Lover's Bridge Pt. 03

...

"You know he's not going to do a damn thing, don't you, Sheriff?" Ray asked.

"I figured that much," Ryan replied. "We have another problem, by the way. Roland has brought his planner on board."

"I don't understand," Ray said.

"Bill Matthews. That's who was on the Lear jet that arrived today. He and Roland Waters go back years. He's Roland's planner. An expert in operations and surveillance. He's quite good at his job, by the way. The fact that he's here tells me the shit is about to hit the fan. I just don't know where or how."

"You think they're planning something?"

"There's no doubt in my mind about that," Ryan said.

"What do you plan to do?"

"I have a few resources of my own, you know," Ryan replied, grabbing his phone. He found the contact he was looking for and hit dial, then put the phone on speaker. A man answered after the second ring.

"Smith," the man said.

"Darrel Smith, this is Sheriff Ryan Caldwell. You have a couple of minutes?" Ryan asked.

"For you, Sheriff, I always have a free minute or two," Smith said. "What can I do for you today?"

"We have a situation here in Hard Rock, and I could use your assistance," Ryan began. Smith said nothing as Ryan briefed him on the case. When Ryan finished, they all heard Smith exhale sharply. "Smith? You there?" Ryan asked after a few awkward moments of silence.

"Yes, I'm here. Look, I'm not at liberty to discuss this case over this connection, Ryan," Smith said. "There's more to this than you know. I'll be there in the morning and brief you then."

"I look forward to that," Ryan replied with just a trace of sarcasm before ending the call.

"What the hell are we involved with?" Ray asked, amazed.

"I don't know, but if a Deputy Director of the FBI can't discuss it over the phone, then it must be serious," Ryan said absently. "In the meantime, we'll continue to handle this as a murder case. Sanders, I'd like you to follow up with Ron. See if he's found anything new."

"Will do, Sheriff," he said before leaving the office. Ryan turned to Ray.

"What's your impression of Deputy Sanders?"

"He's a good man. Done excellent work on this case. Why?" Ray asked. He was more curious about a former mercenary sheriff who apparently had the FBI deputy director on speed dial, but that would have to wait.

"I've been thinking about expanding your department, Ray," Ryan said. "And I think Deputy Sanders would make a good detective. I've already put him up for a promotion to Sergeant, but he doesn't know that yet. He's already passed the test with flying colors. Think you could take him under your wing? Teach him a few things?"

"I'd be happy to do that, Ryan," Ray said.

"I'm glad to hear that. Of course, this means a promotion for you as well. Technically, you're a Sergeant, but I think you'd make a good Lieutenant. And it only seems fitting to have a lieutenant in charge of that department."

"Thank you, Sheriff," Ray said. "That means a lot to me. I know the wife would appreciate the raise. What about Commissioner Barnes? You know he'll have a cow over this."

"Let me worry about Barnes. He knows what side his bread's buttered on, and he'll be up for re-election soon. After all, it was my endorsement and campaign contribution that got him elected in the first place."

"So there's a politician under that

gruff exterior after all," Ray joked, prompting laughter from Ryan. "So when is this gonna happen?"

"Sanders' promotion is a done deal. It'll be effective November 1. I think that would be a good time to announce your promotion and his designation as a detective," Ryan replied.

"That gives me some time to get things moved around then."

"Good. And keep it under your hat, if you would, please."

"Got it, Sheriff," Ray said. "I'd better get busy then."

...

6:30 pm, September 23, 2022

Ryan was bone-tired when he walked into his house, but the smell of Beverly's lasagna was too enticing to ignore, so he entered the kitchen. Looking at his blonde wife, he was amazed at how she could work all day, tend to her chickens and her egg business, and still have enough strength to cook, clean the house, and be his loving wife.

"You are a sight for sore eyes," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Beverly asked, turning to face her husband.

"Everything you do. Get up before sunrise, make breakfast, tend to your chickens and your egg business, and still have enough in you to do everything you do around here."

"Well, if something is important enough, you just do it. Know what I mean? What brought all this on? Are you feeling guilty about Brenda Morris coming on to you?"

"How did you know about that?" Ryan asked, startled and suddenly feeling guilty.

"Stupid woman was blabbing about it with Edna Jones over in the Piggly Wiggly. I was in the next checkout line. She didn't even see me. She claimed she darn near ripped her panties off before you, but you didn't even blink."

"Come to think of it, she was a bit... forward. But you know I only have eyes for you."

"Good answer, cowboy," Beverly said. "What else happened today?"

"I met with that Dupont widow today, then spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Holder. What a mess."

"Dupont... That's the guy you found out on Lover's Bridge, isn't it?" she asked. "The real messy one," she added, wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah. His widow is... something else."

"Oh? In what way?" Beverly asked as she pulled the lasagna from the oven.

"Let's just say she's... socially awkward," Ryan told her. "She wants to meet you, by the way."

"Why?" Beverly asked.

"Says she wants to meet the woman who was able to exorcise my demons or something to that effect."

"She came on to you, too, didn't she?" Beverly sighed.

"Something like that," Ryan said sheepishly.

"Is this another situation like that Mercedes woman you saved years ago?" Beverly asked with a slight edge to her voice. Ryan knew she was talking about Mercedes Garcia, an Ecuadorian woman his team saved from guerrillas over a decade ago.

She slept with him that night in the South American jungle, and he gave her one of his old Combat Infantryman's Badges, which she still had after all these years. Had it only been a year since she was here in Hard Rock working for a bunch of crazies who had Bertram killed? Time must get scrambled as you get older.

He told Beverly and Ray about that incident. He could only imagine the pain she must be feeling now, thinking there was yet another woman he had saved in his previous life as a soldier for hire - and slept with.

"Yes and no. Yes, my team and I saved her from a brutal warlord, but she was just one passenger in a plane full of people being held captive at the time. And no, I never met her personally before now."

"You never slept with her?" Beverly asked insistently.

"No," Ryan replied. "Never." Then he looked her in the eye and said, almost apologetically, "However, she did offer herself to me."

Beverly flared like a match that had just been struck. "That bitch. I'll scratch her eyes out!"

"No need," Ryan said evenly. "I told her I'm a happily married man. Which I very much am. That's when she said she would like to meet you." Beverly calmed down a little after that, but Ryan could tell she was still upset.

"You promise me you never did anything with her?" she asked warily.

Ryan could feel the hurt that her uncertainty was causing both of them. "Promise. Beverly, you should know by now that I would never do anything to hurt you. And you know how much I hate cheaters," he said, reminding her of the years of torment his cheating first wife had inflicted on him.

"Besides, we're comrades-in-arms," Ryan added, reminding her of the raid on Knight Petroleum's New Mexico compound, which she bravely participated in. "And that counts for an awful lot."

"I know. It's just... scary... to think that so many women would be chasing after you."

"Frankly, it scares me a little, too." He tried for an innocent smile. "It must be the eye patch." At her chuckle, he added, "But you're the only woman who gets my motor running."

"Really?" Beverly asked in that little girl voice that always melted Ryan's heart.

"Really," Ryan told her as he held her close and kissed her sweet face.

"I love you so much, Ryan," she whispered. "It would kill me to lose you."

"I love you more, sweetheart. And you're stuck with me forever," Ryan whispered back. "You think that lasagna will hold for an hour or two?"

She beamed at him and pressed herself close. "Let me turn the oven down so it doesn't burn. Then you can take me upstairs and set me on fire."

"Yes, ma'am," Ryan replied with a smile.

...

10:37 pm, September 23, 2022 - Houston, Texas:

"You got this fast," Jean-Pierre told his colleague after taking the thin file folder.

"That is just the executive summary. The full dossier is on the way," Thierry said as Jean-Pierre opened the file. He first saw a grainy black-and-white photo of a heavily-armed man in a camouflage field uniform and combat gear. The man in the photo was much younger than the scarred, bearded man Jean-Pierre had spoken to earlier. But it was clear they were the same man.

"Merde," Jean-Pierre said, following up with a lengthy string of curses.

"What?" Thierry asked.

"Did you look at this?" Jean-Pierre demanded.

"No, I did not."

"I think we underestimated this Sheriff Caldwell. According to this, he was a highly sought-after mercenary for nine years before taking over as Sheriff in Hard Rock," Jean-Pierre said. "In fact, he is very dangerous and considered persona non grata in France and several other countries."

"Why was this not caught when we did our initial planning?" Thierry exclaimed, matching his boss's anger.

"I do not know," Jean-Pierre replied. "Apparently, corporate planners made assumptions without doing their due diligence." His tone suggested that the corporate planners would regret that laziness intensely soon.

"Perhaps we should back off then. At least temporarily. We can get the woman any time we want."

"No," Jean-Pierre said. "We stick to the basic plan. But we'll need reinforcements. I will take care of that. I will need you to make sure they can enter the United States legally. Can you do that?"

"Of course," Thierry said. "Get me the names and I'll see to it."

...

To be continued...