Chapter Twenty-Three
The others were asleep and would be for another hour or so. They’d all agreed that they needed to get some rest before going in right before dawn to take down Wade and his little gang. Logan had volunteered to keep watch. He knew he wouldn’t sleep anyway.
But Logan had always known what was really going to happen. No one else was going to get hurt or die on his watch.
This was between him and Wade.
And it would be settled between them.
No one knew the importance of working as a team more than Logan. He’d been in the military after all, but this was the exception. After what had happened to Kaylee he wasn’t taking any more chances. He’d take Wade one on one. They’d started this whole clusterfuck of a situation years ago and they’d end it.
Slipping silently down the hill, Logan hid behind some pine trees that overlooked the front door of the cabin. He and his friends had been watching the camp for hours and had come to the conclusion that there were only three people there. Wade and two other men. There was no sign of any hostages, unfortunately. The chances of finding Amy and Mike alive were low.
Crickets chirped, and the wind rustled the leaves but all else was quiet and dark, save for one lone man sitting outside the door of the cabin. He had to take him out first without alerting the other inhabitants. There was a wide expanse of clearing that he needed to cross without being seen and the night sky was cloudy playing peekaboo with the bright light of the full moon. That was going to make this operation more difficult. He’d never know from one minute to the next whether he’d be bathed in moonlight or shrouded in darkness.
If they’d gone in as a team, it would all be pretty straightforward. A team member would toss a smoke grenade into the cabin while the others took care of the guard outside. If Wade and the other guy didn’t come out, they’d go in and get him. Either way, the numbers were on Logan’s side and the entire operation would be done in minutes.
But they weren’t going in as a team.
The lilting whistle of a bird in the trees captured Logan’s attention. No bird would be singing at night like that which only meant one thing…
Reed.
Logan watched as his friend of many years appeared out of the shadows, his footsteps silent. Reed wasn’t supposed to be here. No one was.
“Fuck,” Logan hissed quietly. “What in the hell are you doing here?”
“Same thing you are.”
“You’re supposed to be with your wife.”
“The nurse said she’s going to sleep all night. By morning we’ll either be heroes or dead, I’m thinking.”
“You can’t be here.”
Reed quirked an eyebrow. “Because it’s personal for you? Fuck that shit. It’s personal for me now, too.”
“It’s more personal for me.”
“We are not going to have this conversation. We both have good reasons for standing here. Now just admit that you need help and let’s get this done. The sun will be up soon.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“You’re getting it, so shut the hell up and let’s get a fucking plan.” Reed nodded toward the sleepy guard slouching in his chair. “I figure he’s first.”
The sun would be up soon and that would necessitate an entirely different approach. Logan didn’t have time to argue with his friend and besides, Reed made a decent case. There was no question that Logan would go after anyone who dared harm a hair on top of Ava’s head. Reed wanted revenge and Logan wanted Wade out of his life. They both had the same goal so they might as well work together.
“Okay, but I’m in charge.”
It was too dark to actually see but Logan was sure he could hear Reed roll his eyes.
“Whatever, let’s do this. I need to get back to the hospital.”
“Does Ava and Griffin know you’re here?”
“By now they probably do.”
Logan had turned off his phone and left it back at camp. He’d have dozens of messages when he turned it back on later.
“I’m getting too old for this shit,” Logan muttered, crouching down farther behind the trees. Reed did the same. “It was easier when I was single.”
“Everything’s easier when you’re young and dumb. We didn’t know enough to be scared. We have a hell of a lot more to live for now.”
That was true. Logan didn’t fancy dying here on this hill. He wanted to grow old with Ava. Step one? Get rid of the biggest interference in their lives. Wade Bryson.
“Listen closely,” Logan whispered, his gaze on the guard. “Here’s the plan.”
* * * *
Reed’s job was to take out the guard in front of the cabin while Logan went around back and threw a smoke grenade into one of the windows. It would hopefully force the two inhabitants out into the open.
That was the plan, anyway.
As soon as a gray cloud passed over the luminous moon, Reed sprinted silently across the clearing and took up a position behind a stack of firewood before counting to one hundred. He could clearly see the guard, who was lousy at his job because his firearm was sitting on the ground next to him instead of in his hands. As predicted, waiting to go in had made the fugitives lax and a little lazy. They’d assumed that Logan would come in guns blazing hours ago and when that didn’t happen, they’d let their guard down slightly.
That’s all Reed and Logan needed.
Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred.
It happened fast and as quiet as Reed could manage. The guard jerked and grabbed Reed’s arms, trying to dislodge his grip. When that failed, he lowered one hand and grunted as he delivered a blow to Reed’s midsection with his elbow. Reed nearly doubled over, but he never let up on his grip. This was for Kaylee. The man stomped on Reed’s instep, forcing Reed to swing the man around and smash his face against the ground. Using what was left of his strength, he increased the pressure until the guard’s eyes fluttered closed and his body went limp.
The guard might be crumpled on the ground, but as soon as the blood started to flow again this guy was going to wake up in a minute and be incredibly pissed off. And cranky.
After slapping cuffs on the guard’s wrists, Reed shoved a rag in his mouth and then tied a gag around it. He didn’t need much time to find Wade, only a few minutes, and that’s what this would buy them. Neither Reed nor Logan were looking to kill a man they’d never met and didn’t know from Adam. Let the justice system sort them out.
Dragging him around the side of the cabin, Reed placed the guard, who was already beginning rouse, several feet from the structure where he would be out of the way.
Logan had worked his way from the back of the cabin to the doorway on the porch and was signaling with his arm.
The sound of breaking glass indicated Logan had tossed the smoke grenade into the cabin. Not wanting to be in the way when the inhabitants came out, Reed dashed to the security of the vehicle and hid behind it. Logan went somewhere, disappearing into the darkness. A few seconds later, the door flung open and two men stumbled out, coughing and firing into the darkness. They sprinted across the clearing toward the tree-covered hill.
Ducking down as a few flying bullets bounced off the vehicle, Reed crawled near the back bumper and shot at the fleeing figure. Footsteps sounded to Reed’s right and he caught sight of Logan in hot pursuit of someone headed in the opposite direction, giving Reed an open field to bring down the other guy.
This one’s for Kaylee.
He wasn’t as young as he used to be, but if he couldn’t chase down a bad guy then he ought to hang up his badge. Leaving the relative safety of the truck as a shield, Reed sprinted across the clearing behind the fleeing man, his lungs aching from sucking in the chilled night air. The guy stopped at one point and haphazardly shot a few times into the darkness, the muzzle flash giving away his location, before setting off again toward the hill.
No one said criminals were brain trusts.
The other guy was getting tired too, because Reed was now easily gaining on him. Pretending he wasn’t over forty, he lunged and dropped the man to the ground with a thump that knocked the air out of both of them and sent the fugitive’s firearm sliding a few feet away. Surprisingly, there was still fight in the guy as he kicked himself free with enough force to be able to throw a punch. It sent Reed sprawling into the dirt, gasping for air. The man stretched out his arm for the dropped gun. Not in a position to kick the firearm away, Reed only had one option.
It all played out in a split second but the result was the fugitive lying in a pool of his own blood while Reed fell back onto his knees, his breathing ragged and steam coming out of his mouth as he gulped in oxygen. The thud of footsteps in his ears had him whirling around but a figure was there holding up his hands and yelling.
“Don’t shoot. I’m Marshal Mike Dayton with the US Marshal Service. Don’t shoot.”
Jesus, Mary, and the camel. Mike was still alive? Miracles do occur every now and then. Reed pushed himself to his feet and wiped the blood trickling from his mouth with his sleeve.
“We thought you were dead.”
It may not have been the most elegant thing to say but it was the truth. Last Reed had heard, they’d only seen three men at the cabin and none of them had been Mike Dayton.
Chuckling, Mike lowered his hands and leaned down to inspect the body. “There were several times I thought I was, too. They took me hostage and kept me tied to a chair. I was able to get out of the ropes but hadn’t managed to make a break for it until your very convenient smoke grenade. Who else is here?”
“Logan.” Reed nodded toward the east. “He’s gone after Bryson.”
“Good. That’s good. We need to call 911 and let them know we’re out here. They can send in reinforcements.”
The clouds had finally passed by and the harsh moonlight shone down on the clearing again, giving Reed an excellent view of the marshal. For a hostage, Mike looked pretty damn healthy. Relaxed too, although that could be explained by being rescued. Reed’s gaze wandered down to the marshal’s wrists.
Not one mark. If he’d been tied up and wriggled out of ropes, then Reed was a monkey’s uncle. Marshall Mike Dayton was the leak.
Adrenaline rushing through his veins, Reed lifted his gun just as Mike straightened up, holding the dead man’s firearm. It was a standoff and only one of them was going to win.
“The obvious question. Why?” Reed asked.
Smirking, Mike lifted the gun higher so it was pointing directly at Reed’s chest. “For the excitement. Do you know how fucking boring my job is?”
Anger churned in Reed’s gut and he didn’t bother to hold in the snarl that escaped his lips. This asshole was looking for shits and giggles while the body count piled up?
While the woman Reed loved was lying in a goddamn hospital?
“For the excitement,” Reed parroted, hardly believing his ears. “That’s some sick shit. People died.”
Mike shrugged. “People die every day. They probably lived useless lives anyway, going to work every morning and doing some stupid job. Then they go home at night and eat dinner and watch TV, maybe fuck their wife if they’re lucky. But probably not because they’re losers. They’re numb. Completely numb. But not me. I’m wide awake.”
“This is being wide awake? Following a narcissistic sociopath on a killing spree?”
Mike smiled and held out his arms wide. “What can I say? I’m living my best life.”
“How did you even get with Wade? You didn’t work at the prison and you were never on any of his transfer details.”
“That’s true.” Mike chuckled, clearly enamored by the story. “It’s funny how life works out. I was bored and looking for excitement when I was contacted by a guy who had been in Wade’s cell block. I was in a mentoring program for the guy’s son while he was in prison.”
“Sounds like you were a lousy mentor.”
“It’s the luckiest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve never felt more alive than when I was on that roof shooting down at all of you, watching you scurry like rats in a gutter.”
Mike had been the one that shot Kaylee. Not Wade. Anger and fury rushed through Reed’s veins with a white-hot heat that almost brought him to his knees. He wanted to rip Mike into tiny pieces with his bare hands. He wanted to make the crooked marshal suffer and pay for his crimes. The justice system didn’t have a punishment fit for what Mike had done to Kaylee.
It was only a split second but that’s all that Reed needed. For a mere moment Mike was distracted with his celebration, reliving his glories as one of Wade’s henchmen and Reed didn’t hesitate. With a roar of pure unadulterated rage Reed tackled the younger man to the ground, knocking the air out of both of them but he didn’t care. The blood rushed in his ears as his world narrowed to the here and now and his vision filled with red, never giving the dirty lawman a chance. Straddling the marshal and pinning him down, Reed landed one punch after another, hearing the cracking of Mike’s nose and feeling the warm spurt of crimson on his hand and sleeve.
He still didn’t stop, his fists next going after the marshal’s soft gut until all the fight leaked from his adversary and he lay limp on the ground. Mike would live to face the real justice system, of course, but he’d be doing it with a broken nose and a couple of cracked ribs. Retrieving Mike’s gun from where it had been dropped, Reed then reached for the satellite phone to call Tanner and the others.
“That was for Kaylee.”
Now he needed to go find Logan and Wade.