“It’s over, Peter. You’ve got nothing,” Vincent called. “You push this, and you’ll be destroyed.”

“Are you threatening me, Vincent?” Peter asked.

“Did it sound like I was asking you to dance?”

With one command from the front, the US soldiers trained their guns on us. The men and women were kneeling in the hot sand behind their trucks, waiting for the order to squeeze their triggers.

Vincent gave his order, and the militia did the same.

“Bennett,” Foley yelled. “Don’t make me call your daddy.”

Peter narrowed his eyes. “Can you live with this, Zeke? Because one way or another, you’re coming back with us.”

“Naomi,” I began.

“No,” she said quickly.

“Babe.”

“I said no!” Naomi yelled.

A bright white dot formed on Peter’s face, and he lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the light. He turned to see someone reflecting the sun on a small mirror from a large dune behind them.

Half the US soldiers were ordered to turn around and guard their six.

Once the mirror was put away, I could make out Trex and his crew—minus Sloan—belly-down on the sand, staring down the scopes of their rifles.

Trex waved. “You’ve been flanked, fuckers!” he yelled.

Furious, Peter turned around, mouthing fuck before getting back on the horn.

Spenser handed Naomi her own megaphone, and she held up the recorder to the speaker and pushed play, amplifying Peter’s voice for everyone to hear. From what I could tell, she’d recorded everything he’d said each time they were together, even before he’d moved her to Colorado Springs. Naomi even had some conversation between Peter and another woman. He paled as he realized the extent of Naomi’s evidence.

“Stop!” Peter yelled over his own voice. “Stop, Naomi!”

She cut off the recording and handed Spenser the small silver rectangle that could destroy him. “Do you understand now, Peter? It’s not just me. Turn around. Go back to Colorado. Leave us alone, and never come back. That’s the deal.”

Peter seemed hurt. “Naomi.”

“I never pretended to play fair. You knew better. And I told you. You’re dead to me,” she said.

Peter glanced around at his small army of confused soldiers. They’d been following the wrong side, and they were more than happy to follow the command to stand down.

The soldiers did an about face, turning their backs on Senator Bennett.

“Turn around!” Peter screamed. “Target the walls! Now!”

He sounded whiny and pathetic, the man he would be to me, to Naomi, and to everyone else who’d witnessed this day for the rest of his life. That was exactly the punishment he deserved.

“I said turn around, damn it!” He stomped.