Page 51 of Lone Star Witness

Slade tore his attention off the dash monitor and looked at Marise. She was trying her damndest to arrange her expression to convince him that this would all turn out just fine.

He wished he could believe her.

Wished that he could kiss her before he got out, but that would feel too much like a goodbye. And it wasn’t. He had to make himself believe that he would get back to her and that nothing bad would happen before he could return.

“See you later,” she said, her voice trembling a little, and he knew that tremble wasn’t about fears for her own safety. But for his.

“Later,” he repeated, and he tried to make it sound like a promise.

Jericho and he exchanged a glance and barreled out of the van and into the rain. Slade knew that Nash immediately moved behind the wheel so that he’d be ready to drive Caroline and Marise out of there if things went to hell.

As planned, Jericho and Slade only took a few steps together, stepping into the trees that formed a canopy that shut out some of the rain. Both of them glanced around to see if they spotted anything the drone or the thermal scan had missed. But there was nothing except the relentless rain slapping on the tree branches, the flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder.

After those few steps, Jericho went left to circle around behind the three heat sources so he could then get to the creek. Slade went right for his showdown with Sonny.

“You chickenshit coward,” Slade called out. Again, this was part of the plan to goad Sonny into showing himself. “Are you hiding, too scared to come out for fear you’ll get hurt?”

Nothing.

No movement, no response.

“I see, you want to kill another woman,” Slade went on. “Someone smaller than yourself so it’ll make you feel like a big dick. You’re a dick, all right. A cowardly piece of shit who won’t stand up to someone who can whip your ass.”

That did it.

Just ahead about twenty yards, Jericho saw some movement. Someone wearing a hood peered out from behind a tree. A quick glance out and then a retreat back to cover.

“I know you’re not alone,” the man snarled.

It was Sonny, all right.

“You’re not alone either,” Slade fired back. “Did you bring your coward crew with you? I’m betting they’re worthless losers, just like you are.”

Sonny spewed out some ripe profanity. “I told you to bring Caroline and Marise,” he growled out a moment later.

“They’re here,” Slade confirmed. “But I suspect you already know that. You could have used a scanner to check the van. You used to have one for night hunting.”

“I didn’t say to keep them hidden away in the van,” Sonny spat out. “I want them with you and your asshole brothers. Where are they anyway? Hiding like worthless loser cowards?” He laughed at his own bad joke.

Slade figured the dipshit knew exactly where Nash and Jericho were since he would have used that thermal scanner on them, too.

“Did you think we would all just get out and line up for you to take easy shots at us?” Slade asked. “That’s a coward’s way of thinking,” he added. “Why don’t you come out and face me like the man you claim to be?”

More silence.

Well, from Sonny anyway. He got an update from Nash.

“Jericho’s at the creek. The armed man there is right by the rope, and he has a knife, ready to cut it.”

Slade silently cursed, but it was exactly what he’d expected.

“Jericho’s getting into position to use his slingshot,” Nash added.

That was expected, too. Jericho might be able to take out the knife-wielding asshole and save the hostages.

“Get down now,” Nash ordered through the communicator.

Slade reacted in a blink. He dropped to the ground. Barely in time. Because there was the sound of a gunshot.

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