Behind the Lies (A Montgomery Justice Novel) (36 page)

He would find her.

“You might want to save yourself. Zach will come after you,” Jenna taunted. “Whether I’m dead or not.”

Farzam smiled. “Yes. He will. I want him to. Zane Morgan will pay for his crimes today.”

Several clicks sounded. The video camera whirred.

“You will give him your last words. Speak.”

“It’s a trap,” she screamed. “Save Sam.”

The man slapped her face. Hard. She couldn’t stop the cry.

Metal pressed against her temple.

“She’s dead, Montgomery. An eye for an eye.”

The camera went dark.

“How far are we?” Zach asked, leaning forward, studying the streetlights that whizzed past the vehicle.

A beep sounded from the laptop. Luke snatched it. “Got him,” his brother said. “Two blocks down.” He glared at Brad. “That’s a half mile away from where you told us.”

Zach pointed his 1911 at the assassin’s temple.

“Don’t believe the signal,” Brad said. “It’s a decoy.”

Zach met Luke’s gaze and could see the uncertainty in his brother’s eyes. Zach knew it was his call.

“We’re one block away from the triangulated position,” Gabe added, from the driver’s seat. “Where do I go?”

“How far from Walters’s location?”

“Two minutes.”

“My son could be dead in two minutes,” Brad spat. “Trust me. You guys think I’d lie to you with Sam’s life at stake?”

Zach’s gut twisted. “If you’re wrong, Walters—”

“I’m dead. I know, but so is my son.” Brad glared at Gabe. “Don’t stop. I’m telling you, I’m right.”

The beeping grew louder. They passed an abandoned house. The windows looked very similar to the video. Nausea rose within Zach. If he was wrong, Jenna and Sam could pay the ultimate price.

He couldn’t lose them, not like this. Not because of his choices, his decisions, his life.

Thirty seconds.

One minute.

The only sound within the car were magazines snapping into Seth’s Sig and Luke’s Glock. Zach checked his father’s 1911. The .45 caliber had never let him down.
Help me, Dad.
He sent up a silent prayer.
Help me save them.

Ninety seconds.

The tires squealed as Gabe rounded the corner.

“We’re one block away,” Luke said.

“Pull over, out of sight,” Zach ordered.

In seconds, Gabe maneuvered the car behind a group of pines trees.

Zach turned to Brad. “You’re staying here.”

“I can help. I’m better than good with a weapon.”

Zach ignored him. “Seth, Luke, cuff each hand to a different door, then zip-tie his ankles apart. Make it quick.”

In seconds the brothers had Brad spread-eagled in the backseat.

“You’ll die for this.”

“Heard that before,” Zach said, and closed the door on the assassin, flicking the key fob to lock the vehicle. “Let’s move.”

The four of them peered through the trees at the foreclosed house, its windows boarded up.

“You want Farzam alive?” Seth asked. “For interrogation?”

Zach’s expression went cold. “I don’t give a shit as long as Jenna and Sam get out alive. Do what you have to.” With a scan of the layout, Zach let out a stream of air. The plan could work. “Seth, you and Gabe round to the back. Grab whoever’s the closest—Jenna or Sam. Luke and I will hit the front and do the same.”

“No way,” Seth shook his head. “Farzam wants you dead.”

“If—” Zach’s throat choked. “If Sam and Jenna are still alive, he wants me to watch them die. Otherwise he wouldn’t have hurt them the way he did. Besides, he hates me the most. I go in the front. I’m the distraction.” Zach grabbed Seth’s collar. “You make sure they stay alive. I won’t let anyone else die because of me. You understand?”

“None of us is dying today,” Luke said quietly. “Mom would be really pissed.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of Zach’s mouth. “That she would.” His smile faded. “Let’s do this.”

Brad couldn’t hear or see a thing after the Montgomerys filtered through the trees. He tugged against the restraints.
Damn them.
They’d beat him. He had no more tricks. He peered through the front window, but he couldn’t see the house. Dark pressed in around the car. He hated the dark.

Bobby buried his face under his arms. He shook. Too quiet out there. Mommy wasn’t even crying now.

Quickly, he wiped his tears away. He couldn’t let Daddy see them.

The closet door slammed open. Bright light blinded him. He closed his eyes and shrank from the opening.

His father grabbed Bobby’s injured arm. He couldn’t stop the whimper.

“Weakling,” his father growled. “Get out here.”

His mother lay crumpled in the corner, unmoving.

“Mommy!”

“Leave her,” his father ordered. “We’re out of here.”

“But I have to help her,” Bobby pleaded.

His father backhanded his cheek. Bobby crashed to the ground.

His mother still didn’t move.

“You weren’t man enough to help her. Weak, pathetic little bastard. You’re probably not even mine. You don’t want to go? Fine. Stay in the dark.”

He kicked Bobby, then shoved him into the closet and slammed the door closed. The lock turned.

Through the cheap pine he thought he heard a very faint groan.

“Mommy!” Bobby banged on the door. “I’ll get out. I’ll help you.”

Brad stared in the darkness. He’d failed that day. Just like he’d failed his son.

A shadowy figure appeared at the door. He heard several clicks, then the car door swung open.

Theresa Banyon shook her head in disappointment. “Damn it, Walters. I set them up. Do I have to shoot them for you, too?”

Brad looked at the face of the woman who had pulled his strings the last few years. He recognized the cold eyes. She was a mirror of his soul. “I can turn this around, Theresa. I’ll finish the job for you. Just let me loose and give me time to get my son.”

“This is your last chance. Kill everyone else and you can take your brat and leave.”

He would kill everyone in that house if it meant having his son. “I’ll succeed this time. I’ll even finish Garrison off when I’m done.”

Theresa weighed a familiar and deadly device in her hand. Brad knew the weapon’s power—and its impact. The heat created from the unique explosion burned so hot, the trace evidence was useless, but just like its creator, the bomb was vicious and unpredictable. He’d used it in Stockholm, and the stupid thing had almost killed him.

Crap.
She really had gone over the edge if she’d produced more of the unstable explosive.

She smiled. “I’m a forgiving woman.” She tugged out a knife and slid it into his palm, then stood back, a gun on him. “Consider this a life-or-death test, because if you fail again, you and your son die tonight.”

Brad would succeed. His father had been his first kill. Well, Sam would be his first save—the first time since his mother had died that he cared about someone besides himself.

Just outside the dilapidated building Zach and three of his brothers eased around the trees edging the property. Zach signaled to them. His brothers nodded, then Seth and Gabe headed around the corner toward the back entrance.

Seth stopped abruptly and pointed to a nearly invisible wire spread across the lawn.

Booby traps.

Great.

Zach communicated the information silently to Luke while Seth warned Gabe. He acknowledged the signal. They’d have to be very careful. No storming in. Farzam might be crazy wanting revenge, but he obviously wasn’t stupid.

They stepped carefully toward the front door. Zach eased around some misplaced dirt, then flicked a bit away.

A makeshift mine.

After uncovering yet another explosive device, Zach’s heart sped up. This was taking too long, but he couldn’t help Jenna and Sam if a terrorist bomb took out the rescue team.

A birdcall sounded from around back. Seth. Crazy guy had gotten where he could imitate almost any bird that existed.

Everyone was in place and ready.

Zach looked at Luke.

His brother met his gaze, calm, certain, and deadly. Zach held up his hand and counted down.

Five, four, three, two…

Go!

Zach shoved his good shoulder through the door. The wood exploded into the room. Seth and Gabe slammed through the back at the same time.

Farzam whirled around, momentarily stunned, his back to Jenna.

Zach didn’t hesitate. Thanks to the video, he and his brothers knew the layout of the room. He raced to a bruised and battered Jenna, gun raised. “Get down,” he yelled.

Simultaneously, his peripheral vision scanned the room. Where was Sam?

Her poor face screwed up in effort. Straining against the ropes binding her, Jenna rocked the chair, knocking Farzam off balance. The furniture tilted on two legs. Her shoulder slammed into the floor. The wood broke under the impact.

Farzam fell back and rolled to Jenna. Time slowed. He whipped the barrel of the submachine gun at Zach. Bullets thwacked against the wood, ripping through the walls. Zach leapt out of the way. Luke dove to the side. Seth and Gabe followed.

The bastard grabbed Jenna, shoving the broken chair aside, and used her as his shield. He scooted toward the corner.

“Don’t move or she dies now.” Farzam shoved the gun into Jenna’s side and opened his jacket.

Everyone stilled.

The guy had strapped what looked like blocks of C4 to his chest. He held a small detonator. His fingers shook as they gripped the device.

Zach faced the man he had met only once at a civilized university tea. He bore no resemblance to the man Zach had known. Farzam’s eyes were wild, determined—and totally insane.

Seth eased to the side slightly; Luke and Gabe shifted, too, but none of them had a good angle. Seth gave a slight shake of his head. If they tried it, Jenna was dead.

“Khalid killed my son, Zane Morgan,” Farzam said. “I have nothing to lose.”

“What about your wife?”

“I am no longer a man to her. You ruined me. You and Pendar and your stupid, grandiose dreams. You don’t care who suffers for your selfishness.”

Zach shut his eyes against the truth in Farzam’s words. “I didn’t want Pendar to pay. He wanted freedom for his wife and daughters. He came to me.”

“And all he found was death.” Farzam’s expression grew cold. “An eye for an eye.”

He shifted, his finger tightening over the detonator.

A branch crunched outside the open front door. Farzam looked up.

Zach took advantage of the distraction. He tackled Farzam, stripping the detonator from his hand. Seth grabbed the semi-automatic from Farzam’s other hand.

Jenna scrambled away, shoving free of the loosened ropes, only to collapse near the back door.

“No!” Farzam slipped a knife from its sheath and slashed at Zach’s face. They staggered to their feet. “You die!”

“Not today.” Zach spun around and shoved the heel of his hand up and back into Farzam’s nose. Bones shattered and drove into the man’s brain. Farzam crumbled to the ground. Dead.

“Not today?” Theresa’s voice came in through the doorway. “I wouldn’t bet on that, Zach.”

He turned.
Damn it
. He hated being proved right.