Page 48 of On the Chase
Before he was even finished talking, Jules was shaking her head. Grace had been so preoccupied with her own growing claustrophobia that she hadn’t noticed how pale Jules had gotten. Theo studied her for a second before stepping back so the kids could get to the ladder.
“When we reach the top, stay close to the caves.” Although he still sounded stern, he squeezed Jules’s arm as she started up the ladder behind Dee. Without saying anything else, the rest of them followed, Theo lifting Viggy to one shoulder before climbing. Soon Grace was grasping the metal rungs in her hands. When Otto reached the top, he shoved open a square trapdoor that was set in the ceiling at the top of the ladder.
As Grace popped her head out of the opening, she blinked in the dimness before scrambling all the way out. Hugh emerged next with Lexi over his shoulder, and Grace hurried to get out of his way before looking around. The walls of the cave were irregular and rocky. She wanted to ask where on the mountain they were, but there was still a hush over their group that discouraged her from speaking. What if they were close to the bad guys and her question gave them away? She didn’t want to bethatperson, the one who got them all killed.
Once again, it was as if Hugh could read her thoughts, because his heavy, bandaged hand landed on the back of her neck and gave a reassuring squeeze. They all started following Otto again, moving across the rocky floor. The light increased, getting brighter and brighter, until they rounded a final curve to see the mouth of the cave.
Blinking in the full, blinding sunlight, Grace peered over the edge. The cliff’s rough surface reminded her of hanging off the deck, one hand clinging to Lexi as the other one grasped on to the railing for dear life. Hugh’s hand rubbed her back as she fought for calm. When her heart rate finally slowed enough for her to look again, she saw Otto’s house and outbuildings. They seemed surprisingly far away.
Turning her head, she looked for the ridge where the kids had seen their unwanted visitors. She saw the single, scraggly tree almost directly below her, but she didn’t see any people. Just as she started to turn away, a quick movement caught her attention, and she refocused on the spot.
“Stay here,” Hugh said, his mouth close to her ear. “We’ll be right back.”
Although Grace wanted to protest, to grab onto his arm and keep him there with her, out of danger, she managed to swallow that urge and simply nod. The three men and two dogs started down a narrow trail. Hugh glanced over his shoulder and met her gaze, giving her a secret half smile. Despite the circumstances, she smiled back. It was impossible not to. Stepping closer to Jules, Grace watched them until they were out of sight around the jagged edge of rock.
Tipping her head closer to Grace’s, Jules murmured, “Half of me is relieved that we don’t have to confront those guys, but the other half is kind of annoyed to be considered the helpless women.”
“They’re cops. Heading into danger is what they do,” Grace whispered back, tilting her head toward the huddled and silent kids. “Besides, we have a different job.”
“True.” Jules moved closer to her siblings. “Quit looking so worried. They’ll be fine.” She offered the kids a reassuring smile that was met with varying degrees of skepticism.
Grace turned back to the ridge, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to watch what was happening. It was hard to be the ones left waiting, hoping that the guys returned safely. She strained her ears for gunshots—or any sound really. Something that would give them a hint about what was occurring on the ridge below.
Suddenly, there was a distant yell, and one of the dogs started barking furiously. Grace’s heartbeat took off at a gallop as she met Jules’s anxious gaze. Grace couldn’t make out any words, but the voice, although male, didn’t sound like any of their guys. It definitely wasn’t Hugh. She would’ve known if he was the one shouting in what sounded like distress. The yells died away, and silence returned. Time seemed to crawl by as they waited for another shout, another sound that would give them a clue about what was happening below.
Above them, there was the scratch of a boot against rock, the tiny pattering noise of a pebble rolling downhill. Grace whipped her head up to find a grinning stranger on a ledge right above them. In his hands was a matte-black gun. With a sharp inhale, she reached toward the kids, instinct telling her to yank them back into the cave.
“Calm down, now,” the man said, his voice casual, as if he wasn’t aiming a gun at them. “If you just stay quiet and do as I say, none of you will get hurt.”
He kept the weapon pointed toward them as he climbed down from the ledge. His feet slipped a few times, and Grace tensed, hoping desperately that he’d fall, giving them an opportunity to overpower him and take the gun…or at least run. To her dismay, he kept his balance—and the pistol.
Grace moved back until she was next to Jules. If she couldn’t get the kids to safety, then she could at least stand in front of them. Her arm bumped Jules, who was glaring at the gunman like she wanted to rip his arms off.
“Kind of wish I’d taken Otto up on his offer now,” Grace muttered under her breath. Her voice sounded strange, as if she wasn’t getting enough oxygen, but she had to trysomethingto bring Jules down a few notches before she attacked.
Jules’s scowl didn’t waver. “No.” It was almost a growl. “Wouldn’t have helped. I’d have just managed to shoot my foot off.”
A bubble of hysterical laughter rose in Grace’s throat, and she forced it down. Risking a glance behind them, Grace saw that Sam had pushed the younger kids behind him, although… She shifted slightly, trying to get a better view. Tio and Dee were there, but where was Ty? Her stomach jumped and squeezed tightly as she eyed the edge of the ledge several feet behind them. If he’d fallen, they would’ve heard, right? There would’ve been screaming, at least. At the thought, Grace gritted her teeth against a groan.
“Eyes on me, princess,” the stranger with the gun ordered, and Grace whipped her head around, irrationally worried that he’d know Tio actually was half of a matching pair. The barrel of the gun was pointed right at her chest, and she squeezed her eyes closed as she fought the need to run. Even if she got away, she couldn’t leave Jules and the kids to the mercy of this armed criminal.
Opening her eyes, Grace met the gaze of the man holding it. Instantly, she wished she hadn’t. His expression was cold and empty. There was no panic or sympathy or remorse. In fact, there was a spark of sick pleasure. He was enjoying their fear, his control over whether they lived or died. The gun shifted to point at the group of kids, and Grace’s stomach instantly cramped. It had been horrible being the target, but having the gun directed at the children was so much worse.
Dee made a small sound, a quickly muffled whimper of terror, and Grace felt rage build, pushing out some of her overwhelming fear. How dare this man frighten a little girl, frightenallof them?
“Hey!” she snapped, and the word sounded painfully loud and brittle. “Quit picking on the kids.”
It worked. He pointed the gun at her again, and her heart crashed to a stop. “Bossy. Why do the pretty ones have to be so mouthy?”
She opened her mouth to say something, anything, to keep his focus off the kids and delay whatever terrible thing he had planned, but a sharp pinch at her side startled her into silence. If there hadn’t been a gun pointed at them, Grace would’ve glared at Jules.
“Why do the ugly ones have to carry guns?” Jules shot back. Instantly, Grace understood her plan. It was the same one as Grace had: get the focus—and the danger—directed at her, rather than the others. She and Jules were in the middle of a martyr-off, apparently.
The man just gave them an unpleasant smile, the gun steady in his hand. “As pretty as the two of you are, and as much fun as we could have, I’m afraid that your cop friend is worth a lot more cash. Sorry about that.”
With that, he pulled the trigger.
Chapter 14
