Ben’s arguments made sense but nothing about Evan or his plans or what had happened over the last few weeks was logical. They needed to deploy a different strategy to keep up. “Then send me in without a gun. He hates me. The attention will be on me and you can get off a shot.”

“Wait, doesn’t that mean he’ll shoot you?” Jenna asked.

Ben nodded. “Exactly.”

There was no other choice. They all knew it, but for some reason only he wanted to face it. Maddie couldn’t stall forever. No way would Evan fall for that.

Connor turned to Ben. “Your people are spread out on boats and across the island. Reinforcements are trying to fly in and ferry in, but the weather is messing with visibility. Even when they do land, they still have to get to this side of the island. There’s no time left.”

Ben shook his head during Connor’s entire speech. “I’ll move until I can get a clear shot.”

“Just make sure you don’t hit Maddie.” Connor refused to let that happen. “You’re the one who just made that point.”

“I’m not sending a civilian in.”

“I’m not asking, Ben. This is happening. I’m the decoy. I distract. You shoot.”

“Okay, wait.” Jenna stepped between them and looked at Connor. “One of those flying bullets could hit you, too. You’re not immune.”

Connor heard the pleading in Jenna’s voice. Saw it in Sylvia’s eyes. None of them got it.

He glared at Ben because he knew the history. Every sick detail of how his sister died and how neither he nor Hansen stopped it. One shove off a cliff by the man she was married to. A failure neither of them could live with. “Do you honestly think I am going to let another man kill a woman I care about?”

Ben closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them again they were filled with frustration. “Connor, come on.”

“You would do the same thing.”

Ben exhaled. “I’ll be the decoy.”

“You’re a better shot than any of us.” Connor had turned the facts upside down and examined them from every angle. This was the right answer. The only one. “There isn’t a choice.”

Ben stood there for a few seconds. He glanced over his shoulders in the direction of where Maddie stood when they last saw her. Then he unzipped his jacket.

Jenna held up a hand to stop him. “What are you doing?”

“He wears the vest.” Ben had stripped down to a thin shirt and started working on the bulletproof vest’s Velcro straps.

Sylvia shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Ben, is this a good idea?”

Jenna answered. “No, it’s a terrible idea.”