“Since he’s no longer paying you.”
Becker’s face went crimson. “I was holding them to account.” He thumbed his nose. “You know, it was so simple. I didn’t have anything but a hunch. But I worked it out in such a way that I could benefit on both sides, father and son.”
“That must have been some hunch.” Law was watching Becker’s every action, calculating the odds of which chance to take when. He needed to keep him talking while he did that.
“I need money and your vehicle.”
“I’m broke. My truck is yours. Keys in my rig outside.”
Becker swore under his breath. “I’ll give you this much, Battise. The father was paying to keep the son out of the news. The son was paying to keep the father from knowing the truth.”
“I’m impressed you could play the pair off each other like that.”
Becker nodded. “What I got could get your girlfriend what she wants.”
“What do you think that is?”
“Revenge. Papa Tice says your piece of ass wants revenge for her time behind bars.”
“Unlike you, she really wasn’t guilty.”
Becker’s face swelled again with anger. “I don’t have time for this. You interested in a deal or not?”
“Not.”
“A regular Boy Scout.” Becker glanced around the room as his thumb played with the safety.
“If you’ve got information, take it to the feds, Becker. Cut a deal. Lighten your sentence.”
“No deal will keep me out of prison. I can’t go to prison. I’m a cop. You know what’ll happen.”
“The feds could send you out of state. Give you a new identity in prison. If you know enough you can make that deal.”
“No.” He slid the back of his hand over his mouth. “I’m not going behind bars like the scum I put away. Douchebags getting to see me locked up? I can’t do that. If you won’t deal, then I need a hostage.”
He raised the barrel and thumbed the safety, then palmed one into the chamber. He aimed his weapon at Law’s good leg. “Don’t make me regret what I’ll have to do next if you don’t cooperate. I’m going to need your leg.”
“Fuck you.”
Becker chuckled and moved in behind him.
“Sorry about this, Battise. I kinda always respected you. Guess I still do, you son of a bitch.”
Becker’s left arm encircled Law’s neck. Law braced his feet against the floor and kicked hard. Overturning the chair and himself, and causing Becker to fall. But the bastard had him. Becker had placed the palm of the hand against Law’s shoulder. As he applied pressure on both sides of his neck. Law felt the white-hot shock of rage before he passed out.
*
Jori was surprised to see Law’s truck pulling out on the highway just as she approached. She honked, trying to get his attention, but the truck turned off in the opposite direction.
She’d tried calling him half a dozen times on the drive but he wouldn’t pick up. She doubted he’d even listened to her messages. Stubborn man!
The news of Tice’s arrest had stunned her. She had a dozen questions and she was certain Law had information the public wouldn’t get. So here she was, two hours later, arriving just as he was leaving. The ice had begun to build up on the trees, rain freezing on contact. Another hour and she wouldn’t have attempted the trip.
She blew her horn a second time as she passed the turnoff, following the truck instead.
To her surprise, the truck speeded up.
“Dammit, Law. Stubborn male.”
He didn’t want to see her. Well, tough. She’d driven all the way up here to—A cursory glance in her rearview made her foot reach for the brakes.
Sam was galloping down the road behind her. Why would Law leave Sam behind?
Jori pulled over and opened the passenger-side door.
Sam bolted into the front seat, shaking rain and sleet from her coat. And then she barked.
Jori looked up. Law’s truck had disappeared around a bend.
Jori shut the door and put her foot on the gas. The SUV tires spun before getting traction.
“Dammit. It’s icing up.” Jori looked at Sam. “Sorry, it’s going to be rough.”
She put her foot more carefully on the gas, increasing slowly only as she felt the SUV roll forward. It was well past daybreak but it seemed like dusk with the deep shadows of the mountainside surrounding her. She could hear the sleet pinging softly on the windshield as she edged her way along in second gear.
The road took a sharp turn, the grade climbing upward toward a sharp drop-off. She had passed an earlier highway commission warning sign about the steep grade coming up, telling truckers to shift to lower gears. She was already in second on the climb up.
She held her breath as she edged her car forward. She didn’t like ice. Drove on it only when absolutely necessary. Seeing Law seemed absolutely necessary until this moment.