Page 123 of Depths of Destruction

Trees. Men. Blood. Death.

The picture becomes more explicit, and I swallow the thick knot forming in my throat.

They tied her to a tree and kept her there for hours between tasing her.

Stay calm for Naomi.

The beast in me wants to beat on the walls of the truck until someone dumb enough opens it up, or my body can't handle it anymore and my rage subsides.

Your anger will never go away.

They will pay. Every one of those thugs will pay.

"Where do you hurt the worst?"

"My back."

"Are my arms hurting you?"

"No. Don't let me go." She clutches my shoulder.

"I won't. Tell me—" There's a barrage of machine gun fire, loud popping, and the truck sways so forcefully, we slide to the other wall.

I hold Naomi's head tight to my chest with one hand and her body with my other. My back hits hard against the metal as the truck continues to slide on the gravel.

Naomi's raspy voice screams.

Interpol is here.

"Remember, go when I tell you."

She grips onto me. "Please don't leave me."

"I'll be behind you."

More gunfire echoes in the air. Loud shouting in Spanish mixes with the whirring of a helicopter and the skidding of vehicles.

The truck stills.

"Stay down," I instruct Naomi, worried bullets might tear through the metal.

I slide on my ass toward the door and shield her as best as possible.

The gunfire becomes more sporadic, and the roar of a helicopter comes closer.

When there's no more voices or explosions and only the motor of the aircraft can be heard, I rise and help Naomi up and stand in front of her.

I'm sure Interpol has killed every one of them, but I'm not taking any chances of the wrong person opening the door.

"Lòpez," a familiar voice calls out, and relief shoots through me.

"Kalim," I yell.

"Stand back so we can shoot the locks off."

"Going to the left corner." I move Naomi and put her between the walls and my body.

"Positioned," I yell.