All the while the homeless man just stood there, eyes wide and mouth agape.
“Sorry about your partner, brother,” Hunt said to the officer as Anna came to a stop next to the curb. “I didn’t hit him too hard,” Hunt added, climbing into the SRT.
Anna accelerated away.
“What took you so long?” Hunt asked Anna. In the side mirror, Hunt saw the officer he had knocked out get to his knees.
“Just be happy I didn’t leave your ass on the street.”
He looked at her. “Thanks,” he said. “And I mean it.”
She nodded but remained silent. There was a deep purple mark on her right cheek. “What the hell happened to you?” Hunt asked.
Anna sniffed and looked away.
There were red finger marks on her neck, as if someone had grabbed her and tried to strangle her.
“No, seriously, Anna, what happened? Were you mugged?”
“Later, okay? Let’s get out of here.”
Hunt didn’t push it. He was about to tell her they needed a new vehicle when someone walking on the sidewalk caught his eyes. Hunt did a double take. For a split second their eyes met, and there was a jolt of recognition.
Cole Egan?
Could it really be him? What was he doing here? A coincidence?
“What is it?” Anna asked.
“I’m not sure,” he said, his mind racing. “I’m not sure.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
South Beach, Florida
Egan kept walking. He didn’t turn to watch where the Jeep was going. He had memorized the license plate and could get all the information he needed from it. With lights flashing and sirens blaring, two police cars sped past him and stopped in front of the condominium building. Car doors flung open, and the officers jumped out. It was futile to get any closer to the safe house. It was compromised.
Had Hunt left Pomar alive? If he had to bet on it, he’d say Pomar was dead. But with Hunt, you never knew. He was a man capable of great sympathy but also of extreme violence. If Pomar was alive, he wouldn’t talk to the police. He might have spilled his guts to Hunt, but the police would have to follow the rules. Egan retraced his steps back to his car and thought about his next move. Hunt was probably on his way to the second safe house. That was the only thing of value that Pomar could have shared with him.
Egan dialed Hector’s number.
“Hunt and Anna Garcia are on their way to you,” Egan said.
“What happened on your end?”
“Let’s just say that the South Beach safe house is no longer safe.”
“I’ll send a crew to torch it.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Egan cautioned. “There are at least half a dozen police officers on the scene.”
“I see. What about our man?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then please tell me what you do know,” Hector said, obviously irritated.
For $400,000, Egan would give Hector a little wiggle room, but he didn’t appreciate Hector’s tone.
“No doubt Hunt squeezed out of your man everything he knew about you and your team. All your safe houses are effectively compromised. And they’re driving a late-model red Cherokee SRT.”
“I’ll tell my men to get ready.”
Had Hector left a small contingent behind? That would be a grave mistake. “Tell your men to leave now,” Egan said. “I just told you Hunt’s on his way.”
“They’ll handle him,” Hector said.
Hadn’t he made it crystal clear that Hunt was dangerous? Hunt single-handedly slaughtered half a dozen men to find me, Egan thought. He won’t hesitate to kill twice that number to find his daughter.
“For Christ’s sake, Hector, pull them out.”
Egan didn’t really care what happened to the Black Tosca’s men, but he didn’t want to be the only one left standing at the end. The crazy bitch would blame him.
“I see no reason to. Pomar was alone. They aren’t. They’ll take him down.”
“I’ll tell you this one more time, Hector,” Egan said. “Hunt is the last man you want to cross. He’ll fucking kill anyone who is even remotely connected to the kidnapping of his daughter. Get out while you can. You understand, Hector? Hello? Hector?”
Hector had hung up on him.
Fuck!
Egan started the car and thought about his options. It was his job to take care of Hunt. He was under no illusions about what would happen to him—and his family—if he failed.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Hallandale Beach, Florida
Hunt would give a year’s salary to have Simon Carter and the rest of his former RRT teammates with him right now. He needed guys he could count on to have his back. Arrest warrant or not, his men—his friends—would drop everything to come to his assistance. He’d do the same for them. But with the exception of Simon Carter, he hadn’t called upon them. Not yet anyway. There was no time. Every minute away from Leila was a minute she was spending with Hector Mieles and the rest of the Black Tosca’s crew.