Page 65 of Colton's Second Chance
Noelle scooped up the flare gun and stuck it in her coat pocket, then darted to the far side of the dock, next to Scott’s plane as Hetty left. Her stomach rolled as she reassessed her situation. The cold that washed through her had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with how exposed she felt, how drastically the situation had changed and how furious she knew Eli would be with her for disregarding his directions. But then a new thought occurred to her.
Parts critical to getting us out of here…
If she could disable Scott’s plane in some way, keep him from escaping, she could buy the time Eli needed for backup to arrive. Huddling close to Scott’s floatplane, she dug into her limited knowledge of aeronautics and the physics of airplane design. Jamming the propeller or rudder? Puncturing his gas tank? She looked about for something heavy and sharp enough to pierce the gas tank. A rock? Scrap metal? A tool? What if—
Behind her, she heard a shout, then a woman’s panicked cries. She spun to find Scott coming out of the cabin with a dark-haired woman in front of him and a handgun to his hostage’s temple.
Eli’s attempt to stay calm and focus wavered when Scott started firing near the plane, where Hetty and Noelle were waiting. He’d believed Hetty’s plane was the safest place for them, but now—
His composure dipped further when Hetty pulled the seaplane away from the dock and disappeared from the cove. He gnashed his teeth and let his shoulders drop in frustration. He’d wanted her standing by, ready to fly them off in an instant if needed. Yet when he considered Hetty’s actions more practically, he realized she’d made the right move, protecting herself, Noelle and the plane.
Then he noticed a figure scurrying next to Montgomery’s aircraft.Noelle.His heart added a beat, and he muttered a foul word. She hadn’t gotten back in the plane before Hetty left? Why hadn’t she stayed safe like he’d asked her,told herto?
But when had Noelle ever been one to follow someone else’s wishes when she believed she had a better plan for her life? Certainly not when he’d wanted to continue their relationship after college. He set aside the pang of disappointment tinged with bitterness. Now was not the time to dwell on past hurts.
As if to prove Eli’s last thought true, Montgomery shoved through the front door of the cabin with his hostage in front of him, a human shield. The woman’s eyes were wide with fear, and Scott had a gun pointed at her head.
“Scott, damn it, man! Don’t do this! Do you really think killing Grace or anyone else is going to win Kansas’s heart?” Eli shouted.
Scott hesitated, glaring in his direction. “Maybe winning her affection is no longer my goal. We’ll just see what happens once I have Kansas to myself, without any interference from you or Asher!”
“Let Grace go,” Eli returned. “Any negotiation concerning Kansas starts with you letting your hostage go. She’s an innocent in this. Can’t you see clear to release her to me?”
Scott jerked Grace closer, making the woman whimper her fear. “No deal.”
Eli growled his frustration. Where was his backup? Surely Hetty had reachedsomeonebefore she moved the plane out of danger. He turned his attention briefly to the dock where he’d last seen Noelle.
She’d moved off the dock to the edge of the lake where she was scrounging around on the ground…for a rock? Did she plan to defend herself with a stone?
Eli took a breath to restore his control over his emotions. He had to stay focused. Not act rashly… “Scott, do the right thing,” he said, mentally searching for an argument or tactic that would change the mind of a man who’d already acted without compunction in murdering five women.
Instead of complying, Scott dragged Grace across the snowy yard toward the lake. Toward his plane. Toward Noelle.
Eli pursued, knowing he couldn’t fire on Scott without risking Grace’s life. Or hitting Noelle. Damn it! Where was Hetty? How did he signal her to return?
He needed a plan. And fast. Or Scott would get away.
Noelle found a rock the size of her hand with a narrow end she thought might work to puncture the gas tank or a pontoon on Scott’s plane. Glancing back to shore, she saw Scott and his hostage, her hands bound behind her, staggering through the snow, coming closer. Her heart beat triple time as she hurried back to the moored plane and smashed her rock on the pontoon as hard as she could. The reverberation of the strike sent painful judders through her freezing hand and up her arm. She swung again and made a dent.
“Hey!” Scott’s angry voice rang across the frozen landscape. “Get the hell away from my plane!”
She angled her gaze to see him shift the aim of his weapon from Grace to her. She realized she was exposed, and her chest tightened.
A shot rang through the winter stillness, and she heard the ping of the bullet hitting the plane.
Scott clearly heard it, too, and realized his mistake. He cursed a blue streak and moved faster, all but carrying Grace as he hustled to the dock to rescue his getaway vehicle from Noelle’s tampering.
She darted around to the far side of the aircraft, banking on the idea that Scott wouldn’t shoot at her if it risked damaging his plane. Tucked behind the plane, she continued smashing the rock against the hull, anywhere she thought she could inflict enough damage to hinder its ability to get airborne.
When she felt the vibrations of heavy footfalls on the dock, she didn’t have to look to know her time was up. Scott was almost upon her. Soon he’d be able to kill her at point-blank range. Her gut swooped, and she choked back a moan of fear.
She’d drawn Scott’s attention away from Eli, but now what did she do?
Eli set off, retracing his steps in the snow as he raced after Montgomery. He weighed his options rapid-fire, needing to choose a plan of action. If he could catch up to Scott, could he tackle his opponent and free Grace? Or would that move cost Grace her life? The one thing he knew for certain was that he couldn’t stand by and let Scott and his hostage escape. He had to find a way to subdue Scott, while prioritizing the safety of Grace and Noelle.
And the nearer the serial killer got to Noelle and the floatplane, the more both of those goals dimmed. Fueled by adrenaline, Eli pushed his legs to run faster.
As Scott drew closer, Noelle backed toward the far end of the dock. She had nowhere to hide…except in the icy water under the dock. But could she do it? Could she make herself climb into the freezing lake? It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was better than staying here, waiting for Scott to shoot her.
