Page 47

FORTY-SIX

JEZABEL

Blood dripped from Kane’s fingers as he walked into the saloon, his duffel hanging on his injured shoulder, but not a soul turned to look at him. He went to the end of the bar, which served snacks and coffee. Surprised to see hot cinnamon buns, he ordered a stack and two cups of to-go coffee. He looked at the man behind the bar. “I need to go out. How do I get back in later?”

“We’re open until two. By the time I’ve cleaned up, it’s usually around three before I lock up. After that you’re on your own.” The barkeep handed him a bag and two to-go cups in a cardboard carrier.

Pushing the bag under one arm and juggling the cups, he headed through the door to the stairs and back to his room. Once inside, he locked the door, pushed a chair under the handle, and then sent the images to the number China had preset on the phone. He took a sip of his coffee, removed his wig and soiled clothes, and headed for the shower. The fake tattoos could only be removed with a special solution, so he soaped up. His eyes were gritty from the explosion, but he didn’t carry any of the eye drops he needed to remove and reinsert the contact lenses. The wig, tight by necessity, had given him a headache, and he stood beneath the shower longer than necessary. His mind went to Jenna and Tauri. Being away from them was tearing a hole in his heart but he needed to do this. He’d caused this problem and couldn’t expect Jenna to live in constant danger for the rest of her life. It was his mess and he wouldn’t go home until he’d cleaned it up. His clean clothes and a few personal items were still on the bed where he left them. Wrapped in a towel, he sat on the edge, ate the cinnamon buns, and finished one cup of coffee. His motto, to eat when he could, had always kept him in good stead. He stood and unpacked the first aid kit. The jagged tear across his bicep looked clean enough, but he used the antiseptic in the kit and pulled the wound together with Steri-Strips before applying a bandage. He finished the second cup of coffee and then spent some time brushing the wig to remove the dust and dirt from the explosion. Reluctantly he pulled it back on, looking in the mirror to make sure it was sitting right. He dressed in clean clothes, put on his shoulder holster, and lay down on the bed. However long it took Souza to get back to him about the meet would give him time to rest up. He placed the phone on the bedside table, and with one hand resting on his M18 pistol, he closed his eyes.

Hammering on the door woke him at five after twelve. Kane’s ability to wake immediately and jump into action had saved him many times. He stood and pulled on the trucker’s cap before removing the chair and opening the door. He’d expected to see China waiting to take him to the meeting, but two burly men pushed their way inside. Kane didn’t offer any resistance. He took a few steps back hands raised. “What’s your problem?”

“No problem. The boss wants to see you now.” A tall wide Neanderthal of a man tried to stare him down. “Hand over your weapon.”

Always reluctant to give up his weapon, Kane shrugged. He had no idea what would happen next. “When we get to the meet, unless one of you wants to try to take it from me?” He reached for his duffel and swung it at one of the men. “Carry this for me. It’s a gift for your boss.”

The Neanderthal’s bald partner gave Kane the stink eye but caught the bag, looked inside, and whistled. Kane nodded. “Yeah, I cleaned out the rats’ nest. Now can we leave? I’ve been waiting long enough in this stinking hole.” He looked from one to the other. “I’ll follow you in my truck.”

“That’s not gonna happen.” The bald man shook his head. “The boss doesn’t want anyone to know the location of his hideout, so you’ll be blindfolded. If you don’t give up your weapon, the deal’s off. You don’t figure Souza is stupid enough to allow anyone inside his hideout carrying, do you?”

Kane looked away and chuckled. “Doesn’t he trust you to watch his back?”

“He trusts us.” The bald man sneered at him. “This is a onetime deal to set the terms. From tonight, you’ll be doing business with the local boss. His name is Alan Turner. That’s not his real name but it doesn’t attract attention, does it? It sounds like every other cowboy in town, right?”

Giving him a stare to freeze Black Rock Falls, Kane lowered his voice. “Names mean nothing to me. They all die the same.”

“Tough guy, huh? We’ll see.” He smiled, showing a gold tooth. “If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see what happens to traitors. It’s always a good incentive for new dealers to see what happens when you screw up.”

Not intimidated by the men, Kane shrugged. “Money is the only incentive I need.”

Kane picked up a jacket from the bed and shrugged into it. He pushed his keys into his pocket, along with a stick of gum, a pack of cigarettes, and a Zippo he’d left on the bedside table. The small pack of Semtex, a plastic explosive, disguised as gum; the detonators inside the cigarettes; and the Zippo had often come in useful during missions and passed unnoticed. He pulled on thin leather gloves and looked at the men. “What are we waiting for?”

“Why are you wearing gloves?” The Neanderthal man raised both eyebrows, making his broad head wrinkle. “You should be accustomed to our weather if you live around these parts.”

Towering over the men, Kane opened the door. “I don’t like getting blood under my nails.” He waited for a reaction but both men just gave him blank looks, no witty comebacks, nothing. “Can we get out of here?”

They weren’t taking any chances with him. Pressed between two men in the back of an SUV he allowed the hood to be placed on his head and had no choice but to relinquish his weapon. It made no real difference to the outcome. In seconds, he had formed a plan to take out and disarm the four men surrounding him if necessary. He didn’t need to worry about being taken into oblivion. With the tracker chip under his skin, Wolfe could track him anywhere. He would be aware of what was happening as he had been listening to everything that was said.

His mind went to China. Working alongside Jenna had given him a deep compassion for women and children in danger. He understood the situations women became entangled in to save their families. China’s eyes had been so imploring. Had she been telling the truth or was it just a ploy to get his sympathy? He’d need to know before this finished tonight, although taking her with him and rescuing her sister would add more time and be a mission that hadn’t been sanctioned. Could he spend another day away from Jenna? He’d left her to deal with three serial killers alone and needed to return home. Maybe he could turn China over to the US Marshals? They’d be able to get her into witness protection.

They drove for approximately half an hour and then bumped over uneven ground for maybe ten minutes or so before the vehicle came to a halt and the door swung open. The men got out, pushing him in front of them. Kane straightened, spreading his feet. His hands hadn’t been tied and he dragged the hood from his head before they had a chance to stop him. He spun and glared at the men. “No one puts their hands on me. This is your first and only warning.”

“We’ll put our hands anywhere we choose.” Neanderthal man grabbed him by the front of his shirt. His stinking breath oozed out between a smile.

One upward palm strike to Neanderthal man’s fat bulbous nose sent bone straight into the brain. He fell backward, and his legs kicked for a few moments before he went still. Kane swung his gaze to the other men. The bald one held his gun in two hands, aiming it at him. He smiled and as the gun lowered, spun and kicked it from his hand and then followed with a stiff uppercut, knocking him flat on his back. Before the other two had a chance to react, Kane attacked, and in five seconds they lay in crumpled heaps on the ground. He bent over the bald guy and retrieved his M18 pistol from his pocket and slid it back into its holster. He grabbed the man by the throat and hauled him to his feet. He eyeballed him with his nose an inch away from his face. “Don’t point a gun at me unless you intend to fire it. Just know, before you get time to pull the trigger, I’ll have it stuffed halfway down your throat. Now take me to Souza, I’m over playing games with you.” He spun a suppressor on his weapon and pushed it into the man’s ribs. “Get them to open the door. Tell them you’ll be standing guard. I can take it from here.”

“They won’t do it.” The bald man’s eyes flashed with defiance, but he took out a communication device. “My orders were to take you to Souza.”

Moving behind him, Kane pressed the gun into the back of the man’s head. “Then I guess you’ll need to be real convincing.”