The smell of gasoline filled my nostrils. The van’s tank had been ruptured. Fuel spilled onto the asphalt and trickled away. The stream meandered toward Pedro’s cigarette, which smoldered on the ground, the cherry still red.
I climbed to my feet and sprinted for the cigarette.
The gasoline beat me to it.
In a flash, the gasoline ignited. It raced up the stream and quickly engulfed the van.
I moved to Pedro and kicked his weapon out of his grasp, then knelt down and felt for a pulse in his neck. He was long gone. There was no point in pulling him away from the fire.
I backed away from the inferno that glowed the parking lot and billowed black smoke into the night sky.
I checked Ponytail for vitals. His soul had vacated the body. I took the opportunity to recover my pistol and the keys to the town car. Then I advanced one by one to the fallen thugs and checked their vitals.
They were all gone.
Threats neutralized.
I was able to recover the pistols Rico and his crew had taken from Jack and me at the crypt.
The faint buzz of the drone lingered overhead. It would only be a matter of moments before JD and Flynn arrived in the Porsche.
The van blazed in an amber fury. All that money going up in smoke.
Mickey didn’t seem to care anymore. There was only one thing on his mind. His eyes focused on the trunk of the town car as faint muffles and thumps escaped.
Mickey and I hustled to it. I popped the trunk to find Kendra bound at the wrists and ankles, her mouth covered with duct tape. Mascara stained her cheeks. Her hair was tousled and ratty, but she looked unharmed.
With a pocket knife, I cut her wrists and ankles free, then gently pulled the duct tape from her mouth. She gasped a breath and flung her arms around me as I scooped her up and lifted her from the trunk. "Can you stand?"
She nodded.
There was no telling how long she'd been cooped up in that trunk. In that position, she was probably a little numb.
I set her down with caution and hovered close by. She wobbled a little.
"Thank God you're okay!" Mickey said with relieved eyes. He embraced her and squeezed tight. It took Kendra a second to respond. She finally hugged him back.
I think that alone was worth more to Mickey than all the money in the van.
JD and Flynn pulled into the lot and hopped out of the Porsche.
Flynn smiled. “Now that’s what I like to see. A family reunited.”
Mickey wasn’t about to let go of Kendra anytime soon.
Flynn whispered to me. “This story practically writes itself. We could make two movies. One about his smuggling years, and one about his reunion with his daughter. Or we could combine them into one biopic." He grinned with excitement. Flynn never stopped thinking about movies.
55
By the time the fire department arrived, every last bit of money had been incinerated.
First responders swarmed. Red and blue lights flickered atop patrol cars. The acrid stench of burned plastic, rubber, and oil lingered in the air.
Paramedics and EMTs were on the scene.
"Let me get this straight," Sheriff Daniels said to me. "You planned to meet with Pedro and exchange the ransom for Kendra."
I nodded.
