Page 158 of Into the Fire

Now this was beginning to make sense.

“You’re being blackmailed.”

“Yeah. I had no choice about this. I already have a boatload of trouble waiting for me in Idaho, thanks to you.”

No. Thanks to himself.

But antagonizing him would get her nowhere.

“You don’t have to do this, Travis. A couple of vandalism incidents is a whole different ball game than accessory to murder.”

He began prowling back and forth again, like a caged animal in a zoo. “My career is toast if the police find out about those. I can’t take the chance.”

How to play this?

Could she appeal to his logic? Convince him he was making a huge mistake? Promise to let him off?

Anything that had the potential to save her life was worth trying.

“There’s no risk if I don’t press charges. If I forget any of this ever happened.”

He swung toward her, his backlit features difficult to read. “Why would you do that?”

Unless she was mistaken, there was a tiny hint of hope in his inflection. Like he was grasping for a way out of this.

She could work with that.

“I don’t believe in holding grudges. It’s not who I am.”

“Even about the parachute?”

“That’s history. If I brought it up now, it would be my word against yours—and I can’t prove you did it. Plus, I’ve recovered. I’d rather have my life than exact revenge.”

He shifted his weight. “You’re lying. The minute I let you out of here, you’ll call the cops.”

“Iamthe cops, Travis. And I don’t lie. If you help me get out of this, I promise you I won’t press charges. It sounds likeyou already have plenty of problems waiting for you in Idaho, and I’m not a vindictive person.”

“I don’t know ...”

He was wavering.

Yes!

“Have you ever seen me break a promise?”

“No. You were always a straight shooter. I guess—”

The door creaked open, and Bri jerked toward it.

So did Travis.

An instant later, a bright light was aimed at her abductor. He angled his head away and shielded his eyes while a figure slipped inside and shut the door.

“Hello, Travis. We meet at last.”

A mere six words, but Bri knew that voice.

It was Alison.

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