Page 103 of Night Hawk
“Still, we gotta do the right thing,” Blake said. “Protect life at all costs.”
Trent shook his head. “I figured after being sheriff for a couple of years, I was done with lectures from you.”
“I’m never going away.” Blake grinned.
Trent laughed and looked at Clay. “You go in first.”
“Does Hibbard know you?” Blake asked.
“Never seen me in person, but yeah, he might know of me from the task force.”
“You’ll need a cap to hide your face.” Trent looked around and walked over to a nearby truck with a window open. He grabbed a Seattle Seahawk’s cap from the dash and handed it to Clay.
“Never thought I’d see the day a sheriff steals in broad daylight.” Clay grinned and settled the cap on his head.
Trent rolled his eyes. “You need help, you call out. You hear me. Don’t try to be a hero.”
“I got it.” Clay checked his gun and tugged his jacket closed to hide the bulge.
He offered a quick prayer, counted down from ten to calm himself, and stepped in. Neon lighting from a wall of video games lit up the dark space. Old wood tables and chairs filled the middle with three couples drinking beer and eating appetizers. The bartender was at one of the tables serving drinks. Two pool tables sat on the other side of the room with beer lights hanging over them. Two young guys were playing.
Clay spotted Hibbard right away. Would be hard to miss. Not only because he was a big guy, but he was the only person sitting at the bar. He wore jeans and a black windbreaker and sat close to the emergency exit.
Clay’s years in ICE had trained him to take this guy in without a fuss, so he started across the room, skirting the bartender to avoid him calling out a greeting and alerting Hibbard.
Clay reached Hibbard and caught a whiff of strong body odor. He drew his weapon and put it in Hibbard’s fleshy back. “You’re under arrest, scumbag. Don’t move.”
“There must be a mistake.” His low voice rumbled through the space.
“No mistake, Hibbard. We’re arresting you for so many charges, I can’t name them all here. Hands behind your back.”
He dropped his feet to the floor.
“Go ahead. Take off.” Clay made sure he sounded cool. “The place is surrounded. You won’t get far, and you catching a bullet would make my day.”
He reacted as Clay had hoped, putting his arms behind his body.
Clay snapped on cuffs then tugged Hibbard to his feet and marched him to the door. This had been too easy. Way too easy. Anticlimactic, even. Clay almost wished the jerk had run. Would’ve given Clay a chance to tackle him to the sticky bar floor and press his face in the stale beer.
But more than anything, Clay wished Toni were here. He’d shortchanged her from something else she’d wanted to do for so very long, further putting a divide between them when all he wanted was to get closer to her.
25
A text from Clay came in just as Toni and Drake had called it quits for the day. They’d been looking for additional information on Sheila Sharkey but struck out. Drake was headed back to his room for the night.
She read the text aloud.
“Hibbard in custody. Confirmed Sharkey killed your dad and looks like Hibbard’s providing details. No info on Lisa yet.”
Drake met her gaze. “Just like that, we know who killed your dad. And with Sharkey and Hibbard both behind bars, you’re no longer in danger.”
“Right. I’m safe.”
He eyed her. “So why the frown?”
“I wanted to be at Hibbard’s arrest.”
“Ah, right. Yeah.” He shifted his laptop under his arm. “I would’ve wanted that too.”
