There went the chance to learn from Merriweather if Blackthorn intended to use one of his buildings for the sale of guns and ammunition.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
SETH AND NOAHstared down at the farmer’s body with Elias and Iona. “This will change everything,” Seth said. “We have to report the body to the authorities, and we’ll automatically become suspects in his death.”
Elias’ gut knotted. “That also means we won’t be able to leave the area until the police clear us, which they’ll take their sweet time doing.”
“Store weapons before I call the police. We don’t know what their response times will be.”
“I’ll let the others know,” Noah said, and left the farmhouse.
Seth turned to Elias and Iona. “If you touched anything, wipe it off.”
Really? He hadn’t resigned as a detective that long ago. His friend was worried, however, and Elias understood that. “Got it.”
Elias glanced at Iona, and they returned to the truck to store their weapons in the safe. Their teammates also brought weapons to store in the truck’s floor safe. When the front safe was full, they filled the second safe, this one in the backseat’s floorboard.
By the time the operatives finished unloading weapons, the safes in the truck’s floorboards and in the motorcycles’ hard saddlebags were full.
Five minutes later, two squad cars arrived with lights and sirens blaring. Seth waited for the officers on the porch with Noah. Their expressions were grim. Little wonder. Not only werethey prime suspects, but someone could have been watching them and reporting in to Dutch and possibly his father.
His stomach churned with nausea at the thought that Eddie was manipulating not only Elias but his friends as well. Before now, Echo and Artemis had been out of his reach. The last thing Elias wanted was for his father to sully the excellent reputations of these two black ops teams. If he could do it, Eddie would destroy both teams just to punish Elias.
“You the one who reported a body?” a grizzled cop asked Seth while the younger cop monitored the operatives with his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon.
“Yes, sir. I’m Seth. This is Noah. Follow me.”
The three men disappeared into the house while Young Cop stared at the rest of them.
Wonderful. Not. Just looking at him made Elias feel old. The kid couldn’t have been out of the academy for long. Reminded Elias of his first days on the job, although he’d been in his thirties, having spent a decade in the Army first.
He wrapped his arm around Iona’s shoulders and drew her against his side. When Young Cop stiffened, Elias kissed Iona’s forehead but remained silent. No need to worry the kid because he couldn’t let suspects compare stories. That didn’t mean that Elias had to give up a few minutes of pure pleasure holding Iona.
Grizzled cop walked onto the porch, looking ghostly white. “I need to call in the detectives. These boys were right. We’ve got a body.”
“It wasn’t natural causes? Merriweather was an old guy, you know.”
“He died from a bullet to the head. I think I know when a death is a murder by now.” Grizzled stalked to his cruiser, opened the door, and sat on the driver’s seat while he used the radio to request the detectives.
Great. How long would it take for the detectives to arrive? Depended on whether they were tied up at another crime scene. He considered that a moment and decided that wasn’t likely. Red Rock wasn’t exactly a hotbed of crime.
Grizzled rose and returned to Seth and Noah, who were standing with their wives. “Detectives will be here in a few minutes. You need to wait until the detectives interview you, then you can go home.”
Looking resigned, Seth said, “We live in Nashville. We’re just visiting for a few days.”
“Who are you visiting?”
And here is where even more suspicion would fall on the Fortress operatives.
“Dutch King.”
Grizzled’s eyes narrowed. “You’re friends with the leader of the Blackthorn Riders?”
“You could say that.”
He scowled. “If you were smart, you’d choose better friends.” Grizzled motioned toward the truck. “Go stand over there. No talking. In fact, all of you stand over there and keep your traps shut.”
Nice. If he and his teammates had treated witnesses who were potential perps like that, they would have earned a reprimand.
