“Fifteen minutes away?” I turn to look at Landon in confusion. “How?”
15
DAMIANO
Everyone is in place. We sent Hannah to Madison’s resort, and we have others guarding the perimeter. Nobody will take Madison away.
I feel ill when I think about how we rushed through our explanation to Madison. We’ve been here almost since she arrived, but not at her resort. We thought informing her of our presence might make her act differently. In the end, though, it doesn’t matter. Pointer found her regardless of our safeguards.
One of our scouts, Boyle, checks in. His voice is low and urgent, yet calm, through the earpiece.
“There’s an SUV parked inland, near some tourist hiking trails,” Boyle says. “At least one person is sitting inside.”
Pointer. Right where he said he would be. He’ll want to be close to the action, but not too close. He wants to observe, but from safety. And more than anything, he wants a confrontation with us.
He will not be satisfied with Seth and me dissolving Nove and signing everything over to him. He knows these things can be undone. And even if they cannot be undone, he knows that we will never rest, not until we take back what is ours.
Boyle gives us more information on the SUV’s orientation. Seth and I start driving inland. Slow, steady. This hiking area isn’t open to vehicles, but nobody is here to keep us out. We pull up to a clearing about three kilometers inland from the resort. I’ve kept the headlights off.
As Boyle informed us, another SUV waits, pointing west. It is painted black, as is ours.
Seth and I silently get out of our vehicle. I pull my handgun from its holster.
“What’re you doing?” Seth asks in a low voice.
“If it’s him, I don’t want him getting away quickly.” I aim for the tires.
Seth raises his eyebrows. “And if it isn’t him?”
“Then I owe someone new tires.”
I shoot out the two rear tires. The shots are silent, but the man slamming open the passenger door and jumping out, shouting with his gun raised, is not.
Even in the dim moonlight, I can see details. Pointer has black hair, with silver at the temples. Blue eyes. A cleft chin. At a casual observer’s first glance, he looks like a nice enough person—respectable, distinguished. Yet there is never any expression in those blue eyes, and his mouth is always twisted in a cruel sneer.
“What the fuck?” Pointer stares into the shadows, trying to find us. “Colton? Romano? Stop hiding like the fucking cowards you are, and sign the paperwork.”
“Call off your soldiers, first.” As soon as I speak, Seth and I move silently along the trail, changing position. Just in case Pointer decides to take his chances and aim blindly?—
He shoots into the trees, close to where we’d been standing.
Yes, I saw that coming.
“We just want Madison to be safe.” Seth moves to another position, and I go with him. “Call off your soldiers, and we’ll sign whatever the fuck you want.”
“That’s not how this works.” Pointer shakes his head in mock disappointment. “I’m in charge, so you’ll do what I say, when I say it. You’ll sign over Nove. To me, specifically. I’ll be generous and offer you a million for it. Once business is all taken care of, your girlfriend will be safe.”
His offer of a million dollars is an insult. But I will take whatever insult he throws our way if it means Madison is unharmed.
“Fine.” My jaw is tight—I have to force the word through my teeth. “We’ll sign.”
Pointer’s stance relaxes. He holds his gun loosely at his side. “I’ve already sent the contract to your email.”
I keep my gun trained on Pointer while Seth takes out his phone. He swipes his fingers over the screen before thrusting it my way. “Here.”
The light from the screen makes us vulnerable—Pointer can see exactly where we are, now. But he’s getting what he wants—he has no reason left to hurt us.
I scan the contract, even though my eyes aren’t fully comprehending the words. None of it matters. Whatever happens, we’ll void the contract afterward. No legitimate business deal happens in the rain forest, in the dark, without lawyers present. I scrawl my signature at the bottom, my fingertip moving easily across the phone screen.
