Page 151 of On a Fault Line

Warmth creeps up my neck, and suddenly I feel overheated. “I’m not discussing this with you.”

She takes a step forward. “No matter how much you try to shield me, I’m invested in the outcome for everyone involved. If you get caught, you’ll go to prison. And I won’t survive that!”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he understands the message.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Silence.

“Seriously, Collins… This is my life.”

“I just need you to go back to Sky View and allow Chris to get you there safely. I’ll meet back up with you in two hours tops.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

* * *

Sweat forms along my forehead as the weight of this mission rests on my shoulders.

I have a very short window of time to make this deposit, and the reluctance to leave Penny nearly made me blow up the entire timeline.

Opening up the back door of the rental car, I toss in a cardboard box with the description of “kitchen supplies” labeled along the side panel in black Sharpie. It’s a decoy though. Actually inside the box is a black duffle bag that is full of cash.

It’s a good faith deposit. The rest will be paid when the actual job gets completed.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, I take a deep breath and secure my seat belt. I’m usually never nervous and yet this has me twitchy.

We are getting close to the execution of the endgame plan, and there’s nothing that I’d like better than to see it all through.

Waste management costs a lot. Luckily the Hoffman brothers have the finances, and I have the intel to know just how to work around the system.

There’s no way we could trust the legal system not to jack this up.

Now there will be no room for chance or loopholes or technicalities.

Putting the rental into reverse, I pull out of the parking spot and then onto the main road.

About three miles before I get to the meetup location, I pull over along the side of the road. I place my nondescript ball cap onto my head and then send a text from my burner phone.

So many things are running through my head as to how all of this might play out over the next couple of months. First, Mark Tanner needs to not be placed inside solitary for any reason. Then there’s going to be a massive prison fight that will be sparked. And last, Tanner is going to need to take a trip to the hospital.

As soon as I get word that he’s on the transport, I have to make my move.

No matter how many dangerous and seemingly impossible missions I’ve done in my lifetime, this one is crucial for the livelihood of the Hoffmans.

Mark Tanner being in prison is not enough to exorcise the lingering trauma from Penny’s mind.

The only thing that could potentially do that is proof of a death certificate.

Rolling my shoulders, I shift the car back into drive and pull out onto the road.

When I get to the meetup location at an abandoned mechanic’s shop, just three-quarters of a mile outside of the prison’s southern perimeter, I wait for my contact to back in alongside me.

Lowering my window as he does the same, I hand over the moving box.

“Here’s another phone,” I say, handing over a new burner one just in case. “And inside the box is a little case with a tracking device inside. Place that on the transport vehicle, and I’ll be able to know the exact location when it’s go time.”

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