Page 14 of Caleb’s Cause (Broken Wheel Ranch #12)

Duane sat back in his chair, tossed his pen on the notes he’d been taking, and scrubbed his face, hard.

“You okay?” Tom asked from his seat behind his own desk.

“No, this is some fucked-up shit. So far, everything Katherine’s said is true. The accident, the trial, the sentencing. The only thing I can’t find is whether George Babcock or Larry Mason has any ties to the mob.”

“Wow, okay, I didn’t think she was lying, because there were too many details that she never deviated from, and I’m not telling you what to do, but I have a suggestion.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ll give it, then I’ll be over in the lab to give you privacy.” He held up a stack of papers and Duane knew it was the orders for Riceman Stallions, and knowing that, Tom would be locked away for hours.

“Lorissa joining you?”

“Not today, she was called in for an emergency on a ranch south of here.”

“Got it. Okay, what’s your suggestion?”

“You don’t have to answer this, because it’s none of my business. However, it is something you can think about before acting.”

“Spit it out, Tom.”

“Did you leave the FBI on good terms? Is there someone, an old partner, an old boss, an old friend, that you could call and I don’t know if you could go into details, but maybe give them the name and have them check into it.

” At Duane’s dumbfounded look, Tom grinned.

“I might be a country bumpkin vet, but I do have a brain in my head. I thought that you could reach out to someone in the FBI, and I don’t know if it will mess up Katherine’s mother’s bosses, or whomever the hell is trying to investigate the assholes’ case, but maybe someone in your old unit has this Babcock and Mason characters on their radar.

I’m not saying you need to bring the wrath of the FBI down on Erin’s Way, but play hardball, and do a quid pro quo thing.

I’ll give you this information, if you give me this. ”

“Holy shit,” Duane said, then laughed. “I could do that. I just have one question for you.”

“What’s that?”

“Why did you suggest I reach out to my old office?”

“Didn’t you work out of Los Angeles? Didn’t Katherine say everything happened in Los Angeles county?

I’ve never been there, but in my mind, Los Angeles is in Los Angeles county.

” He shrugged and saw the dawning light on Duane’s face.

With a smile, he gathered his papers, and stood.

At the door, he waved and said he would leave him alone, and shut the door behind him.

Duane took the next fifteen minutes to use the facilities, make a fresh pot of coffee, fill his cup, grab a bottle of water, and made sure his notes were all organized before he accessed his contacts in his cell phone, but picked up the land line on his desk to make his call.

“Director Grayson’s office,” came a pleasant voice, and Duane held his breath as he began.

“Director Grayson, please.”

“May I ask who’s calling?”

“Special Agent Manchester,” he said firmly. He didn’t release his breath until he was told to hold. He had just taken a sip of his coffee when his former boss answered.

“Is this Duane Manchester, retired from the FBI?” came the barked greeting.

“Yes, Sir, it is.”

“Are you calling to get your job back? It’s here if you want it, just say the word, but remember, you’ll have to push a desk.

There’s plenty of paperwork to go around” Duane was glad his former boss couldn’t see his expression, because even over the phone he realized that he hated the director.

He couldn’t put his finger on exactly why, it was either his tone, his condescending attitude, or maybe it was the fact that it had been Director Grayson that had been the most vocal on getting Duane out of being an undercover agent, and riding a desk.

“Unfortunately, Sir, I’m going to have to decline at this time. I’m pretty well established in my new gig now, and I even met the woman of my dreams.”

“Hot damn,” the other man laughed. “So, Manchester, what can I do for you?”

“Sir, I’m calling about an unusual situation. I’m not calling for the Bureau to take over, I’m only calling for information.”

“Playing your cards close to the vest, huh?”

“Yes.” Again, Duane scowled at the other man’s tone.

“Okay, what do you have?”

“Do you know if the following people are on the watch list.”

“Whoa, okay, this is serious then, give me the names.”

“George Babcock, and Larry Mason.” Duane gave him the names and when the man on the other end of the line didn’t say anything, he scowled. “Hello?”

“I’m here, Manchester. I’m trying to decide if you’re going to give me any information if I give you the answer to your question.”

“I can, but only with the promise that you won’t be bringing the wrath of the entire FBI down on my head. Like you said, I’m playing this close to the vest. Give me my information, and I’ll tell you why.”

“Fair enough, and to answer your question, I first have a question of my own. Here goes: Are you fucking kidding me?”

Duane jerked at the tone and the question, not understanding Director Grayson. “I don’t understand.”

“First, yes, Babcock is on our list, however, we knew he was working with someone else, but didn’t have a name. I’m going to assume it’s this Mason character you mentioned.”

“May I ask why they are on your list?”

“Drugs, money laundering, the shit you always went undercover for, and no offense, but what your ex-wife was arrested for.”

“Shit, so it’s bad.”

“Yes, and now I want to know why you’re asking. Wait, before you answer that, I’m not saying we have nothing, but I am saying that we have very, very, very little to connect any dots. If we do connect them, there is so much shit between them, the connection will get lost.”

“Okay, first, do you still have my cell phone number.” He waited and when it was read off to him, Duane nodded.

“That’s it. I’m going to give you some numbers.

It’s a case that happened there in Los Angeles county earlier this year.

You’re going to want to go over it with a fine-tooth comb. Oh, it’s a closed case.”

“Closed in?”

“In it was solved, people were arrested, went to trial, and the sentencing was handed down.”

“Ah, closed, closed.”

“Correct. Sir, I’m not being difficult, but I need you to read that file, then get back to me ASAP.”

“Why?”

“Because the victim in that case is in my custody as we speak. And no, you will not be getting your hands on them. They are safe right here where I am. They are protected by sixteen former military personnel. And, Sir?”

“Yes?”

“Eight of them are SEALs. I can make one phone call and have a dozen more just like them here in under an hour.”

“Got it, you’re telling me that this victim is safer with you.”

“Yes, and I feel with them staying here, then they are out of sight, hopefully out of mind, and you won’t have to worry about keeping them safe. I will do that for you.”

“You know, if this case goes to trial, you’re going to have to produce this victim, wait, I hate that word, I prefer survivor, or even witness.”

“Okay, I’ll go with that, and yes, they will be brought forward, but don’t go all ape shit if they have an armed escort.”

“Will I be able to talk with this witness, not directly, but over the phone?”

“I’ll let you know, but you have to run everything through me first.”

“I understand, Manchester. Send me what you have and I’ll get back to you. I’m heading into a meeting in fifteen minutes, I’ll do the reading at home tonight. Would that be okay?”

“Yes, and I don’t expect to hear back from you for a couple of days.”

“Good, give me what you have.” He listened as Duane read off the numbers he’d found in the file, and afterward, they agreed it would be three days before Duane’s former boss called him back.

He hung up, wiped his face, and sighed heavily.

He gave a start when he saw Laurie standing there.

Because he could, he rose, walked over, and gathered her in his arms, feeling grounded once he held her.

He stepped back, but kept his arms around her. “How long have you been standing here?”

“Since you dialed the phone. I didn’t hear who was on the other end of the line, but you are one hell of a negotiator, Mr. Manchester.”

“Thank you,” he said as he stepped away and went to the coffee pot, but instead of filling his cup, he set it on the counter and turned back to her. “I called my former boss. He wasn’t my direct boss, but he was the boss, or rather, the Director of the unit I worked in.”

“Which was?”

“Narcotics, drugs, that sort of thing.” He scrubbed his face and sighed heavily. “If you heard my side of the conversation, then you know I asked about the men after Katherine. It turns out both Babcock and Mason are on the watch list, but not high up on it.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means that they’re not the top ten, which are the bad of the bad, but these two are on the FBI’s radar, and they’re scrambling to connect dots.

In my humble opinion, I feel that once Director Grayson reads what I did, which backs up Katherine’s story, then they will go after Babcock and Mason.

I just don’t know what to tell the guys yet.

I also don’t know who I can direct the FBI to talk to out there. ”

“Talk to Katherine. I heard her story in the house, what if you ask her if your former colleagues can contact the person that helped her escape. Definitely not her mother, but what of her mother’s boss? I don’t know if the person that helped her and took her trial as pro bono are one and the same.”

“Good idea, but I’ll run it by Katherine first.”

“Good, but you’re not going to do anything until you get something to eat.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He laughed along with her, and after putting everything away, they left his office to head home to their house for lunch. At the last minute, Duane had grabbed the bag Katherine had with her off his desk, and said after lunch he would swing by Broken and give it back to her.