A gentle hand nudged the young man’s elbow and he looked up meeting his aunt’s dark gaze. “Drink this,” she smiled, her sculpted almond eyes full of kindness. “Reese sit,” she added pointing to another chair. “You are both exhausted and need food.”
The clatter of dishes and cutlery filled the small kitchen in the stout log cabin for several moments before any one spoke again.
“Now tell us what happened from the beginning,” Mae’s voice was soft but firm and Blake knew better than to leave anything out.
“We were doing a bank job,” Blake began, closing his eyes and shaking his head at the gasp from his aunt and uncle. “I’m undercover,” he started again quickly explaining how he had gotten inside the gang. “Today they were robbing a bank in Casper and then heading to the hideout, the one that no one has been able to find. I knew that if I could be in on this, I’d be able to find out who was really pulling the strings.”
Mae placed a fork in her nephew’s hand, but she didn’t interrupt, waiting patiently as he took a gulp of his coffee.
“Darcy, found out about the bank and got me in with the boss. She took a huge risk just taking me to Casper and now look at this mess.”
Mae looked at her husband nudging his plate to remind him to eat as well. “But what happened?” she asked, gently. “Why aren’t you with them, if that was the goal? How did Darcy get shot? Surely her,” she paused a moment, hesitating over the word. “Her man wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Blake’s voice fell in defeat. “One of the police officers that walked in the door shot Darcy. They shouldn’t have been there. But when I fled the bank both of those men were down, only.” Blake stopped shaking his head as even he couldn’t believe what his own eyes had seen. “One of the gang blasted one officer with a shotgun and another gang member clubbed the second with his gun.”
Blake sat his cup carefully on the table and ran both hands through his hair, leaving them there as he leaned his elbows into the table. “But neither of the police officers were bleeding when we left.”
“I don’t understand.” Mae scowled.
“That’s not possible,” Reese grumbled. “A shotgun blast at close range would make a terrible mess.” Reese rose and walked to the stove to refill his cup.
Blake lifted his head his golden eyes dark with doubt. “I know, that’s what has me so worried. How could a man take a blast from a shotgun and there not be any blood? It isn’t possible. On top of that, the night before the heist I sent a note to the commissioner of Casper.” Blake turned to look at Mae and Reese, his golden gaze full of pain. “I told him what was happening and that if he didn’t interfere and kept the officers away we would have a way of finding out who was really running the gang.”
Reese shot Mae a loaded glance, placing his hand over hers where it rested on his shoulder, but didn’t speak.
“I’ve been over this a thousand times in my head,” Blake continued. “When those two officers rushed into the bank everything went crazy. One policeman shot Darcy, then one of the gang turned his shotgun on the policeman.”
Mae covered her mouth in horror imagining the carnage as her heart stuttered in her breast.
“There-was-no-blood.” Blake’s word dropped like a stone in the silence.
Reese stood walking to his nephew and placing a hand on his shoulder as he escorted him back to the table. “How is that possible?”
“They must have packed the shotgun shells with something else, something soft.” Blake looked up meeting his uncle’s gaze. “It was staged. They were trying to kill Darcy. The whole thing was a set up.”
Mae gasped a bright tear springing to her dark eyes. “But they could have done that at anytime. It doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t, wouldn’t that Pierce have stopped it?”
“For all I know he set it up. Or maybe it was someone else.” Blake moved back to the table taking his seat and staring at his plate.
“But they didn’t go for you?” Reese mused. “You weren’t fired at.”
Blake shook his head.
“Blake, there’s something else you should know.” Mae reached across the table laying her hand on his arm. “Rumor has it that the Casper police commissioner is corrupt.”
Blake huffed, then nodded. “I think I can believe that.”
“You two eat something,” Mae said, standing and walking around the table, her hand trailing over her husband’s broad shoulders as he took his seat once more. “I’ll go check on the patient.”
“I think I understand now. But first tell me did you sign that note?” Reese said softly as he lifted his fork and took a bite of food.
“No, I wrote it as if it came from my superior and gave no names.”
“Eat up, I think you’re going to need your strength to get through this.” Reese spoke again. “You think they suspected Darcy?”
Blake nodded, but he wasn’t sure. Perhaps the whole thing had been a mistake. Maybe Pierce had decided to stop using deadly force, but deep inside he knew that wasn’t true.
He wasn’t sure what his next move should be, but for now, he was home and that had to count for something. He was alive, and Darcy had a fighting chance. With Mae and Reese to care for her he hoped she would live.
God, don’t take her. Not yet. She wanted to help, she wanted to do something to make up for her wasted life. Save her I pray. Save us both.
The heartfelt prayer drifted silently from Blake’s soul as he
