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CHAPTER NINETEEN
“GET DOWN ON your knees,” a voice called from behind the blinding flashlight. It was a man, that was all Dale could tell. His mind was refusing to accept what was happening. That he and Daisy were being held at gunpoint. He scanned the area for a weapon, a means out of the situation.
“Come on, you know I’ve got a gun, and you’ve already seen I’m not afraid to use it,” the man said, his voice rising to a loud growl. His voice might be loud and menacing, but Dale could hear the panic behind his threats in the high pitch of his tone. This man was as scared as they were. At least, Dale hadn’t been silly enough to look directly at the light, but he thought Daisy might have, by the way she was covering her eyes.
“Do it, now!” the man screamed.
This time Dale knew he needed to comply. This guy sounded as if he was losing it. He lowered River’s shoulders carefully to the ground. Raising his hands slowly in the air, he bent his knees and dropped to the dusty ground. He looked over at Daisy, silently willing her to do the same. They couldn’t take any chances. Not until they knew who and what they were dealing with. He let out a gust of relief when Daisy followed suit, admittedly scowling into the spotlight as if she wanted to leap over there and tear out the guy’s throat.
The man advanced toward them, keeping the high-powered flashlight trained on their faces. A length of rope landed on the ground near Dale’s knees.
“You.” The flashlight flickered onto Daisy. “Tie him up.”
“What,” she answered a weakly, not seeming to understand. “No, I—”
“Do it now, or I’ll fucking shoot him in the head.”
Daisy jumped and scuttled over on her hands and knees to Dale. Did the guy actually have his gun? It was hard to tell what was going on behind the flashlight. But they’d both seen the weapon in the man’s hand earlier, they’d both heard the gunshot and seen the effect on River, so Dale could only assume this man was pointing a gun directly at them.
“Turn around,” the man ordered. “So I can watch her tie your hands.”
Smart guy, Dale thought, as he shuffled around and put his hands behind his back for Daisy. Silently, he willed Daisy not to tie the rope too tight.
And she did a pretty good job, at first, keeping the loops loose enough so that he might work himself free.
“Not good enough,” the man snarled. “Do a better job.” There was a loud crack and a thud in the dirt nearby, and Dale flinched. Daisy squealed, crashing into his side. The man had fired a warning shot. He meant business. Instinctively, Dale had tried to fling his arms around Daisy—which was hard to do when his wrists were bound behind his back—wanting to protect her. She huddled in tight against him, trembling. She was terrified. Dale hated this guy for what he was doing. For shooting Daisy’s brother, and for threatening them. Who was he? What the hell did he want? How could he possibly be related to everything that’d happened on the station recently? At least he’d answered one question—the man was armed and dangerous.
Dale had never been up this close and personal with a proper gun before. One meant for killing people. Of course, the station had a couple of shotguns and a little .22 for getting rid of vermin. He’d certainly never been threatened with a pistol before.
“Do it right,” the man grunted, and Daisy slowly peeled herself away from Dale’s side. He didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to keep her encased within the safety of his body. Forever. A quick glance at her face showed it was streaked with tears, but her mouth was set in a grim line of defiance. She was determined not to let this man beat them. She was terribly attached to her brother, overprotective. But in the short time he’d gotten to know her, he understood Daisy would do just about anything to save River. Including facing up to a stranger with a gun.
Daisy tied the knots as tight as they would go, and Dale didn’t blame her.
Then the man ordered her to tie his ankles as well, and so Dale sat and pulled his knees up in front to make it easy for her. All the while, his mind was whirling with strategies and schemes for escape, each one discarded as swiftly as they entered his head. The other guy had a gun, and that gave him the trump card. As Daisy tied his feet, Dale tried to get a look at the man behind the flashlight. He caught glimpses of a full head of dark hair, high cheekbones and eyes so dark they could’ve been black. He racked his brain to remember if he’d heard the man’s voice before, but came up with a blank. There was a slight accent from somewhere in Asia, but Dale couldn’t pinpoint exactly where. He was pretty sure he’d never met this guy before.
Once Dale’s ankles were secure, the man made Daisy turn around, and he tied her up, as well. Soon, they were sitting side by side in the dirt, bound hand and foot. Taken captive. A groan from off to his left reminded Dale that River was still lying wounded and unconscious on the ground nearby. If they didn’t get him help soon, would he die? He couldn’t let that happen; it’d destroy Daisy. And if Daisy was destroyed, then part of him would die, as well.
A sound reached his ears, and it took him a second to work out what it was. That was the distinctive burble of an ATV engine. Was it one of theirs? Had Steve woken early and found his note? Perhaps they were saved. But in the same second a wave of relief flooded over him, he remembered there was a gun pointed at them. He had to warn Steve to stay away.
“Watch out,” he shouted. “It’s a trap.”
The man with the gun rounded on him. “Shut the fuck up,” he shouted, as the beam from a set of headlights hit them full-on.
Dale flinched and ducked, waiting for the bullet to enter his body. But then the man laughed. “That’s funny. Did you think someone was coming to rescue you? Nah, that’s not going to happen.” The guy twirled the gun in his hand and walked toward the oncoming vehicle. As if he knew exactly who was arriving.
Dale’s heart sank. He must have an accomplice. Maybe that’s who he was talking to on the phone when they’d first spotted him. It must be a satellite phone, because Dale had already checked his cell and it wasn’t getting any signal. That meant this guy was well organized. And well stocked, if he’d been staying out here for weeks, as River suggested.
“You took your time,” the man called out.
“I came as quick as I could,” a woman answered.
Dale froze. He recognized that voice.
Then the woman strode into the clearing, which was now lit by the headlights from the ATV.
It was Sally Tsun.
What was Sally doing here?
