Page 30 of Raider Unleashed

Craning his neck, Raider could see a thumb drive inside. Denlo grinned. It was the first time since this thing started that Denlo had anything other than a scowl on his face. He reached in and took the thumb drive and tucked it in his pocket. Then he pulled out his phone and sent off a quick text.

“Okay, we’re done,” he said and started towards the door. “Everyone out.” He motioned with the gun. Wells stared at Baker, who frowned, but both men headed toward the hole in the wall. Raider grabbed Piper by the arm and positioned her so he was between the gun and her. They all trucked down the ladder and climbed back up the stairs into the empty store.

Raider grimaced. If he’d been running the op, then he would’ve had guys in the bank and here to grab Denlo when he was the last guy to get on to the ladder. Could have easily stopped him from shooting anyone then. Where the hell was the ATF team?

Piper glanced at Raider. He knew she was wondering the same thing. Suddenly the door opened behind them. Raider whirled around.Finally. But instead of Chambers and the ATF, it was the clerk from the convenience store. He had a gun in his hand.

The man moved forward so he was lit by the construction lights Baker had set up earlier. His hair was tied back in a ponytail and he wore a dirty pair of jeans. His short-sleeved t-shirt revealed the snake tattoo on his arm.

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All the air rushed out of Piper’s lungs. The convenience store clerk was the Snake. She’d know that tattoo anywhere. All this time he’d been right there. Of course, a tattoo wouldn’t be enough. No one would believe that she could ID him by just his tattoo. She’d need more. But he was here and now she knew what he looked like. God she’d kill for a cell phone camera right now.

“You’ve got it?”

Denlo produced the thumb drive and then immediately tucked it back in his pocket. “What do you want to do?” He indicated Piper, Raider, and the other two with his chin.

“Not here,” Snake said. “Too much exposure. Back to the house.”

“Hey,” Baker said, glancing at Piper and Raider, “I don’t want to go back to the house. I want my money and I want off this god-forsaken island. Paradise? Bah!”

Snake raised his gun and pointed it at Baker. “Get in the van or I will shoot you right here.” The menace in his tone was unmistakable. He meant business.

Baker raised his hands and stared.

“Now,” Snake growled.

Baker and Wells started toward the door. Piper glanced at Raider. This wasn’t going according to plan. Not at all. If they got in the van and went back to the house, the chances of surviving this went down dramatically. Where the hell was her backup?

Baker opened the back door and after tossing a glance over his shoulder at Piper, started out. Wells did the same thing. Piper was next through the door. She searched the darkness for any sign of her back-up. Nothing stirred, and the ash in the air blotted out any light, so nothing was visible. Maybe they were in the van? Baker opened the back door, and Piper’s heart sank to see the vehicle was empty. He shot her another look. She gave her head the tiniest shake.

Fuck! What the hell was going on?She glanced at Raider. She tried to ask him with her eyes.Should we get in the van?

He met her gaze with one eyebrow slightly lifted.Good question. I have no idea what’s going on.

Piper looked around again. Nothing. Denlo might be an amateur, but the Snake was not. He stood back a bit and held his gun so that he covered their every move. If she or Raider tried anything now, she had no doubt Snake would shoot. She looked at Denlo. He was close but not close enough to grab.Shit.They didn’t have a choice. They were going to have to get in the van.

She reluctantly climbed in, relieved just a bit when Raider jostled his way into the van after her. His presence and him sticking close to her side was meager relief, but it was a relief. Denlo slammed the door behind them and then climbed around to the driver’s seat. The Snake got in on the passenger side. They started driving out when suddenly there were flashing red and blue lights reflected on the van’s roof. She looked at Raider who just shook his head. Was this part of their rescue? But Denlo just continued out of the lot and into the street. No one stopped him. Her heart sank.

Piper sat by the back doors of the van between Baker and Wells. Raider was against the wall next to Wells. Baker leaned over and whispered, “I thought they were supposed to come get us.”

Snake whirled around and pointed the gun at them. “No talking.” He stayed positioned to look back at them so any further conversation was impossible. The truth was she had nothing to say. She had no clue what had happened. Where was everyone? They should’ve been there. Then it hit her. They’d finished way early. Like hours early. She glanced at her watch. It was just past one in the morning. They were supposed to be in there for another four hours. Her heart slammed into her rib cage as her stomach lurched.

She tried to suck oxygen into her lungs. At the very least, the ATF should have a spotter on site already. Someone had to be watching the place. Surely the alarm went up when the Snake arrived on the scene. They’d missed him arriving in the warehouse though and it had cost Marta her life. At least when they all came out early, someone would have seen that. She crossed her fingers that the team was probably setting up at the house.

Her nerves settled slightly with the thought. She tried to catch Raider’s eye, but it was dark in the back of the van and he seemed to be avoiding looking at her. He was paying more attention to the Snake. Denlo took a corner a bit fast and they all slid into one another.

“Be careful,” Snake snarled. “We don’t want to attract any attention.”

“From who?” Denlo snapped back. “We’re the only assholes left here. The lava is still flowing and it’s going to cut off the highway. Everyone is gone.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do, Kasinski.”

Kasinski. Now she had a name for him. And she had a face. He was hers. This was all she needed to get justice for Marta.

They pulled up the driveway of the house and Kasinski had them out in the driveway and then into the house in seconds. Piper had been ready for anything when the door of the van opened but nothing happened. She’d been alert when they’d entered the house, but no one was there.

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