He complied without a word.
“I need you to hold the gun on him, Ava, while I tie him up,” Micha said. “Just remember everything I taught you except not to point it at someone. Point it straight at the creep and shoot if needed.”
“Be glad to.” She got his backup gun from her jacket pocket and moved up next to him. She held the gun with the confidence of someone who’d been shooting for a lifetime, not someone who just had a ten-minute lesson.
Her expression in the shadowy light was determined and rigid. The guy must’ve thought so too. He didn’t struggle while Micha secured his wrists with one end of the rope and wrapped the end connected to the anchor around his ankles.
Satisfied he wasn’t going anywhere, Micha stood and tried to take the gun from Ava’s hands as she no longer needed it. She held tight, her focus locked on the shooter.
He had to gently pry it free. “You’re safe now.” He wanted to take her into his arms but wouldn’t do so in front of this creep. “I’ll get Russ on the phone after I check on Colin.”
Micha retrieved his phone from the counter, and, keeping his eyes on the shooter, he dialed.
Colin answered on the third ring. “Dude, you two okay?”
“Fine,” Micha said and opted not to tell him about his arm that seemed to have stopped bleeding but stung like crazy. “Put in quite a ways downstream. And you?”
“I’m good thanks to you drawing the guy’s attention.”
“Glad to hear it. You can tell me all about it later, but now I gotta get Russ out here to arrest the shooter.”
“He’s there?” Colin’s voice rose.
“Trailed us on the road. Was waiting when I managed to break free of the current.”
“I called Russ, and he’s here with me. Give me your GPS, and I can send him your way.”
“I’ll text it to you.” Micha ended the call, located their GPS positioning on the phone, then sent it to Colin.
“Colin’s fine, and Russ is on his way.” Micha stowed his phone and crossed over to their suspect.
He searched the man for ID.
“Don’t touch me,” the guy said.
“You can stop me anytime. Just give me your name.”
He clamped his lips closed.
Micha located a wallet. Opened it. Took out his driver’s license and shook his head. “Well, well, well. You’re not going to believe who this guy is.”
Ava wanted to know the shooter’s identity but at Micha’s surprise she wasn’t quite sure she did. Still, she had to know. “Who is he?”
“Wade Wiggins.”
“Holly’s father?” Ava blinked at the man. “But why? What have I done to you?”
He sneered at her. “Tried to get your grubby hands on my grandson’s money.”
She took a step closer to him. “Not that I got my grubby hands, as you say, on anything, but you mean his mother’s money.”
“Nope. It’s mostly mine. I gave it to Holly.”
Ava didn’t know how to react to that.
“Why?” Micha asked.
“None of your business.”
