by Cat Schield
Knowing that Cole would take care of contacting the sheriff, Will slid behind the wheel of his Land Rover and burned rubber out of the parking lot. He focused on the road and traffic as he headed out of town, ignoring the voice in his head that reminded him he had no plan. Not accurate. He had one plan. He would trade himself for Megan.
His phone rang as he bumped along the dirt road leading to the cabin. A brief glance at the screen showed him Cole was calling back. Will ignored it. No doubt Cole would try to talk him out of what he was about to do. He didn’t have the energy to spare for such a ridiculous debate.
When Will rounded the last curve, he spotted the cabin dead ahead and wasn’t surprised to see a late-model pickup backed up to the cabin porch. He let the Land Rover roll forward until it stopped within ten feet of the truck. He shut down the engine and got out. A quick scan of the area showed no sign of Rich or Megan. Could he have been wrong?
Then the cabin door opened and Megan stumbled onto the porch with Rich at her back. Her dark hair hung in limp tangles against her bruised cheek. Rage filled him as Will noted her split lip and swore he would make Lowell pay for hurting her. She was carrying one of the fake gold bricks. From her stiff posture and movements, Will suspected Rich was threatening her with a knife or a gun.
“Lowell,” Will called, “this is between you and me.” It took all his willpower to keep his attention locked on his nemesis and off Megan’s frightened face. “Let her go.”
“Not likely. She’s coming with me.”
“She’s not what you want,” Will replied, glad his voice reflected none of his anxiety over Megan’s safety.
“Well, you’re right about that. But she’s what you want and so that’s why she’s coming with me.”
There was no way Will was letting that happen. “Take me instead.”
“Will, no!”
Megan’s impassioned cry tore at him. It was a struggle to keep his hands loose at his sides and his attention fixed on Rich.
“We can take my vehicle,” Will continued. “I’ll help you get across the border and you can disappear in Mexico.”
“I could take you both. Dump you in the desert and take her with me.”
“But there’s no way you can control both of us. And Megan has already proved that she’s smart enough to best you.” Will let a small grin form. “Whereas you kicked my ass down in Cabo.”
His feint worked as he’d intended. Rich relaxed and returned Will’s smile. “I sure did. Turns out you’re not the winner everyone thinks you are.”
“But you’re a winner, aren’t you, Rich?” Will shifted forward another half step. “Or you will be if you get away from here with the money you stole. But time’s ticking. Make up your mind before there’s a gauntlet of police cruisers between you and the border.”
“Fine. We’ll do it your way.” He shoved Megan forward, and she nearly pitched off the porch, the heavy gold brick in her hands disrupting her balance. “Put the gold in the truck, Megan.”
Now that she was away from Rich, Will could see that he was indeed holding a gun. Megan’s gun. Despite the pistol’s small size, the pink grip was a beacon for Will’s attention.
At the moment, the barrel remained aimed at Megan. Will intended to change that. As soon as she’d stepped off the porch, Will began walking forward, determined to put himself between her and the gun. Rich licked his lips as he watched his gold disappear into the pickup bed and his distraction allowed Will to get within fifteen feet of him.
The gun barrel swung in Will’s direction. “Stop right there.”
Megan had frozen, as well, but she was edging away from the truck and toward the corner of the small cabin. With his attention fixed on Will, Lowell didn’t notice she was getting away.
“We need to leave now,” Will said, his hands in the air, showing no resistance. “The FBI has the cabin under surveillance. They will be here any minute.”
Megan was almost to the edge of the cabin, but still too close. Any sudden movement on her part and Rich might decide to put a bullet in her.
“Aren’t you wondering why they haven’t arrived yet?” Rich sneered, gesturing with his gun. “I knew they were keeping an eye on the cabin and got a buddy of mine to loop the video stream. They’ve been watching cactus grow for the last forty-five minutes.”
Will frowned. That would explain why he’d arrived ahead of them. “The sheriff knows you’re here and is on his way.”
“Then I guess we better get going.” Without taking his eyes off Will, Rich called, “Megan, baby, get in the truck. We’re going now.”
“No!” Will shouted.
Only, Megan had faded around the corner of the building and was out of range. Seeing that she’d vanished, Rich took several steps in that direction.
As soon as his gun and attention came off Will, he charged across the distance and launched himself at his nemesis.
Everything that Will had endured in the last year and a half came rushing at him as he dashed toward the man who’d stolen his life. It was the fight on the boat all over again. Only this time Will wasn’t stunned by his friend’s vicious attack or reeling from what he’d learned Rich had done. This time Will operated with focused determination and a fury that strengthened his muscles.
He ignored the part of his brain that recognized charging an armed man was the heart of stupidity, but he couldn’t let anything happen to Megan. She was the most important person in his life and without her he might as well be back living with the Mexican cartel without any hope of escape. His future was a vacuum without her in it.
“Run, Megan!” he yelled.
Two steps and he was on Rich, tackling him from behind, letting his weight drive the other man to the plank floor. A rotten board cracked beneath them and their impact with the hard surface jarred the gun from Rich’s hand. The pistol skittered out of reach, but Will only peripherally noticed it was out of play before Rich shot his elbow back and connected with his ribs. Pain flared in his side as Rich heaved his body up and to the side, gaining enough space to scramble out from beneath Will. Lowell levered himself onto one knee and before Will made it to his feet, drove his shoulder into Will’s midsection. The move put Will on his back. He blocked several blows before driving one of his own into Lowell’s jaw.
The months Will had spent with the Mexican cartel had been one long fight to stay alive. Although he’d been under Elena’s protection, that hadn’t insulated him from being tested by several members of her ruthless gang. In a culture of violence, he’d had to demonstrate that he wasn’t weak and that had involved some nasty scuffles. Most of the fights he’d come away battered and bruised, but as the months had gone on, he’d learned to give as good as he got.
While Lowell reeled back from the punch, Will got to his feet and prepared to charge his opponent again. Too late, he realized that their fight had carried them toward Megan’s gun. Rich tripped over the Sig and nearly fell, but maintained enough presence of mind to scoop up the pistol and point it at Will.
Will braced himself, knowing the distance between him and the gun was too far. He’d never reach Lowell before he pulled the trigger.
“Don’t do this,” Will said, knowing words wouldn’t delay the inevitable.
Lowell laughed. “You forget this isn’t my first attempt to kill you. This time, I’m going to make sure you’re dead.”
Will saw Lowell’s finger tighten on the trigger, but when he pulled, nothing happened. Rich’s eyes went wide as he stared at the gun. Will couldn’t quite believe he was still alive and realized that Rich had neglected to disengage the safety. From handling Megan’s Sig, Will knew it had a frame-mounted safety that Rich probably hadn’t noticed.
In the split second of Lowell’s distraction, Will raced toward him. Although his adversary couldn’t fire the gun it didn’t mean it wouldn’t make an excellent bludgeon at close range. Lo
well delivered a vicious swipe and the pistol connected with Will’s temple, stunning him.
The seconds it took for the fog in his brain to clear, Lowell headed for the truck’s cab, jumped in and started the engine. Without weighing the intelligence of pursuing the thief and murderer, Will stumbled to the pickup’s tailgate, grabbed the cold steel and threw his leg up and over. He almost missed landing in the truck bed as Lowell hit the gas and the vehicle lurched forward.
Panting, the pounding pain in his head making thought difficult, Will slid from side to side as the truck fishtailed, wheels spinning on the gravel road as Lowell accelerated. Flat on his back, staring up at the blue sky, he scrambled to formulate a plan for how to stop Rich. If Lowell reached the highway, the speeds he could reach would make it dangerous to stop him.
Another curve and Will slammed into something hard. The gold-wrapped tungsten. He picked up a bar, testing the heft before getting his feet under him and making his way forward. Although he worried that Lowell would see him coming, Will reached the cab and swung the brick toward the driver’s-side window. The glass shattered beneath the weight of the twenty-seven-pound brick and the momentum carried the brick into the side of Lowell’s head.
Almost immediately the truck began to spin as Rich lost control. Will looked up in time to see an electrical pole in their path, but the obstacle was lost from view as the vehicle’s erratic movement threw him to the opposite side of the truck bed. Without anything to hang on to and the steel beneath his feet bucking and shifting like a bronco, Will lost his battle to stay upright and began pitching toward the railing and the hard earth beyond at speeds above anything he could expect to survive.
* * *
Megan returned to the cabin when she heard the truck speed away. She’d only gone about fifty feet or so into the brush and headed back the way she’d come at a jog. Will’s Land Rover sat where he’d parked it. Rich’s truck, loaded with all the gold, was nowhere to be seen. A dust cloud marked the direction the vehicle had gone. Megan wanted to scream. Rich had gotten away again.
But where was Will?”
She headed toward the Land Rover, her gaze scouring the area for any sign of him, but he was nowhere to be found. She spun in several circles, growing more concerned when it was obvious she was alone. Had Rich taken Will prisoner after he had offered himself up in trade for her? She thought about what Rich had threatened to do to her once he’d made it to Mexico and knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill Will once he was no longer useful.
A sudden rush of dizziness swept over Megan, and she put her hand on the Land Rover to steady herself. She needed to get help, but Rich had destroyed her phone and she couldn’t find the keys for Will’s SUV. Then she remembered that law enforcement was watching the stash. Surely they would contact the sheriff’s office and FBI. Maybe they were on their way already. Unfortunately, Megan was still stuck there until they arrived.
After what seemed like forever, a single vehicle appeared around the bend in the road. It wasn’t the police, but rather Cole Sullivan. She ran to him as he got out of his truck. The look on his face made her stumble, and he caught her before she could fall.
“Where’s the sheriff?” she demanded, scrutinizing his expression and not liking what she saw. “And the FBI? Rich was here. He got the gold. And I think he took Will. They have to stop him.”
“Megan.” The break in Cole’s deep voice and the pain in his blue eyes told her more than words that something was terribly wrong.
She dug her fingers into his arm. “What happened? Is Will okay?”
“There was an accident. We’re not sure what happened, but the truck containing the gold flipped.” He hesitated. “The scene was pretty confusing. Do you know who was driving?”
“Will told me to run. I was behind the house when I heard the truck start. When Rich brought me here, he made me drive. I’m assuming he did the same with Will.” Cole glanced away from her and Megan’s heart began to pound. “Why did you ask me that?”
“The driver was pinned in the cab. The firefighters were working to free him when I left to find you, but he was bleeding out and they couldn’t...” His voice broke. “It wasn’t looking good.”
Megan wanted to shriek, but forced herself to be calm. “Was it Will?”
Cole’s head slowly moved back and forth. “I don’t know.”
“What about the passenger?”
“Thrown from the truck before the crash. From the skid marks, it looked as if the truck was swerving. Maybe they were fighting for control.”
“So he’s alive?”
“Bloody and banged up. I don’t know how serious his injuries were. The paramedics were working on him when I drove up here to find you. I have to be honest with you, I don’t know if either man is going to survive.” He glanced down at his phone. “A friend of mine was on the scene. He promised to keep me updated.”
“But no one knows which man is which?” The pitch of Megan’s voice sharpened as panic built.
“Like I said, the scene was pretty confusing. You’re sure you don’t know who was driving?”
Megan shook her head. “You need to take me there. I can identify Will.”
Cole eyed her swollen cheek and split lip. “Maybe I should take you to the hospital.”
Was he serious? This was a life or death situation concerning the man she loved and Cole was worried about her?
Megan waved away his concern. “I’m fine.”
Except she was anything but fine or okay. In fact, she was nearly hysterical. If she lost Will...
No. She would not think that way. He would survive. He had to. She absolutely, positively could not lose him twice.
Cole’s phone buzzed. He glanced down at it and she didn’t think she’d ever seen a man’s face go so ashen.
“What?” she demanded, suddenly terrified to hear the news.
“They’re pretty sure the driver was Will.” A pause while Cole’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “He didn’t make it.”
“No!”
A wave of dizziness swept over Megan as she screamed her denial, and then the landscape around her and Cole’s face started to grow fuzzy. The next thing she knew everything went dark.
Twelve
“I have Megan. I don’t think she’s hurt, but she’s out cold.”
Megan heard Cole’s words as she came to. Her body swayed as the vehicle she was in bumped over rough terrain. She grabbed at the seat belt strap stretched across her chest and opened her eyes.
“I’m taking her to the hospital,” Cole continued. “I’ll meet you there.”
“What’s going on?” she murmured, her throat raw and scratchy.
“Are you okay?” Cole’s brows knit together as he glanced her way. “You passed out.”
“Will didn’t die,” she said fiercely, her initial shock fading. Somehow her heart knew that everyone had it wrong. “Have you heard any more from the sheriff or FBI?”
“No, that was Cora Lee. She heard about the accident and is going to meet us at the hospital.”
“Why are we going there? I need to go to the accident site.”
“You’ve been through a traumatic experience.” He glanced at her swollen cheek. “And I think you should get checked out.”
“I’m fine,” she said impatiently. “I need to know for sure what happened to Will.”
“Hospital first,” Cole said.
Megan noted his stony expression and realized there was no use arguing. “Can you at least call someone and let me talk to them?”
“I’ve already tried and got nowhere. The investigation is ongoing and they’re not going to tell us anything until they have definitive answers.”
“Will just can’t be dead,” she muttered, more determined than ever that she was right.
When Cole didn’t respond, Megan subsided into silence and fumed. Fro
m the blur of scenery moving past her window, Cole was driving fast. His hands on the steering wheel clenched and relaxed as he concentrated on the road ahead.
Cole’s phone buzzed and he glanced at it. “I called Dani to meet us at the hospital. She’s just arrived. I figured you’d appreciate the company.”
Although Megan wanted to thank him for his kindness, she couldn’t summon the words. It was crazy to blame Cole for what had happened to Will. After all, it was her text to Dani—a text that was supposed to warn Cole—that had prompted Will to come running to her rescue. So, if anyone was to blame for what had happened to him, the finger should be pointed straight at her.
They’d reached the outskirts of Royal and Cole navigated toward the hospital with near reckless speed. As familiar landmarks flashed by, Megan’s emotions fluctuated between despair and hope that everyone was wrong and Will had somehow miraculously been the one who’d survived the accident. If he was dead, wouldn’t she somehow know it?
“Megan?”
Cole’s voice roused her out of her reverie. She realized they’d arrived at the hospital’s emergency entrance. Dani was coming toward her side of the car. Cole disengaged the locks, allowing Dani to open Megan’s door. She practically fell out of the car and into her friend’s arms.
“Oh, Dani. It’s all so awful. Have you heard about Will?”
“Just what Cole told me. I saw Special Agent Bird go by a while ago. Apparently the passenger survived.”
“Was it Will?”
“I don’t know.” Dani’s expression was sympathetic as she squeezed Megan’s arm, offering whatever comfort she could. “Agent Bird wants to talk to you as soon as you’re checked out.”
The lack of clear information about the situation was making Megan frantic. “I want to talk to him now,” she declared. She couldn’t wait for answers, needing to look the FBI agent in the eye to see if he really couldn’t confirm who’d survived the wreck. “Cole, please see if he can come talk to me.”