Page 96 of Fatal Thrill
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Jon heardJaya scream and his heart rate spiked like he’d base-jumped off the side of amountain.
As his boots covered the wet stones of the cave, his heart sank to his knees when he realized the direction her scream echoedfrom.
The boneyard.
The Bureau had labeled it that when they came in with their gloved hands and masked faces to collect and sort the piles of bones. Years later, Agent Strickland had told him all about the countless hours to run DNA tests and match the bones to identify thedead.
Jon motioned at Miles to stay a few steps back as he jetted into the main area of the cave, too far for Colton to be able to see them or have any kind ofshot.
A faint light came from a side tunnel that ran to the bone yard. Stopping at the edge of a jagged corner, Jon eased around it enough to see what was goingon.
In the light from a dropped flashlight, giant shadows played on the wall. Jaya swung a long, pointed object at Watt. On the ground behind her sat her brother, hands bound behind hisback.
Watt ducked and punched her in the hip, sending her flying to her right. He lunged at her but her feet slipped and sent her falling over Finn’s legs and out of Watt’sreach.
Jon raised his gun, ready to fire, but with a loud roar of anger, Jaya jumped back up and took anotherswing.
She hit Watt in the shoulder and sent him cartwheelingbackward.
It wasn’t enough though to knock him down, only angering him. He whirled, finding his balance, and grabbing the stalactite from Jaya’shands.
The piece of rock clattered to the floor as Watt grabbed Jaya by the neck, pushing her back, back, back, and jamming her into the wall. Bones crunched under both of their feet, the sharp snaps echoing over the noise of the wateroutside.
“You little bitch,” Watt said, and then seeming to sense Jon’s presence, looked in his direction. “I can’t wait to watch youdie.”
He had no shot that wouldn’t endanger Jaya too. Jon stepped forward with meticulous care as she struggled in Watt’s grip, her feet flailing as he lifted her from the ground. “Let her go, Dalton. Your beef is with me, nother.”
Watt laughed, a high-pitched sound that made the hair on the back of Jon’s neck lift. He squeezed tighter, Jaya’s eyes going even wider and rough gurgling noises bubbling out of herthroat.
Goddamn it. Jon angled sideways, putting Watt’s forehead in his sights. Focused on the man, he distantly sensed Finn dragging himself across thefloor.
Finger on the trigger, he was ready to end the man’s life when Watt pulled Jaya in front of him and produced his own gun, pointing it at Jaya’stemple.
She coughed and gagged, Watt’s arm around her neck, but her eyes focused onJon.
Fuck. He still couldn’t take the shot. Not with Watt using her as ashield.
“Back. Away.” Watt pressed the gun so hard to Jaya’s temple it pushed her head sideways. “I prefer to kill her slowly while you watch but I can, and will, end her right now if you want to playchicken.”
“Take the shot,” Jaya wheezed, keeping her head as far to the side as she could. “Killhim!”
Watt used his leverage around her neck to pull her head in front of his face. “Try it, Jon. You know you wantto.”
Compartmentalize. Don’t let him goad you into something you’llregret.
“You have the cross,” Jon said. “And you have me. Let hergo.”
“Put down the gun and tell your buddy to getout.”
Shit. He knew Miles was there. “You’re not walking out of here, Watt, unless you let Jaya go. You do that, and I’ll call off my friends. It’ll just be you and me. You can do whatever you want tome.”
He sensed the man’s contemplation though it was brief. “I took your daddy from you and now I’m going to take this piece of shit whore—umph!”
The man’s knees buckled, not all the way, but enough to knock him off balance. He swore, and Jaya elbowed him, taking advantage of themoment.
That’s when Jon realized Finn had kicked the bastard in the back of thelegs.
