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She got to her feet. “It doesn’t take courage to strike a woman who has her hands cuffed. Everyone will just think what a coward you are.”
“No, everyone will see how you suffered, and it will make them suffer to remember it.” His head lifted, and his gaze went to the ridge as a black van pulled up behind Jane’s Jeep, and uniformed men poured out of it. “Ah, Venable. Very aggressive. That changes the speed with which I have to work. Fortunately, I’ve pla
“You’re cornered. Give up, Doane.”
“You know I can’t do that.” He turned to face her. His blue eyes were glowing with excitement. “Cornered? I’m not the one in a trap. You’re the bait, and they’re all taking it. Zander thought he’d come after you? It only proves that you were wrong about his not caring if you lived or died.”
“No, it doesn’t. It only proves he wants to get rid of you once and for all.”
“Well, he’s here.” He glanced at the bar. “Let him come and get me.”
He was talking about the explosives, Eve realized, chilled. He had set off that explosion on the ridge, and it was clear he had enough left to take down a skyscraper. What kind of booby traps had he set up around this ghost town?
“Don’t do this, Doane.” She knew he wouldn’t listen to her, but she had to try. “Leave this place.”
“Oh, we’ll leave it all right,” he said softly. “I told you that the only way I’d give you up was to Kevin.” His eyes were shining, his face illuminated by a light that held her, frightened her. “What better way to give you to him than have you burned on a glorious funeral pyre and let Zander watch it?” He reached out and touched her bloody lower lip. “And perhaps take him with us.”
She couldn’t take her eyes from him. Doane. Kevin. Who was standing before her? Evil. Pure evil.
Shots outside.
No! She couldn’t just stand here. She had to warn them.
She whirled and broke for the door.
“That’s not in the plan, Eve.” He caught her, brought her down, his hands grasping her throat. “That will be your last escape.” His hands tightened. “Just a little pain, then Kevin will be there to take you.”
Red haze. No breath. Bruising agony.
She was fighting desperately, her hands clawing at his fingers.
Red fading into darkness.
But beyond the darkness … light.
Joy.
Bo
CHAPTER
17
“I’LLKILLHIM,” JOE said between clenched teeth. “Get me there, Zander.”
“Another few minutes,” Zander said. “And in that few minutes, you’d better work out a way to get to the bastard to kill him. You’re not thinking, Qui
Joe knew he wasn’t thinking; he was only feeling. Seeing Eve stand there in the street, bloody, and looking like a holocaust refugee had torn him apart.
And then the son of a bitch had hit her.
“Easy to say,” he said harshly. “You don’t give a damn.”
“Which is the best mind-set for removing obstacles like Doane.” Zander was gazing straight ahead. “And the reason that you should stand back out of my way while I dispose of him.”
Joe gazed at him in disbelief. “And let him kill Eve while you concentrate on killing him?”
Zander said quietly, “That won’t happen, Qui
“Why not?”
“Are you expecting some maudlin emotional statement? You won’t get it. If Doane kills Eve, it will be a victory for him. I’m not allowing any victories.”
“Just get me there, and I’ll go around back and see if I find a way to—” He broke off as the wood sidewalk in front of the saloon was spiked with rifle bullets from the ridge road. He glanced up and saw men swarming down the mountainside toward the town. “What the hell is Venable trying to do?” He dialed Venable. “Get your guys out of there. Are you trying to get her killed?”
“Intimidation,” Venable said. “He’s got to know that we’re on top of him, and he can’t—”
“Get out of there!”
But Venable had hung up.
Joe drew a deep breath, trying to smother the rage. “What do you know about that saloon, Zander? Can I get in from the rear?”
“I didn’t do a thorough scan when I was here. I knew that Doane wasn’t using the place to hold Eve, and I wanted to get on with the hunt. I remember a door and a staircase leading to the upper floor. The staircase was in lousy shape and missing four or five steps.” He glanced at Joe. “You could swing up it, but it will take a bit of effort.”
“Then take me around back.” The gunfire had resumed, and Joe’s hands clenched. “How long?”
“A minute, no more,” Zander said quietly. “I’ll drop you off, then dodge around front and draw Doane out and distract him.” He turned to Stang. “When I jump out, you get in the driver’s seat and get out of here. And stay out of the line of Venable’s fire.”
“I can handle that,” Stang said. “But I should remind you that you’re walking wounded.”
“No, you should not remind me. I can’t think of it right now.” He glanced up the mountain. “Venable’s men are nearly down to the foothills near the town. Once they get there, they’ll head for the saloon, and there will be hell to pay.”
“For Venable,” Joe said grimly. “If he causes Doane to go crazier than he is right now, I’ll take him down.”
“Not Venable’s usual pattern of behavior to go off like this…” Zander murmured. “He’s usually cool, very cool.” He swung the car wide as they entered the town and headed toward the rear of the saloon. “The ground is one giant mud hole. Get ready to jump out and run for it if I get stuck.”
* * *
“STOP THEM!” JANE GRABBED Venable’s arm and whirled him to face her. “Are you nuts? You saw what he did to Eve a few minutes ago. He wants to hurt her. Now you’re trying to panic him into killing her?”
“It’s Doane who’s nuts,” Venable said grimly. He threw his arm toward the burning brush and the flaming wreckage of Kendra’s car. “And that should prove it to you. We have to get him under control.”
“Then let Joe do it. Give him backup, but don’t try to take Doane out by yourself. Stop that shooting.”
“I’ve given orders that my men not fire directly at the building itself but at the sidewalk and steps. Just enough to let Doane know he’s pi
“And what if a few of those bullets go astray?” Kendra had come up to stand beside them. “Those are hundred-clip assault weapons, not sniper rifles. Doane’s not going to tolerate the front of that saloon being shot apart. If he feels threatened, Eve may be the one who suffers for it.”
“You should approve of my taking action,” Venable said. “You were within seconds of being blown up by that booby trap Doane set.”
“It scared the hell out of Margaret and me,” Kendra said. “But it didn’t kill off any brain cells. The threat to us is over, and Eve is right in the crosshairs, where she’s been all along. We don’t need to make it any worse for her.”
“I’m not making it worse. I’m trying to—Where the hell are they going?” His attention had switched to Trevor and Caleb, who were heading down the mountain toward the town. He started to curse. “They’re not part of the operation. They have no business there. What are they doing?”
“Well, they won’t be shooting up the town,” Jane said. “They have too much sense. I’d guess they’ll be trying to help Joe.” She could see the car that must be Joe’s enter the town and head for the rear of the saloon. “I don’t want to guess. I want to be there.” She went to the edge of the road and stood there, with hands clenched, her eyes straining to see any motion at the front door of the saloon. “I’m not as good at mountain climbing as Trevor and Caleb, so you find me a fast way to get down there, Venable. Or I’ll be following them down this mountain. Either that, or you call off your attack dogs. Your choice. I’ll give you three minutes.”