Adam asked.
"Non. He called a half an hour ago, and told me the plane had better be ready, or else. He will not call again."
"Leave your cell phone with Morgan. I'm going to call in my other deputy to take you to our jail. I'm sorry, but the lives of two innocents depend on what we do next."
"Bien. I will gladly visit your jail."
Peter stepped forward. "If you have information that could assist the State of Texas and the government of the United States in their investigation and prosecution of Broussard, I'm pretty sure that you would be a free man."
Morgan nodded. "And we'd make certain your mother was safe."
"I had heard that America was the land of opportunity, but I never thought that would ever apply to me. Merci. I will tell you everything I know."
St. Pierre didn't object to the handcuffs, or to being taken to the Lusty jail. Adam called in his other deputy - a man named Jasper - to come and collect and then babysit the man.
Adam's cell phone rang and he walked off to converse - likely with the sheriff of Divine. He was back moments later.
"Jayne has her cell phone with her and has been texting what information she could along the way."
"Gutsy lady," Peter said.
"She is that. Smart as a whip, too," Julian said.
"They're in Morgan's SUV, heading this way." Adam looked over at Morgan, who nodded.
"I'm putting a call in to Mitch at Benedict Oil and Minerals." Morgan looked at Julian. "All of our vehicles and cell phones have GPS locators. Mitch - who's head of security and an ex-Marine - will tell us where the car is, so we can monitor their progress."
"I'm betting they're still in it, still headed this way. They'll want to keep up the fa?ade of being wealthy, law-abiding businessmen. Likely figure we've no idea what they're really doing," Adam said. Then he looked at Julian. "Ace Webster is driving a man named Seth Carter here."
"Jayne is Seth's woman," Julian said. "And the baby she has with her, if I'm not mistaken, is Seth's son."
"So, his coming isn't a problem for you?"
Peter answered for him. "I think my big brother has his eye on another woman - someone from his wild and wanton past."
Julian slugged Peter's arm. "Hey, I finally got myself a wild and wanton past, and it wasn't too many years ago, either." His thoughts and feelings about Gwen were too raw and undefined to share with anyone at the moment. Besides, he needed to bring all his attention to the very real dilemma of rescuing Jayne and the baby. He turned his attention to Adam. "Seth and I are okay. What do you need me to do?"
Julian listened as Adam outlined a basic plan. Morgan would take his place in the pilot's seat - so their quarry could see a body in the cockpit, and, if worst came to worst, he could start the plane.
Adam put a call in to the state cops, who were perfectly willing to come and lend a hand. It didn't take them long to get there. Captain Connell and Adam conferred, and then Connell set about hiding his men from view.
Peter headed out in Julian's pickup truck, after grabbing a Stetson and some dark glasses from somewhere inside one of the hangars.
"He's going on recon," Adam said as they watched Peter drive off. "We know where the SUV is, but we'd all feel better if we got eyes on it, if only in passing."
Julian grinned. "You figure he won't make it back in time for the action to go down, don't you? He'll have to circle around after passing that car. If he's not here, there's no way he can get shot."
"Damn straight. Jordan and my mother would have my nuts if I let that Fed get shot again."
Personally, Julian approved of the ruse.
Twenty minutes later, Peter called with an update. The SUV had pulled over and Peter had done what he called a pretty decent good ol' boy act of offering roadside assistance. He reported two men, one who looked like a weasel and one big dude - likely Broussard and his lackey. They'd stopped so Jayne could change the baby's diaper. She was bruised, but on two feet, and appeared lucid. The baby had been waving his arms about. Adam immediately let his counterpart, Hank Stinson, know.
They were all conscious of the time. It occurred to Morgan that there should be an invoice for that son