Page 93 of Unexpected Danger
As if to prove his words, Dustin raised his gun and aimed it in Brodie’s direction.
“No!”
“Very good. You’re learning.” He swiveled and pointed the gun again at her, determination in his dark eyes. The hair lifted on the nape of her neck as sweat simultaneously trickled down her back.
“Walk along.”
Could she turn around abruptly, catch him off guard, and kick, hit, punch, or knee him—whatever it took to immobilize him? She thought of her gun tucked inside her belly band holster. Could she quickly reach for and use it? While thethought of shooting someone disturbed her, she would do whatever it took to save Brodie and to escape from Dustin.
“Where are we going?”
He shoved her in the shoulder with his palm. “Get going.”
While she never would have thought Dustin to be a wimp, his hatefulness and obvious mental disorders would render him far more dangerous despite his slim stature. With one hand, he gripped her neck hard, and with the other, kept the gun on her. He guided her to the shore.
What was Dustin thinking of doing? Drowning her? Her mind went a million places. Londyn thought she heard Brodie stir again, but resisted the urge to turn her head. Dustin’s volatile temperament wouldn’t mesh well with his trigger finger.
They stopped at the lake’s edge, and he removed his hand from her neck. He reached inside his pocket and extricated a clump of keys Londyn recognized as Brodie’s and tossed them into the lake, dashing her hopes again. Brodie needed medical help, and driving was the only way to transport him to town. With slashed tires and no keys, his chances of survival if his wounds were life-threatening now became slimmer.
Did Brodie still have his gun?
Dustin whipped Londyn around and thrust her forward once again, this time toward the canoe.
“You know, I never realized how easy it was to incapacitate someone.” A faraway stare shadowed his face. “All those times in school when I had to deal with all the jocks thinking they were better than me. Well, I just took out someone larger and more athletic with a whack of a gun.” He chortled, his sardonic laugh echoing through the trees. “I’ve never really been a gun guy, so I had a choice to make when I snatched his gun from his holster. His, or the one I’dborrowedfrom an unlocked vehicle?”
Dustin angled his head close to hers. He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. “Guess which gun I chose?”
When she said nothing, he raised his voice and yelled, the veins in his neck protruding as his face reddened. “Guess. Which. Gun. I. Chose?” he repeated, punctuating every word, his tone nearly deafening her.
“I’m not sure,” she stuttered.
“I chose the one I stole. No one knows I took it. But they sure can’t accuse me of stealing Brenneman’s and using it. And no one will ever be able to find it since it’s now at the bottom of the lake along with his keys.”
Londyn’s lungs constricted.
Please, Lord, give me wisdom and strength to circumvent this situation.She cast a glance at the bright blue sky. She knew God heard every single prayer she’d ever uttered. He would hear her. He would help her. Her throat tightened as the tears threatened.
“Get in the canoe,” Dustin growled.
“Can I put on the life jacket first?”
Dustin regarded her for a brief moment, shooting daggers at her before he pasted on his venomous smile. “To show you that I’m a nice guy, go ahead and put on your life jacket. Although it won’t do you much good for where we’re going. And don’t even think of trying anything. If you do, your sheriff won’t make it to see tomorrow.” He pointed at the boat. “Go ahead and grab your life jacket.”
Dizziness caused the area around her to swirl, and she unsteadily bent over and fished her life jacket from the canoe, careful not to allow the pressing of the gun in her belly band to become more prominent through her shirt.
Lord, could this maybe be a way out?
She couldn’t extract her pistol without Dustin noticing, but she could use other methods at her disposal. She remained stooped over the canoe for a few seconds, attempting to catch her breath, pray, and methodically plan.
“Hurry up. I don’t have all day.” He focused on a sluggish older-model motorhome struggling up an incline on the highway above the lake.
She threaded one arm, then the other, through the life jacket and snapped it in front. Then, in a move that would make Mr. Brenneman proud, she kicked Dustin hard in the shin before kneeing him in the groin. The next plan of attack was to go for his eyes, but when she did, he backhanded her, his hand connecting hard with her face.
She reeled, seeing stars in her vision as she teetered. She fell backward on the hard earth below. Dustin raised his right hand and aimed the gun at Brodie.
“No!” she screamed, staggering to her feet and tackling Dustin as the bullet rang through the air.
She dared to look to see if it hit Dustin’s intended mark.
