Deadly Reunion (The Taci Andrews Deadly Series) (20 page)

When I finally had my anger back under control I lifted my gaze to his. “And the Rosehill project? Where does that fit into all of this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? With the help of Mr. Kincaid we’ve been able to ship our product into the area without any notice by using the contractor’s name and logo on the boxes. When our shipments arrive he sorts them out from the construction cases and has them brought here to be repackaged,” Jason explained.

Grudgingly I had to admit it was a pretty slick operation, warped as that was. With the Rosehill project they had the perfect cover to bring all the drugs in without raising any red flags, even utilizing the nearby abandoned farmhouse to repackage the drugs. Yep, I’d say it was a real genius of an operation except for one problem. It was about to get busted.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“I’ve got to admit Jason, it looks like you have a pretty good operation going on out here. How long did it take you to get things set up?” I asked, trying to keep him going. Any time now…

“It’s something that’s been in the works for years, actually dating back to when Robbie and I first started college. It was his idea to begin with but he didn’t have the brains to make it happen with all the drinking he was doing. So I picked up his contacts and cut him out of the picture. He didn’t know I’d actually gone through with it until you paid him a visit, I guess something you tipped him off. We sorted things out though. I called a meeting with him at the lock and dam the other night to alleviate any concerns he might have with our business plan,” Jason said quietly.

My gut tightened and my palms broke out in a sweat. Why did I have the sudden feeling Robbie wouldn’t be paying a visit to the local tavern any time soon?

“I still don’t get it. Why?” Annie’s quiet voice broke the tense silence that had stretched, startling me. I’d almost forgotten she was still here.

“What do you mean ‘why’? I would think it’d be rather obvious,” Jason said smugly.

“Money,” I said. Jason nodded in confirmation.

“After all that’s what life’s all about, isn’t it? It’s the all mighty green dollar that runs the world these days and if you aren’t sitting on a stack of it you might as well be nobody,” he replied.

“Just because somebody’s pile of money isn’t as big as another persons doesn’t make them a nobody. Most people are perfectly happy having a normal, every day life without all the bells and whistles money can buy. Money doesn’t make you a better person; it just makes you a snob,” Annie sniffed.

Jason smiled complacently as if Annie were no bigger than a child. “A snob I may be Miss Brown but I can assure you I’d rather be sitting in my position than yours right now.”

The reminder of our precarious position didn’t go unnoticed and Annie paled visibly. My hands clenched tightly on my lap. Bet his smug attitude goes south when the police arrived. At least that was something to look forward to.

“Hey boss, the shipment’s almost ready to go. Do you want to send the first truck out or wait until they’re both loaded up?” one of the workers called out.

Crap! I needed just a few more minutes…the police
had
to be close by now, right?

“Wait! I have a few more questions to ask...,” I stammered as Jason stood from the table.

Holding up a hand he shook his head. “Sorry Miss Andrews, no more questions. I believe this concludes our interview.”

As he spoke the barn door opened and Tom Kincaid strolled in. His face slackened in surprise upon seeing Annie and I there. Guess he missed the memo for our little board meeting.

“What the hell are
they
doing here? What’s going on here?” he demanded, his face growing red.

Jason sighed and held up a hand, giving him a dismissive wave. “This is nothing, just a small detour in the plan. It’s about to be taken care of.”

At his words our two thugs appeared on either side of Annie and I, dragging us out of our seats. Think Taci think, my frantic mind shouted as we were dragged towards the doorway. The sight of Kincaid’s face as we passed made something click in the back of my mind.

“Does Kincaid know you’re going to cut him out of the deal once the project here is done?” I shouted.

Kincaid grabbed the thug’s arm who was trying to wrestle me out the door, jerking us both to a stop. Thug two holding Annie stopped as well.

“What’s she talking about, McAllister?” he demanded.

Jason gave a laugh. “She’s not talking about anything Tom, just trying to throw you off track is all. Alex, Jonah, please take the women outside and be done with it. They’re starting to get on my nerves.”

“Do you honestly think he’s going to keep you around when you’re of no use to him? Think about it Kincaid, when Rosehill is done how will he ship the drugs in town? He’s only using you until the project is done then he’ll cut you out and move onto the next cover,” I insisted. I knew it was a long shot but it made sense. Jason was a user, always had been and always would be. What use would a man like Kincaid have for him after his cover was gone?
Jason glowered at me, striding across the room to where we were standing. Drawing back a hand he slapped it across my face with enough force to send me sprawling onto the dusty floor. Annie cried out and reached out, struggling when the thugs restrained her from reaching me.

“I always said that smart mouth of yours was going to get you in trouble. You just don’t seem to know when to shut up,” he said tightly.

Using my sleeve I wiped the corner of my mouth, cringing at the crimson color of blood staining the material. Rising to my feet I gave Annie an encouraging smile before turning to face Jason again.

“She’s right, isn’t she? Damn it answer me McAllister, I think you owe me at least that much,” Kincaid all but shouted, his face furious.

Jason sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb. “The only thing you need to know, Tom, is where the shipment needs to be delivered to and how you’ll get your last payment. Anything else could be a risk to your health.”

Kincaid glowered even darker. “You can’t threaten me. If it weren’t for me you wouldn’t even have your little operation out here. I helped you build this empire and I can help tear it down if I have to.”

Jason took a step towards him, jaw clenched. “Have you forgotten who you’re dealing with? I’m not some punk kid on your payroll Tom, I’m a man capable of making you disappear with a snap of my fingers. I have connections in higher places than you’ve probably even heard of. Trust me, I’m not the kind of man you want to mess around with.”

As he spoke thug one and thug two left Annie and I alone, moving to stand next to Jason should their boss need assistance. The barn, which had been noisy with last minute preparations was eerily silent as everyone stood watching the exchange between the two men.

I slowly reached down and grabbed Annie’s arm, inching us back towards the door. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be around when it hit the fan.

Annie followed my lead and inched herself backwards, taking care not to make any large movements that might draw attention. Just before we reached the entrance her boot backed into a metal gas tank. The loud clang echoed through the room as the tank tipped over, spilling its contents across the dusty floor. Everyone turned to look at us, staring almost in awe as the gasoline fumes began to intermingle with the stench of powdered meth.

“Son of a…get that cleaned up, now! And get those women back here,” Jason all but snarled. Thug one and thug two scrambled in our direction and I took off running, pulling Annie close behind. Flying through the barn door the sound of a gun being fired registered in the back of my mind followed by a loud explosion. The force of the explosion lifted Annie and I off our feet, tossing us several feet away from the barn.

Sitting in the back of the Medic I surveyed the scene beyond the open doors. I was alone at the moment, only temporarily so. I’d sent the paramedic out to find Annie to reassure me that she was really alright. It wasn’t confirmed yet, but they assumed with the gasoline tank spilling over and the high concentrate of crystal meth powder in the barn it had caused a charge when the gun was fired, causing the explosion. The good news, Annie and I survived the explosion with only a broken wrist for myself and Annie all scraped up. The bad news, Jason, Kincaid and their whole crew had been wiped out. While I didn’t hold any remorse for the lost lives I did feel sorry, once again, for Valerie. I really hated it when I did that.

On the bright side I hadn’t caught sight of Tony among the emergency responders, a bright light in the dark night. As the thought left my head Tony came into view, causing my gut to clench. So much for that thought. He spoke with one of the EMS drivers who gestured in my direction before quickly weaving his way through the crowd of fire fighter’s and EMT’s on the scene until coming to a stop in the doorway of the Medic.

“So, is this what you do for fun on a Monday night?” he asked dryly.

“Actually no. Our normal Monday night consists of driving around town and painting obscenities on the sides of buildings,” I responded.

“You know, I always wondered who was behind all the vandalism in town,” he replied.

He was cracking jokes; that was a good sign, right? The paramedic who’d been taking care of me returned, coming to a sudden stop at Tony shadowing the open doorway.

“Hey Parsons, didn’t know you were working the scene tonight. Did you just get here?” the friendly medic asked, climbing into the back of the truck to check on my wrist. I grimaced as he removed the ice pack wrapped around, it surveying the swelling. The fracture had been obvious by the wrong direction my wrist was twisted so they decided to reset it quickly to help with the swelling. I was told I’d still be going to the hospital for x-rays and final assessments but needed to wait until the police chief’d had a chance to speak with me.

Tony watched me quietly, his jaw clenched at the site of my discolored wrist. “My shift wasn’t scheduled until 6:00 but after hearing the report on the scanner I decided to come in earlier to see if my help was needed.”

I flushed, not missing the directness of his words. I could only imagine what had been reported on the police scanner; that and how pissed he’d been when my name had come up.

Sensing the direction of Tony’s stare the paramedic gave a reassuring smile, misunderstanding his meaning. “Don’t worry about this, the bone’s already been reset and I’m pretty sure it was the major damage caused by the trauma. It should heal up nicely for her. I’d say she and Mrs. Hastings made out pretty good, considering what could have happened.”

If it was possible for Tony to get even tense then I’d say that did the trick. I blew out a small resigned sigh.

“How’s Annie?” I asked, anxious to draw the subject away from me.

The paramedic smiled as he rewrapped my wrist before turning towards the I.V. bag hanging next to my table. “She’ll be fine, just a little bumped and scraped up is all. The chief is talking to her then she’ll be taken to the hospital to get checked out.”

Another dose of pain medicine was shot into my I.V. and within a few minutes I began to get that floaty feeling I’d had earlier.

“Better?” he asked, turning back towards me. I leaned comfortably back against the raised up bed behind me, giving a happy smile.

“Yeah, thanks,” I replied. I really wanted to close my eyes and drift off but now wasn’t the time. If the Chief was talking to Annie now then he’d be here next. Not to mention I could still feel Tony’s glowering gaze on me. Jeez, he really knew how to kill a good buzz.

“Great. I’ve got some reports I need to get filled out. Parsons, can I trust her in your care until I get back?” the paramedic asked, hopping out the back of the truck. Tony grinned, giving a nod. I sighed. I had a feeling his idea of care was completely different than mine.

“I’ll take care of her alright,” he replied, waiting until the paramedic was out of site before climbing into the back of the truck.

I watched him expectantly as he moved to sit next to my bed, waiting for the lecture I knew was about to begin. To my surprise he leaned over and captured my good hand, caressing it softly with the pad of his thumb.

“Are you in much pain?” he asked, concern in his voice.

I shook my head, my throat feeling suddenly clogged. Why was he being so nice? I could handle a tough, bossy and snide Parsons much better than a soft and caring one. How the hell was I going to work with that?

“Want to tell me what happened?” he continued softly.

“Remember the Ammonium Nitrate your buddy at the RPD found on our mannequin friend?” I asked, waiting for his nod before continuing. “Well, I was watching a special on the discovery channel the other night that talked about it being used in farming fertilizers and I suddenly remember that Rosehill was being built on old farm land. Considering the great impression I’d made with the projects foreman I wondered if there was a connection with him.”

Tony eyed me with interest, a slight gleam in his eye. “
You
watch the discovery channel?”

I stuck out my tongue. “Focus Parsons, focus. I called Annie up and asked her to come with me to stake out the construction site to see if there was anything going on late at night. That’s when I happened upon Jason and his crew of druggies.”

Tony rubbed his free hand thoughtfully over his jaw. “So you’re telling me because of watching the discovery channel you staked out a construction site, came across a drug ring and managed to blow everyone to pieces?”

“It’s not like we blew up the barn on purpose! Annie signaled me that she’d called the police before she was discovered hiding outside so I knew if I kept Jason busy long enough it’d give the police a chance to get there,” I explained.

Tony’s jaw flexed at the mention of Jason’s name; I was instantly flooded with remorse.

“I’m sorry about Jason,” I said softly.

Tony shrugged, shuttering his gaze. “It’s the way of the world, Tace. I knew he was involved in something but I never thought…”