UNKNOWN ALLIANCE Read online

“Sure. Same time as before?”

  “That works.”

  Little Jillian ran up to Mac smiling from ear to ear. As she often did, she grabbed his leg and hugged him and then ran off to her waiting mother waving to Mac.

  Anna Beth walked toward him. He felt like scolding her about the masquerade-themed party but thought it better to keep his criticism to himself. His mother’s words came to mind. “Don’t judge other people’s actions unless you’re willing to volunteer to do their job better.” He sure as hell wasn’t going to volunteer to help plan the next dance.

  When Teddy and Savannah strolled out the door, Anna Beth waved and hollered, “Hurry, we have to be at the dentist in five minutes.”

  He’d only had about one hour to review security videos, he hadn’t given up on his quest to identify the unknown alliance feeding him information about Kevin.

  As Mac locked his office door, he turned to head downtown. He saw Hank pushing a dust mop along the floor. His glance was met with an angry stare.

  Hank nodded tightly. “What?”

  “Nothing,” Mac replied before turning to walk away. That dude’s a loose cannon.

  Mac texted Maggie from his idling truck.

  Mac: Let’s go out for pizza tonight.

  Maggie: Okay. What’s the occasion?

  Mac: Just missing my girls.

  Maggie: Sweet.

  Mac: Pick you up at six.

  Maggie: Okay.

  Before exiting the staff parking lot, he glanced at the school entrance and noticed Hank standing at the glass door staring. Mac shook his head and turned in the direction of downtown.

  Arriving at the Brookfield Police Department ten minutes early, he parked near Monica’s jeep.

  She stood at the front counter laughing with the male officer on duty. When the duty officer looked to see who entered the building, Monica’s eye’s followed. Her expression radiated joy when she saw Mac. However, she maintained her cool.

  The duty officer buzzed the door open, allowing them into the back area. Monica led Mac to the same meeting room he’d been in before. They sat on the far side of the large table where two glasses of cold water had been placed. Two more glasses sat across from them and one at the end.

  “Are you working tonight?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Would you like to meet my sister?”

  Before Monica was able to respond, Jason, Chief Contee, and Michael Stromberg entered the room. Jason had a file about an inch thick.

  “Hi, guys.” Jason plopped into a chair. “So, I can’t share everything. And remember this is confidential.” He guzzled a long drink of water.

  Mac said, “You know I’ll keep it to myself.”

  Monica crossed her heart with her fingers.

  Jason leaned back in his chair. “Man, this guy...” He shook his head. “He’s something. Apparently, all he could think about was Brandi. He was obsessed with her.” He flipped open the file folder and looked at some paperwork. “Let’s start with Brandi’s sexual assault at the Collins’s party. Crosby paid Kevin to drop a Roofie into Brandi’s soda pop.”

  “Did Kevin confess?”

  “No. He wouldn’t answer questions. Fred Collins, his attorney, answered a few.”

  “Of course,” Mac said.

  “When Brandi didn’t feel well at the party and went to her friend’s car, Crosby assaulted her.”

  Mac said, “No.”

  Jason replied, “Yes.”

  Monica curled her lip. “Slimeball.”

  Jason continued, “It gets worse. He recorded the assault.”

  Monica said, “Oh, my God.”

  “Yup. And he freely handed out Roofies to the boys in his so-called ‘Speaker Club.’” He used his fingers to make air quote marks.

  “That’s interesting. I received a tip one of the boys offered an illegal drug to a girl,” Mac said. “The K-9’s scheduled for next week.”

  “I’d liked to have known more about the Welch girl’s situation.” Michael looked at Mac.

  Mac didn’t respond.

  Jason added. “Certain boys in the club were drugging girls, having sex, secretly video recording the acts and then turning the videos into Crosby who paid them fifty bucks per video.”

  “Are you shitting me?” Mac pounded the table.

  Jason took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “This guy’s a predator.”

  Mac looked at Monica and jabbed his thumb at her. “We saw him give money to a student on the security feed. When I asked him, he said the kid asked to borrow fifty bucks.”

  “We’re going to want that recording.”

  Mac wrote himself a note.

  “We found disgusting videos on his laptop. The boys’ faces aren’t on them. The focus was on the girls.” Jason drank more water. “Sickening.”

  “Another girl’s mother came forward after seeing the news about Nash’s arrest.”

  Mac said, “His wife just had a baby, not even two weeks ago.”

  Monica listened without interrupting the flow between Mac and Jason.

  Jason looked at his list.

  “Oh yes, the Winter Ball. Stu Collins, had his butt kicked, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Nash was behind that too. Insanely jealous of Stu because he was Brandi’s date for the dance, he arranged for some guys to show up and kick his ass.”

  “How’d they get into the—?” Mac stopped as he recalled. “Crosby helped me check IDs at the door.”

  “Bingo.”

  “So, how’d his wife take it?”

  “She left him last Thursday before this went down. That must have been what pushed him out from behind his cloak, so-to-speak, and he recklessly agreed to meet Brandi at her house on Friday.”

  The room took on an eerie quiet.

  Jason added, “That’s all I can share at this time.”

  “Mac, please keep me in the loop when something happens at the school,” Michael said.

  “Brandi’s father asked me in confidence to help him find Brandi’s assailant. I wasn’t sure what information I had until it all fell together on Friday,” Mac said. “I did call you about the dance.”

  “I appreciate and respect you’re a man of your word, but next time you’re working a side-hustle that involves students or staff keep me in the loop.” Michael stood.

  Everyone stood and shook hands. Michael and the chief left the room together. Jason hung back.

  “You were instrumental in getting this sexual predator off the street and out of the school, Mac.”

  “Thanks. I wish I’d known about his extracurricular activities sooner,” Mac said.

  “You win some, you learn some.” Jason said as he scooped up his files and turned to leave the room, and then he did an about-face, “Let’s get together for dinner soon.”

  “So, about tonight, would you like to meet my sister and her daughters?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Chapter 58

  Seated at the counter in Handley’s Coffee Shop, Mac heard the little bell above the door jingle. He turned to see Nico walk through the door.

  Mac grabbed his coffee and nodded. “Let’s go sit in that corner table.”

  Nico followed.

  Before they settled into the chairs, Sam, the owner’s daughter arrived with a mug in one hand and a coffee pot in the other. “Coffee?” She smiled with her familiar toothy grin.

  “Yes, please—black,” Nico said

  Sam poured the coffee, batted her eyelashes and the left.

  “Watch out. She usually works in the back. Mom or Dad Handley must have told her to serve the new guy. She’s single.” Mac winked.

  Nico twisted slyly to look. He turned back to face Mac. “She’s pretty. What do you recommend for breakfast?”

  “Depends on how hungry you are. The cinnamon rolls are the best I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve tried them all over the world. If you want more, everything’s good, packed with calories and will stick to your ribs until dinne
r.”

  Nico nodded. “Cinnamon roll it is.”

  “That’s Sam’s department. She’ll be quite pleased.”

  Nico shook his head, smiled, and sipped his coffee.

  “Do you always come here before work?”

  “Nah, just when I’m meeting a friend or picking up treats for my nieces.”

  The two men gave their order to Sam’s mother. Mac wasn’t surprised when Sam personally brought out the two cinnamon rolls, warm and glistening with sweet glaze.

  “The media circus camped at the school last week was a nightmare,” Nico said.

  “Tell me about it. We had a similar scene last semester. The academy big wigs are working overtime on damage control. With the drugs last semester and now Crosby. The school’s not looking to good.”

  “Will Brandi stay on home-school?” Nico asked.

  “Scott hasn’t said. They’re not pushing her.”

  “Rae misses her.”

  For the next several minutes, Mac quietly told Nico an abbreviated version of the facts he’d learned from the sting without sharing the information he’d heard yesterday from Jason.

  After that, Mac went on to tell Nico about the missing boy and the tip he’d received about Kevin and Stu talking about the boy in past tense.

  “Do you miss being a field agent?” Mac asked.

  “Sometimes. It’s a grind though. Hard to have a steady relationship, buy a house, settle in anywhere.”

  “I have to admit, I liked the excitement of setting the stage to trap Brandi’s assailant.”

  “The adrenaline rush plays havoc on your health. Some agents are obsessed about fitness to counterbalance, others turn to booze.”

  Mac knew Nico was talking about himself.

  “The only thing I haven’t figured out yet is who fed me the tips about Kevin.”

  “I take it you don’t recognize the handwriting?”

  “Nope.” Mac sipped his coffee.

  “Do you have a sample? I can give you some pointers to look for similarities. The way a person loops the Y is unique. Or if someone’s signature is tall and long, it can indicate a loud personality. And the opposite can be true, super small writing can mean the person is an introvert or methodical.”

  “Hmmm. That’s interesting. Take a look.” Mac handed Nico his cell phone with the photo he’d taken of the one clue he’d shown to Jason.

  “Hang on.” Nico got up and walked out of the coffee shop, returning with a paper in hand. He passed it to Mac. “Rae made me a birthday card.”

  Mac looked at the handmade birthday card and saw the unique squarish penmanship of his unknown alliance.

  He looked at Nico. “Rae’s my unknown alliance.”

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  Continue reading for a special sneak peek of

  UNKNOWN THREAT - Book 1 in the School Marshal Series

  Continue reading for a special sneak peek of

  Unknown Threat

  Book 1 in the School Marshal Series

  Meet Mac MacKenna, ex-air force special operations.

  Mac’s retired life was pretty boring after 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, mostly in special operations. He’s intrigued by the police chief’s undercover proposal and accepts the mission. His assignment... root out the criminal activity at the high school before children die.

  Soon enough, his former life of loaded weapons and death defying rescues has been replaced by arrogant parents, self-serving politicians, and questionable employees.

  Unfortunately for Mac, meddling with the rich can have deadly consequences.

  Available now at Amazon

  Unknown Threat - Chapter 1

  The morning began with a hike in Desolation Wilderness. Cole MacKenna, nicknamed Mac, and his dog Roxy, a long-haired black and tan German Shepherd rescue, hiked at 7,000 feet above sea level.

  Twin Lakes trail head begins and ends just after the Chappell Crossing Bridge. Mac had enjoyed going to the peaceful and quiet mountaintop escape since he could drive. On this day, a Tuesday, he and Roxy had the trail all to themselves. As a form of therapy, Mac often rose early to hike up the mountain and catch the sunrise. Roxy tagged along sniffing trace scents from everyone and everything that had come before them.

  Sometime around noon, they arrived back at Mac’s truck feeling refreshed. For several years the area had experienced severe drought making it possible to hike in April.

  Mac gave Roxy some water and let her sniff around while he stripped off his flannel jacket and tossed it onto the passenger seat. After ample time to cool down, he hoisted Roxy up onto the backseat, mindful of her breed’s tendency for hip issues. Besides, he was in no hurry. Since his retirement from the U.S. Air Force, he took life one day at a time.

  Mac found retirement a bit boring compared to the military. He’d torn down the wall between the kitchen and living room to open up the space and install hardwood floors in an old Victorian house he’d purchased in his hometown of Brookfield, California. Remodeling his home gave him something to do.

  As he headed west on the highway, Mac’s cell phone rang. It was his long-time buddy, Jason. They’d both joined the air force while in their senior year of high school. Jason stayed in eight years and then returned home to become a police officer.

  Mac pressed the call button on his steering wheel, “Hey, Jason, how’s it going?”

  “Can’t complain. Do you have a few minutes to talk?” he asked.

  “Sure. Roxy and I just finished hiking up at Wright’s Lake. We’re headed back to town. I’m about to pull into Handley’s to pick up cinnamon rolls for Maggie and the girls. What’d you need?”

  Mac’s older sister Maggie and her two daughters lived on the other side of town in the home where she and Mac grew up.

  “Did you see any snow up there? Feel free to drop off some cinnamon rolls here at the office; they’re the best.”

  “I just might. No snow, not even in the shady spots.”

  Mac waited in his lane to turn left into Handley’s parking lot.

  “It’s gonna be a bad fire season. Do you have plans to leave the area anytime soon or are you sticking around?” he asked.

  “That’s pretty vague. What’s up?” Mac was intrigued.

  “I have a job for you if you’re interested. To tell the truth, I need your help.”

  “Keep talking,” Mac said as pulled straight into a parking spot near the front door.

  “Blackstone Academy has a serious drug problem. In fact, over the weekend, the mayor’s fourteen-year-old son overdosed and almost died. He’s in the hospital recovering. Heroin, we think. Lucky for him, his older brother found him and called 911 shortly after he went unconscious. The police chief and the school board president want someone on the inside to help identify the source of the drugs. Somebody’s getting rich over there and the next time there’s an overdose the kid might not be so lucky.”

  Jason paused, took a drink of something.

  “I’m not sure how I can help.” Mac watched the lunch crowd pile into the coffee shop.

  “They want someone outside of law enforcement so that nobody will tag him or her as an undercover cop. I suggested you. Everyone in town knows you’re ex-Air Force. The Chief thinks you’re the right guy for the assignment.”

  “He doesn’t know me. Am I supposed to pretend to be a teacher or something?”

  Mac glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Roxy was still asleep.

  “He knows of you. Small town chitchat. No, the board wants to hire a school marshal to watch over the students and staff because of the increase in school violence across the nation. The Chief thinks it’s the perfect cover. The superintendent and other school board members won’t be privy to your real purpose. But they’re in
agreement it’s time to hire a school marshal.”

  “I don’t know shit about kids, or about schools. I don’t see how I could be the right man for the job.”

  “Your military experience with air force special ops trumps your lack of experience with kids.”

  “Is there some training?”

  “As a matter of fact, California recently began a school marshal program like the one Texas has had in place for many years. The Chief thought you could do it over the summer and be ready to roll when school starts.”

  “What about training on how to deal with kids? What age kids are we talking about?”

  “Kindergarten through twelfth grade. The young ones are on one side of the school and the older students on the other.”

  “So, I’d need to deal with all ages is what you’re saying? And what about the parents? I’m not the best people person.” Mac paused. “How long will the job last?”

  “You’ll mostly deal with the older students. On occasion, the younger ones. But they aren’t bringing drugs and weapons into schools. At least not yet, anyway. It’s a public school, but some parents act like they own the place, they can be a little territorial at times. Not sure if they’ll like that you’re there or not. I can’t sugarcoat any part of this for you. How long depends on how long it takes you to figure out who’s dealing the drugs.”

  Mac fell silent.

  “Mac, are you still having nightmares about the sandbox?”

  “I know where you’re going with that, Jason. The kids playing near the car when the bomb went off. We wanted to help, but weren’t allowed to.”

  “That’s it,” Jason said, “It haunted me for a few years. The time I’ve spent giving back to the community has helped me feel like a better person. I seldom have nightmares anymore. Maybe the school marshal gig will help you push past it. Another thing to consider, Maggie might shift the girls to Blackstone for high school. Better to clean up the drugs before they get there.”

  “That’s hitting below the belt.”

  “I’m just throwing it out there for you to consider.” Jason continued his pitch, “And, it’s a paid position.”