Page 200 of Buried Too Deep

There was a slight hesitation before the gun shoved into her head again. “Let’s go. You there, in the chair. Get up or Cora dies.”

Tandy struggled to her feet, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Phin, please be there. Please be ready to do something.

Because she knew that Alan wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. He’d ordered the murder of his own grandchild today. The man had no soul. And he had nothing to lose.

“Why can’t you buy your way out of the country?” Cora asked. “You’re richer than God.” She winced when he dug the fingers of his free hand into her arm.

“Do not blaspheme,” he snapped.

Cora wanted to laugh at the irony, but she didn’t dare.

Keeping the gun to her head, Alan urged her forward. “Move. We’re going out the back, through the gate. I have your friend’s car keys. You’ll drive. If you scream, you both die. I’m one hundred percent serious.”

Cora didn’t doubt that. But his plan wasn’t going to work. Val had parked their company SUV behind Tandy’s car. She was surprised that Alan didn’t know that. Hadn’t he looked out a window?

She took a careful step forward, breathing a sigh of relief at the shadow she could see through the window in the door. Phin. Phin was there waiting.

Thank God.

26

The Garden District, New Orleans, Louisiana

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 9:10 P.M.

CORA WAS SO FOCUSED ON both the gun at her head and that shadow at her kitchen door that she didn’t hear anyone behind her until Alan made a strangled cry of pain. The pressure disappeared from her head, and she dropped to the floor, grabbing Tandy and dragging her under the table.

A thud shook the room and she peered through the legs of the chairs to see Alan sliding down the opposite wall. He still held the gun, but he was blinking hard.

Phin. Phin had thrown him across the room.

Phin had placed himself between Cora and Alan. Phin, who didn’t have a gun. He was standing there, making himself a target.

“Don’t come closer,” Alan said, his arm extended, the gun now pointed at Phin’s chest. “I will kill you.”

No. No, no, no. Not Phin. Alan would kill him and Cora couldn’t let that happen.

“Stop!” Cora crawled out from under the table. “I’ll go with you. Just…don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt Tandy, either. I’ll take you to Mexico.”

“Cora,” Phin said, his voice so very calm. “Get out. Go through the back door. Take Tandy with you. Call 911, then Burke. Now.”

A shot cracked the air and Phin staggered backward, falling on his ass. Cora didn’t think. She just threw herself over him.

“I said I’d go with you!” she cried. “Why did you have to shoot him?”

Alan struggled to his feet. “He wasn’t going to let me take you out of here. Now move. You and the other girl. Go. I just want to get out of here.”

Cora looked up at the man, tears blurring her vision. “No. You want to kill me, too. Because I know who you are. I know what you did. To my father. To your own daughter. To your granddaughter.” She blinked hard to clear her eyes. “You’re a monster.”

Alan strode forward, grabbing a handful of her hair and yanking her away from Phin. She clutched Phin harder, even though her scalp burned and her eyes teared even more. Phin moved beneath her, one of his legs swinging wide.

For a moment, Cora was stunned into immobility. Phin wasn’t hurt.

Kevlar, she thought. They were all still wearing their vests. Everyone except for Tandy.

Then the floor shook because Alan had fallen. The gun in his hand discharged, and Tandy screamed from under the table, the sound muffled.

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