She glared at him. But she walked. Actually she stomped, making way too much noise.

“Faster,” he whispered. “And cut the noise, or I will go back to New Orleans and kill every member of your family after I kill you.”

Her jaw set and she moved faster.

TWENTY-NINE

DUNSMUIR, CALIFORNIA

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 4:30 P.M.

The silence in Agent Hunter’s SUV was so oppressive that Amos wanted to shout, speak, whisper—anything to make it stop. To get some relief. He was antsy, needing to move. To do something.

“Where is Gideon?” Mercy whispered, the sound making him jump.

“He’s all right,” Agent Schumacher said from the driver’s seat. She’d joined them seconds after Gideon and Tom had taken off to explore the coordinates that Ephraim had given them.

The coordinates to the trap Ephraim had prepared.

“How do you know he’s all right?” Mercy insisted.

“He’s been in contact with me,” Schumacher replied. “They’re fine.”

But Amos didn’t believe her. The woman’s mouth was tight and her shoulders even tighter. Of course, that could have been disapproval that the four of them were there to begin with. Luckily Daisy had passed him one of the rifles she’d been keeping in the back seat when Schumacher had been talking to Gideon and Tom before the two had left them. If Schumacher had seen that, she really would have disapproved. Only Rafe displayed his weapon openly and Schumacher had also frowned at him.

At least I’m armed. It gave him a sense of control that was likely unwarranted. Except that he was a better shot than Ephraim. If Amos was with an Eden hunting party, they came back with something—a deer, a goose, quail . . . something. Ephraim rarely hit where he aimed, but no one in the compound knew that. Only trusted members were allowed to join the hunt because hunting meant possession of a firearm, even if only for a short time. The Elders had positioned it as not wanting anyone to be inadvertently hurt by the weapons, but now Amos knew it was because they feared an uprising.

Amos wished he’d known then. I would have shown them a damn uprising.

“Have they found Burton?” Rafe quietly asked Schumacher.

“Not yet,” she said brusquely, and then her tone softened. “They will be all right. Molina’s SWAT team is nearby. Try not to worry, Mercy. It’ll be f—”

The gunshot splintered the tension in the SUV, and everyone moved at once. Amos and Rafe both pushed Mercy to the floorboard and Daisy had her rifle aimed at the back window before Amos could draw a breath.

“Farrah,” Mercy whispered hoarsely. “He’s shot her. Or André or Damien. He’s shooting them.”

“You don’t know that.” Schumacher tried to soothe, but she’d also drawn her firearm. “I’m going to check the immediate area. Stay here.”

She slipped from the driver’s seat and crept around to the other side of the SUV. The forest was on the passenger side, thick and dark, despite the sun still shining overhead. Someone could hide in the trees and never be seen.