Chapter 17

17

"Wow." Kenzie settled back into her seat as Coy parked the car in front of the ranch where she had spent her childhood.

"You okay?" Coy inquired, sensing the sudden shift in her demeanor.

"I can probably count the number of times I've been here since…"

"Since your husband took his own life." Coy finished for her. "If this is too much, I can go in and grab Glen's things. You can wait here, in the truck."

"No. It's not that." She smiled weakly. "It's… odd, really. I've had a hard time coming here because, while you'd think I'd have a million memories of my childhood flood my mind, that's not the case. I don't have the happy memories, Coy, just the last vision of seeing my husband –– dead."

"I can't imagine."

"No. You can't." She said subtly. "No one should ever have to see that."

"You still feel that way? What do you see now?" Coy asked. "Still see those things?"

"That one, but not… that part." She confessed, her gaze wandering over the familiar landscape as waves of nostalgia washed over her. "I remember being here with him. With my dad and Uncle Glen. I also remember all those times we all got together for a cookout or some ranch gathering."

"That doesn't sound bad."

"It isn't. Why don't I feel that heaviness? The ache in my gut. The dread?" she asked. "It feels odd being here, that's for certain, but only because it's been so long. Like, I missed it. The good memories… they're back."

"Maybe you found closure, Kenz. Or, you were able to move on from the state of grief you'd been living in."

Kenzie abruptly turned to Coy, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead, her expression filled with playful concern. "Are you feeling okay? That was deep, especially for you. And… insightful."

Coy chuckled softly, gently releasing her hand from his forehead before bringing it to his lips and planting a tender kiss on the back of it. "I learned it from you. That was right out of the Kenzie Gray handbook."

"Yeah. It does sound like something I would say." She giggled. "These past few months have been quite a journey, haven't they? Two hearts, once broken and now reconnected after all these years, only to discover that each holds the missing piece to make the other whole."

"There you go again with all that wisdom." He teased. "But I couldn't agree more. The last thing I thought I was going to find here was murder, mayhem, and… love."

She smiled. "Is that what this is?"

"Not many people get a second chance, Kenz, and if I've learned anything lately, it's that life is far too short to waste it. I'd rather love and have lived than just live without knowing love."

"Wow, who's the poet now?" she winked.

"We're going to get through this, Kenz. We are going to solve all the missing pieces to this case, then we're going to figure out what's next… for us."

"Does that mean you're staying in Coyote Creek?"

"I don't know. I guess we need to solve this fucking mess and figure it out." He kissed the back of her hand again, "Let's go pack a bag for Glen and get him some fresh clothes to leave the hospital in."

They each hopped out of the vehicle, meeting at the front with a kiss. "I'm going to look around and make sure everything is good and locked up while you grab his things. There no telling how long we're going to need to keep him at the ranch with us, and this thing blows over."

"Thank you for thinking of him and letting him stay with us out there." She said.

"Glen's family. I wouldn't have it any other way. If he's in danger, he's under our protection, and there's no better way than to keep out there with all of us until this thing winds down."

"I agree. I'll just be a few minutes. He's a simple man with very few things." She said.

Coy released Kenzie's hand and headed toward one of the barns on the property while Kenzie headed toward the house. As they moved, a familiar vehicle approached from the long driveway. Nash, Charlotte, and Devyn emerged from the parked vehicle, with Diesel by Devyn's side, parking along the driveway.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kenzie asked as Coy joined her.

"We tried calling," Nash warned. "Your phones go right to voicemail."

"That's odd. It was working fine when…" Kenzie pulled her phone from her pocket and noted it had no service.

Coy squinted at his screen, his features tightening into a grimace of frustration. "You ever have issues with cell service out here before?"

"Never."

"That's what I thought." Coy tucked his phone away and scanned the area while the others noted their phones were no longer working either.

"Tower down?" Nash asked.

"When was the last time one of you tried calling me or Kenzie?" Coy inquired, his eyes scanning the vast expanse of the property as he spoke.

"We all took turns calling both of your phones all the way. Here." Charlotte shared. "I was the last one to try right when we approached the property."

"Tower isn't down. Our signals are blocked." Coy said quietly. "Something tells me we aren't alone out here."

"That's why we drove out," Nash said. "There's trouble. Shanks was stabbed at the hospital while sitting outside Glen's hospital room."

"Shit." Kenzie chided. "Is he…"

"He's in surgery." Charlotte delivered the news gently, aware of Kenzie's fondness for Shanks and their friendship. "They won't know the prognosis for a while yet. He was hurt pretty bad."

"Oh no. This is all my fault. I should have had more deputies up there or… got Glen out sooner, transferred to a different hospital."

"Hey," Coy calmly grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. It's going to be okay. This isn't your fault. We'll figure it out."

"He's alive, Kenzie." Charlotte shared. "That's a very good sign. He's fighting."

"And my uncle? Was he hurt?"

"He, uh, he isn't there," Nash said with hesitation. "Someone took him."

"Took him? Who? Who took him?" Kenzie panicked.

Nash shook his head and offered a sympathetic look, "We don't know. Nobody saw it happen. Just the commotion afterward. And there's surveillance video of him being pushed outside in a wheelchair wearing his hospital gown, head flopping… he might have been drugged."

"Hospital full of people, and nobody saw a thing until it was too late?" Kenzie looked to Coy, her eyes welling with emotion, "How does that happen?"

"It happens with a calculated plan, resources, and hush money," Coy said.

"I haven't even told you the most trivial part." Nash went on, "The hospital cameras were out. We saw the footage from a grainy gas station camera across the street."

"They killed the security cameras? We've got to find him." Kenzie panicked, "Before…"

Coy raised his hand to silence her, then pointed to his eyes with two open fingers before signaling toward the tree line and surrounding area. He saw something and was trying to tell the rest of the group that they weren't alone.

"Where's Rip?" Coy asked, studying their surroundings.

"He said to tell you… he's working." Devyn shared.

"Good." Coy said, understanding the message clearly, "Nash, I want you to get back in your vehicle and get Dev and Charlotte out of here; you hear me? Back to the ranch, lock it down, and you wait for me. Don't do a damn thing until I actually set foot on that property. You hear me?"

Nash nodded, "You got it, brother."

Just as Nash and the two women were headed back to the vehicle, Diesel blocked them, stopping them in their tracks. He then began to growl, alerting them to danger.

"I knew I saw that son of a bitch move out there," Coy said. "Diesel sees them, probably smells them too."

"Them?" Devyn asked.

"Ambush. You drive out, and you're flanked by shooters." Coy calmly delivered. "They must be here for Kenzie, maybe me."

"We showed up and gave them more targets." Nash chided and looked to Devyn and Charlotte apologetically, "I am so sorry I brought you here. I just didn't think it was safe to leave you on the ranch with Rip on the move and…"

"Don't be sorry." Coy corrected him, "It's better you're here, with Kenz and me than back on the ranch. If I had to guess, it's crawling with assholes now too."

"Or, at the very least, their next stop?" Kenzie asked, and Coy nodded.

"This is it." Coy coldly warned, "This is the end game. They have Glen. Now they have us."

"They?" Charlotte asked, "You mean my father?"

"It certainly looking that way," Coy said.

"He wouldn't kill me. No way would my father kill me." She fumed. "This can't be happening."

"Did you ever think he'd kill anyone else?" Kenzie asked, and Charlotte shook her head no.

"He won't kill you, Char." Coy corralled the group behind the vehicles, where he pulled out an arsenal and began to arm the rest of the group. "He'll have someone else do it."

"No." she shook her head. "He wouldn't."

"Would you let him get away with killing everyone standing right here? Could you forgive him for it?"

"Never. He knows I'd never let a crime like that go unpunished, he taught me about justice, I'd never forgive…" Charlotte froze as realization dawned on her, understanding how Coy had arrived at his conclusion. She grasped the grim reality of her situation, recognizing that she might become an unfortunate casualty deemed necessary to protect her father's interests in the criminal underworld. "I-I don't even know him anymore. I know the evidence points to him, and it's really hard to dispute, but I… I just cannot wrap my mind around this."

"You don't have to," Nash said, offering her a comforting embrace. "Coy isn't saying this is case closed, but that the evidence is pretty suggestive. We only know what we know at this point, and that's to be extra cautious where he's concerned and protect you along with everyone else."

"He's right," Coy said. "Right now, it's about keeping everyone safe and flushing out the enemy. We'll worry about the rest later, okay?"

Charlotte nodded as Nash brushed away a lone tear that managed to escape her.

"Can we count on you?" Coy approached Charlotte with gentle inquiry, mindful not to insinuate any wrongdoing or question her integrity.

"If you're asking me if I can kill a dirty son of a bitch to save any one of our lives without hesitation, the answer is yes." Charlotte nodded in agreement, swiftly checking her weapon and visibly shifting her demeanor, pushing aside any emotions that threatened to cloud her focus.

"Okay then." Coy acknowledged her decision with a hint of pride in his expression. "Kenz?"

She nodded, "Ready. Nash, you fall behind Dev and Char. I'll tail you and watch your back."

Coy moved with precision and coordination, each member falling into their designated roles behind him as if they had rehearsed a hundred times before. Their steps were measured and deliberate as they advanced, and he led them towards the barn, the source of the commotion that had caught their attention. Despite their practiced movements, he could feel an undercurrent of tension pulse through the air, a silent reminder of the danger that lurked nearby.

As Coy led the way, his senses were attuned to every sound and movement around them. He kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, his focus unwavering as he guided the group towards their destination. Meanwhile, Diesel took up a protective path between the group and the distant tree line where he'd already alerted to danger, his senses keenly alert to any potential threats lurking in the shadows. His growls and behaviors didn't seem like much more than a distraction to the untrained eye, but Coy read that dog like a book and knew their enemy was all around them.

As they approached the barn, the sense of impending danger seemed to intensify, hanging heavy in the air like a thick fog. Coy could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, a constant reminder of the risks they faced. But he pushed aside his apprehension, his determination to protect his team driving him forward.

With each step, they drew closer to the barn, the urgency of their mission driving them onwards. Coy's mind raced with possibilities, his instincts on high alert as he prepared for whatever dangers lay ahead. He knew that they would need to stay focused and work together if they were to emerge from this situation unscathed.

As they reached the barn's entrance, Coy signaled for the team to halt, his hand held up in a silent gesture. He listened intently, straining to pick up any sounds that might indicate the presence of their adversaries. In the distance, Diesel let out a low growl, his instincts warning him of imminent danger.

Upon Coy's nod, the team geared up to enter the barn, their weapons poised for action. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed, prompting them to seek cover behind a nearby flatbed trailer piled with hay.

"What the hell was that?" Kenzie whispered.

"Not sure, but it came from the barn."

"Why? Why are they here? You think they have Glen with them?" she questioned.

"That's my guess." Coy shared, "If this is about land, they need to make it look like an accident or natural."

"But the kidnapping is on camera." Nash pointed out. "Why fake his death now? It'll be obvious it's a setup."

"Not if we're the only ones who know about that grainy security feed," Coy warned.

"Shit. They think they got away with it. That nobody saw them escape the hospital with Glen." Kenzie realized. "They're going to kill him. They have nothing to lose if they don't know the truth and all this land to gain."

"Not until you're out of the way," Coy added. "Let's not forget that Glen is only half their problem. Stay alert. You're wearing the largest target here, Kenz."

"You remember that guy who showed up at Owen Bridges the night he was broken into?" Nash questioned.

"The guy that showed up with the window?" Coy asked.

"I'm pretty sure that's the guy in the video pushing the wheelchair," Nash confessed. "He seemed familiar, and I couldn't place him."

"So, it just popped in your head… right now?" Coy asked.

"It did. I was in such a hurry to get the information to you. It's just been sitting at the back of my mind, nagging at me… It finally clicked."

"The man with the limp." Charlotte rolled her eyes in frustration, "I hadn't even pieced that together. He's right. I didn't find him familiar; the image was too fuzzy, but I saw the limp, which means…"

"Someone from your father's security detail took my uncle," Kenzie spoke up on her behalf, her voice soft yet firm, devoid of accusation.

Charlotte nodded, "Another piece to the puzzle just fell into place."

"You understand that…"

"I understand the task at hand. Don't worry about me. You can trust me." Charlotte forced a smile.

"You mean that man right there?" Coy said quietly as someone stepped out of the barn, weapon ready, leaving the door ajar, their stance defensive and alert.

"Oh shit. Then, Glen's here?" Kenzie asked.

"My guess is he's in that barn," Nash confirmed. "That's got to be the guy in the video. Same clothes. Same limp."

"Do we go in?" Kenzie asked.

"We don't know what's in there. Walking into the lion's den doesn't always end well." Coy started, "But we wait, we risk loss of life. We're fucked either way."

"Can we draw them out?" Nash asked. "I'm real good at walking into shit I have no business being in. I'll just act lost."

"Except they know who you are." Coy shook his head at Nash's foolish plan.

"All the more reason for me to go. Owen Bridges thinks I'm a screw up who isn't good enough for his daughter. I'll just play the part."

"It's a stupid idea," Coy said. "Stupid and reckless."

"Then what's your plan, big guy?" Nash prodded. "We're sitting ducks no matter how you spin this thing."

Coy looked at Diesel and scratched his head, "You want to work, boy?"

Diesel stood tall, panting, and hyper-focused on Coy when the mention of work was made, a commend he was familiar with and thrived on.

"Oh no," Devyn whispered. "You can't send him in. He'll get hurt."

"Dev, he isn't a pet. He's a highly trained operative. A soldier. This is his job. This isn't a suicide mission. It's tactical, and he's well-trained for it. He knows how to navigate this." Coy scolded, "You act out or cause a scene and distract him, though, and he's going to think you're in trouble and try to protect you. That's what will get him and any one of us killed. You understand?"

Devyn glanced at Diesel and closed her eyes, conceding defeat as she nodded her head. Diesel licked her hand, then sided up to Coy, waiting for his next command.

Gunfire erupted, jolting them all as they scrambled to pinpoint its source amidst the echoing chaos. The man standing guard outside the barn collapsed to the ground, lifeless… a stark confirmation of the danger they were facing.

"What the hell just happened?" Nash quizzed.

"I'd say we just witnessed a murder." Kenzie retorted sarcastically.

Nash looked at her bewildered. "You don't say… what was your first clue?"

"The real question here is who is killing who?" Coy said, "Get ready, it's going down."

The barn door creaked open wider, revealing a hand gripping a gun, trembling with nerves as it emerged slowly and cautiously. What happened next caught them all off guard: Glen himself stepped out from the barn, brandishing the gun in every direction with an anxious air as if feeling disoriented and threatened.

"Uncle Glen," Kenzie muttered under her breath, poised to step out from their barricade and reveal their location.

Coy stopped her. "Not yet, Kenz. Wait. Something isn't right."

"Where are you, sons of bitches?" Glen's voice echoed out in a threatening tone, filled with warning, as he brandished the gun with unsteady hands. His eyes darted around the immediate area and beyond, searching for any sign of danger, his expression a mixture of fear and aggression. "He's dead. I saw to it. Your boss is dead. Now get off my land. You can't have it."

Charlotte gasped, catching Glen's attention. He slowly moved their direction with his gaze fixed on the general area they were bunkered in.

"He killed my father." Charlotte's breaths came quick and laden with anxiety, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession. "That's what he's saying, right?"

"Who's there? Show yourself, you coward." Glen yelled. "I hear you. I know where you are. I'm going to start shooting."

"He knows we're here," Nash said. "Look at how he's holding that gun. I believe him when he says he's going to start shooting."

"He seems disoriented," Kenzie added. "His head is bleeding. He's been hurt."

"My niece is the Sheriff and on her way." Glen hollered. "Either way, you're screwed. Show yourself."

"Coy…" Kenzie pleaded.

Coy nodded, "Let me go first. We go slow."

"He isn't going to hurt us." She said.

"He will if he doesn't recognize us," Coy warned. "You said it yourself. He's hurt."

Coy shouted as he started to reveal himself and step forward. "Glen, it's me… Coy Stone."

"Coy?" Glen mumbled, his jaw trembling with emotion. "Is that really you, son? I-I can't see you."

Coy raised his free hand, weapon at the ready in the other as he stepped into Glen's view, "It's me. I'm not alone."

Kenzie and the rest of the group emerged cautiously after Coy, their movements slow and deliberate to not startle the older man further. They exchanged wary glances, their senses heightened by the tense situation unfolding before them.

"Kenzie? That you, honey?" Glen shielded his eyes and squinted as if the setting sun was too blinding for him to see clearly.

"It's me, Uncle Glen." She moved closer, and the older man's shoulders slumped in relief as he let out a sob. "Oh honey, I thought they got you. He said… He said…"

Kenzie embraced her uncle, relieved to see him safe, albeit injured, and he was clearly just as relieved to see her. "Who, Uncle Glen? Who are you talking about? Who did this to you?"

"He was going to take it all, Kenzie, and I couldn't let him," Glen said. "That bastard was going to take the whole ranch and tried to kill me and said… you were next."

"Who, Glen?" Coy pressed.

A sad look washed over Glen as he looked at Charlotte, "Dear Lord, Charlotte. Sweet Charlotte."

"Mr. Stoddard," Charlotte's voice quaked with emotion. "You yelled out and told the world you killed someone. You announced you'd killed the boss… someone's… boss. Who did you kill, Mr. Stoddard? Who is their boss? That dead man lying over there, the one you killed –– who is his boss?"

"Oh honey," he began to weep.

"Who, Mr. Stoddard?" Charlotte yelled. "Who tried to take your land? Who did you kill?"

Glen sniffled, his voice catching in his throat as he struggled to speak, "Owen Bridges, honey. Your daddy."