Raider had to respect that.
He walked for about an hour, his boots and lower legs soon coated with mud. The smell of smoke on the breeze caught his attention, and he lifted his head. Maybe somebody had a fire going. But the smell was different. Like an outdoor campfire instead of an indoor fireplace.
His instincts humming, his face aching, he increased his pace.
The dirt road forked in three directions, and he paused, looking toward the horizon. A faint glow showed from what he guessed was north. What the hell was that? Was something on fire?
He pivoted and launched into a jog, running full out after about a mile as the glow turned the clouds a tumultuous orange. Was that the house? It couldn’t be.
His heart rate accelerated and he ran faster, soon seeing fire extending toward the sky. It was the barn. He ducked his head and ran faster. Was Brigid in danger? Trying to put out the fire? He turned and ran through a row of tall alfalfa, taking a shortcut and forgetting the road. Stalks whipped at his cheeks and arms, but he ran faster, bursting out of the crop behind a black SUV.
A man with a gun in hand partially turned, and Raider reacted on instinct.
He dodged to the side, ducked his head, and charged, hitting the guy square in the chest before he could get off a shot. They landed on burning wood and rolled toward the creek, both already punching and trying for leverage. Raider knocked the gun out of the guy’s hand, charged up, and landed on the gunman’s chest. It took him a second to recognize Jonny P. What the hell was the mobster doing there?
Jonny punched beneath Raider’s chin, and Raider’s head snapped back, more pain exploding in his already damaged temple. He swayed, and Jonny shoved him off, trying to stand.
Raider fell to his side and kicked out, knocking Jonny back down. He scrambled for purchase, punching the mobster in the side before Jonny turned and manacled him, rolling them both into the damn water.
“Stop or I’ll shoot her,” a male voice called out, the tone low and calm.
Raider blinked water from his eyes and shoved himself away from Jonny to stand. Then the world narrowed in sound and focus. Josh the Bear held Brigid in front of him with a Glock pressed against her temple. Rain had soaked the pink shirt and yoga pants she’d worn to bed, and her dark red hair curled wildly around her face. Her eyes were a wide and shocked green.
Raider slipped over wet rocks to reach the grass. “Put the gun down.”
“No.” Josh kept his grip firm as the fire raged through the destroyed barn behind him.
Jonny sloshed out of the creek and shook off water. He ducked to grab his gun and stomped toward the SUV. “Let’s get out of here.”
Brigid tried to angle away from Josh, her eyes darkening. Her shoulders tensed.
Raider gave a subtle shake of his head. If she tried to fight, the gun would go off. His hands curled into fists. He couldn’t get to Josh before he could shoot her. “Let her go. Whatever you want, I’ll make sure you get.”
Jonny smiled, revealing a chipped tooth. “Oh, we’ll get what we want. Tell the farmer he has twenty-four hours, and we’d better have that damn journal. All evidence, in fact.” With that, he dragged Brigid to the SUV and shoved her in the back seat, following as Josh started the engine and whipped a U-turn to speed down the private driveway.
Raider ran to his rental to find the tires had been slashed. Damn it. He looked wildly around. Where the hell was Sean?
Chapter Thirteen
Brigid craned her neck to peer out the back of the SUV, but smoke from the burning barn hampered visibility. She shoved against Jonny P, who scooted over but kept the gun pointed at her. “Did you kill my father?” she choked out.
“You’d better hope not,” Jonny said, wiping rain off his forehead. “It’s not like the old coot hasn’t been shot before.”
Brigid shoved her hair away from her face. Did she have time to open the door and jump out before he could fire off a shot?
“I will shoot you,” Jonny said, easily reading her thoughts. “Just behave yourself, and you’ll be fine when your dad gives us the journal.” He reached up with his free hand and knocked Josh in the shoulder. “Good plan, buddy.”
There was too much to decipher. Why the hell had she taken off the damn camera necklace? “Plan?”
Jonny nodded. “It’s all about leverage. We knew Sean had a daughter, so we’ve had the regional airport staked out for a year in case you showed up.” His blue eyes raked her. “You’re not a good daughter. This took way too long.”
“Screw you,” she retorted, trying not to feel vulnerable in her wet T-shirt. “You’ve been here before, right?”
“Yeah,” Jonny snorted. “Sean finally blipped on our radar a few months ago by showing up at a county planning hearing to stop some development. Dumbass.”
She swallowed. “What’s your plan now? I’m not getting on a plane with you.” Her voice remained steady, but anxiety spiraled through her, making her throat scratchy. These guys were killers, and she was unarmed. She didn’t even have on shoes.
“You’ll get where we want you to get,” Jonny said.
