THE DEVIL COLONY

to detail.

'What aren't you telling us, monsieur le professeur ?' Rafael asked.

Painter gave Hank a small nod. They were all long past secrets, at least most secrets. 'Tell him.'

Hank looked dismayed. 'My friend was also able to translate the passage your colleague sent to you. The writing found on the margins of the gold map.'

Rafael turned to Painter. 'Why is this the first I've heard of this? You explained how the mark on the map revealed Yellowstone, but not this clue?'

'Because it was meaningless information until now.'

'It may still be,' Hank added. 'My colleague could translate only a small section. It reads 'where the wolf and eagle stare . ' '

'What does that mean?' Rafael asked.

Hank shrugged and shook his head.

Another dead end.

Painter checked his watch and stared across the valley. Gray had sent them this clue. According to Kat, he was searching for another, something to do with a buffalo hide. Hopefully they'd all have more luck with that one.

But with the way their luck was running...

Chapter 38

June 1, 7:06 A.M.

Hohenwald, Tennessee

This will have to do...

Gray lifted his shovel, the only weapon he had at hand.

'Going primitive on their asses?' Monk asked with a wince, pushing up enough to lean on the wall of the freshly uncovered grave. He looked down to the spreading pool of blood through his blue coveralls. 'Bullet went through and through. But I won't be getting my cleaning deposit back on these clothes.'

'Can you walk?' Gray asked.

'Hobble, sure. Run, no way.'

'Then you stay here.'

'I wasn't really planning on going anywhere.'

Seichan lowered herself from where she was watching a team move in from the parking lot. 'I counted eight to ten. They've moved behind the cabin across the lawn for cover.'

'Must think we have weapons,' Gray said. 'Or they'd have swarmed us by now.'

'What's the plan?' Seichan asked.

Both she and Monk looked to him.

'We keep them thinking we have guns-at least long enough for us to get to our rifles. The backhoe is only a few yards away. Its bulk will offer some cover if we can reach it. But we'll be vulnerable climbing out of this hole.'

Gray handed Monk his shovel, then twisted around and grabbed the other. 'We need some sound effects. Our attackers are edgy, wary, moving in cautiously. So let's spook them some more. Crack the shovels together... loudly and rapidly.'

Monk got it. 'Make them think we're firing at them.'

'It'll only work for a couple of seconds. Hopefully long enough for us to reach the backhoe's cab and our rifles.'

'Got it.'

'Then on my mark.'

Gray crouched beside Seichan. Her eyes shone in the shadows of the grave. Her pulse beat at her throat as she stared up at the edge, ready to pounce.

'Go!'

With one shovel propped against the side of the grave, Monk banged the other spade against it with all of his might. The noise was so loud and sudden, it did sound like gunfire. Gray leaped to the lip, shoved hard with his arms against the edge, and rolled cleanly out of the grave and to his feet. He sprinted low for the cover of the backhoe.

Seichan kept next to him.

Reaching the momentary safety under the boom arm at the back of the earthmover, Gray checked on her. Her face was flushed, her lips slightly parted. She lifted an eyebrow toward him.

Good enough...

Without needing to say a word to each other, they split to opposite sides of the backhoe. Shots were fired at them, but they went wild, hitting the dirt yards away. The assailants were momentarily confused as Monk continued to bang his shovels.

Gray ducked into the cab. He'd left the backhoe idling when he went to check the grave. He slid into the seat, popped the parking brake, and raised the hydraulic stabilizers to free the earthmover.

Seichan grabbed both rifles, leaving the driving to him. She pointed, and he understood. This was not a vehicle to attempt to flee in. Besides, they couldn't leave Monk behind.

Gray raised the large front loader, using it as a shield across the windshield. He'd be driving blind, but at the moment he wasn't worried about sideswiping a car. He trundled out into the lawn. Rounds banged into the loader. He slowly angled toward the rear of the log home while Seichan leaned low out the door and fired under the raised bucket, keeping the men pinned down behind the cabin.

Once they reached the shadow of the cabin, Seichan rolled out.

That was the easy part.

7:07 A.M.

Monk sat in the grave, holding his shovel.

After he'd heard the real rifle fire, it was clear that his job here was done. He used the spade as a crutch to help him gain his feet. He wanted to see what was happening. With some effort, he stood up and peeked his head out of the grave-only to have it almost sheered off by a set of giant metal teeth.

Gray had returned with the backhoe, coming in low and fast with the front loader. The noise of the ongoing firefight had covered his approach.

Monk fell back as the scoop dug into the opposite wall of the grave, caving in a good section.

'Climb up!' Gray hollered.

Understanding dawned.

Monk hauled over, climbing through the dirt, and shoulder-rolled into the front loader. Hydraulics whined and raised the arm high while Gray twisted the hoe around. Monk slid inside the bucket, keeping hidden as shots were fired, pinging against the front loader.

Something bumped his shoulder.

He reached over and found an assault rifle.

And it's not even my birthday.

7:08 P.M.

After tossing the rifle into the bucket for Monk, Seichan had fled away from the backhoe and toward the cabin, keeping the stout log home between her and her assailants. But she couldn't count on such protection for long. The