Eagle's Last Stand Read Online Free

she’ll have to toughen up fast,” Rick said, his voice heavy.
    Preston looked at his brother. “She will, but she’s barely out of the starting gate. Her dad’s gone and right now her uncle’s her only living relative. The incident last night turned her world upside down.”
    For a moment Rick found himself indulging in an emotion he seldom experienced—sympathy. He knew what it was like to suddenly find yourself all alone.
    “I’d still like to talk to her. Kim may know something useful. I’m not a cop, at least not anymore, so that might set her at ease and help her remember some details,” Rick said.
    Preston nodded. “Go for it.”
    “Before anyone leaves, we need to decide if our families need extra protection,” Daniel said.
    “I spoke to Gene this morning, and he agrees with me,” Preston said. “The best solution is to get them out of town. Fortunately, Kendra has her U.S. Marshals training, so she’ll keep them safe,” Preston added, referring to Paul’s wife. “We can also send two of your top security people along with them, Daniel, just to make sure.”
    “Where are you planning to send them?” Rick asked.
    “To Gene’s ranch,” Preston replied. “You’ve never been there, Rick, but it’s in Colorado, a few hours from here, out in open country where intruders are easily spotted.”
    “Since the trouble his wife, Lori, had a few years back, Gene’s place now has surveillance cameras that feed to our computers here,” Daniel explained. “With some handpicked men, and Gene and Kendra on the job, they’ll be safe.”
    “Good plan,” Rick said.
    Paul came in just then. He still favored his shoulder when he moved, the result of the gunshot that had forced him to retire from the U.S. Marshals Service. “I’ll be monitoring things from here.”
    “I’ll handle the details,” Daniel said, then looked at Rick. “You’re going to need one of our special SUVs. Just leave the rental here and one of my men will take care of it. I’ve got a black one outside that’ll be perfect for you. It’s got extra Kevlar armor, a GPS tracker and run-flat tires.”
    “Good. I’d like to get going,” Rick admitted.
    “They wouldn’t let Kim in to be with her uncle after I spoke with her last night, so she went home,” Preston said. “If Kim isn’t at the hospital this morning, you’ll find her at Silver Heritage Jewelry and Gifts. The shop is owned by a member of our tribe, a Navajo woman, Angelina Curley.”
    “So Kim has two jobs, one at the Brickhouse and one at a jewelry store?” he asked.
    “She’s paying her way through college with gigs that let her keep flexible hours,” Preston answered.
    “I know she thinks highly of you. What’s the story there?” Rick asked Preston.
    “I put the man who shot her dad behind bars. Her uncle Frank really stepped up for her after that, but the P.D. kept an eye on her, as well. We wanted Kim to know that officers take care of our own, and if she needed anything, she had help. After she enlisted in the army out of high school, we kept in touch. She was deployed for a few years and then came home determined to follow in her dad’s footsteps.”
    “So I should treat her with kid gloves, is that it?” Rick asked. It was a fair question, and there was no rancor in his voice.
    “No, not at all. Just be aware that she’s got a lot of officers watching out for her.”
    Daniel tossed Rick a set of keys. “Check in when you can. As soon as I get the family squared away, I’m going to dig into the backgrounds of each of the players, including Kim and her uncle. I have the contacts and clearance to get into databases the PD can’t access without a truckload of paperwork.”
    Rick walked out and found the black SUV. It had a lot of extras and must have cost his brother’s company a lot of money, but he was glad to have it. Something was telling him the case would be getting even messier soon.
    As he drove down Hartley’s Main Street, one