“But you’re not me, are you? I’ll complain if I like.” His gaze was narrowed, circling the trees. “Interesting. This area looks amazingly similar to the photo that Jane MacGuire sent to Quinn.” Joe Quinn had stopped on the trail about a mile from here and pulled up the photo and compared it to the landscape. “Coincidence, Stang?”
“I’m sure you think it is.”
“But Eve Duncan would not, nor would a certain priest I met in Tibet. So who is correct?”
“You tell me.”
“Why, I am, Stang.” He smiled. “I’m always correct.”
“But you didn’t tell me which way you were leaning.”
“I didn’t, did I?” He stiffened. “Quinn’s coming around the other side. I hear him.”
Seconds later, Quinn emerged from the shrubbery. “Lights blazing but no one inside.” He frowned with frustration. “I’m tempted to go in anyway. There could be something that would give us a clue to where they went.” He strode to the front door. “It’s so damn—” He stopped. His gaze was on an object high up in the eaves. “What the hell? You told me there weren’t any cameras here, Zander.”
Zander went still. “There weren’t any cameras when I was here before. Not in the trees. Not anywhere near the house.” He was beside Quinn in seconds, looking up at the eaves. “And I checked there, too. No camera.” He tilted his head. “It’s not an entrance camera, it’s pointed at the front grounds area and the trail.” His gaze narrowed. “And it’s running. It probably detected us on the trail and started operating.”
“Who’s receiving that picture? There’s no one inside the house,” Quinn said. “And if what you said is true, then the camera was probably put in right before Doane left. That means he wanted to keep tabs on anyone who might discover that this might be where he was keeping Eve.”
“Why bother?” Stang asked. “If he was going to take her out of the area, what would it matter?”
“What, indeed?” Zander said. “Unless, he wanted Eve to finish the reconstruction and wasn’t sure there was any danger. He’d want to set up a signal that would tell him if he should move out.” He strode away from the door and around the corner of the house and gazed at the ridge that formed the rim of the punch-bowl valley. “Are you down there, Doane?” he murmured. “Wait for me, I’m coming.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Quinn was standing beside him. “What’s down there? What’s the story on the ghost town you were telling us about?”
“Just a ghost town called Drakebury Springs. I went there first when I was searching for Doane. When I was in the saloon, I found fresh boot tracks in the dust, and I thought it possible Doane had been there scouting out a place but decided against it. Then when I found the coin factory, I knew I’d struck gold.” He shrugged. “But maybe Doane had second thoughts. Even with these foothills and ridges between that town and us, he might have had a clear enough signal so that he could feel safe down there even if we found this place.”
“And any smartphone could be set up to signal him that the camera had turned on.” He turned to Zander. “How certain are you that Doane could be down there?”
“Not certain at all. But it’s a possibility.” He started down the trail that led to the valley. “And it’s also a distinct probability that if I’m right, Doane knows we’re here and that the ghost town might be our next stop. I suggest we get down there before he takes off with Eve.” He added over his shoulder, “My car is parked in the trees about a hundred yards from here. You and Stang are welcome to come along.”
“Shit.” Quinn was dialing his phone as he strode quickly after Zander. “Venable. Jane said that he’d be heading in this direction as soon as he confirmed that coin factory. We need help.”
“I don’t want Venable.”
“Screw you. I want everyone I can get.” He spoke into the cell phone. “Venable, I need you to head for a ghost town, Drakebury Springs. It’s near the coin factory you and Kendra were searching for. You can track my cell phone for the coordinates. We’re heading there now.”
“I have the coordinates for the coin factory. That’s the target.”
“We’ve been there. Doane has left. Zander believes he may be down in the ghost town. How fast can you get there?”
“Soon. Wait for me.”
“Can’t wait. Doane may know we’re here. Get going!” He hung up and got in the car. Stang jumped into the backseat, and Zander took off.
Joe’s phone rang. Kendra. “Quinn, I just heard from Venable. Wait for us. Don’t go in alone. Margaret and I are on the ridge above the ghost town, heading toward you. We’ll be there within five minutes.”
Joe glanced at the ridge. He could see a dark gray sedan on the winding road around the mountain that would cross their path in the five minutes Kendra had designated … maybe.
“Stay back. Venable’s coming.”
“Yeah, I know. He’s not too far behind us,” Kendra said grimly. “And he’s coming on a little too strong. I don’t—There’s a tree or something in the road ahead. I didn’t need this, dammit. It looks like some kind of—”
The road in front of Kendra exploded into a fiery inferno.
“My God.”
Kendra’s car careened to the side of the road, and she was clearly struggling for control. The smoke was so thick that it was impossible to see if she’d actually plunged into the flames.
Then the smoke cleared, and they could see that she was hanging half-off the road, over the valley below.
“Get out!” Joe shouted.
“I doubt if she can hear you,” Zander said. “She would have to have nerves of steel not to have dropped the phone.” He glanced at the flaming plume in front of Kendra’s car. “And I think the passenger door is opening. They may be okay.”
The next moment, the two women emerged out of the passenger door onto the road.
“Run, dammit. Run, Kendra.” Joe said through his teeth as he saw the flames licking backward from the blast to envelop the car.
They were already running.
The next minute, the gas tank of the car blew, knocking Kendra and Margaret to the ground.
“I’d say that Doane expected visitors,” Zander said. “And decided to put out the DO NOT DISTURB sign.” He glanced at Kendra and Margaret, who were getting to their knees. “I’m not stopping, Quinn. That blast might be Doane’s first warning shot. I want to be there before he fires the second.”
“I’m not asking you to stop.” He glanced at the twin fiery plumes that were clawing at the sky. Then he looked back at the ghost town in the valley below. “He’s down there. Eve’s down there. Let’s go get them.”
* * *
THE SECOND EXPLOSION SHOOK the floor of the saloon, causing Eve to lose her balance and fall to her knees.
What was happening? What was Doane doing?
She had just managed to slide her handcuffed hands through the broken wood and manipulate the bolt to free herself when the first explosion had gone off.
She had been on her way across the room toward the bar when the second explosion had happened.
Was it Doane? Or maybe Zander had shown up and set off both explosions. How the hell did she know? Her job was to take advantage of what might be a diversion and get out of here.
And find Zander’s weapon and phone to protect herself before she did it.
She hurriedly crawled the additional few yards around the back of the bar. Zander had said he’d pushed it far back out of sight on a shelf beneath the bar …
She could see a shelf, but there was no weapon. Did you lie to me, Zander?
Don’t give up. It could be at the other end of the bar.
She twisted around and quickly started crawling.
She suddenly stopped, frozen.
“Dear God,” she whispered.
She could go no farther—the way was blocked.
By three kegs that were marked: DANGER. EXPLOSIVE. Several sticks of dynamite were fastened to each keg, neatly arranged in evenly spaced rows. On top was what appeared to be a triggering mechanism, with a red LED display glowing in the darkness.
“Bitch!” Doane was standing at the open end of the bar behind her. “How did you—” He was striding toward her. “Come out and join the party.”