’t able to reach him, you have mine.”

Mary clutched the paper.  “
Okay.” 

Jaco
b Phillips had to take a different connecting flight and therefore wouldn’t arrive until later.  Tuck exited the hospital and jumped into his truck.  He wanted to pass out, unfortunately it was an arduous drive to his house.  Another large cup of coffee and he headed for home.

*****

Tuck
’s cell phone rang over the pop music he had blasted in an attempt to keep himself awake.  It was Kerr.

“
Where are you?”  Kerr sounded less than impressed.  Tuck’s Sergeant was a patient man, but Tuck had pressed him. Tuck pulled the truck over and composed himself for the upcoming lecture.

“
I’m on Route 25.”  He regretted spewing the truth as soon as it left his lips.

“
I believe, no, I KNOW I told you to go home when I talked to you nearly twelve hours ago.”  Yup, Kerr was pissed.  Very pissed.  “Did you go home?  No.  Do you know how I know this?”

That
’s a good question.  How did he know?

“
I know this because 610 saw you a few minutes ago on his way home.”  Fucking state troopers. They gossiped like little girls.  “I don’t want your ass driving around with a serious head injury.”

“
It’s not serious,” Tuck tried to interject.

“
Johnston, shut the hell up and listen.  You shouldn’t be driving around in a marked car in your condition.  That was why Mitch was instructed to drive you home.  But apparently neither of you can follow orders.  Do you need to be reminded of how the chain of command works?  I give the fucking commands, you follow them.  Is that easy enough to understand?”

“
Yes, sir.”  Tuck felt like a child being scolded.  His Sergeant was vocal and did not hide his anger when his men acted beyond their scope, or went against orders.  

“
The minute you get home, call me.  Park that truck and don’t even think about touching the damn keys until you have clearance from your doctor in writing.”

“
Yes, sir.”

Silence settled as Kerr calmed his quick, but appropriate temper.

“Minus your insubordination…” Kerr paused.  “You did a good job.  More than was, or should be expected.  Which is why I suspect you stayed at the hospital, against your better judgment.  You didn’t want her to be alone.  Is that correct?”

“
Someone needed to be there.”  Tuck wasn’t going any further.  Some form of law enforcement should have been there.  Period.  They could have spared one of the state troopers at the scene.  It wasn’t like those boys were going into the woods and getting their boots dirty.  Instead Kerr wanted a note left with a nurse to call them if she regained consciousness.  It was bullshit.

“
It’s a dangerous thing, getting personally involved in your professional duties.  You need to work on that, keeping the two separate and in check.” 

Tuck didn
’t answer.  The two were separate, but he was human.  He couldn’t treat the situation with absolute detachment because it was unnatural to do so.  And he knew as much as his Sergeant spewed, he would do the same.

“
Have you found anything?”

“
The dogs followed her scent halfway up the ridge then went off the trail.  They followed the scent for about six miles and found the dead deer and two sets of ATV tracks.  The tracks led to an ATV trail about ten miles away and no tracking them from there.  They could have come out on ten different trails and had more than twelve hours to get out of the woods.”

“
Six miles off the trail?”  Tuck didn’t comprehend that part.

“
Yeah.  Any idea why she wandered that far off?”

“
No idea.”  He thought.  “She said something about a plane.  There haven’t been any plane crashes up there?”

Kerr hesitated.  “
No.”

“
She mentioned finding an old plane in the woods, but there’s nothing out there.”

“
No, there isn’t.”

“
Did you get her bag?”

“
Ryan has it.  It’s time for you to stop worrying about the case and relax.  Go home and get some sleep.  I’ll catch up with you tomorrow; I need you to file a first report of injury.  Another one.”

“
Will do.” 

Kerr hung
up.  Tuck was known for his heroic actions.  Others would call them outright stupid.  To him, in most situations it was the “right” thing to do.

Tuck didn
’t waste any time when he walked through the door of his old Victorian house.  He took a shower, shut off his cell phone, and passed out before 8 p.m.

Chapter Three

6 a.m. the following morning.

God, couldn
’t they give her more pain meds to knock her ass back out? 
Ugh
.

“
Paul.”  She nudged his head not so gently with her elbow.

“
What the…?”  Paul’s head lay on the bed next to her, his body slumped over in what had to be the most uncomfortable chair in the hospital.  He’d spent the night at her side after booting her parents, telling them to get some rest.  “Good morning to you too.”

“
Go home.”

“
Not a chance, Chance.”

You are so lame.”
 

“
I love you too.”  He leaned over her bed, took her face gently in his hands, and kissed her cheek.  “How are you feeling?”

“
Like I’ve been shot.”

“
I guess you’re feeling about right then.” 

Paul and Chance had a give and take relationship.  His banter would always bring a smile to her face.  If one listened to the idle gossip at the
Tranton Times
, the two of them had a steamier sex life than any couple portrayed in an erotic novel.  He was yummy and the women at her work were green with envy.  He looked good even at 6 a.m. with bed head and stubble on his chin.  At thirty nine, he looked more distinguished than he should, Anderson Cooper white hair matched his sterling silver eyes.  His build was sleek and toned, a result of the massive amount of time he spent in the local gym.

“
You have a lil’ spot on your shirt.”  She pointed to his white dress shirt and baby blue tie, both of which were stained in brown.  A lot of brown.

“
Coffee.  Dog.  Brakes.”

She laughed.

“Owe—ah, son of a—don’t make me laugh.”  She caught her breath and tried to hide the pain that seared through her like a hot iron.

Paul pulled his chair as
close to the bed as he could and then looked down at the floor.

“
What’s wrong?”  She detected his instant change of mood.

“
I can’t help but feel responsible for all this.”  He brought his hand to his face.  “If I hadn’t given you the assignment, you wouldn’t be in that bed.  It’s my fault.  It’s on me.  I should have never made you Outdoor Contributor, doing all these bullshit pieces by yourself.  I’m sorry.”

“
It’s not your fault.”

“
You shouldn’t have gotten bumped from your position in the first place—so Malcolm, that illiterate jackass, could get the job his daddy wanted him to have.”  Anger boiled in his voice.

“
I could have taken the job you lined up for me in Portland.  I made the decision not to.  It was my sacrifice to make.”

“
Because you didn’t want to move away from Lyman.”

“
That’s why I stayed.  It was worth the tradeoff.  How could I leave?  You’d be lost.”

“
I would.  You’re my girl.” 

Chance rolled onto her side painfully so she could face him.

“The game warden sergeant is supposed to be here after eight to talk to you, if you’re up for it.”

“
He won’t believe me.”

“
You were shot, they are going to believe someone shot you.  You know, with the bullet hole in your side an’ all.” 

She shook her head.  “
They’ll commit me.”

“
You were shot by poachers.  Why is that so unbelievable?”

“
That’s not the part that‘s unbelievable.” 

He waited for her to continue.

“So, let’s hear it.  Tell me your story.  I’ll give you feedback like a proper editor would.”

“
Do you believe in ghosts?”

Paul
’s face cocked to one side and his eyes squinted.

“
See, you‘re looking at me like I’m crazy!”

“
A ghost shot you?  Is that where you are going with this?”

“
Jesus.  Right there, that is why.  Never mind.”

“
Come on.  What happened?”

She glared at him. 

“I found a plane crash, but it was old, the type of plane you’d see in a history book.”

Paul
’s face wasn’t any more convinced.

“
Ah.”

“
I have proof.  I found a rucksack with the wreckage, it had a journal and a photo in it.  And an old compass.”

He nodded his head in fake belief.  This was pointless.  She wasn
’t going to tell ANYONE else about her discovery.  She would have to figure it out on her own.  The few small quips she’d told Paul were the believable aspects of her nightmare and apparently it all was still mind-boggling. 

“
Ghosts from a plane crash shot you?”  Paul tried to fill in the gaps.

“
I’m tired.  Go home, get some sleep.  You look like shit.  I’m not going anywhere.”

“
Come on Chance, talk to me.  I don’t mean to be skeptical, but ghosts and a plane crash?”

“
The more I think about it, the more I know it had to be a dream.  I’d lost a lot of blood and the warden said I was delusional.” 
The warden said no such thing
.  “What happened is two poachers shot me.  Then I went through hell trying to hike down from that fucking ridge.  That’s it.”

“
I don’t believe you.”

And
you wouldn’t believe the truth either
.  She thought.

She rolled onto her back and pulled the blanket up to her neck.  If she pretended to sleep, maybe he would get the hint.

“Okay, I’ll drop it.  But, you need to tell the warden who comes here the truth.  Whatever the truth is, so they can catch who did this to you.”

“
Mhmm.” 
Yeah, when hell freezes over
.

“
I’ll be back this afternoon.”  He kissed her hand and left the room. 

Sergeant Kerr showed up in the early morning after he
’d signed on duty.  She gave him a story she’d rehearsed, the same basic story she told Tuck, minus any mention of a plane.  Bare basics.  The shooting she described to a tee, the remainder wasn’t important.  When asked why she wandered off the trail, she explained she’d simply gotten lost.

*****

THUD, THUD, THUD

“
Tuck, hello, Tuckkkkkkkk!”  An annoying voice muffled through the door and woke him.  “Sexy bitch, wake up!”  He stumbled off the couch to the front door.

“
What?”  Tuck opened the door, the cool air greeting him.  Damn, he should have grabbed some clothes before he opened the door wearing only his black boxer briefs.

“
Nice abs.”  Ryan winked at him. 

“
Ryan, what the hell?”

“
Nicccce ass, that’s looking pretty tight too.  What’s your secret?”

To use police
descriptions, Tuck was 6’02, 190, and had black hair and green eyes.  A model he was not, at least in his eyes.  Some women would disagree.  His co-workers, especially Ryan, ribbed him for his pretty boy looks.

“
Although, I’m guessing you’re a little cold.”  Ryan’s eyes wandered south.

Tuck groaned.  “
You are the most annoying prick I know.  Go away, now, or I am going to pistol whip your ass.”

“
Is that a promise?  You know I like it rough, whip me pretty boy!”

“
Leave.”  Tuck was no longer joking.  Ryan smiled.

“
Answer your cell phone and you won’t have my ass doing a wellbeing check on you.”  Ryan was a smartass to the core.  He was the most inappropriate employee on the roster and had any of the guys pushed it, would have been fired for sexual harassment.  On the job he was professional and courteous.  Otherwise, he was Ryan.  The only splash of diversity among a group of white men and a handful of tough as nails women.  

“
I’m fine.  Check completed.”  He pushed the door and walked back toward the couch.  Ryan’s foot prevented the door from closing.  He followed on Tuck’s heels.  Tuck collapsed on the couch.  His head throbbed.

“
How are you feeling?”

“
Fine before you woke me up and gave me a headache.”

“
I have that affect.”  Ryan changed gears.  “Seriously though, how are you?”

Tuck sighed.  “
Tired.”

“
Do you need anything?”

“
No.”  Tuck rubbed his eyes.  “Any new leads?”

“
Nothing.  Kerr talked with her earlier this morning, but she couldn’t give us much more.  Basic descriptions, no names.  ATV tracks that disappear.  They’re interviewing loggers that were working the area yesterday.  It’s not going to be an open and closed case, that’s for sure.  Be glad you only have to do a supplement and this isn’t your case.”

“
If it wasn’t my case, I wouldn’t have staples in my head.”

“
That’s what happens when you’re a hero.  Bad shit.”

Tuck laced his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling above. 

“All kidding aside, you did good.  Real good Tuck.”  Ryan stood.  “You sure you don’t need anything?”

“
Yeah, I‘m good.”

“
Call Kerr.”

“
I will.”

“
Take care, bud.”

“
Thanks.”  Ryan left and Tuck stared at the ceiling.  He couldn’t help but wonder how she was.

He dialed Kerr.

“How are you feeling?”  Kerr answered.

“
I’ve had better days.  Ryan said you talked to Chance?”

“
I did.  I got the same story as you.”

“
Do you want me talk to her?” 

“
We have it under control.”  That was Kerr’s subtle way of telling him to back off.  “I emailed you the first report of injury and I need your supplemental when you are up to it, no hurry.  We are going to finish up here at the shooting site by the end of the day.”

“
What did she tell you about the plane she found?”

“
She didn’t mention anything about a plane.”

“
She didn’t?”

“
No.  Call me after your follow up with your doctor.  I don’t want to hear a word about work from you until then.”

Tuck chuckled.  “
You don’t have to worry about that.”

“
Sure, I’ll believe it when I see it. Talk to you later.”

“
Bye.”

Tuck collapsed once again and succumbed to sleep.