Secrets Never Die (Page 45)

A noise outside caught his attention. Had he heard voices? He tried to sit up, but dizziness forced him right back down to the ground.

Shit.

He should have taken the ibuprofen earlier. He waited a few more minutes for his head to stop spinning. Then he drained the bottle of water and opened a new one. He sipped every few minutes. He’d learned the hard way not to chug the water. Slow and steady worked best.

Another voice carried into the cave’s entrance. Was that Rylee and his mom? Evan didn’t want to get his hopes up. The noise could have been the wind. When it gusted through the narrow canyon, sometimes it made a weird whistling sound.

But he had to know.

Afraid he’d fall and smack his head if he stood, he crawled on his knees and one hand toward the cave’s entrance.

The storm had picked up in intensity. Wind and water lashed sideways across the cave opening.

Another voice drifted down into the canyon. Someone was here. Someone could help him.

Evan dragged himself forward another foot, until he could see the falls on one side of the ravine and the observation deck on the other. Two people stood on the deck. They were facing away from him.

Hope unfurled inside him. His mom!

His ordeal was almost over. He was in the cave’s shadow. He needed to drag himself forward a few more feet so his mom could see him. Before he could move, another figure appeared on the deck. A man. And he was pointing a gun at his mom.

No!

It was probably the same man who had killed Paul. Fear gave Evan a burst of strength. He had to help his mom. He crawled to the ledge in front of the cave, only to be brought up short. He rocked back on his heels. The water had risen. The huge boulders he’d used to cross to the other side were barely visible. Evan watched, horror spreading like ice through his veins, as a small wave crashed over the ledge. Water lapped over his legs and formed a puddle in the cave’s entrance.

He couldn’t get out now. He was trapped.

Chapter Thirty-Two

“Come out where I can see you!” the armed man shouted at Lance.

Rain hammered on the nylon hood of Lance’s rain jacket. Wind pushed the rain sideways, pelting his face and blurring his vision. He took one more step forward, until he was under the protective overhang of thick branches. He wiped the rainwater from his face and met the gaze of a killer.

“Stop right there or I will shoot one of them in the face. Hands up!” About twelve feet away, the armed man had cornered Rylee and Tina against the observation deck railing. All three were soaking wet, their hair plastered to their heads. The man changed the angle of his body to keep Lance and Rylee and Tina in his line of sight.

In his peripheral vision, Lance saw Morgan, at his flank, lift both hands, palms out.

Lance raised his hands in front of his body and studied the man. He looked familiar. The photo of Joe Martin stuck to the whiteboard back at the office ran through Lance’s mind. The man’s identity clicked into place. Aaron Martin, Tina’s half brother, looked very much like his father had two and a half decades ago.

“Is he your rescuer, Tina? Did you call him to get you out of this mess?” Aaron snarled. “When he dies, remember it’s your fault. Everything is your fault, including your husband’s death. That’s what you get for being a greedy, backstabbing bitch.”

“What do you want?” Lance yelled into the wind.

“I want my fucking money.” Aaron shook the gun in Tina’s face. Tina didn’t look as terrified as she should have. Her gaze kept dropping to the water and the cave below. She was more afraid for Evan than for herself.

“What money?” Lance kept his gaze on Aaron, but his brain scrambled for options. He needed to get Aaron away from Rylee and Tina. How could he draw the man away?

“The money this bitch stole from our father.” Aaron gestured with the gun. His eyes went to his half sister.

The second Aaron shifted his eyes, Lance took a step forward. “What are you talking about?”

Ignoring Lance, Aaron turned back to Tina. “Where is the fucking money? And don’t you dare try to tell me you don’t have it. Joe still thinks those two cops he had in his back pocket took it. That’s why he ordered me to kill them. But that’s not what happened, is it? Those cops were dirty, but they didn’t take the hundred grand. I’ve tortured enough people to know that no one could have kept a secret after what I did to them. Everyone breaks. They didn’t know where the money went. The only other person who could have taken it was you.”

Tina’s eyes were flat, emotionless, but Lance could see her brain working.

“The money is in a safe place,” she said.

“Fuck. I should just kill you now.” Aaron clipped her on the side of the head with the butt of the gun. “I am not playing games.”

Tina fell back a half step. Her hand cupped behind her ear. “I didn’t know you wanted it.”

Under the coating of rainwater, his face reddened. “I sent you a letter. But you sent your husband and his cop buddy to meet me instead of coming yourself. Stupid bitch.”

Tina’s mouth dropped open. “I never got any letter.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Doesn’t matter,” Aaron said. “I want that money. I know you. Always hoarding cash here and there. Always squirreling it away. You still have the money. Where is it?”

“In the trunk of my car in the parking lot.” Tina glanced over the railing again. Next to her, Rylee cowered and clutched the wooden railing as if it were the only thing holding her upright. “I was going to use it to take my son away from here.”

Aaron thought about her statement, then seemed to decide it sounded plausible. He switched his aim from Tina to Rylee. “How do you propose we get it?”

Lance kept quiet. If Aaron went with Tina, maybe Morgan could get Rylee to safety.

“I’ll get it for you,” Tina said. “I don’t even care about it anymore. Just take it and go.”

“No fucking way. This girl is my insurance.” Aaron looked over the railing. “Better think fast. The water is rising. You’re going to lose your son.”

“OK. I’ll take you to the money.” Tina started to move.

“Hold on.” Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out two zip ties. He handed them to Tina and motioned toward Lance and Morgan. “Tie their hands behind their backs. Don’t do anything stupid. I will shoot this little bitch’s face right off.” He waved the gun at Rylee’s nose.

Tina took the ties and walked toward Lance. Aaron grabbed Rylee by the hair and hauled her in front of his body. He pressed the muzzle of the gun into her temple. Lance couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears running down Rylee’s face.

He tried to catch Tina’s gaze, but her eyes were cold and determined as she refused to make eye contact. She glanced one more time at the water rushing across the bottom of the ravine. She would do anything to save her son. Anything. Lance, Morgan, and Rylee could be collateral damage. She was creating distance between them without taking a step.

And there wasn’t a damned thing Lance could do about it. He was too far away to even consider trying to disarm Aaron.

She moved behind Lance. He cooperated, putting his hands behind his back. He made two fists and pressed the heels of his palms together as she tightened the strap. She moved on to tie Morgan’s hands the same way.

“Turn around,” Aaron yelled. He examined Lance’s binds and seemed satisfied. “Take his gun and slide it toward me.”

“I’m sorry.” Tina lifted Lance’s handgun from his holster, placed it on the wooden deck, and pushed it toward Aaron.

“It’s OK.” Lance would have done it himself to keep Aaron from shooting Rylee.

The gun stopped a few feet short of Aaron’s feet.

“Check her for a weapon too,” Aaron ordered.

Tina lifted the hem of Morgan’s jacket and removed her weapon from its holster. She slid it across to join Lance’s Glock.

Aaron tried to reach the weapons with his foot but couldn’t. He stooped, dividing his attention between Lance, Tina, and Rylee. He looked down and grabbed Lance’s gun.

The gun pointed at Rylee’s temple shifted, its barrel dropping toward the deck. The instant the muzzle pointed away from her face, Rylee attacked Aaron. She slammed her head backward into his, then grabbed for his gun arm with both hands.

Lance bent at the waist and raised his bound hands. The plastic dug into his skin. He slammed his hands down onto his lower back as hard as he could. The tie didn’t give. He tried again, this time using more force and pulling his hands apart as his forearms hit his body. The zip tie snapped.

He was free.

A gunshot boomed. Red bloomed across Rylee’s thigh. She froze and looked down.

“Stupid bitch.” Aaron punched her in the head.

Using the distraction, Lance launched himself at Aaron, catching him in a full tackle. They went down on the deck, slid across the water-slicked wood, and tumbled down a short flight of steps. Lance was on the bottom when they came to a stop on the first landing. Out from under the branches, he could barely see. Torrential rain beat down on his face.

Aaron must have dropped his gun. Straddling Lance’s chest, Aaron wrapped both hands around Lance’s neck and squeezed. Lance gagged as two thumbs pressed on his windpipe. He raised his arms, folded them so his forearms overlapped, and used them as a lever to press down on the insides of Aaron’s elbows. Aaron’s arms bent, and Lance pinned his attacker’s hands down. The pressure on Lance’s throat eased.