Page 59

CHAPTER 59

I had my phone propped up, leaning against the log I was hiding behind so I could watch it. It showed the recording that the Ferrells were transmitting to Herc of our convoy this morning leaving Betty’s and heading along the road right in front of us toward Pike’s.

The drone itself was still sitting on the roof of the post office. We were spoofing Herc, showing him something taped earlier and hoping he’d buy that he was watching it happen in real time. There was a lot that could go wrong with it, but Rose had been pretty confident it would work. Her argument that greed overwhelmed the senses was compelling, but we were betting our lives and the future of Rocky Start on it.

On the screen it showed the convoy pulling away from Betty’s. Rolling down the forest trail. Crossing the bridge in front of us and going on.

A text message popped up on the screen. From Betty who was watching the road in real time from her cottage:

TWO SUVS PASSING

This was a critical moment. If Herc suspected anything, he’d stop at Betty’s, bust in, and try to force her to tell him what was going on.

ROLLING YOUR WAY

That meant they were between the cottage and this bridge. Herc was falling for it.

“We got company,” Luke whispered, his head cocked, listening. The rumble of powerful engines. A black SUV appeared on the forest road, coming this way. Followed by a second ten meters behind it. The vehicles were moving slowly.

The unknown? How many gunslingers Herc was bringing. I figured four minimum to a max of six inside each vehicle. Not good odds, but the dogs were focused on the feed from what they thought was a drone overhead. Not watching out for an ambush. As far as they were concerned, we were waiting for them at Pike’s behind the berm.

The lead SUV was a hundred meters away and closing.

I looked left and right. Everyone was hunkered down, hiding.

I picked up one of the clackers next to my phone. Flipped off the safety.

I glanced at Luke and he smiled, ready for action. A fire in his eyes, just like old times. There is something addictive about the adrenaline rush you get in these situations. My time sense was slowing down as it always did just before making contact with the enemy. I checked on Jackie. There was no sign of her, hidden behind the log.

I kept my head down. I could hear the tires on the gravel as the SUVs approached. Then the sound from the tires from that first vehicle changed tone as it went onto the bridge.

I gave it two seconds, then depressed the first clacker.

As the sound of the explosion roared past us into the surrounding mountains, I popped my head up, weapon at the ready as the far edge of the bridge gave way and the lead SUV tipped off into the gully. The second SUV slammed on the brakes. Right in front of us almost exactly where we’d thought it would.

“Fire in the hole!” I yelled, and everyone ducked again as I depressed another clacker. The shaped charge buried by Tanke under the gravel went off and tore through the engine block of the second SUV, killing the vehicle and giving the people riding in it a bad shock and probably some shrapnel.

The sound of the two explosions faded into the snow-covered mountains around us.

Then Luke fired his big gun, the .50-caliber round shattering the bulletproof glass on the driver’s door but not punching through. The next bullet would do that.

“Everyone out!” I yelled. “Hands up.”

Of course, it was very doubtful—given their proximity to the explosion that had disabled their vehicle—that they could hear anything. But it was good form.

Luke and Pike kept their weapons trained on the second SUV while I ran over to join Dmitri and Tanke, who had the truck in the creek bed in their gun sights. It was lying on its side. Whoever was inside were caught by their seatbelts. I knew they were now cutting themselves free but dazed by the explosion and drop off the bridge. The passenger door facing the sky moved slightly. But given the armor, it was too heavy for even two people to push open against gravity. There was only one way out for them, and it took them a few seconds to figure it out.

The cargo bay door dropped open, splashing into the water. Men dressed in black fatigues and wearing body armor scrambled out. Four of them.

“Drop your weapons!” I ordered, firing a burst from my M4 for emphasis.

They were dogs and knew when the odds were against them. There was a moment’s hesitation, so I fired again, joined by Dmitri and Tanke, their rounds splashing water all around and very, very close to hitting the men. Their weapons went into the creek. I gestured for them to scramble up the embankment.

None of them were Herc.

“You’ve got them,” I told Dmitri and he nodded.

“Face down,” Dmitri ordered, indicating the stream bank.

I turned back to the second SUV, just in time to catch the firefight breaking out between Luke and Pike and the occupants. There were several dogs who’d bailed out of the vehicle and were now hiding behind the SUV, popping up to fire quick bursts in our direction.

I moved to my left, passing the ones surrendering, covered by Dmitri and Tanke’s guns. I slid down the embankment along the edge of the creek and made my way under what remained of the bridge. The firing was increasing in volume, short quick bursts from each side, which indicated a standoff with neither side willing to risk more than keeping the other pinned down. At least I hoped that was the case and that neither Luke or Pike had taken a round. I was assuming Jackie was smart enough to keep down, safe behind the log.

I crept up the bank and peered over. Four men dressed in black fatigues and sporting combat vests were using the bullet-riddled and blasted truck for cover, occasionally lifting their automatic weapons up overhead and firing blindly at my comrades, something that was much more common in combat than people realized. A form of suppressing fire—with the off chance you might actually hit something—while not exposing yourself.

I brought my rifle to bear while I realized that none of them were Herc. Unless he was hiding in one of the vehicles, he was somewhere else.

Fuck.

There was no time to dick around with this, and screw form. I aimed and fired, hitting one of the dogs in the leg, knocking him over. The other three were startled at the shot coming from their flank and their partner falling to the ground, screaming in pain.

“Drop the weapons!” I yelled, firing off another round, hitting one of those still standing in his chest plate, staggering him back.

They dropped their weapons.

Pike and Luke came forward, Jackie with them. She immediately went to work on the wounded man.

I went down into the gully and checked the interior of the SUV. No one inside.

Then I climbed back up and checked the one there.

Empty.

Where was Herc?