Page 64 of Canyon of Deceit
“Therese?”
I inhaled sharply. Held it and refused to exhale until I made certain the voice came from the bravest Texas Ranger known to man.
I swung in every direction until I saw a familiar figure kneeling beside another man. Blane was alive! I rushed to see the man behind the voice. I hurried to Blane who’d forever be my hero and knelt beside him. He’d used a piece of the shirt from his splint to bandage a man’s shoulder wound. Around me lay others, some not moving.
“Are you shot?” My eyes roved his body for signs of a new wound.
“No. Not sure how I missed a bullet.” He nodded at the man between us. “This is FBI Agent Dave Tanner, a paramedic who saved my life.”
Nothing else needed to be said. A debt owed and a debt of gratitude. “Agent Tanner, are there specific instructions before I tend these men?”
“Just do what you can for them. Help is on its way. While wondering if I’d live, I figured it was time to retire from the FBI. My little girl deserves a daddy who isn’t risking his life at every turn.” He frowned at me. “You have a nasty black eye.”
I attempted a smile. “It will heal.”
“What about Alina?” Blane said.
Burning anger chased the relief. “Jurg Falin nabbed her with a box of something from the cave. He killed Chandler. Any evidencewas destroyed in the explosion.” I stood. “These men need me until help arrives.”
“Take my backpack.” Agent Tanner drew in a sharp breath. “First aid supplies inside. I think one man is gone.” He nodded at a man who had received a shot to his head.
Would the bloodshed ever end?
I grabbed Agent Tanner’s backpack. Where did I start? I’d disinfect and apply bandages to these men’s injuries until paramedics arrived.
In the distance, another whirl of helicopter blades lifted my spirits. With Falin and the ROC gone, the helicopter had a place to land.
THIRTY-SEVEN
ALINA
The people who tried to rescue me were all hurt or dead except Therese... and she had no water or food. How sad. On the awful day the big trouble started, Daria had picked me up from school for the first time. On the way to her car, I’d asked her why, and she didn’t answer.
“Is Daddy okay?”
“Yes. He’s busy and I offered to pick you up.” She took my hand, and she’d never even hugged me before. Something sweet and warm flowed through me. “Want to make cookies when we get home?” Daria said.
“Oh yes, thank you.” Why had she changed? We’d never made cookies. But I didn’t want to ask and spoil our time together. What if we were going to be like a real mom and daughter, like my friends at school? Nothing would replace my real mommy, but I wanted life at home to be better when Daddy wasn’t there.
If I’d refused to go with her, Daria would be alive and the others too. We might even be friends. I kept going over what had happened in the cave. Therese hid my eyes from Mr. Falin shooting Mr. Chandler, but my T-shirt had blood down the front of it. I’m glad I listened to her.
Where was Mr. Falin taking me? I wanted to ask, but he mighthurt me. In the cave, I trusted he might take me back to Daddy, until he shot the really bad man. Trusting Mr. Falin wasn’t smart. Daddy warned me about some people being nice until they got what they wanted. He said I should make people prove they were nice, and that took time. Mr. Falin used to come to our house and have dinner or drinks with Daria and Daddy. They sent me to my room as soon as I finished eating. I never heard what they talked about.
Mr. Falin’s voice jolted me back to now. He spoke in Russian to someone on his phone, but he didn’t use headphones. I’d been in a helicopter with Daddy and Daria, but it wasn’t like this... much smaller and loud.
I listened to every word. “They’re dead or bleeding out. I have the kid.” He paused again. “Right. Ivanov either follows through or I’ll kill the kid in front of him. Then blow a hole through his cowardly heart.” He brought the phone away from his ear and put it in his pants pocket.
I shook all over. What did Mr. Falin want Daddy to do? It must be something horrible. My daddy would never do anything bad... even to save me.
Mr. Falin turned to me and said in Russian, “Alina, if you want to live, you’ve got to do everything I tell you. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.” I’d not show fear and touched my necklace.
“What is that?” he said.
“A ballerina necklace my daddy gave me.”
He turned the ballerina over in his hand. “You better bank on your dad keeping his word or you won’t live much longer.”
