Page 42 of Dust and Ashes

Ramon said, “Navarro can make it worth your while.”

She turned to him. “Is your boss offering to kidnap me from here and take me to his ranch?” She wasn’t sure that would amount to a better deal. “Because I’ll take it.”

If there was a chance she wouldn’t have to face the sheriff, it was better to take those odds than do nothing.

Kart chuckled. “Are we going to barter with her and each other over who gets to take Kenna with them?” His body language signaled frustration as he rounded the desk and sat in his chair. “And don’t bother trying to leave. There are two men outside this door who won’t hesitate to shoot either of you in the leg.”

Ramon said, “Navarro is expecting me back as soon as I’m done interrogating the asset I brought you.”

“What did that guy tell you?” Kart asked.

Ramon reiterated the details about cargo pants and light-colored hair. “Are you prepared for the fact that it’s one of your men undermining this business and creating a war between you and the Navarro cartel?”

Kart stared at the two of them as they faced him across his desk.

“How well do you know the men you’ve brought into your circle?” Kenna shrugged. “Is there a chance that one of them could be a killer?”

Kart barked a laugh. “You honestly think there’s a chance one of them isn’t the person behind the deaths?”

“So you already know they’ll betray you. Isn’t that nice.” She stuck her hands in her pockets, trying to look casual and take the weight off her forearms. She didn’t have much left in the way of reserves. The fight she’d been able to gather so far had waned. Low enough she doubted she would even be able to struggle against his tight grip on her arm at this point.

Let alone figure out how to escape.

“Now that you know it’s one of your guys, I’ll leave you two to figure out which one it is.” Ramon lifted his chin. “I’ll be needing my gun and my phone back.”

Kart only stared at him. “You think I’m just going to let one of Navarro’s men leave with information, and insider knowledge of this compound?”

“You think my boss doesn’t already have someone inside your operation feeding him back information?” Ramon shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Asking me to do the same would be redundant. And you knew that when you let me in here.”

Kart lifted a cell phone from the desk and made a call. When the person picked up, he said, “Navarro has a man inside this compound. One of the locals.” He hung up and tossed the phone on the desk.

Kenna itched to pick it up and stick it in her pocket so she could make a call later.

Please let me have the chance to do that.

She needed God to be on her side. After all, she didn’t have anyone else to help her in this situation. She couldn’t do anything for herself to escape. She needed God to bring things together and provide her a way out or bring her friends to rescue her.

Peace settled inside her, in a way she hadn’t felt for days.

I need Your help.

Because she had nothing else.

A tiny note of distrust deep inside her wondered how long that peace would last. And if it would change the situation. Maybe it was only supposed to be reassurance, until the timing was right, and God saved her.

But for now, nothing had changed. Except her reaction to the situation—the one that she could control. Was the peace from her, or a gift God was giving her?

And why did she have to be so suspicious of it in the first place? She didn’t need to doubt. That was a bad idea with faith, though it could also be understandable.

Kenna couldn’t get her thoughts straight about anything right now. All she had was that familiar fire of angry desperation that wanted to get out of here. That wanted to grab the phone from the desk and bash Kart’s head in with it.

Even if she had the strength, it would ruin her chance to call for help.

And what would it prove to anyone—or herself—except that she was no better than these people?

The kind of person responsible for bringing down a good man, an FBI agent.

Drawing him in when if it wasn’t for her, he’d have never been anywhere near this.

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