Page 61 of A Rebel's Shot

“Now, because I think you deserve to know the truth before you die, I’m going to answer the insipid question.” Nolan waved his free hand like a magnanimous ruler.

“You mean your insipid question.” Merritt’s voice trembled, but it was more anger than fear. “I know why you did it, you greedy ba––”

“Ahh, ahh, ahh. Language, pumpkin.” Nolan paced in front of them, and Tiikâan watched for an opening. “Your sanctimonious father––”

“You mean, your brother? The one who would do anything for you?” Merritt shot back.

“Had become so wrapped up in his ‘clean mining’ high horse.” Nolan continued like Merritt hadn’t interrupted him. “It was becoming a problem, especially when he realized that the reports on the graphite mine might have been tampered with.”

So, Dr. Erikson had been right. Nolan turned away from them as he paced, and Tiikâan prepared to charge.

When Nolan turned back around with a gleam in his eye as he looked at Tiikâan and a smirk on his lips, Tiikâan knew there’d be no getting a drop on Nolan.

“And once he looked into those, it was just a matter of time before he looked elsewhere, and that would’ve been detrimental to me. Joni and I had worked too hard to have everything ruined.”

Nolan shrugged. “It seems a plane crash in Alaska isn’t all that difficult to arrange, though I had planned on your demise to be different. Can’t have questions raised with two similar deaths, now can we?”

Nolan held his arms wide as he took in the area. “The crash and this cave are so much better than I could have planned. Hard to be suspicious of the grief-stricken survivor.”

Maybe Tiikâan couldn’t get the drop on Nolan, but he could give Merritt time to run. Or he could wrestle the gun from Nolan, even with a bullet wound.

He knew better than most that animals don’t die right away.

Unless they’re shot through the heart.

Then he’d be useless, and Merritt would definitely be dead. He glanced behind him at the water, his heart thrashing against his ribs and up his throat.

“So, what?” Tiikâan focused back on Nolan. “You just planned to hold your breath and wait for the right time to pounce?”

He pushed his hand against Merritt’s collarbone on each word of “hold your breath” and prayed she got the clue.

“I’m trying to have a conversation with my niece.” Nolan glared, then pointed the pistol at Tiikâan’s chest. “Why don’t you see your way out?”

In one motion, Tiikâan pinned Merritt tight against him and fell backward off the edge, into the icy water as the explosion from the barrel echoed through the cavern. Piercing cold surrounded him with a splash, and the need to gasp almost had him sucking water into his lungs.

He pushed his arm between the strap and Merritt’s collarbone and gripped the other strap so that he wouldn’t be pulled from her.

They broke the surface, Nolan’s yell of rage the only sound as the water rushed them away. Tiikâan’s headlamp bounced off the edge of the cavern where the water disappeared beneath the glacier, giving him only a split second to warn Merritt.

“Big breath.” He filled his lungs and was swallowed by the deep.

Darkness engulfed them as the glacial water swept Tiikâan and Merritt beneath the ice. His muscles screamed in protest as he fought to keep his grip on her backpack straps, the current threatening to tear them apart.

The freezing water stabbed at his skin like athousand needles, each second stealing more of his warmth. His lungs burned, desperate for air.

Tiikâan’s heart pounded against his ribs, each beat a warning of their dwindling time. He pulled Merritt closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. If they were going to die, they’d go together.

A faint glow appeared ahead. Hope surged through him as they burst into a small air pocket. Tiikâan gasped, dragging in precious oxygen. He felt Merritt’s chest heave against him as she did the same.

“Hold on,” he managed to rasp before the current yanked them under once more.

The relentless flow battered them against jagged ice formations. Tiikâan’s body absorbed most of the impacts, shielding Merritt as best he could. Pain blossomed across his back and shoulders, but he refused to let go.

Another air pocket.

Another desperate gulp of air.

Then back into the frigid depths.

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