A bullet shattered the window next to where Mauricio was standing, sending shards of glass across the thin carpet. He shut the door and jumped back. “We’re going to have to find another way out of here,” he said to the others.
Tommy clutched the wooden cylinder in one hand, a small .22 caliber Walther in the other. Sean also held his Ruger .40.
“There are probably exits on the other side of the building. That would be our best bet,” Sean said. “Can you get our rides over there?”
Mauricio nodded and said something in Spanish into his microphone again. “I told them to meet us on the other side of the building. We must hurry.”
Agent Weaver squeezed the trigger sending a bullet through the back window of the SUV in front of her. A few seconds later the guard dropped to the pavement next to the vehicle. A bullet hole at the base of his right ear oozed blood. The first SUVs engine revved and spun its tires on the wet street. The volley of bullets continued to pound into the metal of the rear door and a spider web of cracked glass stretched across the back window. Weaver’s group continued shooting as the truck whirled around the corner and out of the plaza, narrowly making an escape. She jumped out of her position and ran forward to the guard she’d just shot. He lay face down on the wet street, his head turned sideways. Her shot had gone through at the base of his skull and out the front left of his face, leaving nothing but a bloody crater of bone and tissue. The rain carried away a thin river of blood towards the curb. She had seen some gruesome things but that site was disturbing even for her. The rest of her team had joined her position and were awaiting orders. “Split up once we are in the church. Remember, Schultz alive. Execute the others. Find them!”
For the moment, Hunter Carlson was glad he’d hidden under the second SUV. Problem, was, he was still trapped in the wet and, now bloody street underneath the truck. He’d seen the guard fall to the ground, shot from behind in the back of the head, the ugly visual just a few feet from his hiding place. He watched the feet come close to the body. Fortunately, no one bent down. They seemed convinced that the man was dead. The rain continued to pour, sending a stream of blood and water just past his head. Over the sound of the deluge, he could hear the woman barking out orders. They were going into the church to find Wyatt and his group. He knew they would most likely be heading towards an exit on the other side of the building. The team of killers ran off towards the entrance of the building. If he was lucky, he could head off Wyatt at the back.
Slowly, cautiously, he pulled himself along the undercarriage of the SUV and over to the curb. He grabbed a rail step and pulled himself out from underneath, careful not to draw the attention of any stragglers. He peered through the driver’s side window and saw the armed group entering the church. With his left hand, he pulled on the wet door handle. As soon as he did, the vehicle started dinging, signaling the keys were in the ignition. Quickly, he eased the door shut and ducked down, fearful the annoying alarm had caught the attention of the enemy. Another peek through the windows revealed that everyone had already entered the church.
Carlson let out a long breath of relief and opened the door again. He slid into the driver’s seat and started up the engine. Odds were, the other driver went to pick up Wyatt’s group from behind the church. If they hadn’t seen the guard get shot, they might be expecting both trucks. Perhaps, he finally had an advantage.
Sean and the others ran down the corridor between classrooms and offices. The hit squad would no doubt be coming in at any moment. They turned right down another hallway that looked the same as the one before and kept pressing on. The floor panels in the hallways were hardwood and were significantly loud underfoot as they made their way, clacking and creaking with every shoe’s impact. Light flooded into the dim hall up ahead. An exit.
The men came to a halt at a pair of metal doors with a bar handle. Through the wire enforced glass they could see the two bullet-riddle SUVs in the street. “Sean,” Tommy said quickly, “you and Maury take the first vehicle. Will and I will take the second. Meet back at the hotel.” Wyatt nodded.
Mauricio opened the door slightly to give a quick glance down the street in both directions.
Empty. The sounds of running footsteps echoed down the corridor. Their pursuers were right on their heels.
“Gotta make a run for it boys,” Sean said. He opened the door and held up his gun to cover the others. “Go!” he ordered.
The other three men took off across the street towards the two SUVs. Once they were clear of the building, Sean darted towards the first vehicle. He and Mauricio jumped in quickly on the same side.
“Get us back to the hotel,” Delgado ordered the driver. The guard didn’t hesitate and stepped on the gas.
Tommy arrived at the front passenger’s door and flung it open as Will opened the back.
They were greeted by a pale, damp face and a gun extended across the center console.
“Get in right now or I will shoot you both.” Tommy glanced to his right as the other SUV sped off. He started to get in but Will stood still.
“Leave your guns on the ground,” the stranger’s voice added.
His eyes were cold, full of resolve.
Tommy obeyed and dropped his weapon. Will hesitated for a second then dropped the gun he’d been given earlier by Maurcio. The black metal clanked against the wet street.
Both men slowly got in the car. Will peered angrily at the driver of the vehicle.
“If you get any ideas back there,” the stranger spoke firmly, “I will kill your friend here and then you.”
He kept the gun trained on Tommy as he closed the door
“Who are you?” Tommy asked.
“Don’t concern yourself with the inconsequential,” the man replied. Then he noticed the wooden cylinder in Schultz’s hand. “Now what is that thing?” he asked.
“We aren’t sure,” Tommy responded angrily.
The man put his clammy hand out in a silent request for the item. Tommy shook his head, clearly not wanting to give up the map. “I can just shoot you and take the thing if you want.”
“Yeah. You could. But what if you can’t read what’s inside?” Schultz played the only hand he had.
“Ah,” he said with sudden realization. “So that is the map. “Very well, then. Hand it over and I won’t shoot you in the leg.” This time, he lowered the weapon and pulled the hammer back on his weapon.
Tommy held his breath for a moment and then, handed over the wooden object.
The man only glanced at the top with the verse from the Bible burned into it before he set it down in the cup holder next to him. He stepped on the accelerator and turned the SUV down a side street in the opposite direction that Wyatt had taken. Things were finally going Hunter Carlson’s way.
Chapter 57
Adriana gazed at her father with a mix of anger, confusion, and curiosity. The cigar smoke lingered in the room, filling her nose with the sweet, earthy smell.
He seemed to read her thoughts. “What, my dear? You think me too old for things like this?”
She didn’t know what to say at first. Her father had been in the intelligence game for a long time. On the outside, the family had many thriving businesses. They operated in such a transparent manner that no one would ever question anything that may have happened behind the scenes. It was from beyond that veil, though, that her father had helped western agencies bring down terrorists and criminals all over the world. Diego Villa’s resources helped cripple communism in the late 1980s. He’d been influential in helping find Saddam Hussein during the American war with Iraq. But Adriana thought he had retired.