Colin looked at Nick. “Is the guy sick enough to use that jaguar to hurt her?”
Nick swallowed hard. “Unfortunately, yes.”
The growl came again, this time louder. Lower. Angrier.
“Sound came from my left beyond that small outbuilding.” Dev nodded toward the direction.
“We have to get over there,” Colin said. “But we split up in case they’re in the house. Reid, you take the house. Don’t breach,but keep an eye on the exits and keep us updated on the comms. The rest of us will take the big cat. Any questions?”
The men shook their heads and split off. Colin led Dev and Nick through the understory of massive Douglas firs so common in the Pacific Northwest. They trampled ferns, hostas, and low-growing ground cover to reach the other side of the clearing. He advanced forward.
The animal cried out again, the tenor of his call changed as if aggravated now. Was Tarver provoking it?
Colin kicked up his speed, reached the outbuilding, and used it as cover to take a look ahead.
No. No. His veins froze as if injected with ice water.
Brooklyn was inside the gate. Crouching and hugging herself, her body trembling.
The gate was closed. The cat was advancing her way, one giant paw in front of the other. Low. Stalking. Licking its mouth.
“Tell me where the flash drives are, Tarver,” a man standing next to Tarver said, “and I’ll let her out.”
Tarver cocked an eyebrow in a swollen and bruised face. “Ah, no, you won’t. I know that.”
“Fine. Open the gate, Rocco,” the guy said. “Time for Tarver to join his sweetheart.”
“You got it, Luka.” The big burly man took a few steps closer.
So Rocco and Luka. Had to be Albertelli and one of his guys from the organized crime syndicate, and they had to be looking for the drives Sierra had just located.
Tarver held up his hand. “You can put me in there, but if Sumo kills me, you won’t ever find the drives.”
“I’ll have to take that risk and hope no one else finds them either.”
Kane looked back at Luka. “You’re willing to risk your client list getting into the hands of the cops.”
“How will they find it?” Luka asked.
“Maybe I left the drives in the house. Maybe they didn’t burn, and they’ll find them.”
“Nice try.” Luka shook his head. “We searched. Nothing there. And they’re done with forensics on the house, so they won’t likely go back.”
“Maybe the cops already have them, and once they decrypt them, they’ll be coming your way.”
“Then there’s no point in keeping you alive, is there?” Luka looked at Rocco. “Get him in there now.”
Rocco lifted the gate latch and shoved Tarver into the enclosure. Sumo stopped moving forward and stood to watch, his big eyes not missing a thing.
Luka held up a red case. “If you decide to talk, I have the tranquilizer gun right here and your precious jag can go nighty night while we let you out.”
“This is crazy,” Dev said. “I don’t want to shoot that cat, but we might have to.”
“We’re better overpowering Luka and taking the tranquilizer gun from him.” Colin didn’t have much time, and Brooklyn’s life could depend on what he decided. “We have the element of surprise on our side. Dev, you stay here and take a stand. If the cat gets close to Brooklyn, you take it out. Nick, you have Rocco. I have Luka. We overpower them. Either one goes for their sidearms before we get to them, we take them out. Understood?”
“Roger that,” Dev said, already squatting to take a stand.
“Understood,” Nick said.
