“But that would defeat the purpose. I think it has to be settled now.” He pulled a pistol from his jacket. “For the good of Cara.”
Queen’s eyes widened in panic. “What are you doing? We have a deal. You’d be lost without my help. The police would pick you up in a heartbeat.” He was backing away, his hand inching toward his shoulder holster beneath his jacket. “I’ll double the fee for your next job for me. Put the gun away.”
“I wish I could. I don’t like guns. They lack the personal touch. But in this case…” He shot Queen in the stomach. “I’ll make do.”
Queen screamed and clutched his belly.
Black aimed and shot him in both knees.
Queen fell to the ground, groaning with pain.
Black moved leisurely to stand over him. He fired into Queen’s chest. “You see, even though the pain is there, it’s still only a remote pleasure for me.” He added, “So I might as well just end it.”
He shot Queen in the head.
He turned to Cara. “Dead man. Just as I told you.”
Cara was staring in horror at the remains of Queen’s skull, which had been almost entirely blown away. She started to cry.
“I’m getting very tired of all that weeping.” He reached down and plucked the ledger from Queen’s jacket and stuffed it in his own. “I think it’s time we started the hunt.”
* * *
“FIVE!”
Joe stood frozen, listening for more shots.
“East,” Catherine said tensely. “A little toward the north, but definitely the east.”
And there weren’t any more shots.
Joe whirled and started at a run toward the eastern quadrant of the property.
“You think it’s Black?” Catherine was right behind him.
“Good chance. I’d bet that Queen is no longer with us.” He hoped desperately he was right, that none of those bullets had been aimed at Eve or Judy’s daughter. “But at least we have a clue to his location. Now, if we can get there before he moves on—”
“And it’s east. There’s a chance of cell-tower access. We might be able to zero in on him. But we don’t have much time. He’ll know those shots are a giveaway.”
Which meant Black didn’t care, that he thought he could afford to let Gallo and Eve know where he was. A trap?
But he didn’t know Joe and Catherine were there and tracking him. That could be an advantage.
If there was such a thing in this ugly game.
* * *
“EAST.” EVE’S HEAD LIFTED, her gaze flying to the trees. “Those shots came from the east, John.”
He nodded and jumped to his feet. “Black.” He grabbed his rifle. “Will you stay here?” He answered his question. “No, of course not. Then stay close, dammit.”
He took off at a dead run.
* * *
“WE HAVE TO HURRY ALONG NOW,” Black told Cara as he jerked her after him up a low hill by the ropes binding her wrists. “Those shots were not only unsatisfying, they were dangerous. But what is life without a challenge? Gallo and Eve will be hot on our trail, so I think that I should make them play the game on my terms. I always have to control the play. Queen didn’t realize that, did he? I was right to shoot him, wasn’t I?”
Cara was sobbing. “Dead. Ugly.”
“Yes, death is ugly. But the art of killing is beautiful. It’s power and excitement and everything that life is about.” He pulled her the rest of the way to the top of the rise to stand beside him. “And that’s what you’re going to give me, Cara. Not that shallow little jolt of pleasure I felt with Queen.” He pointed to the high hills bordering the north tip of the lake. “Do you know what’s behind those hills? A little town, houses, stores, a church. I couldn’t touch you there. You’d be safe. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Oh, yes, I can see you would. You’re not at all grateful for the kind way I’ve treated you.” He untied her wrists. “Go on, run. The path is clear to the hill, then you’ll have to scramble through the brush on your own. Try to get to all the people who will save you from me. They’ll even take you to your mother.”
She didn’t move, frozen. “You’re letting me go?”
“Yes.” He squatted in front of her, his eyes holding her own. “But I’ll be coming after you. If you stop, if you hide, I’ll find you and I’ll cut you to pieces like I did your grandmother. You remember that, don’t you?”
He could see the pulse jumping with terror in her throat.
“Yes,” she whispered. “She screamed, but nobody could hear her…”
“But everyone will be able to hear you if I catch you.” He leaned closer. “Run, little deer…”
She gasped and whirled and flew down the path.
Black stood up and watched her run, stumble, fall, and jump to her feet to run again.
He smiled.
The prey had been put to flight.
Now to bring in the other prey to complete the hunt.
He dialed Gallo.
“You sound short of breath. I suppose you heard the sounds of Queen’s demise. Are you hurrying toward me in hopes of saving little Cara?”
“You didn’t kill her?”
“Not yet. That was only Queen, though Cara was a little upset with all the blood. She started sobbing again. You’d think shock would kick in and stop that nonsense. It was annoying me. So I sent her packing.”
Silence. “What are you talking about?”
“I told her that she’d only be safe if she reached the town behind that high hill at the end of the lake.”
“There’s no town there, you bastard.”
“I know, but I had to give her incentive to keep her running. I couldn’t have her collapsing and spoiling the hunt.” He paused. “Just as I’m giving you incentive to join the hunt. If I track her down, Cara will die. Unless you find her in time. Or unless you kill me. Though I’m betting I’ll take you and Eve Duncan out, then be free to finish Cara Clark. Would you like to give me odds?”
“No, you don’t have a chance. I’m going to kill you, Black.”
“You might if you were the same man you were when you came close to killing me all those years ago. You had a divine insanity that gave you power. You knew what you were and what you had to do. Now you don’t even remember that glory, you’re confused and weak.” He chuckled. “But I can’t talk to you any longer. Cara is almost out of sight, and I have to start the chase. But she’s such a little girl I won’t have trouble catching up with her.” He hung up.
“I’m coming, Cara,” he murmured as he started down the path. “I can almost hear your heartbeat. Run…”
CHAPTER
19
“BLACK’S MADE CONTACT,” Catherine said curtly as she hung up from talking to Eve. “He’s turned Cara loose on the hill at the north tip of the lake, and he’s staging some kind of macabre hunt. Eve and Gallo are on their way.”
“And so are we.” Joe stopped and gazed at the hill looming over the lake. “Black and Cara are approaching the hill from the east. Follow them on that route, and we risk an ambush. We need to climb the hill from the west slope and try to surprise Black.”
“But we can’t circle the lake and get on the other side of the hill. It would take too much time.”
“No, we can’t do that.” He gave her his gun and ammunition, but kept his knife. “We split up.”
“What?”
He moved down the bank and took off his boots and shirt. “I swim across the lake and go up the hill from the west side. You follow Black along the east route. One of us should be able to pick him off.”
“Okay, but I’m calling Eve and telling her I’m on my way to join them. I can help them zero in on Black if I can pick up that tower signal.” She hesitated. “The lake’s pretty wide. I couldn’t swim that distance. Can you make it?”
“Come on. I was a SEAL. I live on a lake.” He jumped into the lake and gasped. Cold. He started stroking. “Hell yes, I can do it. Get moving, Catherine.”
When he glanced over his shoulder, she had disappeared.
Good. No arguments. Just Catherine acting with her usual logic and efficiency. One of them had to stop Black and get the job done.