The ambulance screeched to a stop next to the cabin. Two men flew out the doors and ran to the porch with their black bags. The flashing red and white lights seemed out of place at the edge of the lake. They belonged back in Baltimore, swirling against row houses and illuminating darkened alleys.
Matt took a long look down at Rami’s corpse. For the first time in his career he’d lamented his marksmanship. He wanted to keep the terrorist alive, just so the warrior could see Matt capture his new leader.
The familiar squeak of a mountain bike’s suspension came rushing up the path behind him. Jennifer Steele jumped off her bike and wrapped her arms around his bare torso.
“Are you okay?” Steele asked.
Matt gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’m all right.”
Steele pulled away and examined his banged up face. “That’s a relative term.”
Matt wiped his forehead and came back with bloody fingers. He’d been going so hard, the adrenalin had disguised the pain.
She looked past him at the corpse. “Who is he?”
Matt looked down. “Afran Rami.”
“He’s with the KSF?”
“Yeah,” Matt said. “Temir Barzani’s nephew. Barzani probably offered him the opportunity to kill Nick.”
“You mean try to kill Nick.”
Matt snapped his head to face her. Steele’s wobbly smile said it all. She pointed to a spot between her left shoulder and her left breast. A spot where no major organs resided. A survivable spot, even from a 7mm Magnum.
“He’s alive?” Matt said.
Steele shrugged. “You don’t want to see the exit wound, but he’s going to make it.”
Matt thought for a moment. “I need to see him.”
“I’m sure he’s on his way to the hospital by now.”
Matt nodded absently, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. Without Nick by his side, he was at a momentary standstill.
Steele tilted her head. “What are you thinking?”
“Did Nick say anything?”
“Yes,” she said. “He was in shock, but he urged me to get to you. He wanted you to know that it wasn’t a pro. Otherwise, he said, he’d be dead already.”
“What else?”
Steele shook her head. “He’s lying there practically bleeding out and he’s telling me to go back and help you. Like I need incentive.”
She turned sad and Matt gathered her in his arms. “It’s all right,” he said.
She dug her face into his neck and sighed. They stood there embracing for a moment, letting their heartbeats settle into a steady rhythm.
Then Steele said, “It’s just starting, isn’t it?”
Matt smoothed her hair and never even considered lying. “Yes.”
“How well do you know Barzani?”
“Well.”
“Are you better than him?”
“Yes.”
They clung to each other, sorting things out in their heads. Finally, Steele pulled back and said, “You can’t kill every terrorist in the world, you know.”
Matt smiled. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll try to remember that.”
Chapter 2
Payson Memorial Hospital was a small forty-bed brick building which sat on a hill at the east end of town. Nick Bracco’s room seemed appropriately dreary with the window blinds narrowed and the overhead fluorescent lights beaming. It was the following morning and Nick was still sleeping off the effects of the anesthesia.
Matt sat cross-legged and watched Julie Bracco gently sweep loose strands of hair out of her husband’s face, while Jennifer Steele sat next to him, her tablet computer on her lap, reading the latest FBI updates. She nudged Matt and handed him her tablet. The front page of the Washington Post was displayed on her screen. The cover story was about the murder of FBI agent Dave Tanner last night. Matt took a breath and tried to take it all in. Dave was their teammate back when they were terrorist specialists. It didn’t take much imagination to understand why Nick and Dave were targeted. The KSF was trying to eliminate the team which silenced their leader. He read the full article, but there was no word about any of the other three members of the team being singled out.
He handed Steele back her tablet and shook his head, letting her know it wasn’t time to tell Julie about Dave. Matt’s mind raced as he watched Nick, eager to see a sign of him regaining consciousness. He desperately needed his ex-partner’s help and he tried to will Nick awake with the weight of his stare.
“You look worried,” Julie said.
“Does that bother you?”
“Actually, it does. You’re his guardian angel. If you’re worried, what should I be feeling?” Her voice cracked on the last word.
“I’m not worried, Jule,” Matt said. “I’m just working it out in my head.”
“He already knows who’s behind the shooting,” Steele said absently while tapping her keyboard.
Julie’s eyebrows rose as she looked at Matt for an explanation.
Matt glared at Steele.
“She deserves to know,” Steele said. “Nick would tell her.”
“Who is he?” Julie asked him.
Matt sighed. He knew Julie too well to give her the company line. “His name is Temir Barzani. He was one of Kharrazi’s top lieutenants. When we raided the KSF’s safe house, Barzani was one of the few who escaped. That always bothered me.”
“And he wants Nick dead for killing Kharrazi?”
Matt shrugged.
“How many members of the Kurdish Security Force are still roaming around the area?”
Matt had to think. “If I were to guess, I’d say ten. Maybe less.”
Julie looked away. She appeared to be struggling to hold it together.
“Jule?” Matt said.
Julie focused on the bed sheets. “It’s just never going to end, is it?”
“Jule, listen-”
The door opened and the deputy who was guarding the door stuck his head inside and said, “There’s a Tommy Bracco here.”
Matt lowered his head and sighed. “Great.”
Julie’s face brightened. “Yes, send him in.”
A dark-haired man wearing a brown leather jacket walked in with a purple toothpick dangling from the corner of his mouth. He immediately frowned at the sight of Nick in bed. Julie jumped up and threw her arms around him.
“I’m so glad you came,” she said. Tears glistened in her eyes.
“Like I’m gonna sit in Baltimore while someone takes pot shots at my big cousin here.”
Matt covered his face with his hand. Tommy coming to Payson only made his job that much tougher. It was a family hurdle he’d jumped through in the past and he wasn’t eager for an encore.
Tommy Bracco pulled back from Julie’s embrace and smiled. “You still got the prettiest eyes I ever seen.”
Julie blushed.
Tommy’s face turned severe as he moved toward the bed and examined Nick’s bandaged shoulder. Nick had a tube coming from the crook of his elbow and his mouth hung open helplessly.
Tommy pulled the covers up a little and said, “How is he?”
“He’ll recover,” Julie said. Her voice sounded braver now that Tommy was there. It was a naive confidence Matt never fully understood. He simply chalked it up to a Sicilian thing. Something Matt always contended with whenever Nick’s family was involved.
Tommy meticulously made his way around the bed, tugging on the blanket, moving Nick’s limp arm to a more masculine position, pulling up on his blue gown to cover his shoulder. As he tended to Nick’s appearance, he glanced at Matt briefly, just long enough to let everyone know who he was about to speak with.
“I just want one thing from you,” Tommy said, adjusting Nick’s pillow. “I want a name.”
Matt stuck a piece of gum in his mouth and began a slow chew.
Tommy let it go almost a minute before he stopped fussing over his cousin, then pulled his purple toothpick from his mouth and pointed it at Matt. “Let’s you and me take a little walk.”
Matt stood. His six-foot-three frame loomed a good three inches over Tommy. He chewed his gum with more fervor.