by Lisa Harris
“So how is this going to play out?” Caden asked as King slipped into the driver’s seat. “Exchanges are always tricky with neither party trusting the other.”
King’s hands gripped the steering wheel. “That’s my problem. I’ve got it all worked out.”
“I’m sure you do, and I’m glad, because trust me, I just want this to go as well as you do.”
The Jeep flew over a bump in the road, jarring Caden’s head against the window as he continued working to loosen the bindings on his wrists, while thinking through his next move. The last thing he wanted to do was make the man angry. He could already tell King was irritated and, more than likely, nervous. And he should be. He’d killed his partner and was now having to make the exchange on his own, which automatically made things more complicated. An exchange in the best of circumstances was risky. Doing it without backup was even riskier. But his gut told him King wasn’t looking at the consequences. He simply wanted out of this.
“And when it’s over?” Caden asked. “I assume you’re planning to leave the country with the money, which would be a good plan considering the body trail you’re intending to leave behind.”
The muscles in King’s jaw tightened. “Sawyer was useless. I only involved him because I needed backup. I never should have let him in.”
“The advantage is now you can keep all the money, but I am worried about something else.”
King turned onto the main road but didn’t respond. Caden decided to keep pressing.
“The problem is that the logistics of disappearing—without getting caught—aren’t going to be easy.”
“What do you know about disappearing?” King asked.
“I know that disappearing takes time and isn’t easy. Not with the digital trails left behind, especially if you plan to stay in the country.”
“My plans are none of your business.”
“True. I was just thinking how this predicament of yours wasn’t planned, but was pretty spur-of-the-moment, which is how you seem to work.”
“You know nothing about me.”
Caden glanced at Gwen and caught the worry in her eyes, but as far as he was concerned, they had nothing to lose at this point.
“I’m just wondering how much you’ve really thought this out,” Caden said, deciding to continue. “I know you’re impulsive, yet motivated. You could rent a small place under an assumed name and get lost in some big city, or you could even vanish and live off the land, but then you’d have to re-create everything about yourself. And you’ll always be looking over your shoulder. So I assume you realize that Central or South America is better than staying in the US, because remember you’re not just disappearing, you’re a fugitive now.”
“Law enforcement still doesn’t know who I am.”
“Maybe not, but they will, and it is true that without Sawyer in the picture, disappearing is going to be a whole lot easier.”
The pause from the front seat convinced him he was on the right track.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” Caden said. “You knew that this money was your one ticket out of here. It’s what made you willing to take the risks you’ve taken—”
“You know, I’ve heard enough,” King snapped back. “The only thing you need to know is that this exchange will go through, and after that, I’ll be long gone.”
Caden continued to work on getting his hands free, but he’d learned what he’d wanted to know. King wasn’t simply motivated by the money. He was motivated to survive. Quiet engulfed them for the next few minutes as they headed down the main road. Several cars passed them, but there was nothing he could do to get their attention. Frustration multiplied.
“I have a friend who could get you across the border,” Gwen said, breaking the silence.
Caden’s brow rose at her comment. He had no idea if she was playing the man or was serious, but she’d impressed him by the gutsy move.
“You two don’t give up, do you?” King said.
“I figure if I want to ensure we don’t end up like Sawyer, we need to make a deal. Unless you already have another plan.”
“How does your friend do it? Make a fake passport?”
Caden smiled. The man had taken the bait.
“He’s an old friend of mine, and while he hasn’t told me much about his…operation, no, you wouldn’t need a fake passport.”
“Then how?”
“People cross into the US illegally on a daily basis. It’s even easier to cross the other way. You use your own passport. He can get you and your money across for a fee. He can even get your passport stamped so you’re officially in the country legally.”
“And I’m supposed to believe you?”
“She’s right. She has as much at stake as you do,” Caden said, playing along with her. “We both do.”
“It’s the perfect deal,” Gwen said. “We help you—you let us leave alive.”
“And you expect me to trust the two of you?”
Caden’s wrists felt raw, but he kept working to undo the rope. Even if King did agree to some kind of deal, there was still no way Caden was going to trust the man to keep his word. He needed to be free in order to put an end to this.
“Probably no more than we trust you,” Caden said, “but you have to admit if you’re going to get away with this—and whatever else you’ve done—you need help.”
Caden caught King’s frown in the rearview mirror.
“Just think about the offer,” Gwen said. “You need our help.”
“How much farther?” Caden asked.
“Less than an hour.”
Caden glanced at Gwen. There was determination in her expression, but he could tell she was worried, too. They might have made their point that King couldn’t do this alone, but trusting them…? Well, that was a long shot. Still, while Caden had no idea whether or not Gwen really had the resource she’d claimed to have, he was impressed with her quick thinking. And if all they did was leave serious doubts in King’s mind, then that was enough for the moment. They needed him to hesitate over his next move and make a mistake. That was how he was going to get caught.
FOURTEEN
Dark clouds gathered above them an hour later, as King pulled off the main road and headed down a gravel road in the drizzling rain. She could tell that Caden—like herself—was still working to undo the binds behind them, but so far she, at least, hadn’t made any progress. Caden had been right about King not following a plan. He was simply acting moment-by-moment and making things up as he went along. She wasn’t even sure what his original intentions had been, other than to get his hands on the money and run.
While she hadn’t been completely honest about her ability to help King get across the border, it wasn’t exactly a lie, either. Samson just wasn’t a friend. He was a convicted felon she’d helped send to prison, which was exactly where King needed to be.
A moment later, they came into a clearing where the remains of a few old buildings that had seen better days lined the road ahead of them.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“Looks like an old mining town,” Caden said.
Gwen swallowed hard. The place where all of this was going to end one way or another.
She studied what was left of the abandoned log buildings and felt a shiver run through her. A hundred and fifty years ago, this had been a part of the Wild West. A thriving town filled with people convinced they were going to strike it rich. Today it just felt eerie and quiet. No doubt that was what King had wanted. The perfect meeting place for an exchange. Far enough off the main road, where there would be no witnesses, and plenty of places he could dump bodies.
And while she was sure tourists visited, the chances of them coming out in this weather were slim.
King parked about a hundred feet from the first building, then picked up his ringing phone. “W
here are you?”
“Coming in from the north.” Gwen could hear her brother’s answer from the back seat. “I’m two minutes out.”
“You better be if you want to see your sister alive. I don’t have time to wait.”
“Just don’t hurt her. Please. I said I’d be there.”
“Stop fifty feet from my car, then call me back.”
King hung up the call and stepped out of the vehicle, then pulled Gwen out of the back seat. “Don’t try anything stupid, unless you want your friend here to die.”
She studied King’s face as he checked to make sure Caden was still tied securely, but didn’t have to ask if he was serious.
We need a way out of this, God, and I don’t see one.
“What happens now?” Gwen asked.
King grabbed her arm again, then glanced back at Caden. “You will stay put, and don’t try to be the hero, because I promise, you will regret it. I’ll have a gun pointed at her the entire time.” He squeezed her arm tighter. “As for you, you’re going to walk, and get me the cash. You’ll make sure it’s there, then bring it back here.”
Gwen paused. “What guarantee do I have that you won’t shoot either of us in the process?”
“I don’t exactly owe you any guarantees.”
“And after you have the money?” she asked. “You still think you can just walk away from this and no one will find you?”
“What I do isn’t any of your business.”
Gwen frowned. Except it was. Especially if his business included dumping their bodies.
King pointed his gun on her. “Move now. I want to get this over with.”
Ten seconds later, Aaron’s car came into sight, driving toward them, and King’s phone rang again. “Get out of your vehicle with the money, keeping your hands where I can see them, and walk it halfway,” King said. “Drop the money then go back to your car. And don’t try anything foolish, or I will shoot your sister.”
“Enough with the threats,” Aaron said. “I’ll do it.”
Gwen watched as Aaron stepped out of his car. She wanted to run up to him and ask him what in the world he’d been thinking when he’d stolen the money. How could he have put his own life on the line, as well as hers and the others he’d affected? How could he have been so foolish?
Mostly, though, she just wanted to hug him with relief and for all of this to be over.
But the game King was playing was far from over.
Her brother dropped his phone into his pocket, then grabbed a gym bag out of the car and started slowly toward them.
“That’s far enough.” King held up his hand when Aaron was halfway between them, then pointed the gun at Gwen. “Walk back to your car and stand in front of it. Gwen, bring the bag back to me.”
She started down the gravel road, trying to ignore the pain in her ankle while continuing to pray. She’d never wanted to be the kind of person who only called out to God when things went wrong. She’d always wanted to be the one whose faith was strong enough to believe that no matter what happened, she’d still believe. Like Daniel in the lion’s den, or the three men in the fiery furnace. Her faith wouldn’t waver.
It wouldn’t waver if King killed them.
It wouldn’t waver if she lost her brother…
She dug deeper for a thread of faith and held on tight.
“I’m sorry about all of this,” Aaron said from where he stood. “Sorry we’re not out hiking like we’d planned. Sorry that we’re not spending our afternoons sitting at that cabin watching sci-fi marathons.”
Sci-fi marathons?
She paused for a second and held her brother’s gaze, trying to understand what he wanted her to do. She’d always told him that TV was a distraction when you could be outside enjoying God’s creation when they were up here. They’d talked, eaten too much and hiked, but binge-watching? Never.
A distraction.
TV was a distraction.
That was what he wanted.
“Shut up and pick up the money,” King shouted.
She reached down and managed to grab the bag despite her hands still zip-tied in front of her, her focus on Aaron.
“Wait…” King said. She turned around and looked back at him. “Hold up what’s inside the bag.”
She unzipped it slowly, then pulled out a wad of stacked bills.
“Zip it up and get back here now.”
Gwen had seen the subtle look Aaron had given her, and prayed he had a plan. Both he and Caden had been trained to handle situations like this and were capable of taking care of themselves. She was the weak link.
But all she needed to give him was a distraction.
She took another step then stumbled, purposely dropping the bag in front of her. “Sorry.”
She reached down to pick it back up as King rushed toward her.
“Forget it.”
He shifted his attention to the bag. She glanced behind her as Aaron pulled out a handgun. She stepped back, and her brother took a shot.
“What did you just do?” King shouted, stumbling forward.
King tried to grab for Gwen as he dropped to the ground, blood quickly spreading across his shoulder. Caden ran up to her, his hands now free. He kicked away King’s gun, then pinned him to the ground with his foot against the man’s back.
King groaned in pain.
“Perfect distraction, Gwen,” Aaron said as he headed toward them.
“Grab his gun,” Caden said.
King groaned again and tried to get up, but Caden shoved the heel of his boot harder into the man’s back until he quit struggling. “I said lie down.”
Gwen reached for the gun, pausing as the sound of an engine shifted her attention and brought on another surge of adrenaline. A Dodge pulled up beside them, and a man emerged.
“No one move. Leave the gun on the ground.” The man trained his gun on them. “I thought I’d find you here, King. And by the way, thanks for taking him down. You’re going to make my job so much easier.”
“Who are you?” Caden asked.
“The real owner of that bag of money.” He took several steps and stood over King. “You didn’t really think I was going to let you just walk away.”
“I was getting the money for you,” King said.
“I’m sure you were.”
Aaron started walking toward them again. “You’re supposed to be in prison, Anderson.”
“And you never should have gotten involved in this.”
Aaron kept moving their way.
“That’s far enough.”
“I was—”
“I said, don’t move.” Anderson fired a shot. The bullet ripped through the afternoon air.
“No…” She watched her brother stumble forward, a slash of red spreading across his thigh from the bullet. “Aaron?”
Gwen screamed as her brother dropped to the ground.
Caden tried to put the pieces together as Gwen shouted at the man who’d just shot her brother. A light rain had started to fall, but he barely noticed the steady drops.
“Let her go to her brother,” Caden said, praying his demand wasn’t met with the same result as Aaron’s actions.
“Please. I need to stop the bleeding,” Gwen begged the man.
Caden caught the panic in Gwen’s eyes as Aaron lay motionless. Her face had paled, but he knew how he would have felt if it had been one of his brothers.
“That’s all I’ll do. I promise,” Gwen said. “He needs help.”
“Stay where you are and give me the bag.”
She hesitated for a moment before grabbing the handle and tossing the bag at him.
Caden took a step back from King, his hands up. He needed to find a way to defuse the situation before someone else got shot. “Let her help him. That’s all she wants to do.”
The man shifted the gun toward Caden. “Drop to your knees, both of you, and put your hands behind your head.”
Caden glanced at Gwen. So this was how it was going to end. Shot execution-style then buried somewhere out in this vast wilderness?
“You’ve got this all wrong, Anderson.” King managed to sit up, still holding his shoulder where Aaron had shot him.
“I don’t think so. You didn’t think you were going to get away with this, did you? That I would let you take my money and disappear. You always were impulsive and didn’t think things through, but betraying my trust—even I didn’t think you were that rash.”
“No… I thought you were still in prison. I knew the money was missing, which is why I’m here…getting your money back.” King’s fingers pressed into his shoulder. “You have to believe me.”
“And if I hadn’t managed to escape during my transport?” Anderson asked. “Am I to assume you would have simply kept the money for me?”
“Of course,” King said.
“Please…just let me go to him,” Gwen interrupted their conversation.
“Not yet.” Anderson unzipped the bag and started digging through it. “This ridiculous charade you’ve been running is over, King.”
“I told you—”
“I heard what you told me, but I don’t believe you. I think you’d do anything for three hundred thousand dollars. Including betray me and anyone else who got in your way.” He zipped up the bag. “Where is Sawyer?”
King ignored the man’s stare. “I don’t know.”
“When I couldn’t get ahold of him or you, I assumed you were here together. I’m thinking the two of you made a deal, but now I’m starting to think Sawyer got the raw end of that deal.”
“Sawyer’s dead,” Caden said. “King shot him back at the house where he was keeping us.”
“So you really have made a pretty little mess. You were at my house. Tried to take my money.” Anderson leveled his weapon at King. “I should end this now—”
“Please. Don’t. I’m telling the truth.”
“You betrayed me and killed Sawyer. I have no reason to believe you.”