Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“You have no idea what hell is,” Luke says. “You think Greg Wallace has connections in prison? You don’t even want to know what my connections are. You’ll wish you were dead.”
“Maybe I’ll just take my own life.”
“They don’t let you do that in prison, Pollack,” Luke says. “They’ll put you on suicide watch.”
“That means I’ll be well guarded, and in solitary.”
“You’d think, wouldn’t you?” Luke shakes his head, his blue eyes filled with smoke. “Lots of things can happen to a man in solitary. Especially if I happen to know the officers guarding you.”
“You’re going to go down with me. All three of you. False imprisonment is a crime as well.”
“I don’t think so,” Darnell says. “Two former Navy SEALs, the father and the boyfriend of a woman who was tormented on that island? And a man with immunity? Who happens to be the fiancée of a woman from that island? Nobody will buy it.”
“But it’s the truth!” Pollack squawks.
“The truth is overrated,” Luke says. “Believe me.”
A few hours later, Chris Pollack is in custody, and Darnell, Luke, and I are free to go. Just like the old man predicted.
Also in custody is Nancy Mosely.
She tried like hell to squawk on Aspen, tried to get her on assault with a deadly weapon, but Aspen remained calm. Said she only did what she had to do to protect herself.
The intake officer was gutted by the story of her ordeal on the island, and that was all it took.
Aspen was also free.
Chris Pollack’s arraignment is tomorrow, and we all have to be present. We won’t have to testify at an arraignment, but the officers have requested that we be there.
Right now, though?
We can go.
I’m exhausted. I’m still recovering from my injuries, and today took a lot out of me.
I don’t really want to stay at Luke’s place, but his security is top-notch, and I want Aspen under constant guard, especially if she’s a potential witness.
Pollack is now in custody, and Greg Wallace is in prison. Nancy is in custody and Taylor’s dead.
Still… I won’t take any chances with Aspen’s life.
Darnell joins us at the beach house as well.
“I need to call Lisa,” he says.
“I want to talk to Mom,” Aspen says.
“All right, little tree. Come with me. Let’s go outside and give her a call.”
That leaves me with Luke and Katelyn.
I turn to Katelyn. “Hey, I’m sorry you had to talk to Ice Man, but thank you.”
“It made my skin crawl,” she admits, “but Aspen’s life was in danger. And I know how much finding the truth means to her. And now… I hope she’ll calm down. Try to truly heal.”
“I hope so too,” I say.
“And you don’t have to worry about Ice Man ever again,” Luke says. “He’s going away for a long, long time. And believe me. Prison will be hell for him.”
I almost expect Katelyn to tell Luke to go easy on him, but she doesn’t.
Apparently she doesn’t care if Pollack gets abused in prison. Why should she? He abused others. An eye for an eye and all.
Everything has turned out fine.
Except…
Something tingles at the back of my neck.
I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet. I can’t say why, but it’s just a hunch.
And one thing I learned in Afghanistan?
Never ignore a fucking hunch.
28
ASPEN
“I’m fine, Mom,” I say into the phone.
Dad has the phone on speaker and we’re talking to my mother.
Her voice is distraught, and she’s been crying.
“Thank God you’re both all right. Darnell, you get your ass home.”
“I can’t, honey. Not yet. I need to be at the arraignment tomorrow.”
“Can’t they do that without you?”
“No. I’m a material witness. This is a man who killed two people,” Darnell says. “And also a man who violated Aspen’s friend and countless others. He got off with immunity for turning on his friends. Not that I care about any of them, but this is not a good man, Lisa. I need to be here to see this through.”
“Then I’m getting on a flight to LA,” my mother says.
“No, Mom.” I intervene this time. “I don’t want you here. I didn’t even want Dad here. You need to stay safe where you are. These people… They have connections. Big connections that we can’t protect you from.”
Mom gulps. I hear it through the phone.
“Lisa, precious,” Dad says, “I will be home. As soon as this guy is arraigned and safely behind bars and the local PD has no more use for me.”
“Is his immunity federal?” my mom asks.
“Most likely,” Dad says. “I don’t know all of the details. But he confessed to murdering two people in cold blood. Little tree and I and two others are witnesses. We have to be there.”
She sighs. “All right. I understand. But I want you to get your butt back home as soon as you can.”