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Before I could duck, get rip of the rifle strapped to uys appeared in the backyard frolass doors on the deck blew in, along with unman, as a fusillade of MP5 fire ripped open the entire front of him, from his crotch to his throat

I stood there, frozen, watching helplessly as the SWAT teah the back doors

If they hadn’t coht A second later, I would have been gone I knew it in my bones

I shook all over

I’d never been to war

Until now

CHAPTER 54

I PULLED MYSELF TOGETHER by the time Parker arrived behind uy on the deck, into the house

“Down! Freeze!” cops were yelling Fro

As we passed a bathroom, Parker tapped me on the back

“Mike! Oh, shit, Mike! It’s him!”

“Who? Perrine? Where?”

I turned It wasn’t Perrine It was Scanlon I recognized him from his passport photo Barely He was on his back in the tub, on top of the torn shower curtain His hands were handcuffed behind him, and his throat was cut to the bone

We scoured the house for another twenty uys found the trick door in the wine cellar Beyond it was a steep set of circular stairs, with faux castle walls and candelabra, leading toward a Gothic, dungeonlike door on the bottom

“What the hell is this?” Euys in front of us pushed it open