Wyatt motioned them forward a little bit further. Each step Matthew made sounded incredibly loud in his ears. He reminded himself to take cautious steps and remain attentive to his surroundings. He studied the cartel goons’ faces, searching for any indication that they detected Matthew’s presence.
Jade nudged Matthew from behind, and pointed in the direction of a series of five cars parked in such a way that it looked like they could effectively be used as cover. Matthew nodded in understanding. If they hid behind the stalled cars, they would be more nearly in range to pick off the men one by one if needed.
Wyatt turned to look at him one more time, as if verifying that Matthew was battle-ready. Matthew nodded once, and Wyatt, satisfied, directed them closer to the cars. At the gas station, Colin’s men continued to laugh. One of them seemed to be smoking a cigarette. Matthew kept a close eye on his son to ensure that the men didn’t do anything to him. Behind him, he heard David’s breathing turn from a pant to a wheeze. Matthew stifled his concern.
Finally, the brush disappeared, leaving only an open expanse of concrete between them and the line of cars they wanted to use as cover. Wyatt leapt out first, staying as low to the ground as possible, and then sidled up next to the passenger door of one of the cars. Matthew took in a deep breath and sprinted for the cars next. The loud sound of gravel crunching underfoot convinced him that Colin’s men would look up and spot him, but somehow, he managed to slide up next to Wyatt undetected. Jade followed a moment later.
Matthew looked behind him to see David lumbering toward them, his hand clutching his chest. Alarms rang in Matthew’s mind. He remembered his father looking like this when they were walking to Galena. For a moment, his panic overtook him. If David fell or began to cough, Colin’s men would immediately detect them, and their element of surprise would disappear, making this mission a whole lot harder than originally planned.
Please, Dad. Matthew thought. Please make it to the cars.
David seemed to grit his teeth and run as fast as he could, finally landing with a whump next to Matthew. His breathing came out low and harsh. Matthew gripped David’s shoulder as though trying to send him strength through the touch. After a moment of heavy breathing, David looked up and squeezed Matthew’s shoulder back. The tension left him, but Matthew still felt on his guard.
Wyatt laid a comforting hand on David’s shoulder, and they all waited until David’s breathing was back under control. Then Wyatt made another motion, telling them to get into position. It was now or never.
It was time.
29
Matthew’s shoulder pressed hard into the side of the car as he settled into a place where he could keep an eye on Patton and still observe the rest of the cartel members. There seemed to be five in total, with two standing close to Patton and the other three milling out and around the street. Samuel West’s shotgun was clutched in Matthew’s hand, but he knew he couldn’t fire it at his enemies from this range without Patton getting hit. He put the trusted shotgun down and took the rifle he had borrowed from Wyatt instead.
The big man yanked on Patton’s shoulder, as if scolding the boy. Patton scowled at the big man, and Matthew once more stifled the urge to run for his son, grab him, and drag him back to safety. Desperately, he wished this were all over, but he knew he couldn’t break from the plan. If they didn’t get the timing right, or if they ruined the element of surprise, it would all be over and end horribly. The cartel might try to hold Patton at gunpoint, or threaten him in some other way, and Matthew knew he would give in to their demands. Be strong. He bit his lip. Remain calm.
“Think he’s gonna show?” the big man asked. “Kid, seriously. Stop squirming for ten seconds, all right?”
“That punk?” the one smoking the cigarette said. “Unlikely. Max is nothing but a coward. He’d save his own skin over anyone else.”
“Don’t talk about my uncle like that,” Patton said. “I hope he doesn’t come!”
“Aw, look at the kid. All protective. That’s cute. Don’t worry. Your uncle will be getting what he deserves. You’ve got more guts than he does anyway.” The big man laughed.
Patton’s lips spread in a snarl, and he shoved the big man’s hand off of his shoulder. “Get off of me,” he said.
“Sun’s getting low,” the big man said, ignoring Patton. “Can’t wait to get out of this podunk town.”
“You and me both,” the one with the cigarette said.
The conversation died, and Matthew glanced at Wyatt who narrowed his eyes at him. Matthew understood without it having to be said out loud. If Max hadn’t shown up yet, they were lucky. The only bad part was that they had no idea where Max was, or if he had collapsed on his way to the gas station. If Max never showed, well, their plan would have to drastically change.
“Isn’t that a surprise,” the big man said, perking up and peering off into the distance. “The singing bird finally showed. You owe me twenty bucks, man. Hey, Colin! You might want to come out here and see this.”
“Uncle Max!” Patton cried out. “Get out of here!”
The big man clapped a hand over Patton’s mouth, and the boy let out a scream of frustration.
Matthew
