Julie and J.T. had been bound in separate rooms. Blindfolded, gagged, and tied up, neither had seen or talked to the other in over twenty-four hours. The cabin was larger than Carden had imagined, and that gave him options. He liked the idea of keeping the Fed off balance. The thought of Agent Harper worrying about his sister’s welfare made the entire situation much more pleasurable to Carden, and the Fed wouldn’t be inclined to try the escape ploy again.
The three men sat at the table, drank coffee, and ate grocery store doughnuts as they reviewed the plans for Saturday morning. Nothing could be left to chance. Every detail needed to be ingrained in their minds to make the diamond theft go as slick as ice. They would all wear masks, including J.T., but under his mask, his mouth would be sealed with duct tape. He’d be armed like the others, yet he’d pose no real threat—his gun would be empty. He’d follow the instructions to the letter or Julie would die a slow, painful death.
J.T. would lead the ambush. If gunfire broke out, the Fed would die. He was expendable, and he’d feel the pain of a piercing hot bullet tearing through his skin, muscle, and bone. His organs would explode, and he’d bleed out, just as Sam did the day he was shot and killed by J.T. in 2014.
Carden tapped the laptop’s mouse, and the screen opened to a map he had been reviewing last night. “This is where you’ll sit in the U-Haul.” He pointed at a turnout, hidden in tree cover along a secondary road. “Have your phone handy and wear your Bluetooth. I’ll call you when the armored transport truck is several miles from your location. That’s when you’ll get the agent in place. The second I yell go, you’re going to gun it and T-bone the truck. The driver will likely be killed upon impact. The truck will be disabled, and I’ll be right behind them. We’ll all jump out of our vehicles and attack them while they’re knocked senseless. It worked in 2014, and it will work again.”
Anthony rubbed the two-day stubble on his chin then gave his cheek a scratch. “But your brother was killed, boss.”
“Not during the robbery, idiot. It was months later. We aren’t going to make that mistake twice. Once we split up the diamonds, we’ll part ways and disappear. Sam and his friends stuck around too long enjoying their spoils. I was the only person with enough sense to become scarce.” Carden jabbed his head with his index finger. “There’s a brain inside that skull of yours, and sometimes you have to use it.”
The sound of furniture scraping along the wooden floor alerted them. Carden jerked his head at Antonio. “Go shut that Fed up. Where the hell does he think he’s going, anyway, when he’s cuffed and tied to the bunk bed?”