Joe looked at his old friend as he drove them into the middle of nowhere. Was Julia right? Had Ed sold them out? Who did he trust? Ed or Julia? There was no contest. Julia would never send him that message unless she was absolutely certain.
“Callum?” Joe kept his voice even and calm. “While I remember, you got a call from Stu Creek. He said to call him back ASAP. Sounded like he was desperate.”
Joe glanced at Ryan. The man had transformed, his easy-going demeanour replaced by one of pure determination. He slipped his gun out of its holster and nodded to Joe as he did the same. They’d both gotten Joe’s crude message—they were up shit creek; get ready fast; things were going to get bad.
“I’ll give him a ring soon as I can.” Callum kept his voice neutral.
Joe felt his body tense for action. “I’d do it fast. There’s something about that guy I just don’t trust.”
“Maybe I’ll give him a call now?” Should we do something now?
“That’s a good idea,” Joe agreed.
Fast as lightning, Callum reached out and grabbed the wheel, making the car swerve suddenly to the left. Ed pulled back his elbow and hit Callum hard. The Scot dodged the blow, and it glanced off his head. Joe cocked his gun and pressed it into the side of Ed’s neck.
“How many?” he demanded.
“It’s too late.” Before they realised what Ed planned to do, he blasted the horn.
Joe used the butt of his gun to knock out the man he’d thought was a friend. Ed slumped over the wheel. Callum leaned over Ed and threw open the driver’s door. He pushed Ed out.
Callum climbed into the driver’s seat and gunned the engine as a dozen armed men emerged from the rocks. Joe ducked down as bullets flew. Ryan wound down his window and fired back.
“Um, I don’t know if I should mention this, boss,” Ryan said as he took out one of the men, “but should you be driving? On account of you not actually having any real legs and this car being a stick shift.”
“My fake legs are going to kick your arse once we get out of here.” Callum thrust the car into reverse.
“Sorry I mentioned it,” Ryan muttered as he took another shot.
The car bolted backwards. Callum held on to the passenger seat headrest as he navigated by looking out of the back window. Joe held on tight. They were tossed up into the air and came down hard on a large clump of grass.
“How many?” Callum asked.
“At least ten, not counting Ed.” The words twisted in Joe’s gut.
“Put it out of your mind,” Callum ordered. “Deal with it later. Right now we need to focus on the facts. We’re outnumbered. Outgunned. And this car is crap.”
As if to prove his statement, the car hit a ridge and went sailing through the air before landing with a crash against one of the huge grey rocks.
Joe shook his head to clear it. “Anybody injured?”
“Does a serious case of whiplash count?” Ryan scrambled out of his door.
“Whiney wee fart,” Callum said as he climbed out and hunkered down beside the car. “Right, we’re miles out of the city, but there was that wee village a ways back, the one Ed called a suburb.”
“Not sure we can trust Ed’s information anymore.” Ryan peeked over the ridge.
“Like it matters if it’s a suburb or not. Will you stop messing around and focus?”
Joe wondered if he should step between the two men. “Plan?”
“We head to the village,” Callum said. “If we get a chance, we take one of their guys with us. I have a few questions for him.”
Joe inclined his head towards Callum’s prosthetic legs. “You gonna manage this terrain?”
“I bloody well have to, don’t I?”
“I’ll take point, you follow. Ry? You bring up the rear.”