The Fallen (Amos Decker #4)(120)

He took out the shotgun and shells from the front seat and handed them to Baron. “I assume you know how to use it?” he said.

Baron expertly loaded in five shells and looked up. “Lord-of-the-Manor 101 stuff.”

Decker took control of the wheelchair. As they reached the asphalt in the front court of the house he picked up his speed but then stopped.

They had reached the potting shed. On one side of it was a huge mound of dirt and the door to the shed was open.

“What the hell is going on?” exclaimed Baron. “Who dug that up? And why is the door open?”

“They were obviously looking for the treasure here,” said Decker. “Hold on.” He left them and crossed over to the potting shed. Using his cell phone flashlight, he climbed down into the hole. They saw his light flashing around for about a minute before he emerged. Next, he went into the shed. Less than a minute later he came back out and rejoined them.

“What did you find?” asked Jamison.

“Exactly what I thought I would: nothing.”

“And inside?”

“They broke through the floor, but it was just set on a thin concrete slab with dirt under it.”

“So what does that mean?” said Riley.

“That means we keep going to where the treasure really is.”

They took the paved road that led off to the right. As they approached the end of the road, Decker stopped and wheeled Ross off to the side.

He took out his gun and Jamison did the same, while Baron brandished the shotgun. They all followed Decker down the road. They cleared the curve and looked up ahead.

There was a lot of activity going on.

They noted a large dump truck parked in front of the gates of the family cemetery. Attached to it was an empty flatbed trailer. They watched as a Bobcat sped past the truck and entered the burial ground. Two SUVs were parked next to the dump truck, and through the open gate they could see people moving around inside the burial ground.

Decker skittered forward with the others close behind him. The sounds of the Bobcat covered any noise they made. Decker opened the back door of one of the SUVs and looked inside one of the duffels piled there. It was filled with the same bottles he had found in Ross’s secret closet.

He quietly closed the door and they edged up to the gate and peered inside. A group of people were gathered around the mausoleum. Portable work lights had been set up, illuminating the area around the crypt.

“There’s Ross,” hissed Jamison.

“And Lassiter,” whispered Riley. “But I thought she’d been shot?”

One of the detective’s arms was in a sling and she was moving slowly.

Decker said, “She was, but not nearly as bad as everyone probably thought.”

A large hole had been dug next to the mausoleum and they could hear what sounded like a powerful drill being operated. After a few minutes, Ross took a light and disappeared into the hole, with Lassiter right behind him.

Decker counted ten other men with guns standing around.

A few minutes later, Ross and Lassiter came out of the hole. Neither looked pleased.

“Decker,” said Jamison, pointing to her left.

Off to the side, seated on the ground, their backs against a large gravestone, were Amber and Zoe. They were tied up and gagged.

Decker slipped away and returned a minute later pushing Fred Ross in his wheelchair.

He rolled him past the dump truck and edged the wheelchair into the open gateway of the graveyard. He traded his pistol for the shotgun Baron was holding, and then pressed the barrel against Ross’s neck.

He looked at the others and nodded. Baron and Jamison took up positions on either side of the brick wall, their guns pointed at Lassiter and the others. Cindi Riley peered anxiously over Baron’s shoulder.

Decker called out, “Okay, we’re here for the exchange.”

Everyone next to the mausoleum froze. Then Lassiter and Ted Ross slowly turned and saw the elder Ross with Decker holding a shotgun against the old man’s head.

Ross shook his head, put his hands on his hips, and smiled. He glanced at Lassiter. “How many damn times did I tell you we had to get rid of this guy, Donna!”

Lassiter called out to Decker, “This was not smart coming here.”

Decker used his free hand to point to Amber and Zoe. “It’s the only place we could go. The exchange, remember? You set it up, not me.”

“This is not going to end well for you,” said Lassiter.

Decker said, “You really should have posted some lookouts, Ross.”

“I guess I underestimated you, Decker.”

“I like it when people do that. I assume you have an escape plan. You give us Amber and Zoe. And we give you this piece of scum, and you make your run for it.”

“It’s not that simple,” said Ross.

Decker glanced at the mausoleum. “Because you haven’t found it?”

Ross’s smile faded. “Found what?”

“The treasure that Baron the First left behind.”

“How do you know anything about it?” snapped Lassiter.

“I know all about it. But why do you need the treasure? You haven’t made enough off the fentanyl?”

Ross glanced at Baron. “It has nothing to do with that. It’s about the fact that I can take it from him!”