Hunt Them Down(63)

Someone yelled. Hunt didn’t know if it came from him or the man he was fighting with. What he knew for sure, though, was that he was about to pass out. He was quickly running out of options and oxygen. He wanted to open his mouth and swallow great gulps of air, but it was physically impossible to do so. The man was just too strong. His head felt as if it was being squashed and was about to implode. The man was tightening his viselike grip, trying to choke the life out of Hunt. Hunt brought up his clenched right fist between the man’s legs with all the force he could muster. The man’s knees buckled, but he somehow managed to hold on to his choke. But Hunt had destabilized him and bought himself a precious second. Hunt pushed against the man’s thigh and turned his head to the side. He encircled the man’s right knee with his arms, and, using the last of his strength, he lifted the man in the air and threw him to the ground. Hunt went with him. They hit the ground hard, with Hunt on top. With a whiplash effect, the man’s head slammed on the floor with a resounding thud. The flashlight rolled out of his hand, its beam revealing Hunt’s pistol. Before his opponent could gather his wits, Hunt jumped to his feet but struggled to keep himself upright. He staggered backward a few steps before recovering his pistol. The flashlight, which had finally come to a stop, illuminated the man’s face.

Hunt gasped, and his eyes shot wide open.

Cole Egan.



Cole Egan’s ears were ringing. When his head had hit the floor, there had been a series of blinding flashing lights and a loud thud unlike anything he had heard before. The back of his head, slick with blood, was throbbing. When he opened his eyes, Pierce Hunt was standing in front of him, a gun pointed at his chest.

“Hey, Pierce,” Egan said, massaging his temples in tiny circles with his fingertips.

He tried to sit up, but Hunt planted his foot on his chest. With anyone else but Hunt, he’d try something to get out of this annoying situation. With Hunt, though, he’d end up with a double tap in the chest. Plus, he wasn’t here to kill his former colleague and friend; he was here to warn him and offer his help.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Cole?” Hunt said, his voice wavering. “Don’t tell me you’re involved with this shit. I’ll drill one in your forehead.”

Egan could see Hunt was struggling to understand what had just happened. Egan knew he was just one piece of a large puzzle. With luck, Hunt would give him a minute or two to explain before shooting him in the head.

“Look around you, Pierce. Do you see a weapon? I came in with a flashlight, for God’s sake.”

“Keep talking.”

“Your daughter was here,” Egan said. “Can I get up?”

Instead of removing his foot, Hunt dug it even deeper into Egan’s chest. Egan winced in pain.

“C’mon, Pierce, if I wanted you dead, I would have brought more than a goddamned flashlight.”

“Leila was here?”

“And so was Garcia’s daughter.”

“Whose side are you on, Cole?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

“Answer the fucking question,” Hunt growled. “You’re not the same man I once saved.”

There was no denying it. He wasn’t sure how much—if anything—Hunt knew about Mr. Granger, but Gaza had changed him. For the last decade, Egan’s loyalty had been to whomever paid him the most, and the Black Tosca had been quite generous. But how could he live with himself if he turned against the man who had sacrificed so much of his soul to save him? Gaza had tainted Egan; Hunt, on the contrary, seemed to be the exact same.

“True,” Egan admitted, looking Hunt straight in the eyes. “But I’m on your side.”

Hunt seemed to hesitate, and Egan feared he was about to punch out and meet his creator.

“The Black Tosca hired me to kill you. By reneging on that contract—”

“You piece of shit,” Hunt said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Weren’t you listening? I’m not following it through. Believe it or not—”

“You’d better hope I’m a believer, Cole. If not . . .” Hunt didn’t finish his thought. He didn’t need to. “My daughter’s been taken, and I’m in no mood to play games, even with you.”

“My wife’s pregnant, Pierce,” Egan said defensively. “I had to at least pretend to take the contract. That’s the only thing I’m guilty of.”

In Egan’s mind, there was nothing to gain by admitting he’d actually intended to kill Hunt. His only play now was to team up with Hunt and go after the Black Tosca. Only with the Black Tosca dead could he assure the safety of Katherine and the baby.

“What changed your mind?” Hunt asked.

“Nothing changed my mind,” Egan replied immediately, not falling for Hunt’s trap. “I’d never do that. Never. You hear me?”

“Oh, I hear you, but the question is whether I believe you.”

“What do I have—”

“Was Daniel McMaster in with you on this?” Hunt cut in.

“What? No.” Egan’s head was spinning. What did McMaster have to do with any of this? Hunt wasn’t making sense. “McMaster is my father-in-law, Pierce. That’s it. He doesn’t know anything. He’s the reason why I’m with Katherine. I’ve been spying on him for years.”