Page 99 of Chasing Kaylee Kringle

“All right, first we’re gonna hit the police station—if we can get to the armory, take away any firepower they may have. Rocky, you take point.”

The short, stocky guy didn’t ask questions; he just led the way, his gun drawn. Everyone else fell into step behind him, with Ansel taking up the rear. Rocky pulled on the door, and it was unlocked. About five of them made it inside before he heard a loud boom from an emptying canister. They were all pushed back by men trying to escape from the inside, coughing and gagging.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Ansel asked when he got a whiff of something that smelled like rotten eggs.

Harlan covered his mouth. “What the fuck is that smell?”

“A stink bomb,” one of the guys wheezed, coughing. His entire face was smudged with some kind of substance.

“Get off me,” Ansel said, stalking back out to the square. “Kaylee!” he hollered. “If you’re out there, come to me! I don’t wanna hurt anyone. All I want is for you to come out now so we can go home.”

“I am home, Ansel.” He saw her standing in the churchyard next to the nativity, wearing a sweatshirt and leggings. Her hair was pulled up in a bun. It was darker now, not the blond that he’d love to watch in the sunshine, but she could always dye it back.

“This is my town. These are my people, that’s my police station, and this is my church.”

“Unless you want your cute little town to get razed to the ground,” he said, quickly losing patience, “I suggest you get on over here.”

“And I think if you want me, you’d better come get me,” she said, taking off inside the church.

“Come on,” Ansel said, leading the way across the square, anger burning in his body, coursing through every piece of him. How dare she run and challenge him? She was supposed to be scared and apologetic. The men climbed up the stairs together, their boots thundering against the pavement, and he opened the door.

It was dark inside, but he could see Kaylee at the top of the altar, smiling. “Are you here to confess your sins?”

“No, and if you don’t stop playing games, I’m gonna have a couple more sins to atone for.”

“That sounds like a threat, and it’s not nice to anyone.”

He lengthened his strides, wanting to be done with these games, but Kaylee hopped down and took off toward the back. Ansel gave chase.

But when he heard the sliding of a door, he whirled around to see they were trapped inside, and a rapid beeping echoed loudly before several hisses erupted.

A foul, noxious stench engulfed them in a cloud of smoke, and his men started screaming, crying as they raced for the exits.

“We’re trapped,” one of them through the haze.

Ansel covered his nose, and several of his men followed after him as he chased Kaylee down a flight of stairs.

You’re not getting away from me, Kaylee, not this time.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Rick

Rick waited for the signal from Austin, who was sitting on the roof across the inn, waiting for Kaylee to exit the church. From the sounds of the screaming and coughing inside, it seemed that Mr. Turner’s science club had successfully incapacitated them with their stink bombs. When the science teacher had suggested it, several parents protested, but they’d only built the contraptions, and after they were safely tucked into the basement of the inn, all the high school teachers had planted the bombs between the pews of the church.

“Rick, this is Austin, over.”

Rick picked up the walkie and pressed down on the button. “This is Rick.”

“I see Kaylee coming out the back with two unfriendlies on her tail.”

Rick’s heart lodged in his throat; his first instinct was to tell him to take the shot now, but he knew they had to wait. To make sure the rest were all inside.

“Understood. Keep your eye on her.”

“Affirmative.”

Something new Rick learned about Austin was that he’d served in the Marine Corps before coming to Holiday to take care of his grandmother. He’d taken the job with the US Forestry Department because he preferred nature to people, but here he was, stepping up to help his fellow man.