by KC Crowne
“Means hunter,” Sabrina informed us. “Maybe they’re sendin’ us a little message.”
“Pricks,” Adie snarled.
Gerald turned onto the road. We didn’t drive too far before I spotted the ranch, a small house with a wooden, fenced-in area to the right that likely hadn’t restrained any animals in years. A few new-looking trucks were parked out front, and as we got closer, I could make out a pair of men dressed in plain white shirts, jeans, and cowboy boots posted on both sides. But it wasn’t their clothes I was most struck by they all had guns in their hands. Not rifles or shotguns or any other kind of weapon you’d expect a Texan to own. They were sleek and black and mean and held with both hands.
“Damn,” Gerald said. “Those are machine guns.”
“Aren’t those illegal?” Adie asked, gaping.
Gerald nodded. “Illegal and expensive. This ain’t some little crew of shitheads we’re dealin’ with – if they can afford guns like those, they’re serious business. The more I think about it, the more I’m sure we’re makin’ the right call by givin’ ‘em what they want.”
As I stared at the guns, I began to agree with him. And the looks on Sabrina’s and Adie’s faces suggested they felt the same way.
Gerald parked the truck and we all got out. I didn’t have a chance to put boots on the dust before he was in front of us, approaching the guards with total fearlessness.
“Estamos aqui para hablar a Miguel Diaz,” he said in fluent Spanish. The guy was full of surprises.
“Miguel?” one of the men laughed.
“Miguel no esta aqui,” the other man announced.
They shared another laugh, one I didn’t like one bit.
“What’re they sayin’?” Adie whispered.
“They’re sayin’ Michael isn’t here,” Sabrina answered, her eyes on the men.
“What?” Adie asked, totally confused. “Then who are we meetin’ with?”
Gerald glanced back at us, nodding to wait. “Let me talk to ‘em.”
“Ven,” one of the guards said as he opened the door and gestured inside. “Ahora.”
“Guess the meeting’s still on,” Gerald said. “Let’s do this.”
We stepped into the house, beams of light cutting through the dusty space, the wood creaking under our boots. Just like the rest of the place, it looked like there hadn’t been any activity there in God only knew how long. As I looked around, I spotted what looked like stains on the wood that had been only partially cleaned-up. Blood?
“Welcome.”
Inside were five men, four who looked like guards, each standing in pairs on both sides of a man in the middle who looked to be in charge. The boss was tall and well-built with a broad face, dressed in clean jeans and a cowboy shirt with a bolo tie dangling down his chest. His boots were black with gold trim, and everything about his appearance suggested wealth and power. A revolver hung at his hip, the handle polished ivory.
“Have a seat,” he said, motioning to the table in the middle of the room.
“I wanna know where Michael is,” Gerald said, not budging an inch. “That was the arrangement, and I don’t take kindly to last-minute changes in plans.”
The guards, all armed like the ones outside, shared a knowing look.
“Michael isn’t handling this particular affair as carefully as I would’ve hoped. He made a few calls, namely with the mayor, that I didn’t care for. He’s been…reassigned.”
My gut tensed. I was hardly an expert in criminal behavior, but “reassigned” had to be a euphemism. I glanced down again at the recently cleaned stain on the ground.
“But you all have no need to be concerned with any of that. This meeting is going to go as planned, simply with myself taking Michael’s place.” He stepped up to the table and opened the leather briefcase laying there. “Check them for weapons,” he said to the guards.
All four of them moved to us with the idea of patting the four of us down.
“Don’t you lay a finger on them,” Gerald said, anger in his voice.
“Mr. Walker,” the man said. “I’m afraid you’re not calling any shots here. If you want to get through this as simply and painlessly as possible, I suggest you not put up a fuss.”
Gerald said nothing, clenching his big hands into big fists. He was visibly furious.
The guards came over and patted us down. Once they were satisfied, they returned to their positions at the back of the room, and the man in charge gestured for us to sit down.
“Now,” the man said, taking out a series of documents that looked like contracts. “The arrangement will be as previously discussed. We’ll pay you a small sum, and the bed and breakfast will be ours. Once we’re finished here, you won’t see us again. And if you’re smart, all of you will be out of the area by the end of the day. In the interest of your safety.”
“We can’t even stay in town?” I asked, frustration lining my words. “What the hell is this?”
Gerald glanced at me and placed his finger in front of his mouth. As much as I didn’t want to take the situation laying down, I knew he was right. Once our exchange was finished, the man continued as if I hadn’t interrupted.
“Simply sign on the dotted lines and our business will be concluded.” To make his point, the man turned the briefcase toward us. It was packed full of neat stacks of bills, all looking to be hundreds. “To make the process even simpler, I decided cash would be more to your liking. The money is all clean, of course. You can even count it if you want – I won’t be offended.”
“By clean, I’m sure you mean laundered,” I said scathingly, unable to resist at least a small dig. “Not that it ain’t blood money.” This earned another sharp look from Gerald.
The man only chuckled. “Money is money. We have more than a few legitimate businesses. Maybe this came from them. Either way, it’s what you’re getting. Now, if you wouldn’t mind signing…” He took a fancy pen, the same ivory as his revolver, out of his pocket and passed it over.
I decided to sign first. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Gerald checking his watch, as if he were waiting for something. I gave the contract a quick once-over; all looked to be in order. Nothing else to do, I scrawled my name and passed the pen to Sabrina. She did the same, and so did Adie, though she did so with shaking hands. I begrudgingly passed the contract back to the man.
“Perfect,” he said, looking it over before folding it in thirds. “See how simple things can be? Keep the briefcase – consider it a parting gift.”
He nodded to the guards, who formed up and began moving around the table toward the door. With a victorious glance in our direction, the fucker actually smiled. “Do take care now.”
The moment he was behind us, the back of my neck began to burn something fierce. Something seemed wrong, very wrong.
Gerald’s voice cut through the air, booming and deep. “Get the fuck down!”
It was the last thing I heard before the sound of gunfire exploded in the air.
Chapter 26
GERALD
Bullets crashed through the windows, dropping two guards on the spot. I rolled over on top of Crystal, guarding her body with mine, making certain no harm would come to her. I could see Sabrina and Adie on the floor close by, huddled together and unharmed.
Flashbacks filled my mind. I remembered the ambush in the alley, how I’d been too late to save James from being shot. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Not a fucking chance.
The remaining guards along with the boss who’d taken Michael’s place flipped the table and used it as makeshift cover. They aimed their guns and returned fire.
The women screamed, and from my position, I reached over and shoved Adie and Sabrina down flat to the ground, making sure they were out of the line of fire. “Stay down!”
I would get them out safely. No matter what.
“What the hell is going on?” Crystal screeched between crackles of gun fire. “What’s happening?”
“The cavalry
showed up!” I shouted. “And just in the nick of fuckin’ time!”
I was sure that barely began to answer the question, but it wasn’t like I had time to get into detail.
“Stay down!” I shouted again, making sure Sabrina and Adie heard me. “We’re going out the back door. Stay close, and don’t put your head up!”
The guards and the men outside returned fire, but my eyes were on the exit – the small door that led behind the ranch. I crawled in the prone position, using my arms to propel myself forward, making sure to sweep aside the broken glass around me so the women wouldn’t be hurt.
“Stay right behind me,” I yelled, locking eyes with each of the women, one after the other, being certain they were paying attention. “We’re gonna get out of this safe and sound. Alright?”
They nodded, and that was my cue to move.
I took one last look to make sure the cartel thugs were occupied by the firefight. When I was certain, I started off over the ground. The four of us moved in a line, around the table and toward the door. Once I arrived, I reached up and opened it, hot air blasting in from outside.
I was about to call back, telling the women to go out before me. Before I could, I spotted a boot right by the exit. I looked up and was staring at one of the guards who’d been posted out front, panic scrawled all over his features. I didn’t need to see his eyes behind his sunglasses to know he was ready to fight, but he didn’t get the chance.
I grabbed him by the ankle and yanked his leg hard, knocking him to the ground. He struggled and tried to aim his rifle at me, but as he fired, I grabbed the barrel, shoving it aside as the gun went off. The bullet went wide, but the barrel burned so damn hot it felt like I’d placed my palm flat on a stove turned up to the max.
I didn’t let go of the gun, no matter how much it hurt. I fought through the pain, wrenched the weapon from his hands, and tossed it aside into the dirt. He was surprised, his eyes dropping to the knife tucked into his jeans. Before he could even move to grab it, I lunged forward and slammed my fist into the side of his face, the blow landing so hard his head knocked into the wall. He fell to the floor, unconscious. After he rolled over, I grabbed the knife and tucked it into my boot.
When I was satisfied he was out, I turned to Crystal and her friends. “Move, now!”
The hurried past me, staying on the ground as they crossed the threshold. Relief rushed through me as we got clear. We weren’t out of the woods yet, however. The battle still raged inside, the two teams exchanging fire. I said a silent prayer that the good guys would prevail.
“What’s the plan?” Crystal asked, her face smeared with dust, the acrid scent of gunpowder in the air.
“We stay low and get out of the line of fire.”
“Who is that back there?” Sabrina asked breathlessly. “Who’s shootin’?”
“An old friend,” I said with a smirk. “Don’t stop movin’!”
We stayed in the line, crawling through the dirt and reaching the corner.
“Come on, ladies!” I shouted, waiting for them all to get clear. “We stay still, we’re done for!”
They nodded, and I motioned for them to go around the corner. Sabrina went first, then Adie, and Crystal last. We hurried down the side of the house, making our way to the front to repeat the process. I could see the scene out front. A trio of black Lincolns with government plates were parked out front, the FBI agents who’d arrived in them taking cover and firing at the cartel members. I looked for my friend but couldn’t see him among the commotion.
“Okay!” I yelled once the women were around me. “Those are the good guys. When I give the word, run over there and take cover behind the cars. And keep your damn heads down!”
More nods.
“Adie!” Crystal shouted. “You go first!”
I wanted to see Crystal safe, but even with my feelings taken into consideration, there was nothing more important than making sure all three of them were away from the fight and unarmed.
“Go!” I shouted once the gunfire died down as the guards inside reloaded. “Go now!”
Adie gave a quick nod and took off, staying low to the ground. I watched as she ran to the nearest agent, who spotted her and guided her to safety as quickly as he could.
One safe, two to go. I wasn’t even thinking about myself in the slightest at that moment.
“Sabrina! You’re up!” Crystal directed.
Even through the chaos, I had some admiration for how cool of a head Crystal was managing to keep. I’d seen my share of grown Marines freak out during a fight, and there she was, a civilian who knew how to handle herself.
The gunfire died down again, and we sent Sabrina running. She did the same as Adie, sprinting to the agents and taking cover.
“Alright!” I shouted, my eyes on the destination. “You’re up next, baby!”
But there was no response. When I turned, my heart jumped into my chest. Crystal had been pulled to her feet, the boss from inside yanking her up and holding her in front of him, the ivory-handled revolver pressed to her jaw. His eyes locked onto mine, he backed up slowly, putting distance between them and me.
“Gerald!” she screamed.
The gunfire stopped, silence filling the air. I quickly turned and spotted the agents, their attention turned toward the scene unfolding at the side of the house. They’d taken care of the men inside, and only the boss remained. But he wasn’t about to give himself up. No – he was pulling the most low-down trick there was, using a woman as a human shield.
The agents rushed over, training their guns on the boss.
“Alright,” he said as Crystal squirmed against him. “We’re gonna do this nice and easy. No one needs to get hurt.”
“Let her go. Now.” My voice was even and calm. I’d dealt with enough killers in my day to know freaking them out was the easiest way to have a situation like this go all kinds of sideways.
“She’ll be let go once I’m clear,” he said.
As he spoke, I shifted my weight from one boot to the other, feeling the movement of the knife in my pocket.
“You’re not going anywhere with her,” one of the agents said. “Release her now and this will go much smoother for you.”
He let out a dry, almost manic laugh. “You’ve got to be dumber than you look if you think I’m going to do that. Now, my car is out front. I’m going to take her with me, and when I’m a few miles down the road, I’ll let her out on the side of the road. No one else needs to die today.”
“You’re right,” I said. “But she’s not goin’ anywhere with you.”
No one had a chance to do or say anything else. Crystal let out a cry and pulled her arm forward, slamming her elbow into the man’s stomach. His eyes bugged out, the air rushing from his lungs, and Crystal was able to get free. She ran toward us, and over her shoulder I watched as the boss raised the pistol toward her, ready to fire.
He didn’t get off a single round.
I yanked the knife out of my pocket and sent it sailing through the air, the blade connecting with the man’s shoulder, a cry of pain eliciting from him as the pearl-white gun dropped into the dust. The agents flew towards him and tackled the man to the ground. Within seconds he was in cuffs, one of the agents pinning him to the ground with a boot on his upper back.
It was over.
I watched the boss squirm, crying out in pain as one of the agents yanked the knife from his shoulder. I’d taken a wound like that before – it’d hurt like a bitch, but he’d be fine. And that’s just what I wanted. Whoever he was, I had a feeling he was the man in charge of this operation. He needed to face the music for what he’d done.
I turned, rushing toward the car the three women had taken shelter behind. They were there, a pair of agents checking on them to make sure they were unhurt. Aside from being justifiably shaken up, they seemed to be fine.
Crystal saw me and broke away from the agents, running over as quickly as she could. I threw my arms around her, holding her close, not
wanting her apart from me even for a second.
“You’re okay,” I murmured, more relieved than I’d ever been in my life.
“I’m alright. And you…” She backed up and looked me over, a smile spreading across her face when she saw that I was in good shape. “You look a little beat to hell, but still a sight for sore eyes.” She winked, and I swooped in a gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Gerald Walker.” I recognized the booming voice, turning to see the face of a friend I hadn’t seen in a long, long while.
“James Howard.”
James was tall and lean, with broad shoulders and a narrow middle that hinted at his swimming days in high school. He had sandy-blond hair, dark eyes, and a strong jaw and was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt, a pair of heavy black boots on his feet and a pistol at his side.
We stepped up to one another, giving each other’s hand a firm shake that turned into a back-slapping hug. Then he put his hands on my shoulders and looked me up and down.
“Damn, thought I remembered you bein’ bigger back in the day. You skippin’ out on the gym?”
I laughed. “Alright, smartass.”
“Good to see you, buddy,” he said, his expression turning serious. “And glad to have a chance to take these pricks down.”
“What’s goin’ on here?” Crystal asked. “I thought you weren’t gonna call him?”
“Is that right?” James asked with a grin. “You were gettin’ all kinds of mixed up in cartel business and you were planning on leaving your old buddy James out of the loop?”
I laughed. “You know how I am with the law.”
“I know, I know. Shoot, after what you been through with the Rangers…” He shook his head as if knowing he didn’t need to get into all that. “Anyway, glad you made the right call.”
Crystal was still surprised, wrapping her head around everything. “Now hold on just a damn minute – you said you wanted us to sell the place, to sign the papers and all that. But all this time you knew the Feds were going to show up?”
“Didn’t wanna keep you in the dark, baby,” I said sheepishly. “But this thing needed to look like the real deal. If I had told you what was gonna happen, there was a chance you might accidently reveal somethin’ we wanted to keep secret.”