Page 94 of Wayward

Everyone was quiet.

“Reid is considered armed and dangerous, and until he’s apprehended, you, Maks, as well as Deputy Chief Malloy and Ms. Farley, will be removed to a safe house.”

“There are sheep that need to be taken care of,” I told her.

She glared at me. “Sheep?”

“And cats that need to be fed.”

“Cats?”

She was repeating what I was saying, and I found myself squinting at her.

Chief Ramirez said, “I will speak to Peter Kay, who has his own sheep and alpacas. I’m certain he will watch the sheep for Ms. Farley, as he’s the one who shears them yearly.”

Agent Lewis’s gaze met mine.

“The cats?”

Lewis looked back to Ramirez.

“And I will speak to Dr. Coleman and make arrangements to have the cats fed.”

“Are we good?” Lewis asked me.

“We’re in the middle of renovations,” I told her.

“That can all continue to go forward. You will simply not be there until Wells is apprehended. I see emails and text messages in your future.”

“I have an architect coming tomorrow.”

“And do you want the nice architect caught in the crossfire?”

“Of course not.”

“Then?”

“I’ll text and email.”

“Good man,” she praised me.

“How long do you imagine this will take?”

Lewis looked at Dix.

“We will have him within twenty-four hours.”

“Twenty-four hours,” she told me. “And if for some reason the state police fail to apprehend this man, which I can’t imagine they would,” she said in deference to Dix, “then other arrangements will need to be made.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Dix assured her.

“I have every faith,” she replied.

Compared to the enormous mountain of muscle that was Sergeant Dix—the man had to be six-five, six-six, with biceps like tree trunks—Special Agent Lewis should not have been the scariest person in the room. And yet somehow she was, with her indulgent smile and no-bullshit manner.

“I’m sorry this is happening to you, Deputy Chief Malloy,” she told him. “And though my first priority is Mr. Gorev, I want you to know that you have all my sympathy. The state police will keep you safe and they will find Mr. Wells.”

He nodded. “Reid was a nice guy,” Gale told her. “I mean, he worshipped Dean, and I have no doubt that watching his brother fall apart has led us here.”