and my informant knew about the Madonna. No one else. How long have you been dirty?”
“I met Smythe in London about fifteen years ago.”
He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. If only he hadn’t trusted him.
“Let Lea walk out of here. She doesn’t know anything about the diamonds or Smythe.” I have to get Lea out of here.
“I don’t think so. See, you gave me a bargaining chip. I have Leannan O’Neil, I get what I want. Diamonds now, or this little chat is over. Permanently.”
He reacted with fear, lashing out with his feet to kick Mac’s chair out from under him. Mac fell backward, sending his shot wild, hitting Gabe in the upper shoulder. Gabe watched as Mac rolled over and got to his feet, ready to do damage. He heard another click and boom! this time from the doorway. Mac dropped to his knees and over on his face, dead. Lea stood in the open doorway, his pistol in her hands.
“Drop the gun, Ms. O’Neil.”
Gabe heard Lea scream as Smythe wrapped his hands around her throat, and then darkness took him.
* * * *
“Let me go. You don’t want to do this. Please. Don’t.” Lea fought against the duct tape Smythe had used to bind her to the chair.
“Careful now. Wouldn’t want rope burns on that lovely neck of yours, would you? If you move the chair one inch either way, it will fall off the beams through the insulation and into the bedroom. The rope around your neck will hang you before anyone could get to you.”
She cried silently. The rope felt tighter around her throat, but at this point she didn’t care. Her future, her love was dead. “Mac betrayed us. Why?”
“Why else? Money. The one true loyalty. We go back a few years, and for added insurance, I’m holding his pregnant sister hostage.”
“You are the worst kind of evil. Where is she?” Lea raised her chin.
“Ah ah ahh.” Smythe trailed the tip of his knife along the delicate flesh at her neck, nicking her to bring blood.
Lea cried out with the pain and fear.
“It’s not a good idea to make me angry. Stay put and I might let you and her live.” Smythe sliced the knife across her forearm, cutting a deep gash in her flesh. Lea screamed. “I’m very good with a knife, Leannan. I can keep this up for hours without killing you. How long can you last? Another minute? An hour perhaps?”
“Stop. Please. Tell me.”
“Could you die in peace if I told you? Where are the diamonds?”
“Gabe has them.”
“She’s in the bathroom of an abandoned gas station about a mile down the road. It won’t do you any good to know, she’ll be dead in ten minutes.”
* * * *
Lea’s screams carried down to Gabe from the attic stairwell to the kitchen where he lay under the table. Mac hadn’t moved since Lea had shot him, another life taken because of a madman. I have to get to Lea.
He reached behind his back with his good arm, retrieved his pistol from the waistband of his jeans and clicked its clip into place. Taking the stairs two at a time, Gabe reached the attic door in time to see Smythe slice Lea’s thigh, barely missing the main artery in her leg.
“I have the diamonds, Smythe. Choke on them.” Gabe emptied the clip into the man.
Smythe grabbed his chest and fell through the insulation to the first floor below.
Gabe ran to Lea and carefully removed the duct tape that held her arms and legs bound to the chair.
“He has Mac’s sister. She’s in an abandoned gas station a mile down the road. He said she’d be dead in ten minutes.”
“Another bomb. Damn. It’s okay. We’ll find her.” Gabe checked the leg wound, which was more serious than the others. It would need stitches.
“Find her. Serena said Mac’s sister has gone into labor.”
With that, Lea slumped, unconscious.
* * * *
Her eyes fluttered open and took in her surroundings. The walls weren’t the white of a hospital, so she must be in a hotel. Dark blue drapes blocked out the light, making it hard to tell if it was day or night. She groped in
“I met Smythe in London about fifteen years ago.”
He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. If only he hadn’t trusted him.
“Let Lea walk out of here. She doesn’t know anything about the diamonds or Smythe.” I have to get Lea out of here.
“I don’t think so. See, you gave me a bargaining chip. I have Leannan O’Neil, I get what I want. Diamonds now, or this little chat is over. Permanently.”
He reacted with fear, lashing out with his feet to kick Mac’s chair out from under him. Mac fell backward, sending his shot wild, hitting Gabe in the upper shoulder. Gabe watched as Mac rolled over and got to his feet, ready to do damage. He heard another click and boom! this time from the doorway. Mac dropped to his knees and over on his face, dead. Lea stood in the open doorway, his pistol in her hands.
“Drop the gun, Ms. O’Neil.”
Gabe heard Lea scream as Smythe wrapped his hands around her throat, and then darkness took him.
* * * *
“Let me go. You don’t want to do this. Please. Don’t.” Lea fought against the duct tape Smythe had used to bind her to the chair.
“Careful now. Wouldn’t want rope burns on that lovely neck of yours, would you? If you move the chair one inch either way, it will fall off the beams through the insulation and into the bedroom. The rope around your neck will hang you before anyone could get to you.”
She cried silently. The rope felt tighter around her throat, but at this point she didn’t care. Her future, her love was dead. “Mac betrayed us. Why?”
“Why else? Money. The one true loyalty. We go back a few years, and for added insurance, I’m holding his pregnant sister hostage.”
“You are the worst kind of evil. Where is she?” Lea raised her chin.
“Ah ah ahh.” Smythe trailed the tip of his knife along the delicate flesh at her neck, nicking her to bring blood.
Lea cried out with the pain and fear.
“It’s not a good idea to make me angry. Stay put and I might let you and her live.” Smythe sliced the knife across her forearm, cutting a deep gash in her flesh. Lea screamed. “I’m very good with a knife, Leannan. I can keep this up for hours without killing you. How long can you last? Another minute? An hour perhaps?”
“Stop. Please. Tell me.”
“Could you die in peace if I told you? Where are the diamonds?”
“Gabe has them.”
“She’s in the bathroom of an abandoned gas station about a mile down the road. It won’t do you any good to know, she’ll be dead in ten minutes.”
* * * *
Lea’s screams carried down to Gabe from the attic stairwell to the kitchen where he lay under the table. Mac hadn’t moved since Lea had shot him, another life taken because of a madman. I have to get to Lea.
He reached behind his back with his good arm, retrieved his pistol from the waistband of his jeans and clicked its clip into place. Taking the stairs two at a time, Gabe reached the attic door in time to see Smythe slice Lea’s thigh, barely missing the main artery in her leg.
“I have the diamonds, Smythe. Choke on them.” Gabe emptied the clip into the man.
Smythe grabbed his chest and fell through the insulation to the first floor below.
Gabe ran to Lea and carefully removed the duct tape that held her arms and legs bound to the chair.
“He has Mac’s sister. She’s in an abandoned gas station a mile down the road. He said she’d be dead in ten minutes.”
“Another bomb. Damn. It’s okay. We’ll find her.” Gabe checked the leg wound, which was more serious than the others. It would need stitches.
“Find her. Serena said Mac’s sister has gone into labor.”
With that, Lea slumped, unconscious.
* * * *
Her eyes fluttered open and took in her surroundings. The walls weren’t the white of a hospital, so she must be in a hotel. Dark blue drapes blocked out the light, making it hard to tell if it was day or night. She groped in
Similar Books
