“Screw you,” Dranko muttered, gravel in his voice.
Cooper looked back at the two men in the backseat, as if to say, “See?” Both men chuckled. Dranko made a production out of turning the walkie talkie to the agreed upon channel, as he pulled the Jeep up next to a curb about two hundred yards from the parking lot, but where they could see it. This brought silence to the group.
“This is Red One. Do you read? Ten Four,” Miles voice crackled over the speaker.
Dranko fingered the mic, “This is Blue One. Copy. Ten Four.”
Then, the man leading the group of men in the van, “This is Blue Two. Copy. Ten Four.”
They watched Miles’ pickup truck lurch into the parking lot. A black Cadillac Escalade crouched in the middle of the lot. Cooper used binoculars to scan the rooftops surrounding the parking lot. He exhaled when he saw nothing. In fact, he didn’t see another vehicle in sight. Hodges must have cleared them out.
“He’s probably got his men inside the store,” Cooper observed for the group.
Miles’ pickup came to a stop about ten yards away from the Cadillac. Over the walkie talkie, they heard the rustling as he opened his door and got out. The men in the Cadillac imitated them and soon the two trios faced one another. Hodges was resplendent in a freshly pressed Sheriff’s uniform. The normally dull green uniform was almost shining. He was even wearing the full tassel on his Cavalry-style Sheriff’s hat. I guess he’s going for every ounce of authority to bolster his leverage.
“Howdy Sheriff,” Miles began.
“Afternoon, Mr. Stott,” Hodges responded.
“I’ve got this walkie talkie on. My men are listening in. If anything goes wrong, they will be here in seconds,” Miles informed him.
Hodges chuckled, “Wise security. Yes, I see their vehicles over there.” He pointed in their direction. “My men are inside and will be out here faster than yours.”
Miles grunted, “So, let’s make sure nothing goes wrong then?” Cooper smiled on the inside at how Miles adeptly handled that one.
“Indeed. I believe we are here to negotiate an end to the hostilities.”
“We think of it as a justified rebellion.”
Hodges guffawed and then his voice turned deadly serious, “Let’s not get into a rhetorical bullshit fest.”
Miles voice faltered, “Sure. Our demands have changed.” Cooper cringed and looked at Dranko. He shrugged, indicating he was as surprised. “Junior fired first, killing Keith. Valerie must have more compensation, as do the other men who were killed in the shootout.”
“Valerie is dead,” Hodges’ voice was flat.
“What?” Miles’ shocked voice rang out over the tiny speaker.
“She’s dead. She attacked Junior this morning and died in the scuffle.”
Cooper saw Miles pace around in a tight circle and then come face to face with Hodges, “Your boy is a load of trouble!”
“And, I’ll deal with that.”
“You aren’t doing a very good job lately!”
“Watch it, Miles.”
They could hear a loud and long exhale as Miles gathered himself. “Alright, here’s the deal. For the next six months, one-third of the levy is distributed to the men’s families who were killed today, on our side. After that, the levy is reduced by ten percent permanently. And, we need a civilian oversight board so excess use of authority can be addressed. Finally, Junior is to be stripped of all authority.”
“Done,” Hodges answered without a pause.
“Really?” Miles’ shocked answer made Cooper shudder. Rookie negotiator.
“I just have one condition.”
“What’s that?”
Despite the static on the hand held radio, Hodges words came through as clear as a lightning bolt on a sunny day, “I want Cooper Adams.”
Cooper’s eyes shot to Miles. Over the walkie talkie, his voice came through firm and steady, “I want him, too. That bastard screwed the pooch for all of America.”
There was a long pause. Cooper watched as Hodges first sneered and then took a step closer to Miles and leaned in. He whispered something in Miles’ ear, which they couldn’t hear. Miles’ face remained flat, controlled. Cooper’s stomach tightened. He looked down and saw that his knuckles were white around the pistol grip of the FAL. He deliberately relaxed them.
He watched as the two parties separated, got back into their vehicles, and drove away. Cooper shot Dranko an apprehensive look as they fell in line behind Miles’ pickup. He responded with a sympathetic look. Cooper cursed the men in the backseat for preventing him and Dranko from talking freely about what had just happened.
The drive back was interminable for Cooper. He knew his fate was in another man’s hands and he hated every second of it. Anger flushed his cheeks and his heart was racing. He was much more comfortable when he was able to take action. The enforced idleness and the unknown was killing him. He reflexively balled his fits and uncurled them repeatedly.
His mind burned. What had Hodges said to him privately? Would Miles sell me out to save his own family? Had Hodges made such an offer? If so, what the hell was Miles thinking about it? Miles hardly knows me. He may not even believe that what I’ve said about the Brushfire Plague is true! Had Hodges figured out from Miles’ body language or facial expression that Cooper was in town? Or, had Miles’ thrown him off with his lie? If he hadn’t, how soon would Hodges come for me? These thoughts tormented him as they drove.
He breathed a sigh of relief when the tires crunched gravel and they were churning up the driveway toward Miles’ house.
He was at Miles’ side as soon as he clambered out of the pickup. Miles held up one finger, signaling him to wait. Cooper grinded his teeth, but turned away to give him space.
“Frank and Michael, round everyone up. I’ll tell everyone what happened in five minutes.” The men ambled off in opposite directions to spread the word.
Miles grabbed Cooper by the arm and led him around the side of the house. Dranko fell in line behind them. When they stopped, they realized that Jake had appeared, as well.
“What’d he say?”
Miles’ eyes were full of concern, “He said he knew who you were and that you were with us.”
Cooper spat, “How the hell does he know?”
“Who knows? But, he sounded pretty confident.”
“Bethany?” Cooper asked, no longer concerned with Miles’ feelings about his wife and their delicate situation.
His face flushed, “Maybe. We could find out.”
“Does it really matter,” Dranko asked. “He knows. The rest are just details aren’t they?”
Cooper nodded, “You’re right. The only question now is what are you going to do?”
Miles rubbed his temples, “Well, he gave me forty-eight hours. We meet again at the same time, same place, day after tomorrow.”
“That’s not an answer,” Cooper said, squaring his eyes with Miles’.
He looked helpless, “I don’t know, Cooper. I owe you. For what you did for my mom and what you did for us, here. But, it’s that obligation versus risking an all-out war.”
“He could be bluffing,” Dranko added.
Miles shook his head. “I don’t think so. There’s more. Jake, can you give us a minute?” Cooper waved Jake off with his hand. Jake stomped off, shooting them the sharp dagger looks that only an eleven-year-old can master.
“What is it,” Cooper asked, as soon as Jake was out of earshot.