Page 39 of Truth is the Ultimate Weapon

“I understand the task at hand. Don’t worry about me. You can trust me.” Charlotte forced a smile.

“You mean that man right there?” Coy said quietly as someone stepped out of the barn, weapon ready, leaving the door ajar, their stance defensive and alert.

“Oh shit. Then, Glen’s here?” Kenzie asked.

“My guess is he’s in that barn,” Nash confirmed. “That’s got to be the guy in the video. Same clothes. Same limp.”

“Do we go in?” Kenzie asked.

“We don’t know what’s in there. Walking into the lion’s den doesn’t always end well.” Coy started, “But we wait, we risk loss of life. We’re fucked either way.”

“Can we draw them out?” Nash asked. “I’m real good at walking into shit I have no business being in. I’ll just act lost.”

“Except they know who you are.” Coy shook his head at Nash’s foolish plan.

“All the more reason for me to go. Owen Bridges thinks I’m a screw up who isn’t good enough for his daughter. I’ll just play the part.”

“It’s a stupid idea,” Coy said. “Stupid and reckless.”

“Then what’s your plan, big guy?” Nash prodded. “We’re sitting ducks no matter how you spin this thing.”

Coy looked at Diesel and scratched his head, “You want to work, boy?”

Diesel stood tall, panting, and hyper-focused on Coy when the mention of work was made, a commend he was familiar with and thrived on.

“Oh no,” Devyn whispered. “You can’t send him in. He’ll get hurt.”

“Dev, he isn’t a pet. He’s a highly trained operative. A soldier. This is his job. This isn’t a suicide mission. It’s tactical, and he’s well-trained for it. He knows how to navigate this.” Coy scolded, “You act out or cause a scene and distract him, though, and he’s going to think you’re in trouble and try to protect you. That’s what will get him and any one of us killed. You understand?”

Devyn glanced at Diesel and closed her eyes, conceding defeat as she nodded her head. Diesel licked her hand, then sided up to Coy, waiting for his next command.

Gunfire erupted, jolting them all as they scrambled to pinpoint its source amidst the echoing chaos. The man standing guard outside the barn collapsed to the ground, lifeless… a stark confirmation of the danger they were facing.

“What the hell just happened?” Nash quizzed.

“I’d say we just witnessed a murder.” Kenzie retorted sarcastically.

Nash looked at her bewildered. “You don’t say… what was your first clue?”

“The real question here is who is killing who?” Coy said, “Get ready, it’s going down.”

The barn door creaked open wider, revealing a hand gripping a gun, trembling with nerves as it emerged slowly and cautiously. What happened next caught them all off guard: Glen himself stepped out from the barn, brandishing the gun in every direction with an anxious air as if feeling disoriented and threatened.

“Uncle Glen,” Kenzie muttered under her breath, poised to step out from their barricade and reveal their location.

Coy stopped her. “Not yet, Kenz. Wait. Something isn’t right.”

“Where are you, sons of bitches?” Glen's voice echoed out in a threatening tone, filled with warning, as he brandished the gun with unsteady hands. His eyes darted around the immediate area and beyond, searching for any sign of danger, his expression a mixture of fear and aggression. “He’s dead. I saw to it. Your boss is dead. Now get off my land. You can’t have it.”

Charlotte gasped, catching Glen’s attention. He slowly moved their direction with his gaze fixed on the general area they were bunkered in.

“He killed my father.” Charlotte's breaths came quick and laden with anxiety, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession. “That’s what he’s saying, right?”

“Who’s there? Show yourself, you coward.” Glen yelled. “I hear you. I know where you are. I’m going to start shooting.”

“He knows we’re here,” Nash said. “Look at how he’s holding that gun. I believe him when he says he’s going to start shooting.”

“He seems disoriented,” Kenzie added. “His head is bleeding. He’s been hurt.”

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