Page 81 of Raven's Curse
Chase jumped up, headed to the side. “What line?”
Saylor pointed to the surface several feet in front of the bow. “See where the water’s rippling all the way across? It’s hard to see, but someone’s strung a line or maybe a vertical net. I’m sure I can dispose of it, but it’ll take me some time and you’re almost out of yours.”
Chase looked at Kash, then Zain, but they both shrugged. “Is your dad Poseidon or something because I can barely see the ripples, let alone the rest of it.”
Saylor shrugged. “I can’t intubate someone, so…” She eased the Zodiac through some bulrushes to the edge of the bank. “I’ll take care of it, then circle under the bridge, in case…”
She didn’t say it. Didn’t need to. While Chase didn’t know what Royce had planned, he suspected the bastard hadn’t brought them to this location if he wasn’t going to utilize the landscape. And after the lengths Royce had already gone to with his other victims, Chase imagined this scenario would put the others to shame.
Chase tugged her in for a quick hug. “Thank you. I owe you.”
Saylor waved him off. “Bring Greer back in one piece, and we’re even.”
Chase flicked on his headlamp, grabbed his bag, then jumped out, slogging through the mud and the reeds until he reached a rough trail, the yellow beam accentuating the rain and the fog. Kash and Nyx took point, Zain bringing up the rear as they hiked along the path, then up the embankment to a grassy knoll. A light snapped on at the far end of the trestle, a long figure standing tall.
Carver walked forward, exposing his face to the harsh light. “You made it, and with a minute to spare. I’m impressed.”
Chase took a calculated step. “You knew we would. Let Greer and Buck go, and the four of us can have a chat.”
“That’s not very sporting of you. I brought you here for a reason, Remington. A do-over. See if you can make a difference, this time.”
Two more lights flashed to life, their yellow circles mapping out the eerie scene. Buck, trapped in a spillway, only his head and shoulders above the water, the inbound tide rising with every surge. And who Chase assumed was Greer, her dark silhouette visible through the window of a truck positioned on the trestle.
Chase looked at Kash and Zain, then back to Carver. “What the hell, Royce?”
“I told you. You have to choose.” Royce pointed to a bag hooked around a post in front of them. “There’re proximity collars in that bag. Exchange them for the weapons I know you’re packing.”
Zain collected their sidearms, walked over and grabbed the bag, tossing the weapons inside before retrieving three metal collars. He handed them out, then clipped one around his neck, Chase and Kash following suit.
Chase crossed his arms. “Now what?”
The collars clicked, then hummed, a green light illuminating the front.
Royce held up his hand. “They’re live. Consider this my way of replicating that night. How we were all forced to stay together. I’ve got explosives wired to both Buck and Greer. If you three wander more than thirty feet apart before they’re disarmed…” He chuckled. “Let’s just say you won’t have to worry about saving anyone.”
“I thought this was about me having to choose?”
“I’m getting to that. As you can see, they’re both in need of a rescue. Buck… He’s only got about ten minutes before the water covers his head and that spillway becomes his coffin. And Greer…”
Royce waved his arms wide. “I really outdid myself. There’s an old freight car positioned up that hill on the far side of the bridge.” Royce held up a small unit. “Once I hit this button, the brakes blow, and the car slowly starts to descend. I don’t even know how long it’ll be before it hits the truck, but… I think you get the picture. Choose who you save first. Pray you have enough time to attempt the second. Or, abandon one of them altogether. Your choice, but the collars don’t deactivate until you win the game. And that only happens if you either save them both, or they die.”
“This is insane. Let them go, and I’ll stay.”
“Just like you stayed back in that compound?” He shook his head. “I’ve been waiting five years to show you what your decision cost me. Now, we’ll see what it costs you. And in case you thought you’d just come after me, instead, I’ve got a deadman’s switch in my hand. It went live with the collars. Same deal. It shuts off if you win the game. Let’s see if honor’s your prime motivator, or if you’ll sell your soul for the woman you love.”
Chase looked up at the freight car. Large. Unyielding. It loomed overtop like a scythe waiting to fall. An unknown, unlike Buck, the rising water brushing the tops of his shoulders now.
Kash shook his head. “No one would blame you if you wanted to focus on Greer.”
“She would.” Chase scanned the area for a trail down. “Buck’s in the most immediate danger. We save him, first — go from there. I just hope…”
“We won’t let you down, brother.”
“You never have. And once we save Greer, it ends.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chase sucked in a deep breath, tamped down the fear and the doubt, then took off. A loud boom echoed through the night, a low rumble slowly filling the air. Sparks flickered amidst the rain, that freight car jerking, then inching ahead.
