BooksBarbecue
Back The Desert of Glass Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. BY MICHAEL C. GRUMLEY
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. EPILOGUE
  82. II
  83. III
  84. IV

Without another word, Rickards turned and casually walked away from the table, stopping a waitress and asking where the restroom was.  When she pointed, he walked obligingly back toward the entrance and down a short set of stairs to the men’s door, then pushed through, letting it swing closed behind him.

17

17

Inside, Joe moved to the urinal and stood in front of it for a moment before turning and walking back to the sink closest to the door, where he turned on the faucet and let it run.

He glanced under the two stall doors to make sure he was alone and then placed both hands near the water, pretending to wash.

Less than a minute later, the door to the restroom opened, and someone entered.

The man was barely inside when Rickards recognized him and lunged, grabbing the man’s forward arm and yanking him as hard as he could inside.

Caught by surprise, the man stumbled forward, off-balance and out of control, falling past the urinals and into the side of a metal stall.

Rickards was immediately on top of him, pile driving into the man’s side and smashing him into the tiled wall with a violent thud before he slumped to the floor with a groan.

Rickards was in midstride, charging the man again when the restroom door opened and the second person he’d seen entered.  Spotting his partner on the floor, he instantly reached beneath his oversized Hawaiian shirt and withdrew a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic, pointing just as Joe reached him.  Knocking the gun up and out of the way, Rickards shoved both of them back through the open doorway, smashing the man into the opposing wall, where they fell together in a tangled heap onto the hard floor.

Rickards was searching for the gun when he heard the distinct sound of its slide action directly behind him and the unmistakable sound of a bullet being chambered.  The first man spoke.

“Freeze, goddamn it!  Federal agents!”

Angela’s heart jolted when she heard the noise from the restroom.  Moments later, she heard the loud scuffle near the entrance, followed by a thunderous crash.

She couldn’t see what was happening and instantly rose from her seat but was almost immediately met by the firm hand of a woman standing over her, one hand on Angela’s shoulder and the other behind the woman’s back.

“Don’t move, Ms. Reed.  Stay right where you are.”

***

They were both handcuffed and escorted outside, down a set of steps and through the middle of the small, upscale shopping center until reaching the street entrance, where a light-gray GM Suburban was waiting.

Two men dressed in regular clothing opened the doors and Angela and Joe were pushed inside and over a bench seat. They faced a woman neatly dressed in a pressed, navy blue pantsuit.

Her face was anything but friendly as she stared at them through intense green eyes.