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“Take me if you need a hostage.”
“That idea isn’t nearly as attractive.” Brody lightly stroked Jordan’s cheek with the barrel of his gun.
Anger flared in Travis’s eyes. “If you hurt her, I will hunt you down and kill you slowly.”
“Enough,” roared Halstead. “Kill them both and get this over with.”
Brody turned slightly toward his boss as though he only now noticed him. “You first.” He aimed the gun.
Fear appeared in Halstead’s eyes an instant before the blast deafened Jordan. The bullet struck Halstead in the chest, the impact flipping his chair over, and his head smacked the floor. Carmen screamed as Travis surged forward, but too late. Brody swung back, pointing his gun at Travis.
Shock overwhelmed Jordan, and she squeezed her eyes closed but snapped them open again when the back door crashed against the wall. Glass shattered, and the lights went out, leaving just enough moonlight for her to spot the newcomer, moving swiftly for cover behind the center island. Travis scrambled for the other end of the cabinet as Brody fired blindly at anything that moved. Still taped in her seat, Carmen increased Jordan’s confusion over whose side the woman was on to a new level.
“Travis, you okay?” Coop yelled from the darkness somewhere in front of her and down low.
“Yeah. You?”
“Reasonably well.”
Amid the violence, with the smell of blood in her nostrils, Jordan couldn’t help smiling at the humor in their voices. Brody shoved her to the floor and crouched beside her. A cool breeze swelled through the open doorway, drawing attention to the way out. Brody crept toward the exit, pulling her dead weight along. She’d be damned if she’d cooperate in his escape.
At the table, he paused long enough to slash the bindings from Carmen’s wrists and ankles, then yanked her and Jordan to their feet. Using both women as shields, he backed into the night.
Travis swore, and running footsteps neared the open doorway. Brody heard too and fired a shot into the kitchen. Jake yelped.
“Run,” Brody snarled, pulling her through the rocks, sagebrush, and junipers. She couldn’t see the uneven ground, and it was all she could do to stay on her feet. Carmen ran too. Her footsteps and soft whimpering followed Jordan through the brush.She must be terrified.
There was little solace in knowing they were slowing down Brody’s escape. Would it be enough for Travis to catch up? Would he come for her after she’d doubted him yet again? She couldn’t bear to think about what would happen if he didn’t.
Chapter Eighteen
Brody used the coverof darkness to skirt the house and halted when Carmen’s Buick came into view. Was he going to steal her car? Jordan had to stop him or at least slow him down.
A flurry of gunfire stunned her as he blew out the tires. He must have some other transportation, disabling the car so Travis couldn’t use it to follow them. He nearly jerked her off her feet as he started running again, parallel to the driveway for a few feet before edging into the timber. They topped a rise a few yards farther, and she saw the outline of a four-door Jeep parked far enough from the gravel lane to blend into the night. Brody didn’t hesitate, dragging her to the driver’s side.
“Get in.” He yanked open the door, and Carmen scrambled across the seat. When Jordan didn’t move, he twisted her arm behind her back and forced her inside. Sliding into the driver’s seat, he turned the key. Nothing happened. Brody tried again, but the engine refused to turn over. Swearing, he jerked the hood latch, jumped out, and disappeared around the front.
Jordan glanced at the open door. Now was her chance. Her breath came faster as her heart rate ratcheted up, and she tensed to jump. Carmen’s arm brushed hers, reminding Jordan she wasn’t alone. The woman appeared dazed, apparently in shock. Jordan couldn’t leave her with the madman who killed Halstead. An instant later, the opportunity evaporated. The hood crashed down violently, and Brody’s rage was unmistakable.
“Get out,” he roared. “We’re on foot.” He jerked her across the seat, and Carmen followed.
“Let us go. You won’t get away dragging two women across this terrain.” Jordan’s plea only angered him further.
“Shut up and move.” Gripping her arm, he forced her along.
