Page 17 of Signs and Wonders

“There he goes,” Evan said as the CRV pulled out of the deserted lot.

They waited until the small SUV passed before Seth turned on his lights and eased out of the spot, making a U-turn to follow. He hung back, trying not to be obvious, hoping that a black truck blended in, given the rural area.

Cameron drove at a steady speed, giving no indication that he knew he was being followed. He pulled to the curb near a small house on a quiet street and turned off the car. The streetlight overhead had burned out, leaving the area dark.

“Something’s off,” Evan said.

“I think you’re right.”

Cameron got out of the SUV and locked it, heading to the house a short distance away. Movement in the shadows attracted Seth’s attention as two men clad in black came at Cameron from the front and the back, boxing him in.

“Go!” Seth and Evan sprang from the truck, running toward where Cameron fought to fend off his attackers.

Cameron struggled, but he was losing. Seth went after the man who pinned Cameron from behind while Evan closed on the other man trying to grab the bartender’s legs.

Evan tackled the assailant, taking them both to the ground, hard. He didn’t see a gun, but he wasn’t taking any chances. They had left their weapons locked in the truck, which he regretted.

“Who sent you?” Evan punctuated his question by slamming the man a little harder against the sidewalk.

“Fuck you,” the man growled, doing his best to throw Evan off. Out of the corner of his eye, Evan saw that Seth had managed to pry Cameron loose from the other guy’s grip.

“Run!” Seth yelled.

Cameron bolted for the house as Seth and the attacker traded punches.

The man Evan pinned rolled them hard to the side, throwing their combined weight onto Evan’s sore hip. His grip faltered for just an instant, but it was enough for the assailant to tear himself free.

Seth’s opponent got in a lucky punch that staggered him for a moment. Together, the two men sprinted into the night.

“Shit. You okay?” Evan climbed to his feet.

Seth rubbed his jaw. “Yeah. You?”

Evan froze as he saw a man he didn’t recognize heading their way with a gun drawn.

“Don’t move!” the man ordered. Evan saw Cameron hovering worriedly on the porch. “Now you’re going to tell me who the hell you are—and who the fuck those guys were—and why you showed up here.”

“Someone wants to kill Cameron—just like he’s killed other men in Cameron’s family.” Seth cut to the chase. “We’re here to stop that from happening.”

“That’s crazy.” The man holding the gun looked to be in his early twenties like Cameron, with long, dark hair. He was shorter than Evan and Seth, but solidly built and carried himself like he’d been military.

“It’s the truth,” Evan replied. “But it’s a long story. Put the gun away, and we’ll tell you more.”

The gunman hesitated. Evan really didn’t want to explain the situation to the local cops and feared that was what the other man intended.

“Tyler—stand down. They saved me. I’d like to know why,” Cameron called from the porch. Evan looked around, hoping that they hadn’t attracted the attention of any neighbors who might be tempted to dial 911.

“You’ve got one chance to explain yourselves.” Tyler lowered his gun. “Go sit on the porch. If I don’t like what I hear, I’m turning you in.”

Tyler shoved the gun into the back of his waistband and walked behind Seth and Evan toward the house. He gestured for them to sit on the swing while he and Cameron stood.

“You were at the bar.” Cameron sounded surprised. “What’s going on?”

“We’re trying to save your life,” Seth replied. “The same person who killed your father—and your grandfather’s older brother—is coming after you. We’re here to stop that.”

“What a pile of bullshit,” Tyler snapped.

Cameron held up a hand. “Hold on.” He turned back to Seth and Evan. “Tell me what you know.”

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