Page 53 of Scent of Fear

“Kidnappers for hire?” She grimaced. “I guess that’s possible.”

He was about to say anything was for hire when he heard a high-pitched engine. The minibike? Had the guy who’d been digging in the cellar decided to come back to finish the job? Maybe he’d assumed they’d taken off.

“Take the laptop into the bathroom and lock the door.” He pulled his weapon and turned to find Bryce was already on his feet, his ears pricked toward the sound.

“Wait, what about you?” She grabbed his arm. “Come with me.”

“I can’t. Call 911 so we have backup. Bryce and I will handle this.” He spoke with confidence, even though his gut was clenched with fear.

“Be safe.” Libby pocketed her phone, picked up the computer and headed down the hall to the bathroom.

“Come, Bryce.” He kept his voice low, listening as the high-pitched engine grew louder. There was no question in his mind that this guy was coming back.

Did he have reinforcements with him? Shane strained to listen, trying to determine whether there was more than one rider heading to the cabin.

Keeping Bryce close to his side, Shane moved through the living room to the edge of the patio doors. He took a deep breath, then peered around to the woods beyond the backyard clearing. He couldn’t see anything moving, but the engine indicated the guy was close.

Bryce’s ears flickered from side to side. Then he began to growl low in his throat.

The seconds ticked by slowly. Shane continued to scan the woods and thought it was strange that he didn’t see any movement.

Just as he was wondering if the guy was sitting out there, waiting for someone else to arrive, he caught a glimpse of sunlight reflecting off glass.

A rifle scope? Reacting on instinct, he ducked as the crack of gunfire rang out. The patio doors shattered beneath the force of the bullet.

What in the world? Shane huddled on the floor, his arm around Bryce as another shot rang out. This time, the round penetrated the wood siding to the right of the now-shattered patio doors.

In that moment, Shane understood this guy wanted them to flee. To get as far away from the cabin as possible.

A third round punctured the wall about two feet over his head. Shane knew this guy was sitting somewhere well out of their reach, using a rifle to keep them pinned down and so that Shane couldn’t send Bryce out after him.

“Heel, Bryce,” he said in a low voice. In a low crouch, he moved quickly across the room and into the kitchen, taking shelter behind the cabinets. He tried to think of a way out of this mess. They had two options, stay and wait for the sheriff’s department to get there or to get as far away from the cabin as possible.

“Shane?” Libby called from the bathroom. “Who’s shooting at us? Are you and Bryce okay? What’s going on?”

Libby’s choked voice made the decision for him. If the bad guys wanted them gone, then he didn’t see much of an alternative. “We’re fine, but this guy isn’t going to stop anytime soon. We need to make a run for it. He’s hiding in the woods to the back of the house so we’re going out front to the SUV.”

There was a long pause before Libby responded. “Okay. I’m coming.”

“Bryce, heel.” Once Bryce came to his side, he dug the key fob from his pocket and double-clicked the button to start the engine. Then he quickly pushed another button to open the back hatch. The silence from the gunman was unnerving. He hoped the guy wasn’t making his way closer. “Libby, we need to go!”

“I’m here.” She peeked around the corner, the laptop clutched to her chest. Another round struck the back wall of the cabin, and she instinctively ducked.

There wasn’t a moment to lose. He darted toward the front door and wrenched it open. Bryce stayed close, and Libby was quick to follow.

“Get inside, hurry!” He waved toward the SUV. “You, too, Bryce. Get up!”

On command, Bryce ran forward and leaped into the back crate area. Shane punched the button to close the hatch, determined to keep his dog safe. He made sure Libby was in the passenger seat before making his way to the other side and sliding in behind the wheel.

“Stay down,” he advised Libby as he gunned the engine. Expecting more rounds to strike the SUV, and silently thanking his brother Chase for adding bulletproof glass to their vehicles, he sped down the driveway toward the highway as fast as possible.

13

Heart lodged in her throat, Libby bent over the laptop she had brought along, braced for the SUV to be riddled with bullets. Shane took a sharp turn, then hit the gas. She realized he was heading away from Greybull and Cody, toward the mountains. When the gunfire finally stopped, she lifted her head.

“Stay down,” Shane barked.

Suppressing a sigh, she turned to look up at him. “I don’t hear anything. It sounds like the shooting has stopped.”

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