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“Sounds to me like you’re squeamish and don’t want to do the job.”
“Quite the contrary,” PJ said, making her tone hard, unemotional. “I could’ve slit his throat in his bed, but I didn’t because I wanted my own revenge for what he did to me. I convinced him to come with me, that I forgave him for hitting me, and I wanted to run away with him. But I think it makes a bigger statement to the loyal followers of TCW if Augustus shows what happens to those who break the rules.”
“You have a good point,” Wiley conceded.
“And I didn’t need help getting him out or killing him. I’m disappointed you and Augustus thought I’d renege. Or was it his decision all along to kill me as well?”
“Not at all. If you hadn’t been successful, we didn’t want Judge to get away. They were just backup.”
“Yeah,” PJ said, her tone clipped. “Let Augustus know that if he wants his revenge, I’ll deliver Judge to him at the old mine entrance off Silver Thread Road at sundown. I’m sending you the GPS pin. If he doesn’t choose to come himself, I’ll assume he doesn’t care to show his people what he stands for or that broken rules have no consequences. I’ll be there with Judge.”
“And if he doesn’t come to do the job himself?”
“Then I’ll do the job and demonstrate to the others that I have the skills and integrity to lead The Chosen Way the way it should’ve been led all along.” She ended the call and looked to Judge.
He double-checked that the call had truly ended. Then he high-fived PJ. “Well done. I believed everything you had to say. That should make Augustus angry or curious enough to show up.”
“If he doesn’t?” Her fear for Judge’s life was strong. Her fear that Augustus might not show was stronger. She and Judge could fend for themselves. The people TCW had abducted or could kidnap in the future couldn’t defend themselves. TCW and its leadership had to be taken down.
A text came through with a pinging sound.
Judge checked the message. “Hank and fifteen members of his team are in place around the camp, waiting for the agreed-upon time to make their move.” He frowned. “Damn.”
PJ’s heart flipped. “What?” She moved closer to look at the screen.
“Hank had a stowaway in the back of his SUV.” Judge looked up.
She knew who it was before he had to say it. “Mud.”
The phone pinged again. Judge read aloud, “He’s promised to stay out of the fight but wanted to be there for the kids.”
PJ gave Judge a weak smile. “You can’t blame him. He’s been there for them and wants to be there when their world is blown apart again.”
“I still think we should’ve called in the state police or FBI,” Judge said.
“You know we couldn’t. Augustus has his tentacles in places we would never expect. He somehow knew in time to avoid the last raid that cost him more than half his recruits and leaders.”
“Hank will have the FBI, state police and county sheriff on speed dial as soon as this goes down. If I know Drake, he’ll have clued in Cassie on what’s going down. She’ll be with him when they set up around the meeting location.”
“Cassie?” PJ’s heart did a double flip.
“His fiancée.” Judge glanced at his watch. “She’s a sheriff’s deputy. She pulled night shift last night. That’s why Drake was awake in the kitchen. He can’t sleep when she’s out all night.”
PJ nodded casually. “He must love her a lot.”
“They’re crazy about each other.”
Her heart swelled, happy for the couple. Maybe she’d get to see them together someday soon. PJ squared her shoulders. “We’d better get back up the mountain and in place. I expect they’ll show up early to ensure no one else is coming with us.”
“My team knows the stakes. They went up the opposite side of the mountain on ATVs, parked their rides, hiked in, set up and will lay still until it’s time.”
“That special operations training and experience comes in handy, even in the civilian world, huh?”
Judge shook his head. “Who’d have thought we’d be fighting wars on our home turf?”
“There are bad people all over the world and right next door.” She sighed. “Sometimes in your own home.”
“Come here.” Judge opened his arms.
