26. ‘Sheriff George’

TWENTY-SIX

Son of a bitch. This has turned into a circus. There are so many goddamn people here wanting to help, we had to take over the cafeteria. So now I wait for Tank, Momma Diane, and the Intruders to take seats along with the O’Brien clan, including Ollie and his folks from the Blue Sky Sanctuary. Ash, Gertie, Rowan, Joshua, and Rue are sitting with the O’Briens. Makes sense.

Along the other side is the Devil’s Handmaidens, including Zoey still covered in Tink’s blood. Panther, Avalanche, Jersey, Dallas, Chicago, and George are sitting with the women. Actually, Panther has Zoey in his arms. Need to check on her before this starts. My remaining deputies are around me. Some of the townsfolks also showed up, wanting to throw their hands in to help. FBI and CIA are on their way. Yeah, a clusterfuck. Before I start, I do what I need to do. I walk over to my daughter, who happens to be the enforcer for the Devil’s Handmaidens.

“Zoey. Honey, how are you holding up?”

She looks at me with the same ice-blue eyes I see every time I look in a mirror. Though hers are truly icy at the moment.

“Hey, Dad, I guess okay. Hanging in. Have you heard anything about Raven yet?”

“I’ll fill in everyone in a few minutes. Any news on Tink?”

Zoey’s eyes look down at the blood still on her hands. Well, what the fuck? Why didn’t they let her wash up?

“You want a minute to wash up? I’m sure the hospital can give you some scrubs.”

Her head jerks up just as Panther shakes his head at me. Oh fuck. I wait for it.

“Absolutely not. This is Goldilocks’s blood, Dad, not washing it off. What the fuck, why would you ask me that? For Christ’s sake, can we get on with this? I’ve got to get back up there, be there for her.”

Panther pulls her close and I see her deflate.

“Zoey, Noodles is up there. We’ll be back there as soon as we can. The surgeon said she’s going to be in there for a couple of hours. Try and relax, no, don’t get all pissed off, Nizhoni, I’ve got you. Lean on me. You are not alone.”

“Zoey, I’ll try to make this quick, just wanted to check on you.”

I stand to leave but she grabs my hand. I look down and see she’s looking up at me. Damn it, I reach down and give her a hug. The room instantly goes eerily quiet. What the fuck, a father can’t hug his daughter? Jesus Christ, small-town shit, I guess.

Making my way back to the front, I turn to my deputies first then to the room. Clearing my throat, I jump right in.

“Folks, we have a sensitive situation. As everyone in this room knows, we’ve had this situation for the last couple of years with the Thunder Cloud Knuckle Brotherhood. We’ve found out Cliff Sterling is part of that group. No, don’t look at Gertie and her boys, that has nothing to do with them. So, this is what we have so far. A woman who has ties to the brotherhood worked her way into the Devil’s Handmaidens gym employment. It was a plant. This morning, on her way to work, Raven decided to stop by to pick up the receipts for Taz to process. Upon entering, she had up front eyes on what had happened or what she thought had gone down. Both of her employees were beaten and violated. The brotherhood was in the process of torturing Stephanie, the manager. Raven sent out emergency texts then went in, trying to assist. Long story short, it turned into a massacre. We have some down on our side, a deputy had to be airlifted out. Tink is, at this moment, in surgery upstairs. Tank, Momma Diane, we appreciate both of you stepping away to be here. She’s in our prayers.”

Everyone looks at Tink’s parents to see Momma Diane trying not to cry, while Tank looks like he’s ready to explode. I move on.

“Ash got a call from his father with demands. Not going into those because they won’t be happening.”

“Why not, Sheriff, maybe if we give him what he wants, he’ll let Raven go?”

“What he wants, Stan, are other people in our community. Would you like me to give Cliff your wife or daughters? Didn’t think so.”

The post office employee puts his head down as his wife shoves her shoulder into his. That’s gonna be a fight on the way home, for sure, I think to myself.

“Between all the resources we have in this room, we need to come up with a plan and quick. From what I’ve been told Raven and Freak have been working nonstop to try and find where the brotherhood’s main lair is. It’s not where Alder found Bray. It’s got to be pretty close though because with Cliff’s involvement it’s most definitely on the Sterling’s land. We have maps of the Sterling ranch. Ash, Rue, and, Gertie, can you come up here, please?”

I watch the three of them make their way to the front. I spread the blueprints and maps my deputies found.

“Now looking at this, where would you think they would be hiding out? Think about it, boys, you’ve done the fencing and managed the herds for years. Ash, you were out today with the boys checking on the cows in the northern pasture. Did you see anything out of the ordinary? Have any of the hands talked about weird stuff happening?”

I wait for a bit to give them time to think. Looking around, everyone is on the edge of their seats. Rowan raises his hand from where he’s sitting.

“Yeah, Rowan, got something, son?”

“Sheriff, don’t know if it means anything but maybe two weeks ago when I was on the four-wheeler, I saw some tire tracks going toward what we all call Sterling Mountain. Ash can show you where it’s at, but the ground had a lot of tracks. At the time I didn’t pay much attention ’cause I looked around, didn’t see anything. It just popped back in my head when you were asking Mom and my brothers where they might hide out. Dad used to take me up there when I was a little kid, before he left. He said it was his favorite place on the ranch.”

“Thanks, Rowan. Ash, Rue, where is that on this map?”

As they both show me where it’s at, I glance at Gertie, who’s watching Rowan holding Joshua’s hand. I know she’s worried about her boys, but they take after her and not her asshole husband. Ash points to the map and I look back down. Damn, that’s on the exact opposite side of their ranch. The spot where they’ve been squatting is close to the main house and Ash’s home. Sterling Mountain is almost by the Yellowstone River. Now I can see why no one has seen the comings and goings of this branch of the brotherhood. Too far off the beaten path.

“Are there any buildings out there that you know of?”

Ash looks to Rue, who shrugs his shoulders. Then Ash looks to his younger brother. Rowan, still standing, nods.

“Tell us, Rowan, what do you know.”

“Ash, haven’t been up there in ages but I did sneak that way a few years ago. Didn’t go all the way but from where I was, thought there were some cabins and a few lean-to type buildings. Also, off to one side I saw the makings of some kind of road. I ran when I heard a loud machine struggling my way. I never told you or Mom because thought you’d be mad at me for going that far.”

He puts his head down. Shit, the kid is feeling bad. Can’t have that when it’s him giving us all the information.

“Rowan, son, don’t feel bad. You are actually helping us a lot. Now sit down for a bit, might need to ask you some more questions in a while. Now, Tank, can Freak figure out a way to get eyes on that area? Don’t tell me but if a satellite is up there, can that be used as eyes in the sky, or however they say it?”

Before I finish, Freak has two laptops open and is pounding away on a tablet. Tank looks to his brother then at me.

“Sheriff, he’ll do his best.”

I nod at Tank, knowing his mind is not here. And he’s still recovering from his heart attack. Hearing someone walk in, I see Reed making his way to his little brothers. Tank and Momma Diane look at him and he shakes his head. No news yet. Glancing at the Devil’s Handmaidens, it dawns on me Squirt, or as I know her, Hannah, isn’t here. She’s probably with Noodles. Hannah is Tank and Momma Diane’s other child. Well, actually, she’s their granddaughter but that’s another story.

“All right, we need to find a way to get up there without drawing attention. Now who lives on the other side of the mountain? Are there hunting or hiking trails up to the mountain? Most of our mountains have them, especially when by rivers or lakes. Sherman, aren’t you on the other side of Gertie’s property? Or is it Phil? Come on, let’s put our heads together, we need a way in. Once we are in, with the size of our group, we should be able to stabilize the area and the brotherhood quickly. We’ve got to be careful because they have innocents up there besides Raven.”

“Sheriff, when you have a plan in place, if it’s okay, I’d like to send some of my people ahead so they can get situated. The ones going will be my sharpshooters. It can give us an advantage and also some cover if things start to go south.”

“Yeah, Ollie, that’s a great idea. We’ll take all the help we can get. Now for a distraction, it won’t be out of place if a few large farm machines are moving along. There’s always a farmer or two on the road. It can be used as cover, if any of the farmers in the room are willing to let us use your machinery?”

I hear a bunch of yeses and yeahs. Then a few speak up.

“Not only can you use my tractor and baler, but I’ll personally run one of them myself. Brenna used to babysit my kids, back in the day. She doesn’t deserve this, none of those folks do. Let’s put these fuckers, sorry, ’cuse my language, down.”

More and more farmers are offering up their equipment. Ollie comes up front with his dad, Paddy O’Brien, and all his other sons Orin, Oliver, Bennett, and Brooks. Tank, Intruder, and Yoggie make their way to the front, as I watch Momma Diane make her way over to Bronagh, Onyx, and Bray. I’m shocked to see her here but it’s her sister too. On that thought, something comes to mind.

“Bray, honey, are you up for some quick questions? Nothing except location and stuff.”

She looks at her mom, sister, and Momma Diane. Onyx takes her hand and Bray’s eyes come to me and she nods.

“Before Alder found you, were you in the same place? Wait, didn’t you say that you were moved around?”

“Yeah, Sheriff, all the women were moved, not sure how often or where we were taken. When they moved us, we were blindfolded and drugged. So, by the time we came to, we had been put in a new place. Well, a new building or cabin. Only time we were allowed outside was our three to four bathroom breaks and if they wanted to have one of their parties.”

Hearing that, every man in the room just about comes out of their skin. I hear Ollie and his brothers growl. Mr. O’Brien’s eyes never leave Bray. She never puts her head down but doesn’t look around either. I’m not gonna ask the question ’cause I have a pretty good idea what the parties were.

“Did anything stand out to you on the bathroom breaks? Landscape or flowers, hills or highways? Anything at all?”

She takes a minute or two to think then she lifts her head.

“There was one place we went to a few times, and I could have sworn I heard a waterfall. When I asked, got myself a beatdown so I never asked again. But yeah, I think it was close to water.”

I smile at her just as her mom stands, makes her way to her daughter, grabbing and pulling her close. Turning, I glance at the men around the table with me.

“Okay, go to the Sterling Mountain and look for water or waterfalls. That’s where we start. Ollie, how long will your people need to get situated? Farmers, figure out amongst yourselves who wants to volunteer with their machinery. Devil’s Handmaidens, we’re gonna need your help with the victims up there since that’s what you all do. Whatever that means, get ready, please.”

I take a breath just as a bottle of water is pushed in front of me. I turn to see my deputy-in-training, Yoggie, handing it to me. I thank him, open it, and drink half of it down. The pressure is overwhelming ’cause if I fuck up, lives could be taken. Brenna could be killed. I can’t have that on my conscience.

As we plan, I realize we still haven’t heard anything on Tink. I take a second and say a silent prayer.