At dusk on the second day, Hunter and Rink drive Jason Mercer to the isolated exchange point Vince selected on Confidence Way, near the water outside Southport. Expecting an ambush, Hunter keeps Mercer hooded and taped so no sniper can kill him before Sue Carter is produced, while Mercer fights his fear by repeating a mantra and insists Sue’s life matters more than his own.

After stopping short of the destination, Hunter, Rink, and Mercer move on foot into an open glade that offers them no cover. Vince is waiting there with Sue, two armed men, and Pam, the woman Hunter previously shot and knocked out at the hotel. Hunter immediately notices that four enemies are visible, which suggests Vince may still have another gunman hidden in reserve.

As both sides approach each other, Hunter sees that Sue has been badly beaten, gagged, and bound, and her condition confirms that Vince ignored the warning not to harm her. Sue looks at Hunter, Rink, and especially Mercer with anguish, believing her resistance under torture has failed because they have brought Mercer to be traded for her. Hunter keeps his reaction controlled, while also noting that one of Vince’s men seems disturbed by Sue’s injuries.

At a distance of about twenty paces, Vince tries to treat the meeting like banter, but Hunter and Rink keep the focus on the exchange and the threat of violence. Hunter removes Mercer’s hood so Sue can see him, and Vince openly states that the real purpose has always been to finish killing Mercer. When Rink threatens to shoot Vince if Mercer is harmed before Sue is returned, Vince’s team takes aim, and Hunter warns Vince to make Pam lower her rifle or the deal is over.

Once Vince signals Pam to ease off, the exchange begins. Hunter shoves Mercer forward while Vince sends Sue toward them, both captives walking across the glade under the threat of immediate gunfire. As Sue and Mercer pass each other, Sue reacts with horror and muffled regret, while Mercer keeps moving and fixes his eyes on Vince.

Vince then shifts Mercer into Rink’s line of fire, points his own pistol at Hunter, and reveals he never intended a clean trade. Instead of shooting himself, Vince gives a hand signal, and a rifle cracks from the edge of the glade, abruptly turning the exchange into an ambush.