Part 53 (2/2)

Did she have a chance to talk her way out of this? Dar swallowed. Well, at least she was alive, and she had to do everything she could to stay that way. ”What is it you want, money?”

”No.” The man stared at her in utter hatred. ”There ain't enough to keep me from killing you. I'd even take a rap for it.”

Oh c.r.a.p. Dar started looking for a way out of the cabin. The boat was traveling at high speed, and jumping off would probably kill her, but- Above the sound of the storm, she suddenly heard a booming roar.

”Boss!” the radio screamed. ”They're f.u.c.king shooting at us!”

DeSalliers grabbed the radio. ”What? Get away from them, jacka.s.s!”

”I can't! One of the G.o.d d.a.m.ned engines is blown!”

Another booming roar and suddenly the window beside DeSalliers dissolved into a thousand shards of gla.s.s, which went flying across the cabin. Dar pressed her body against the wall and threw her arm up to protect her face.

”s.h.i.+t!” DeSalliers shoved off from the bar and bounced into Gregos, grabbing the gun from his henchman's belt and heading in Dar's direction.

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN GETTING on the Dixie and finding a way not to collapse, Kerry managed to get herself under control and put a screeching halt to her runaway panic. She staggered across the pitching back deck as Andrew threw himself at the ladder, yelling to a very scared-looking Charlie up top.

Bud was lying on the deck, still out cold. Bob was clinging to the railing, his eyes as huge as baseb.a.l.l.s. ”Oh my G.o.d,” he was saying, over and over again. ”Oh my G.o.d. Oh my G.o.d. Oh my G.o.d.”

”Please shut up.” Kerry went past him and into the cabin, her knees barely holding her as she made it to the bench seats and yanked them up. She grabbed the shotgun case and pulled it out, her hands shaking. Can I even load it? With impatient fingers, Kerry*317 shoved sh.e.l.ls into place and worked the pump action. Then she stood up and headed for the door, grabbing the frame as the Dixie heeled over and picked up speed. She went outside, stopping short as she almost plowed into Andrew.

He looked at her, his eyes flicking to the shotgun. ”Ya'll wanna give me that there thing?”

”No,” Kerry answered hoa.r.s.ely. ”I know how to shoot it.”

The boat bounced over the waves, the spray drenching both of them. ”Figured you did,” Andrew replied. ”But Ah figure Ah got more practice at it.” He held out a hand. ”And Ah know what part of that boat to hit.”

Kerry handed the rifle over without another word. She followed him as he went to the side rail and got up onto the edging, then moved around to the bow of the boat. The storm almost obscured the DeSalliers' boat, but Kerry could see it cras.h.i.+ng through the waves ahead of them, and she hung on to the side cleats with both hands as she squinted into the rain.

Andrew went to the front rail and knelt on the deck, curling one arm around the metal and propping up the shotgun with his other.

DeSalliers' boat was much faster than theirs, Kerry suddenly remembered. ”Dad! They can outrun us!” she yelled as loud as she could.

”Naw,” Andrew yelled back. ”Ripped the fuel line out of one of them engines.” He glanced behind him with a tense, rakish expression. ”Jest in case.”

Kerry crawled up behind him and held on to the rail, willing the Dixie to go faster. Her insides were tied in knots, and she realized then, just kneeling there, that she had no idea if Dar was even alive. A soft sound emerged from her throat and she gripped the rails with both hands. ”Oh, G.o.d...please, please,” she begged in a whisper. ”Please don't take her from me.”

She wasn't sure if Andrew heard her, but when she looked up again, he was looking back at her, those quiet, gentle blue eyes so very much like Dar's visible in the light from the Dixie's windows.

”S'gonna be all right, Kerry,” Andrew told her. ”We're gonna get them.”

Kerry felt tears welling up again. ”I don't want to lose her,” she managed to get out. ”I can't.”

The big man gazed back at her with compa.s.sion and understanding. ”Me neither, sweetheart. Only kid Ah got.” He turned back around and threw the gun to his shoulder, sighting down the barrel and squeezing the trigger in a move just that fast.

The gun discharged, hitting DeSalliers' yacht just above the waterline. It swerved, and in the light from the cabin he saw a silhouette, one he recognized. He pumped a sh.e.l.l into the chamber 318*

and shot again, blowing out the window. ”Step closer, you piece of meat,” he muttered under his breath. ”Hope them fish are hungry.”

DAR WATCHED THE muzzle of the gun as DeSalliers pointed it directly at her. She was out of room to run, and the door was on the other side of the cabin. Trapped. f.u.c.k.

”Take this.” DeSalliers threw the radio mic at her. ”Tell them to f.u.c.king back off, or I'm going to blow your f.u.c.king head off.”

Dar caught the mic by reflex and held it, her finger brus.h.i.+ng the b.u.t.ton.

”Tell them!” DeSalliers screamed. He pointed the gun at her head, balancing himself against the wall with his other hand as the boat pitched in the waves. ”Now!”

In that moment, Dar understood that she was likely to die. She didn't believe for one second that DeSalliers would hesitate to shoot her if she called off the Dixie, and frankly, she didn't believe for one second her father and her partner would stop, even if she asked them to. So. Dar wondered what it would feel like, and hoped it would be fast. Then she reserved the pain in her heart for missing Kerry, and how sorry she'd be to leave her. G.o.d, how much that hurt.

”Tell them!”

The pain echoed through her. Dar whipped the mic back at him. ”f.u.c.k you,” she yelled back. ”I ain't telling them s.h.i.+t! I hope they run right over this piece of c.r.a.p, with you in it!”

DeSalliers ducked the mic and thrust the gun toward her, squeezing the trigger with a ghastly grimace.

Dar flinched reflexively, and brought her hand up in a futile attempt to protect her face, closing her eyes as she waited for the pistol to fire.

Click.

Dar stared past her hand at DeSalliers. He squeezed the trigger again.

Click.

Dar jumped forward and grabbed the gun, wrestling it from his grasp. ”Stupid a.s.shole.” She threw the gun from her with as much force as she could. ”I'm gonna kick your stinking a.s.s.”

He stumbled backwards but she was on him now, pouncing like a cat and grabbing him by the lapels. Kerry had done damage to his face, but Dar wasn't interested in disfiguring him. She went for his throat, her hands closing on it as she let out a roar of anger and dug for his windpipe.

”Aough!” DeSalliers grabbed at her hands, kicking her in the knees as he tried to get away. ”Help!”

Dar kept her grip as the boat pitched wildly and they fell*319 against the wall, her shoulder smas.h.i.+ng against the window painfully. She saw Gregos trying to get to his feet, but she kept on squeezing DeSalliers, hearing the gagging noises her adversary was making.

”Hang on, boss!” The bodyguard grabbed a chair and threw it at Dar.

As she sensed the motion, Dar turned them both and the chair slammed into DeSalliers' back. He screamed, best he could with his throat being compressed, and fell heavily against Dar.

She twisted and tried to keep her feet, but just then the boat leaned over radically, and she found herself, DeSalliers, and the guard all falling through the air and smas.h.i.+ng against the huge window on the far side of the cabin. When it shattered, Dar felt the surface drop out from under them and then she smelled the sea and diesel, and thought she heard screaming.

Maybe it was her.

”THEY'RE SLOWING DOWN!” Charlie yelled from the bridge.

”Taking on water!”

”Bet your a.s.s,” Andy yelled back. ”Get this d.a.m.n thing nose up to the back of that d.a.m.n thing!” He put down the shotgun and pulled a large automatic from the pack at his belt, standing up and holding the railing as they closed in. ”Teach them b.a.s.t.a.r.ds to mess with mah kid.”

Kerry could see men running around over on the yacht, and two came up on deck, yelling in alarm as they spotted the Dixie.

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