Page 37 of The 9th Man

“Care to enlighten me?”

“It’s not too late. You can live through this, both of you.”

“I plan on it. Tell Baldy to bring you his cell phone. In English.”

Persik gave the order.

Without hesitation Baldy complied.

“Put it in my right hand,” he commanded.

Persik handed the phone over. He grabbed it with his right hand, but kept his grip on Persik’s neck. The gun remained cocked at the ear. Baldy retreated.

“We’ll be in touch,” Luke said.

“Once you leave here, there will be no deals. No mercy.”

“We’ll see about that. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to get what we have. Tell your boss he can still have it, but it’ll be on my terms. I have the rifle. You can find me on that cell phone I just took.”

Luke glanced over his shoulder and caught Jillian’s attention. She cranked the engine, then eased forward until the passenger door was even with him.

“Change of plans?” she said through the open window.

“Ms. Stein,” Persik said. “You need to—”

“Shut up,” Luke said.

The six other men remained inside the two Renaults.

“Anyone gets out, they die,” Luke said. “My man on the ridge is watching.” He shoved Persik forward. “Hands on your head. Plant your butt on the hood.”

Persik strode back to his car, then turned to face Luke.

“Last chance,” Persik said.

Luke fired two rounds, one each into a front tire of the Renaults. The gun’s magazine emptied after the second shot and the slide locked open.

Persik noticed too.

“Crap,” he muttered, before opening the passenger-side door and leaping in. “Go. Now.”

The Peugeot surged forward, heading for the gap between the Renaults. He saw Jillian’s 9mm lying in her lap. He grabbed it and whirled around, seeing through the rear window as Persik’s men leaped from the cars and leveled their weapons.

He sent three rounds their way out the open passenger window.

Which caused them to duck for cover.

“Get down,” he yelled.

Muzzles flashed orange.

The Peugeot’s rear window shattered. A bullet punched into the headrest beside his face. White foamlike confetti spewed into the air. They came to a curve, which she navigated crouched low in the seat. Jillian jerked the wheel back straight and kept accelerating. They were now out of the line of fire.

Ahead, a black sedan appeared.

And sped straight toward them.

15

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