AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If you give it to him,” Bertolli said, “I’ll kill Jasmine’s son.”
Ace shook his head. “You won’t. Because you don’t have him anymore.”
Bertolli frowned.
“He’s safely away from your compound.” He turned to Demopoulos. “I want proof that Jasmine is still alive, or this box hits the rocks below.”
“If you drop the scroll, we will shoot you,” Demopoulos said.
“If you’ve killed Jasmine, I won’t care. It took me four years to find her. If she dies, I have nothing left to live for. So, if you’re going to shoot me, I won’t give a rat’s ass. And I could care less about the copper scroll. It’s been nothing but trouble. It won’t break my heart to lose my grip on the box.”
Jasmine glanced at the other four men standing on either side of the patio, each representing their bosses. Each aiming at the one opposite them.
She dropped to the prone position, stretching out on her belly in the shadowy interior of the house. She laid the barrel of the rifle she’d confiscated over the body in front of her and pressed the stock to her shoulder.
They hadn’t spotted her yet, and, hopefully, they wouldn’t until after she did what she had to do.
Chapter 15
Ace held the backpack over the edge of the cliff. Demopoulos had yet to prove Jasmine was still alive.
To Ace, that made him think Demopoulos had already killed her or she’d escaped.
He prayed she’d escaped and wouldn’t come anywhere near this house. She’d find Dmytro and Fearghas and be reunited with her son.
Ace, on the other hand, understood the risk he’d taken when he’d walked out among the two men, holding the backpack to his chest.
“I have the scroll,” he’d shouted over the gunfire, holding the backpack out in front of him with the box containing the scroll pulled halfway out for Demopoulos and Bertolli to see.
Immediately, Demopoulos and Bertolli had shouted for their men to cease fire.
Ace had marched to the edge of the patio, holding the backpack in front of him like a shield.
He’d counted four gunmen standing close by. Ace would bet the others lay dead inside the house or somewhere on the grounds.
He was still outnumbered. The only leverage he had was the copper scroll.
The time had come to make a decision. He wouldn’t give it to Demopoulos until he produced Jasmine alive.
Bertolli had no leverage other than the gun he held pointed at Ace.
“Last chance,” Ace said. “Show me Jasmine, and I’ll give you the scroll.”
“He can’t,” Bertolli said. “He doesn’t have her.”
“Shut up,” Demopoulos shouted. “You don’t have the boy. My men will find your lover. As soon as they do, they’ll bring her to me. And you will give me the scroll in exchange for the woman.”
Ace shook his head. “You don’t have her. Therefore, neither one of you will have the scroll.” He stared at the backpack for a moment, then released it.
The backpack disappeared over the edge of the patio.
Ace dove to the ground.
A shot rang out. Ace wasn’t sure from which direction.
Demopoulos jerked and cursed. He aimed at Bertolli and fired a round at the same time Bertolli fired one as well.
The two men on each side of the patio opened fire with their rifles at the same time.
