Page 35 of A Rhapsody of Ravens and Revenge

“It doesn’t matter how many missions we go on,” Nate said. “The fear of losing her is real. I don’t know how Atticus is coping. I’m not sure what I’d do if anything ever happened to Eden.”

The wind rocked the car back and forth, and the wipers were fighting a losing battle. The off-road tires gripped the wet sand as they sped along the beach as far as they could before the rocks blocked them.

“Why was Jenson Walker here with Taber?” Nate asked. “We’ve got loads of intel on Taber and he’s never taken on a partner before.”

“He’s never had a target guarded by trained operatives inside a compound,” Cal said. “He had to make some adjustments so he could get the job done. Taber is a user. Which is why Walker is dead by the front door and Taber is still alive.”

“I can’t see anything,” Nate said, coming to a stop. “He could be right on top of us. We need to move faster. I don’t have a good feeling in my gut. Something is wrong.”

“Leave me here,” Eden said weakly. “I can wedge myself on the other side of that larger rock there. He’ll never see me.”

“You’ll be in the water,” Evie said. “Some of those waves will go over your head.” Evangeline was worried. Really worried. Eden’s color wasn’t good and she was going in and out of consciousness. “The rocks are smoother closer to the lagoon. You can’t stay here, so our only option is up. Get on my back.”

Eden tried to laugh but she didn’t have the energy. “I’m a good five inches taller than you. That’s not going to work.”

“Up and at ’em, Debbie Downer.” Evie kept watch on the horizon, looking for Taber to appear like mist right in front of them. “You’re not going to quit on my watch. If we can make it up to that ledge then I think we’ll be hidden well enough without having to go down into the lagoon.”

Eden nodded, but Evie could tell even that was a chore. “Just give me a boost.” So Evie pulled her to her feet and steadied her.

Evie laced her fingers and braced herself for Eden’s weight. She didn’t think the other woman would have the upper body strength to pull herself up on the rocks, but Eden dug in and gathered resolve from somewhere because her fingers bit into the rocks and the muscles in her arms flexed as she pulled herself up.

“You got it,” Evie encouraged, praying her wound wouldn’t start bleeding badly again. Eden had already lost so much blood.

Salt spray stung Evie’s eyes and wet ropes of hair felt like whips against her face as she climbed up behind Eden. The other woman half crawled, half dragged herself the rest of the way to the rougher rocks toward the top that hadn’t been worn smooth from crashing waves.

Evie had to give it to her, she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to keep going if she’d been in a similar situation. When they got to the top Evie wedged Eden between two large rocks. They couldn’t get any wetter, but the cold was starting to set in and Eden’s teeth were chattering. Her color had a gray tinge to it, and Evie could see her visibly trying to get control of her breathing.

“Don’t worry about me,” Eden said. “I’ve been here before. But I’m pretty close to passing out so I’m not going to be much use to you.”

Evie nodded and tightened the makeshift bandage as best as she could. The bullet was still inside Eden, and she didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. There was no telling the kind of damage the bullet was doing inside. On the other hand, an exit wound would have made slowing the bleeding infinitely harder.

“Take this,” Eden said, handing her the extra Glock. “Cal and Nate will be here soon. They’d see what happened at the house and go directly to plan B. You shouldn’t have to wait long. Nate is going to be frantic. Tell him I told you I’m going to be okay.”

And with that, Eden slowly faded out of consciousness, until her head slumped to the side and rested against the rocks.

Evie put two fingers against Eden’s neck, just to make sure there was still a pulse, and she let out a breath of relief when she found it.

“Everything is going to be fine.” She stood up and fumbled for the phone in her pocket to see if she had service, and that’s when the bullet ricocheted off the rock next to her.

She lost her footing and tumbled back down the rocks to the sand, scraping her knees and elbows along the way. The gun fell from her grasp and landed in the sand a few feet away. The phone went in the other direction. She scrambled for the gun just as another bullet hit the rocks.

He must have gotten a glimpse of her when she’d stood up, but she didn’t think he could see where she’d landed. She looked around, trying to get a glimpse of him, but she couldn’t tell what direction the shots were coming from. The rain made it hard to see and to hear. Another shot hit the rocks, this one closer to the shore where she was. And then there was another higher up. His shots were wild, and she figured he was probably trying to get her to run. But the only place to run was back to the house and toward Taber. It was impossible to climb back up the rocks and then down the other side. Not without really hurting herself. That would have been a tenuous climb in perfect weather.

She kept low and shielded by the rocks. The weight of the gun in her hand felt good and familiar. He wanted her to move. To run. So she’d just wait him out. The key to survival was to not panic. She needed to think like her father had taught her to think.

She was a target. And she was just another job for Taber. Plain and simple. It wasn’t personal. She’d just happened to be the unlucky person who could identify him and link him to Senator Biddle’s murder. In her mind she knew it wasn’t personal. But it sure as hell felt personal.

The next gunshot made her jump slightly, and then it was followed by a steady stream of gunfire. Pieces of rock flew in all directions, and she felt the sting as one of them sliced her cheek. She hoped to God Eden was hidden well enough so she didn’t get caught in the crossfire.

Evie knew her options and time were up. He was moving closer, continuing to fire and then reloading his magazine. He’d eventually be right on top of her and then she’d be at a disadvantage. She could either sit there and wait for him to kill her with a lucky shot, or she could fire back in the general direction she thought the bullets were coming from.

Another bullet hit the rocks about ten feet over her head and she took a last deep breath and started firing. She immediately started moving at a fast pace, and she said every prayer she knew along the way, looking for the next place she could take cover.

She didn’t know if it was an act of God or good luck, she wasn’t one to question, but the rain slowed and the fog cleared just enough—a split second of time—for Taber’s silhouette to be visible. She didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. There was no second-guessing in a life-or-death situation. And she kept pulling the trigger until the magazine was empty.

As fast as it stopped, the rain started again with a fierce gust of wind, the fog rolling off the ocean and onto the shore. Her heart pounded and the rain and salt stung her eyes. Her flesh was pebbled with cold and she only wore her bra and jeans. Her shoes had protected her feet from the rocks, but her body was scraped and bleeding in several places. She was starting to feel the pain. She wasn’t exactly at her best. But she was alive. And that counted for something.

Only seconds later Cal and Nate were climbing over the first rock barrier and they were staring between her and Taber’s body in wide-eyed shock.

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