Montez looked up from his struggle and jerked free of the officer’s grasp. Before Nathan got there, Montez had the officer wrapped up as a human shield.

He stopped advancing when Montez put the gun against the officer’s head.

“Don’t come any closer. I’ll kill him. I swear I’ll do it.”

Nathan kept Harv’s gun up and toggled the laser. A bright red dot appeared on Montez’s forehead. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

“Don’t come any closer. I’ll kill him.”

“Go ahead, kill him. I’ll sacrifice that man before I’ll let you escape.”

The officer’s eyes grew.

Nathan took a step forward.

“I’m leaving,” Montez yelled. “The officer’s coming with me as my hostage.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Don’t come any closer. I’ll kill him. You know I’ll do it!”

“I want you to do it.”

“You’re insane.”

He took another step. “Think maybe you had something to do with that?”

“I’ll do it. You know I’ll do it!”

“Don’t bother.” He made eye contact with the officer and issued a slight nod. The officer closed his eyes and returned the nod.

Nathan moved his laser to the officer’s chest—

And pulled the trigger.

Chapter 46

Chapter  46

In the next instant, three things happened simultaneously.

Nathan’s subsonic round shuddered the officer.

The officer jerked his head back.

And Montez pulled the trigger.

The shot missed the officer’s head by millimeters, but his eardrums would pay a heavy price.

Before Montez could squeeze off a second shot, Nathan sprinted forward and slammed his entire weight into both of them. All three ended up sprawled across the hood of the cruiser.

Montez’s grasp on the officer slipped.

Nathan drove his forehead into Montez’s nose and had the satisfaction of feeling it collapse.

The gun clattered out of Montez’s hand and slid down the hood toward the grille.

Struggling to catch his breath from the bullet’s impact on his ballistic vest, the police officer fell sideways. Nathan tried to grab his uniform, but missed. The man fell to the sidewalk and cracked his head on the concrete.

He grabbed Montez by the throat and clamped down. “I should kill you right here and now.”

“I made a deal for your life.” Montez said through clenched teeth.

“So I heard.” Nathan threw his former interrogator to the ground and kicked him in the stomach. Hard. Montez coughed and curled into the fetal position. Using his pistol, he hammered the back of Montez’s head.

Nathan bent over, checked the officer, and found him semiconscious with several facial cuts, but otherwise okay.

“I can’t stay,” he said. “I promise to clear this up. You have my word.”

“W—Who are you?”