All The Ways We Touch [BxB]

seventy-nine - hell is a place on earth pt. four

In the only diner in town, Garrison sat across from two other men, trying to have what appeared to be a casual conversation. They'd arrived the night before, after Garrison made a case to his contact with the F.B.I. that he was certain that Elliot and Jamison's abduction was related to Jamison's history with Timothy Shepherd. And not only that, but he was actually the federal fugitive Timothy Erickson. While he hadn't had a chance to confirm his identity, the bureau was willing to take the chance based on the evidence he provided.

The townspeople weren't all together unfriendly, but it was clear that their presence stuck out, and that put them at a disadvantage when it came to snooping around. When they'd called and asked if they could meet with Pastor Timothy before heading to Shepherd's Flock, they were told that he was unavailable for a couple of days. It didn't stop them from sneaking around the church, checking out what they could in the dark, but now it was morning, and they were in need of caffeine. Unfortunately, it seemed the only place to get it was at the local diner. Garrison tried to keep his legs still, to act as if he belonged there, but the three men weren't inconspicuous enough, it seemed, when a couple of sheriff's vehicles pulled into the parking lot.

"Just stay relaxed," a bald man with broad shoulders said to the other two. When Garrison had alerted the F.B.I. to his thoughts, they called in their expert on cults, Roy Bateman. He'd gone undercover and infiltrated white supremacist cults throughout his career, and had once become involved with one with Timothy, only for it to end in tragedy when he killed the undercover agent that Roy had replaced and then disappeared. This was personal for him. Naturally, given the dangerous nature of it all, he had been sent with another agent, Freddie Goggins, and the three of them went to Shepherd's Flock to see if they could locate and safely remove the boys while also detaining Timothy.

Freddie looked lazily out the window as he sipped on his black coffee, watching the cops mill about and speak to each other for a moment, glancing their way. "Roy..."

"Be cool, act normal."

Garrison kept his trap shut and took a drink of his coffee, then poked at an egg he'd ordered, but he didn't have much of an appetite to eat. Despite Roy's order, he glanced out the window, watching the police, his firearm tucked safely in its holster near his armpit. For some reason, he felt responsible for their kidnapping. Maybe if he'd done more, if he'd convinced the F.B.I. to go check it out sooner, this wouldn't have happened. But it was no use beating himself up. He needed his mind clear and wits about if this was going to have some kind of a happy ending.

"Is that smoke?" Freddie asked, now blatantly looking out past the cops. "I think there's a fire."

Something abnormal could be the break they needed. The police rushed back into their vehicles and set their sirens on, bolting out of the diner parking lot in the direction of the smoke.

Garrison stood, slipped a twenty out of his pocket, and left it on the table. There was no time for change, and the people in this town looked like they needed it more than he did anyway. He wouldn't wait for the F.B.I. if they weren't going to act, but they followed him out to the parking lot, and they piled into the younger agent's SUV. "Come on, Freddie, step on it! Let's fucking go!"

Freddie did just that, surging the newer vehicle forward as they sped out of the parking lot, trailing behind the officers at a comfortable distance. Garrison was sitting in the back but watched through the front window as they tailed the cops and followed the smoke.

"Oh shit," Elliot hissed, watching as police cars came burning down the road towards them. There was no point in slowing or stopping, so he kept his foot on the pedal, pressing it down to the floor as he drove past them. They must've been coming from Shepherd's Flock, the exact opposite direction they wanted to be going in. "Anything?"