“Tomas, listen —-”
“You’re not one of us anymore, old man.”
The woman screamed again, a long guttural scream that hung in the thick wet air.
Frank started toward the cabin. Tomas grabbed the rifle and jammed the butt into Frank’s belly. Frank doubled over, gasping for breath. Tomas hit him again on the shoulder, sending him to his knees.
“I’m moving,” Louis whispered to Landeta. “When you hear my voice, step out and point your gun at the light inside the cabin. I want them to know there are two of us.”
Landeta nodded.
The woman’s cries were now a steady stream of whimpers that would build to sharp little shrieks then die away again.
Louis stepped toward the path just as the cabin door opened. Rafael came out, holding the lantern high in his hand. He was sweating and breathing hard. His hands were covered with blood.
“Tomas, something’s wrong. I can’t —- ” he began.
Tomas turned toward the cabin.
Louis moved into the open. “Everyone freeze!”
Tomas swung back toward Louis. He started to raise the rifle but when he saw Louis’s Glock he stopped.
Landeta stepped from the brush, his gun aimed dead ahead of him.
For an instant, no one moved.
“Drop the rifle,” Louis said.
Tomas looked at Landeta then back at Louis. He took a step back, planting his feet apart. Rafael was frozen in place.
“Drop the fucking rifle!”
Tomas didn’t move, the rifle pointed down.
Sweat was trickling into Louis’s eyes and he blinked it away. “You,” Louis said, indicating Rafael with his gun barrel. “Come forward.”
Rafael took two steps forward then stopped.
“Closer!”
Rafael just stood there, holding the lantern.
“Damn it, do it!”
“They won’t,” Frank said softly.
Louis glanced quickly at Frank, still on the ground.
“Frank, get over there with them,” Louis said.
“You know him?” Tomas demanded. He was staring at Frank. “You know him? You brought him here? Is he a cop?”
“I didn’t bring them,” Frank said through gritted teeth.
“You’re lying, old man!” Tomas yelled, gripping the rifle.
A scream came from the cabin.
“Louis,” Landeta said, “I can go to her.”
Louis hesitated, his eyes locked on Tomas and Rafael. Landeta was standing just clear of the brush, about ten feet off to Tomas’s left.
“Go,” Louis said.
Landeta started slowly moving sideways. He had his gun still pointed at the lantern in Rafael’s hand. But his other hand was outstretched, held low, the fingers spread.
Louis watched out of the corner of his eye. He could tell Landeta couldn’t see where he was going, that he was trying to fake it. But the ground was too uneven, there were too many branches in the way. And he was moving too slowly.
Landeta inched his way toward the cabin. Tomas was watching him carefully, watching his outstretched hand. Suddenly, Louis saw Tomas’s eyes narrow.
“Rafael,” Tomas said, “turn off the lantern.”
“Don’t do it, Rafael,” Frank said.
Louis saw a flicker of confusion cross Rafael’s face and he started toward him.
“Turn it off! Now!” Tomas yelled.
The clearing went black. Louis saw a shadow rush toward Landeta and he swung his gun toward it but held his fire.
A shot cracked the silence.
Louis froze in a crouch, his gun sweeping the darkness. The shot was from a .45. That’s what he had heard. Not a rifle shot. Mel had fired his gun.
“Mel!”
Louis heard breaking branches, sounds of a struggle, and the crack of a fist against hard flesh. Then the scurry of footsteps in the brush.
“Mel!”
The footsteps were gone. It was quiet.
A low moan led him to Landeta. He was on his back, his hand on his face, blood seeping between his fingers.
Louis grabbed Landeta’s shoulder. “Are you shot?”
Landeta shook his head. “No, I got a shot off and then the fucker jumped me. Shit, I think he broke my nose.” He grabbed Louis’s arm to pull himself up. “Where are they?”
“I don’t know. Stay here.”
Louis edged back to the clearing. He saw the lantern on the ground. Rafael was gone. He knelt to pick up the lantern and saw dark spots in the dirt. He touched the spots and his hand came up bloody. But whose blood was it —- Angel’s or Rafael’s?
Still kneeling, gun drawn, he scanned the brush. He saw no one. He heard nothing. Not even from the cabin.
CHAPTER 41
Louis pushed open the screen door of the cabin. Just one room and a dark form on a narrow bed. He lifted the lantern and light flooded the room.