“Let go of my wrist. I need my hand.”
He released her, and she clamped her fist around the rung and moved upward once more. Vance’s flashlight beam found them, and she looked back to see him taking aim.
As soon as her hand clamped on the concrete side, Gideon locked a hand around her wrist again. She placed a foot on the wall and pushed upward. The momentum propelled her forward as Gideon pulled her through the opening.
The gun cracked once more, and the bullet whizzed past her ear just as Gideon hauled her out of the shaft. The distance from the top of the shaft to the snow-covered ground was only about three feet, but the hard landing stunned her for a brief moment.
“You okay?” Gideon asked.
She nodded and sucked in a lungful of crisp mountain air.
The cold had never felt so good. The shaft opening was located in a small clearing, encircled by trees. The sky was gray above them.
She had no idea which way led to safety, but they were out—and Vance was closing in. “He’s going to be coming out of there as long as the ladder holds him,” she said.
“I know,” Gideon whispered. “That’s why I’m going to stop him.”
“He’ll have the gun.” She kept her words soft as well.
“I know that too. Run for the trees and hide. I need you to leave your footprints running in that direction. Weave back and forth. Try to make it look like I’m with you.”
“You have a plan?”
“Yeah. As soon as he goes after you, I’ll go after him. But you’re going to give me the element of surprise.”
“Got it.” To their left through sparser trees, the main ski slope stretched down the mountain, dotted with late afternoon skiers living their best lives, unaware there was a killer in their midst. To Maya’s right were the dense trees that offered a hiding place. She took off toward the trees.
Gideon dropped to cozy up to the side of the concrete shaft. Maya made it to the tree line and ducked behind a large fir. Gideon had his eyes on the opening, looking up from his crouched position.
She peered through a gap in the branches and saw Vance’s head come into view. He paused to look around, saw the footprints, and pushed himself out, his right hand clutching the weapon. He dropped to the ground. Gideon popped out from his hiding place and swept a foot into Vance’s. Vance hit the ground hard but brought the gun around to aim it at Gideon.
Gideon clamped a hand around the man’s wrist and held it so the weapon was aimed at the sky.
Then Gideon stumbled and the men went down together. Maya raced toward them.
Gideon flipped Vance onto his back but lost his grip on the hand with the weapon. Vance aimed it at his head. Maya drew back her leg and planted a hard kick on his wrist. Vance screamed and the gun flew from his grip to land in the snow.
Maya swooped in, snagged it, and aimed it at the raging man. “Vance! Stop or I’ll shoot! Stop now!”
“No, you stop!” a voice said from the edge of the trees about fifty yards away.
A crack sounded and a burning pain shot through Maya’s bruised shoulder.
At the gunshot, Vance froze and Gideon took advantage to land a vicious punch on the man’s temple, knocking him out.
Another gunshot sounded and Gideon flinched, then rolled to see Maya ducking near the shaft’s concrete structure. While Vance was unconscious and the other shooter was taking cover, he ran to Maya. “Into the woods. Go.”
“Here.” She gave him the weapon and led the way. “There’s a maintenance shed just ahead.”
The shooter’s gun barked again. The bullet whizzed past his head.
She grabbed Gideon’s arm and pulled him toward the tree line opposite from where the bullets were coming from. He spotted what she was talking about and wondered how she’d even seen the thing. The wooden structure’s dark green paint almost camouflaged it against the pines. “Maybe there’s something—”
Another bullet missed him by inches, striking a pine tree and sending bark flying. He turned to shoot back, but the sun broke through the clouds and silhouetted the shooter, making the person harder to target.
Gideon shoved Maya behind a snowbank and aimed his weapon once more. Bullets struck the packed snow and ice crystals sprayed the air. He ducked. “Get to the shed,” he said. “I’ll cover you. If it’s locked, go around to the other side and use it for cover.”
She hesitated. “But—”
