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“What’s this?” Amos asked. “If it’s a trick, Doyle…” He grabbed Sadie’s hair and yanked her back toward him to place the gun to her temple.

“It’s not a trick.” Doyle put his hands up. “It’s the fanciest room in the place. It’s also where my boss stays. She’s the owner of the whole thing.”

“She?” Otto laughed.

“Just let me knock.” Doyle put a fist slowly to the door and wrapped.

They waited as he locked eyes with Sadie, helplessness swallowing him like quicksand.

Moments later, the door slid open to reveal Jackson, dressed in his gentleman’s suit. Slowly, he registered the group standing outside, and his face fell as he stepped back to let them in. Doyle saw his gaze take in each person without saying a word. He nodded to Doyle and rubbed his wrist, silently pushing buttons before reaching up to scratch behind his ear.

“Well, this is a surprise,” Jackson said.

“Don’t look like a woman to me,” Otto said.

“My name is Jackson Meadows. You are?”

“I’m the mayor in this here town that you’ve invaded,” Amos said. “And we’re not here for trouble. We just want some recompense.”

“I see,” Jackson said, sitting casually on the couch. “And what is it you want, specifically, Mr. Mayor?”

Amos released Sadie’s hair, and Doyle caught her in his arms, relief brief but immense. She clung to him, watching.

“We want what you have—technology to make us rich. Gold.” Amos answered while shifting his weight like he hadn’t really thought it through this far.

“I see,” Jackson said. “Well, I think we can come to an arrangement then gentlemen.” He stood.

“Now what?” one of the men in the back of the group whispered.

Amos waved a hand behind him to quiet him, and Jackson ignored it.

“The owner of the resort is out dealing with another situation at the moment, but as soon as she’s back, I’ll let her know what we’ve agreed to and—” Jackson started toward the door but Otto stepped in his face.

“We ain’t goin’ nowhere until we get what we come for.”

“Fair enough.” Jackson clapped his hands together and rubbed them, dancing backward toward the sofa again. “But I obviously have to leave the room to get you what you request. And I’m going to need help. Besides, the more you want, the longer it will take.”

Amos stroked his chin in thought. “Tell you what. We’ll wait here with him, and you go get our stuff.” He indicated Doyle. “And if you aren’t back with it real quick like, we shoot him and move on to the next person.”

Jackson frowned. “Let me take these ladies with me out of harm’s way.”

Amos grabbed Sadie’s arm and thrust her away from Doyle and toward Jackson. He caught her and steadied her.

Jackson turned toward Lacey, but Otto grabbed her shoulder, making her squeal in terror.

“I think we’ll hold on to this one too.” He grinned and stroked her hair back with his gun.

Doyle flinched, wanting to shove the giant, or maybe plant his fist in his face again, but knowing there was nothing he could do at the moment.

“Give me an hour to do what you want,” Jackson said.

Drawing his lips into a thin line, Amos grunted his assent. “Not a second more.”

Jackson nodded and backed out the door with a reluctant Sadie, face pale and arm reaching toward Doyle like she could somehow take him with her.

When the door slid shut, the group let out a few yippees and yeehaws. Lacey began to cry.

Giving her a bit of a shove, Otto leaned in close to whisper to Amos. Doyle pulled Lacey toward him and hugged her. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

“I’m scared.” She clung to him like a frightened animal.

“I know, me too. But it’ll be okay. They’ll be back, and it’ll be over. We just have to stay calm and keep our wits about us.”

She nodded and sniffed before backing away to the couch to sit. Doyle wanted to hit himself for being so oblivious to them being followed. He’d truly made a mess of things, and there was little to be done as long as these men had weapons. Even if he could wrestle one away, the others wouldn’t hesitate to shoot. He wasn’t the only hostage here.

“We’ll wait no more than an hour, men,” Amos announced, pulling a gold pocket watch out and checking it.

“Then we should entertain ourselves while we wait,” Otto grumbled to cheers from the other men.

The second he eyed Lacey, trying not to make eye contact with him on the sofa, Doyle knew he had to do something to distract their attention.

“You want some entertainment? Fight me,” he said, stepping in front of the giant.

The look of eager fury Otto gave him as he started his way made him second guess the intelligence of his suggestion.

Doyle sure as hell hoped he could survive the next hour.