Page 104 of Security Breach

They waited in silence, tension building as the seconds passed in agonizing slowness.

Two doors slammed shut, then footsteps came closer and closer. The doors at the back of the van opened, revealing two figures dressed in unrelieved black.

“Well, look who’s awake,” the taller thug said to the shorter one.

“You were right, Marty. The gas worked like a charm, and the timing was perfect. They’re awake to play.”

Marty Grisham? Both men’s faces were still in shadow, preventing her from positively identifying either one from the security cam photos. The Hunt Club team had arranged this night’s events.

“Aren’t I always?” Arrogance filled Marty’s voice. “Out of the van, Montgomery. You, too, Ms. Tucker.”

David glanced over his shoulder. “Stay behind me,” he whispered.

Easier said than done, but she nodded.

“Move, Sheriff, or I’ll shoot you now and save all the fun for your woman.”

What did Marty mean by that? At his words, Emma felt those invisible spiders crawling along her skin.

David slowly moved toward the men, doing his best to keep his body between their captors and Emma. The men backed up, their guns trained on David. Smart. Emma wasn’t a threat.

“Stand where I can see you, Ms. Tucker,” Marty ordered.

“No, Em,” David said.

“Don’t listen to him, sweet Emma,” the second thug said. “Unless you want to watch your boyfriend die now instead of later. Don’t be a spoilsport.”

Emma pressed closer to David’s back. “David, please,” she whispered.

His jaw hardened, but he gave her a slight nod, his gaze locked on their captors.

She eased out far enough for the men to see her while still remaining partially hidden behind David. “Why are you doing this?”

A slow smile curved Marty’s face. He chuckled, his glee sending a cold finger of fear trailing down her spine. “Unfinished business. And for the money, of course. I don’t like to lose.”

“Money? Someone is paying you to do this?”

Jerome laughed. “We pay to play, sweet Emma. The hunting fees are dumped into an account. The team with the most kills at the end of the year wins the pot of money.” A sly grin. “Minus a hefty fee, of course.”

Marty chuckled. “The teams made a side bet that we’d fail to bag you and your boyfriend. They were wrong.”

Emma’s breath caught in her throat. These men planned to hunt them like wild animals.

“You don’t want to do this,” David said, voice soft.

“Oh, we definitely do. This hunt will be more fun than stalking people in a house. If it’s as entertaining as we hope, we’ll create a higher-stakes game for members to play.”

“You want a challenge? Let Emma go free, and take me on alone.”

An outright laugh. “Good try, Montgomery. Not going to happen. Besides, if we let your lady go free, we’ll lose the bet, and one of the other teams will have a chance to bag her. Since she escaped the first time, she’s been the ultimate prize.”

“They’ll keep coming for her?”

“Of course. Emma has proved to be quite elusive. That makes her more valuable.” Marty’s smile faded. “I won’t lose this bet. Doesn’t matter to me what kind of secret background you have. You can’t outrun a bullet.” He smirked. “I know your greatest weakness, Montgomery. Emma. You won’t leave her behind. She’ll be the death of you.”

“How much did you pay to get into this club?”

A snort. “Nothing. It’s my club.”

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