Page 54 of Canyon of Deceit
Who was I fooling? I doubted she lived. Still, I’d given my word to Rurik, and I’d find her and bring her home—no matter the condition of her body.
I hiked to higher ground and studied the area behind me where I’d left Blane. In about an hour, I’d be down and across the canyon floor, then up to the cave’s entrance. If my idea didn’t pan out, I’d hurryback to Blane even in the dark. As much as I wanted to investigate the smoke seen earlier in the west, I wouldn’t risk Blane spending too much time alone, especially in his physical condition. He’d done his best to cover the excruciating pain, and I fretted about internal injuries.
Once I made it to the cave, I’d send up a flare. Should have done so early this morning, but like Blane had pointed out, we risked alerting Chandler to our latest position and without a gun... Most likely he watched every move we made. That theory struck terror as much as finding Alina dead. Or both she and Blane dead.
Something poked me in the small of my back. I whirled around to the grizzled Chandler scowling at me under the brim of a tattered hat. He’d grown a beard that matched his wiry and graying hair. He glared at me through dark, beady eyes over a hooked nose.
Horror washed over me... the monster in my nightmares. With the rifle braced against his shoulder and aimed at me, the skull tattoos on his sleeveless upper arm grinned like demons. He resembled a bull from my girlhood days.
A shorter second man, whom I recognized as Jurg Falin, stood with him. He had a rectangular face, dark-blue eyes, bald head, and a rounded body—more like a harmless neighbor than a killer.
“Look who we have here, Falin.” Chandler smirked. “Miss Survival Expert.”
I tamped down my fear and lifted my chin, trying to recall every word of my crash course in negotiation. “Hello, Tom, how are you this beautiful day?”
“Much better now that you’re at the other end of my rifle barrel.” His glare stayed fixed on me.
“How can I help you?”Keep yourself calm.
“You already have. Made my day.”
“Maybe you can help me.” I smiled. “I’m looking for Alina Ivanov.”
“Really? I saw you found her clothes.”
“Thanks. Was that intentional?”
“What do you think?” Chandler’s dark eyes hardened. “Worked, didn’t it?”
Act like you care about him.“I’m trying to find Alina. What can I do to ensure she’s reunited with her father?”
“Not a thing.”
“Is she alive?”
“She’s headed in the same direction you are.”
He planned to kill us. “I understand. She’s just a child. Is there something else going on here? How can I convince you to release her?”
“Only money. Lots of it.”
“How much do you need? I have five hundred thousand in my backpack, and Rurik paid the ransom. Looks like you have a bonus.”
He yanked the pack off my shoulders. “Ivanov gave you this?”
“Yes, he desperately wants his daughter returned.”
“It’s not enough money. My trouble is worth more than this.”
“If you want more, I can call him.”
“How? You don’t have a phone.”
Jerk. “Let me use yours and arrange a drop-off or—”
“Shut up. If he wanted his daughter back, why didn’t he follow through with Falin’s demands?”
“I’ll talk to him again. What can I do to convince you to let Alina go?”
