Chapter 3

Ace

I grabbed a breakfast sandwich and two black coffees. Then I saw the poster saying that the coffee shop was now serving pumpkin spice lattes. All three of my sisters loved that froufrou crap, so grabbed one of those too. I figured it was a woman thing and Jaelyn might enjoy one too.

On my way back upstairs, my phone rang. It was Sheriff Colton. “Sheriff, good morning. What can I do for you?”

“You got problems Ace. That girl you found on your property. Seems that her boyfriend reported her missing. Just got the wire about it from the sheriff over by Missoula. Her boyfriend is the son of Congressman Paul Robinson.

“He said that he found some online conversations between you and the girl. Whom he’s claiming is under psychiatric care and off her medicines.

“The sheriff went so far as to accuse you of possibly taking the girl against her will or at least taking advantage of her being off her medicine.”

I cursed under my breath. “So what do we do about all this, Frank?”

“Well, when your friend comes out of the coma she’s going to have to talk to me. Answer the missing person’s report. She will probably need to file her own complaint about who beat her almost to death officially. But Ace, if the Congressman gets involved, this could be a real mess.”

Ace could feel the stress of the situation and hear it in Sheriff Colton’s voice. The older man was trying to not say what they both knew was true. The Congressman would use his political power and influence to ensure a favorable outcome for his only child.

“Well, Jaelyn is awake, and she’s told me part of her story. Maybe you should come and talk to her yourself. Maybe even ask Linda to have a shrink come and examine her to help combat the psychological issues rumor.”

Colton sighed. “Are you sure it’s a rumor?”

I could feel my anger growing. This was exactly what Jaelyn had just told me about. I’d never thought people in my town would buy into this crap.

I took several slow, deep breaths, trying not to let my growing frustration get away from me.

“Frank, you and Deputy Mathews saw her in the E.R. Did any of that look like she could have done it to herself? You also heard what Linda said. There was evidence of old broken bones that never were treated. Some of those bruises were already a few days old when she got here, and some were newer.

“None of them happened on my ranch and if they followed proper police procedures back in Skyview, there will be a report about her trying to press charges on the Robinson son from before she ran. The deputies turned her back over to her abuser who ... You know what, come talk to her and get this story from her.”

“Well, since she’s awake and aware, I’ll come and bring Deputy Mathews with me. She might be more inclined to talk to a female deputy if she’s had bad dealings with the deputies over in her hometown.

“Plus, we both know part of what they need to talk about ain’t something she’s going to want to talk to an old cowboy sheriff about.

“I’ll also get with Linda and see if she can get me a medical history and the name of any psychologist she might have seen, and I’ll ask for a consult here as well. Should have my ducks in a row. ‘Cause sure as shootin’, you know this won’t be a simple case. If warranted, I’ll go ask Judge Marshall for a restraining order, too.

“But Ace, get ready. I have a feeling in my gut that hard times are ahead for your family and that little girl you found.”

I sighed and could feel the anxiety rising in me. “Yeah, I feel it too. I might have to call in some specialists, Sheriff. If so, I need to know that we won’t be in trouble for protecting our family and property.”

The older man sighed. “I always knew eventually you were gonna bring a heap of trouble to my county, Ace. No offense, but someone who did what you did for all those years comes with baggage.

“You know the law. Make sure your land is posted with ‘trespassers will be shot’ signs on the external fences and that you are within the letter of the law, and I mean the letter, not the spirit.

“There will have to be evidence of a clear and present danger if you kill someone. Are we clear here?”

“As mom’s picture window after cleaning.”

“How much help you bringing?”

“Gonna make a couple calls to some people who owe me some favors. One of which owns a security company. I’ll bring everyone by and introduce them when they get here.”

“Sounds good. Expect to see me and Deputy Mathews in the next hour. Oh, and Ace, let us tell the woman ourselves. I’ll need to see her honest reaction to my news.”

“Can do Frank. But I’ll be in the room with her.”

“Not this time, Ace. With the sheriff there insinuating you might have kidnapped her, I’m going to need to video her interview and you can’t be seen to influence her.”

I felt the knot of anxiety growing. I knew it was irrational but letting Jaelyn face the sheriff and deputy alone didn’t sit right with me. Especially after what the ones in her own hometown had done to her.

“Damn it, Frank, she will not trust you or Debra Mathews. You should hear her story. The deputies in her area didn’t believe her and called her abuser and turned her over to him, repeatedly. That’s what caused her to show up in the condition she did. After she reported him this last time, he beat her almost to death and threatened to kill her if she talked to the authorities again.”

“We have to follow the letter of the law here, Ace. Congressman Robinson has more than enough pull both here and in DC to make this a real disaster.”

“Yeah? Well, lucky for me, someone trained me how to deal with disasters and once my team gets here, we’ll fix the problem once and for all.”

“Son, these people are the government, not terrorists. You can’t fix the problem with your training.”

“We were Delta Force Alpha, Frank. Dealing with terrorists was part of our mandate. Ending governmental problems was a larger part of what they paid us to do.”

“You can’t say things like that to me, Ace Wilder! I’m the law around here.”

I chuckled. “Frank, if we have to break the law, no one could ever find proof of it.”

“Stop talking!”

I just laughed harder. “Gotta go. People to call and I see mom is gossiping with my girl.”

“Your girl?”

“She showed up on my ranch begging and screaming for me to ‘cowboy up’, Sheriff. Until she’s safe, she’s my girl.”

The old man just grunted. Then with a last ‘see you in a few,’ the two of us hung up and I called the first of three numbers I had stored in my phone but had hoped to never need to use.

On the third ring, a cheerful female voice answered. “Blackguard Security. How may I direct your call?”

“I need to speak to Liam McMillian.”

“Yes sir, who should I say is calling?”

“Tell him it’s Ace Wilder and I’m calling in that favor he owes me.”

“One minute Mister Wilder while I transfer you.”

There was a series of clicks and then the deep voice of the man whose life I saved when I escaped captivity came on the line.

“Ace Wilder, I believe when I gave you that black card you told me it would be a cold day in hell before you called in that favor.”

“Sorry, Mac, but I believe the devil just bought long johns and a parka to wear on my ranch.”

“Sounds like a serious problem. Tell me what you need.”

I went into the story and explained to the owner of Blackguard Security and former Navy Seal who had been held prisoner with me all about the problem, starting with Jaelyn showing up on my ranch. I ended with what Sheriff Colton had just told me.

“Yep, you got the whirlwind headed your direction, Ace. Word in DC is Congressman Paul Robinson is looking to make a run at the Presidency in four years. He’s not gonna let his son’s indiscretions come to light and ruin his chances.”

“Well, I can’t let Boomer’s kid sister get killed, so I need you and Thorn. I’m calling in a couple of other operators as well. I need people I can trust to have my back. I would consider our debt paid if you can help.”

“I’ll make some arrangements but probably not Thorn. He retired and got married last year and his wife just had a baby. I doubt he’ll leave them to come play in the game again.”

“Well now, that’s a surprise. I thought he said that he’d never marry.”

“Yeah, well, she was his neighbor and a client before she was his wife. I’ll tell you about it when I see ya. Oh, gonna have to bring my boys with me. Their mother is MIA again. I got full custody now.”

Ace sighed. “You got an operator or two you trust? Send them. I can’t ask you to risk it with your boys in your care.”

“I’ll send you Thorns replacement. He goes by the call sign of Eagle and was a Marine sniper before he came to work for me. Second best sniper I’ve ever met.”

I laughed. “You Blackguard boys and your call signs.”

“You’re one to talk, Ace Wilder.”

“I’ve been Ace since my sister was born. Skylar went by Deuce until she grew up, and Vince by Trey. It was Dad’s little joke.

“Then along came Violet and mom put a stop to him calling us all numbers but the Ace stuck since I was in school by then.”

“I hear ya. Okay, I’ll get Eagle out to you on the next flight. His real name is Jackson Pruitt, but I doubt he’ll answer to it.”

Again, I just laughed. “Bet he’ll answer when mom calls him by it.”

“Yeah, well, your mom is a fierce western cowgirl. I’d answer her no matter what she called me. Especially if she’s calling me to eat.”

“Now I just have to call in a couple more operators.”

“Don’t tell me you’re calling that guy out in California.”

“You know it! You yourself said Eagle was the second-best sniper you ever met. We both know who the best is. I’m calling him. Unless he does that woo hoo thing and calls me first.”

Mac sighed. “I just hate that you are calling my competition. I mean, I get it. You need all the help you can get. I also know that Sam Ryder was part of your team for a while. So I’m kinda surprised he wasn’t your first call.”

“Well, I know what Sam can bring to the shit storm headed my way. I also know he’ll be here no matter what because it’s a brotherhood thing, being the girl is Boomer’s little sister.”

“True, we all take care of our families. To that end, I’m going to send another guy with Jackson. Just don’t put a gun in his hand. He would probably shoot himself in the foot.”

“Then why send him?”

“Because he’s the best gray hat hacker I know. Plus, he has invented some stuff you’ll want. We call him Spidey.”

“Let me guess, because he spends all his time on the World Wide Web.”

“Nope, it’s because his parents named him Peter Parker. Just hope he doesn’t bring his Spiderman costume. He’s into that convention dressing up stuff.

“I’ll have them stop in Chicago and pick up some tech gear for you. Internet cameras and such from Jake McIntyre at McIntyre Security. They have the best electronic monitoring system money can buy.

“Shane McIntyre is a former Marine, Jake’s his brother, and he’s Army like you and they’re the best security company in Chicago, maybe even the Midwest.”

“I hadn’t thought of Shane. I met him when I went to see his brother Jamie at Bethesda.”

There was a beep on my phone of an incoming call and when I looked, I saw it was Sam Ryder calling me. The man’s strange sense of when he was needed was still working. “Thanks Liam. I got to go. The spookiest guy we know is calling me now.”

“Yeah, well, those Ryders are all spooky, if you ask me. Who else besides Sam Ryder you gonna contact?”

“Wildcat left right after I did. Last I heard he was building custom motorcycles. Figure by now he might be looking for some action.”

“Are you seriously going to bring that crazy bike riding horn dog around your little sisters?”

“Yeah, he knows not to mess with my family.”

“Alright then, expect my guys tomorrow.”

“Thanks Mac, I appreciate it.”

“You sure you don’t want me to come myself? I can get Thorn and his wife to watch the boys a few days.”

“Not sure how long this is gonna take. Better not chance it going longer than you’d want to be gone.”

“Roger that. If you end up needing more help, just let me know.”

“I’ll do it, but I think we’ll have it covered. My brothers and ranch hands will help.”

I disconnected and answered my waiting call. “Ace, tell me why my family and I are loading a helo to head your way?”

After filling the current head of Ryder Security Contractors in on what I knew about Jaelyn’s ex and my current concerns, I placed the last call I needed to make and invited the last surviving member of my old Delta Force Alpha team to the party. “I’m on a break from filming so I’ll head your way” was the answer I got from Devlin Jefferson or “Wildcat” to our brothers in arms and reality TV viewers. With that, I hung up just as mom was leaving. “She’s asleep again.”

I nodded and went to stand watch over her like I’d been doing for the past seven days.

*****

Jaelyn

I slept, but not for long. A loud rap on the frame of my doorway woke me.

I sat up in the bed as an older man in a sheriff’s uniform with a white cowboy hat in his hands entered the room, followed by a smaller female in the same uniform with no kind of hat.

My heart started racing. Both of them had the look of being here to see me on official business. The video camera on a tripod in the man’s hand making it obvious.

His eyes sparkled with kindness and the lines on his sun and wind kissed face made him look like a cowboy more than a member of modern law enforcement. The badge on his chest was metal and said sheriff, where the girl with him had a cloth badge sewn onto her uniform shirt that said deputy.

The older guy looked like he was due a haircut, but the most eye-catching thing about his gray hair and kind face was the perfectly waxed and curled handlebar mustache.

The rest of his face was clean shaven, no beard to go with the mustache, yet that bit of hair above his lip was obviously well cared for. Neatly trimmed ends, waxed and curled up slightly, looking like it was his pride and joy.

“Good afternoon Miss Bench. I hate to disturb you while you’re healing, but we need to have a chat if you don’t mind.”

I couldn’t stop the shaking that came over me and the anxiety that those words brought to me. “Please don’t send me back to him. Please!” I was wailing and sobbing. The sound of boots on the floor caused me to look up and see Ace come running into the room. “I tried to tell ya, Colton. You need to step back and let me deal with this.”

The sheriff sighed. “Ace, this is gonna just make things harder.”

My cowboy stepped right up into the older man’s face.

“I can deal with harder and if you had let me tell her you and Debra were on your way, we could have avoided all this. But no! You had to deal with this the ‘official way.’ Now let me help, damn it!”

The sheriff sighed again and finally nodded once. “You’re right Ace, I should have let you introduce us. But I needed to see her response for myself.”

Ace’s hands clinched and I watched as he turned his cold hard stare on the sheriff. “Well, you’ve seen it and the only reason I ain’t knocking you on your arrogant old ass is because of your friendship with my dad, Frank Colton.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned from the officials and focused on me. I saw as his cold and steely look turned soft and kind as he walked closer to me. He took me into his arms, and I clung to him. “Don’t leave me to them, Ace! Don’t let them send me back to Edward.”

Ace looked me in the eye. “What did I tell you earlier, Jaelyn, sweetheart? I promised you that no one would hurt you again and I always keep my word.”