Time to Die: Part Four Read online

  Praise for John Gilstrap

  NICK OF TIME

  “A page-turning thriller with strong characters, exciting action, and a big heart.”

  —Heather Graham

  AGAINST ALL ENEMIES

  “Any John Gilstrap novel packs the punch of a rocket-propelled grenade—on steroids! Tentacles of intrigue reach into FBI headquarters and military hierarchy. Lines are crossed and new ones drawn. The philosophy of killing to preserve life takes on new meaning. Gilstrap grabs the reader’s attention in a literary vise grip. Each installment of the Jonathan Grave series is a force majeure of covert incursions, and a damn good read.”

  —BookReporter.com

  “Tense, clever . . . series enthusiasts are bound to enjoy this new thriller.”

  —Library Journal

  END GAME

  AN AMAZON EDITORS’ FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR

  “Gilstrap’s new Jonathan Grave thriller is his best novel to date—even considering his enviable bibliography. End Game starts off explosively and keeps on rolling. Gilstrap puts you in the moment as very few authors can. And there are many vignettes that will stay with you long after you have finished the book.”

  —Joe Hartlaub, BookReporter.com

  DAMAGE CONTROL

  “Powerful and explosive, an unforgettable journey into the dark side of the human soul. Gilstrap is a master of action and drama. If you like Vince Flynn and Brad Thor, you’ll love John Gilstrap.”

  —Gayle Lynds

  “Rousing . . . Readers will anxiously await the next installment.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “It’s easy to see why John Gilstrap is the go-to guy among thriller writers, when it comes to weapons, ammunition, and explosives. His expertise is uncontested.”

  —John Ramsey Miller

  “The best page-turning thriller I’ve grabbed in ages. Gilstrap is one of the very few writers who can position a set of characters in a situation, ramp up the tension, and—yes, keep it there, all the way through. There is no place you can put this book down.”

  —Beth Kanell, Kingdom Books, Vermont

  “A page-turning, near-perfect thriller, with engaging and believable characters . . . unputdownable! Warning—if you must be up early the next morning, don’t start the book.”

  —Top Mystery Novels

  “Takes you full force right away and doesn’t let go until the very last page . . . has enough full-bore action to take your breath away, barely giving you time to inhale. The action is nonstop. Gilstrap knows his technology and weaponry. Damage Control will blow you away.”

  —Suspense Magazine

  THREAT WARNING

  “If you are a fan of thriller novels, I hope you’ve been reading John Gilstrap’s Jonathan Grave series. Threat Warning is a character-driven work where the vehicle has four on the floor and horsepower to burn. From beginning to end, it is dripping with excitement.”

  —Joe Hartlaub, BookReporter.com

  “If you like Vince Flynn–style action, with a strong, incorruptible hero, this series deserves to be in your reading diet. Threat Warning reconfirms Gilstrap as a master of jaw-dropping action and heart-squeezing suspense.”

  —Austin Camacho, The Big Thrill

  HOSTAGE ZERO

  “Jonathan Grave, my favorite freelance peacemaker, problem-solver, and tough guy hero, is back—and in particularly fine form. Hostage Zero is classic Gilstrap: the people are utterly real, the action’s foot to the floor, and the writing’s fluid as a well-oiled machine gun. A tour de force!”

  —Jeffery Deaver

  HOSTAGE ZERO

  “This addictively readable thriller marries a breakneck pace to a complex, multilayered plot.... A roller coaster ride of adrenaline-inducing plot twists leads to a riveting and highly satisfying conclusion. Exceptional characterization and an intricate, flawlessly crafted story line make this an absolute must read for thriller fans.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  NO MERCY

  “No Mercy grabs hold of you on page one and doesn’t let go. Gilstrap’s new series is terrific. It will leave you breathless. I can’t wait to see what Jonathan Grave is up to next.”

  —Harlan Coben

  “The release of a new John Gilstrap novel is always worth celebrating, because he’s one of the finest thriller writers on the planet. No Mercy showcases his work at its finest—taut, action-packed, and impossible to put down!”

  —Tess Gerritsen

  “A great hero, a pulse-pounding story—and the launch of a really exciting series.”

  —Joseph Finder

  “An entertaining, fast-paced tale of violence and revenge.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “No other writer is better able to combine in a single novel both rocket-paced suspense and heartfelt looks at family and the human spirit. And what a pleasure to meet Jonathan Grave, a hero for our time . . . and for all time.”

  —Jeffery Deaver

  AT ALL COSTS

  “Riveting . . . combines a great plot and realistic, likable characters with look-over-your-shoulder tension. A page turner.”

  —The Kansas City Star

  “Gilstrap builds tension . . . until the last page, a hallmark of great thriller writers. I almost called the paramedics before I finished At All Costs.”

  —Tulsa World

  “Gilstrap has ingeniously twisted his simple premise six ways from Sunday.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “Not-to-be-missed.”

  —Rocky Mountain News

  NATHAN’S RUN

  “Gilstrap pushes every thriller button . . . a nail-biting denouement and strong characters.”

  —San Francisco Chronicle

  “Gilstrap has a shot at being the next John Grisham . . . one of the best books of the year.”

  —Rocky Mountain News

  “Emotionally charged . . . one of the year’s best.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “Brilliantly calculated . . . With the skill of a veteran pulp master, Gilstrap weaves a yarn that demands to be read in one sitting.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Like a roller coaster, the story races along on well-oiled wheels to an undeniably pulse-pounding conclusion.”

  —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

  ALSO BY JOHN GILSTRAP

  Friendly Fire

  Against All Enemies

  End Game

  Soft Targets

  High Treason

  Damage Control

  Threat Warning

  Hostage Zero

  No Mercy

  Six Minutes to Freedom

  Scott Free

  Even Steven

  At All Costs

  Nathan’s Run

  JOHN GILSTRAP

  NICK OF TIME TIME TO DIE

  KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

  www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Praise for John Gilstrap

  ALSO BY JOHN GILSTRAP

  Title Page

  Previously in Nick of Time

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  TIME TO LIVE

  Teaser chapter

  Copyright Page

  Previously in Nick of Time

  For Nicki Janssen and Brad Ward, the fantasy of running away from their troubles and sharing an exciting new life together has had its ups and downs. It’s great to be together, to hit the open road, to rack up expenses on someone else’s credit card. But Nicki�
�s illness is a ticking clock, Brad’s a wanted man, and they’re being pursued not just by Nicki’s father, but by others who are far less friendly. At a convenience store in North Carolina, violence erupted—adding a level of danger the runaways never dreamed would be possible.

  Chapter One

  Carter stared at the phone after he hung up. If he was wrong about Nicki, or if she was wrong about Brad, he’d just made himself an accessory to murder. Worse, he’d just granted tacit approval for his daughter to remain in the company of a convicted killer.

  What the hell was he thinking?

  It occurred to him as he sat in his car contemplating his own stupidity that he’d inadvertently started a clock for everyone involved. He needed to find this kid in the red shirt, and he’d end up doing it alone. Nicki was dead-on about the mind-set of cops. They already knew who their suspects were, and whatever Carter told them would be discounted as the frantic rantings of a worried father.

  He jumped a foot as the front passenger door opened. Before he could say a word, the female deputy he’d seen inside the Quik Mart slid into the seat next to him and closed the door. She smelled of wet hair. “Couple days of this and we’ll have to build an ark,” she said. When she saw the look of confusion in Carter’s face, she extended her hand. “Darla Sweet. We met inside.”

  A little stunned, he took her hand. “I remember,” he said. “Can I help you?”

  “I was watching you through the window,” she said, nodding to the front of the store. “That was a long chat. You looked pretty animated. I presume you were talking to your daughter?”

  Carter tried his best to look unfazed, but he didn’t think he pulled it off. “If I were, it would be none of your business,” he said. “Attorney-client privilege.”

  “That’s a good one,” Darla said. “I was thinking misprision of a felony.”

  Carter felt trapped. He didn’t know what to say, and his silence told the deputy that she was correct.

  Darla let him off the hook. “If you did speak to her, I hope that you had the good sense to advise her to turn herself in.”

  “It wouldn’t be that simple,” he said. “She’s innocent.”

  “Evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.”

  Carter looked past the deputy and saw through the front windows of the Quik Mart that the crime scene technicians were still bustling. “You’re not searching for exculpatory evidence,” he said. “I wouldn’t expect you to find it.”

  She didn’t bite. “Evidence is evidence. Prosecution and defense have equal access.”

  Carter allowed himself a bitter chuckle. “I am a prosecutor, Deputy. I know better. The good news is, I can take your case apart in court.”

  “All the more reason for you to tell her to come on in,” Darla observed.

  “You mean if I speak to her?”

  “Of course. Let her stand trial and humiliate us all.”

  Carter had learned a long time ago to trust his instincts about people, and he liked something about Deputy Sweet. She had the look of an idealist. On a different day, he’d have called it naïveté, but not on a day when he needed her help. “Suppose I did talk to her,” he said. “Hypothetically, of course, and suppose she told me that she and her friend only witnessed the killing, and tried to help the victim after he was shot? Suppose all those fingerprints were as a result of that?”

  “Then I think that she’d need to step up and say so.”

  Carter wondered how much he should share with her. “Like I said, it’s not that simple. Not for Nicki. I don’t give a shit about the guy she’s with. If I had spoken with her, I think she would have said that the robbery was committed by someone else, a man wearing a red jersey of some sort. A sports jersey. I think she might tell you that Brad Ward—”

  “Dougherty.”

  “Whatever. I’m guessing that she might tell you that he actually tried to stop the robbery, but couldn’t before shots were fired. She might tell you that given Brad’s record, and her desire to stay on the run, they’d panicked and left the scene only after they’d seen that the victim was already dead.”

  “That would be after they’d disarmed Ben Maestri.”

  “Who approached them with a gun and threatened to shoot.”

  Darla said, “We keep coming back to the strong argument in favor of them turning themselves in and letting the justice system grind its gears. It is a pretty good system, you know.”

  “Not for my daughter, it’s not. In the amount of time it would take for the case to come to trial, she’d already be dead. That’s not how I want her to spend her last months.”

  Darla looked confused. “Mr. Janssen, prison is not an easy place, but it is certainly survivable.”

  “It’s not the prison,” Carter said. “She’s sick.” He explained the nature of the disease. “I need to find the exculpatory evidence before you arrest her. I need to find the real bad guy. And you need to keep your crime scene open and operating until I do.”

  Darla seemed moved by Carter’s predicament. “Don’t you understand how dangerous it is out there for her if she doesn’t turn herself in? The whole state of North Carolina is on the lookout for a pair of murderers. That’s a lot of guns.”

  “Of course I know that.” Christ, how could she think that he didn’t know that? “That means my clock is ticking. My question to you is, are you going to help, or am I going to go this alone?”

  Darla recoiled. “We’ve done our investigation. I don’t see how—”

  “I don’t see how it could hurt to take a look at the other side of the equation,” he interrupted. “Assume for the sake of argument that I’m right. You can prevent a terrible miscarriage of justice. If I’m wrong, you might actually strengthen your case. It’s a win-win.”

  Darla smiled as if he’d just told a joke. “I’ll run it by the sheriff and see what he thinks.”

  It wasn’t what Carter wanted to hear. “You really think there’s a chance that he might go along with that?” he asked. The sheriff was a hard-ass through and through. He wouldn’t take kindly to being second-guessed.

  Darla gave an incredulous chuckle. “What, are you suggesting that I open up a separate investigation without telling him?”

  “It’s not a separate investigation,” Carter said. “It’s a different angle on the same investigation.”

  Darla looked at him as if he’d suggested that the earth was flat. “You’re talking career suicide,” she said. “The sheriff’s very excited about closing this case. He’s got elections coming up soon.”

  “So, to hell with justice?”

  Darla didn’t sniff the bait. “Justice and windmill jousting are two entirely different things.”

  Carter felt his face flush. “You heard the old man. What’s his name, Ben? You heard him swear that he put a tape in the machine.”

  “Ben Maestri is a drunk,” she said. “He’s been a drunk for as long as anyone can remember.”

  “Yet, he’s the eyewitness on whom you want to hang your entire case,” Carter said. “You can’t have it both ways.”

  “So, what are you suggesting happened to the tape?”

  “You tell me,” Carter said. “Let’s find out. It’s not wrong, is it, to actually test the theory that you hold so dear?”

  Darla scowled. She seemed to be debating whether or not to say what was on her mind.

  “Do you want me to ask him?” Carter pressed.

  She said, “If you had talked to your daughter—”

  “Nicolette,” Carter said quickly. It was always best to put a name on a suspect. Even better when the suspect was young. “She prefers Nicki.”

  “If you had talked to Nicki and she had offered the details you passed along, I confess that I would be intrigued. Frankly, between you and me, the fingerprints in the blood have been troubling me.”

  Carter waited for it.

  Darla watched the investigators as she spoke. “Why would they check his pulse if they were the shooters? Why would th
ey care? You pull the trigger, somebody dies. It’s the way it works.”

  Carter allowed himself a smile. “Deputy Sweet, I think I might like you after all.”

  “Don’t,” Darla snapped. “I don’t give a shit about your daughter. I’d arrest her in a heartbeat. And I’d sure as hell take down her boyfriend.”

  “I already told you I don’t care about him.”

  “And I don’t care that you don’t care.”

  He acknowledged her with a nod.

  “And then there’s the gun itself,” Darla went on.

  “You’ve got the murder weapon?”

  “We think so. It’s the right caliber, but we have to do the ballistics tests to be sure. Problem is, there are no prints and there are no bullets. It was freshly fired, but with evidence of only one bullet expended.”

  Carter’s eyes narrowed as he tried to see where she was going. “What are you saying?”

  For the first time Darla seemed sympathetic. “I don’t think the shooter intended to shoot.”