Page 64 of Colton's Second Chance
She slumped lower, but Noelle kept her head high enough to keep Eli in her sights. If anything changed the current dynamic in Scott’s favor, Noelle intended to race to Eli’s aid, his directive be damned.
Bark splintered from an old-growth tree as Eli flung himself behind the wide trunk. His adrenaline pumping, he took a beat to catch his breath before he carefully turned toward the cabin without allowing any part of his body to protrude.
How many weapons did Montgomery have in the cabin? And how good of a shot was the forensic scientist? Eli had taken top honors at the academy firing range, but Scott had the advantages of better protection and clearer line of sight.
After a moment, Eli pulled a small mirror from his coat pocket, the one he kept handy for signaling rescuers if he ever got stranded in a remote area. He angled the mirror to check the cabin windows. One of the windows nearest him was cracked open, and he spotted the dark shadow of a body standing just tothe left side. The weak sun that leaked through the cloud cover glinted off the metal of a rifle barrel in the narrow window gap.
“It’s over, Scott!” he shouted, knowing Montgomery could hear him through the window. “Lay down the rifle and come out unarmed, hands up. I don’t want any more bloodshed.” When he got no reply, he added, “If you surrender without resisting, it will go easier for you at trial. We’ve got you dead to rights, and this can only end one of two ways for you. Prison or the cemetery. Your choice.”
“I’ll take option C, thanks,” Scott shouted back. “I killyouand walk out of here to live another day.”
Eli gritted his teeth, remembering how his colleague, a man he had trusted, had rigged a bomb for him and Asher. “You already tried that once, and it didn’t work.” He considered what else he should say, how best to win Montgomery’s cooperation. Antagonizing him would put Scott’s back up, but the man was a scientist. Would logic work?
“Scott, listen…it may just be me here now, but a whole SWAT team is on its way.” At least he prayed they were, storm conditions and workload notwithstanding. “You’ll soon be outnumbered.”
“Maybe soon, but not yet,” Montgomery called back. “Right now, it’s just you and me. I like those odds, and I’m playing to win.”
Noelle peered over the edge of the back seat, Eli still in her view. The shooting had stopped, and Eli was in a verbal exchange with Scott.
“What are they saying?” she asked Hetty.
“I don’t know. My focus has been on trying to raise someone on the radio and call in some backup. Nobody’s responding.”
Noelle’s heart scampered at the notion that any assistance Hetty might alert could arrive too late to help. Knowing she could do nothing to help Hetty with the radio, Noelle retrained her focus on Eli and Scott. A compelling need to know what was transpiring, what direction the standoff was going swamped her. How could she be of any use to Eli if she stayed huddled in the back seat of Hetty’s plane like a lump of useless cargo?
While Hetty continued to appeal for backup, changing the radio frequency and repeating her handle and location, Noelle sucked in a lungful of courage and cracked the passenger door open. Climbing awkwardly from the back seat and earning a panicked frown and vigorous head shake from Hetty, she wiggled her way out to crouch on the dock beside the seaplane.
Noelle peered under the belly of the aircraft and decided she’d get a better view from nearer the nose and propeller. Staying as hidden as she could behind the landing gear and fuselage, she perked her ears over the hum of the engine to hear what was transpiring on shore.
“We can end this now, without further bloodshed, yours, mine or Grace’s,” Eli shouted. He paused, and in the lull, Noelle strained to listen for a reply. After a few seconds, Eli continued, “Yes, we know you have another woman in there with you. We know her name, and we want her released unharmed. Let’s start with that as a goodwill gesture.”
“Counteroffer,” Scott shouted. “I trade you this woman for Kansas.”
Noelle’s gut roiled. So they’d been right about what, or rather who, was at the heart of Scott’s crime spree. Poor Kansas. Noelle could only imagine how she’d feel if a sociopath had killed innocent women because of an obsession withher.
She thought back to the night at the ABI offices when they’d realized the connection. Noelle had tried to comfort and support Kansas in the ladies’ room after Eli’s cousinhad fled the conference room in horror. Kansas had been pale and shaking, emptying her stomach in one of the ladies’ room stalls. And though her disgust and dismay over the twist in the case remained as shadows in her eyes, Kansas had regained her composure in short order. Kansas, who faced difficult circumstances, rough terrain and occasionally gruesome discoveries on the job, was a model of strength and courage to Noelle.
Mustering some of that same bravery for herself, Noelle mentally searched for a way to gain Eli the upper hand. Could she create a distraction? Find him access to the cabin from another direction? Provide him valuable time for the support teams to get here?
She saw movement from Eli’s post behind the large tree and peeked between the propeller blades to see what was happening. His gaze was on her, his mouth scowling darkly as he waved a hand, signaling for her to get back inside the floatplane.
Before Noelle could either signal back a refusal or follow his direction, Scott fired a shot from the cabin. The bullet carved a hole in the dock a few feet from where Noelle stood.
Then another even closer.
Eli returned fire, and Noelle plastered herself closer to the plane, adrenaline making her head spin.
“Noelle!” Hetty shouted, jolting her from her shock. “Get away from the propellers! I have to get the plane out of range!”
Noelle gaped, scuttling closer to Hetty. “You’re leaving!”
“I have to! This plane will be of no use to us if he shoots the engine or punctures a float and sinks it!” Even as she shouted her reply to Noelle, Hetty revved the engine and restarted the propellers. She tossed a flare gun out onto the dock. “Use this to signal when it’s safe to return. Now, untie me!”
“But—”
“Untie me! I have to protect the plane. I can’t risk him hitting the gas tank or other parts critical to getting us out of here. I’ll be back when I get the all clear.”
Another shot hit the slushy water at the edge of the lake, sending up a spray of ice and pebbles. Noelle had no time to debate with Hetty. She had to trust that the pilot knew what she was doing. Staying crouched low, Noelle pulled up the ropes securing the aircraft, and immediately Hetty had the plane in reverse, backing into the open water.
