The Relic Runner Origin Story Box Set, Ernest Dempsey [summer books TXT] 📗

Dak's fingers froze, hovering over the letters on the screen. He didn't say anything, unwilling to give away his intention. He hated that about Bo. The guy always thought he was a step ahead of everyone else. What really got under Dak's skin—he was usually right.

"You probably thought you could put me on speaker and send Will a quick message to let him know he'd been compromised or might be in trouble."

"That's actually a good idea, Bo. Can you give me a second while I set that up?"

"Funny. At any rate, it won't do you or Will any good."

Dak didn't like the sound of that. "I thought you said you didn't hurt him."

A short, forced laugh came through the speaker. "I didn't. Not yet, anyway. What happens to Will depends entirely on you, old buddy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dak didn't want to ask, and he was certain he didn't want the answer.

"Your friend is… tied up at the moment. With a timed explosive device attached to him. No tricks here, Dak. You'll find him in his apartment in Nazare. Just be sure you get there in the next twenty-four hours or its boom boom for our old friend."

Dak knew better than to question the sincerity of the threat. "That doesn't give me much time to find a plane ticket."

"You're a resourceful guy, Dak. I have faith you'll figure it out."

"Why are you doing this, Bo?" Dak probed. "Leave Will out of it. This is between you and me."

"Oh, no," Bo countered. "He has everything to do with this. You think I don't know what happened to the others? Luis? Carson? Now, Nate? Of course, I eliminated Billy. I didn't trust you'd be clever enough to get past that sniper. Especially on his mountain stronghold. What was your plan with him? Scope out the property, figure out a way in? You know he had sensors and cameras all over that place. You wouldn't have made it fifty yards onto Purgatory before he spotted you and took you out."

"You looking for me to say thank you? Because that's not going to happen."

"I know it won't, Dak. You were always ungrateful. If you'd just played along and helped yourself to some of that gold—"

"You'd still be trying to kill me and take it all for yourself."

Bo snorted audibly through the speaker. "Is that what you think this is about? Me taking everyone else's share?"

"Sounds like you."

Another laugh echoed from the device. "I suppose you're right. Thanks to you, I wasn't able to recover much of it, except Billy's of course, and a little of what Luis had set aside. Thankfully, he wasn't terribly clever with how he hid his money."

"And Nate?"

"Oooo, well, there you go, Dak. Now you're starting to get it."

"Not even close."

"Eh, well. Some dogs can't learn new tricks. I'll get around to Nate's holdings, eventually. After you're dead, obviously. I do appreciate you taking those guys out for me, though. You certainly made things much easier."

Something about Bo's tone sent a shiver through Dak's spine. The back of his skull tingled and pebbled the skin on his arms. He exhaled, pondering the way Bo made the statement.

"What are you getting at, Bo?"

An old blue pickup truck growled by, the muffler sputtering smelly exhaust in its wake.

"Oh, come on, Dak. You don't see it? Seriously?"

Dak didn't answer. He wasn't going to give Bo the pleasure.

"Fine," Bo relented. "Do you think it was through sheer skill or even a little luck that Will was able to track down the others? They covered their tracks, man. You honestly think Will would have been able to find them if he didn't have a little help?"

What was he saying? Was Will helping Bo all along? Dak shoved the thought aside. He got his answer a second later.

"I fed him the information, Dak. I had to make it look legitimate, though. I couldn't just push everyone's locations and new names to him all at once. You would have figured it out. At least, I hope you would have."

"Why would you do that? So I could do your dirty work for you, take out the others?"

Distant mock clapping filled the SUV.

"Very good! Jane, show him what he's won!" Bo paused to snicker at his own humor. "Yes, Dak. You have been a marvelous puppet during all of this. Honestly, when I found out you managed to escape the cave, I was disappointed. Surprised? Moderately. But I'd taken precautions."

Dak knew exactly what he meant by that. Bo told the colonel it was Dak who'd betrayed the team, and the rest of the guys corroborated that story. Bo had covered the bases extremely well, and Dak never realized who was pulling the strings, or that he and the others were all being played.

"So, now you're luring me into a trap. I go to save Will, if I can even get to Portugal in time, and then we both blow up when I get there."

"Now, Dak. You sound defeatist. That's not the plan. I hope you save Will. But I need you to jump through a few hoops for me before I let you have a shot at me."

"You don't have the guts to face me man-to-man."

"There he is! There's the Dak I know. So brazen. A touch misguided, but brave. If you manage to slip through my tests, of course I'll face you. I've always been the better of us, Dak. You know that. How many times did I beat you when we sparred?"

Dak knew the exact number. He knew that Bo did, too. The maniac held it over him like a bucket of hot oil, always ready to dump it all over Dak. In training, Bo had been the better of the two hand-to-hand combat fighters. The margin was thin, but it was certainly there. Dak had managed to best his ex-teammate occasionally, but the number of positive outcomes for Dak had been only one in three.

"I'm sorry I can't chat more with you, Dak. This has been a