Gator Bait (28 page)

A second later, I had my answer.

“He pulling out an AK-47,” Gertie said.

A second later, a spray of bullets showered the boat, splintering wood and piercing holes through the safety glass windows. Gertie and Ida Belle hit the deck and I ducked lower in the cabin, throwing my arms over my head as the shower of plastic and wood came down over me. Ida Belle reached up with one hand to hold the steering wheel straight, leaving the accelerator on full throttle. She grabbed the radio.

“This is Ida Belle. We are being fired upon. I repeat, we are being fired upon with an AK-47.”
 

“Holy shit!” Myrtle’s voice came over the radio several seconds later. “I’ve yelled at the ATF to go faster and I’m trying to scramble a helicopter from one of the local oil rigs. Hang in there!”

I lifted my pistol and took aim, squeezing off another three rounds. I didn’t have to ask if I’d hit. A second wave of bullet spray from the AK-47 was my answer.

“We’re taking on water,” Ida Belle said and pointed to the water seeping through the bottom and sides of the boat. “I don’t know how much farther we can make it.”

I ran to the front of the cabin and checked our position again. The island where Carter and I had our romantic dinner was just to the left about a hundred yards away. I rushed back to Ida Belle. “Head for the island. We can split up on land.”

Ida Belle glanced over at Hank, who was bobbing around loose on the bottom of the boat. “What about him?”

“If that’s what Lucas wants,” I said, “he can have him. I’m not risking the three of us for a gunrunner.”

Ida Belle gave me a grim nod. She didn’t like it any more than I did, but what choice did we have? Our deaths wouldn’t solve anything, but if Lucas got access to Hank, he may be smart enough to take him out, then bail before the cavalry arrived. He would expect us to call for help, which meant his time was limited and he knew it. I hoped if we scattered on the island, he’d choose to flee rather than pursue.

Another spray of bullets hit the boat and I cringed as the water poured in through the floor twice as fast as before. “We’re not going to make it,” Ida Belle said.

Hank started to stir and sat up. “What happened?”

“Your buddy is trying to kill us,” I said. “This boat is about to sink. Get ready to swim for your life.”

I ripped his blindfold off; no reason left to conceal my identity from him. He stared up at me, his dark brown eyes full of fear and regret. Too little, too late.

“We’re done,” Ida Belle said as the front of the boat crashed down on top of the water, bringing the entire craft to an abrupt stop.
 

Chapter Eighteen

I yanked Hank up from the bottom of the boat and shoved him overboard. His hands were still cuffed, but his legs were free. Ida Belle and Gertie both bailed over the side. I took one glance back and estimated Lucas at a hundred yards away.
 

He still hasn’t seen you.

The cabin was already a quarter full of water and sinking fast. I waded through to the front and popped the hatch on top. I pulled myself up through the hatch onto my belly, making sure I kept my body below the cabin where Lucas couldn’t see me. I checked the bank for an entry point and saw a reef of marsh grass about thirty yards to my right. I secured my pistol in my waistband and rolled off the front of the boat and into the water.

As soon as I dropped below the surface, I set out for the grouping of marsh grass I’d identified. Visibility was low, the sunlight making only the very top of the lake clear enough to see, but it was enough to gauge my depth. Direction was entirely up to me. I kicked with all my might, shoving my arms back with every ounce of strength that I had.
 

In the distance, I could hear the buzz of a boat motor and knew Lucas was getting close. I kicked again, feeling my lungs tighten from the exertion and the lack of air.
 

You’re not at a hundred percent.

I tried to push the thought aside, but I knew it was true. My dive for Carter had strained my lungs and I wasn’t back to full capacity. If I didn’t make that grass soon, I’d have to come up for air. And it would all be over. I closed my eyes and gave one final kick and my hands sank into a slimy grass. I grabbed hold of the sharp blades and pulled my entire body into the clump before poking my head up to draw in a breath.

The air hurt as it hit my lungs and my hands stung from lacerations from the marsh grass. I blinked a couple of times to clear the water from my eyes and looked down the bank.

My heart sank.

I saw Hank, Gertie, and Ida Belle climbing up the bank just down from the spot where Carter had taken me. Directly behind them, standing on the bow of his boat, was Lucas, and he had the AK-47 trained right on them.

Lucas looked down at them and shook his head. “What the hell were you two old bats thinking? You must have lost your minds.”

“Leave them out of it,” Hank said. “This is between you and me.”

“No can do, bro,” Lucas said. “The boss doesn’t like loose ends. You’ll be coming with me, but the trail ends here for all nosy old women.”

I pulled my Glock from my waistband and gently shook it. Chances were good it would fire. The question was whether or not it would fire correctly. I had one shot at Lucas, and it had to be perfect. Otherwise, he’d simply sling that AK in my direction and cut me and the marsh grass in two.

I leveled my gun at Lucas’s head, zeroing in for the shot, when he jumped off the bow of his boat and onto the bank. “On your knees,” he said to Gertie and Ida Belle.
 

They dropped down onto the muddy bank and I could see the stark fear on their faces. It was the end of the line. Lucas walked over in front of Hank and smiled as he glanced down at the handcuffs. I cursed silently, wishing I’d had time to remove them before we bailed. At least Hank would have been able to try a sucker punch. Something, anything, to change the balance.

I looked down my sight, but Hank was blocking me from a clean shot at Lucas. All that was visible was one arm and leg. I cursed again and lowered my gun, silently willing Hank to move over to the side.

“You can stop pretending to be the big man,” Hank said. “You don’t know the boss. You’re not important enough.”

Lucas smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve known the boss for a long time. So have you.” He waved his arm at his shrimp boat and I saw a shadow move in the cabin.
 

Then Laurel Eaton stepped out.

I’m not certain who was more surprised, but I would have put my money on Hank. He turned to look at his wife, his eyes wide, jaw dropped.
 

“Laurel?” Hank said. “I don’t understand. What are you doing here?”

“Cleaning up your mess,” she said. “Did you really think you could turn yourself in to the ATF and just walk away?”

“No. I came back for you…for our son. They promised us a new life. I have all the money I made smuggling. I was coming back for you. That was always the plan.”

“That was always your plan,” Laurel said. “I hadn’t planned on a happy reunion.”

“I don’t understand. What are you doing here? How do you know about any of this? Did Lucas tell you?”

Lucas laughed. “He still doesn’t get it, baby.”

I felt a chill run through my body as it all fell into place. Lucas wasn’t the delivery boy. Laurel was. All those trips to New Orleans, under the guise of care for her sick baby, were drop-offs. Laurel, who worked at the hospital, had access to the locked-down wing. Laurel, who had brown eyes like her husband Hank, but had a baby with blue eyes.

Like Lucas.

Hank’s expression shifted from confused to shocked to sad. “You set me up?”

Laurel nodded. “I met the supplier’s representative one night at the Swamp Bar. I was depressed about the medical costs and we got to talking. When he found out about the insurance policy, I knew he’d hit on a way for me to get the cash I needed right then and get rid of you in the process, so he found you the next night and pitched you the job. Deliverymen don’t usually have a good life expectancy, but you proved to be more resourceful than most, much to my dismay.”

Hank shook his head, completely defeated. “Why did you marry me?”

“Because you were steady. I needed a house and someone to take care of me and my son. Lucas has his good traits, but domestication isn’t one of them.”

“Got that right, baby,” Lucas said and grinned.

“Anyway,” Laurel said. “This has become a circus and I never liked the circus. Load up Hank, pop the two old biddies and let’s get the hell out of this town once and for all.”

I’d scanned Laurel up and down as she stood on the bow of the boat. I hadn’t seen any indication that she was packing, but I had no doubt more weapons were stored on the boat. If I got my shot off on Lucas, I had to hope Hank retrieved the AK before Laurel came out with something equally deadly.
 

I leveled my gun at Lucas and waited as he motioned Hank toward the boat. Just another two inches and I’d have the perfect shot. I sighted in Lucas’s head and my mind and body shifted into the zone. When the shot came, I flinched.

Mainly because I hadn’t fired it.

Chapter Nineteen

I twisted my head to look behind me, where the shot had originated, and saw Riker standing on the bow of a ski boat that was easing around the corner of the island, his gun leveled at Lucas. Unfortunately, his shot had only nicked Lucas and had given him time to wrap his arm around Hank’s neck, the AK shoved against Hank’s temple.

The rest of us were frozen in place—Ida Belle and Gertie still kneeling on the muddy bank, Laurel standing stock-still on the bow of Lucas’s boat, and me in my patch of marsh grass, as yet, still unknown.

“Throw your weapon in the lake,” Lucas said. “Or I’ll blow his head off. And you, driver, get up on the bow. Slowly and hands in the air.”

Mitchell lifted his hands and inched forward to stand next to Riker.

“The weapon, Agent!” Lucas shouted. “Do you think I’m playing?”

I have no idea what Riker thought, but I was certain Lucas wasn’t playing. If Riker didn’t disarm, I had no doubt Lucas would shoot Hank and then swing that AK down and level the rest of us. Unfortunately, if Riker tossed his weapon, I expected the same outcome. Our only hope was if Hank could get control of the weapon, but he wasn’t in a position to make a move. The slightest flinch and Lucas would pull that trigger.

I could see the indecision on Riker’s face. He knew the score, but he didn’t want to be the one responsible for the bloodbath.
 

“I just want this man,” Lucas said, “and to leave. Once he’s secured on board, I’ll sink your boat and you’ll never see me again.”

I frowned. Yeah, it sounded good, and I’m sure that’s exactly what Lucas wanted Riker to think, but I didn’t believe for a moment that he’d leave anyone alive to pursue him. Lucas was going to create a path of bodies wide enough to get him out of Louisiana and probably somewhere with no extradition laws.

Riker moved his finger off the trigger. Damn it, he was going to take the bait. I had about one second to make a decision and execute it. With Hank in the way, I didn’t have a clear line of sight to Lucas, so a kill shot wasn’t an option. And given my submerged weapon and reliance on Hank to instantly react, I gave the only other option about a 1 percent success rate.

As Riker tossed his gun into the lake, I took aim and fired, hitting Hank right in the middle of the thigh. Bull’s-eye!

Hank’s legs involuntarily buckled, causing Lucas to lose his grip on Hank’s neck. It was all I could do not to cheer when he grabbed the AK-47 on his way down. He’d done exactly what I hoped, but the battle was far from over. Lucas still had a good grip on the weapon and as Hank yanked on it, Lucas pulled the trigger, sending a spray of bullets over the lake. I ducked as low as possible in the weeds and saw Ida Belle and Gertie fall face-first onto the bank.

Riker and Mitchell dived off the sides of their boat as the bullets tore across the hull. Laurel crouched down on the bow of the boat, covering her head with her arms, like that was any defense against the wrath of the AK. I lifted my pistol to aim again but Hank and Lucas were struggling too close to each other for me to risk the shot. If I hit Hank instead of Lucas, we were right back where we started and I was exposed.

I watched as they fought, praying that Hank would get the better of Lucas, but the longer the fight lasted, the more I could see Hank’s energy starting to lag. Being bound up for so long had made him weak. He was no match for the stronger, meaner Lucas. Hank made one last attempt to tear the rifle from Lucas and caused Lucas to squeeze off another round. Hank lost his grip and fell onto the muddy bank. Lucas stumbled backward a step and I zeroed in on him and squeezed the trigger.
   

The gun jammed.

I tapped the bottom of the magazine and pulled the rack back to release the lodged bullet and load a new round. I took aim again just as Lucas leveled the rifle at Hank. My pulse beat like crazy in my throat as I squeezed the trigger again. Last chance.

It didn’t fire.

All the blood rushed out of my face as I saw Lucas’s finger move to the trigger. Ida Belle and Gertie looked up, the finality of the situation registered in their expressions.