?It?ll grow back!?
Paden, who had been absently rubbing his clean-shaven scalp dropped his hand in his lap and turned to Carlisle, a glum expression on his goteed face. ?I know it?s gonna grow back. Been reminding myself of that for the last three months, every time I put a razor to my head.? He sighed. ?I guess I?m just ready for this to be over with. Promotion or no promotion, I sometimes find myself wonderin? why I let Abbot talk me into this.?
A mischievous grin crossed Carlisle?s youthful face. ?They needed a convincing redneck. You know, someone that you would actually believe would marry his cousin.?
Paden just looked at his partner, his expression a mixture of irritation and amusement.
?Look,? Carlisle continued, suddenly serious, ?if it all goes down like it?s supposed to tonight, we?ll have Singleton in custody in less than an hour. Then it?s all over except the paperwork and the testimony. Then you?re out of this racket, and you and Kate are off to D.C.?
Paden nodded. ?I won?t lie. Part of me?ll miss the field. The action. Not these undercover gigs. They?ve never been my thing. But kicking in doors, pulling in bad guys, stacking up the weapons. I?ll miss it. But, and you?ll figure this out one day, once you get hitched, you really want to settle down.?
Carlisle smiled and nodded. Paden adjusted his earpiece, his shoulders tight with anxiousness. A lot of people had confidence in Espinoza, the young buck over the tactical unit, but Paden had heard from more than one source that he had a tendency to be overeager. The radio was silent. He leaned back in the passenger seat, his eyes momentarily studying the beat up dash of the Ford Bronco the two men occupied. Absently, he wondered where the ATF dug up vehicles like this. Still, between the truck and the white supremacist paramilitary look he and Carlisle were sporting, he had no doubt that they looked the part: extremists with a hunger for firepower.
Carlisle interrupted the silence with a question. ?How long have you and Kate been married??
?A year next month.?
?Man, time flies. Is it true you went mountain climbing on your honeymoon??
Paden nodded with a grin. ?I took her up Rainier. She hasn?t been climbing near as long as I have, so we didn?t take one of the challenging routes. You need to try it sometime. Once you?re up there, I?m telling you, your whole perspective changes.?
Carlisle snorted. ?There?s no way you?d ever??
A voice filled Paden?s earpiece, his hand going reflexively to his ear. ?Boots this is High Tower. Target is one mile from the rendezvous point.? Paden nodded at Carlisle. ?Time to go.?
Both men were silent as the Bronco pulled out of the tall grama grass onto the hard packed, caliche farm road, headlights illuminating the starless night. Carlisle drove at a steady sixty, the dirt road providing a rough ride. After ten minute of jostling, the abandoned cotton gin came into view. Paden scanned the area as they drew close. On the far side of the gin, both parked against the deteriorating metal wall he sighted them: two navy blue Suburbans, Singleton?s delivery caravan. Paden pulled the earpiece from his ear and tossed into the mess in the glove compartment. As Carlisle brought the truck to a stop, Paden picked up the worn briefcase from the floorboard.
They stepped out into the cool South Texas air, making their way into the interior of the dimly lit gin. Just inside they found Singleton along with four of his thugs, milling around an old card table with a Coleman lantern on top of it. Paden silently noted that even when he was casually dressed, the man still oozed of money and arrogance. Singleton smiled as they approached. ?Lyle,? he said, ?glad you could make it.? ?Mr. Singleton,? Paden answered with a smile of his own. One of Singleton?s men approached, and patted Paden and Carlisle down, looking for weapons or wires. Finding none, he nodded to his employer.
? I know you?re a busy man, Lyle,? Singleton said, ?I don?t want to keep you from your cause. So what say we get down to business? The money??
Paden raised the briefcase to chest level and opened it, giving the blonde arms dealer a view of the cash inside. ?Excellent,? Singleton said with another grin, ?Let's step outside and take a look at your merchandise.?
Paden nodded. The men started as a group toward the door. Before they could reach it, another of Singleton?s men came scrambling through it, breathing hard. ?We?ve got company,? he wheezed. ?Vans, coming in fast.?
Singleton turned, his eyes meeting Paden?s. In that instant, Paden knew that any fast talk was a waste of breath. Their cover was blown.
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Deadlock?s question drew Paden back from his memories. The Arab woman? Paden thought for a moment as he glanced back at the unconscious girl, suddenly struck with the impression of how fragile she looked, like a ceramic doll.
?Well, I guess the only way to find out is to get back out there and find her.?