Page 87 of Crimson Heart

Jude kicked the gas pedal down, and the SUV sped up. At the next intersection, they saw the detour sign and followed it. Austin’s SUV had already turned onto the street that led to an old, now defunct, warehouse that had been boarded up. As Jude took the turn, Byron saw that Parker was already dismantling the detour sign and throwing the orange cones into the back of a white truck.

At the end of the road, the Leons had stopped and were now turning the car, but Austin was already blocking their retreat. Jude stopped next to him, blocking the street entirely, leaving no way for the Leons’ SUV to pass them.

“Grant, you in place?” Jude asked.

“Half a block away, ten seconds max,” Grant replied through the phone.

“Francisco, where are you? We’ve got them cornered.”

There was no reply. Byron exchanged a look with Jude.

“Can’t wait for them,” Jude said. “Austin, Ransom, let’s do this.”

Byron tossed the phone onto the floor on the passenger side and pulled his mask over the lower half of his face so the Leons wouldn’t be able to recognize him. Jude did the same. Byron snatched his rifle and opened the door. He hopped out, and Jude did the same on his side, while Austin, Mason, and Ransom got out of their vehicle, their weapons at the ready. They were the lead team. Ransom was in charge of talking to the Leons because they hadn’t met him before and had never heard his voice.

From the corner of his eye, Byron saw a movement and cast a quick look in that direction. Grant had arrived. He was holding up his cell phone and had started to film. The stage was set.

The five team members dressed in ICE uniforms surrounded the Leons’ SUV.

Ransom banged on the driver’s side window. “Get out of the car!”

For a moment, Bruno Leon froze as did his companions, then he exchanged a quick glance with his brother before turning back to look at Ransom through the window.

“What’s the problem?” Bruno Leon asked.

“We need to see your papers,” Ransom elaborated. “Step out of the car, all three of you, and keep your hands where I can see them.”

Byron had reached the other side of the car and now stood near the rear passenger door closest to Steve, while Jude was covering Hector.

“We’re citizens,” Bruno said, “and we’ve done nothing wrong.”

“You’re an awful long way from Mexico. I won’t say it again, get out of the car, muchachos! We don’t need wetbacks like you here.”

With a bit of luck, Ransom’s insult would be enough for the Leons to lose their cool. Byron saw that the rest of the team was getting ready to respond, taking the safety off their weapons. Mason and Austin had positioned themselves so they would be ready to take on the Leons.

From his position on the other side of the car, Byron noticed that Bruno exchanged a look with his brother, and Steve leaned forward to whisper to his father and uncle. Finally, Bruno turned back toward the driver’s side window and lifted one hand, while he put his other one low behind his back.

“We’re coming out,” Bruno announced and unlocked the car.

Ransom pulled the driver’s door open, while Austin covered him with his weapon. Glancing around furtively, the Leon alpha stepped out of the car. From the corner of his eye, Byron saw that Hector opened the passenger door, stepping out too.

“Hands where I can see them,” Ransom yelled.

“I know who you are,” Bruno growled. “Fucking bastards! You’re not gonna get away with this.”

It was to be expected that by now the shock of being stopped had worn off, and the Leons had noticed their supernatural auras that identified them as werewolves.

“We’re the law, you fucking illegals!” Ransom replied to further provoke the alpha.

Not that it was necessary, because Bruno suddenly reached behind him.

“He’s got a gun!” Mason warned.

It was their signal. Byron saw Steve, who was still in the backseat of the car, pull a weapon, but he didn’t give him a chance to fire. The car window shattered as he shot Steve through the window, while Jude shot Hector, who’d opened the door a moment earlier. Jude’s bullet hit its target, and Hector landed on the ground. More shots were fired on the other side of the car, where Bruno had gotten out. More glass rained down on them as more windows broke.

Steve slumped over in his seat with several tightly grouped entry wounds in his upper chest. Satisfied, Byron looked to where Hector had fallen. He was motionless too. Byron walked around the car to see whether anyone on their team had gotten injured, but the only man down was the Leon alpha. He lay on the ground, a gun still in his hand.

“Fucking illegals,” Ransom cursed and kicked Bruno in the side. “Should’ve stayed in Mexico.”