Page 74 of Monk
“That’s a negative. Just the eight guards out front,” he replies.
“Son of a bitch. I know that guy,” Cosmo says as he hands me the glasses. “Black suit. Short hair. At the rear of the second SUV.”
I train the glasses on the man he’s describing. “What about him?”
“That’s Xavier Soledad. He used to be Tarantula’s VP. Bolted to become Miguel Zavala’s personal sicario. Tarantula’s had a price on his head ever since.”
I say smugly, “Think he’ll pay us if we bring him this dude’s head?”
“You can bank on it. He hates the dude that much.”
“So, what’s the plan here, guys?” I ask, feeling anxious.
“Storming the building’s out. That’s likely to get everybody killed,” Prophet says.
“We need to find out who’s inside,” I say, then have an idea. “Max, do you have a clear line of sight?”
“Affirmative,” his voice comes back through my earpiece.
“Do you have your parabolic mic?” I ask.
“Affirmative.”
“Give us a listen,” I tell him, then turn to Cosmo. “If we can’t see who’s in there, maybe we can hear them.”
Prophet and Cosmo both nod. “That’s a damn good idea,” Prophet says, sounding impressed.
“Desperation is the mother of invention,” I reply.
We wait for a few moments, each one tightening the knot in my stomach that much more. I watch as Xavier disappears into the cabin, wishing I could be in there with them just so I can figure out what in the hell is going on.
“Kasey escaped and Zavala is screaming at somebody for letting her get away. Spencer’s in the woods looking for her. Zavala’s telling his guy when Spencer catches her and brings her back, to kill them both. Or if Spencer comes back alone, to kill him, and then send men into the woods after her,” Max’s play-by-play comes through our earpieces.
“No friendlies in the lodge. I say we light the place up. Nobody’s going to cry about a dozen dead cartel assholes,” Cosmo says.
I turn to Prophet, and before I even open my mouth, he’s nodding. “Stick behind the ridge as cover. Do not get seen,” he says. “We’re going to light this place up and keep them busy. Get into the woods and get your girl.”
I give him a grim smile. “Thank you.”
He nods. “Go.”
Cosmo pats me on the back. “Good luck, kid.”
“You, too. Do not get yourself dead up here,” I say.
Crab-walking down the back side of the rise, I get to my feet when I hit the bottom and sprint off for the woods. I stop at the edge of the tree line to catch my breath when I hear the loud crack of a shot from a Barrett 25mm… a sniper rifle. So, Max got the first shot. Good for him.
There’s a long, pregnant pause as the report of the rifle echoes out across the land. It’s that moment right before a battle starts where both sides take a breath and tighten their balls. And then, all hell breaks loose. The chatter of automatic gunfire is loud and constant. It throws me right back to some of the firefights I was involved in back in Afghanistan.
Shaking off the old ghosts trying to pull me down, I plunge into the forest, moving as swiftly and silently as possible while keeping my eyes open. It doesn’t take me long to pick up a trail. Broken branches, scattered undergrowth, and fresh footprints in the damp soil. Tightening my grip on the AR in my hands, I set off, following the footprints and keeping my ears peeled.
As the sound of the firefight behind me fades to a distant roar and the quiet of the forest starts to take over, I hear Spencer shouting Kasey’s name. It pulls a sigh of relief out of me because it means he has not found her yet, and she’s still alive.
The idiot keeps screaming her name, his frustration obviously leading him to make a very bad decision. He had to have heard the firefight raging at the lodge and if he was smart, he’d have to assume that I’m coming for Kasey. Coming for him. And yet, he bellows her name again, his voice echoing through the trees.
The crack of a gunshot twists the knot in my stomach, and I press on, fearing for Kasey more and more with every step I take. Cresting a hill, I slip behind the trunk of a sequoia and peer around it. Downslope, near the edge of the river, I see Spencer. He’s got a 9mm in his hand and he’s turning his head to the left and to the right, obviously searching.
“Come out right now, Kasey. I promise I’m not mad. All will be forgiven, I swear,” he calls.
