He exited the car, withdrawing his sidearm, and proceeded quickly and quietly toward the SUV. It was empty, the engine still warm.
Fireworks boomed in the distance, the flares of light brightening the yard. He approached the porch, pressing himself to the wall. He listened, his heart hammering in his chest. A sizzle sounded as fireworks lit the sky. Other than that, nothing. He couldn't wait for the sheriff. He prayed he wasn't too late already.
The door was locked, so he quietly unlocked it. He eased inside, gun ready, then stepped into the corner, scanning the room. Empty. He pivoted into the dining room, his eyes darting. Nothing. The kitchen was next.
A deep boom blasted through the night. His heart pitched sideways.
Fireworks. Just fireworks. He blew out a slow breath.
He moved toward the kitchen, noticing the faint smell of cigarette smoke. In the kitchen a cool breeze drifted over his skin. He approached the open back door and paused beside it, listening.
Between the booms of the fireworks, he heard it. The distant, high-pitched whine of a snowmobile.
It could be anyone. But who'd be sledding this time of night when the whole town was watching the show? He moved out the back door cautiously. When all seemed quiet, he ran for the barn, scanning the darkness.
Please, God
.
As he neared the building his eyes swept the side. His gaze fell on the empty space where Riley's snowmobile had been.
Atta girl, Kate.
But next to that, another vacant space.
T
he cold wind battered Eden's face as she flew down the trail. Langley was behind her somewhere. She'd seen the headlights flashing in the distance as she'd turned onto the trail. If only she'd thought to take the keys. The engine whined as she gunned it. They hit a hill and went airborne.
“Hang on!”
Micah's arms tightened as they hit the ground with a thump. The sled swerved under her novice skills, and her heart pounded as she fought to correct it. Once she had control, she looked over her shoulder. Headlights cut through the darkness, maybe a half mile back.
She just had to make it into town. She couldn't go any faster. But he was too far behind to catch them as long as she kept this paceâand didn't wreck.
Please, God.
She peeled around a corner, sliding. She eased off the throttle until she had control, then sped ahead. Micah was pressed into her back, his knees clutching hers. She wanted to reassure him, but the buzz of the engine was loud, and she had to focus.
A gunshot rang out. A shriek escaped as alarm barreled through her. She curled an arm backward, clutching Micah to her, needing to know he was okay. His arms were so tight they cut off her breath.
Needing both hands, she gripped the handlebar again. A steep hill rose to the left. He'd lose sight of them for a minute. They were almost to the town trail. From there it would only be a few minutes to safety.
The engine sputtered, and Kate looked down, frowning. A moment later it happened again. Her eyes found the lit gas gauge. The tank was empty. Her chest tightened, choking off her breath.
No!
This couldn't be happening.
They were losing speed despite her thumb on the throttle.
Come on, come on.
But it was hopeless. She was barely puttering along. She pulled the sled into the brush and turned off the lights, trying to think past the buzzing in her head.
They'd never make it to town on foot before he reached them. She scanned the darkness, seeking refuge. There weren't even any evergreens to hide them, only skeletal deciduous trees. Aside from the steep hill to the one side, the ground was flat, offering no hiding places. There was no safety there. They'd be out in the open.
Then she remembered the caveâthe one Beau and his brothers had played in. Wasn't it nearby?
But, no. He'd follow her footprints, and then they'd be trapped inside. She stood, frozen, her mind spinning in circles.
The whine of the other sled was growing louder.
She grabbed Micah and lifted him off, running as fast as she could toward the hillside. She stumbled in the dark over a root and nearly went down. She continued along the hill, looking for the rock ledge, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness.
Where is it? Where is it? Please!
There! The rock ledge jutted out just ahead. She bumbled toward it, pitching forward at the small dark hole beneath the ledge.
She pushed her son toward the gap in the wall. “Go, Micah! Crawl in. Fast!”
She looked over her shoulder as the boy wiggled through the opening. The beam of Langley's sled shone through the darkness. He was almost around the corner.
She gave Micah a push, then eased onto her stomach, praying she'd fit. She squirmed through the hole, her head, then shoulders. The smell of loamy earth filled her nostrils. She dug her fingers into the cold soil, pulling, dug her feet in, pushing. Finally her hips cleared the opening, and her legs slithered through.
She felt for Micah in the dank darkness and pulled him away from the gap, backing up until she hit a wall.
He curled into her chest, crying, shaking fiercely. “Mommy!”
“Shh, baby.” Her chest rose and fell quickly. She forced herself to slow her breaths and listen.
The high-pitched buzz of the engine was nearing.
Pass by. Please pass by.
The whining grew louder, but the throttle had slowed.
No, no, keep going.
But there was no doubt the sled was slowing. He'd seen their machine. The engine died, and Micah's sobs were loud in the sudden quiet.
“Shhh. Baby, we have to be very quiet,” she whispered.
Her phone was in her purse at the house. Useless. Langley would follow their footprints. They were trapped. He would never fit inside, but his gun would.
Her eyes stung and beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.
God, are You there? Help!
She pulled Micah tight. His sobs had quieted. She stroked his hair with trembling hands.
All was silent outside except for the distant sound of fireworks and the quiet rumble of the sled. Then the light on the other side grew brighter, washing into the cave.
“Party's over, Eden,” Langley's gruff voice called from outside. “Out. Now.”
She grabbed Micah, pulling him to the farthest reach of the space. She clutched his quivering body closer.
Her chest tightened till she could barely breathe. What now?
God, can You hear me?
“Move it! I know you're in there.”
Micah's fingers clawed at her shirt.
I'm so sorry, kiddo.
They should've left weeks ago. She thought of Beau and knew he'd blame himself. The thought made her insides twist.
“Have it your way.” Langley's hand pushed through the opening. She saw the shadow of the gun an instant before the blast rang out, blisteringly loud. She shrieked. The bullet bit into the ground nearby. Bits of dirt spewed out.
She twisted, huddling over her son, her heart banging against her ribs.
“All right!” she said. “All right. I'm coming out. Don't shoot.” An absurd thing to say. Shooting was exactly what he was going to do.
“Stay here,” she whispered to Micah. “Don't come out no matter what you hear.”
Micah clutched her, and she pried his hands away, her eyes burning. “Micah. You have to stay.” He finally let go, huddling
against the wall. “Remember, don't come out no matter what.” She ran her hand up his arm, to his face. “I love you.”
She let loose of him and crawled toward the gap in the wall, her knees scraping against jutting rocks. At the hole she lay down and slithered through the opening. When she was halfway through, Langley jerked her to her feet, one hand clamped around her arm. With the other he pointed the gun straight at her.
She'd forgotten how big he was. Tall and broad, built like a bear. The lights from the sled hit his profile, carving out harsh angles. His eyes were black shadows under his thick brows.
He looked back to the opening, waiting for Micah, no doubt.
“How'd you find me?”
“Where's the kid?”
“I sent him for help.”
“Liar. Get him out here.” He pointed his gun at the hole. “Or shall I start shooting again?”
“No! You don't need him. Fattore will be found innocent. You have me. That's all you need.”
He seemed to weigh that, his eyes taking on an evil glint under the moonlit night. He shifted the gun back to her. A cold shiver of fear ran down her spine. She was going to die. Right here.
And Micah was going to hear it. Again.
No, God. Please.
The fireworks grew louder, popping and sizzling as the grand finale began. The booms shook the ground under her feet.
“I could just shoot you both right now, Eden, but you know what? You made this so difficult, I think I'm going to have a little fun with you first.”
He grabbed her arm and pulled her close, the cold barrel of his gun pressing against her neck. Her heart thrashed against
her ribs. She pushed against the wall of his chest, but it was futile. He leaned closer. His clove-scented breath turned her stomach.
His beady eyes raked over her. “Yeah. A little fun first.”
B
eau flew down the trail on his snowmobile, praying he wasn't too late. He'd put in a call to the sheriff, asking him to approach the trail from town, but Beau couldn't wait for backup. He'd taken a shortcut through the Benningtons' property and was closing in. He'd heard a gunshot a minute ago, and now he only saw the light of one sled in the distance.
There'd be no sneaking up on them, and Beau didn't dare waste the time parking half a mile away.
As he got closer, a cold fist tightened in his gut at the sight. Two figures huddled in the shadows of the hillside. Someone was being dragged through the brush, up to the trail. Beau's heart hammered when he caught sight of Kate.
He slowed, reaching for his Glock, but the man got a shot off first. Beau ducked as a gunshot split the air. He stopped the sled, and it skidded sideways. He dropped to the ground behind it as another gunshot sounded, hitting a corner of the sled.
He looked over the machine. He was only about thirty yards away. He aimed his Glock and got the target in his sight just as the man pulled Eden into his body. She fought for release then drove her foot backward, catching him in the knee.
The man clubbed her on the cheek with the butt of the gun. “Be still, or I'll take you out right now!”
“Drop the gun, and get your hands in the air!” Beau shouted.
“One move, and I'll put a bullet in her head.” The man was easing them both toward the nearest sled.
The headlight hit her pale face, and he saw the mark on her cheek. Something red and hot clawed at his insides. He ground his teeth together, his finger flexing on the trigger.
“Drop the gun!” Beau shouted again.
The man ignored the order. They were almost to the sled. He kept Kate in front of him as a shield, the yellow-bellied coward.
Beau sighted the man. His trigger finger twitched, but she was too close. He just needed a split second.
Come on, move to the left, Kate.
A loud crack split the air. But Beau's finger hadn't flexed on the trigger.
The man's hands fell, and he dropped to the ground, lifeless, beside the sled.
Kate jumped back, then stood frozen, her hands on her face.
There was a movement at ten o'clock, and Beau swiveled, ready. But it was only Colton. The sheriff stepped from the shadows.
Beau ran up the trail, his Glock pointed at the still lump on the hard-packed trail. But one look at Kate's shocked face, and he holstered his sidearm, letting Colton take over.
When he reached Kate he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. She was cold and shaking, breathing hard.
“It's okay, baby. It's okay now.”
“Is he dead?”
Colton kicked the body over.
Even in the darkness Beau could see the bullet wound at his
temple. He tucked Kate's head into his shoulder. “Yeah, honey, he's dead. It's over.”
Colton laid his coat over the perp's upper body and pulled his phone from his pocket. “Everybody okay?”
“Yeah.”
The last of the fireworks finale fizzled out, and sudden silence reigned.
“Jack,” she whispered, pushing away. She started down the trail at a clip.
Beau followed. “Is he hurt?”
“No. It's okay now, Jack,” she called when she reached the mouth of the cave.
“Mommy?”
“You can come out now, baby. Everything's okay.” Her voice was thin and reedy.
He wanted nothing more than to pull her back into his arms. But she needed her son right now.
Micah appeared at the gap in the wall. He squirmed through the hole, and Kate helped him through, then caught him up in her arms. “It's okay. Everything's okay.”
Micah sobbed into her shoulder, and she clutched him to her, her eyes closing.
Beau couldn't take it another minute. He gathered them both into his arms. They smelled like earth and fear, and he wanted nothing more than to keep them safe forever.
“It's over,” he whispered. “You're safe now.”
He took off his coat and wrapped it around them. He didn't know how long they stood like that, both of them trembling in his arms.
Sometime later Colton approached, his footsteps crunching in the snow. “EMTs are on the way.”
He needed to get Jack out of there. Beau pulled away and ushered them toward the sled. “Let's get you guys home.”
Colton looked at Beau. “I'll need them to come in forâ”
“Tomorrow.”
“Beau, the feds are going to be all over this one whenâ”
“Morning's soon enough.” His voice was firm. He wasn't giving on this. They'd already been through so much. They needed a warm house and a soft bed.