Free Eleven Days: An Unexpected Love by Lora Lindy Page A

but move on to legitimate questions. Mike wanted them to ask about how they're taking criminals off the street.
    The first female reporter added to the question. "Did you arrest the shooter?" Mikes face softened as he looked at the female reporter. Lana noticed h e liked that question .
    "Yes the suspect has been arrested and charged with capital murder. The rest is up the prosecutor."
    The second male report rudely asked another question. He didn't seem to have any couth. "So you're throwing your hands up at the rest of the investigation, and you're finished with the case? T his suspect isn't going to get a fair investigation because he killed one of your men?"
    Mikes lips tightened and he glanced down in aggravation as he spoke. He shuffled his feet and then leaned on his right foot. Mike leaned in just a little, as if to get in the reporters face to say back off , and he meant it . "No, we are not finished with the case by any stretch of your imagination. The district attorney's investigators will take over the case to investigate, that 's protocol."
    The reporter did n ot give an inch. "Isn't it protocol that you typically investigate all other cases when there is a shooting, so why not t his one?"
    "When an officer is shot, it is protocol and policy that another agency, DA, or another team will investigate."
    All the other reporters were getting aggravated at t his idiot who obviously hadn't a clue of what kind of questions to ask. Not only that , he was n't giving the other reporters time to ask anything. His only goal was to make the Marshals look stupid and incompetent. But he would n't stop being obnoxious . "So you're saying you can't be impartial to the investigation?"
    " That will be all the questions for now. Any other questions can be directed to our public relations department. They will be releasing a statement in the next twenty-four hours. We expect respect to be given to the grieving family and friends of Deputy Frank Bellamy and please keep them in your prayers. Thank you." Mike made sure he said Frank Bellamy again. He didn't want anyone to forget the fallen agent's name.
    As Mike walked off, the man tried to get in his face with a microphone. The other de puties stepped between Mike and the reporter. The other reporters shook their heads in disgust. Its reporters like him that made all the others look bad. The deputies just moved on, a pparently they were used to these kinds of idiots.
    She was so proud Mike for not losing his temper, t hat 's another fine quality she could add to the list. He showed great self control.

Chapter 14
    3:26 p.m.
     
    A loud knock at the door woke Lana from a fretful nap. She jumped up and peeked out the window. It was Mr. Johnson delivering the wood. She grabbed her coat lying across the bar and put it on while she opened the door. A blast of cold air hit her and she immediately buttoned her coat. The wood came at a great time, she could see dark clouds in the distance, the northwest. That meant the cold Northerner has arrived , the first strong cold front of the season.
    She introduced herself and extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Lana and thank you so much for the wood, esp ecially with such short notice. Do you mind put ting the wood on the back porch?" He ignored her extended hand a s he looked at his truck.
    "Sure miss, does the truck load look like a fair amount?" He asked while looking at his truck.
    She glanced at his white old beat-up 1972 Ford truc k with lots of rusts and dents . It looked like it had been bombed in Beirut. His Johnson Tree Service sign was a magnet stuck to the front driver's door, hanging lopsided. The wood was thrown all around in the truck and lots of wood piled up in the middle. She wondered how the wood didn't fall through the rusted out sides. It was n't obvious how much wood lied in the bed of the truck but she didn't care as long as it would last a couple of days. She nodded her head it looked fine to her . Since he didn't look at her , she had