Page 51 of Fighting Conviction
“Yeah, they’re actually using security this year, so I’ll be there,” Henry offered.
Marco nodded as he explained, “Apparently I count as the ‘elite’ this year. I received a verbal invitation yesterday fromtheMitchell Strickland, himself, if you can believe it.” Everyone groaned at the mention of the biggest jackass in Ashland County—one who had been acting like a fucking choir boy since they were given a clue about him the year before—and Devil couldn’t help but join in. Marco shifted his head in the direction of the computer screens. “All your intel is right from what I know, which, admittedly, isn’t much.”
Hawk tapped his lips as he thought. “Excellent. For now, Snake and Nora, you get together and go through this list. Run a background check on everyone. Dig deep. Remember what that Ascot kid said last year. He said Strickland has a brother, but maybe he got the name wrong. Dying men aren’t infallible. Still, go through extended families, friends, jobs from high school, shirt size. Anything you can get, we need to know about it.”
Snake winced. “That’ll take a while, Hawk.”
“We’ve got a month to plan in advance this time. Like you said, things have been quiet in Ashland lately.” Hawk turned to Marco and Henry. “You guys haven’t heard anything right? I know Burgess was a dead end again last time we met with him. But when he mentioned looking into the party more we got serious about—” Henry shifted in his chair. “What? What is it? You both looked at each other.” Hawk crossed his arms and adopted his deep commander voice.
Henry exchanged glances with Marco, apparently for a second time since Devil hadn’t seen them do it the first time. “It’s just…” Henry began and rubbed the back of his head. “Burgess has been actin’ real weird lately. I’m not sure he’s as reliable as y’all think. Maybe even unreliable. This party might be just ‘nother red herring like he’s been givin’ y’all the entire time.”
Hawk’s sharp eye stabbed into Marco. “Is this true?”
Marco’s lips tightened and he rubbed his goatee. “Last time I saw him, he was jumpy, seemed cagey—”
“—pale, sweaty.” Henry grimaced.
Marco continued on. “He was in the evidence room for a case that’s not even on the trial docket, even though he said it was. I don’t know, man. Brown’s right, Burgess was acting pretty strange.”
Devil recalled their last meeting and cleared his throat to speak. “I’ve always thought he was a little off. Last time we met with him he was relatively calm, which I actually noticed only because he’s usually fidgety.”
Elbow propped up on his crossed arm, Hawk tapped his lips. “He might be questionable but he’s our only lead in the sheriff’s office who has any real power” —he winced— “no offense, Henry.”
A look Devil couldn’t decipher passed over Henry’s face before it went blank and he shrugged. “I’m still technically a rookie, so you’re right. I’ve been keepin’ an eye on him though. I’ll let y’all know if he starts actin’ even weirder.”
Hawk nodded. “Thanks. Hopefully we won’t need that intel. I’m not sure what’s going to go down in that hotel during the party, but I know for sure we’re going to use the swiftest, safest, and most effective measures to extract any and all victims. It might not be what you want to be a part of in your positions in the government.” He sighed and leveled his gaze. “I’m going to be real with you. We need you and Marco to sort of turn the other way, if you feel me.”
Marco’s lips tightened again and he nodded once. “I’m not comfortable with that, but I also know when you guys had a hard time depending on the Ashland cops last time, women were abducted and murdered. I’m doing my job for justice, not to ensure the law is followed ifyoufeel me.”
“We’re not going to go out of our way to break the law, but we’re sure as hell going to get in the way of someone who does. By whatever means necessary.”
Devil nodded his agreement along with his teammates.
“Now, going back to Ellie…” Hawk turned to Jaybird and Devil bristled at the thought of what either of them would say next. “Snake and Nora are going to go through the guest list to cross reference everyone who was there last time, but we really need Ellie to help us. If she remembers anything,anything, about who attended that party, her going through the lists of faces would be invaluable. We need whatever her memory will give us.”
Devil opened his mouth to say no but Jaybird glared at Devil before cutting him off. “I think I know what Devil’s gonna say, and I’m actually with him on this one. I don’t want her anywhere near this. She was re-traumatized less than twenty-four hours ago, and I don’t want her to go through her nightmares again. I don’t know if you guys remember Ellie after the kidnapping—”
“I fucking remember.” The words slipped out before Devil could catch them, but they were the truth. For over six months after Ellie had been rescued, she’d suffered night terrors and panic attacks. She wouldn’t sleep away from BlackStone or her brother’s apartment and Devil had talked her through more than one.
He cringed inwardly as he recalled the attackhe’dcaused the week before when he’d come onto her, making her feel helpless. It’d been forever since he’d seen her that broken, and he’d be damned if he allowed her to break again on his watch.
The idea he’d been cooking up ever since he talked to her last night percolated again. It never dawned on him she might’ve felt out of control in that moment, but if he made sure she knew who was really in charge, maybe they could work. He wouldn’t spring it on her yet though. He’d bide his time and wait until it seemed like she was ready again. Hopefully his solution worked.
“Keep Ellie out of it, for as long as we can.” Jaybird’s tone was on the verge of begging but Devil wasn’t very far behind him.
Phoenix whistled. “Dayum… what’re y’all fools gonna do when your girl starts datin’ some dude? You won’t be able to call all the shots then, ya know.”
“The fuck?” Devil barked out. Ellie dating? No one was good enough for her. They wouldn’t begin to know how to appreciate what they had with Ellie in their arms. No one else knew the extent of what she’d been through, how to get her through the pain when the past was too much, or how hard she’d worked to get in a better place. How hard shestillworked.
But I do…
The words were a gentle nudge in his mind, but they crashed into every one of his last hard-fought convictions to stay away from Ellie.
Snake lifted his glasses and wiped at the bridge of his nose. “I guess… I guess I could ask Naomi. She had the list—”
“Naomi? Who’s Naomi?” Henry butted in.
Snake paused as he returned his glasses to his nose. “The woman who gave us the list. Anyway, she was there last year, too, so I’ll ask her to sit with me—I mean us. Hopefully, she won’t bite my fucking head off again.”
