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FUCK!

My sentiment echoed Maddox’s exactly. I could only hope he still had Kane. That he had much better sights than I did, and somehow, through all the chaos, he had our friend covered.

Down below, it was total bedlam. The swarm of people were scattering, with no one actually sure which direction to run. The smart ones fled back to their vehicles for cover. The dumb ones…

I swept the area with my scope. It panned over just in time to see Dietz putting someone down with the butt of his rifle. I couldn’t tell who, but the man was wearing a suit. A suit. Out in the middle of the desert.

CRACK! CRACK!

The sharp report of Maddox’s .50 caliber rang out from above. I glanced up, peering to the other of the canyon. Muttering under my breath that no matter what he did, no matter what happened, he’d better keep her safe.

Then I saw what was happening over there… and a spike of terror bolted straight through me.

Sixty-Two

DALLAS

I made the truck in seconds. With a quick turn of the key it roared to life, billowing dust all around me as I slammed it into gear.

My heart nearly exploded in terror as it lurched forward… straight toward the edge of the cliff.

Oh SHIIIIIIT!

I stomped down on the brake with both feet. The tires screamed to a halt, but the momentum kept me moving, sliding, skidding inexorably forward. Pushing me to the very lip of the terrifying, three-hundred foot drop…

“DALLAS!”

Austin’s scream nearly tore out my eardrum. I reached up reflexively to pull out the earpiece, but my hand clamped right back over the steering wheel.

This is it…

At the very last second, the truck skidded to a halt. I could see Maddox through the passenger window, lying on his belly, clutching his rifle. He turned his head, a look of total incredulity frozen across his face.

“DALLAS, WHAT THE—”

I didn’t hear anything else. I was already in reverse, tires spinning backwards, skidding down the embankment while looking wildly over my shoulder. I couldn’t believe I was doing this! But even more unbelievable, I’d nearly driven over a fucking cliff in the process.

“—GET BACK HERE! DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT—”

Now I did yank out the earpiece, tossing it over my shoulder. It was loud, it was distract

ing, and nothing they could say would stop me anyway. After witnessing the pandemonium below, my only thoughts were with Kane. He was still down there, all by himself, with only Dietz as a potential ally.

And the last thing I’d seen before the explosion… a half dozen men, weapons drawn, closing in on his position.

Hurry up!

The truck roared down the hill, picking up speed. The vehicle was already shaking, every bump magnified by a factor of ten. I was clenching the wheel. Shaking left and right, up and down…

Go faster!

“OWW!”

I cried out as my head bumped the roof. I was already pushing the limits. Every pebble was a boulder at this speed. Every piece of debris was—

THUMP!

I didn’t even see the first guy I plowed into. All I saw was his rifle, lying across the windshield as he went straight over the roof.