Caribbean Rescue (Coastal Fury Book 16), Matt Lincoln [best book recommendations .txt] 📗

I looked around for something to staunch the flow of blood with. “Just keep still until then.”

Since it was hot, I wasn’t wearing a jacket, and I didn’t really want to use anything lying around this dingy little shop on an open wound.

“Ethan,” Olivia called my name firmly. “Look at me. I’m fine. I’ve had worse, trust me. Go help Holm with the suspect before he tries anything.”

I was hesitant to leave her side, knowing that she was injured, but I knew that she was right. I turned back around and quickly vaulted over the counter. Olivia’s worries were unfounded, though, as Holm didn’t appear to be having any trouble subduing the old man.

“Ah!” the man cried out exaggeratedly. “You’re hurting me! Someone help!”

“Oh, shut up,” Holm groaned as he quickly handcuffed the man’s hands together behind his back. “Save the victim act for someone who cares.”

I bent down to help him pull the guy to his feet. Together, we walked him around the side of the long counter and back toward the front of the shop. I pushed him down roughly into the first chair I saw, unintentionally knocking a few things off a table as I did.

“Hey, watch it!” the old man snapped. “Those are valuable antiques!”

“Like I give a damn,” I retorted as I moved to step in front of him so he’d be unable to get up. Not that he could have run or done much else. Without the gun, he was just a frail old man.

“I called for backup,” Olivia informed us as she came to stand by my side. She was still clutching her arm, but at least she was up and about now. “They should be here soon.”

“Good.” I nodded. “In the meantime, why don’t we have a little chat with our friend here?”

I turned back to the man, who was now glaring furiously up at us.

“I’ve got nothing to say to you,” he scoffed.

“I find that hard to believe,” Holm replied. “Considering you shot at us with zero provocation, I kind of suspect you might have a lot to say to us.”

“That’s a great point,” I remarked. We hadn’t even introduced ourselves as federal agents yet, so there wasn’t really any explanation for why he would have reacted like that. “Why don’t we start there? Why did you shoot at us?”

“You said ‘Simon’ sent you,” he chuckled darkly. “I knew right away you was up to no good.”

“Of course,” I sighed. “That piece of crap Frank must have set us up.”

Frank had been the one who told us to say that “Simon” had sent us. He must have known that doing so would cause the shop owner to attack us.

“Frank?” the old man cackled. “Now that’s a name I know. Not surprising that he’s the one who sent you here.”

“So is ‘Simon’ some kind of code word?” I asked.

“Nah, nothing like that.” The man shrugged. “Simon was an old associate of mine. He decided he was too good for us and tried to sell us out to the cops, so we had to take care of him. I knew the moment you said that name that I couldn’t trust you.”

“Dammit,” Holm grumbled, obviously angry that we’d walked right into Frank’s trap.

“Okay,” I replied curtly. “Well, now that we’ve gotten all that out of the way, let me tell you about the position you’re in. You just assaulted three federal agents and actually managed to injure one of them.”

“Did I now?” the old man grinned maliciously. He didn’t seem at all concerned about the severity of what he’d just done.

“It would be in your best interest to cooperate with us,” I continued.

“Or what?” he retorted. “Look at me! I know how your American court systems work, how long it takes them to do anything. I’ll be dead before the trial’s even over.”

I clenched my jaw in frustration. It was clear that he wasn’t at all worried about the consequences of his actions.

“Looks like backup’s here,” Holm muttered as he turned toward the front window. I turned to look, and I could see flashing lights just outside the store. “Come on, let’s get Olivia patched up. We can get this one into custody and continue the interrogation later.”

“I’m trembling just thinking about it,” the old man sneered mockingly.

I just turned around and began to follow Olivia out of the shop to where I could already see the ambulance parked outside. The guy’s cavalier attitude was pissing me off and taking a minute to collect myself would enable me to crack him later.

We were just about to walk out the door when I saw it.

I happened to glance up just in time to spot the curiously shaped object mounted on the wall. I hadn’t noticed it when we’d come in because it was hung on the same wall that the door was on. There was so much crap piled up on tables and shelves in front of it that I almost didn’t realize what it was at first.

“No way,” I mumbled as I stepped toward the object.

“Ethan?” Olivia called. “What is it?”

“This,” I replied dumbly, still too shocked to respond properly.

“This?” she repeated as she doubled back to stand beside me. “What are you talking about?”

“This,” I answered as I shoved one of the tables away roughly so I could reach forward and touch the massive thing mounted on the wall. The old man was yelling something behind me, probably in protest at me throwing his stuff around, but I could barely hear him past the blood rushing through my ears.

“What is that?” Olivia asked as she leaned forward to examine the large metal object.

“An anchor,” I breathed, barely able to believe what I was seeing. “It’s the Dragon Rogue’s anchor.”

17

Ethan

The old shopkeeper had been carted away, to a different police station, thankfully. At least this way, we wouldn’t have to deal with the antagonistic Captain Turner. Olivia, too, had been patched up by the paramedics and cleared to continue working under the