Page 151 of Nash Falls

“Smart man. Dangerous out there, you know.”

As Nash packed up his weapons he said, “Yeah, I know.”

CHAPTER

74

NASH TOOK UP HIS SURVEILLANCEspot outside of Rhett’s penthouse for three nights in a row with no hits. But on the fourth night, at around one in the morning, Rhett showed. Sure enough, Elaine Fixx was right there with him. The car pulled into the underground garage and the door clanked down.

Thirty minutes later something intriguing happened. A van pulled down the road, did a U-turn, and parked across the street and farther down from where Nash was and killed its lights.

Nash slid down lower, pulled out a pair of night optics, courtesy of Shock, and took a gander.

Two men were in the front of the van. They looked big and tough and focused, like they were on a job. As Nash continued his observation, two other men in the back leaned into view and engaged in animated conversation with the driver and the passenger. They were all attired in black and they kept their gazes continually on Rhett’s building. One of them bent down and picked something up. It was a baseball bat.

Okay, this is looking promising, thought Nash. When Nash had seen them together before, and being aware of Fixx’s husband’s volatile nature, a possible plan had formed in his mind. He now just needed a catalyst. And this might be it.

An hour later Rhett’s Porsche pulled out of the garage, with Fixx once more in the passenger seat. The car turned left and Rhett gunned it.

As soon as the Porsche passed Nash, the lights on the van came on and it slid in behind the Porsche.

Nash fired up his truck, did a U-turn, and joined the chase.

They quickly left the city and headed up into the surrounding hills. As they kept going, Nash had a good idea where they were headed: the Temple estate. He wondered if Rhett had any clue about the tail, but he doubted it. He was probably fully engaged with Fixx. He wondered why Rhett would be bringing Fixx to the house where his stepmother was living, arguably with the child fathered by her stepson. But then again, Rhett had never been known for his logic or for common sense. Rhett was all about Rhett. And, in truth, it was a huge house; they could be in one part of it and no one the wiser.

When the Porsche made the last turn prior to the straightaway leading to the Temple property, the van sped up, hurtled past the Porsche, and cut it off, nearly running the other car off the road.

Nash had already killed his headlights. He slowed to a stop as he saw the four men emerge from the van. Two held baseball bats; the other pair wielded knives.

Nash grabbed a collapsible metal baton from his bag and quietly climbed out of the truck as the men surrounded the Porsche.

“Out of the car,” barked one of the men.

Rhett said, “Look, I don’t know what the hell—”

The man cracked the Porsche’s windshield with one swing of the bat. “Out, now!”

A trembling Rhett slowly opened his door and stepped out, holding up his hands defensively. “Please, I—”

“Shut up,” exclaimed the same man.

Fixx stayed in her seat, also shaking with fear.

“Out, bitch!” screamed the man. “Now!”

She climbed out of the car and stood trembling next to Rhett.

“Whoareyou?” asked Rhett. “I don’t have any money on me, but I—”

“I told you to shut up!” The man looked at Fixx. “Ain’t you married, slut?”

The blood drained from the woman’s features. “Oh my God, did Roger—”

The man waggled the bat in Rhett’s face. “Hope you had your fun with her tonight, asshole, ’cause it’ll be the last night you’ll be able to getanythingup.”

Rhett backed away. “Please, whatever he paid you I’ll double, no, triple it. Just—”

The man punched him in the gut with the head of the bat.