* * *
“STOP THEM!” JANE GRABBED Venable’s arm and whirled him to face her. “Are you nuts? You saw what he did to Eve a few minutes ago. He wants to hurt her. Now you’re trying to panic him into killing her?”
“It’s Doane who’s nuts,” Venable said grimly. He threw his arm toward the burning brush and the flaming wreckage of Kendra’s car. “And that should prove it to you. We have to get him under control.”
“Then let Joe do it. Give him backup, but don’t try to take Doane out by yourself. Stop that shooting.”
“I’ve given orders that my men not fire directly at the building itself but at the sidewalk and steps. Just enough to let Doane know he’s pinned down and can’t escape.” His voice was soothing. “Trust me, Jane. It’s the best psychological—”
“And what if a few of those bullets go astray?” Kendra had come up to stand beside them. “Those are hundred-clip assault weapons, not sniper rifles. Doane’s not going to tolerate the front of that saloon being shot apart. If he feels threatened, Eve may be the one who suffers for it.”
“You should approve of my taking action,” Venable said. “You were within seconds of being blown up by that booby trap Doane set.”
“It scared the hell out of Margaret and me,” Kendra said. “But it didn’t kill off any brain cells. The threat to us is over, and Eve is right in the crosshairs, where she’s been all along. We don’t need to make it any worse for her.”
“I’m not making it worse. I’m trying to—Where the hell are they going?” His attention had switched to Trevor and Caleb, who were heading down the mountain toward the town. He started to curse. “They’re not part of the operation. They have no business there. What are they doing?”
“Well, they won’t be shooting up the town,” Jane said. “They have too much sense. I’d guess they’ll be trying to help Joe.” She could see the car that must be Joe’s enter the town and head for the rear of the saloon. “I don’t want to guess. I want to be there.” She went to the edge of the road and stood there, with hands clenched, her eyes straining to see any motion at the front door of the saloon. “I’m not as good at mountain climbing as Trevor and Caleb, so you find me a fast way to get down there, Venable. Or I’ll be following them down this mountain. Either that, or you call off your attack dogs. Your choice. I’ll give you three minutes.”
“I’m not going to be—” His gaze was suddenly cool. “I’ve done what I thought best. You’ll have to do the same.”
“Right.” Jane took off down the mountain. “And I’ll be going straight to that street in front of the saloon, and any bullets from the gunfire you order will have to go through me.”
“Come back, dammit. I’m warning you. I’ll be on the phone giving orders you’re to be stopped before you get near that saloon, Jane.”
“Go ahead.” She heard him calling behind her, but she ignored it. The time was over for anything but action. She had to get down there.
“Let me go first.” Margaret was suddenly beside her. “I grew up outdoors in the woods and hill country like this. I’m as steady as a mountain goat. Just step where I step.”
“Okay.” She tried to steady her voice. “If it will get me down there faster. Thanks, Margaret.”
Margaret nodded. “I’ll take you to her.” She didn’t speak for a moment as they made their way swiftly down the mountain. “She’ll survive, Jane. I know you told me that she was strong, that she’d fight, but I never knew her, never saw her until a moment ago.” Her voice was quiet. “And she stood there in the street, taking punishment and enduring, and I thought that maybe she was stronger than even you dreamed. Perhaps more than she knows. I watched her, and I wanted to hold her, help her. I came here for you, Jane. But now it’s for her, for your Eve.”
“That’s all I ever asked. I’m so scared, Margaret,” she whispered. “It’s all going wrong.”
“Maybe not. Joe Quinn is down there. All that love surrounding her has to mean something is right.”
The gunfire had started again, and Jane felt rage and desperation choking her. She’d swear one of those bullets had struck the wooden bench beneath the saloon window. Too close. How near must a bullet come before Doane panicked? “Dammit, why don’t they stop?”
Margaret says you’ll survive, Eve. God, let her be right. Fight him. Fight all the stupidity that might destroy you. She’s right, we all love you so much. We can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.
‘We’re in the foothills now,” Margaret said. “Not long, Jane.”
But where was Joe, and what was he doing? She hadn’t seen him since he’d driven around to the rear of the saloon. He could even be inside the saloon by now. Stay safe, Joe. Don’t let anything—
She saw the wall of flame first, reaching for the sky.
Then she heard the explosion, rocking the earth, rocking the mountain, rocking the world.
The saloon blew apart, shredding into pieces. One blast following the next, feeding on fire and smoke … and agony.
Jane screamed.
“Dear God,” Margaret whispered. “No. No. No.”
“Eve.” Jane fell to her knees, her gaze on that inferno. No one could live through a blast of that magnitude. There was nothing left of walls or structure. The saloon was nothing but pure flame. The houses and shops around it were knocked flat, and the fire was licking, devouring the wood sidewalks. “Eve!”
Margaret was kneeling in front of her, wrapping her arms around her. “Hold on to me. You’re not alone. I’m here.”
But Eve wasn’t here. Eve would never be here again.
It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.
She jumped to her feet. “I’ve got to go to her. I’ve got to help her.”
“Jane…”
But she was running down toward the town, her gaze on that conflagration from hell.
She fell, jumped up again, and ran.
Joe. Where was Joe? Maybe he’d gotten Eve out before the explosion. That could happen, couldn’t it?
Or perhaps Joe was lost in those flames, too.
Agony tore through her at the thought.
Nightmare. Loneliness. Pain.
There were people around her, Venable’s team milling around in front of the saloon.
Caleb was coming toward her.
“Joe Quinn is alive,” he said. “He was behind the saloon, and the blast blew him ten or fifteen feet away against a shop building. I think he’ll be okay. Trevor is checking him out now.”
“Thank God.” She swallowed. “Now tell me Eve is okay.”
Caleb didn’t answer.
“Tell me. She has to be alive. She has to be okay.”
Caleb’s gaze went back to the fire. “Eve went into that saloon and never came out. Dozens of witnesses, Jane, all focused in hopes that Eve would walk out of there. There must have been enough explosives in there to blow up a mountain. We’ll see a hole big as a crater when we manage to get in there.”
“Don’t tell me that.”
“I have to tell you exactly that,” he said fiercely. “Do you think I want to do it? I hate it. I can’t stand seeing you like this. I want to stop it. But I can’t stop it. All I can do is cut you, and hurt you, and hope that you heal soon.”
“She’s not dead. She can’t be dead.”
“I hope you’re right. But don’t expect me to tell you that you are. I’ll leave that to Trevor or Quinn. They’ll comfort you and maybe even make you feel better.” He stepped back. “Go on. Go to them. They’re still behind the saloon.” He turned away. “Or what used to be the saloon. I’m going to go talk to Venable and see if he has a way to find out … if there’s a way of definitely ascertaining if there were any victims in that hellhole of a blast. I’ll let you know.”
Joe was struggling to get to his feet when Jane reached him a few minutes later. His face was cut and bleeding, and his eyes were wild.
“No.” His voice was hoarse. “No, Jane. It doesn’t make sense. We can’t lose her.”