Page 48 of Fatal Intent

He flipped the man over onto his stomach and cinched his wrists with zip ties, then slapped a piece of duct tape over his mouth. No doubt this guy’s comrades would find him, eventually. By that time, hopefully Grant and his teammates would be out of the rainforest with the Whites and on the way home.

Scrambling to his feet, Grant hurried back to where he’d left Riley and the others. When he walked into the small clearing where the others waited, Riley had her pistol aimed at his chest.

She lowered her weapon to her thigh. “Ready?”

He gave a curt nod, appreciating that Riley didn’t ask if he had handled the problem. No need to traumatize the Whites further.

Grant crouched and picked up Tara. “Time to go,” he murmured.

“Have you heard anything about our children?”

“They’re out of the compound and on the way to our rendezvous point. You’ll see them soon.”

“Oh, thank God,” she whispered. “I was so worried.”

“They’re in excellent hands, Tara.”

They set off again with Riley in the lead, Sean trailing her, and Grant bringing up the rear with Tara. Fifteen minutes later, Riley held up a fist. She motioned to Sean to get on the ground.

Grant crouched with his upper body covering much of Tara’s torso. He quartered the area, looking for signs of imminent discovery.

Riley held up two fingers, then indicated the directions where she heard the soldiers.

While Riley could handle both men, it would take more time than Grant wanted to wait. The longer they delayed arriving at the rendezvous point, the greater the risk of them being discovered.

He eased Tara onto the ground beside her husband. “Don’t move,” he whispered. Palming his Sig, Grant signaled to Riley that he would take the soldier to the right.

After a nod, she disappeared into the shadows to their left.

Once again, Grant circled around behind a cartel soldier. This one, however, was not as noisy as the first man he’d taken down.

He finally spotted his quarry minutes later. The man crept closer to the Whites’ location.

Grant approached the soldier. Seconds before he closed the last of the gap between them, the soldier spun and saw Grant. With eyes widening, he raised his pistol. Grant pulled the trigger first.

The other man dropped his weapon, shock in his eyes. He sank to his knees, then slumped to the ground. He didn’t move.

Grant closed the distance in a few strides and checked for a pulse. There wasn’t one. He regretted that taking another life was necessary, but if he hadn’t, the Whites would have been back in the cartel’s hands.

He returned to the Whites and found Sean standing with his back to his wife, a large stick in his hands. “You can stand down, Sean.”

The other man relaxed and tossed his stick aside. “We’re safe?”

“For now.”

Riley returned, a cut on her cheek.

He frowned. “You okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” She sounded disgusted. “Didn’t see the blade before he swiped at me.”

Grant settled Tara against his chest. “Have Jake look at it when we’re wheels up.”

“Planned on it. You good?”

“Yep. Let’s go. The gunfire is like a beacon on a dark night. We need to make tracks.”

“Copy that.” She urged Sean to follow her and set off again for the coordinates where they would meet their teammates.