Hunt and Prey (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 8) by Kaylie Hunter (novels to read for beginners txt) 📕

“We have the rifle scope,” I said.

“So?” Wild Card said.

“It’s also got thermal,” Maggie said, giggling.

“Well, shit,” Wild Card cursed.

As expected, the truck had pulled alongside the building, blocking my view. I heard the door on the truck open and close. From the gap between the asphalt and the bottom of the truck’s freight container, I watched large sized boots walk beside Dodd’s to the back of the truck. A man rounded the corner and unlocked the overhead door, rolling it upward. Both he and Dodd grabbed a box before disappearing around the side again.

The boxes were about the size of a case of toilet paper and couldn’t weigh much more based on how easily they lifted and carried them. I watched their feet move toward the building door, disappear, then return for more boxes.

“Wild Card, can you tell what’s in those boxes?”

“Working on it,” he answered.

“Work faster,” Quille complained. “I’ve got a judge on the phone.”

“Can you tell how many boxes they have in the truck?” I asked Wild Card.

“Thirty or so. Maybe more. Hang on. They’re coming back again. They’re arguing, but I can’t hear them.”

“Just focus on the boxes,” Uncle Hank said over the earpiece. “We need to identify what they’re moving.”

“There’s a picture of a man riding a horse on one of the boxes. The truck driver’s arm is covering the words, though.”

“Cigarettes. Quille, get me a warrant!”

“He’s working on it,” Uncle Hank said. “Chambers, get ready to drive to the front of the store to cover the front doors.”

“We’re ready when you are,” Chambers said.

“I’ve got an idea,” Maggie said, slipping out of the field and running silently across the parking lot.

“What the fuck, Maggie?” I whispered to her over the earpiece.

She flashed her pearly whites my way as she leaned her back against the cab of the truck on the passenger side.

“Maggie, I’ll count out when they step inside,” Wild Card said over his mic. “But you’ll have only a handful of seconds.”

She lifted her hand with a thumbs up in his direction.

“What is she doing?” Uncle Hank asked.

“Just wait and watch, folks,” Wild Card said. “This ain’t my first rodeo with Maggie. Get ready, girl. Four, three, two, one… now.”

Maggie turned, reached up for the handle, opened the truck’s door, and jumped up into the seat, closing the door just as fast. I watched her head move around, then duck out of sight.

“Here they come, stay down,” Wild Card told her.

“What was the point of that?” I asked.

“When we move in, the driver will go for his truck. Let him. Maggie either pulled the keys or is disabling the electronics. If he had a gun in the cab, she’s already confiscated it. He’ll be facing the wrong end of a barrel when he tries to flee.”

“And I thought Kid was crazy,” Quille mumbled. “Judge approved the warrant. Wait for us to move in.”

“Chambers,” I said over the mic. “You and Gibson come in the front and secure the store. Watch out for the door behind the register. Badges and guns out.”

“On it.” I could hear Chambers driving, then over his earpiece I heard their car doors opening. A door was slammed shut. “Damn it, Gibson!” Chambers muttered.

Dodd and the truck driver heard the door slam, too. They both froze near the back of the truck. They briefly argued in a whispered tone. Then Dodd held up a finger, the signal for him to wait. She walked back between the truck and the building.

“Move!” I yelled as I launched from the field at a fast run.

Beast ran beside me before jetting past me. By the time the driver turned our way, Beast was barreling toward him at high speed and only a dozen feet away. He jumped onto the tailgate and into the back of the freight truck container. Beast snapped his teeth and growled, but didn’t leap inside. Wild Card ran up, jumped on the tailgate, and grabbed the handle on the pulldown door. Hanging his body weight on the handle, the door slammed shut, and Wild Card’s feet touched the asphalt again.

I ran past them, between the truck and the building, but didn’t catch the building’s side door before it was slammed shut. Trying the handle, I confirmed it was locked.

I dropped my shoulder to the side, letting my backpack slide off. Dropping the bag to the ground, I pulled my hammer out of it with my left hand. It wasn’t an ordinary hammer. It was a handheld sledge hammer.

“Maggie,” Wild Card said. “You can come out of the truck now. The driver is locked in the back.”

“I never get to have any fun,” Maggie whined, dropping out of the cab as I whacked the door handle with the hammer.

“Give me that,” Wild Card said, holstering his gun. Using both hands, he slammed the hammer down, causing the handle to explode in flying pieces.

I pulled the screwdriver from the backpack, used it to fling the throw latch the other direction, and jerked the door open. Taking a quick peek around the corner, I wasn’t surprised to see Sue Dodd holding a gun.

“You come in here, I’ll blow your head off!” Dodd yelled.

“I’m coming inside, whether you like it or not,” I yelled from around the corner. “And before you even think of running the other direction, you should know I’ve got four seasoned cops covering the other door.” I glanced over my shoulder to ensure Maggie and Wild Card were standing clear of the doorway before bullets started to fly. “You’ve got nowhere to go, Dodd. And if you discharge that firearm, I guarantee you one of us will shoot you. Your only option is to surrender.”

“I’m not going to