Page 43 of Jael

When they climbed onto the rotting porch, Christopher stood with his back to the peeling paint, and Danny pulled open the ripped screen door before knocking. “Uber Eats,” he called out, then knocked again. “You want me to leave it on the step?”

“Hang on,” came a rough voice from inside. “I didn’t order anything.”

When the door opened, revealing a heavyset guy in his late thirties with stringy hair and a lazy eye, Christopher sprang into the door. He pressed the muzzle of his gun into Burger’s forehead and forced him backward.

“Hey, Burger,” Christopher said. “You miss me?”

Burger continued to stagger backward until he bumped against the wall. His eyes flicked between Danny and Christopher.

“I—I didn’t do it,” he stuttered. “W—whatever you think I did. I don’t know what they told you, but they’re lying.”

“What who told me?” Christopher pushed the gun harder against Burger’s temple so his head twisted to the side. “And how do you know they’re lying if you don’t know what they said?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”

A blur of movement shot out of the nearby living room and down the hall.

“You,” Christopher nodded to Danny. “Go get ’em.”

Danny sprinted down the hall, letting his instincts carry. It was an easy inclination to follow. He’d been confident coming here that he still had the skills to do the job, but it was unnerving to find it so close to the surface.

Chapter 11

When Danny reachedthe end of the hall, he gripped the doorframe as he turned the corner to propel himself forward without slowing. The back door across the kitchen slammed shut, and he raced toward it, ripping it open and jumping down the porch steps in time to see a sneaker disappear inside a cubby house.

“A kid,” he said, slowing as he tucked the gun back into place before he walked furtively across the backyard through the tall grass.

He’d registered the fugitive was small but hadn’t gotten a good enough look.

When he reached the cubby, he held his hands up to show they were empty. “I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, ducking a little to get a better look inside. He caught sight of blue jeans, but the leg was quickly retracted.

The cubby was big enough that pulling the kid out would be a problem. He got down on his knees and looked through the door. The girl, about eight years old, had her back pressed against the rough wood and was hugging her knees to her chest.

“Sorry about that in there.” He jerked his head back to the house. “My frie—” His lips clamped shut for a moment. He had no interest in connecting himself in that way to Christopher. “My colleague was trying to scare Burger, that’s all. No one’s going to get hurt.”

The girl wiped at a tear on her face, smearing a trail of dirt.

“My name’s Danny.” He shifted so he was sitting on the dirt patch outside the rough-sawn door. “Do you think you could tell me your name?”

She shook her head and squeezed her knees tighter.

“Okay. That’s okay.” Danny mimicked her actions to put her at ease. “I don’t blame you. A couple of guys break into your house—you did the right thing to run. Smart. Burger must have taught you well.”

“Hey!” Christopher yelled from the door. “You find ’em?”

Danny turned. “It’s a kid.”

“I know. Bring her in.”

“She’s scared.”

“That’s the idea.”

“What if I left her here?”

Christopher’s features hardened. “I thought you said you’ve done this before.”

Christopher was right. Ten years ago, Danny never would have thought to leave the girl where she was. She needed to be brought inside so they could keep an eye on her until they were finished. He could find a closet or room to lock her in and make sure she covered her ears until he came to let her out.

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