THE IRON BARS BETWEEN OUR HEARTS

Miller drew his sidearm with fluid, silent speed, shielding Liam with his torso. He aimed the weapon upward toward the rectangular access hatch in the ceiling.

""Come down slowly,"" Miller commanded, voice low and lethal. ""Hands where I can see them, or I clear this loft through the plywood.""

A pause stretched into agony. Then, a pair of worn work boots swung down through the opening, followed by a trembling man covered in cobwebs and sawdust. He dropped heavily to the floorboards, hands held high.

Miller lowered the flashlight beam. His heart nearly seized.

""Tommy?"" Miller whispered, his voice failing. ""You're dead. We buried your badge six months ago.""

Tommy Cole looked like a ghost. He was emaciated, hollow-cheeked, his skin pasty and translucent under weeks of hiding. He wore a stained mechanic’s jumpsuit, his right arm bound in dirty gauze where severe burn scars peeked through the fabric.

""They tried to burn me, Miller,"" Cole said, his voice a dry, rasping rattle. ""Vance locked the annex doors from the outside. He thought I was in the records vault. I managed to crawl through the drainage flume behind the incinerator, but by the time I woke up in the swamp, the news said Marcus killed me and stole the narcotics.""

Liam peeked around Miller’s leg, his eyes fixing on Tommy’s scarred wrist. ""You were Daddy's friend. You came to my birthday party.""

Tommy looked down at the boy, tears welling in his sunken eyes. ""Hey, Liam. Yeah. I remember that party. Your dad bought you that little army uniform, didn't he?""

""Why didn't you go to the state police, Tommy?"" Miller demanded, keeping his weapon at low ready. ""Why hide here while Marcus took the fall?""

""Because Vance owns the regional barracks commander!"" Tommy spat, shaking with suppressed rage. ""The day of the fire, Vance met with State Captain Rayburn behind the gravel quarry. They weren't just moving narcotics, Miller. They were moving the serial-tracked cash from the Cartel asset seizures. Three million dollars. Marcus found the ledger discrepancy. That's why he was targeted. That's why they need him dead before sunrise.""