Darkest Journey (Krewe of Hunters #20)(92)

“Why? Because those two idiots would have ruined everything,” Grant said. “I argued and argued with Albion. Told him he had to leave Gideon Oil alone and not propose that stupid new plan of his. I have money tied up with Gideon Oil and that pipeline. Everything, actually. And if old Saul Gideon had agreed to Sane Energy’s proposed changes, well... I might’ve been dead and buried myself before I finally saw a return on my investment. So I got rid of Albion. Okay, in all honesty? I didn’t intend to kill him. I lured him out to talk by telling him that we were looking to do some very special filming, and I needed to see him in uniform. So I was in uniform, too, and...well, he wouldn’t listen. So he had to be dealt with. And I had no choice when old Farrell Hickory got suspicious and I had to kill him, too. Such an old fool—didn’t even think to be afraid for himself.”

Charlie held the gun steady on him. “Well, now you won’t need money. I don’t think there’s much to buy in prison.”

“Now who’s the idiot? I’m not going to prison, Charlie.”

“Okay, I’ll just shoot you.”

“No, you won’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because we were afraid you might try to pull something, maybe even bring a gun.”

“We? You’re working with Jimmy Smith? And, yes, I know about Jimmy, because he beat up Barry. But Barry’s still alive, and he told me.”

“Barry just pretended Jimmy had beat him up. Barry is fine. In fact, he’s quite close and has been for a few minutes.” He smiled, savoring the information he was about to deliver. “Right now Barry has a precision rifle aimed at your father. You might want to check for that little red laser dot on your dad’s chest.”

“So you want me to throw down my gun and let you shoot both of us?” Charlie said. “You’re not going to let us go. I never saw a damned thing, but now that you’ve confessed, you have no choice but to kill us, do you? And what about that poor woman you killed in Baton Rouge? Selma Rodriguez. She didn’t deserve to die. She didn’t know anything, either. And whether you kill us or not, the truth will come out. They’re meeting with Saul Gideon tomorrow.” She thought that what she’d said was true. She wasn’t sure. But she’d learned from Ethan—sound like you know what you’re talking about! “They’ll start investigating all the shareholders, and they’ll find you. They’ll find you and arrest you, and you’ll rot in prison. There’s no way out.”

“Charlie, drop the damned gun!” Grant roared furiously. “Shoot, Barry! Just shoot. Shoot the old man first. We’ll let Charlie see her dad die.”

“Don’t shoot, Barry. I’m a crack shot and I will kill Grant,” Charlie said, wondering if she’d managed to talk long enough for help to arrive. Everything depended on how quickly Ethan had found her phone.

“I don’t give a damn if you shoot Grant. You and your father will still die, and I’ll get off scot-free. I already called in about my ‘injury’ and blamed it on Jimmy Smith, saying he attacked me. Jimmy will look guilty as all hell—of just about everything,” Barry said, pleased with himself. “That’ll tie everything up neatly.” He grinned. “Jimmy will be too dead to protest.”

“What the fuck?” Grant demanded, spinning around. “You don’t care if they shoot me?”

“Hey,” Barry said. “I was there with you, trying to get those guys to back down. You killed them. I was there.”

“You were just as involved with the stocks as I was. Bull! You’re in this all the way.”

“Hey, go ahead, Charlie. Yeah, Grant, they should shoot you—rather you than me. I’m not going down!”

Jonathan took that split second to show he’d finished what Charlie had started; he was free. He jumped up, forcing Charlie to the ground as Barry let out a shot. Charlie shifted out from under her father and fired, but she was off balance, and her shot went wild.

She and her father rolled desperately down a small slope in the old overgrown graveyard, and somehow the Smith & Wesson flew from her grasp. They came to a stop behind an old gravestone and took advantage of what little cover it provided. She looked around, seeking the gun she’d lost, but it was too dark, and she couldn’t see where it had landed.

“Get up, but stay low,” her father whispered. “Head for the trees and hide.”

“The gun—” she began.

“No time, Charlie, just run.”

She rose but remained hunched low behind the stone.

Shots rang out, but their pursuers seemed to be firing in the wrong direction.

“Where the hell are they?” Barry roared in the night.

“Run, Charlie, run hard,” Jonathan urged.

“Dad, you—”

“I’ll be right behind you.”

Charlie ran. She heard another shot—and an explosion as a nearby gravestone burst into fragments.

Either Grant and Barry had gotten lucky, or they had figured out where she and her father had gone.

So she ran. Ran hard, into the trees. She heard Grant and Barry thrashing through the trees and brush behind her, close, so close.

A mist seemed to be rising. She was lost, no idea anymore where she should run.

But she could hear Barry and Grant coming up behind her, close, so close....