Kick Start: Dangerous Ground 5 by Josh Lanyon

to kill him myself.”
    Will intercepted. “Let’s hear what he has to say.” He added, “Then I’ll kill him for you.”

 
    Chapter Seven
     
     
    “I panicked,” Dennis said. “I’m sorry. It’s not my fault. I saw that truck racing down the hill and I thought they were coming for me.”
    “Then you’re an idiot,” Taylor replied. “I told you at the time nobody working for the mob drives a beat-up pickup.”
    “Okay, look,” Will began again, and as before, the other two talked right over him.
    “Mob? How do you know the mob is looking for me?” Dennis stared at Taylor in alarm. Not exactly what you’d call a Fulbright Scholar, Cousin Dennis.
    “Come off it,” Taylor scoffed. “I sincerely doubt you’ve got links to, or evidence pertaining to terrorism or national security.”
    Will said, “Why don’t we continue this —”
    “And why the hell would you hit me?” Taylor added.
    “I didn’t realize it was you,” Dennis said, “until I’d already knocked you out.”
    “The hell you didn’t. The dogs were with me, I was calling to you. You must have heard the truck drive away.”
    “I told you, I panicked .”
    “Yeah, but I don’t believe you,” Taylor said.
    Surprised, Will said to Taylor, “What do you think was going on?”
    “I don’t know.” Taylor glared at Dennis who shifted nervously and looked at Will. “Oh, I believe he was scared. I believe he panicked, yes. He was sure the Dooleys had come for him. But why? Why was he so sure? Nobody knows where he is.” He looked at Dennis. “Right?”
    “How do I know?” Dennis said. “I know they’re looking for me.”
    “Maybe he’s seen too many movies,” Will said. “All I know is, we can’t stand around here talking about it. Let’s get back to the house. Pop needs to let his pals in the Marshals Service know that Dennis is back.”
    It was disappointing though. Disappointing and frustrating. Frustrating to the point of physical pain. And if Will found it painful, Taylor must be tied up in knots. Just what Will did not want, could not afford. Taylor feeling neglected and unsatisfied. Which he clearly already did. One more thing to worry about.
    They left the card key on the table as they exited the room and walked out to the parking lot. They climbed into Will’s Land Cruiser. With perfect timing, Emmylou Harris launched into “Together Again.”
    “I thought you got on the CC Rider.” Taylor was clearly not going to let this go, and Will mentally braced for a very long drive.
    “I snuck off again,” Dennis said, sounding pleased with himself.
    “Why?”
    “Because…”
    “Exactly,” Taylor said dryly. Though exactly what , Will wasn’t clear.
    Dennis leaned forward between the two front seats. “Look, I’m not a-a secret agent. I’m not used to life on the run.”
    “So far it’s been a morning on the run.”
    Will threw Taylor a look, but Taylor ignored him.
    “Did you work for the Russian mob?”
    “Me?” Dennis sounded genuinely bewildered. “Of course not.”
    “That’s quite a leap,” Will said to Taylor.
    “The Russian mafia has taken over a lot of the criminal activity on the Gulf Coast.”
    “Is that true?”
    Taylor nodded. To Dennis, he said, “Well?”
    “Well, what? I never worked for the Russian mob. I’ve never worked for any Russians. Ever.”
    “Did you make any phone calls to anyone this morning?”
    “Of course not! I’m not crazy .”
    “Where are you going with this?” Will asked.
    “I don’t like coincidences.”
    “What coincidences?”
    “You run into Gretchen Hart who used to work for a Russian mobster and less than twenty-four hours later we pick up a tail. We lose the tail but then we run into Cousin Dennis here who just happens to be running from trouble in South Florida, and now suddenly the tail is back.”
    “Okay, slow down,” Will said. “First of all, we have no proof that anyone was or is tailing us. Secondly, that would be too big of a