Page 17 of Dangerous Lies

“Agreed. A boat is the easiest way to get on and off the property. According to Mr. Ingles, he installed new deadbolts and a security system on the house yesterday, but hasn’t hung the outside cameras.” Dawson met Jax’s gaze. “Megan’s grandparents were only gone for twenty minutes. Either this guy got lucky and came when no one was home or he’s been watching the house.”

A buzzing, like a thousand bees, hummed overhead, interrupting their conversation. Jax recognized the sound of a drone. It wasn’t unusual for amateur photographers to capture aerial shots of the lake, but this was private property. Federal law required drones to fly above four hundred feet, and this one sounded much lower.

Jax scanned the skyline, his nerves prickling. The buzzing was getting closer, but the drone wasn’t visible.

Dawson turned, also scanning the sky. “A reporter?”

“Doubtful. They know better than this.”

Still, Jax took off his jacket and draped it over the mannequin. They didn’t need anyone taking a photograph of the crime scene.

The drone appeared over the tree line. Black legs extended and propellers whirring, it resembled a large flying bug. It dipped closer to the ground as it passed the boathouse. Jax squinted against the sunlight and raised a hand to shield his eyes. His heart stuttered.

A weapon was strapped to the drone’s underside.

“Gun!” he shouted to Dawson, just as a stream of fire shot from the drone. Heat scorched the air, singeing the skin on Jax’s face as the boathouse roof erupted into flames. Dawson dove to the ground and rolled for cover. The drone ignored him, swiveling toward the house.

Toward Megan.

She stood motionless in the yard, her mouth open in shock. Wind rifled her blonde hair. She was exposed, a perfect target. Jax yanked his weapon from its holster and took aim at the drone.

Fired.

Missed.

The drone adjusted course, zeroing in on Megan. Jax yelled her name, and for a moment, their gazes locked. He ran toward her, but the distance was insurmountable. He wouldn’t get close enough to shoot the drone down before it reached Megan. His chest tightened as he pushed his legs to move faster.

Megan took a step back as the flamethrower swung toward her. Terror flashed across her beautiful features. Then she turned and bolted for the trees.

Away from the house, away from her grandparents.

The drone whirled in pursuit, spitting a fresh stream of fire straight at Megan’s retreating figure.

TEN

A burst of heat kissed Megan’s back, and she yelped in fear. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. She pushed her legs to move faster, the uneven ground threatening to trip her at every step.

The buzzing behind her grew louder, and she knew the drone was gaining ground. Desperate to make herself a harder target to hit, she zigzagged toward the trees surrounding her property. They wouldn’t provide her with a shred of protection. Once the flamethrower set the branches ablaze, even with the rain they’d had, it wouldn’t take long for the fire to spread. She couldn’t outrun a wildfire any more than she could escape the drone.

Her mind whirled, panic and fear making her thoughts frenetic. The relentless buzz of the drone stole her focus. Another blast of heat burst behind her, close enough to singe her hair. Her foot slipped on a patch of mud, and she went down hard, her knees hitting the ground with a bone-jarring thud. Pain shot up her legs and into her hips.

The drone zipped past. It rose into the sky and then spun, pointing the flamethrower’s barrel straight at her.

Oh God, help me.

Megan scrambled to her feet, legs trembling from the fall and the exertion. She heard Jax shout her name, his voice raw with urgency, but with her breath ragged and the drone closing in, her sole focus was on survival. The fall had changed her direction. Instead of being trapped between the house and the forest, she was facing the back of the property. Like a beacon of hope, the lake glittered in the fading sunlight.

Megan raced for it. The drone followed in pursuit. Her boots pounded against the earth, then thudded on the dock as she sprinted down its length. Sweat coated her skin. There was no time to think about how cold the water would be or to register the searing cramp in her side. Death followed her. The drone’s ever-present buzzing grew deafening. The flames at her back were so close she could feel the heat licking her skin.

With a last burst of energy, Megan leaped into the lake.

Cold darkness swallowed her whole. The icy water shocked her system, stealing her breath and clouding her vision. Her body sank to the bottom, but instead of pushing up, she stayed there. Where it was safe. But for how long? Her lungs were already screaming for oxygen. She hadn’t been able to take a full breath before diving under the water. The drone’s buzzing was muffled, but Megan could still hear it.

Hunting for her.

Silt drifted as she turned toward the dock. Bubbles escaped her lips as she released what little precious oxygen she had left. Kicking her feet, Megan swam closer to shore. The deepening darkness was the only indicator she had that she was in the right position. With a silent prayer, her lungs desperate for air, she surfaced.

The top of her head hit wood as she sucked in a breath with a gasp. Water lapped at the pillars holding up the dock. Megan clung to one, shivering, struggling to keep herself afloat even as her clothes dragged her back down. Her breaths were shallow. Water dripped from her hair into her eyes, clouding her vision. But the ever-present hum of the drone was there. Fear struck her hard. Now that she wasn’t an option, would it go after Jax? Her grandparents? Would it burn everything on her property to the ground?

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