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“Are you sure you want to do this?” I can’t help myself from asking.
“Move.”
“What about Elias? He’s still armed. And professionally trained.”
“I’m not worried about Elias.”
“How can you not—” My words sputter to a stop. “Lea,” I deduce. “That’s her role. She’s the inside man. Take out the bodyguard when they least expect it. Clear the way for you and Keahi to do your part.”
Brent pokes me with his pistol, urging me forward.
“She is a logistical marvel. Cold and calculating and clever. And only seventeen. N squared indeed.”
“Silence,” Brent hisses at me.
We move closer, the rear screened window looming larger and larger before us. No sounds come from inside. No sign of movement. My nerves ratchet up another notch. Somewhere on the other side of those walls, Aolani stands guard over Ann, Trudy, Tannis, Emi, and the others.
Please don’t let him shoot me right in front of them. Technically, there’s no reason for Brent not to eliminate me at this point. I’ve led him to his purported target. He could pull the trigger at any moment.
No reason to wait.
Unless my first point still stands.
“You don’t have to do this,” I try one last time. “We could turn around, right now. Grab the others, hightail it to the plane. Let Leilani, Keahi, and Mac work it out for themselves. This is their drama, not ours.”
“Shut up!”
“You’re not a killer, Brent. No matter what you say, you’re not—”
“Shut up!” He stops jabbing the pistol into my spine, presses it against the back of my skull.
“You’re not a killer,” I whisper one last time. Then I drop to the ground, twisting as I roll to light up his form with my flashlight.
Inside Vaughn’s cabin, Aolani pulls the trigger.
A single crack. Brent crumples where he stands.
“But now I am,” I finish.
Vaughn appears, helping me to my feet. I peer toward his cabin. I still can’t see Aolani, but I can feel her standing there, Remington rifle once again slung over her shoulder. I hold up a hand in gratitude. I can almost make out her nod of acknowledgment.
Then a choking sob from inside. Maybe from Ann. Or Trudy. Or Tannis. Emi.
Whatever the damage…
I turn away from the body on the ground.
CHAPTER 37
LEILANI IS THE INSIDE MAN,” I murmur to Vaughn as he leads me away from his cabin to the side of the trail. “Brent said it’s her job to take out the bodyguards. We need to warn Elias and MacManus.”
Vaughn’s expression is troubled. “She’s really working with Keahi and Brent?”
“Working with? She’s the ringleader. This is her… I don’t know, teenage rebellion. Overthrow her guardian, take over his operations, and inherit both a trust fund and life insurance bequest. What’s not to love?”
Vaughn shakes his head. “The Lea I saw as a little girl, the Lea I thought I knew… Never would’ve seen this coming.”
“Still waters run homicidally deep.”
