by L C Hayden
Chapter 28
Bronson’s eyes snapped shut as he tightened his features like a fist. He had lost Sandy, and that crazy man, Cricket, was somewhere out there, too. Bronson did a one-eighty and scanned the surrounding forest and the crumbling town below him.
Cricket could have grabbed Sandy anywhere. He had probably snuck in behind her and taken her hostage once again. If not, what other reason did she have for leaving?
A feeling of cold helplessness covered every pore in his body. He had messed up.
Bronson covered his eyes and took a deep breath. I’m a detective, act like one.
He’d begin by looking at the facts and acting on those. Fact: Sandy was gone. Fact: Cricket was gone. Supposition: Cricket had kidnapped Sandy again. Supposition, not fact. He was wasting valuable time. He had to find Sandy.
He looked around, trying to find a trace of where Sandy had gone.
Nothing stood out.
Start at the beginning.
Bronson returned to the cluster of trees where he had left Sandy. He bent down and studied the ground. From the way the dirt had been moved, he could tell that someone had surprised Sandy from behind. But she hadn’t dug her heels in, leading him to think she hadn’t been frightened. That was definitely good news.
Someone she knew and trusted had come for her, and she willingly followed that person back up the hill. He could tell by the way the ground had been disturbed. It clearly showed two people walking side by side.
Daniel.
It must have been Daniel. But what was the urgency? Why hadn’t they waited for him? Or for that matter, why hadn’t Daniel helped him fight Jay? The Daniel he knew definitely would have.
Something nagged at Bronson’s subconscious, some little kernel of information that would complete the puzzle. Two and two didn’t add up in this case. He had to look at the broader picture. But first, he must make sure both Daniel and Sandy were safe.
They had headed back up the mountain. Only thing in that direction was the Hermit’s house. He glanced once more at the town below him.
A movement caught his eye.
Two men, both wearing khakis, stood in the middle of the street. They faced each other, and judging by their animated arm movements, they were in the middle of a heated discussion.
Bronson almost smiled. There they were. The two—alone. No Sandy. No Daniel. They were safe. Daniel was leading Sandy to the Hermit’s house where he knew they would be safe. Good for you, Daniel.
Bronson took a deep breath. That grain of missing information surfaced once more, like an oyster encasing a bit of sand that formed the pearl. An irritation. If he could only grasp it.
No time now. He had two bad, khaki-wearing idiots to catch. Crouching as low as he could and keeping as many trees as possible in front of him, Bronson started his decent, his hand firmly on the Glock.
Chapter 29
“Wow, Aunt Bobbi.” Sandy stopped. “You’re in real good shape. You’re practically running up this hill. I’m having trouble keeping up.”
Bobbi stopped and faced her niece. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was going so fast. I’ve been trying to lose weight, so I’ve been going to the gym. I guess I was trying to make up for not going today. I’ll slow down for you.”
“You’ll do no such thing. I’m young, and I can definitely keep up.” She sprinted forward.
Bobbi grabbed her arm as she went past her. “Tell you what. Let’s walk at a normal pace. I really can’t take much more of this exercise.”
Sandy smiled. “I like that.” She turned right, toward the patch of green which she thought was the location of the Hermit’s cabin.
“Where are you going?” Bobbi placed her hands on her hips. “It’s this way.” She signaled with her head, pointing to the left.
Sandy’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“If you’re thinking of Joe’s place, you’re absolutely right. It’s that way. But we’re not going there. I’m taking you to Daniel.”
Sandy bit her lip. “He’s not at the Hermit’s house?”
“He wouldn’t think of going there without you. He’s waiting up there.” Bobbi pointed toward the direction she wanted Sandy to go. “We’re so close to Leonardo, Pablo, and Daniel, they can probably hear us.”
“Pablo is here, too?”
“Of course.” She stepped forward and Sandy followed her.
“What exactly are you all doing here?”
“After you all left, I talked to Papa Lazzarone. He said, and I agreed with him, Joe—or as you call him, the Hermit—won’t give you any information unless he had Papa Lazzarone’s permission. He wrote Joe a letter, telling him it was okay. But by the time he finished the letter, you were gone. I came to personally deliver that letter to my brother.”
“No offense, but if you’re there, will the Hermit still talk to me? I thought he wouldn’t tell anyone but me.”
“I thought of that, but at the same time, I want to see my brother. We can all sit and chat for a few minutes, and then I’ll make some excuse about me having to leave so we can catch the plane back home. At that point, I’ll hand him the letter and leave. But, of course, you and Daniel stay, and before you know it, he’ll be telling you everything.” Bobbi pointed to a cluster of trees partially hidden by some boulders. “We’re here. Daniel is waiting for you right beyond those huge rocks.”
Sandy’s heart skipped a beat. “Daniel!” She wondered why he hadn’t run out to greet her. She doubled her speed, dashed in the direction Bobbi had told her, and stopped.
Daniel looked at her through huge eyes. He tried speaking, but the duct tape over his mouth prevented him from saying anything comprehensible. He desperately jerked his body, trying to get loose.
“What the—?” Sandy turned to look at her aunt.
“Surprise!” Bobbi pulled a Ruger LC9 from under her t-shirt and pointed it at Sandy.
She needn’t have bothered. Both Pablo’s and Leonardo’s weapons also pointed at her.
Sandy gasped and held her chest. She took a step backward and started to bolt.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Remember, we still have Daniel, and if you don’t want to see him dead, you’ll do exactly what I tell you.”
Sandy swallowed a scream and stopped. “Why are you doing this?”
“It’s a long story, and I don’t want to bore you with all of the ugly details.” Bobbi slowly moved the gun to the right then to the left, reminding her niece she was still in control. “Now, be a good little girl and walk over to that tree. Then sit, like your boyfriend. Pablo is going to tie you up like Daniel. If both of you cooperate, your chances of surviving this greatly improve.”
Pablo grabbed Sandy’s arm, leading her toward the tree. She shook him off. “I don’t need your assistance.” She flopped down by the tree, casting Daniel an apologetic look.
Bobbi waited until Pablo finished tying Sandy. “Don’t forget the duct tape. I don’t want to take a chance of her warning Bronson.”
Leonardo handed Pablo a long strip of tape. He placed it over her mouth.
Sandy stared at Bobbi. Her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows furrowed.
Bobbi smiled. “Oh, ohhh. If only looks could kill, but they can’t. And speaking of killing, I have a date to keep with Bronson. Poor fool, he’ll die never knowing he was in danger.” She threw her head back and let out a laugh that sounded more like a screech that touched every nerve in Sandy’s body.
Chapter 30
Like a deer running through a burning forest, Cricket bolted out of the partial house he used to hide in and ran to meet Eddie who was walking down the middle of what once had been the main street. Cricket began speaking before they were within listening distance. “I saw him.” He pointed toward the hill. “Up in the woods. He’s dead.”
Eddie stopped on his tracks. “Whoa, back up. Who did you see? Who’s dead?”
“Jay.” Cricket ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “Jay’s dead.”
Ed
die stared at Cricket with eyes that seemed to question his sanity. “What are you saying?”
“Jay’s dead. I was walking the woods, looking for—” He paused. “Sandy. That’s when I bumped into his body.”
“You’re sure it’s him.”
“No doubt in my mind.”
“What happened? Did he fall down the cliff?”
“Seems like he hit his forehead. Bled all over the place.”
Eddie blew a sigh of relief. “Then it was an accident.”
“I thought so at first.”
“But?”
“When I saw him there, dead, I went to take his gun and his knife. Both are missing. Can you explain how a man who accidentally falls and kills himself manages to lose both of his weapons?”
Eddie frowned and slowly nodded. “Someone got to him.”
“You mean Bronson.”
“Who?”
“The guy who was with Sandy. Not her boyfriend. The older guy.”
Eddie formed fists and took a deep breath. “What did you do?”
“It’s not my fault. That bitch. Sandy. She escaped and—”
“—And now Bronson is after you.”
Cricket shrugged. “Yeah, maybe so.”
“And maybe even after me now.”
Cricket looked away.
“Damn you, Cricket. I specifically told you to stay away from them. I hired you to do one thing, and one thing only.”
“Yeah, well, you did hire me, but that doesn’t make you my real boss. I can still do what I want. Besides, what’s done is done. Let’s go find Bronson.”
“How do you propose to do that?”
Cricket looked up at the sky as though the answer lay there. “Haven’t thought about it. Let’s go find him.”
“And where do you suggest we begin?” Eddie’s arms swept the area, indicating there were many places to look, and worse, hide.
Cricket flashed him a sarcastic grin. “You’re the boss. You tell me.”
Eddie was quiet for a moment. “He’s out there, somewhere. Maybe he’s even looking at us at this exact moment.”
Cricket’s glance swept the area.
“Let’s lure him in.”
Cricket’s eyes narrowed and he slightly tilted his head. “How?”
“You go one way. I’ll go another. If he’s watching us like I think he is, he’ll have to decide which one of us he wants to kill. I bet you, ten to one, he’ll go after you.”
Cricket smirked. “Probably.”
“No probably to that. He will come after you, and when he does that, I’ll come in behind him. He’ll be so focused on getting you, he won’t see me coming.”
“Let me see if I got this right. You want me to stand here like a damn target so Bronson can come get me? Then, when he does, you come in from behind and kill him.”
Eddie nodded. “That’s about right.”
“What if he kills me first?”
“You got a gun, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Use it when he’s close enough, and you can’t miss.”
Cricket’s lips spread into a shark’s grin. “I like that.”
“Good. Let’s stand here for a few more moments to make sure he sees us. Then I’ll slowly walk away, and you stay here.”
“Yeah.” Cricket clapped his hands. “We got the bastard.”
Chapter 31
Bronson watched as the two men separated. Cricket remained where he was, watching Eddie walk away from him. Instinctively, Bronson knew something had changed. Of that, Bronson felt sure, but from where he stood, he couldn’t determine what that was. All he could do was choose one man and go after him.
That would be Cricket.
Chances were, if somehow Cricket knew Bronson was coming, he’d be expecting him to come down the street and meet face to face. A big showdown would follow, like in the old Westerns. But Bronson had a better idea. He’d approach him from behind.
Bronson scanned the area, searching for the place he could sneak up on Cricket. His sight landed on one of the half-crumbled buildings. If he came in behind it, he could surprise Cricket. He switched his attention to the immediate area. Pine trees stood tall and thick and served as a good cover. Under them, a steep, narrow path snaked between the trees. Bronson prayed he wouldn’t slide down.
* * *
On the hill facing Bronson, Eddie searched for the perfect vantage point to watch the ensuing fight. To his left, he spotted a group of boulders. If he stood behind them, he had the ideal spot to watch the scene unfold below him. From this vantage point, he had a clear shot. Not that he planned to shoot Bronson right away. What’s the fun in that? No, he planned to wait and see who would win: Bronson or Cricket. He was betting on Bronson even though he knew next to nothing about him.
Thing was, Cricket was a disobedient fool who refused to follow any rules. That was what was going to kill him, and Eddie would be there to watch him die—even if he was at a distance.
Afterward, he would shoot Bronson—or if need be, he’d shoot Cricket. Either way, both would die. Fewer people to split the wealth with. He liked that.
In fact—
Eddie froze when he felt the barrel of a gun jammed into the middle of his back. Had Bronson snuck in behind him?
“I don’t want to shoot you, but I will. All I want to do is talk.”
Eddie focused on the voice. The woman’s voice sounded somewhat familiar. “Can I turn around?” He planned to, anyway. Maybe he could disarm the broad.
He felt her remove the barrel from his back and a few seconds later she said, “You can turn around slowly.”
He did and stared at the dark brown eyes which seemed to calculate every move he made. He recognized her. “Bobbi.”
“Eddie.”
“What’s this about? I’m your nephew’s best friend. Thought we were family.”
“I did, too, until I found out you came here to betray me.”
A cool breeze flew by, carrying bits of leaves and other debris, and Eddie watched the movement as it swept past trees, making the leaves quiver in its path. “Maybe I’m here to help Pablo.”
“I doubt that. He doesn’t even know you’re here. Does he?”
Eddie looked down and shook his head.
Bobbi waited a few seconds before speaking. “I have a proposition for you, but first tell me why you’re here. Who is that man?” She pointed toward Cricket and looked at the rifle leaning against the boulder. “Do you plan to shoot him?”
Eddie remained quiet for a moment, as though considering his options. “His name is Cricket. I hired him to help me, but he’s totally worthless. He’s waiting for someone named Bronson. I don’t know if that name is familiar to you. It isn’t to me.”
“It is. He’s a retired police detective. One of the best, I’m told.”
Eddie smirked. The more reason to kill him. “Hope you’re not close to him because I plan to waste him.” He told her about his plan.
Bobbi listened intently, and when he finished, she nodded. “I have a much better plan.”
Eddie cocked his head. “Go on.”
“Joe’s house—”
“Who?”
“You call him the Hermit.”
Eddie nodded.
“Leonardo and Pablo wired his house. I have the detonation button. One push and the house goes up in glorious flames.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because he’s one less loose end. But first, we want to get all the information he can give us. The more he tells us, the easier it’ll be for us to find the item we’re seeking.”
Eddie smirked. “The Ledger, you mean.”
Bobbi slowly nodded and lowered the gun, still holding on to it. “He trusts Bronson, you know.”
Eddie shrugged. “Yeah, and?”
“And the three of us walk in, all nice and friendly. We’ll see what he has to say. If he can’t give us any more information than he already has, it’ll be your job to overpower Bron
son and then tie Joe so he can’t escape.”
“What’s the purpose of doing that?”
“Once Joe realizes that he and Bronson are sitting ducks, I’ll tell them about the explosives. That will surely loosen his tongue. If it doesn’t, that means he really doesn’t know anything else, in which case, that makes him totally worthless. There’s no need to keep them around.”
Eddie smiled as he nodded. “We walk out and the house behind us explodes.”
Bobbi spread out her fingers. “Boom.” She smiled at the cleverness and simplicity of her plan. “But there’s one big glitch.”
“What’s that?”
“Your outfit.”
Eddie looked down at his clothes. “My khakis. What’s wrong with them?”
“Your friend down there.” She pointed with her head toward Cricket’s direction. “He’s wearing the same identical clothes. Bronson is smart enough to figure out that you two are together. I’m sure if he’s the great detective everyone claims he is, he won’t believe in coincidences.”
“What do you want me to do?” He threw his arms up as in surrender. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”
“I figured that out, so we’ll amend the plan a little. You know your way to the cabin?”
Eddie nodded.
“Good. You head that way and stay out of sight. Bronson and I will soon follow. We’ll talk to Joe. If he doesn’t have anything useful to tell me, I’ll stand by the window and arrange my hair. That’s your signal. You take care of Bronson while I take care of Joe.”
“You sure you can handle Joe?”
“He’s an old man, fragile and weak.”
“He’s also a Lazzarone, isn’t he? Can you handle killing one of your own?”
Bobbi’s lip slowly twisted into a grin that contained no humor. “It’s what Pappa Lazzarone would want me to do. One way or the other, I’m walking out with The Ledger no matter who has to die.”
“You’re a tough one, aren’t you?”
Bobbi glared at him and remained quiet.
“I have one more question,” Eddie said.