Chapter 73
THE LIGHTS HITthem from all directions.
Long guns slid over the brick walls of the burial ground as the men there stood on breach ladders.
A voice on a PA called out, “Federal agents! Guns down! On the ground, hands behind your heads! Now!”
A chopper emblazoned withDEAon the side suddenly roared overthe tree line and cast its spotlight down on them. Assault rifles were trained from the bird on Ross and his group down below.
In the cemetery, some of Ross’s men fired up at the chopper and at the armed men who had suddenly appeared at the top of the brick wall.
Shots rang out all over. The burial ground was quickly shrouded in smoke from all the discharging weapons.
Flash-bangs went off and people screamed. The smoke grew denser. The screams grew louder.
Decker quickly pushed Fred Ross’s wheelchair over next to one of the SUVs.
“Keep your head down,” he told the old man before rejoining the others.
Jamison shouted to Decker, “I’ll get Amber and Zoe.”
She sprinted forward, with John Baron joining her.
Ross and one of his men had also raced toward the hostages.
The two groups clashed right in front of Amber and Zoe.
Ross started to point his weapon at Jamison.
“You piece of shit!” screamed Jamison.
She kicked the gun out of his hand and drove her fist into his nose, and when he staggered back in pain, she nailed him with her knee directly in his crotch.He went down and stayed there. Just to be sure, she jerked his hands behind his back and cuffed him.
Meanwhile, Baron gripped the gun hand of the other man, stripped him of the weapon, bent his arm behind his back, and launched him headfirst into a granite tombstone. The man slumped to the ground and didn’t move.
Jamison lifted Zoe up into her arms and Baron helped Amber toher feet. They took cover behind a crypt as the firefight continued.
Jamison slipped off Zoe’s gag and the little girl looked up in amazement at her aunt.
“Aunt Alex, what you did, that…that was so cool.”
At the gate of the cemetery, something came out of the smoky darkness and struck Decker. He stumbled to the side, slammed into the wrought iron gate, lost his balance,and fell down.
Cindi Riley helped him up as shots continued to ring out and people screamed inside the grounds.
Decker could hear feet running away into the darkness. It had to be the person who had struck him.
He looked into the graveyard and as the smoke cleared he saw several of Ross’s men down on the ground. Others were on their knees, their hands over their heads.
Body-armored DEA agents with assault weapons were swiftly moving in and taking control of the situation. The short battle was over.
The chopper had landed next to the cemetery and Agent Kemper jumped out and hurried over to them.
She said, “I have to tell you, that text you sent telling me to come here blew me away. But I trusted you and it damn sure paid off.”
Decker nodded and looked over at where Baron and Jamison were escorting Amber and Zoe to a group of DEA agents.
“Did you use rubber bullets?” asked Decker.