A Merciful Promise (Mercy Kilpatrick #6)(90)

As if he will think I went somewhere else.

The land around the cabin was bare of trees and shrubs in every direction for fifty yards. Her only options were to hide in the outhouse or behind the woodpile or to run through the undisturbed snow for the tree line. She stared longingly at the trees to her north; it wasn’t worth the risk.

I’d get a bullet in my back.

Where is Eden?

The thought screamed through her mind as she realized she hadn’t seen footsteps in the snow in the direction of the compound. The teen had to be either in the outhouse or on the other side of the woodpile.

Sweat ran down Mercy’s back as she peered around the corner to check the east side of the woodpile.

No Eden.

Looking west, she could see part of the outhouse. The door was closed.

Which will Sean check first?

“Mercy! You damned bitch!”

A shudder racked her entire body, her hands tightening on the ax handle.

The ax was no defense against his gun. As she held the blade to cover her heart, the extreme unlikeliness of her surviving the situation sank in.

If he checked the woodpile first, maybe Eden could take the time to get away. She cursed the teenager for not following their plan. She’d drilled immediate escape toward the compound into Eden’s head. Eden must have panicked.

Footsteps crunched along the west end of the woodpile. As her heart tried to pound its way out of her chest, Mercy slipped around the corner to the east, wondering how long they would play cat and mouse, circling the pile.

At least he didn’t go to the outhouse first.

“Stupid woman,” Sean yelled, fury in his tone. “I should have shot you with Nelson. Left your body beside his in the snow.”

His footsteps sounded closer, and Mercy turned another corner, the cabin coming into view a good thirty yards away.

Can I get back in time and bar the door?

His rifle had been in the corner near the sink, waiting to be used—unless it was currently in his hands. She eyed the expanse of snow between the cabin and woodpile, the well-broken path beckoning her to run.

“I was nice to you!” Sean shouted, disgust and disappointment filling his words.

A corner of her mind latched on to his statement. He’d threatened her, tried to blackmail her, sexually harassed her, cuffed her to a bed, and kept her captive for days. But since he hadn’t killed her, he was nice.

And now he expected her to be submissive because he was nice.

Fuck him.

The roar of his gun coincided with the tiniest brush of wind over her head.

She dropped to her knees, her hands protecting her head, banging the ax against her skull.

He saw me.

“Ha!” he shouted. “Don’t move!”

A thump and small grunt came from his direction, and she recognized the sound of someone landing from a leap. He must have climbed partway up the side of the woodpile and spotted her head. Now he was running along the east side.

The shot still ringing in her ears, she darted around another corner, staying as low as possible, her leg muscles straining from the exertion. The outhouse was in view again, its door still closed.

How long will we circle this damned pile?

“You haven’t done anything wrong yet, Sean,” she called out. “You can still make the best of this by letting Eden and me go.”

No answer.

His steps had gone silent, and she strained to hear, wondering if he’d changed direction. Clutching the ax to her chest again, she whipped her head around, checking both corners, north and south, expecting to see him come around one with his gun aimed at her head.

She didn’t know which way to go.

Terror tightened her chest, and she fought to breathe.

“You didn’t kill me and Eden because you knew it was wrong,” she yelled, wincing as her voice broke. “Right now all you’ve done is keep us in the cabin. Killing me would raise things to a whole other level.”

His laugh echoed through the silence. “I’ve read the negotiator’s handbook too, you know. You’re trying to convince me that my current legal consequences aren’t that bad. Did you forget there’s a body out front? What’s one more death? Or two?” He laughed again, but this time it was hollow, carrying a twinge of regret.

The voice had come from the southeast corner of the pile, so she ran north. His boots pounded on the frosted ground.

Another shot boomed.

Mercy froze. That wasn’t his handgun.

“Fucking little bitch! Don’t move!”

Eden.

Mercy whirled around and spotted Eden near the corner of the cabin, Sean’s rifle in her hands pointed at the south end of the woodpile. Eden didn’t flinch, her legs planted, her eye lined up with her sights. She fired the rifle again. But then panic crossed her face as she lowered the rifle.

She ran.

Sean entered Mercy’s view, tearing toward the teenager, his weapon in hand.

“No,” Mercy muttered. “No!” Tightening her grip on the ax, she sprinted after the man.

Her lungs gasped for oxygen; her gaze locked on Sean’s back. Eden had run south from the cabin, out into the clearing.

No! She’s completely exposed!

She faltered as she understood the teen had been trying to lead him away from Mercy. Energy and fear and anger ripped through her, pumping her legs to run faster.