Page 102 of One Final Target

Sam felt as if the floor had fallen away from his feet. “Is George okay?”

“He’s critical, in surgery as we speak. We have no idea where Jodie is.”

Sam took a deep breath and fought threatening panic. Clarity struck. “I think I know where Jodie is. He’s bringing her here, Bruce. It’s Jonah Bennett.”

“Yeah, we know about Bennett. We got a message from him. You must be in his cabin on Angeles. If Jodie’s not there yet, maybe we can get there first. We are on the way. He doesn’t only want to kill Jodie, but you and Mike King as well.”

CHAPTER56

JODIE WALKED,Jonah a step or two behind her. She tried to think, but her mind was numb from all the revelations. Mike a rapist? Gus a backstabbing opportunist? She couldn’t see it, but Jonah did. He saw it clearly enough to want bloody revenge.

Then she thought about George, lying in the middle of Highway18. Someone would have found him by now. Surely officers were looking for both her and Sam. They’d have no idea where to look. There were several numbered dirt roads in and around Green Valley Lake, all over the San Bernardino Mountains really. She’d ridden dirt bikes here with Jason often. Jason hadn’t been much of an athlete, but he was a daredevil when it came to dirt bikes. This was one of the numbered roads, but she wasn’t sure which one. Recognition gave her hope. She could get away if the opportunity arose.

She thought about the Jeep Jonah had driven her here in. It was badly damaged; perhaps the fluids leaking from the vehicle would lead rescuers to her. As hard as it was to hear, she wanted to keep Jonah talking, learn more, maybe find a way to reason with him. She turned to look at him. He was studying his phone, frowning.

“You sent Collins up to the mountains to shoot me?”

He looked up, still frowning. “Hmph. No, I didn’t. That was all his idea. He was trying to impress me. I wish he hadn’t done it, though. He made such a mess of things. Good intentions. He’s a little misfit. But he’s served me well.”

“He’s your servant?”

“He’s a means to an end. He was a friend of Jason’s. He’ll be good company when we both skip out.” He kept looking at the phone.

“Where are you going? Checking out a map?”

Now he laughed. “I know where I am at all times. You should remember from all the hikes we took.”

Jodie did remember. Jonah had an amazing sense of direction. She felt a pinch in her chest as memories of those good times flooded her mind.

“I do remember.” She stopped walking. “I remember a lot. I remember good times filled with love and laughter. Why are you doing this?”

He stopped as well and looked at her, his expression stony. “I told you. It’s payback, revenge, justice.” He shrugged and continued. “Whatever you want to call it. If it’s any consolation, I’m sorry you’ve become a means to an end. I remember wishing you were closer in age to Jason. The two of you would have been great together. Keep walking.”

“What if I don’t? Why don’t you just shoot me here?”

“I’m not going to carry you. I have a big finish planned, but I can alter it. Once I finish with you and hopefully Mike if he gets here in time, I’m going far, far away.” He stopped and pointed toward the left. “Go left. In a little bit, I think you’ll see my car.”

Jodie hesitated.

“You’re prolonging the inevitable. Look, I have your friend Sam. He’s been quite a nuisance. You want him to die alone?”

“All this death and destruction, why did you let Agent Greto live?”

Jonah frowned. “The guy in the safe house? He was practice. I was going to take you out the same way, Taser, then sedative. You messed things up. I had to improvise.”

“Why involve Sam?”

“He keeps getting in the way.”

Jodie didn’t start to walk immediately, fear for Sam overwhelming her, freezing her muscles. Frustrated because the man in front of her was not the Jonah she grew up with.

She looked around, struggling to find anything familiar. It clicked that this had to be near where Jonah’s cabin used to be. Would being at his cabin help her situation or hurt it?Oh, Lord, what is the way out of this?

Jonah’s voice brought her back to the stark reality of the here and now.

“One call and Dennis will put a bullet in his brain.”

CHAPTER57

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