by Robin Perini
“The world thinks we’re dead, and we potentially know too much. It’s safer and easier to eliminate the witnesses.”
“I’ve seen a lot of evil during my time with the CIA, but this— She’s just a little girl.” Laurel shivered. “We both know if someone wants you dead, eventually they’ll succeed. It’s too easy. Tampering with brakes, a car bomb, a sniper shot from a thousand feet away.”
“Unless they can’t find you.” Garrett pressed harder on the gas.
Laurel looked over at Molly. “What’s the plan for the three of us?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m running options through my head. It will depend on who is waiting for us, how many. Wish I had a sitrep.” The SUV sped up and he glanced at his watch. “They’ll call in the next five minutes to set up a rendezvous point. I want to try to surprise them. Hopefully it’s not too many.”
“I can help, Garrett. I may not have field experience, but I’m a good shot. You know I am.”
“You need to protect Molly. I have help coming.”
“But will they be here soon enough?”
“I don’t know.”
“Another lie.”
“It’s not good that you can read me so easily. I’ll have to work on that.”
“I’m watching your back, Galloway, so get used to it.”
* * *
A BRIGHT LIGHT blasted into the midnight-dark prison room. James blinked as the beam burned the backs of his eyes.
He tried to squint through the glare, but he could barely see.
“You should have told us about the chip sooner. It might have saved your daughter Ivy and her family’s lives. Too bad she had to start digging and learned too much.”
James squeezed his eyes shut tight. God, no. Not Ivy. Not the kids. What had he done? He didn’t remember revealing anything, just the shot from a hypodermic needle.
A chuckle from across the room lit a fire of hatred. James jerked up his head, not caring how much it hurt. “You won’t get away with this.”
“I already have. My reputation is impeccable. I’m trusted. People come to me because they know I’ll find a way to get them money, resources, equipment. You knew that, too.”
“Which should make them suspicious of you.”
“People see what they want to see, even in the intelligence community.”
His captor pulled out a gun and sauntered over to him. The barrel pressed against his temple. “I should kill you now. You’re a loose end.”
James knew he wouldn’t come out of this alive. For now, he had to try to get a signal to Garrett. There had to be a way.
“Do it.”
“You’d like that. Well, it won’t be so easy, James.” A quick flick of the wrist brought in a beefy man with eyes cold and dead as a snake. “Find out what else he hasn’t told us.”
James swallowed. The inflamed scar on the man’s face was obviously the result of recent burns. He carried an iron rod with him. “Make it easy. I can’t stop until you give me something,” the man said, touching his cheek.
The man walked over to a heating element and flicked on a switch. A gas flame roared to life and he stuck the tip of iron in the flames, rotating the bar slowly, evenly. After a few minutes the man pulled the red-hot iron from the flame and walked toward James.
“You don’t have to do this,” James said. “We could leave together.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “I just tried. My daughter was killed in a car accident yesterday, along with her boyfriend and two others. I have a wife and son, and I’ve been told what will happen to them if I fail. I won’t try to leave again.”
He bent over James. “Now tell me something. Anything. Because I will protect my family. Even if you have to die for me to do it.”
James closed his eyes. He’d already lost one daughter. Just like this man, he would die to protect Laurel. “I can’t.”
Scorching heat set fire to his skin. James couldn’t stop the scream. Blistering pain, unlike anything he’d ever known.
Suddenly it was gone. James sagged in his chair. He caught his breath.
“Tell me,” the man said. “I can’t stop.”
From outside his prison cell, his captor’s words filtered through the bars. “You’ve arrived? Excellent. Strickland failed twice. You know what to do. Kill Bradley and Strickland. I want this hole plugged up today.”
* * *
THE BUILDINGS OF Trouble, Texas, were one story and far apart. Dawn had come, and the dim light brought with it visibility. For better or worse.
Garrett couldn’t afford to drive any closer on the highway. He turned onto the flat desert plain. “I’m not going in through the main drag. I’ll drive through the plains and come in on one of the side streets.”
“What about your friends?”
“They’ll be here soon.”
“But not before your meeting.” Laurel leaned forward. “You need backup, Garrett. You’re one of the walking wounded right now.”
She was right, but he had to think of Laurel and Molly first. “You have to watch your niece. She can’t afford to lose anyone else.”
Laurel hugged the little girl closer.
His cell phone rang.
With a quick movement, Laurel tugged at his wrist. He frowned, but eased the phone from his ear so she could hear.
“Galloway.”
“You should have answered Derek Bradley,” the voice said. “Traitor.”
Garrett cursed under his breath. No one knew about Daniel, so that information had to have come from James.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play dumb, Sheriff. How close are you to your office?”
“Fifteen minutes.”
“Five minutes before I’m scheduled to kill your deputy. You’re cutting it close. The poor kid just broke into a sweat.”
“I said I’ll be there.”
“You have the woman with you?”
Garrett didn’t respond.
“If I don’t have your word that I’ll see her outside your office in fifteen minutes, the deputy dies now.”
He glanced at Laurel. She nodded.
His lips tightened. “She’ll be there.”
“And the girl?”
“For God’s sake, she’s only a child.”
A shotgun pump sounded through the phone.
“Damn it. All right, Molly will be there, too.”
“Excellent. Look, Sheriff, you play this right, and I might let the woman and girl live. But you try to double-cross me and I won’t hesitate to kill them. I’ve done it before.” The man paused. “I hear you have a lot of scars from the bomb. Too bad it went off before you were in the car with your wife and kid.”
“Strickland? You’re dead.”
“Guess we’re both hard to kill.”
The phone went dead.
Garrett’s mind whirled. He still hadn’t killed the bastard. What had he done?
Laurel rested her hand on Garrett’s shoulder, but he shook her away.
“Strickland killed my family and I let him leave that ravine.” Garrett couldn’t think, could barely feel. He’d failed. Again. This time Laurel and Molly might pay the price.
“He won’t get away with it,” Laurel said. She set her SIG on the front seat. “He killed my family, too. He’ll pay. Together, we’ll make sure of it.”
* * *
A BLACK ESCALADE pulled two blocks down from the sheriff’s office.
“There’s Bradley.” Shep Warner looked over at his new partner. Léon had an accent Shep couldn’t place, but he had some serious skills. The boss wouldn’t have brought him on otherwise. “I worked with him. He was good. Too good, I guess.”
“The boss wants him dead.”
Shep looked through a pair of Zeiss binoculars. “Someone’s in the backseat. Two people. A woman and a kid.”
Léon stiffened. “No one said anything about killing a kid.”
Shep took a quick image with his camera. “Boss will want to know about this.”
He hit Send and waited.
Immediately the phone rang.
“Where did you take this?” The computer-filtered voice always gave him a chill, with its inhuman tone. He had no idea who his boss was, just that his bank account was a lot more robust since he’d started the job. It was just business.
His new partner, Léon, unsettled him. Shep couldn’t quite pinpoint what felt wrong. He certainly was a surly bastard, like a robot. Well, if he didn’t work out, the boss had a means of making more than one person disappear, particularly when the government had already named anyone missing or disavowed.
“Trouble, Texas. She and a kid are in the target’s car.”
“Strickland’s third strike. Our source here isn’t talking. Kill them, too, and dispose of the bodies.”
“Won’t there be questions?”
“Just make them disappear. In the eyes of the world they are already dead.”
Léon turned to Shep. “What’s the plan?”
“Leave no one alive. Including Strickland.”
“The girl?”
“Even the girl.”
Chapter Ten
Two blocks from the sheriff’s office, Garrett let the SUV idle. Trouble’s Christmas lights knocked against the light poles.
The place looked deserted, causing the hairs on his arms to stand on end. He had a bad feeling about this whole thing. Too many unknowns.
He needed a diversion, and with Daniel and CTC still an hour away, he had no choice about who he had to choose. It tore him apart he’d have to put Laurel in danger.
“We’re out of time,” Laurel said.
“I know.” Garrett let out a sigh. “How’s Molly?”
“Resting now.” Laurel stroked the girl’s forehead. “I gave her some acetaminophen. Her temperature popped up last night, so maybe she’ll sleep longer. I need to get her checked out by a doctor.”
“Hopefully this will be over soon.” Garrett studied the sheriff’s office. No one was behind the building. Thank goodness. “I have a way to sneak into the back of the building and get to a stash of weapons, but I need a distraction.”
“I’ll drive,” Laurel said, “and park in front of the sheriff’s office. Hopefully they don’t have a bazooka in their arsenal.”
“Don’t even joke about that, Laurel.”
“If I don’t joke, I’ll run screaming from town, Garrett. I’m terrified for Molly.”
He turned in his seat. “And I’m scared for both of you.
“When you hear things go bad in that building, you take off to Hondo’s place, the Copper Mine Motel. It was on the right as we headed into town. Daniel will be there soon.”
“What about you?”
“If it goes well, I’ll get to Hondo, Lucy and the deputy. I’ll meet you there with the name of the person who ordered these hits. Let’s switch places.”
Garrett exited the vehicle, leaving the car running to ward off the nippy morning. He rounded the car and Laurel slipped into the front seat. He knocked on the glass and she cracked the window.
“Give me five minutes before you round the corner. Until then, stay down.”
She nodded, but tears glistened in her eyes. “You’re a good man, Garrett Galloway, so go kick some bad-guy butt and come back to me.”
“I promise I want to.” He touched Laurel’s cheek, then looked over at Molly. “You’re going to do great with her,” he said.
Her eyes darkened. “That sounded a lot like goodbye. Please don’t let it be.”
“You know I need to do this.”
“For your family,” she whispered.
“And for you.” He kissed her lips lightly, lingering for just a moment. “For you and Molly and me.”
Garrett eased into the alleyway. He took one last look at Laurel and lifted up a silent prayer. Please, let them be okay. He had to focus on the job at hand: take Strickland out, hope he hadn’t brought a ton of friends and save Keller, Hondo and Lucy. Not to mention Laurel and Molly.
He scanned the area. He didn’t see anything unusual, then paused. One vehicle stood out. The Escalade had to be Strickland’s.
Garrett checked his watch. He didn’t have time to hesitate. In less than four minutes Laurel would pull the SUV in front of his building.
He rounded the sheriff’s office. He had cameras inside and outside, but they required a password to access. He hadn’t even given the code to his deputy. Garrett ran his fingers along the bricks at the back of the building. He pulled out a loose one. Inside was a latch to the emergency entrance. Garrett had always thought the whole setup bordered on paranoia, but now he thanked his overly cautious predecessor. Of course, the man had been right, just not careful enough. He was serving twenty for drug trafficking.
Praying Strickland had kept his deputy in the main room, Garrett entered the digital code and the lock clicked. Slowly he eased the door open.
He heard one set of heavy footsteps pacing from the far room to his left, near the jail cells. Had to be Strickland. He wouldn’t allow anyone to be moving around.
“Your sheriff is cutting it close, Deputy,” Strickland snapped. The footsteps stopped. “You ready to die for a traitor?”
“Sheriff Galloway is on the up-and-up. I’ll never believe he did what you said.”
“Damn straight, you cow dung,” Hondo hollered, rattling the bars of the cage. “He’s twice the man you’ll ever be.”
Hondo should know better. What the hell was he doing? If Strickland lost his temper, he’d start shooting. Garrett had no doubt that if Strickland had his way, no one would be left alive. Not Laurel or Molly. Not Keller, Lucy or Hondo. And certainly not Garrett.
He glanced at the wall safe, opened it and pulled out an extra set of keys to the jail. If nothing else, he needed to get those keys to Keller or Hondo so they had a prayer of escaping.
A loud clatter rang out. Hondo let out a curse. “You trying to break my hand?”
“Shut up,” Strickland said. “Or I’ll kill you first. I may choose you anyway. You’re too damned annoying.”
“No, please, no. Now, Lucy, it’s going to be okay.”
“Make her stop that sniveling, or I take her.” Strickland stomped away, toward the front of the building. “Someone’s pulling out front.”
That had to be Laurel.
Which meant Strickland had his back to the jail.
Garrett hurried outside the emergency exit to the side of the jail. A small window ledge was the only opening. He lifted himself up, then dangled the keys in front of the glass. He grabbed a diamond cutter from his pocket and within seconds had opened a hole. He set the keys in reach.
Garrett tapped lightly.
Keller jerked his head up. His eyes widened. He sidled over to Hondo. The man slid a subtle glance toward Garrett and gave a nod. At the right moment, they’d grab the keys.
Garrett had to trust the ex-marine to get Keller and Lucy out safely. He returned to the secret entrance and pushed back inside. The easiest thing would be to shoot Strickland in the back of the head. The man deserved it. Garrett had been dreaming of killing the man since he’d woken up from his coma, but that would silence the only lead Garrett had to the identity of the mastermind behind a decade’s worth of death and criminal activity.
And Strickland’s death wouldn’t protect Laurel and Molly in the long run.
That made his job that much more difficult. He needed Strickland alive, which made his every move that much more dangerous.
Hondo hadn’t budged. Good man. Playing it smart. Lucy was tucked up on the end of the cot, rocking away. Easy to see how Strickland had gotten the drop on Hondo. Deputy Keller... Well, Garrett would be having a talk with him.
Strickland held an M16 in his hand. He peered through the front window, stepped aside and opened the door.
“The McCallister woman and the girl. But where’s Bradley?” Strickland shifted hi
s M16.
“Guess Bradley didn’t believe me when I said one of you would die.” He pointed the gun at Lucy.
Now or never.
Garrett launched himself at Strickland, knocking the man’s weapon from his hand. Garrett landed on his shoulder and nearly cried out in agony even as he grabbed Strickland by the throat. He pressed his forearm against the man’s trachea. “I should have killed you.”
Strickland grinned up at him. “But you won’t, because someone will keep coming now that the boss knows you’re alive. You can’t kill me.”
The bastard was right.
Garrett pressed harder, blocking the man’s air. “Who do you work for? I want a name.”
Strickland glared up at him. “Let me go.”
“Let me out. Let me out,” Lucy shouted.
Out of the corner of his eye, Garrett saw Hondo pluck the keys from the ledge and unlock the door. Lucy raced from the jail cell the moment Hondo opened it.
With that second’s distraction, Strickland thrust his arms against Garrett’s chest and twisted his body. He broke Garrett’s hold and leaned back just in time to avoid Garrett’s killing blow to his windpipe.
Strickland leaped to his feet, grabbed Lucy by the hair and dragged her to the front door.
Garrett raised his Beretta. “You won’t get out of here alive.”
“Stay still, Lucy,” Hondo pleaded with his sister.
The poor woman started crying. Strickland’s trigger finger flinched.
“What are you going to do now, Sheriff?” Strickland grinned. “Looks like I’m back in charge. Drop your weapon.”
Garrett cursed. He had no choice. He slid his weapon over.
Keller circled around Strickland. The man didn’t hesitate. He let a bullet fly. Keller went down, his shoulder bloody.
“No more games. Get McCallister and the girl inside, and we’ll finish this.”
Before the words left his mouth a gunshot echoed through the room.
Lucy screamed.
Strickland fell to the floor, unmoving.
Hondo ran to his sister and cradled her in his arms, turning her away from the dead body. “I was only bringing the deputy cookies,” she babbled.
“Everyone down.” Garrett raced to the open front door. He stood in the doorway, Beretta drawn. Molly was ducked down in the backseat. Laurel had squeezed under the SUV. “He’s dead,” Garrett said.
