Sam’s phone came to life. “Kade hit the target. The tired exploded. The driver had to fight the wheel some, but the car is slowing, pulling to a stop. Kade’s on his way down the hill to his secondary position.”
“I’m on my way.” Sam drove the pickup to a stop off the side of the road and opened the door. Tucking the phone into his pocket, he grabbed the rifle and took off into the trees, careful to stay above the road, out of sight, as he movedinto position.
So far no sign of the old Ford Fusion. Then he caught a flash of oxidized blue. The car had pulled off the road just asthey’d planned.
Sam ducked lower and moved silently closer. Vince was already out of the car, swearing as he rounded the trunk to examine the right rear tire. Max stepped out on the passenger side, leaving Mitchell in the backseat with Libby.
Spotting the shredded tire, Vince swore a foul oath. “Looks like we got a blowout. A bad one.”
Max’s head came up. “You think it could be a trap?”
Sam ducked even lower as Max surveyed the area around the car. Vince followed Max’s gaze. Nothing moved but a few pine branches stirred by the afternoon breeze.
Vince grunted. “This old piece of shit car? Just bad luck, more likely. But get the girl out herejust in case.”
Sam silently cursed.Everything never went as planned.
They would have to go to plan B. Which meant waitingfor an opening.
Crouched behind a boulder, Sam wedged his rifle into a crevice in the shade where it wouldn’t reflect sunlight and give away his position. He leveled the barrel at Vince, who moved to the rear of the car and opened the trunk.
Deacon Mitchell hauled Libby out of the backseat, his pistol pressed into her ribs, head swiveling one way then the other, on the lookout for a trap.
Big John and Kade held their positions on the other side of the road. Sam sighted down the barrel, but as long as Mitchell held Libby at gunpoint, there was nothing any ofthem could do.
Vince reached into the trunk, pulled out the spare tire and the jack whileMax kept watch.
Vince leaned down to set the jack in place. “Get your ass over here, Max, and help me. We need to get this fixed and get the hell out of here before Bridger has the law breathing down our necks. Get me that lug wrench.”
Sam waited, his gaze fixed on Libby, willing her to know he was there. As if she had heard him, her gaze swung in his direction. Mitchell took a step, Libby kicked back hard, slamming her foot into his knee, thenturned to flee.
Sam took the shot, the sound echoing across the road. Mitchell’s gun went flying. He went down and didn’t get up. Libby started running, but Vince grabbed her arm and hauled her back against him, his forearm locked around her neck. Pistol drawn, Max fired toward Sam’s position at the same time another shot rang out.Kade.A scarlet stain appeared on Max’s chest. He swayed and saggedto the ground.
Sam was up and running, taking big leaping strides down the mountain, pistol gripped in his hand.
Vince tightened his hold on Libby. “Stop rightwhere you are!”
Sam came to a sliding halt, his gun leveled at Vince’s head. He itched to pull the trigger, but there was too much risk of hitting Libby. A few feet away, Max lay groaning, wounded but not dead, his pistol well out of reach.
“I can break her neck as easy as snapping a twig,” Vince said. “Take one more step and I’ll do it.”
Sam’s fingers tightened around the trigger. “You hurt her,I’ll kill you.”
“You can shoot, but she’ll be dead. I don’t think you’ll take the chance. Where’s your truck?”
Sam looked at Libby. Her face was bone white, her fingers digging into the muscular arm pressing into her windpipe.
“It’s parked around the curve,” Sam said.
“Toss your keys over here.”
Sam fished the keys out of his pocket and tossed them in front of Vince, who dragged Libby with him as he reached down to scoop them up.“Now the gun.”
Sam’s jaw clenched. He didn’t want to give up his weapon. If Vince got the gun, he could kill them both. His gaze went to Libby. The trust in her eyes made his chest ache. Sam crouched and set the pistol on the pavement, took a steadying breath and backed away. Kade and Big John were still out there. He was trusting his life and Libby’sto his friends.
On the hill, sunlight flashed on the barrel of Kade’s rifle, but he still didn’t have a shot. Sam’s gun lay a few feet in front of Vince, tempting him to pick it up, but reaching for it would make him a target.
Vince hesitated. “Use your boot to ease the pistol closer,” he commanded.
