It did absolutely no good. A crescendo of shots pinged all over the interior of his SUV, forcing him to duck while still trying to see to drive. His vehicle went off the road before veering back on as Devine tried desperately to get out of the way of the shooter’s sight line.
As he got the Tahoe back under control, the Escalade sped forward and came up next to him. His window was now parallel with the front passenger-side window of the Escalade.
The window on the other vehicle slid down and Devine saw a man sitting there wearing a black ski mask. He didn’t focus long on the man but turned his attention to the biting end of the side-by-side shotgun, which was pointing right at Devine’s head.
Devine slammed on the brakes a split second before the shotgun roared, and the buckshot load passed harmlessly in front of his windshield.
Devine put the Tahoe in reverse, punched the gas, and hurtled backward for about fifty yards. He next performed a J-turn by tapping the gas and brake at precisely the right moments, and spun the steering wheel just as he’d been taught in the military during evasive maneuvers training. He’d done it back then in a three-ton armored Humvee the size of a hippo. By comparison, the Tahoe was not much of a challenge. He drove off going south, back toward Putnam.
However, the Escalade driver performed the exact same maneuver and impressively did it even more tightly than Devine had managed. In his rearview Devine saw the rear driver’s side window come down, and the muzzle of an MP5 poked out as the Escalade soared after him.
Devine wasn’t sure what he was going to do about this development, only that he wasn’t going to sit there and go down quietly. He dropped back and was about to ram the larger vehicle as it came up beside him when a series of shots rang out. Only the shots weren’t coming from the Escalade.
The big SUV immediately swerved and went off the road in a swirl of mud and flying leaves. Devine checked his rearview again; the Escalade appeared to be out of the chase.
He floored it and drove straight back to Putnam. When he got to his room he texted Campbell. He didn’t expect an answer but he got one a minute later.
Glad you’re all right. Hunker down for the night.
Devine texted back a reply and then started to wonder who had fired the shots that had saved his life.
And then a moment later he realized he had forgotten all about the boat coming to shore.
He slumped back on the bed and groaned.
And then his phone rang. The retired general must have thought of something else.
Only it wasn’t Campbell.
And Devine wasn’t going to be hunkering down.
Chapter 53
Annie Palmer sounded stressed.
“Travis, can you come over?” she said. “I know it’s late. But I really need you.”
“Okay. Where do you live?”
“Not my place. I’m still at Alex’s. She asked me to stay.”
“What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
“That’s why I’m calling. She’s... I don’t know what to call it. But she’s not in a good place.”
“Should you call 911?” snapped Devine.
“She’s not sick or injured or anything. She’s just... mentally, something is going on. Please, can you come?”
“I’m leaving right now. Where’s Dak?”
“I have no idea. I checked, he’s not asleep in his room. And his bike isn’t here. He’s probably out getting drunk and screwing somebody. Please hurry!” she implored.
He drove his SUV as fast as he could while still maintaining control. It was freezing inside with the back window shot out, and the crack in the windshield was spreading. He cranked the heat up high and tried to ignore the chill.
He slid to a stop in front of Jocelyn Point, jumped out, and double-timed it to the front door.
Palmer was waiting for him there.
“Where is she?” said Devine.
“In her room.”
She led him up the stairs and tried to open the door but it wouldn’t budge. She looked fearfully at Devine. “I left it unlocked.”
Devine pushed past her and rapped on the wood. “Hey, Alex, it’s Travis. You in there? You okay?”
There was no answer but Devine could hear an odd sound coming from inside the room.
“I just want to talk, okay? I’ve got some things to tell you. Stuff I found out. Open the door, okay?”
There was no response.
Devine put his ear to the door and listened for a few moments, while Palmer stood there frozen, her eyes filling with tears.
“Alex!” barked Devine.
“Do... do you think...” began Palmer, but Devine wasn’t listening.
He stepped back a few feet and then charged forward, throwing his bulk against the door. It burst open and he was inside the room. He scanned every inch and saw that the window was open and the drapes were flapping in the wind. That must have been the sound he’d heard. He raced to the window and looked down, his heartbeat thumping in his ears.
Please, God, no. No.
She wasn’t down there. He breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at Palmer, who was standing next to him.
“Was she here when you came down to answer the door?”
“Yes, she was lying all curled up in the bed.”
“Her bathroom?”
“Down this way.”
They rushed out into the hall when they both heard a noise. Overhead.
“What is that?” asked Palmer in a hushed tone.
Devine looked up at the ceiling. And then it dawned on him.
“Oh my God!”
“What? What’s wrong?” cried out Palmer as Devine rushed to the stairs and ran pell-mell up them. “Where are you going?” she called out, running after him.
Devine burst through the door leading outside and then pulled up abruptly.
Palmer ran into him and bounced off Devine like she’d hit a wall.
Devine didn’t even notice the impact with the woman. His attention was in front of him.
“Hey, Alex.”
She was standing there in a white nightgown that swirled around her long, pale legs with the rush of the wind. She didn’t turn or acknowledge him. Palmer came to stand next to Devine.
“Oh, Lord,” she whispered in a fearful tone.
Her fright was understandable.
Unlike them, Alex was standing on the outside of the widow’s walk, right near the edge of the roof. It was at least a forty-foot drop to the ground.
“Hey, Alex, it’s me, Travis. Can we talk?”
She still didn’t look at him, but her head turned just a bit, as though she had heard him over the wind.
He took a few steps forward. “I’ve got some things to tell you. About your sister. I think you’ll be happy. I’m making progress. I really am. But I could use your help.”
Palmer gripped his sleeve as Alex took a step toward the edge.
Devine had been in Kandahar when a young woman had walked up to him, he thought, with a request for food and/or water. All the locals assumed American soldiers had plenty of food and water. And he had some extra provisions that he carried for that very reason.
He had reached into his pocket and when he looked back up she was holding a detonator in her shaky hand. All she had to do was push the button and they were both dead.
He could have done many things in that situation. Tried to shoot or knife or grab her before she blew the bomb pack, plead for his life, which was out of the question for him. Call for backup and hope that it arrived in time. Or do what he ended up doing.
He had held out several packages of food and two bottles of water and added a smile on top of it, as though his initial assumption was actually the correct one, and that she was not going to C4 them both to an early grave.