Page 90 of Mountain Void

The man didn’t deny it.

Lorenz stomped down on his anger. That wasn’t going to help them. He and Charlie had to remain calm, if they were going to figure out their way out of this.

Pelletier’s smile sharpened. “Enough talk. Get inside right now, and I won’t shoot anyone.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial murmur. “You wanted to see my son, didn’t you?”

My son. Always my son.

He hadn’t once said his son’s name.

Behind him, Charlie was already moving forward.

“Wait, Charlie,” he said.

Her eyes glinted fiercely. “No. I’m not waiting. We need to see Théo.”

“Listen to her,” Pelletier said. “Come inside and we’ll have that chat.”

The hut was small. With Charlie and the boy in there, it’d be too many variables in too little space.

But outside, Pelletier still held the advantage.

“Or I’ll shoot,” the man said, driving that advantage home. “There’s always the chance the bullet will go through you and into her. That would be poetic, wouldn’t it?”

From the size of the revolver facing them, Lorenz doubted that would happen, but it wasn’t a chance he was willing to take.

There was a third option.

Lorenz readied himself—

A faint rustle came from inside the hut. The wooden door opened a few inches.

“Papa ?”

Something in Lorenz’s chest relaxed marginally. Because now they knew for a fact, the boy was okay. He purposefully kept his expression blank, not letting Pelletier see his relief.

“Théo,” the man growled. “Get away from the door. Do as I told you.”

No further sound came from inside the hut, but a moment later the door closed.

Pelletier’s brows furrowed in irritation. He looked annoyed at the interruption. That, more than anything else, told Lorenz how unstable the situation was.

“Where were we—“ Pelletier said, waving the revolver too much for Lorenz’s comfort. “Ah, yes. You both get inside.”

“You’re in charge, Monsieur Pelletier,” Lorenz began. “You don’t need—“

Pelletier’s voice cut through his words. “I’m in charge. So get inside, or I’ll kill you where you stand.”

“We’ll come inside,” Charlie said, attempting to make her way past Lorenz. “You don’t need the gun.”

Lorenz held onto her arm, bringing her closer against him. “Hold on, Charlie,” he whispered.

This was only going to work if he went first.

Charlie

Charlie shook her head immediately, her fingers tightening against Lorenz’s sleeve.

“No.”