“If things do go to hell, we can’t let anyone leave. I’ll cover the north and west sides, you take the south and east. If anyone bolts, we shoot to kill.”

“Cantrell wants Montez alive.”

“Only if it’s tactically sound. We can’t chase anyone without the risk of someone else escaping, especially Montez. Give me ninety seconds before you turn around. I’ll be in the citrus trees by the time you reach the driveway.”

He opened the rear door and shoved Julio onto his side. “I’m cutting the tape from your hands and feet. If you’ve got any ideas about attacking my partner, forget them. You won’t see me, but I’ll have a laser painted on your back the entire time. Play along and you’ll live to see another day. Now get into the front seat and keep your mouth shut. Harv, give him a hand.”

Julio wasn’t going anywhere-his grunts of agony confirmed it. Just relocating from the backseat into the front took considerable effort. This man couldn’t run even if he wanted to.

“Okay, Harv. Ninety seconds.”

Chapter 33

Montez smiled when Dalton finished spilling his guts for the video camera. Pure gold. Dalton’s admissions would ensure Montez’s continued security into the foreseeable future. He tucked the thumb drive into his vest pocket, turned off the camera, and closed the laptop. Julio should be knocking on the door any second now. He checked his watch.

Nathan flipped the NV monocular down to his left eye and jogged down the shoulder of the road. One hundred yards from the citrus trees, he angled across a grassy field and positioned himself about halfway down the driveway. He saw the green glow of the Mercedes’s headlights sweep through a 180-degree arc as Harv executed a U-turn. He ducked low as lateral light reached for him.

While Harv rolled down the driveway and killed the engine, Nathan worked his way into the row of trees to a point parallel to the sedan and focused his NV monocular on the gravel driveway. Nothing. He didn’t see any trip wires or other deadfalls. The eaves above the front door didn’t appear to have any motion detector lights. A porch light to the left of the door looked to be the only exterior fixture-currently dark.

“You’re good to go,” he whispered.

Copy.

A small gust of wind rustled the trees, then died.

Harv climbed out, crossed in front of the sedan, and opened Julio’s door. Hunching over to disguise his height, Harv put his right arm around the wounded man and began a slow shuffle toward the house. In the gloom, with the dark backdrop, it looked believable.

Nathan worked his way down the middle of the trees to the east until he was opposite the van. Keeping the van between himself and the house, he advanced. “I’m in position at the van.”

Copy.

The house seemed awfully quiet and totally silent. Not unusual in itself, but Nathan’s internal antennae went active. He focused on the windows to see if anyone cracked the curtains. No one did. His sense of caution climbed another notch.

Harv and Julio closed to within ten yards of the door.

A gust of wind moved past him.

Eight yards.

He inhaled through his nose. Deeply.

And caught an odor.

A sour smell. Like a septic tank.

Six yards.

He breathed the air again. Caught another whiff.

Three yards.

Shit. Not a septic tank-

“Harv. Bolter! Bolter!”

Harv let go of Julio and sprinted back up the driveway.

Seizing the opportunity, Julio used his freedom to hobble toward the front door.

Nathan yelled, “Get down!”

Harv dropped to the gravel just as Julio grabbed the doorknob and pushed.

The house ignited.

A fireball shot through the front door, turning Julio into a flaming bowling ball.

From a prone position, Nathan squinted as the man tumbled across the gravel and smashed against the side of the van. Simultaneously, every window blew outward, spewing glass and flames. The roof seemed to bulge for an instant before releasing from its walls. In a macabre ballet, burning plywood and shingles flew fifty feet into the air.

“Harv?”

I’m okay!

“Roll left!”

Harv scrambled laterally as a sheet of smoldering plywood landed where he’d just been. He saw Harv pop to his feet and dash into the citrus trees.

Burning debris rained out of the sky, starting satellite fires in the grass field to the north.

Nathan kept his head up as the last fiery chunks descended. In a running crouch, he formed up with Harv.

“Dalton’s girls,” Nathan growled.

“There’s nothing we can do for them.”

“I should’ve shot Julio before he reached the door.”

“Nate, there wasn’t time.”

Screaming came from behind them. Turning, they saw what was left of Julio, blackened and smoldering, wailing in agony as he attempted to crawl away from the van. The orange glow from the inferno revealed all Nathan needed to see. Parts of Julio’s clothing were still burning and the rest had fused with his skin. If he lived until help arrived, he’d go through living hell and probably wouldn’t survive. His entire body had sustained third-degree burns and looked like charred steak.

Nathan toggled his laser, painted the red dot on Julio’s form, and squeezed the trigger. It took three suppressed shots to end the screaming.

A flare of illumination blossomed in his peripheral vision. Across the road, porch lights had snapped on. Nathan figured they had less than thirty seconds to clear the area before every neighbor within a half mile came out to investigate the explosion and fire. Without a doubt, 911 had already been called.

He brushed a smoking shingle from the hood of the Mercedes before climbing into the passenger side. “Let’s beat feet outta here, double pronto.”

“No argument here.”

Gravel shot forward as Harv backed down the driveway. “How’d you know?”

“I smelled propane and put two and two together.”

“Well, thank heaven for your keen sense of smell and your advanced mathematics.”

“That heat wave was intense. I thought I’d caught fire.”

“Yeah, me too. I think our hair took some damage. I can smell it.”

“How are your eyes?”

“I think they’re readjusted now.” Harv backed onto Jonel Road, threw the sedan into drive, and stomped the accelerator. A huge dust cloud fanned out behind them as their Mercedes sped away. He looked over to Nathan. “Where to now?”

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

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