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Sam slowly raised his hands, then punched his right hand at Jak’s face and his left at the gun, knocking it upward. In a flash, he took the gun, slammed Jak into the building, then shoved the barrel of the gun into Jak’s head.
Remi barely had time to react when she felt the sharp barrel of a weapon against her back. She looked behind her. A towering man glared down at her, saying, “Call your husband off.”
They’d brought in reinforcements.
“Sam . . .”
Sam turned, saw the man holding a gun on Remi. He lowered the weapon, handing it back to Jak, then put his hands up over his head.
Jak sneered at him. “Thought you might see it my way. And, word to the wise—Ivan’s trigger happy.”
A moment later, the white SUV pulled up, parking at the curb next to them. Jak nodded toward the vehicle. “Get in.”
The odds had risen, but Sam refused to move.
Ivan said, “I have no problem shooting you right here in public. Beginning with your wife.” He aimed his weapon at Remi, stepping in close. “Backseat, Fargo. Now.”
“All the way over,” Jak said, and Sam slid to the far side. He pointed his gun at Remi. “Now you. Middle seat.”
She climbed in. Jak climbed in next to her, shoving the gun into her side. “Buckle up.”
She pulled her seat belt around her, Sam doing the same, saying, “Worried your insurance rates will go up if anything happens to us?”
The new guy climbed into the front passenger seat and looked back at them. “What insurance?”
“Where are you taking us?” Sam asked.
“A little ride.”
Remi slid her hand toward Sam, felt his fingers entwine hers.
The road forked up ahead, and the driver headed left, clearly a less traveled route. Soon the steep road was one switchback turn after another, and the driver slowed to a crawl, navigating the wide SUV up the narrow road.
Jak craned his neck. “Good enough,” he said. “Stop here.”
The silent driver pulled into a narrow turnout at the side of the
road. He got out, opened Sam’s door, and motioned with his gun for Sam and Remi to get out.
Remi waited for Sam to exit, then slid over, swinging her feet out. The heat of the jungle enveloped her the moment she stepped her foot on the ground. Lush green foliage dripped with moisture from last night’s rain, the humidity too thick to allow it to evaporate. Instead, it all seemed to drip down, running together, forming a rivulet that ran across the road, then on down the hillside.
Jak pointed with his gun. “On the side of the road, both of you.”
“Look,” Sam said. “If you’re going to kill us, at least let me kiss my wife good-bye.”
“Hurry up.”
Sam stepped in close to Remi, reaching beneath his fishing vest. “Guess that vacation will have to wait.”
She tried to laugh.
Sam pivoted. With a quick, two-handed aim, he shot the driver in the middle of his forehead.
Twenty-seven
Crack! Crack!
Sam snapped off two more rounds but missed the other killers as he suddenly felt nothing but air beneath his feet.