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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 SUVsand 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.
“AndLassiter,” 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 anddisappeared 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 tiedup 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 uppositions 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 shookhis 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 wecouldgo. The exchange, remember? You set it up, not me.”
“This is not goingto 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 glancedat 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’sabout the fact that I can take it fromhim!”
