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“Shut up!” Melissa Kay shouted, turned her gun back toward Kirra, fired, the bullet kicked up the grass not a foot from Kirra’s boot. Kirra jumped and shrieked. It sounded loud, but not loud enough to be heard inside the resort.
Griffin took a fast step to the left, turned quickly to kick the gun out of Melissa Kay’s hand. Talix stepped toward them with his knife. “If you don’t get back, Hammersmith, this knife will be in your gut. Then I’ll get her.”
Kirra yelled, “But this isn’t right. You can’t murder us, you can’t—”
This time Melissa Kay whipped around and slapped Kirra as hard as she could. Kirra cried out, fell back against Griffin. He held her, fury in his eyes. He stared at Melissa Kay and Talix. “You won’t get away with this. They’ll find us. They’ll connect you. And they’ll never stop looking.”
Talix said, “By the time anyone gets around to missing either of you, Melissa Kay and I will be long gone. Besides, who will find you? Now let’s take a little walk, just the four of us.” Jared raised his knife at them.
Melissa Kay said, “He’s FBI, Jared. Check him for a weapon.”
Talix patted Griffin down, but didn’t check Griffin’s arms, a good thing because his Glock was inside his leather jacket sleeve. Jared said, “Of course he’s not carrying, he’s on his fricking honeymoon.”
She turned back to Kirra. “I can’t imagine you’ve called Susan Talix yet, Allison; no, first you’d talk it over with your new husband.”
Kirra looked petrified, licked her lips. “Ye-yes, I did speak to her, but I promise, I didn’t tell her I saw you, Mr. Talix, I swear! I’ll never tell her, Scout’s honor.” Her fingers curled around her knife, but she had to wait, Melissa Kay’s pistol was aimed at her chest.
Melissa Kay laughed. “You really are pathetic, Mrs. Hammersmith, so common. I’ll never understand how a man like this could marry a silly little slut like you. I’ll admit, you’re pretty in a boring sort of way—”
“Enough of that, Melissa Kay, let’s get this done. Both of you, walk in front of us. If you try to run, Melissa Kay will shoot you in the head. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” Griffin said, “I understand you fine. My wife lied. She already told Susan you were here with your mistress. I encouraged her to do it, so it’s too late.”
“I’m not his mistress! We’re lovers!”
Jared laughed. “Good try. This pretty little thing hasn’t called Susan. I know her type—talk, talk, talk until your head’s ready to explode. I hope she’s good in bed. By this time next year you’d want to shoot her, anyway, just to shut her up, so maybe we’re doing you a favor.”
They walked into the thick copse of trees, Griffin in front of Talix, Melissa Kay’s pistol pointed at Kirra’s back.
Griffin leaned down close to Kirra, whispered, “Jeter’s close. Be ready.”
Ryman Grissom stepped out from behind a gum tree, stared at them. He said slowly, “I really don’t believe this. It’s you, Ms. Prosecuting Attorney, Kirra Mandarian. The blond wig and the glasses, they change you, but not enough. I’d recognize you anywhere.” Ryman stepped up to her and jerked the wig off her head and stepped back again. “You didn’t recognize her, Melissa Kay? You said you looked her up online.”
Kirra heard Melissa Kay gasp behind her. “This pathetic little slut? I thought she looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her. You’re the little bitch who’s been coming after us, trying to put Daddy away for the rest of his life? And you followed me up here to Greenbrier?” She stepped up and sent her fist into Kirra’s jaw, knocking her to the ground.
She stood over her, legs spread. “Shooting you in the head won’t keep Daddy from dying in prison, but it will make him feel better when I tell him I shot you dead.”
Talix said, “No, don’t, M.K., wait a minute, we’re too close to the hotel and you don’t have a suppressor on your gun.” He looked back at Kirra. “That was quite some act you pulled off, pretending to be a friend of my wife’s. Were you and Mr. FBI here setting up some sort of lame-ass trap, Ms. Mandarian? But why?”
Kirra saw Melissa Kay thinking, growing fury in her crazy eyes.
Ryman said to Griffin, “She knows if she goes back to Porte Franklyn, she could be shot any minute of the day and never know what hit her. But your act didn’t work out, did it?” He laughed, said to Griffin, “You’re here to protect her, right? Didn’t do a very good job of it, did you?”
“No, I guess I didn’t.” Griffin knew he could disarm Melissa Kay, but not Ryman. He was standing too far back. And Talix had his knife.
“I think he did a fine job, Mr. Grissom.” Lieutenant Jeter Thorpe and three state police officers stepped out of the trees, their weapons aimed at Ryman, Talix, and Melissa Kay. “Sorry we’re a little late, Griffin, but Ryman Grissom was staying back as their rear guard, and we had to be careful he didn’t see or hear us. Both of you drop your weapons. You, too, Mr. Talix, drop—”
Jared Talix brought up his knife and threw it at Kirra. It struck her in the chest. She gasped, fell onto her side.
Griffin brought up his Glock and shot Talix center mass. Melissa Kay and Ryman fired nonstop as they ran back into the woods, Jeter and his officers firing after them. They heard a yell.
Jeter shouted, “Stay with her, Griffin. We’ll get them.”
Griffin was already on his knees beside her, dialing 911. The knife had fallen out when she fell. Blood was gushing out. He slapped his hand over the wound. She looked up at him as he gave the dispatcher instructions. He dropped his cell phone, pressed both his hands onto the wound.
She whispered, “I’m glad Talix picked me to kill and not you.” She gasped, closed her eyes. “It sort of hurts, Griffin, hurts kind of bad.” He kept pressing. “Keep breathing, Kirra, that’s all you have to do. Help is on the way.” She groaned, deep in her throat. “Hang on, sweetheart. You can do that. You’ve got more guts than Sherlock and that’s saying a lot.” He leaned down, kissed her forehead, her nose, said again, “Breathe, Kirra. The bleeding’s nearly stopped. The dispatcher said ten minutes. Just ten minutes.” It sounded like an eternity to Griffin. He was more scared than he’d ever been in his life. His hands were covered with her blood, but the blood had stopped spreading. He leaned close. “Listen to me, Kirra. You won. You hunted down your parents’ killers, Josh Atwood’s killers. You have nothing more to think about, just hold on, that’s all you have to do. Jeter will handle them now.”
He heard more gunfire from the forest, heard Jeter shout. “Down! Now!”
There were more shots, and the sound of voices. Jeter came running back, clipping his gun back onto his belt. He dropped to his knees beside Kirra, took in her pale face, her clammy skin, the blood covering her white shirt and Griffin’s hands. Kirra opened her eyes. “Jeter, you’re okay. What happened?”
Jeter took her hand, leaned close. “Ryman Grissom kept firing, wouldn’t give it up. Melissa Kay starting weeping hysterically when he was hit, made my two men chasing her ease up just a bit. She shot one of them in the shoulder and ran into the woods. They chased her, had to shoot her when she wouldn’t stand down. She’s dead. Talix is in custody. The dispatcher said you’d already called, Griffin. The ambulance will be here soon, you hang on, you hear me?”
She smiled up at him. “I will, Jeter. You did good. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier.”
Her breathing hitched.
