Текст книги "Jack Taggart Mysteries 7 - Book Bundle"

Автор книги: Don Easton

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Текущая страница: 41 (всего у книги 141 страниц)

“That sounds good, too,” said Damien. “After dessert, let’s discuss it further and I will call my men in Canada to arrange the details.”

Jack glanced at his watch and looked at Laura. What will happen when I meet Carlos? One thing is for sure ... Damien will keep right on going – with me to thank for bargain prices!

chapter thirty-eight

Jean-Louie received the report that Ramirez’s Land Rover, accompanied by three Hummers, was leaving the estate.

“What do ya think?” asked one of the narcs.

Jean-Louie didn’t respond as he dialled Jack’s cell.

“Hey, Jack! How are you, my friend? This is John calling from Canada. I hear you are out of the country someplace?”

“John! Good to hear from you,” replied Jack, relieved that the Land Rover he was in had tinted windows. “I am out of the country. Partying with a friend,” he said, smiling as he glanced at Ramirez. “They really know how to have a good time here. They’re even providing limo service to the guests. How’s it going up there?”

The call was brief, but when Jack hung up, Ramirez looked at him and said, “No more calls ... for any of you.”

Jack glanced at Laura and Damien, who stared ahead in silence. There was no mistaking the icy tone in Ramirez’s voice. The remaining half-hour trip to Palmira was made in silence.

As they approached Palmira, Jack looked around and realized that their small convoy had become well spaced. None of the Hummers were in sight.

Ramirez watched Jack, then smiled and said, “You are observant, my friend. If Carlos has men watching for me to arrive in Palmira, it is better if he thinks I do not have security.”

Ramirez might have been right. At the outskirts to the city an SUV appeared to follow loosely behind them. It only took minutes for Ramirez’s driver to lose him in traffic.

“The dog does not want to alert the chickens too soon,” observed Ramirez, wiping the palms of his hands together in anticipation. He looked at Jack and said, “They will rely on you to tell them where I have gone. We will park my Land Rover at the villa to bait the trap. I have another vehicle there too.”

Ramirez paused to take a call on his cell. When he hung up, he said, “Good! Carlos’s Mercedes and two of his vans have been seen driving near the church.”

Jack realized that he was holding his breath and slowly started to exhale. I almost feel disappointed that he showed up. Great time to think that this isn’t such a good idea!

A short time later, they slowly drove past a row of buildings. Most were homes, with about half of them in darkness. Others had a few lights on, including the occasional porch light.

Some noise and a bustling of activity came from one building in the centre of the block with an Aguila sign above the door. The street had no sidewalks, but a few people could be seen walking along the edges of the road. Just past the bar, the road turned to dirt. The Land Rover slowed and turned onto a single-lane bridge that spanned a creek, marking the entrance to a driveway.

The dirt driveway led up to a modest two-storey building. They parked and Jack walked around the villa. With the exception of a small mango grove behind the home, there were few trees for protection. A short distance away from the side of the villa was a small shed where some of Ramirez’s men waited. It was a perfect place for an ambush.

“What do you think, my friends?” asked Ramirez.

Damien smiled and slapped Ramirez on the back and said, “I like it. You have done well!”

“Good. When it is over, I will have my men pile the bodies like a monument. It will be a symbol for those who cross me!”

Damien smiled and said, “I think your competition will get the message.”

“We will go to the plaza now,” replied Ramirez.

“I would like to stay here,” said Damien. “If one of your men would lend me a gun, I would like to be here when Carlos arrives.”

“But it is not your fight,” said Ramirez, looking puzzled. “It is me he wishes to kill! Besides, it is too dangerous. Carlos will enter the villa, and then my men will switch on the lights when they climb the staircase. There will be much shooting.”

“It was me he insulted,” replied Damien, “when he told me to risk Laura’s life. I consider it a matter of honour to take part in his execution. I hope he sees my face when he dies.”

Ramirez stared intently at Damien but did not respond.

“I could hide out here, under the bridge,” said Damien. “If Carlos tries to run back, then I will be waiting.”

Ramirez relented, shrugging his shoulders and said, “As you wish!”

“Speaking of shooting,” interjected Jack, “should I be forced to go with Carlos into the villa, let your men know that as soon as the lights go on, this gringo will drop to the floor. They’ll have about two seconds of surprise to shoot everyone standing. Make sure they know who I am!”

Ramirez chuckled and said, “Don’t worry. I will tell them not to shoot you!” He then spoke with his men and Jack watched as Damien was handed a snub-nosed, five-shot .38-calibre revolver.

“It is all that is available,” said Ramirez. “It will not penetrate Carlos’s car, but maybe if any of Carlos’s men escape you will find a use for it.”

Jack pondered over Damien’s unexpected decision as he and Laura were driven back to the centre of the city. A true survivor. If things go wrong he has a chance to escape.

Twenty minutes later, Ramirez ordered his driver to park in an alley before turning to Jack and saying, “Walk to the end of the street. You will see the steeple. It is only two blocks away. A couple of my men will be watching.”

Jack nodded.

“Do not worry,” said Ramirez. “If you must go with him inside the villa, my men have been told not to shoot the gringo.”

“If Carlos knows that it is a trap, it will not be necessary for me to worry about your men,” replied Jack.

“By the time that happens, Carlos will be dead. He must trust you, or he wouldn’t have asked you to carry out this mission. I am sure that you will be permitted to remain outside. Perhaps you could wait in the bar down the street.”

Jack nodded silently.

“You seem troubled,” said Ramirez, looking at him closely. “Perhaps there is something I do not know about? Between you and Carlos?”

Jack shook his head and said, “I’m just the cautious type.” He then glanced at Laura and said, “If need be, apologize to Natasha for me, will you?”

Jack saw the Mercedes parked between two vans in front of the church. As he approached, four men surrounded him. Jack recognized two of the men and felt the dampness spread down his shirt. They were the ones he robbed outside of the Spotted Owl Motel. Hope they don’t recognize my voice.

“With me, señor!”

Jack felt the barrel of a gun nudge his kidneys. He tried to smile and nodded politely as he followed. The side door of the van opened and a sharp jab from the barrel told him to step inside.

The search was thorough and did not take long. One of the men took Jack’s cellphone, then he was allowed to dress himself before being hustled out of the van. He was then brought to the Mercedes, where the rear door opened on the passenger side and he was shoved inside.

“I am Carlos,” said the short, squat man sitting beside him. He wore a green beret and a light jacket that was open to expose a pot-belly.

Thoughts of Charlie flashed across Jack’s mind. He thought of Holly and the terror that Danny and Susan were still living with. Wonder if I could grab his throat and squeeze the life out of him.

Carlos’s eyes peered at him from under the beret. Jack knew that his hatred showed, but for a brief moment he didn’t care.

Carlos barked out a command in Spanish and a burly man sitting in the seat in front of him turned to face him, while reaching into his waistband. At the same time, the driver reached into his shoulder holster while staring at Jack through the rear-view mirror.

“You have my money?” snapped Jack, pointing his finger at Carlos.

“You do not talk at me in such manner!” roared Carlos.

Jack stared back. He knew his actions were not professional. I’m supposed to make this guy like me, or at least not appear as a threat. He sat back and looked down in submission.

Carlos appeared to relax and then said, “After Damien is dead, you will be paid.” He gestured to the two men in the front and said, “You tell my men to drive to Damien now! They come back from Canada. They speak English good.”

Jack glanced quickly at the two men and then said, “I will tell you how to find the place when you let me out of the car. I do not have a gun. It would be dangerous for me to go with you.”

“You will tell me now or you will die!”

“If I die, then...”

“Then my men will wait for Damien on the road to the airport,” countered Carlos. “He leaves tomorrow. I can wait.”

Jack looked around him. I feel like I’m in the middle of a movie. It’s all so surreal. I may never see Natasha again ... Carlos might win.

“Talk my men now!” ordered Carlos.

When the small convoy consisting of Carlos’s Mercedes, three vans, and two SUVs drove past the tiny bar with the Aguila sign, Jack pointed to the end of the street and gave directions into the villa.

Carlos immediately ordered the convoy to park down a side street while one SUV left to check out the area around the villa.

Muted light from a nearby home illuminated the men’s faces in the car. Carlos accepted a call on his cell and then looked suspiciously at Jack and said, “There is a Jeep in front of villa. Is that Jeep belong to Damien?”

“I think he borrowed it from whoever he hired to kill you.”

“That Jeep, it look like a Jeep belong to man I were at war with.”

“You’re joking!”

“I am no joking!”

“Maybe tonight is not such a good idea. Is this man dangerous? The one whose Jeep —”

“Enough! I think maybe you know this man!”

“I don’t. I know your reputation. I am not stupid enough to do anything to make you angry!”

Carlos stared at Jack for a moment and then said, “We will wait here until Damien is got by my men.”

“You’re not going in as well?” asked Jack. “I thought ... man to man ... you would wish to avenge your brother!”

“I will revenge when it is safe,” replied Carlos. “There is a small bridge to the villa. I do not think it wise to cross bridge until my men have Damien.”

Jack looked at the two bodyguards in the front seat and noticed four more standing outside near the car. I’m dead!

Carlos continued to stare at Jack and said, “You know that I telled my men to kill you in Canada. Yes?”

Jack saw the distrust in Carlos’s eyes. I’ve got to gain control – and his trust – fast! He smiled and said, “That was simply business. I understand that.”

“That man my men shoot. The news it say his baby cannot walk. What you think?”

“I think ... I’m glad you made a mistake and didn’t shoot me.”

Carlos was determined. “I am told you upset that my men try to drown the policeman’s baby. Yes?”

Jack shrugged and said, “It was expected that I should look upset, so I did.”

Carlos leaned closer. “Tell me. What woman think when she see her baby die in water?”

Jack’s mind flickered back to an undercover operation years earlier when he had purchased child pornography. The operation was successful, but he had found it humiliating and degrading to even pretend to be that kind of person. Now I have to pretend to be worse – to be like this man. He looked at Carlos and laughed, and then said, “I think she squirmed ... just like a baby kitten when you light it on fire!”

The shock was evident on Carlos’s face, and then he sat back and laughed too.

Jack watched him laugh but also saw something else. A glimpse of a holster on the side of his waistband under his jacket.

Carlos then slapped Jack on the shoulder and said, “Yes, amigo. That is what I think too!”

“I would like to see Damien squirm when you catch him,” said Jack. “Just like a kitten!”

“He will, amigo. He will squirm long time.”

“But if your men kill him, we will not see that. It is better if we go with your men.”

Suspicion returned to Carlos’s face. “No! We wait here!”

Jack’s mind raced for a solution. “How will your men catch him?”

“I send everyone to drive fast to the villa. My men call me when safe and we go see.”

“Damien might be killed before you catch him. I know how to catch him alive.”

“Alive? How?”

“Have some of your men sneak up to the back of the villa first. Then have the rest of your men drive up to the front really fast. The more vehicles the better. We could go too but stop at the bridge. Damien will get scared and run out the back door. Bingo!”

“Bingo?”

“You would have him! Your men could jump on him in the dark!”

Carlos thought for a moment, then said, “That is a good plan. I want caught him alive!”

“There is a small problem, but I can fix it.”

“Problema? What problema?”

“Damien sometimes sets a booby trap.”

“What is booby trap?”

“A grenade to go off. It could kill your men and warn Damien.”

“He has a grenade,” said Carlos quite simply. An item that did not surprise him.

“Give me my phone back and I will call the woman who is with him. She will tell me about the trap and she could describe what the villa is like and what room Damien is in.”

“This woman. She think she work for the policia?” asked Carlos.

“Yes. She is an informant. She is who told me about Damien. She hates him. She is expecting me to call. She thinks the police will arrest him tonight.”

“I hate him also,” said Carlos. “But you phone her and maybe Damien hear her speak.”

“I do this often. We talk most nights at this time. Damien thinks it is her father who calls. You can listen as I talk.”

Carlos thought about it for a moment and then said, “Okay. I listen. You make mistake and you squirm like a kitten on fire a long time.”

Jack was thankful that Laura answered.

“Listen closely,” said Jack. “I am outside your villa right now with the top boss. We are going to wait here until after his men raid the villa and catch him.”

Laura felt sick when she heard the words. “You mean he’s not coming in here to —”

“That’s correct,” Jack interjected. “Listen carefully to what I say and please do exactly what I ask.”

“I understand,” replied Laura, wondering if Carlos was listening in to Jack’s conversation like Ramirez was hers.

“From your tone, I know that you are being listened to ... correct?”

“Yes,” replied Laura, shrugging her shoulders and smiling at Ramirez.

“I want a description of the inside of the villa. It is important to know which room the men need to run to. I know you can’t talk right now, but as soon as you can, I want you to get a pad of paper and a pencil and draw a picture of the inside of the house. I am worried about the booby trap near the back door. I presume it has been set?”

Laura paused and then said, “Yes,” hoping it was what Jack wanted to hear.

“When he is getting ready for bed, make an excuse to go outside. Say you’re emptying the garbage. Take the paper and pencil and leave it on the bridge under a little rock. Then get out of there. I will draw a sketch to show the boss the booby trap and then the men will rush the house. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

When Laura hung up, Ramirez looked at her and said, “I don’t understand. Why does Carlos not go to the villa? He has lots of men.”

“That’s the problem,” replied Laura. “He has so many men he doesn’t need to risk his own life. He isn’t going into the villa until after.”

“As long as he crosses the bridge. That is most important. Otherwise my men will have to ram his car with the truck. That might not be so good for Jack.”

“No, that wouldn’t be good,” agreed Laura.

“And his car is strong. He might still escape.”

“I need a pencil and some paper,” said Laura. “Then I’ll cross the creek farther down the road and come up past the villa and leave it on the bridge like Jack asked.”

“I don’t understand,” said Ramirez. “Why did Jack say there was a booby trap?”

“We do not know what is being said between Carlos and Jack. It is best we do this.”

Ramirez shrugged and said, “If you wish. I have a pen and paper in the glove box.”

“Pencil and paper,” replied Laura.

“There is a difference?”

“Yes.”

Damien peeked out from under the bridge and saw an SUV slowly driving toward him. It stopped and two men got out and quickly ran toward the bridge as the SUV sped off.

Damien gripped the pistol tighter and ducked as the men slid down the embankment near the bridge. He watched as they scrambled to hide in some bushes.

Moments later, someone was walking on the bridge above him. He heard the sound of a stone grate on the plank above his head and caught a quick glimpse of Laura’s face in the moonlight as she bent over. She then continued walking across the bridge and out onto the street. Now what the fuck is going on?

Immediately the two men left their hiding spot and went to the top of the bridge. Damien heard them whisper and then heard one place a call on his cell. Seconds later, they both headed down the street. Damien peeked out again and saw one of the men staying in the shadows as he followed Laura down the street. The other man was carrying a pad of paper and stopped to wait a short distance down the street.

Damien saw Laura nervously looking back as the SUV arrived again. The man with the pad of paper quickly climbed in and the SUV drove away. She stepped back and hid in the doorway of a building, oblivious to the other man who was creeping closer.

chapter thirty-nine

Carlos accepted the pencil and pad of paper and quickly scanned the crude drawings. One showed the first level of the villa, with a bathroom, kitchen, and a pantry room at the rear and a dining room and television room at the front. Near the pantry was marked a set of stairs leading to the upper level.

The second drawing showed three bedrooms on the upper floor with one marked with a large X and the drawing of a stick man lying on a bed.

“Your puta, she do good,” said Carlos. “Now, tell me about bobby trap,” he said, shoving the paper and pencil onto Jack’s lap.

Jack quickly sketched two trees that were the closest to the rear door of the villa. He then drew what he said was a fish line tied to one tree leading to a glass hanging in the crook of a branch on the other tree.

“The glass is held in place with a clothes pin,” said Jack. “He puts a grenade with the pin removed inside the glass. Below the glass is a rock. If someone walks into the line...”

“Then the glass falls and the grenade ... it go bang,” said Carlos.

“You’ve got it,” replied Jack. “A simple idea, but effective.”

Carlos rolled down the window and handed the sketches to one of his men. He then gave him some brief instructions before rolling up the window.

The minutes passed and the tension reduced everyone to silence. Carlos finally got the call he had been expecting. When he was finished, he barked some orders at the driver, who flicked a switch. Jack heard the doors lock. Entering the car without permission was virtually impossible. Now, leaving the car would be up to the discretion of the driver.

“My men in place at back,” said Carlos. “No bobby trap.”

Normally Jack might have found Carlos’s grasp of the English language amusing, but this was not the time – and he hated Carlos too much to find anything amusing about him.

From her hiding spot in the doorway, Laura watched as two vans, followed by two SUVs, roared past her down the street toward the small bridge. The Mercedes followed from behind, but the darkness, coupled with the tinted windows on the Mercedes, stopped her from catching a glimpse of Jack’s face as it went by.

The first three vehicles bounced across the small bridge, causing the wooden planks to echo loudly in the night. The fourth vehicle stopped crossways at the entrance to the bridge. Four men leapt out and stood with machine guns at the ready as the Mercedes skidded to a stop in the dirt behind it.

Jack watched as Carlos, sitting beside him, screamed instructions into his phone from the safety of the back seat. The two men in the front of the Mercedes remained in their seat, but the man in front of Jack had turned to face him and made no pretext of hiding the pistol he was pointing at Jack.

Jack tried to control his breathing and relax his muscles as he watched Carlos, waiting for the inevitable. Waiting for when Carlos knew and turned to face him...

Jack looked across the creek and caught a glimpse of a small army of men as they kicked open the front door to the villa and rushed inside. The time will be now ... I love you, Natasha.

Jack smiled at the man facing him from the front seat and gave a nod of his head toward the villa just as the lights went on in the house. The distraction didn’t work. Jack saw the man’s eyes flicker toward the villa, but he remained focused on Carlos’s face, waiting for his boss to give the order.

Instantly, automatic weapons erupted inside the villa as men’s screams echoed their terror. At the same time, men rushed out of the shed beside the villa while their weapons burped fire and death.

Carlos looked at Jack. His eyes burned with hatred and his mouth opened to shout a command.

Jack gripped the pencil. The eraser butted against the palm of his hand while the pencil protruded from between the middle of his fingers.

Carlos reeled back in horror as Jack slammed the point of the pencil upwards through his neck under his jaw. His intent was to penetrate the brain but Carlos twisted his head. Instead, the pencil skewered his esophagus and snapped in half, leaving the jagged end protruding from his throat. He tried to scream but instead his voice became an ugly wheezing sound as his body demanded air.

Jack was barely conscious of the man in the front seat raising his gun toward his head while he grasped Carlos with both hands around the back of his neck, pulling him down on top of him.

Carlos gurgled and tried to push himself upright, but Jack had partially wriggled down between the seats and held on tight. Carlos grabbed at his own throat, trying to remove the pencil.

Jack twisted and turned. For a few brief seconds, he felt fingers trying to pry his arm free from the back of Carlos’s neck while the two men screamed at each other in the front seat.

Laura waited for the sound of gunfire before leaving the shelter of her doorway and running toward the Mercedes. She was thankful that Ramirez had given her a Glock 9mm for protection and reached for it in her purse as she raced forward. She knew it wouldn’t penetrate the car, but if a door opened she might have a chance.

A few scatterings of citizens on the street ran past her, going in the opposite direction to escape the din of terror that unleashed itself at the far end. One man appeared in front of her and she gasped as she recognized his face. The stringy red hair ... chipped front tooth. Her brain tried to react to what she thought was impossible. Rellik raised his hand and she saw the gun pointed at her face – point blank range!

Her training took over as she instinctively crouched and started to raise her own weapon. Over the noise of a multitude of automatic weapons firing and people screaming, her brain heard him yell, “Fuckin’ bitch!” and she saw the muzzle flash from his pistol.

Rellik grinned. Good shot. Right through the centre of the forehead!

Jack hung onto Carlos’s neck with one arm while his other hand reached around Carlos’s waistband. His fingers touched the leather holster and he frantically grabbed for the weapon and felt his fingers wrap around it. Got it! ... Wait ... No! It’s a cellphone! He was just packing a second cellphone!

Jack was conscious of the man in the front seat opening his door. A second later, the door by Jack’s head opened. He tilted his head and looked up just as the man took aim at the top of his skull. In a futile effort, Jack released Carlos and tried to grab at the gun. The man stepped back slightly, and it gave Carlos the opportunity to push himself upright, exposing Jack from the chest up as he lay pinned between the seats.

Jack had heard that you never hear the sound of the shot that takes out your brain. It’s not true. I hear it ... sticky pieces of skull and brain splattering down my chest ... Carlos pushing himself backwards to safety ... blackness...

He heard the sound of a second shot, then stared numbly upwards as the light returned.

“Jesus fuck!” yelled Damien. “Don’t just lie there!” he screamed, while dragging the corpse off Jack’s face with one hand, holding the pistol in his other hand.

Jack wriggled out of the car backwards onto the ground. He saw the driver slumped over in the front seat and the car window awash in blood behind him. In the back seat, Carlos stared at him in terror with the broken pencil protruding from his neck. He took his hand from his throat and made a gesture to reach for the door handle. He knew it was hopeless. He was right.

Damien’s third shot sent another wave of blood over the rear passenger window.

Laura saw the smile on Rellik’s face when he fired. Her ears were ringing as the pistol exploded a round just above her head. She immediately fired two bullets from her own gun into his chest cavity.

Rellik’s mouth gaped open in surprise and he fell backwards. Laura heard the sound of another body fall behind her and she turned to look.

Oh man! He missed me and took out a citizen!

Then she saw the gun in the man’s hand, and the realization of what had happened took over. She looked back at Rellik, then quickly knelt down beside him.

He looked at her and his voice gurgled as he spoke.

“Why’d you fuckin’ shoot me, bitch?”

“I thought you called me a fuckin’ bitch and shot at me!” cried Laura.

“I said Duck, bitch! You ducked and...” Rellik’s body convulsed and spewed blood from his lungs. Seconds later, he died without speaking another word.

Jack, followed by Damien, ran up the street and found Laura counting aloud while pumping a man’s chest with her hands and then pausing to blow air into his lungs.

“This is Rellik!” Jack exclaimed. “What is he doing here?”

“You’re alive!” said Laura, returning to pump on Rellik’s chest.

“Yeah, still above ground,” replied Jack, looking at Damien for an answer.

“Carlos ... you kill ’im?” asked Laura. She glanced at Jack, while still pumping on Rellik’s chest.

“Pencil snapped in his throat. Damien finished him off,” said Jack, while placing two fingers over the carotid artery in Rellik’s neck. “He’s dead, Laura. What the hell are you doing?” He looked at Damien and asked, “What is he doing here?”

“You didn’t really think I would trust the Feds to protect me down here, did you? I had Rellik and two of his crew tag along for protection.”

Laura continued to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation until Jack said, “Laura! Will you cut this out! He’s dead! We will be too if we stay out here in the middle of the street!”

Laura looked dazed as she slowly sat upright before picking the 9mm up from where she had dropped it in the dirt.

“I sent Rellik to protect you,” said Damien. “Didn’t know you had a piece. This other guy, he kill Rellik and then you shoot him?”

Laura shook her head. “I thought Rellik was shooting at me. I didn’t know this other guy was behind me. I ... I didn’t know....” Her voice trailed off and she stared down at Rellik.

“Yeah?” replied Damien. “Well, shit happens. Honest mistake. Rellik wasn’t exactly one of my favourites, anyway. Guess we don’t have to worry about him climbing any more trees.”

“Where are your other two guys?” demanded Jack, looking around.

“They helped me take out the four guys outside of Carlos’s Mercedes. I told them to take off after I waxed Carlos.”

“You shouldn’t have brought them here! Damn it, Damien!”

“Yeah, right. And if they weren’t here, you both would be dead!”

Jack, Laura, and Damien hardly spoke as Ramirez gave them a ride back to his place. Once there, he gave them jogging suits to wear and took their bloodied clothes to be burned.

Ramirez told them that nine men who worked for Carlos managed to escape Palmira in a van. He said they did not arrive back in Buga.

It was almost four o’clock when Jack, Laura, and Damien arrived back at their hotel and hurried to their rooms before Jean-Louie and the narcs could see their jogging suits.

Jack waited a few minutes for Jean-Louie to return, then called his room.

“Went really well,” said Jack. “Some details still have to be worked out, but we can head home now.”

“Long night. Was starting to worry.”

“Partied hearty. Helped gain his trust. Right now we’re all beat. I’m going to grab three hours of shut-eye, then meet you at seven. We want to catch the morning flight back to Vancouver.”

Jack then knocked on Laura’s door. She came out in the hall and quietly closed the door behind her. They gave each other a hug before walking down the hallway.

“Think I could round up a drink if you want one,” Jack said. “It’s just that if you feel like talking, we can’t do it in our rooms.”

Laura shook her head and said, “One drink would-n’t be enough and forty-seven would be too many. Glad you’re here, though.”

“How do you feel?”

Laura didn’t respond.

“You okay?”

“I don’t know. Right now I just feel numb. I just killed a guy for saving my life. How do you think I should feel?”

“Numb. Same as I feel.”

“I should have ordered him to drop it. I just ... I was so freaked out with what was going on ... then to see his face. The guy I figured for the epitome of evil. I double-tapped him without thinking. I should have known that he wouldn’t have missed me at that range. My presumptions got him killed!”

“Rellik didn’t save your life. Damien did. Rellik was just a soldier following orders. The fact that he was ordered to save you doesn’t make him a good guy. He acts without conscience. He could have just as easily been told to torture you. Knowing his personality, he likely would have preferred that.”

“I thought of that, but I still fired without weighing all the evidence. He even told me to duck! I was so convinced about him being evil that I didn’t listen. What if he had been a good guy and I did that?”

“He wasn’t.”

“But me thinking he was...”

“We don’t live in a courtroom. We don’t have the luxury of taking months or years to decide whether or not a decision is right. Out here, it’s survival. You reacted how you should have.”