He and Harv got out and huddled in front of the idling Mercedes where Julio couldn’t hear them. “Pull in the driveway and park about thirty yards from the house,” Nathan whispered. “I’ll parallel your position through the citrus trees to the north and advance to the van’s position. Tuck your Sig into the small of your back. When you reach the porch, I’ll rush forward from the van. I’ll knock Julio senseless and we’ll storm the house. I’ll take the left.”

“I can’t wear my NV visor.”

“I’ve got you covered. The trees are right next to the driveway. Even though Julio said there weren’t any, there could be motion sensor lights mounted on the eaves. If they snap on, knock Julio cold and we’ll accelerate the attack. If things turn south, we’ll back off and let Cantrell’s people handle it.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that.”

“If things do go to hell, we can’t let anyone leave. I’ll cover the north and west sides, you take the south and east. If anyone bolts, we shoot to kill.”

“Cantrell wants Montez alive.”

“Only if it’s tactically sound. We can’t chase anyone without the risk of someone else escaping, especially Montez. Give me ninety seconds before you turn around. I’ll be in the citrus trees by the time you reach the driveway.”

He opened the rear door and shoved Julio onto his side. “I’m cutting the tape from your hands and feet. If you’ve got any ideas about attacking my partner, forget them. You won’t see me, but I’ll have a laser painted on your back the entire time. Play along and you’ll live to see another day. Now get into the front seat and keep your mouth shut. Harv, give him a hand.”

Julio wasn’t going anywhere—his grunts of agony confirmed it. Just relocating from the backseat into the front took considerable effort. This man couldn’t run even if he wanted to.

“Okay, Harv. Ninety seconds.”

Chapter 33

Chapter  33

Montez smiled when Dalton finished spilling his guts for the video camera. Pure gold. Dalton’s admissions would ensure Montez’s continued security into the foreseeable future. He tucked the thumb drive into his vest pocket, turned off the camera, and closed the laptop. Julio should be knocking on the door any second now. He checked his watch.

***

Nathan flipped the NV monocular down to his left eye and jogged down the shoulder of the road. One hundred yards from the citrus trees, he angled across a grassy field and positioned himself about halfway down the driveway. He saw the green glow of the Mercedes’s headlights sweep through a 180-degree arc as Harv executed a U-turn. He ducked low as lateral light reached for him.