For a long time the other man didn’t say anything. When he finally did, Tanner had to strain to hear him.
“You’re here earlier than I thought. I thought I had more time.”
“More time for what?” Tanner called out when Carrico didn’t say anything else. “Glen, come on. Let’s talk this out. I’m willing to chalk up the bullets in our direction as a miscommunication. We can still discuss what we’re here to talk about.”
“What if I don’t want to talk to you? Did that ever occur to you, you conceited pig?”
Bree winced from her place crouched behind the tires.
“Fine. Then just let us out. You don’t have to talk to us at all. We’ll leave.”
“No can do, Dempsey.” Carrico’s contempt was clear the way he spit Tanner’s name.
“You can’t keep us here. And you don’t want to shoot a cop. That will bring all sorts of heat down on you.”
“Even if I shootyou, Dempsey? My understanding is that you’re wanted for murder right now. What if I just say I thought you were trying to attack me and that it was self-defense? After all, you are on my property.”
The man did have a valid point.
“I don’t think that’s really what you want to do, is it, Glen?” Tanner said in the most soothing voice he could muster and still get the volume he needed. “If you’d wanted to kill us, you could’ve done it already.”
Silence followed. Then more silence.
“Do you think he left?” Bree finally asked as the quiet around them dragged out further.
Tanner moved over so he could peek out the window. “Maybe. If he did, we should leave before he changes his mind.”
She nodded. “I’m all for that.”
Tanner eased the door open. “Glen, we’re coming out. Hold your fire. We just want to get to our car and leave.”
They both stayed far away from the door as Tanner pushed it open with a stick in case it was a trap. Then held the stick out to see if that would draw fire.
Nothing.
Gritting his teeth, he stuck his hand out long enough for Glen to fire at him, praying he’d be pulling it back with all his fingers still attached.
He did.
It was now or never. He held his hand out to Bree. “Let’s go before Glen changes his mind.”
Keeping low, they ran out the door. But they weren’t two feet away before a shot rang out and the door frame above their heads splintered.
With a low curse, Tanner grabbed Bree around the waist and spun them both back into the shed, slamming the door behind them.
“Yeah, sorry. You leaving isn’t going to work out for me after all,” Glen yelled.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Tanner’s curse was foul. He wasn’t sure what had just happened out there, but he knew things had gone from bad to not-going-to-get-out-of-here-alive bad.
“Glen, c’mon, man. Don’t do this,” he yelled.
“You weren’t supposed to come here, Dempsey. Not yet. Damn it, I thought I had more time.”
“More time for what?” Tanner yelled. “To help your brother? Do you know who killed Peter Anders and Joshua Newkirk? That’s all we want to talk about. We want to figure out what’s going on.”
“Snitches get stitches, haven’t you heard?” Glen sneered.
