Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Movement caught his eye, and Diego watched as Terry pulled himself over the ridge and sat for a moment, catching his breath.
“I take it Gerald is dead,” Pete greeted, sounding resigned.
“They’re all dead, and so is Gerald. Someone cut him all to hell with a blade. Thighs, armpits, throat. If it was Leila, she had to be extremely fast. Gerald was no slouch.”
“You sure she cut him to pieces? He was right there in front of us. I had my eyes on him. At least I thought I did.” Pete rubbed at the bristles on his jaw. “Snake bites, owl attacks, what the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know if it was Leila,” Terry admitted. “But whoever killed Gerald did it right under our noses.” He sat up straighter and looked around. “Where’s Duncan?”
“Bobcat scared the piss out of him,” Pete said, a sneer in his voice. “He would have run like a rabbit if he wasn’t afraid of being alone.” He jerked his head in the direction of the tiny clearing. “He made sure he was safe. I don’t think either one of us is safe from him though.”
“He knows I’m not going to allow him to kill Leila.” Terry made it a statement. Daring Pete to contradict him.
Diego could see Terry was ready for action. Concealed from Pete, Terry had wrapped his fist around his knife and gently, stealthily drew it from the leather scabbard on his belt.
Pete sighed. “I knew that was going to be a problem for you. Damn it, Terry. She’s bad news. If she did this”—he indicated the dead men in the gorge—“we’re in trouble. If they all died trying to get her back, how do you think two of us have a chance to bring her in? Think about it. If we get her in our sights from a distance, shooting her would be a mercy for all of us. I need to get back to the lab and get my injuries taken care of as quickly as possible.”
Diego found it interesting how Pete could sound so reasonable. Maybe he believed what he was saying. He didn’t make a move against Terry. It was possible Pete’s enhanced instincts allowed him to realize the danger he was in. He also didn’t believe Pete. Pete wanted Leila dead. Why? What was it that made these men want to kill her? Did she know something about them they wanted to keep hidden?
Terry nodded slowly and glanced toward the tiny clearing. The fog continued to swirl through the trees and across the rocks. “I think it would be a good idea for you and Duncan to get back as soon as possible to rendezvous with the helicopter to get you out of here. I’ll see if I can pick up any tracks. If I can’t, I’ll double-time it to catch up with you.”
Pete nodded and rose. “I think that’s a good plan. I’ll see what Duncan has to say. He wants out of here, so I can’t imagine him objecting.”
It was Pete’s voice, so reasonable and cooperative, that told Diego he planned to murder Terry. Pete sauntered over to the clearing, his large frame disappearing and reappearing in the swirling mist. Diego moved with him, circling around, never taking his gaze from his target. He was four feet from him when Pete stopped abruptly, his entire body stiffening.
“What is it?” Terry asked, letting Diego know the soldier hadn’t taken his eyes off his companion.
“I think he’s dead, Terry.”
“Dead?” Terry echoed.
Diego didn’t blame Terry for thinking it was a setup.
“Yeah,” Pete snarled. “Dead.”
Terry remained silent, a good tactic, Diego thought. He wasn’t a man to make quick decisions. He assessed a situation thoroughly before he made a move.
Pete took a couple of steps toward Duncan’s body. Duncan looked small, crumpled on the ground. There was no doubt he was dead. Pete looked around, looked up into the tree and then crouched down to examine the body.
“I’m not sure what killed him,” Pete announced, “but he’s still holding his gun.”
Diego watched as Pete bent over Duncan’s body and removed a revolver from his boot. He checked it and then reached behind him to shove the weapon into the back of his belt. Before he could stand, Diego was on him, plunging a knife into the back of his neck, severing the spinal cord. Pete went down face-first as Diego slipped into the shadows.
“He’s dead as well,” Diego announced calmly. “He planned to murder you with Duncan’s holdout gun.”
There was silence. Terry didn’t bother to duck down in an effort to save himself. Instead, he stood up, facing the sound of Diego’s voice.
“Who are you?”
“Name is Diego Campos.”
Terry was silent. It was clear he knew the name. Most soldiers did. Diego had a reputation with his rifle.
“Your men tried to rape Leila while she was severely wounded and couldn’t defend herself. I left their bodies in the gorge for the vultures.”