Page 111 of Only One More Lie

Where had Duke heard that voice before?

As the man’s gun pointed at Duke, Duke raised his hands in the air to show he wasn’t reaching for his weapon.

This guy could shoot them all within seconds if he wanted to. He just had to pull the trigger and sweep his gun down the line.

The cabin crackled as flames consumed it and more timbers fell.

Simmy gasped and jumped closer to Ranger. Tension rippled through the air as fire and ice mixed.

Duke didn’t take his eyes off the man.

Just what was this guy planning to do with them? He’d gone through a lot of trouble to get them here.

The man walked closer before stopping in front of them. Duke still couldn’t see who the man was because of the mask he wore.

But he didn’t think it was Caleb. Something about his build and voice didn’t fit.

Could it be Tim?

Maybe.

Jared?

Another possibility.

“You guys should have never come here,” the man said. “You only stirred up trouble.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Duke tried to reason with him, though he knew it would most likely be futile.

“Don’t tell me what I do and don’t have to do!” the man snapped.

This guy was already on edge. Duke needed to be careful what he said and did. He hoped the rest of the team would be as well.

“What do you want from us?” Andi’s voice sounded steady and confident as she called out to the man.

“You guys are going to be my most talked about December 6 murder ever,” he said. “I kept going back and forth as to which one of you would be the best. I even picked out one of you. Then I decided it should be all of you. But the best part? I never expected to get all of you at once.”

“What do we represent about Christmas to you?” Andi said.

His eyes widened. “So someone finally put that together, I see.”

“We did.”

“You all represent family,” the man stated. “You represent family that sticks together through thick and thin. Something I never had. Now, enough talking. Throw your guns on the ground. Don’t make me tell you again!”

Duke glanced at Ranger, who nodded at him. Then they did as the man said. They didn’t have much choice right now.

As much as Duke might want to charge the guy and tackle him, he knew how futile that would be. The man would simply shoot him, then finish everyone else off.

With one hand still on his rifle, the man reached into his pocket and tossed something into the snow.

“You.” He nodded at Duke. “Get those. Tie everybody up.”

Duke glanced at the object in the snow and saw it was a bundle of zip ties.

Once he tied his friends up, it would all be over.

He couldn’t let that happen.

---