“In you go.”
“This is one of the tunnels?”
“It is.”
“But where does it lead?”
She smirked. “Nowhere. Now, you can walk down those steps under your own power, or I can shoot you and let you fall in.”
In a smooth move, he knocked the weapon from her hand. The gun landed on the snow-covered ground, disappearing in a powdery puff. Ellie screeched and lunged for it, but he caught her arm and threw her to the ground. It didn’t take much to subdue her and get her arms behind her with a knee in her lower back. She wiggled and coughed. “Let me up!”
“Not until you tell me where Maya is.”
“Let her go!” Vance’s shout from the tree line froze him for a split second, then he stood and jerked Ellie to her feet.
She tried to yank away from him and he shook her. “Be still!”
She kicked back and got him in the shin. Pain radiated through his leg and he squeezed her wrists. She shrieked and bucked like a rodeo bronco.
“I said let her go or I’ll shoot you!” Vance shouted.
“I’m not letting her go until she tells me where Maya is. Or you do.” Gideon kept his voice low and even. “How can you do this, Vance? We were friends!”
“Friendship doesn’t make up for what her family did to mine!”
“Says who? Your parents and Maya’s were friends!”
“Until my father found out the truth. He found my grandmother’s old diary and she outlined exactly how Maya’s grandfather stole our land!”
“Vance, shut up, you useless idiot! Make him let me go!” Ellie’s raging screech echoed around them, and Vance flinched as though she’d slapped him.
Vance gripped his weapon, complete with a suppressor, and punched it toward Gideon. “Now, Gideon. And I’ll tell you where Maya is.”
“I don’t believe you. Tell me first.” But Gideon wouldn’t believe that either. “Is she down in that tunnel? Maybe we should all go down and take a look.”
Ellie set off on another frenzy of kicking and squirming. “Shoot him, Vance! Don’t just stand there! Shoot him!”
“I can’t! I might hit you!”
“Shoot him, you worthless loser! Now!”
Time slowed and Gideon watched Vance’s eyes narrow, his lips tighten, and his finger twitch.
Gideon dropped.
The gun cracked.
Ellie screamed and fell to the snow, hand pressing her side. “You shot me!”
Vance raced toward her, horror on his face. He looked at her, then Gideon. And swung the weapon toward Gideon.
Gideon dove into the hole as the next bullet sailed over his head. He landed hard on the first step, then scrambled down to the bottom.
“I’m coming for you both, Gideon! After I get Ellie help, I’m coming to kill you!”
The door slammed shut.
Eleven
