His words were interrupted by the loud banging of a horn. “What the hell?” Lee said as he turned toward the sound.
He recognized the pickup heading toward him. Leroy and Guan were coming in hell-fast, but three men were hanging on to the back of their pickup.
Reynolds? What the hell was he doing with Leroy? Reynolds had radioed that he was heading east to search.
Lee ran toward the truck. Reynolds was trying to jump off the side of the vehicle’s bed. He was missing his shirt and dried blood coated his skin.
“Ambushed us...” Reynolds yanked up his hand—a hand that was connected by a handcuff to Adam Morris. “SOB took our ride and headed out!”
Lee’s heart raced faster. “East.” He snarled that one word.
“We found ’em,” Guan was saying, “when we went over to do a backup sweep at that abandoned ranch. They were tied up in some shack.”
“Head east!” Lee bellowed. Because that was where the Ranger had been going. East. There was only one safe spot within a two-hundred-mile radius that way. “Lightning.”
They’d gone to that old town.
Now he knew exactly where his prey was hiding.
Thud. Thud.
He whirled around. “Don’t worry,” Lee said quickly to Devast. “I’ve got them.” My six hours aren’t up.
He’d blow up that whole town if he had to, but he’d get that agent.
Or I’ll die trying. Because the look in his boss’s eyes clearly said that if he came back empty-handed, death would be waiting on him.
* * *
ANTON DEVAST WATCHED Lee Slater rush away. Slater was proving to be a disappointment to him.
When he was disappointed, it meant it was time for people to die.
If Slater couldn’t catch the EOD agent and the missing woman, Anton would just have to find someone else to get the job done.
He smiled. Mercer had infiltrated Devast’s group. Thought you were clever, didn’t you, old friend?
It was Anton’s turn now. And he’d use one of Mercer’s men against him.
In their business, loyalties were bought and traded every single day. You just had to know the right price to offer.
With the right price, you could buy anything.
You could even buy your way into the EOD.
Chapter Five
The storm wasn’t letting up. In fact, the rain pelted down even harder as Drew gazed out the window. His team was coming. He hadn’t used the landline to call them. Even in a place that was supposed to be secure... Well, he knew better than to take risks.
Risks would get a man killed.
Sarah had instantly recognized his code word. She would have gone into the back and made contact through a secure system. As a backup—because Drew always believed in backups—he had used his burner phone to check in with Dylan. Now that they were in the town, he’d managed to get a signal strong enough to make the call. His friend and team leader had given him an ETA of less than thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes, and then Tina would be gone.
That’s not enough time with her.
The bathroom door opened with a soft creak. He turned to look at her. Steam drifted lightly from the small bathroom.