“Try again,” someone said from over their heads. Jake looked up to see the stocky figure of Kurt Mendoza standing about ten yards away, with a revolver aimed straight at his head. At least he wasn’t pointing at Olivia. “Where’s Laine?”
“She’s gone.” Jake coughed, his throat screaming for relief. “Got any water?”
“No, I don’t have any f*****g water. Where did Laine go?”
“We don’t know,” said Olivia. How did she keep her voice so calm? “She already left. She’s probably on a helicopter by now, halfway to LA.”
“Don’t lie. You.” He gestured at Jake with the gun. “Talk.”
Jake hauled himself to his knees. The effort made him start hacking all over again. “Who are you working for?”
Mendoza shot a bullet toward the house. Amazingly, it hit the valve for the sprinklers, and water fountained in
