The Last Mile (Amos Decker, #2)(94)

Milligan tensed and gripped Decker’s arm. “I think someone just entered the house through the back door.”

They all stood stock-still, listening.

“There,” said Milligan.

“That was definitely footsteps,” said Mars.

“Yes,” agreed Decker. He eyed the overhead garage door. “Do we go out that way?”

Milligan said, “I bet that door hasn’t been opened in twenty years. We try to it’ll make a noise like a train going off the rails. Probably the same for the door over there. And we saw earlier that bushes and shit have grown up right in front of those entrances. We’d be tangled up and sitting ducks.”

“But they must know we’re already in the house,” said Mars.

“Not necessarily. Not if they came through the back,” countered Milligan. “And even if they do know we’re here, they may not know we’re in the garage.”

“You don’t think it’s Bogart?” asked Mars.

“He would have called,” said Decker. “He’s not sneaking in here when he knows we’re here. There might be an unpleasant result.”

“Right,” said Milligan.

“Then who is it?” asked Mars.

Decker and Milligan drew their guns at the same time.

“Get behind us, Melvin,” said Decker.

“Hey, I can take care of myself.”

“Not with people with guns, you can’t,” pointed out Milligan.

Decker punched in numbers on his phone. He looked at the screen. “It’s not going through. No bars.”

“Still the middle of nowhere out here,” said Mars. “Even twenty years later.”

Milligan squared his shoulders. “Okay, do we wait here and let them come through the door? Good firing line and we can probably take them out if they make a run at us.”

“That sounds like a good strategy to me,” said Decker. “But we need to split up. I’ll take that corner, Todd, and you can take the other one. That way they’ll have two fields of fire to cover. Melvin, get down on the floor over there by the workbench. It’ll give you some cover.”

“Look, guys, I don’t want you two putting your asses on the line for me.”

“We did that the second we took on this case,” replied Decker. “Now just do what I say, because I hear them coming this way.”

They all took up their positions. In the far corners, on either side of the overhead garage door, Decker and Milligan knelt down and assumed firing positions, their muzzles aimed at the doorway leading into the house. Mars got down on the floor on the far side of the workbench, keeping his eyes peeled on the same doorway.

“Do we wait for them to fire first?” said Milligan.

“On the off chance it’s some kids exploring, I think we have to wait,” said Decker. “I’d call out and identify ourselves, but I really don’t think it’s kids.”

“Me either.”

“If you fire, roll to your left. I’ll fire next and roll to my right, if I can manage it.”

“Roger that.”

The next sound they heard was the door leading into the kitchen slamming shut. Then they heard the lock turn. Then there was the sound of something hard hitting against something else hard.

Decker and Milligan glanced at each other.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” hissed Milligan. “What game are they playing?”

“Hey, guys,” said Mars softly. “Do you smell smoke?”





CHAPTER

54



DECKER HIT THE door leading to the outside and bounced off. He tried the lock. Then he stepped back and fired his gun, shearing the knob off. He tried the door again. It wouldn’t budge.

“I think it’s been jammed or nailed shut,” he cried out.

Milligan was attempting to force the garage door up. “It’s jammed too.”

The smoke was pouring into the garage from the door leading into the kitchen.

Decker and Mars raced over there, coughing and gagging as they did so, Decker’s light stabbing through the smoke and darkness.

Decker put his hand against the door and jerked it away with a groan. “It’s red-hot. The fire must be on the other side of the door. We can’t get out that way.”

“Well, there’s no other way to get out,” yelled Milligan from across the garage.

Mars turned and took off running. He hit the door leading directly to the outside so hard that it broke off its hinges. But bushes and vines had grown up all over the house, blocking the door from falling away. He pushed and kicked, but the door was inextricably tangled up in the heavy shrubs and stout vines and would not give.

“Shit!” he yelled.

Decker’s lungs were heaving. He dropped low to the floor since the smoke was rising. He called out to the others to do the same. He belly-crawled over to the overhead door. Milligan was sprawled on his stomach next to it.

“Somebody’s got to see the fire from the road,” gasped Milligan.

“But by the time they call the fire department and they get here, we’ll be asphyxiated,” warned Decker.

“Get out of the way,” said Mars.

They looked over in time to see him sprinting full speed toward the door. Both men slid out of the way as he catapulted past them and slammed his shoulder into the overhead garage door. It cracked, but did not give.