“Think of something, Fargo,” Remi said.
Sam held up both hands. “You sure you trust him?” he called out.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Makao said.
“Wasn’t asking you,” Sam replied. “I was asking Kambili.”
Kambili stopped, looking back at Makao. “What’s he talking about?”
“Don’t listen to him,” Makao said. “He’s doing this on purpose.”
Lazlo was back, this time with Nasha. Unfortunately, when Chuk saw her, Makao unknowingly stepped between them. Sam kept his gaze on Kambili. “Makao killed your brothers. What makes you think he’s not going to kill you the moment you grab that backpack?”
“He’s lying,” Makao said.
“Am I?” Sam took a second step that direction, still holding his hands up.
Chuk backed up and darted toward Lazlo and Nasha.
Makao tried to grab the boy. “They tricked us,” he shouted, aiming at Remi.
Her shot was nearly simultaneous to his. Makao staggered back toward the truck.
Sam drew his Smith & Wesson as Kambili spun around, gun in hand.
Sam fired.
Kambili dropped to his knees. Red bloomed on his chest as he fell facedown on the ground, still gripping his weapon. Sam kept his gun trained on the man, approached, kicked Kambili’s weapon away and leaned down, checking his pulse.
Dead.
“Fargo,” Remi shouted. “Makao’s getting away.”
Sam looked up in time to see the white truck backing up. He ran to the Land Rover to give chase, then stopped, seeing the odd tilt of the car as Lazlo, Nasha, Amal, and Chuk emerged from between the buildings. “Bad news,” Sam said, examining the damage.
“We could go after him,” Pete said, indicating the supply truck.
Sam spied the dust cloud in the distance. Had it been a smaller truck maybe? “You’d never catch him.”
Nasha crouched beside Sam and looked up at Lazlo, asking, “Is a flat tire unscathed?”
“When it comes to the Fargos? Quite.”
Eventually, the villagers started wandering out, a crowd gathering around the group, while they waited for the police to arrive from Mubi.
“Nasha?” A man pushed through the crowd, stopped, and stared in disbelief. “Nasha … Is that really you?”
Myriad emotions swept across her small face, but she didn’t move. “You … You said you were coming back for us …”
“I did. I looked for you. The man I paid to drive you, he told me … It doesn’t matter now. You’re here …” He held his hand out toward her, his smile broken. “Come. Give your old uncle a hug.”
Chuk nudged her forward.
That was all the encouragement she needed. The man scooped her up in his arms, hugging her tight. “My Nasha …”
Remi smiled at them. “All’s well.”
Sam, holding the tire iron, went back to removing the lug nuts when his cell alerted him to a text. He pulled it from his pocket, reading the message from Makao. I’m going to get her.