Forced to Kill (26 page)

Fifteen yards.

As it rounded the corner, the face in the passenger’s window turned.

And looked directly at him.

In the green image of his NV scope, the face smiled. A face he knew as well as his own. A face from the depths of hatred and insanity. A face he’d vowed to remove from its skull if ever given the chance.

“It’s Montez. Passenger seat.”

“
I’m almost to the road.
”

In a gesture of brazen mockery, his former tormentor blew a kiss good-bye.

You son of a bitch.
He brought his Sig up and toggled the laser. He’d only get one shot.

It had to count.

He skidded to a stop, took a deep breath, and painted the laser on Montez’s window—

And didn’t pull the trigger.

A second face had materialized.

A young girl. In the backseat. One of Dalton’s daughters. He couldn’t risk it. And the foliage along the driveway kept him from targeting the van’s tires.

“Hold your fire!”

“
Copy.
”

Five seconds later he heard the van screech onto El Camino Real. With a sickening twist of his stomach, he knew they’d never reach Harv’s Mercedes in time to follow.

And just like that, Montez was gone.

Chapter  35

Montez caught only a glimpse of the dark figure sprinting toward the van. Whoever he was, he wasn’t going to make it. A third bodyguard? Not likely. A few jolts of the stun gun to Duane Dalton’s exposed nerve endings verified there’d only been two bodyguards and two dogs patrolling the property. Arturo had eliminated all four threats with ease.

  So who
was
that man back there? Could it be the same man who’d taken down his assault team in Clairemont? This guy was big—not just big—huge. And probably military or former military. Just like at Bullfrog Bay. The same person? The more Montez thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

His trap to capture or eliminate his pursuers was set, but would it work? He pulled his cell and called a phone number he’d extracted from Dalton.

***

“Harv, double-time back up here. We’re going inside the house. Let me know when you’ve got me on the TI.”

“
Copy.
”

The bastard had blown a kiss. What an arrogant jerk.
Let’s see you do that again after I’ve burned your lips off with a cigar torch.
He’d been so close. Now Montez could be going anywhere in the world, and being a master at disguise, he’d disappear without a hitch. And to make matters worse, they might’ve just signed the death warrant for Nichole Dalton’s daughters. Cantrell had told him not to approach this house. Had she known Montez was here? No, Montez would’ve been intercepted and taken into custody. So what was Cantrell’s concern? Why did she—  

“
I’ve got you. The edge of the driveway at the hairpin.
”

He clicked his radio and heard Harv crunch up the slope through the leaves—all stealth abandoned. “What happened?” Harv said, winded from his sprint.

“I saw one of Dalton’s girls in the backseat. I couldn’t see the other.”

“You made the right decision.”

“I had him. The son of a bitch blew me a kiss as he went by.” He kicked the ground, fouling the driveway with dirt.

Harv motioned toward the house. “We might find Dalton’s body in there.”

“If so, I hope his girls didn’t witness any of it.”

“You want me to go in?”

“Hell, I’ve come this far.”

***

“I’m still alive,” Montez said.

“This isn’t a secure line. No names. What do you want?”

“I want you to call off your dogs.”

“They aren’t
my
dogs. Don’t you get it? I’m not calling the shots anymore.”

“Then I suggest you call in a favor.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Self preservation,” he said. “I have no desire to see you mired in scandal, or anyone else, for that matter. I’d like a certain amount of money deposited into my account. Tonight.”

“Then what?”

“Then I disappear and you won’t have to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life.”

“That door swings both ways. Suppose I agree, which I’m not sure I do. What guarantee do I have you won’t resurface someday?”

“My word.”

Montez heard the sarcastic laugh on the other end.

“That’s it? Your word?”

“Need I remind you I’ve kept your dirty secrets for fourteen years?”

“They’re not
my
secrets.”

“Is that all you care for your country?” Montez asked. “If anyone should be distrustful, it’s me. Do you take me for a fool? I’ve been planning against this betrayal for a long time. Did you really think killing me would protect anything?”

“It wasn’t my doing.”

“It doesn’t matter who gave the order. You’re a smart man. I’m offering you the lesser of two evils.”

“Who are
you
to talk about evil?”

“Oh, I see. You eat the steak but refuse to be blamed for the death of the cow.”

“Nice try.”

“It’s not negotiable. Your lapdog just spilled his guts, literally and figuratively. I’m minutes from mailing a special video package of his admissions to all the world’s major media outlets.” He waited through several seconds of silence. “Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

He heard venom in the voice. “How much?”

“Twenty million.”

“That’s more than we agreed. A lot more.”

“Once again, not negotiable. Any contract we had was rendered null and void when your people tried to kill me. Twice.”

“I already told you, they’re not my people. I’m not responsible for that.”

“But it would have saved you a bundle. Coincidence?”

“Believe what you want.”

“I believe the political health of your nation is at stake. And if that’s not enough to move you, it’s about
your
health as well. You could go to prison and I don’t need to remind you what happens to people with soft hands in general lockup. How long do you think you’d last with the sodomites? If I were you, I’d start lifting weights and befriending white supremacists. And I hear the food is terrible.”

“I don’t take kindly to being blackmailed.”

“And I don’t take kindly to being the target of assassination squads. You have ten seconds to decide before I hang up.”

“I can’t move twenty million dollars million all at once.”

“I’d better find five million dollars million deposited tonight. You have two days for the rest.”

“I’ll start making the transfers. Don’t ever contact me again.”

“That depends entirely on you. Good-bye, Senator.”

***

Nathan left Harv in place guarding the driveway while he conducted a quick search around the perimeter of the house. He approached several expensive vehicles—including a Bentley—but none of the hoods were warm. Fifty yards to the west, a pool area with several large gazebos connected to the driveway via granite slab sidewalks. Whoever owned this property was clearly wealthy. The landscaping alone probably cost more than most people’s homes.

In his earpiece, Harv’s voice broke the near silence. “
Another body, east side of driveway. Plus one dog. Same MO. Looks like another bodyguard.
”

It explained why they hadn’t seen any tactical dogs. Montez or his men killed them. “Meet me at the front door. I doubt anyone’s still here, but let’s stay sharp.”

The double front doors hung wide open. Most of the ground floor lights were on. Harv powered off his TI and tucked it into his waist pack. Nathan did the same with his NV visor.

“Why’d they leave the doors open?” Nathan asked.

“Maybe they left in a hurry. We could’ve been spotted.”

“Maybe.”

“I don’t smell propane or natural gas,” Harv whispered.

“Me either. I’ll take the left.”

They rushed inside and couched down, both sweeping their Sigs across the room.

 All clear. Silent as well. No background music or TV noise. Nothing. The house felt abandoned.

Wall-to-wall with ornately carved antique furniture, the living room looked like a time warp. Mahogany-paneled walls were adorned with huge oil paintings, some of which he recognized. Possibly one reason why Montez hadn’t rigged explosives. Even being the monster he was, he remained respectful of personal property. The Bonita safe house had been worthless to him, but this? He’d probably spent a good amount of time coveting it. No doubt Montez believed destroying this furniture and art would’ve been a crime against society. The irony almost seemed laughable.

“I’ve seen museums with less inventory,” Harv said, looking around. “What’s this stuff worth?”

“Millions, maybe tens of millions.”

Harv scanned the room. “I don’t think anyone’s here, but we should clear the house.”

“Take the upper floors. Fifteen-second check-ins.”Nathan covered Harv’s advance to the marble staircase before heading into the kitchen. He’d start there and work counterclockwise through the ground floor rooms.

The bathroom off the entry looked fit for Saudi royalty. As he cleared the kitchen, den, billiards room, and two guest bedrooms—each with its own full bath—anger and hatred flared at Montez’s escape. He forced it aside and concentrated. Only one room left, next to the library. Probably a private office.

Its door was closed.

Chapter  36

“Harv, I need you down here.”

“
On my way
.”

Ten seconds later, Harv pounded down the stairs. “Upstairs is clear. Took me a while. There are six bedrooms. Each with its own private bathroom and walk-in closet.”

Nathan looked at the closed door. “We need something long enough to sweep above its sill. See if you can find something in the kitchen.” He got down on all fours and sniffed. He detected tobacco odor, probably from cigars. It didn’t smell like cigarettes. No light came from within the room.

Harv returned with a kebab skewer

“That’s perfect.” Using a light grip—just strong enough to keep it from slipping out of his fingers—he inserted the skewer under the door and slowly worked it across the sill at a slight upward angle. “I don’t feel anything.” He handed Harv the skewer. “I’m going to crack the door. Check the entire jamb, head to toe.”

He turned the knob, listening for anything other than the telltale click of the privacy latch disengaging. “Okay, I’m going to crack it half an inch.” Extremely slowly, he pushed the door inward and stopped. He placed his foot at the base of the door and kept pressure against it.

Following his lead, Harv carefully ran the skewer down the jamb from top to bottom. “Nothing,” Harv said. “I didn’t feel anything. I think we’re okay.”

“I’m going to open it half an inch at a time. If anything’s attached, it’s probably looped around the handle, or door stopper.”

When the door was open eighteen inches or so, Harv stuck his head through. “I can’t see anything, it’s too dark.”

“Do you see a light switch on the wall?”

“Affirm.”

“Let’s risk it.”

Harv reached in to his left and flipped the switch. “Oh, man.…”

 A bloody tableau greeted them.

Like Bullfrog Bay.

In the middle of the room, atop painter’s plastic, sat a leather office chair soaked with fresh blood. Crimson footprints surrounded the grisly seat. The desk held the instruments of Duane Dalton’s torment. A bloody hunting knife. A stun gun. Pliers. A carpenter’s hammer. And several dozen bamboo skewers with bloodstains halfway down their lengths. Montez had used them as punji sticks, probably driven in with the hammer.

Montez, you piece of shit.

“You okay, Nate?”

“No, I’m not okay. Why would I be
okay
?”

“Easy…”

“He’s been three steps ahead of us the entire time. No matter what we do, he slips through our fingers.” He grabbed a Tiffany table lamp and hurled it across the room. It pulled free from its plug and shattered on the far wall. “Son of a
bitch!”

“Nate.”

“
What?
”

“Stay focused here. This isn’t over.”

“Isn’t over?
Isn’t over?
Take a look around. He’s long gone and so are Dalton and his daughters. He’ll be disposing of the bodies within the hour. We’ll never find him in time. It’s over. We lost. The girls are as good as dead. Let’s just face it. We lost!”

Harv grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to make eye contact. “It’s not over. Do you hear me? It’s not over until I say it’s over.”

Nathan’s voice lowered. “Harv, pull your head out and look around. He’s gone.”

Harv touched the side of Nathan’s head, making him resume eye contact. “That’s bullshit. You’re no quitter. This is
not
over
.
Now, why don’t you use that finely honed intuition of yours and tell me where the hell he went.”

Nathan looked away again. “I can’t. I’m too angry.”

“Just breathe. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Do it.
Now!
”

He unclenched his jaw and closed his eyes. Harv was right. This meltdown served no useful purpose. Relax. Let the hatred go.

“Keep going,” Harv whispered. “Deeper.”

He tilted his head back, inhaled deeply, and felt it—a growing calmness—like being immersed in warm water. His hatred drifted away like smoke on the wind.

He heard Harv’s voice. Distant, then edging closer, smooth as silk.

“Look around. Absorb the scene. Every detail. Where did Montez go?”

As he looked around the room, images from his mind’s eye began appearing like a slideshow. He closed his eyes and let them flow, starting at the beginning. Glen Canyon Dam. Lake Powell. Bullfrog Bay. The marina. Stiegler’s houseboat. Chain-link fencing to weigh Kramer down through a live drowning. Kramer’s underwater terror.…