said about Chase was that after you called and said you were coming, she checked out your mother’s place on Brams Point. She was surprised to learn your mother had died. And that the man she was living with, Doc Something-or-Other, had disappeared. Maybe she was looking for you?”
“Two minutes,” Gator warned. “Want me to delay them? Blow a tire or two out?”
“Hold on,” Riley said into the throat mike. “You’re still lying,” he directed at Sarah.
“His name is Horace Brannigan,” Sarah said. “That’s it. That’s all I know. I swear on—“ she faltered, trying to come up with something she could swear her life upon.
She couldn’t which told one all they needed to know about Sarah Briggs.
“Gator, shoot some tires,” Riley ordered.
The roar of the Barrett firing echoed through the night air. A second shot followed the first.
“Not only is their ride down,” Riley said, “but your friends are going to be hesitant to advance with a big gun out there having the advantage on them. So we have time. How much cash do you have here on site?”
Sarah was startled by the sudden change. She started to shake her head, but the pressure of the barrel on her forehead prevented that. “Not much.”
“I’m really growing tired of your lies,” Riley said. “You were boasting about it a minute ago. How much?”
“Two and hundred and fifty thousand,” Sarah said.
“So half a million,” Riley said. “Degenerates always half down in lies and double down in bets. And you’re degenerate, Sarah. Let’s get it.” He pulled the gun back slightly.
Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but there was something in Riley’s eyes that stopped her. She got up then walked into the master suite behind the balcony. She went to a painting, took it off the wall, revealing a safe with a keypad.
She quickly tapped on the pad. As it swung open she reached, but Riley was faster, shoving her back away from it.
He glanced in, then reached in and retrieved a pistol lying on top. “Nice try. I’d have killed you. You can thank me later.”
Chase had silently followed them, still trying to catch up to reality. Riley stuck an arm into the safe and swept the contents out onto the wood floor. Bundles of cash, jewelry, two more guns, several passports.
“Cover her,” Riley said to Chase.
Riley knelt and quickly looked at each passport, checking the names. Then he divided the money, expediently eyeballing two piles without counting. He reached in his combat vest and pulled out a lighter. He broke it in half, then poured the fluid onto one pile of money. He put the passports on top of that.
“That’s your take,” Riley said. “We’re taking the other.” He emphasized the point by quickly stuffing that pile into a bag he pulled out of one of the closets. It was a Gucci, but recognizing such wasn’t in Riley or Chase’s repertoire. “Now. Last chance. Everything about Horace Brannigan. or I burn your money and your passports. You won’t be going anywhere before some very bad people get here.”
The deep roar of the Barrett echoed.
“Keeping their heads down,” Gator reported over the radio.
Riley retrieved another lighter out of his combat vest.
“Little anal on the lighter thing, aren’t you?” Sarah said.
“They’re useful. It’s an old survival habit from my winter warfare Army days.” Riley flicked it. “What haven’t you told us? The other half, just like the money?”
Sarah eyed the passports. “That’s pretty much it. Seriously. Okay. I put out some queries, to see if I could find little Brannigan.”
Chase finally found his voice. “Why?”
“Leverage, Horace,” Sarah said. “One can never have enough leverage.”
“Against me?” Chase asked. “Or Erin?”
“Both.” Sarah sighed. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again Horace. But Erin was here. I still needed to control her.” She shrugged. “And I was curious. You have to admit, there is a certain, hmm, shall we
“Two minutes,” Gator warned. “Want me to delay them? Blow a tire or two out?”
“Hold on,” Riley said into the throat mike. “You’re still lying,” he directed at Sarah.
“His name is Horace Brannigan,” Sarah said. “That’s it. That’s all I know. I swear on—“ she faltered, trying to come up with something she could swear her life upon.
She couldn’t which told one all they needed to know about Sarah Briggs.
“Gator, shoot some tires,” Riley ordered.
The roar of the Barrett firing echoed through the night air. A second shot followed the first.
“Not only is their ride down,” Riley said, “but your friends are going to be hesitant to advance with a big gun out there having the advantage on them. So we have time. How much cash do you have here on site?”
Sarah was startled by the sudden change. She started to shake her head, but the pressure of the barrel on her forehead prevented that. “Not much.”
“I’m really growing tired of your lies,” Riley said. “You were boasting about it a minute ago. How much?”
“Two and hundred and fifty thousand,” Sarah said.
“So half a million,” Riley said. “Degenerates always half down in lies and double down in bets. And you’re degenerate, Sarah. Let’s get it.” He pulled the gun back slightly.
Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but there was something in Riley’s eyes that stopped her. She got up then walked into the master suite behind the balcony. She went to a painting, took it off the wall, revealing a safe with a keypad.
She quickly tapped on the pad. As it swung open she reached, but Riley was faster, shoving her back away from it.
He glanced in, then reached in and retrieved a pistol lying on top. “Nice try. I’d have killed you. You can thank me later.”
Chase had silently followed them, still trying to catch up to reality. Riley stuck an arm into the safe and swept the contents out onto the wood floor. Bundles of cash, jewelry, two more guns, several passports.
“Cover her,” Riley said to Chase.
Riley knelt and quickly looked at each passport, checking the names. Then he divided the money, expediently eyeballing two piles without counting. He reached in his combat vest and pulled out a lighter. He broke it in half, then poured the fluid onto one pile of money. He put the passports on top of that.
“That’s your take,” Riley said. “We’re taking the other.” He emphasized the point by quickly stuffing that pile into a bag he pulled out of one of the closets. It was a Gucci, but recognizing such wasn’t in Riley or Chase’s repertoire. “Now. Last chance. Everything about Horace Brannigan. or I burn your money and your passports. You won’t be going anywhere before some very bad people get here.”
The deep roar of the Barrett echoed.
“Keeping their heads down,” Gator reported over the radio.
Riley retrieved another lighter out of his combat vest.
“Little anal on the lighter thing, aren’t you?” Sarah said.
“They’re useful. It’s an old survival habit from my winter warfare Army days.” Riley flicked it. “What haven’t you told us? The other half, just like the money?”
Sarah eyed the passports. “That’s pretty much it. Seriously. Okay. I put out some queries, to see if I could find little Brannigan.”
Chase finally found his voice. “Why?”
“Leverage, Horace,” Sarah said. “One can never have enough leverage.”
“Against me?” Chase asked. “Or Erin?”
“Both.” Sarah sighed. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again Horace. But Erin was here. I still needed to control her.” She shrugged. “And I was curious. You have to admit, there is a certain, hmm, shall we
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