Page 74 of Burning Justice

“On your six.” Hammer came up behind him.

Saxon too, though Kane didn’t look.

He stepped to the side of the door. “Rio?”

“All good. But probably ticked, so let’s do this before he stops us.”

Elias had been their teammate. This was their mess to clean up.

Kane squared up on the door and kicked it in.

A man sat on the couch, drinking from a short glass of amber liquid. He didn’t even flinch when the three of them entered. Blood coated the front of his abdomen, above his left hip. The guy was pale and sweating. A gut shot. This man didn’t have long left to live.

“It’s over. You’re under arrest.” This was the man who’d tortured Maria.

The Chinese hitman sipped his drink, then smiled. “Over?” He winced and motioned to the blood on his shirt. “I already knew that.”

“You’re done.” Hammer strode across the room. “You should’ve left Alaska when you had the chance.”

He chuckled. “I guess you caught me. Too bad it’s too late. Someone beat you to it.”

Kane frowned. “Where’s the canister? Where is Elias Redding?”

“I have no idea.” A flicker of something crossed the other man’s expression.

Kane said, “Who shot you?”

The Chinese man muttered in Mandarin. “That doctor. He tried to kill me, and he took the canister.”

Rio stepped in. “I was having a good day.” He glanced around and spotted the hitman, realized what condition he was in. “It might get better. It might get worse.”

Rio said, “Are you guys done here? Can the FBI finish this?”

Saxon shifted his stance. “He doesn’t have the canister. Doctor Cortez shot him and stole it, if he’s telling the truth.”

“What reason would I have to lie?” The glass fell from his hand and spilled on the floor.

Kane studied this man who had tortured a woman tied to a chair and decided the guy had realized it was over before they’d even come in. After all, he knew he wasn’t going to survive this wound.

Someone had shown up—or been waiting for him. Maria’s father had taken the canister.

“Talk.” Kane faced off with the guy. “Now, before it’s too late. For once in your life, do the right thing.”

“I’m telling the truth. Cortez took the canister.” The Chinese man sneered. “Guess he’s gonna deploy it himself. Or sell it to someone who will.”

“Where do we find Doctor Cortez?” Rio said.

He sucked in a choppy breath and coughed. Blood wet his lips. “Who cares? It’s over for me.”

Hammer sat on the coffee table, facing a man who was their enemy. “You aren’t dead yet. I need to tell you what I know about Jesus Christ.”

Kane left his buddy to preach the gospel to a man most would think didn’t deserve it. But if there was one thing Kane—and all of them—had learned, it was that everyone got the chance at redemption.

He walked outside.

Rio followed him. “It might not be the end I want for that guy, but it’s an end.”

“Justice comes either way.” Kane glanced over.

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