“Where is my sister? Where? Talk to me or so help me God, I will kill you.”
Startled, Franklin took several deep breaths, eyeing me cautiously. “You won’t hurt me, Reese.”
“Don’t bet on it. Where is she? Where is my sister?”
“I’d tell her what she wants to know, Franklin.”
When he laughed, I jammed the blade deep enough a trickle of blood formed. “You don’t know anything about me, Franklin. Except for one thing. How much I love my sister. There was once a good man inside of you. A long time ago. You can’t allow my sister or the others to die. Where are they?”
“You’re wrong. I was never a good man.” As if fighting his conscience, he closed his eyes. “It’s too late anyway. You can’t get to them.”
“Where are they?” Kendrick growled.
Franklin took a deep breath. “They’re being shipped to Saudi Arabia tonight.”
“Which berth?” Kendrick was right beside me, the barrel of his weapon pointed at Franklin’s forehead. “Which one?”
“One eighty-one. You’ll never get there in time.”
“We’ll get there. Give me the knife, Reese. You don’t want to do this. We need to save your sister.”
Instead of complying, I drove the knife in by another centimeter or two. Enough Franklin crowded against the door.
“Reese. Come on, baby. Give me the knife.” Kendrick’s voice was soft, offering comfort and security. A reason not to cross the line.
Finally, I allowed the blade to slip from my hand, taking a step away. “I can’t wait to see you rot in prison.”
Kendrick slipped the knife into his pocket, keeping the weapon pointed at Franklin’s temple.
“What now, lawman? Are you going to take me into custody?”
“You’re a criminal, Franklin. You’ve done some terrible things in your life.”
“I never said I hadn’t. I gave you what you wanted. Now, you’re going to keep the promise you made.”
“You’re so certain about that? Do you think you know me so well, Franklin? After everything you did to Reese? After everything you did to her family? You must think I’m a fool. I’ve known men like you my entire life. Corrupt bastards who believed themselves entitled to everything just because it was what they wanted. Treating women as objects. Putting them in harm’s way. Taking a life just because of greed or an addiction to booze or drugs. Men like you are vermin, scum of the earth and you deserve to spend the rest of your miserable existence wallowing in the fires of hell. And I have no problem sending you to exactly where you belong.”
Franklin’s eyes opened wide. Kendrick could be very convincing.
His past had collided with the present much like mine had. There was so much pain, the kind of anger that feasted on a man, driving him to do things he would never think of doing.
Kendrick was on the edge. He’d killed in self-defense, but this was something entirely different.
This was life altering.
“Kendrick. Please. You’re not this man.”
“What makes you so certain, Reese?” Every muscle in Kendrick’s muscle was tense. “This is what I’ve become.”
“Listen to her, lawman. You’re one of the good ones.” Franklin was laughing.
“What time is the pickup?” Kendrick asked.
“They’re on their way now. You won’t make it. What a shame.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I snapped. “You’re right. Kendrick is one of the good ones, a man determined to do the right thing, to bringjustice into this world. What have you ever done but lie and cheat your way into getting what you wanted? That ends today one way or the other.”
As soon as Kendrick cocked the weapon, the sharp click was a jolt to my system. I’d envisioned doing some terrible things to Franklin over the years. I’d wanted him to suffer in the same way he’d done to me, even imagining exactly what I would do given a chance to engage in some sense of revenge.
