“Drop it,” the steely voice said.
CHAPTER12
Sienna didn’t immediately obey. She recognized that voice.
“Agent Norton.”
“Detective Parker?”
“I thought you weren’t involved in tracking down David Buckner. Somebody at NIS is going to hear about this.”
“What the hell is going on?” A.J.’s voice snapped out, sounding as crisp as the cold morning air.
“And Lieutenant Camacho,” Norton said. An agent scooped up her gun and Norton released her.
Sienna reached out her hand to help A.J. up.
A.J. shook off the help of a man who came close to him. He shoved another man out of the way to get to the body.
In the corner, handcuffed to a heavy wooden chair, another man sat with a sullen and terrified look in his eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“The body is Ray Merchant. Don’t worry. He’ll live and the man in the corner is—”
“Tyrone Knight,” Sienna said.
She felt such relief it wasn’t David who lay on the floor.
A.J. knelt near the body, his face ashen. With a growl, he launched himself at Agent Norton.
It took three men to get him off.
“Let him go. He has a right to be angry.” Agent Norton put up his hand to ward off the other agents and they let go of A.J.
“They tracked my brother’s credit card. You used it to get them here.”
“Yes.”
“Where is my brother?” A.J. demanded.
“Somewhere safe. He’s working for us.”
* * *
They were in the living room of the cabin. Under heavy guard, Ray Merchant had been taken to the nearest hospital for medical attention, and Tyrone was being transferred to the local police jail for safekeeping.
A fire blazed in the fireplace and Sienna leaned back into the couch, soaking up the heat.
“I’m sorry, Detective Parker,” Rob Norton said as he handed her an ice pack to put on her eye. “We’d just taken down Knight and Merchant. We thought you were the second wave.”
Sienna gave the man a scowling look as she placed the cooling bag against her sore eye and jaw. “How about you give us an explanation and make amends.”
“First of all, I’m not with NIS.”
“Who are you with?” Sienna asked, wincing when her jaw moved. “Wait a minute. Don’t tell me. Let me guess. The FBI.”
“Right.”