Page 58 of Peril in Piney Woods

She had one potential ace up her sleeve. Making that call was a risk. A damned huge risk, but it was better than going down without a fighting chance. She knew the whole truth now. Maybe it was time someone else did as well.

Maybe it would help, maybe it wouldn’t. Either way, distraction always provided opportunity. Whether it kept them alive or not was yet to be seen.

Chapter Fourteen

Pampered Paws

Pine Boulevard

Piney Woods, Tennessee

8:05 a.m.

“I don’t like the idea of you going in there alone,” Sheriff Norwood said.

Griff didn’t like it either. “They know I’m with you,” he tossed in. “Why wouldn’t they expect me to be with you?”

“At this point,” Meg argued, “any and all things beyond my walking into that diner are irrelevant.”

Griff refused to believe there was nothing else that could be done. The sheriff had put in place a roadblock at each end of the boulevard. She’d set up a sort of command post at Pampered Paws. The view of the diner from Meg’s upstairs apartment provided a good vantage point. Having all involved come in through the back had provided decent cover as well.

Norwood continued to argue with Meg’s conclusion about what happened next.

Like him, the sheriff believed they needed a damned better plan for going in.

“Either way,” Griff tossed in once more, “I’m going in with you.”

Meg looked from Griff to Norwood. “If he goes with me, that’s just another casualty to have to deal with, because this will not happen without casualties. The fewer bodies in their path, the fewer lives lost.”

Her insistence that Griff couldn’t help in any capacity infuriated him. “I’ll take that risk,” he growled.

Norwood held up a hand for him to settle down. The other four deputies in the room stood back, waiting for orders.

“I’ve got Deputy Phillips on the second floor of the urgent care. He’s got a direct view into the diner. We know this Ridley character has three others with him. Two males, one female. Phillips can take them out if he catches one or more in his crosshairs. He was a sharpshooter in the military. He won’t miss.”

Meg shook her head. “Ridley will never be that careless, and if one of the others is taken out, there will be retaliation. People will die.”

Meg had insisted they call in a bomb squad. Just in case. The one Chattanooga had wouldn’t be here for another ten minutes.

“Sheriff.”

The word rattled across Norwood’s radio. “What’ve you got, Phillips?”

“Ma’am, look closely at the diner window. Something’s happening.”

Norwood, Meg and Griff rushed to the window. Norwood had binoculars. Meg had the ones they had found in the cabin. Both peered for a long moment toward the diner. Meg drew back first and passed the pair she’d used to Griff.

He moved closer to the window and set the binoculars in place. Next to him, Norwood swore.

“He’s lining them up to provide cover.” She swore again.

Jodie, Dottie, Ernie and all the other Piney Woods residents in the diner, including Katie, the owner, now stood in a line along the plate glass window. There would be no sniper shots getting to one of the bad guys. No flash bangs or smoke bombs would be thrown in through the window. Griff drew back. His attention landed on Meg once more.

“I told you he wouldn’t take any chances.” Meg turned to Norwood. “I’m guessing your man Phillips doesn’t have sights on Ridley or any of his people now.”

Norwood spoke into the radio. “Phillips, can you get any of the targets in your crosshairs now if they step away from the counter?”

So far, all four had stayed just beyond the sniper’s line of vision into the diner.

---