Page 58 of Fighting for Tawny

Barbie lashed out and struck Tawny’s face. “No! Leave me alone! I don’t want to do it anymore!”

Tawny covered her mouth and restrained her with her other hand. “Shh! Listen to me! It’s Tawny. Open your eyes.”

Barbie opened her eyes, and Tawny removed her hand so she could speak. “T? What are you—” She saw Finnigan and opened her mouth to scream.

Tawny covered it again. “Barbie, it’s okay. I’m an undercover cop. He’s Marcus Finnigan, Captain Finnigan’s brother, an LA SWAT officer. We’re getting you and Dee to safety. We know you’re being used as drug mules. Now, come on. There’s no time to argue.”

She pulled Barbie to her feet, and Finnigan took her by the arm. She trembled with fear. “Don’t be afraid, Barbie. I swear I’m not going to hurt you.”

They hurried from Bunkhouse B as Tawny dealt with Dee. After a minute or two, Finnigan heard footsteps behind him. He waited for Tawny and Dee to catch up, and they moved with quick, measured steps to join Jiena and Macklin, who were taking cover behind the thickness of the trees.

Jiena introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Special Agent Jiena Cofield, and this is LA SWAT officer Howie Macklin. We’re here to take you into protective custody. Please come with us.”

In the faint glow of the moonlight, Finnigan could see fear in both their eyes as they hung back.

“No. Joy and Precious got taken into custody and sent back to prison,” Dee protested.

Tawny intervened. “I swear that’s not going to happen to you. Remember when I told you we had to trust and protect each other? This is that time. Jiena is in charge of the FBI’s investigation into Judge Cohen, Perry Jones, and Warden Stoltz, and Macklin has been a friend of mine for years. And Marcus is my fiancé. We’re all working together to stop this from happening to anyone else.”

Barbie and Dee glanced at each other, then nodded, either resolved or resigned to their fate.

As Jiena and Macklin led them away, Tawny asked, “What happens when Whitcomb and Macintosh return to work on Monday and realize Barbie and Dee are missing?”

“They’ll want to call local law enforcement, maybe their contact within the organization, but Moira will convince them to let her handle it because the women are her responsibility. She’ll talk to someone in the Chino Hills police department. They’ll, in turn, call the Feds. Jiena will handle Sheriff O’Grady.”

“Before Monday, I’ll convince Susan and Debbie to move into Bunkhouse A, and Yolanda, Terrin, and I will move into their bunkhouse. I wonder, however, if Macintosh and Whitcomb will find it too risky to recruit more of us with the Feds breathing down their necks.”

“I think they’ll wait a couple of days. They’re just arrogant enough to believe they can carry on with business as usual. When Jiena interrogates Dee and Barbie, she might glean enough information to stop them without you.” Finnigan wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “That’s what I would prefer.”

Their lips met in a tender kiss.

“Finn, I have a confession. During that first wildfire in Chino Hills State Park, someone impersonating a firefighter attacked me.”

His body went rigid with shock. “For God’s sake, Red! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I didn’t want to add to your worry about me.”

“Well, that’s a given, considering how much I love you. So, what happened?”

“I heard a child crying in a tent. When I went to help, this guy dressed as a firefighter came out of nowhere and tackled me. He punched me in the face and head, tried to stab me, but I turned the tables on him. When he realized he’d been bested, he disappeared.”

“Did you get a look at his face?”

“Sadly, no.”

Finnigan tugged her hard against him. “You’re a threat, and our suspects know it.” He kissed her again. “Return to your bunk and get some sleep, Tawny. You need to be sharp and alert for what lies ahead.”

She kissed him one more time. “I’ll see you in a few hours. Love you, Flame.”

“Love you more, Red.”

After Tawny slipped inside Bunkhouse A, Finnigan placed a chair from the smaller bunkhouse outside the door and dozed off and on until sunrise.

The day dawned with dark thunderclouds gathering above the hills. Lightning flashed intermittently in the angry skies, and Finnigan prayed the strikes wouldn’t spark any fires. He heard movement inside Bunkhouse A and assumed the thunder had awakened the women. Unwilling to barge in on them in a possible state of undress, he knocked twice and called out, “Hi! It’s, um, Mark! May I come in?”

Their delighted laughter greeted him as one of the women, Yolanda, pulled open the door.

“Well, hi yourself. You’re very polite. Macintosh and Whitcomb don’t care to announce themselves. Come on in. You can eat breakfast if you help.”

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