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TWENTY-FOUR

My eyes popped open The truck was running, and the inside of the cab was an inferno fro on the driver&039;s side but bent over, face against the passenger&039;s seat, arm back behind the seat in mid-reach for the thermos

I sat up My back was in knots The headache behind ht up with me, and I&039;d paid the price I rolled the n an inch, welcoh the trees, bathed the winterscape in shades of orange The snow on the ground was even and unbroken An unspoiled wilderness It looked like a picture postcard

I flung open the driver&039;s side door, sturabbed a handful of snow and held it towhile I was passed out Tina ht have returned to the house and found the carnival of death I&039;d left behind Or the police, saot no answer, became suspicious

Or maybe they were all still asleep It was just dawn after all

I got back in the truck Up the ed trail, until the forest split around a calhly following the shoreline The closest cabin was barely a frah the trees another hundred yards around the lake another cabin was perhaps two-thirds finished Directly across the lake sat the only cabin in sight, which was fully built and clearly inhabited A thin tendril of smoke oozed from the stone chimney

A blue sedan in front It was too far to see the Florida plates, but I knew they were there

My head throbbed My mouth was dry, still tasted faintly of vo around I followed the trail around the lake, pulled the32, and set it on the seat next to ht but steady breeze pulled at the chimney smoke above the cabin The cabin was built with brownish-red wood It had a roof that peaked in the middle like a capital A, and aabove the door- a loft erto the side of the door

I parked twenty yards from the cabin&039;s front door The lake was close behind, the dock jutting out into deep water, no boats I stepped out of the truck, stood looking at the front , but theinside If they were awake, they couldn&039;t help but notice er I was fed up aiting Maybe I&039;d just walk up there, knock on the door Or kick it open

The tall, fat one in flannel took away those options when he stu wildly at h the snoard the sedan, keys in one hand, pistol pointed back at er blindly Three shots went overhead One punched through the truck&039;s windshield

I threw myself down on the snow, aiht him in the ankle, and he went down Another shot on the top of the head He twitched once, and that was it

I stood Brushed off the snoent to check on him Dead I picked up his piece, stashed it in ed next to the Minelli cannon

In his attempt to flee, Tall-n-Fat had left the cabin door open I walked in, stood just in the doorway The cabin was one big roo up iht, probably a bed up there A fire had burnt low in the large, stone fireplace, only glowing ee carpet stretched in front of it

A cot had been hastily erected within war distance of the fire Amber lay stretched out on her stomach, eyes closed, hair across her face She was pale Her wrists were tied under the cot by a length of cord Tina sat in a wooden chair next to the cot, her legs crossed, eyes num to Amber&039;s head

I said, "Your pal tried to run Didn&039;t o all the ith this," said Tina "That big ape with the long hair gave us a lot of trouble before we killed hiuess Dave decided to cut his losses and go"

"Not you, huh?"

"I&039;ve worked too hard," she said "I requested undercover so I could get close to Jeffers I don&039;t like FBI work really, and the pay sucks"

"So you found a way to make it profitable," I said

"Yes Jeffers was as corrupt as anyone I&039;d ever seen, but weak, easy to manipulate My friends and I decided we could just about do anything anted When those ledgers went up for grabs well, it was just too good of an opportunity to let pass"

"But it blew up in your face, didn&039;t it? A fly in the ointment Me So I went in and shot all of your friends dead"

Her eyes grew hard

I said, "And now I&039;m here to kill you"

"I don&039;t think so," she said "You obviously want the girl, or you wouldn&039;t be here Think you&039;re fast, Mr Gunh to-"

Poot

She took the bullet just above her left eye, her mouth jerked in mid-sentence, and she fell forward in front of the chair, her butt sticking in the air She still clutched the revolver

I approached cautiously, pried the gun froainst the other Minelli cannon

My coat was full of guns

I went through Tina&039;s pocket and found the locker key, exhaled with relief, and stuck it in my pants pocket

I slid my bowie knife out and cut Aood long look She wore a loose, powder-blue T-shirt and jeans Bare feet I checked her over I&039;d been through a lot to find her, and I wanted to make sure she was okay

She had fresh tracks down the inside of her left ar That&039;s how they&039;d kept her quiet She was passed out now froe

She looked terrible Behind the pale, drawn face dwelt a remnant of the beauty my brother saw in her I brushed the hair fro, but I&039;d make sure she and Danny had a chance to ride into the sunset

I touched her cheek Her eyes flew open

I sat up, jerkedup exposing teeth in a horrified grimace A muted scream tore from the depths of her throat

"It&039;s okay," I said quickly "It&039;s lassy, unfocused She didn&039;t recognize me

Amber thrashed wildly, and I backed away fro little grunting noises of fear as she ran through the front door

"Wait!" I followed

She looked back only once, her face a study in pure animal fear, her only instinct to run Her little, naked feet punched deep holes into the ra I ran to cut her off fro the pea coat pockets to keep the guns fro out

She sensed my intercept course and turned toward the lake Her feet pounded down the wooden planks of the long dock I ran after, thinking I had her trapped when she got to the end of the dock, thinking that I&039;d explain everything If that didn&039;t work I&039;d si back to the cabin

It didn&039;t happen that way

She showed no sign of slowing, hit the end of the dock at full speed, and launched herself, ar splash, went down, the dark lake closing over her

"Fuck!"

I hesitated only a moment, then dove after her

I ed by the watery silence, went down quickly, deep Every ainst the cold I forced my eyes open into darkness, the world above a silver blur of daylight Below led in one I was distantly aware my pain pills were in the inside pocket No time to worry about it Already the dreaue overwhelht aside, stroked toward the arm Amber came into view, her eyes closed She floated ar halo I took her,with one arm The surface seemed a mile away

They say your life flashes in front of you when you&039;re about to die, but I thoughthappened in eerie slow motion as I floated upward The pictures in an, and of Marcie Nothing about the e, my old life, Stan It was as if I&039;d shed thes burned, eyes stung, limbs felt lifeless, leaden and slack I stroked hard

Please

I broke the surface, sed air with loud, coarse gulps, spit water, coughed I pulled Amber up next to

I swa a hold on the rough planks No way I didn&039;t have the strength to pull ive it up when I felt the botto one foot in front of the other until the lake was behind me

Amber slipped out of my arms to the snow-covered shore I knelt next to her, pinched her nose, tilted the head back Her T-shirt clung to her skin, nipples thrusting against the fabric I covered her mouth with mine Blew Where had I learned this? It didn&039;t hed water I turned her on her side and let her finish She sucked breath, sobbed We shivered together on the shore, teeth chattering She let me help her up We walked with an unsteady sway back to the cabin