Page 80 of The 9th Man

“This isn’t the Afghan highlands,” Talley called out from the darkness.

No, it wasn’t. At least they’d come his way, which meant Sue had probably escaped. He spotted a figure about a hundred yards out, advancing parallel to the path. He then saw a second shadow on the opposite side.

“Come out, hands up, and I won’t shoot you,” Talley said.

He wondered if all the bravado was merely for his team’s benefit. When he came to kill Persik and the others Talley came alone. Tonight, he’d brought the whole traveling road show.

So where was this headed?

He allowed Talley’s point men to cover another twenty yards, then aimed the Beretta’s muzzle at the ground, so his body would shield the flash, and pulled the trigger. That moment of distraction allowed him to spring to his feet and, using the big live oaks as cover, he ran until he reached the thicker brush, where he stopped to see whether his handiwork had paid off. While the gun’s report would be a beacon to Talley’s men, the lack of a muzzle flash would leave them stuck with a broader search area. A rifle cracked. Then another. A third. All single shots. Reconnaissance by fire. Talley was hoping to provoke him into giving away his position.

Not today, pal.

He carefully picked his way through the brush, playing out in his mind Talley’s next moves. By now they’d be clearing the area where Luke had fired the shot. Then they’d be on his tail. He’d been quietly snapping off branches and trampling foliage as he made his way northeast away from the boat dock. When he’d covered what he hoped was enough distance, he turned west and this time left no trail. Fifteen minutes later he emerged back onto the quad path and jogged to the dock.

Jillian was nowhere in sight.

Crap.

“Over here,” came her whispered voice, and she emerged from the foliage beside the dock. “We’ve got half a tank of gas.”

“You take the bow. Stay low. Keep watch ahead. Make any shots count.”

She smiled. “Remember who you’re talking to.”

She took her place and Luke climbed up to the driver’s seat. He turned the ignition key. The engine caught immediately and growled to life. He allowed the fan blade to spin up to full speed then eased the rudder stick forward. Mimicking Elijah’s driving style he goosed and glided the boat down the inlet, following the buoys on their zigzag course toward the main channel where the inlet widened. As they passed the last buoy, Jillian’s clinched fist shot up.

He throttled back and shut off the engine.

She glanced over her shoulder and pointed at her eyes, then toward the main channel followed by a gesture he took forboat. Talley had covered his bases. He’d left some men in reserve on the water.

No shocker there.

He followed Jillian’s outstretched finger. Though the sky was overcast, the obscured moon shone full and bright. He glimpsed the barest outline of another boat skimming across the mouth of the inlet. He couldn’t see how many were aboard. He gestured to her,How many?

She shrugged.

The boat disappeared from view.

A moment later an engine revved and it reappeared, heading in the opposite direction. They were trolling, guessing where their target might reappear, trying to be at the right place at the right time. He gestured to Jillian his general plan.

She nodded.

He waited until the other boat made its next turn, then spun the rudder west—the direction they needed to go.

The other boat disappeared from view.

He started the engine and shoved the rudder forward. They exited the canal doing about thirty miles per hour. He jerked the rudder hard right, nearly laying the hull on its side, then straightened out. Dead ahead, not a hundred feet off their bow, was the other boat.

Muzzles flashed orange in the darkness.

Jillian stayed low and returned fire.

He felt mighty exposed in the raised seat.

Too late, boys. You’re done.

He gained more speed, rapidly eating up the distance. The other boat veered left, but Luke was already on them. Darkness made aiming tough and him coming straight at them had to be unnerving. At the last moment he tweaked the rudder and glanced the bow off their fan shroud. Jillian added rounds that sent the occupants downward. Bullets snapped behind them, but there was another noise, the staccato grinding of steel on steel. He’d knocked their fan blade out of kilter, rendering it useless.