“And what in the fucking world would make you think that?”
Kane’s arm swung up, and two big bricks thudded to the table. A cloud of dust preceded them, all tied off and wrapped in brown paper.
“Because you’re gonna tell them their drugs are missing,” said Kane. He jerked a dirt-caked thumb over his shoulder. “And that’s something they’re probably gonna want to check out for themselves.”
Karl Dietz complexion was already fair. But now he went as white as a ghost.
“Holy shit,” he croaked. “We’re all dead.”
Maddox laughed from where he was reattaching the stock of his rifle. Austin patted him consolingly on the shoulder.
“Did you really want to live forever?”
Their former comrade was still glaring sightlessly down at the table, looking like he was in shock.
“Well… I kinda wanted a little more time.”
“Then follow the plan,” said Austin. “Don’t deviate. Don’t waver. And whatever you do, don’t blink or panic.”
The camera on Kane’s phone clicked as he took a close-up shot of the two dusty bricks. He pressed a few buttons, and another beep sounded from Dietz’s hip.
“There. I just sent you that photo.”
“A—And?” Dietz’s voice was still broken.
“In about an hour, you’ll send that to them. Tell them it came from an unknown number.”
I watched the man’s Adam’s apple bob hard as he swallowed. Dietz was scared. Legitimately frightened.
“And then what?”
“And then we wait,” said Maddox. “In position, of course.”
“They’re going to come pick me up immediately,” said Dietz. “They’re going to drag me out to the desert with them.”
“That’s fine. You’ll send the message from your place.”
Dietz’s eyes went ridiculously wide. “FINE? How the fuck is that fine?”
“Because you’re gonna play it cool,” said Kane. “Real cool.”
“Your best poker face cool,” said Austin.
“Life or death cool,” Maddox added, putting down his barrel brush.
By now Dietz looked like a deer in headlights. Through it all, he kept shaking his head.
“This isn’t right,” he said. “Even if they don’t kill me outright, they’ll shoot me like a dog when we get out there and the drugs are missing.”
“Not if you play it right,” growled Kane.
“No,” Dietz sneered. “You don’t get it! You don’t understand these people—”
The sharp clack of a weapon being racked turned everyone’s head in Maddox’s direction. He stood his fully-assembled Barrett up on the table. It was so long, the muzzle nearly scraped the ceiling.
“We’re not looking to understand them,” said Maddox.
Sixty