Forbidden Ground (Cold Creek #2)(88)

“Why didn’t you bug the basement, too? Maybe my bedroom and his?”

“Would that have been X-rated? Or would poor Velma have heard sweet nothings whispered? Actually, I thought about it. Now, move. Do it, Kate. You are expendable now if you don’t do exactly as I say. I think you’d like a glimpse into the mound despite the fact I have only myself to thank for that.”

She saw things clearly—too clearly now. He had planned for Grant, like Paul and Todd, to meet with an accident. He’d failed with Todd, but he’d still removed him from supporting Grant. And when Brad inherited the Mason property, Carson probably figured he could deal with him easily. And the pistol Carson pointed at her was not just to make her obey him. No, he’d told her too much and knew she wasn’t going to be useful to him now. He meant to kill her, too.

*

Grant rolled away as the heavy boards crashed down near him. Dust rose. He half crawled, half clawed his way behind the nearest stacked pallet of wood. So dizzy. Hurt all over. Head pounding. Feeling so defeated but furious. Almost buried alive. His bones could have been broken—his head crushed like those in the death chamber with smashed skulls.

Grant figured it would take Keith some time to realize he wasn’t under the pile of wood. He heard the forklift motor shut off. From one wood pallet away, Grant watched Keith get down, bend over the big mound of wood, then haul a few pieces off the top.

When Grant touched his head, his hand came away covered with blood. He wiped it off on his shirt and edged away, around another huge pile of uncut planks. The dust was clearing, and Keith was madly pulling boards away, trying to find him, see if he was dead.

Grant felt so woozy but knew it would be suicide to stay and fight. He moved diagonally so Keith couldn’t look down the alley of woodpiles and spot him. He had to call for help. But his phone wasn’t in his pocket. No doubt it had fallen out or was smashed as he could have been.

Grant felt to see if his car keys were still in his jeans pocket. Yes. So all he had to do was get to his car, get out of here, get help.

He heard Keith swear and then the forklift started again. The man was skilled with that, and fast. Had Keith shoved rocks over the mica ledge at him and Kate? And what else? Could he be working for or with Brad? Brad had tried to get along with Keith lately, and they’d talked a lot.

Staggering in a zigzagging path down the tall stacks of tree trunks, planks and cut wood, desperate to get clear to his car, Grant tried to keep Keith from catching a glimpse of him.





29

Even if Carson killed her, Kate didn’t want him to get his hands on that authentic Beastmaster mask. He was the real beast here.

On the way down the basement stairs with the gun pressed to her head, Kate wondered if she dared try to pass off her mask on the Ping-Pong table as the ancient one. Or if she did show him the real one, would he be so stunned at its magnificence, like she’d been, that she could catch him off guard? She could get his gun, shoot him if she had to, run upstairs, get help for Grant.

She decided not to risk passing off the mask she’d made as the authentic one. Carson was familiar with it, and the Ping-Pong table had lights above it, so he would see the mask clearly. She could try stalling, especially since Grant had the key to the box, though she supposed it could be opened by force.

She led Carson into the game room and easily removed the five wood panels, since Grant had not replaced the hutch. He’d left the big hook on the floor, too. Could she hit Carson with it or one of the wood panels? She took her time maneuvering the heavy masonry blocks onto the floor.

A terrible thought hit her. Here she was, showing Carson what Grant had just entrusted to her care. If she and Grant managed to get out of this, would Grant ever believe that she hadn’t meant to give his treasure away?

She was hoping Carson would get frustrated with her slowness, offer to help, lay the gun aside for even a moment, but he didn’t.

“These blocks are heavy, and the box back here is, too,” she told him.

“You’re a strong girl. Take your time. I’ve got klieg lights out back if we enter the mound after dark. This Glock and I can be very patient. And Velma told me that Brad is living with Grant’s ex, so I don’t expect him to show up here. Today, we have plenty of time, just you and me.”

She struggled to slide the box out, hurting her wrist and breaking her nails. She shoved her business card back inside the dark space. That Grant had wanted to be sure someone phoned her if he was gone and someone found the mask was not for Carson to know. She cherished the thought that Grant had at least done that for her, and before she made him tell the truth.

“Like I said, Grant has the key, so I can’t open it,” she told him.

“But you’re very good with an excavating needle pick, aren’t you?” He tossed one onto the floor beside her. “Use it to pick the lock. Ah, just think, the real thing at last. Proof of the Celt-Adena link. Does it help to know that you were right? I’d say the size of the box means it is quite spectacular.”

“I don’t know how to pick a lock,” she said.

“Try it. Do it. Now.”

She hated this man. She was going to stop him whatever it took.

*

As soon as Grant cleared the corner of the building, he broke into a full-out sprint for his car. It was only then he realized how dizzy he was. He reeled, went way off balance.