CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Ears that do not listen to advice accompany the head when it is chopped off.
– AFRICAN PROVERB –
Sam stepped over the slain guard, planting the barrel of his gun in the back of his new hostage. “Anyone tell you that smoking’s hazardous to your health?”
Lazlo eyed the dead guard with distaste. “What happened to killing him quietly?”
“This seemed more expedient.” The guards had been surprisingly uninspired to carry out their duties, lighting up their third cigarettes instead of patrolling the grounds. Sam decided to hurry matters along. The disadvantage, unfortunately, was that with the gunshots they’d announced their presence. Sam forced his hostage toward the bungalow-style farmhouse, saying, “Let’s hope one of your friends comes out to see what happened.” He leaned in close, adding, “I need one of you alive. I don’t much care which of you it is.”
The man said nothing.
Lazlo glanced into the window. “What if they don’t come out?”
“I go in after them.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“Good news is, you get to stay here.”
“What if something happens to you?”
“Find Remi and the girls, make sure they’re all safe.” Sam watched the front door of the house, wondering what was taking so long. Those gunshots should have brought them out by now. He gripped the guard’s collar. “What’s your name?”
“Deric.”
“Deric, tell them you need help.”
“They won’t come.”
“You better hope they do or it’ll be the last time you walk. Now call them out.” Sam jammed the barrel against his spine. “And make it convincing.”
“Urhie,” he shouted. “Joe. I need you both. Hurry.”
Sam glanced over at Lazlo, who stood by the window, watching the room with the hostages. Lazlo gave the OK sign and pointed toward the door.
Good. They were coming.
Sam sidestepped, making sure Deric was between him and the door.
“Fargo,” Lazlo said. “Only one’s leaving. He took a hostage.”
“You know what to do.”
Lazlo took a deep breath, steeling himself.
Sam dragged his prisoner back, whispering into his ear. “Save a hostage, save your life.”
“It’ll never work. He’ll kill you first.”
“You better hope otherwise because I’m not the one who’s going to die tonight.”
The knob turned, the door opened inward, silhouetting the man holding a gun on Okoro.
“Easy,” Sam said. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Just want to exchange hostages, then find my wife and the missing kids.”
“Good luck. You have one, I have one. My friend Urhie has three more.” Which told Sam that the missing girls weren’t there. “Gun. Down. Now,” Joe ordered, pressing the barrel of his semiauto into Okoro’s temple.
Sam slipped his finger into the trigger guard, letting the weapon swing down, dangling it from his index finger. Slowly he held it out, proving he was no longer a threat. “Here you go,” he said. “Where do you want it?”
“Give it to Deric.”
“How about I give you Deric.” Sam drove his foot into the back of Deric’s knee, shoving him forward. As expected, Joe forgot about his hostage, aiming for Sam, who by this time had swung his Smith & Wesson upright. The butt landed against Sam’s palm, he gripped it, and fired. Joe stumbled back, letting go of Okoro, falling to the ground. Deric scrambled for Joe’s gun. He grabbed it and aimed.
Sam fired. Deric fell back, lifeless.
Three more shots rent the air.
Sam turned to see Lazlo at the window, staring in shock, his gun pointed into the room.
“You okay?” Sam asked.
“He was going to kill them.”
Okoro leaned against the wall, looking faint. Sam aimed at the two fallen men, making sure they were dead, recovering Joe’s weapon before moving to the window next to Lazlo. Inside, the three remaining hostages looked as shell-shocked as Lazlo, unable to take their eyes from the dead man on the floor.
Sam looked over at Okoro. “How many gunmen?”
“Four.”
“We’re good. For now.”
“What do you mean ‘for now’?”
“Maybe we should go inside, where we can sit down.” He surveyed the road that ran across the north end of the farm, leading up into the hills toward the school. Typically, it was at least a forty-minute drive down that winding road to there. Assuming the kidnappers left when Pete first called them, they should’ve been long gone. What didn’t make sense is why these men were still here. And now they were dead. He looked at Lazlo, handing him the key fob for the Land Rover. “Take one of Okoro’s men with you to get the car. Hide it behind the barn. Warn me if you see any vehicles coming from that direction.”
Lazlo nodded, appearing grateful that he was remaining outside.
Sam envied him in that moment. Informing a father that his only daughter was a kidnap victim was not something to look forward to.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Those who move are the ones who see the lion’s footprints.
– AFRICAN PROVERB –
Remi heard the second volley of distant gunshots coming from the direction of the farmhouse. The timing would put Sam in the vicinity. Though she wished she had some way to contact him, she had every confidence that he was the one doing the shooting. The thought buoyed her spirits, something she desperately needed since Makao had failed to take her bait and returned to look for the upper trail.
Remi waited several minutes. When she no longer heard the sound of his pickup, she worked her way through the shrubs to the road, coming out beside the supply truck. Moonlight caught on one of the bullet holes in the side panel from their first encounter with Makao’s gang. If Nasha hadn’t escaped the Kalu brothers by hiding in the truck, they might have fallen prey to Makao back then.
A twist of fate had brought them all together.
As much as she worried about Sam and Lazlo, the girls were her first priority.
She needed to get back to Makao before he and his men found that upper trail. Though the truck would get her there faster, she didn’t dare risk it. Instead, she jogged the quarter mile up the hill, dismayed to discover he’d parked almost on top of the trail’s entrance.