The Last Mile (Amos Decker 2)

Roy shrugged. “Like I told you before, Decker, life ain’t perfect and neither am I. I did what I did and I don’t have to defend it to you or anybody else.”

“Callahan!” called out the electronically enhanced voice. “Your time is running out!”

Decker looked toward the door. “So what do we do about the guys out there?”

“Maybe I got a way out. If I give them what they want.”

“And they’ll just let us go?”

“Me maybe, but you two are on your own.”

“You sonofabitch!” exclaimed Mars. He started toward Roy, but the man pointed his gun at him.

“Don’t make me shoot you, Mellow.”

“I’ll shoot you,” said Decker.

“No,” said Roy. “I’d shoot somebody in the back. But I don’t think you would. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going.”

In the darkness he bumped into Decker on his way to the door. Roy gripped Decker to steady himself. “You are losing weight, Decker. For all the good it’ll do you.”

He let go and called out the window, “I’m coming out. You guys want to know where the stuff is, we can work a deal. But you shoot me, trust me, that stuff will end up where you don’t want it to.”

“What about the others in there with you?” the voice called out.

Roy didn’t even look at the two. “Not my problem,” he yelled back.

“You bastard!” roared Mars, but Decker held him back.

“Let him go, Melvin.”

“Why? So he gets to live and we die?”

“Don’t be such a pussy, Mellow,” sneered Roy. “You might get out of this. If not, I’ll see you on the other side.”

“No you won’t,” said Mars. “I’ll be with Mom. And you know where you’ll be.”

“I’m coming out.” Roy marched out the door holding his gun up

.

Decker peered out the window and saw three men race forward, each carrying a rifle and outfitted in cammie gear and body armor. They surrounded Roy.

“Where is it?” one of them said.

Roy looked back at the little house.

“Hey, Mellow, tell your Mom I said—” His voice cracked and tears suddenly filled his eyes. “Tell her that I love her, Melvin. Always will, no matter what.”

“Oh shit,” exclaimed Decker. He grabbed Mars and flung him backward. Mars went sliding across the floor and thudded into the rear wall of the building. Decker raced over and covered him with his big body.

Outside, Roy opened his coat. The packs of Semtex around his waist were rigged to a trigger.

The men surrounding him turned to run.

But it was far too late for that.

Roy Mars hit the trigger.

And the four men simply disappeared.

CHAPTER

75

DECKER SAT LOOKING across at Mars.

They were in a hotel room in Tuscaloosa.

Bogart stood watching both of them and his expression wasn’t a happy one.

The house they had been in had partially collapsed when Roy Mars detonated the bomb wrapped around him. Both Decker and Mars had escaped the wreckage without serious injury, but it had been a near thing.

They had driven the truck left behind by the men with rifles to a point where they could make a call. The police had come, and then Bogart had flown in with a team of agents. Decker and Mars had been taken to the local hospital, stayed overnight, and been released to Bogart.

Jamison had flown down with Bogart and was standing next to him. She didn’t look any happier than the FBI agent did.

“Never thought to loop me in on this?” he said to Decker.

Decker shrugged. “You were officially off the case, Ross. I didn’t want to get you in trouble, and Roy said to come alone.”

“You listen to him and yet you won’t listen to me!”

“It seemed like the only way,” replied Decker.

“And what about me?” snapped Jamison, hands on hips and a scowl on her face.

“I’m sorry, Alex,” was all Decker could manage.

Bogart said, “So Roy’s dead and the other guys were blown to smithereens, and we found nothing at the scene tying them to Eastland or Huey.”

Mars shook his head. “I still can’t believe he just…blew himself up.”

“He saved us, Melvin. Well, actually he saved you. I don’t think he cared if I lived or died.”

“But why? After all the shit he put me through? Was it because of my mom?”

“I don’t think so. I think it was because of you.”

“The guy didn’t love me. He hated my guts. He framed me for murder. I figured he just took the easy way out.”

“I wouldn’t call blowing yourself up the easy way out,” pointed out Jamison.

“Why would he even come there with a bomb?” asked Mars.

Decker said, “He was a man who hedged his bets. He knew Eastland had a lot of resources. He might have figured we’d get followed somehow.”

Bogart said, “Well, whatever the reason, we’ve got nothing. Roy was our last hope. And now he’s gone. So Eastland and Huey are home free.”

“Not yet,” said Decker.

They all turned to him.

He eased something from his coat pocket. His arm had been hit by a flying wall stud in the explosion and was still sore. He held up the article.

“Your wallet?” said Bogart.

“Roy’s wallet.”

“How the hell did you get it?” asked Mars.

“I didn’t. He ‘accidentally’ slipped it into my pocket before he went out and blew himself up.”

“Why would he do that?” asked Bogart.

Decker opened the wallet and drew out the only item inside.

“What is that?” asked Jamison. “A credit card?”

“No, a library card.”

“A library card?” said Bogart. He looked at Mars. “Was he much of a reader?”

“Never saw him with a book in his life.”

“Except the one he would read to you at night,” said Decker.

“That’s right. How’d you remem—” Mars stopped in midsentence.

“Why a library card?” asked Jamison.

“I think he was leaving us a message.” Decker rose. “Shall we?”

* * *

The drive to the library that now stood where the old NAACP office once had was only ten minutes from the hotel. They drove in Bogart’s rental. He pulled in front of the library and parked at the curb. Decker led them inside.

At the front desk sat a middle-aged woman with a stack of books in front of her.

Decker said, “I have a book on reserve.” He handed her the library card.

She took it and then checked on the computer in front of her. “I assume this isn’t for you?” she said when the correct screen came up.

“No, my nephew. He’s just learning to read.”

She smiled. “Make a reader early, you make one for life. I’ll be right back.” She rose and disappeared behind some stacks.

Jamison said, “Are you going to tell us what’s going on, Amos?”

“What book did he reserve?” asked Mars.

“The Three Little Pigs,” said the librarian, returning into view. “I noticed you checked it out once before,” she said to Decker.

“Right. My nephew liked it so much.”

“Well, it is a classic. I read it to my grandkids and I still get scared when the Big Bad Wolf comes into the story. And the pictures are really stunning.” She handed Decker the book and his