by Susan Boles
He coughed as the first streamers of smoke drifted up to the second floor.
"There are rope ladders in all the upstairs bedrooms for just this kind of emergency. My grandfather had them installed years ago." Matt said. He moved to Piper's side and motioned Ian to follow. "Here. Inside this built in seat by the window."
Matt threw aside a cushion and lifted the top of the box. Inside coiled a rope ladder. Matt pushed the window up and threw the ladder outside where it banged against the side of the house.
Ian winced at the sound and prayed the killer wasn't out there watching the whole thing.
Matt motioned to his daughter. "You first."
Piper eased out the window and went down the first rungs. She stopped and motioned to Ham. "How are we going to get him out? He can't climb down the ladder and I’m not leaving him."
"We don't have time to waste. Piper, please go. I'll figure something out." Ian said.
As she continued to hesitate, the sound of crackling wood came from the hallway. The stairs must be in flames.
"Piper, please. I promise I'll get him out. Go!"
With one last anguished look at Ham, Piper disappeared down the ladder. Ian turned to Matt.
"You next." Matt didn’t hesitate. He climbed up on the box, eased out the window and disappeared from site. Ian took a moment to look outside. Piper and Matt both stood in the shadows of the yard looking up at the window. Good.
He went to the bed and stripped off the sheets, tied them together. He pulled Ham by his collar over to the window and patted the top of the wooden box. "Up here, boy."
Ham complied and Ian ran the sheets under his belly, then eased him out the window and let him dangle. Ham must have understood the need to be still because he hung quietly in the makeshift pulley. Ian eased more length of the sheet out the window lowering Ham closer to the ground.
Flames snapped and crackled behind him, but he didn't turn his head. No point in looking. His future was out this window.
At last he felt the sheets go limp and looked out the window. Piper had caught Ham and eased him free. Tucking his gun in the waistband of his jeans, Ian shimmied his way quickly down the ladder and they grouped together under the big black oak tree in the yard as Ian assessed their situation.
The first floor of the two hundred year old home burned like paper and flames licked upward toward the second floor as they watches. Ian was grateful the MacKenzie ancestor had built in the escape system.
Piper had tears in her eyes and Matt's arm was around his daughter's shoulders.
"We need to move." Ian said. "We're not safe here."
"You're in charge. What do you suggest?" Matt asked.
Chapter 28
Ian was grateful for the in charge comment because he was about to present a plan to them that had long odds for success. But there was no other option. Their cars were out front. Even if they were far enough away from the flames to be accessible, Ian knew they'd never get out of the driveway without one or more of them being shot or worse. On foot, they could be easily tracked.
"We're going to fly out of here." He told the others.
"But….the plane hasn't been off the ground in years." Matt protested. "We could crashed and be killed or seriously injured. And a crop duster only has one seat. Do you plan for us to hang off the landing gear?"
"I'm asking you to trust me, Mr. MacKenzie. I can fly anything and I will get all of us out of here."
A shot rang out and Matt MacKenzie clapped his hand to his shoulder. Blood oozed between his fingers and Piper screamed. Ham growled and Ian grabbed the dog's collar before he could run down the shooter.
He got his shoulder under Matt's arm and shouted. "He knows where we are. We have to go now. There's no other choice."
Piper led the way along the path. Away from the killer. They moved as fast as possible. Ian looked over his shoulder every few steps but couldn't spot anyone. Why was the killer not shooting? Was he playing with them?
Whatever the reason, he blessed the opportunity that let them get to the barn and squeeze in through a small single door at the back. He eased Matt down on a stack of boxes and Piper took her daddy's shirt off to try and assess the wound. She gave Ian a scared look and ripped the shirt in half and used it to dress the wound as best she could.
"Here's what we're going to do." Ian told them. "The two of you, and Ham, are going to get into the hopper." At Piper's puzzled look, he said. "Where the chemicals go to dust the crops. Don't worry. It's clean in there. It'll be a bit of a squeeze, but y'all should be able to fit."
The back door they'd come in slammed open and Jason stood there, gun in hand. "You stupid, stupid old man." He said.
"Jason? You're the killer?" Matt asked in confusion. "But you're my nephew."
Jason spit at them. "Yes. I'm your nephew. And you've done nothing for me."
Piper stepped forward and Ian caught her harm. "You ungrateful asshole." She shouted. "Daddy welcomed you as family. He wanted you to live in the house with us, but you refused. He would have given you anything."
"Not the land. I got a call from the State today. Your precious daddy told them in no uncertain terms that he didn't want to give up any mineral rights."
"Mineral rights?" Ian asked. "I thought that letter was about some clay. Nothing worth killing a man over."
"You shut up." Jason sneered. "Mr. Navy hero. Mr. Protector. You make me sick." Jason waved the gun. "You know nothing. Nothing! The clay has rare minerals in it that can be mined for a lot of money. And intend to have it."
"So, there's no hit man after daddy?" Piper asked in a puzzled voice. "It's been you all along?"
"Oh. The hit man." Jason laughed. "It's been quite an entertaining evening. I've been here spying on all of you. And when I saw my chance, I knocked him out while he was waiting on the three of you to run out of the house. He's going to take the blame for all the murders. And, as the only surviving relative, I'll inherit everything."
"You're going to kill all of us?" Piper asked.
"Of course. How else can I inherit? That hit man would only take out Matt, but then you, sweet Piper, would still be in my way. So I'm going to kill all of you and get away with it."
Matt fell to the ground with a moan and Piper knelt next to him. "He's passed out." She cried. "We have to get him to a hospital."
Ham rushed at Jason, leapt upward and closed his jaws on the hand holding the gun. One shot sounded in the barn as Ian dove at Jason and tackled him to the ground.
"Piper. Get me some rope. Quick."
He trussed Jason and put him in a corner, out of the way. Then went to Matt. He knelt on the ground next to the older man and checked his pulse. Rapid. He pulled the eyelids up, pupils dilated. Matt MacKenzie needed a hospital.
Chapter 29
He ran to the plane and opened the hopper door. Flying out of here was still their best option. The hit man could be anywhere and the cars were probably not usable being so close to the fire.
He ran back to Matt, lifted his shoulders and told Piper to lift his feet. They carried the unconscious man to the plane and propped him against it. Piper held him upright against the side of the plane as Ian jumped up on to the nose of the plane where he proceeded to pull Matt up and into the hopper.
Matt groaned and opened his eyes. "What's going on? Are we safe." He asked.
"Not quite yet, sir. But we will be soon." Ian assured him.
Piper picked up Ham, pressed him against the side of the plane and pushed him up the metal far enough for Ian to grab on and pull the dog into the hopper with the man.
Piper dragged a box over, stepped up on it and gave her hand to Ian. He pulled her up to the nose of the plane with him.
"Can you really do this, Ian?" She asked with tears in her eyes.
"I can fly the hell out of anything with wings, Piper. I'm going to get us out of here and to the hospital. We can make it to the Trauma Center in Memphis."
He jumped down from the plane, pushed open the
double doors of the barn and said a prayer that the plane would crank and they'd get safely off the ground.
Piper crouched in the hopper and gave him a thumbs up as he leapt into the pilot seat and turned the key. The engine roared to life. He taxied the plane out of the barn along the makeshift landing strip he'd cut into the grass.
Dawn was just breaking to the east, providing enough light for him to see. He gained speed, hoping he'd cut the strip long enough. He pushed aside doubt. He'd flown on and off aircraft carriers. A field in north Mississippi was nothing to him.
The plane lifted at the edge of the road leading back to town. As he looked down, he saw flashing lights heading toward the MacKenzie home. Someone must have spotted the flames and called it in.
They'd made it.
Ian turned the plane north, toward Memphis, and flew into the morning with his true love peeping at him over the edge of the crop duster hopper.
Chapter 30
They make it to the shed where the crop duster is stored and Mayor helps Ian get the plane out into the open. Mayor takes a bullet to the chest as they are all getting into the plane. Ian, Mayor, Piper and Ham. Ian manages to taxi the plan and take off even under fire from the cousin. They make it out of town and over to the next town where Ian lands intending to get help for the Mayor. He says it's too late for him but for Piper to go with Ian. Ian is a good man who will take care of her and she needs to swallow her hard headed pride and realize that. Ian holds Piper close after her dad passes.
Brotherhood Protectors
Original Series by Elle James
Brotherhood Protectors Series
Montana SEAL (#1)
Bride Protector SEAL (#2)
Montana D-Force (#3)
Cowboy D-Force (#4)
Montana Ranger (#5)
Montana Dog Soldier (#6)
Montana SEAL Daddy (#7)
Montana Ranger’s Wedding Vow (#8)
Montana SEAL Undercover Daddy (#9)
Cape Cod SEAL Rescue (#10)
Montana SEAL Friendly Fire (#11)
Montana SEAL’s Bride (#12)
Montana Rescue
Hot SEAL, Salty Dog
Original Brotherhood Protectors Series
By Elle james
Brotherhood Protectors Series
Montana SEAL (#1)
Bride Protector SEAL (#2)
Montana D-Force (#3)
Cowboy D-Force (#4)
Montana Ranger (#5)
Montana Dog Soldier (#6)
Montana SEAL Daddy (#7)
Montana Ranger’s Wedding Vow (#8)
Montana SEAL Undercover Daddy (#9)
Cape Code SEAL Rescue (#10)
Montana SEAL Friendly Fire (#11)
Montana SEAL’s Bride (#12) TBD
Montana Rescue
Hot SEAL, Salty Dog
About Elle James
ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of books including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty works in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington, Cleis Press, and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories. Learn more about Elle James at www.ellejames.com
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