The Last Mile (Amos Decker, #2)(129)

“Why?” asked Mars.

“You really need to ask that question?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Because despite how you were conceived, she loved you more than anything in this world.” He paused and added resignedly, “Even more than she loved me.”

Mars looked at Roy until the latter lowered his gaze and continued. “Framing you was the only way for me to get back at that asshole for what’d he done. Even though he probably didn’t give a shit about you, there still was a part of him in you. And it was the only part I could get to. So I set you up to get back at him.”

A long moment of silence went by.

“That’s pretty sick, Roy,” observed Decker, while Mars just stared at the man he’d thought was his father. “You punished the wrong guy.”

Roy shrugged. “Like I told you before, Decker, life ain’t perfect and neither am I. I did what I did and I don’t have to defend it to you or anybody else.”

“Callahan!” called out the electronically enhanced voice. “Your time is running out!”

Decker looked toward the door. “So what do we do about the guys out there?”

“Maybe I got a way out. If I give them what they want.”

“And they’ll just let us go?”

“Me maybe, but you two are on your own.”

“You sonofabitch!” exclaimed Mars. He started toward Roy, but the man pointed his gun at him.

“Don’t make me shoot you, Mellow.”

“I’ll shoot you,” said Decker.

“No,” said Roy. “I’d shoot somebody in the back. But I don’t think you would. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going.”

In the darkness he bumped into Decker on his way to the door. Roy gripped Decker to steady himself. “You are losing weight, Decker. For all the good it’ll do you.”

He let go and called out the window, “I’m coming out. You guys want to know where the stuff is, we can work a deal. But you shoot me, trust me, that stuff will end up where you don’t want it to.”

“What about the others in there with you?” the voice called out.

Roy didn’t even look at the two. “Not my problem,” he yelled back.

“You bastard!” roared Mars, but Decker held him back.

“Let him go, Melvin.”

“Why? So he gets to live and we die?”

“Don’t be such a pussy, Mellow,” sneered Roy. “You might get out of this. If not, I’ll see you on the other side.”

“No you won’t,” said Mars. “I’ll be with Mom. And you know where you’ll be.”

“I’m coming out.” Roy marched out the door holding his gun up.

Decker peered out the window and saw three men race forward, each carrying a rifle and outfitted in cammie gear and body armor. They surrounded Roy.

“Where is it?” one of them said.

Roy looked back at the little house.

“Hey, Mellow, tell your Mom I said—” His voice cracked and tears suddenly filled his eyes. “Tell her that I love her, Melvin. Always will, no matter what.”

“Oh shit,” exclaimed Decker. He grabbed Mars and flung him backward. Mars went sliding across the floor and thudded into the rear wall of the building. Decker raced over and covered him with his big body.

Outside, Roy opened his coat. The packs of Semtex around his waist were rigged to a trigger.

The men surrounding him turned to run.

But it was far too late for that.

Roy Mars hit the trigger.

And the four men simply disappeared.





CHAPTER

75



DECKER SAT LOOKING across at Mars.

They were in a hotel room in Tuscaloosa.

Bogart stood watching both of them and his expression wasn’t a happy one.

The house they had been in had partially collapsed when Roy Mars detonated the bomb wrapped around him. Both Decker and Mars had escaped the wreckage without serious injury, but it had been a near thing.

They had driven the truck left behind by the men with rifles to a point where they could make a call. The police had come, and then Bogart had flown in with a team of agents. Decker and Mars had been taken to the local hospital, stayed overnight, and been released to Bogart.

Jamison had flown down with Bogart and was standing next to him. She didn’t look any happier than the FBI agent did.

“Never thought to loop me in on this?” he said to Decker.

Decker shrugged. “You were officially off the case, Ross. I didn’t want to get you in trouble, and Roy said to come alone.”

“You listen to him and yet you won’t listen to me!”

“It seemed like the only way,” replied Decker.

“And what about me?” snapped Jamison, hands on hips and a scowl on her face.

“I’m sorry, Alex,” was all Decker could manage.

Bogart said, “So Roy’s dead and the other guys were blown to smithereens, and we found nothing at the scene tying them to Eastland or Huey.”

Mars shook his head. “I still can’t believe he just…blew himself up.”

“He saved us, Melvin. Well, actually he saved you. I don’t think he cared if I lived or died.”