chapter 37

chapter 36
Justin and Cierra headed out to the car. He explained to the nurse at the desk to notify Iris of any change in Bree, and the relationship being sisters-in-law.

Cierra shook her head as she got in the car.

“What, Cierra?” Justin demanded as he slumped in beside her.

“I just don’t get it, Justin, after the conversations we’ve had, I
just have a feeling this is going to end badly.

“Well, it won’t be on my part, and if Bree decides to go on a
different path then I’ll have to let it happen.” A pain stabbed him in the
heart. He didn’t want to let Bree go, but the poor girl had been through so
much, had forgotten so much. If she needed time to figure things out then he
would let her. He ran a hand over his still burning, aching eyes. He never
should have taken her virginity, she hadn’t even known what they were doing.
How could things have gotten this messed up?

Cierra glanced over before she started the car then made the way
to the station. This was a side of Justin no one ever got to see. What was so
special about this woman? Cierra should understand better since the same thing
seemed to happen between Ben and herself. She just didn’t lose a memory and
held hostage for five years. She supposed they just needed to see where things
went but that didn’t mean she had to be thrilled or okay with any of it.

Justin sat silently, stewing over what he wanted to know once he
got to the station. He wanted answers for Bree, what had happened the night
Bree was taken? Why had Tanner Ericson been shot? Was Amelia her grandma? When
had everyone given up on trying to find Bree?

She had to have had friends, did everyone give her up for dead?
Were any of these questions going to be answered? He dug his phone out of his
pocket quickly. He scrolled to Ben and hit the phone icon.

“Hello?” Ben answered on the second ring.

“Cierra and I are headed to the station, are the results back yet
from the DNA we sent for Bree and Amelia?”

“They haven’t called yet, they open in couple hours, I can make a
call then and see if they have the results.”

Justin didn’t like the answer, but he’d have to accept it. “How
are the other girls?”

“Okay, terrified, everyone is locked down though, no one is
talking, Martines is in a holding room, Sal a different one, my FBI buddy
should be here in like twenty minutes.”

“Damn, alright, I want Martines before anyone else gets him.”

“Can you restrain yourself? He may have been the ring leader of
this whole thing, he came up with the plans to take the girls, when to take
them, all of it, Justin, I don’t know where he got the brains, but it
definitely wasn’t from Sal, he’s just the brawns, he couldn’t have pulled this
off, which we figured that since Bree was able to escape from him.”

Justin let out a sigh, it was going to be hard, he wanted to give
Martines the same treatment Bree, Marnie, and the other girls had received.
“I’ll contain myself, but I am going to get answers, we’re pulling in now.”
Justin hit the end button and Cierra pulled into a parking spot.

He got out of the car, slamming the door shut, almost marching up
to the station. He yanked open the glass door, causing some bells to ring
loudly. Ben was already meeting him in the lobby. “Which room?” Justin almost
growled out. Yeah, this was going to be very difficult.

Ben glanced behind Justin as Cierra walked in slowly. “Go in with
him, babe, I’ll stay out here and wait for Mike to show. I’ll let you two know
when he heads up to the door.”

Ben slowly walked past Justin and kissed Cierra's forehead.
"I'll keep him grounded, we can't let him lose it and get in trouble or
make the judge throw this case out, I love you."

"I love you, Ben." She hugged him and Ben turned towards
Justin.

Another stab hit Justin, he ached as he thought about possibly
never getting to kiss Bree again. Ben walked past him, and Justin followed.

"You know Cierra is really worried about you."

"You're not?"

"If course, just figured Cierra being worried about you might
mean a little more, she doesn't worry too often you know." Ben continued
down the hall. He opened a door to the left.

Justin's blood boiled as his eyes landed on Martines sitting on
the chair, handcuffed to the table. He jumped up from the chair and went to
lunge at Ben and Justin. "I don't know who you think you are, Mathers,
you're a nobody in this town, you strolled in here, found one girl, think
yourself a hero and try to shut down this whole department."

Justin shoved the crooked cop back into the chair. He placed his
hands on the table and leaned over Martines. "In case you haven't noticed,
buddy, I have done more than your department has in months, and I didn't find
just one girl, I found my niece also, and the other four girls, your police
department is shut down and the FBI is on their way here as we speak."

A moment of fear flickered in Martines' brown eyes, before the
anger took over. "Liar."

Justin chuckled again. "Buddy, I am a lot of things, but a
liar isn't one of them, my niece can identify you being in that house, the
others can all identify your father, plus my teammate can identify you as her
attacker in the woods the other night." At least he hoped Holly knew who
attacked her. There had been too much going on to give Holly too much thought,
but he was sure if Cierra couldn't get ahold of her, the FBI certainly would.

He shot a glance towards Ben, and he was already on his phone, his
fingers moving fast across the screen. Justin turned back to the young, crooked
cop. "I think we should just drop this charade, we know what you did, we
know where you were going to send the girls, he's been on FBI's most wanted
list for a while, Ben, you think they'll give out the maximum time for the long
list of crimes this here cop has committed?"

"Oh, I would push for it, this so-called cop doesn't deserve
anything less."

"Now, are you going to tell me when this bright idea first
came to you? It was obviously over five years ago since Embrey Ericson was
taken just five years ago, I want to know why, when, who actually shot her dad.
The best part is I can sleep at night knowing you'll never harm another girl in
this town, you must have really had the chief fooled, or he was in on it too,
this town is going to be very messed up, have to restart, rebuild the whole
force, maybe we'll join."