Chapter 28
Icrept up the trail, inching closer to the vehicles. I crouched low, huddling behind high grass. A pickup truck had pulled in and parked next to one of the black vans. It was a beat-up gunmetal double cab with a mismatched red quarter panel. It had its fair share of scratches, scuffs, and dents.
A thug stood with his back to me on the other side of the truck, taking a piss in the grass by a clump of trees. His rifle leaned against the truck.
It was a daring move, perhaps stupid, but I figured it was my only chance. I ran up the trail, my bare feet quiet against the dirt. I raced across the makeshift parking lot, grabbed the rifle, and rounded the tailgate.
The goon had just finished his business. He shook the last few drops, zipped up his pants, then turned around. His eyes widened when he saw me.
I came across hard with the butt of the rifle. It cracked him in the face, wrenching his head aside. He dropped to the ground, out cold.
I was a little stunned. I didn't think I had it in me. It's amazing what you're capable of with a rush of adrenaline and the fear of death.
That training with Tyson paid off.
With rope I found in the back of the truck, I hogtied the dirtbag and gagged him. Then I grabbed the rifle and headed back down the trail toward the hostages.
I held up at the top of the ridge and took cover in the trees.
The ringleader had his rifle aimed at Declan, who was still on his knees.
Another goon had his weapon aimed at Vanessa. She lay face down on the deck.
“Maybe I haven’t made myself clear,” the ringleader said. “If you don’t transfer $100 million, my friend is going to start killing people. As in dead.”
“My wealth is not liquid,” Declan said. “I don’t have access to that kind of cash.”
The ringleader nodded to his accomplice.
The goon’s finger tightened around the trigger, about to put a hole in Vanessa.
“Wait!” Declan shouted. “I can get you $5 million. Right now.”
“Five million?” the ringleader repeated with disappointment. He pointed to the magazine cover. “It says right here $32 billion. $100 million should be no problem.”
“Liquidity,” Declan said. “Do you understand the concept?”
“I want the money.”
“Five million. It’s all I have access to.”
My heart raced. I didn’t know what to do. I kept asking myself what would Tyson do?
Tyson would take aim.
I did.
“You insult me,” the ringleader said. He gave another nod to his comrade. In a split second, he would kill Vanessa.
My heart raced. My ears throbbed. My vision narrowed on the target.
I held my breath and squeezed the trigger.
DAK!
The unmistakable sound of an AK echoed through the jungle.
The rifle hammered my shoulder, and muzzle flash flickered from the barrel.
Smoke wafted.
My right ear rang.
Birds scattered.
My bullet ripped through the air and pelted the scumbag in the chest with a thump.
Blood spewed.
He twisted around and fell to the deck.
The two other goons looked dumbstruck for a moment, then scanned the jungle for the threat. It didn’t take long for them to key in on me and take aim.
A torrent of gunfire erupted.
Barrels lit up.
Bullets peppered the trees, chewing up leaves and bark.
I scampered for cover.
The distraction gave Kyle and Silas the opportunity to strike. They lunged to their feet and tackled the scumbags. Both with former military experience, they stripped the weapons from the dirtbags. With the tables turned, they put bullets into them.
The goons twitched and convulsed with each hit.
Bleeding out on the deck, they gasped and gurgled. Their last breaths finally left, and their bodies went still.
The jungle went quiet again.
With my heart sprinting, and my ears still ringing, I stood up and hurried down the trail to the others. My knees wobbled so much from nerves I could barely stand.
The others took in the carnage with wide eyes, still trembling in fear.
“Are you okay?” Declan asked as he rushed to Vanessa.
She nodded and squeezed him tight.
Silas looked at me in disbelief when I reached the deck. “Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”
I shrugged, still in a stupor. “A friend.”
“Sounds like a good friend to have. You saved our asses.” He still couldn’t believe it and had to chuckle.
Declan rushed to me and gave me a hug. “I take back everything I ever said about you.”
I was too numb to even respond. I had never done anything like that before. I had never killed anyone. Despite the training, it was a club I never wanted to join.
“What about Felix and Antonio?” Silas asked.
I shook my head.
“We must vamonos,” Matteo said.
“What about the police?” Hannah asked.
Matteo shook his head. “The cartel owns them. We must go.”
“Not so fast,” Silas said as Matteo started gathering the gear. “How did they know we were here?”
Matteo swallowed hard, fear in his eyes, looking guilty. "I don't know."
"The only people who knew we were here were Felix, Antonio, and you."
Matteo swallowed and glanced at the others before returning his gaze to Silas. "I don't know what to tell you.”
"There were plenty of opportunities to get ambushed at Tzun Kaan,” Silas said, fury building behind his eyes. “We didn’t have trouble until we met you.”
"The jungle is a dangerous place."
"How much were they going to pay you?”
"What!?" Matteo said in as innocent a voice as he could muster.
"You tipped them off. You told them exactly where we were going to be. You had plenty of time to do it before we arrived. I made arrangements with you after lunch."
Matteo swallowed hard.
By this time, Declan and the others glared at the dive guide.
Silas took aim. He was mad. We all were.
An inch from death, we’d gotten lucky. Lucky that I made it out of the cave.
Lucky that I acquired a weapon. Lucky that I didn't miss. I wasn’t going to take credit for the whole thing.
There was something more than skill at play.
It seemed the Universe didn't want me to die today. And I was okay with that.
Matteo shook his head. "I swear, I didn't have anything to do with it."
Silas didn't back down. "Start talking, or I'm going to put a bullet into your brain.”