Deke scratched his scraggly beard, pulled his pistol, and pointed it at Jenny. “You know what’s good for you, girl, you’ll keep your mouth shut and dowhat Max says.”
Vince flashed Libby a lascivious glance as he lumbered out of the cabin. Deke turned his gun toward Libby while Max urged Jenny and the kids toward the bedroom.
Jenny paused long enough to hug her. “Sam won’t let you down,” Jenny whispered, her eyesfull of tears.
“I know,” Libby said, her own eyes misting.
“Get in there,” Max commanded Jenny. “And don’t come out till Bridger comesin to get you.”
Jenny cast her a last worried glance and herded the kids into the bedroom.
“Leave the door open,” Max called out. “You want your man to stay alive, don’t untie him until we’re gone.”
Deke kept the gun pointed at Libby while Max made his way to the window to watch for Vince. The car must have been parked somewhere nearby. Libby heard the sound of an engine and the crunch of wheels rolling over the ground; then the vehicle came to a stop in front of the cabin.
Max opened the door. “Time to go.” He motioned with the pistol, which looked big and deadly. As Libby walked out on the porch, Max stuck the gun in her ribs. The Ford idled in front of the cabin. Libby’s heart jerked as Sam emergedfrom the house.
“Stay where you are, Bridger,” Max warned. “You try to follow us, she dies. You call the cops and they try to stop us, she dies. When we reach our destination, we’ll let her go.”
Sam’s hand balled into a fist. Libby knew he was holding on to his temper by a thread. Her heart was quaking with fear for him. “Do what they say, Sam. I’llbe all right.”
Sam took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Seems like I don’t have any choice.” But the look in his eyes said there was no way he was letting her geton that plane.
She wanted to tell him she loved him. There was a chance she would die, or maybe Sam would. But saying something like that might distract him from whatever itwas he planned.
Max opened the rear passenger door, shoved Libby inside, followed her in, and slammed the door.
“Let’s go,” Max said, and the car rolled off towardthe front gate.
Libby’s heart beat hard. She turned to look out the rear window for a last glimpse of Sam, but he was no longer there.
Chapter Sixteen
Sam raced into the house. The Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol he’d bought years ago waited on the kitchen table. Sam clipped the holster onto his belt, then grabbed his Winchester .30-30 hunting rifle lying on the table beside it.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the Dunbars,” Clara said. “You just getour girl back.”
Sam gave a quick nod as he ran for the door. His pulse was pounding. Adrenaline poured through his veins. He waited for the sedan to roll through the gate toward the single lane road leading to the highway. As soon as the car took the first turn out of sight, Sam raced for his truck. Behind him, Clara ran out of the house, heading for Cougar Cabin.
Sam trusted Clara and prayed the Dunbars were safe as he fired the engine on his big black Dodge, put the pickup in gearand drove away.
By now Big John and Kade would be in position. Sam forced himself not to slam his foot on the accelerator and rocket down the road after his quarry. The timing had to be perfect, or one ofthem could die.
Or Libby could be killed.
His chest constricted. He thought again of calling the sheriff, as he’d considered half a dozen times, but if the police got involved, anything could happen. He trusted BigJohn and Kade.
And he trusted himself. He would do anything to protect Libby. Even give up his own life.
He hit the button on his cell phone, and Big John picked up. “They’re on their way and I’m right behind them, close as I can get without being spotted. You both in position?”
“We’re ready,” John said. “Kade will be able to see the car before I can. Soon as it rolls around the curve, he’ll take the shot. Keep the line open. I’ll let you know when to move in.”
“Will do.” Sam drove at the speed he figured Vince would be driving, fast, but not so fast he’d lose control on the curvymountain road.
The spot they had chosen was four miles from the front gate, so it wouldn’t take long for the SUV to get there. Sam maintained his speed, though every cell in his body screamed for him to catch up with Vince and drag Libby out of thecar to safety.
Time seemed to crawl. A couple of deer leaped into the road ahead of him, and Sam swerved to miss them. The curve in the roadwas just ahead.
