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But I don’t like the sound of that.
“He’s probably crossing the Mexico border right now,” I snap. “What if there is no one tipping him off? What if he’s just outsmarted us? Maybe our only chance of stopping him is calling this in right now. Alert agents at every border crossing. Get the FBI to track his phone.
“We can’t do this alone,” I say, exasperated.
“What if we have to?” he says.
Carlos and I stare at each other. Finally, he slumps his shoulders and relents.
“You’re right,” he says. “We have to call it in. He’s gone one way or the other. We’ll never catch him. At least now we’ll be back in the good graces of the Texas Rangers. No one can say we were barking up the wrong goddamn tree now.”
I stare at the bodies, feeling utterly defeated.
Maybe it’s a small vindication that we can prove Parker is a criminal. But we can’t catch him before he escapes.
It’s over.
Parker wins.
I hang my head, staring at the ground.
“Okay,” I say, and I pull out the phone to make the call.
Then my phone starts buzzing in my hand.
“It’s Parker,” I breathe when I see the caller ID. “He’s calling me.”
CHAPTER 45
I PRESS THE answer button and put the phone to my ear, but I don’t say anything.
I don’t know whattosay.
“Rory?” Parker says.
“I thought you never wanted to talk to me again,” I say, my voice low.
He laughs, a good-hearted chuckle.
“I had to say that,” he says. “I had to keep up pretenses until we were safely away.”
Maybe he’ll confess now—try to explain away what he’s done—but it’s obvious he wouldn’t be doing this unless he felt in the clear.
Carlos watches me, leaning close so he can hear both ends of the conversation.
“I wasn’t really upset with you,” he says. “You were just doing your job. And doing it pretty well, actually. Game well played, Rory. Youalmostgot me.”
“Are you calling to gloat?” I say.
“No,” he says earnestly. “I’m calling to say thank you.”
I frown but don’t say anything.
“For saving Leo,” he says. “I owe you. Honestly. My boy might be dead right now if it wasn’t for you.”
“I know a way you can pay me back,” I say. “Turn yourself in.”
He laughs again. It’s clear he’s enjoying this.
