Page 96 of Hard Knock Hero

He wasn’t going to bleed to death. I’d avoided any vital arteries when I’d stabbed his thigh. But at least I had the satisfaction of knowing he was in a world of hurt at the moment. The man deserved so much worse.

“Have you tried Owen’s number again?” I asked. “Or the main Hartley police lines?”

“Your phone still has no service. It hasn’t had a single bar since the travel stop.” She threw up her hands in frustration. “What the heck is wrong with this thing?”

“My phone sucks. I’m sorry. I’ll switch carriers when I make the move to Hartley official.”

“You’d better,” she grumbled. But it seemed like the mention of my staying in Hartley had soothed Jessi’s anxiety, just a little.

“What about Jeremy’s phone?” I asked. “Or the others?” I’d taken the phones off the two clowns who’d been working for Jeremy, in addition to their guns.

“Good idea. The screens are probably locked, but maybe I can make an emergency call.”

I couldn’t believe what a mess this day had turned into. I’d escaped from jail this morning, narrowly rescued Jessi from Jeremy Rigsby, and now we were trying to save Owen and maybe a lot more people before a bomb blew up Refuge Mountain. Meanwhile, I was supposed to be on my way to Steamboat Springs for that catering gig. I’d have to sort that out later.

Hartley, Colorado was like quicksand. Ever since I’d driven inside its borders, I hadn’t been able to escape. Not really. But the truth was, I didn’t want to. So long as Jessi Novo called Hartley home, then I would give in to the pull.

We would save Hartley. Together. No way in hell would I let Jessi down.

After a few minutes of fiddling with the phones, Jessi shook her head. “Nothing’s going through, but I’ll keep trying. We’re in the canyon now. Even my phone, if Jeremy hadn’t stomped on it, wouldn’t have service here.”

I was pushing the engine as fast as I could go without risking an accident, but it still felt like we were crawling.

Jessi kept trying. Finally, when we were nearing Hartley, she cried, “It’s working!” She had it on speaker, so I heard it ringing.

A voice answered, “Hartley Sheriff’s Department.”

“Scarlett?” Jessi asked.

“Jessi? Is that you?”

“Why are you answering the sheriff’s department line? Never mind.” Jessi shook her head. “Explain that later. Scar, we ran into Jeremy Rigsby. Long story, but he admitted there’s a bomb hidden somewhere in Hartley. Probably Refuge Mountain.”

“What?” Scarlett screeched. “But—Chester said he wanted to cooperate in exchange for immunity. He said there’s evidence on Refuge Mountain, and that’s where Owen is going right now, along with his deputies and the state investigators who just arrived. They left fifteen, maybe twenty minutes ago.”

“Chester set a trap.” I pressed the gas hard, and my truck lurched forward even faster. “This was their contingency plan.” And with Chester in jail after trying to kill me, it was all the more believable that he’d offer up info in exchange for a deal.

“Oh no, Jessi, Trace is with them, too! Owen deputized him. That’s why I’m here at the station working the phones. Everything’s a mess around here, and—”

“Listen,” Jessi said. “You have to get Owen on the radio. Warn him.”

“Okay. I’m working on it.” There was a pause, followed by murmurs as Scarlett spoke, trying to get Owen to come in. We heard her gasp. “The radio’s not connecting. But it should be. It’s like it’s broken.”

“Shit,” I muttered. “Scarlett, get out of there.”

There was rustling. Other voices. The sound of Scarlett’s heavy breathing.

Jessi glanced over at me, fear making her eyes shine. “Scar?” she asked quietly into the phone. “What’s happening?”

In the windows, the canyon walls flew past. Another mile closer to Hartley.

“I just saw Dale Rigsby,” Scarlett whispered. “He’s here at the sheriff’s department. I’m hiding in Owen’s office. Dale must have gotten help from one of Owen’s officers. They’re looking around. I think they’re looking forme.”

So Sheriff Douglas had more traitors in his department than he’d even realized.

“They might be taking over the sheriff’s office,” I said. “Getting Chester out of jail and who knows what else. Get out of there, Scarlett.”

“Okay. I—I can climb out of Owen’s window.”

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