Page 103 of Honor ’N’ Duty

It was another minute before the man spoke. “There’s a South Shore Bank on Oriental Avenue in Atlantic City. I’ll try logging into the account.”

“Well?” Using the muzzle of the gun, Colon indicated the ledger.

Kade’s head pounded from the blow, but at least the gun was no longer rammed against the side of his head.

The accountant pressed his lips together. “The money’s there. I can see it. Twenty million. But there’s a problem.”

“Just transfer it to the overseas account.”

“I can’t.” The accountant held out the phone.

With his free hand, Colon grabbed it. “Unable to complete transaction at this time. What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means,” Kade said, “you don’t get your money.” Thanks to the call he’d placed to Manny. By now, DHS agents stationed in Atlantic City had put a freeze on Colon’s account. “The only place you’re going is back to prison.”

Colon spun, aiming the gun at Kade’s face. His upper lip had begun twitching violently. “I don’t think so.”

Almost there.

Colon’s fuse was lit, but the flame hadn’t made it to the bunker yet. To get him to say the magic words, Kade needed to script this carefully. Only then would he signal his friends to move in because once they did, Colon would lawyer up and Josh’s killer would go free.

Hopefully Colon would confess before he pulled the trigger.

“Remove the hold or die.” Colon leaned in so close Kade could smell the man’s fury. And see that he’d curled his finger fully around the trigger.

“Kade?” came Jamie’s worried voice in Kade’s ear.

“Not yet,” he said, responding to both Colon and Jamie. “When you hired my brother to be your dirty accountant, you got the best. He was a whiz with numbers, and you knew it. That’s why you hired him. That’s also why you killed him. Isn’t it?”

Colon’s lip twitched faster. “Your brother stole from me.”

“And he would have testified against you,” Kade continued. “That’s why you had him murdered in prison. But you had someone else do your dirty work for you, so you wouldn’t get your precious little manicured hands dirty. Did I get that right?”

When Colon still didn’t take the bait, but stood there, his chest rising and falling faster, Kade dug in for the coup de grace. One that might push Colon too far and make him pull that trigger.

“You’re nothing but a coward.” Kade spat on the ground, intentionally hitting Colon’s shoes. “Say it. I’m. A. Coward.”

“I am no coward.” The man’s jaw clenched, then he puffed up his chest. “What I am is powerful. More powerful than you could ever hope to be. All I had to do was snap my fingers, and a dozen inmates jumped at the chance to kill your brother for me. All it took was one. For him, it was a badge of honor. I was told your brother dropped like a stone.”

Kade exhaled slowly.

Gotcha.

Not only was Jamie now a witness to Colon’s confession, but thanks to the tiny transmitter in Kade’s ear, the man’s words were digitally recorded for posterity.

And a federal prosecutor.

The gun shook as Colon struggled not to pull the trigger. Kade’s time was up.

“Monopoly,” Kade snarled. Knowing what was about to happen, his muscles tightened.

“What?” Colon cocked his head in confusion.

“Monopoly,” Kade repeated the signal, catching movement in the trees behind Colon. “You do not pass go. You do not collect $200, let alone $20 million. The game is up. You’re going directly to jail.”

“Federal agents! Put your guns on the ground and your hands in the air!”

Jamie and Smoke charged from the trees, followed closely by Deck, Dayne, Eric, and Evan, along with their dogs.