Broken Trust (29 page)

She tucked her damaged arm close. With shaking legs, shivering and gasping for air, she climbed.

Find solid footing, brace
your
numb hand against a rock, push off. Repeat.

She gritted her teeth against shrieks of pain but nothing could stop her grunting and yes, even a moan or two.

She searched for handholds with her good hand and fell to her knees, pushing off with her feet. She slid, banging her chin again and sort of hopped by shoving with her feet. She gained a few inches.

Her foot slipped and she landed on her arm. “Ah!” She humped herself another few inches.

Cole. Petal. Rainforest.

Slipping and sliding and earning a foot to losing six inches, she finally made it to a spot where the trail reversed direction for the last climb to the summit.

She pulled herself over the side and lay on her back, resting for just a moment to ease her broken arm. At least the climb would be easier now. She dug in her feet and pushed to roll over.

A brilliant beam of light lit up the snow two feet to her right. It swerved to illuminate her. Snow puffed and metal skidded on rock.

The sound of the gunshot ricocheted in the darkness.

forty-seven

Nora rolled to the
side of the trail and tucked into the cliff face. She turned off her headlamp. Daniel wouldn’t be able to hit her now without climbing down the trail. The cliff provided shelter for the time being.

But she couldn’t stay there.

A slight gray appeared on the eastern horizon. While it afforded Nora enough light to make out large objects, it reminded her that time was running out
: dawn was near and the beam would go off soon.

A boulder sat ten feet up the trail. She lurched for it and slid behind it, out of
the
line of fire from the summit. Snow blew into her eyes. No gunshots.

She made another dash up the trail to the cliff face. She gulped in air. Again, no shots.

He must be busy with Cole and Petal.

Nora
cantered up the trail watching her feet carefully. Each step jogged her bad arm
,
firing pain through her
,
but the thought
of Cole in danger kept her moving forward. She pushed herself until black dots formed around the edges of her vision and she had to stop to fill herself with oxygen and windmill her
good
arm to force blood into her fingers.

She
hadn’t gone
too
much farther
before tracks appeared in the snow
to guide her
. They led up a rocky side and disappeared around an outcropping of stone. The summit lay ten feet straight up or another hundred feet if she stayed on the safer and more level trail. Even knowing the last time she’d bushwhacked she’d ended up with a broken arm, Nora couldn’t opt for
slow and
easy. She leaned into the cliff and planted her frozen hand in the snow, searching for leverage. She lurched up.

A noise made her freeze and she fought against her loud panting, trying to hear around the pounding of blood in her temples. The voices came as a relief. At least Petal was still alive.

On her hand and knees, she crawled the last few feet to peer over a rock to the summit.

Petal held a flashlight toward the ground and the light cast large shadows.

Daniel stood with his back to Nora, facing Petal. He wore a black down jacket with a cap pulled over his head. Somewhere he’d acquired a much larger gun. A real one. He held it in his hand, ready to pull it up and shoot Petal.

Petal stood swallowed in a barn coat, obviously one of Cole’s. Her various skirts flowed in the gusts. She wore cowboy boots too large for her and they made her appear even more loopy than usual. They must also have been borrowed from Cole
.

Nora pushed with her feet and pulled with her hand to slide over the top of the cliff. She lay on her belly, the snow soaking through her jeans, seeping under her coat to her stomach. She shivered uncontrollably.

“Why are you doing this?” Daniel asked. His voice didn’t sound nearly as sexy to Nora as it used to. It carried the sour note of threat.

Petal wasn’t crying. Her mouth turned down in a fierce scowl. “You know why. Sylvia cheated me out of what was mine and I want what I deserve.”

Where was Cole? Was he okay? He must be injured. If not, he’d be standing in front of Petal, protecting her. But he could be out at the tower now. He’d climb the fence and somehow destroy the tower.

Despite dawn threatening, darkness made it difficult to see much outside the circle of Petal’s flashlight.

Even though he didn’t have his normal bedroom voice, Daniel seemed to gentle his tone. “You know you needed her.”

Petal shrieked, frightening in its sudden intensity. “That’s not true
!
It was Sylvia who needed me
!
”

“Now she’s gone and she won’t hurt you anymore.”

Petal started to cry. “I’m glad she’s dead. She deserved to die. She stole my science like she stole my mother’s life.”

Daniel didn’t argue. He slid another step closer.

He was getting ready to attack and all Petal did was rattle on in her disjointed sobs.

Daniel sounded soothing. “I know you were instrumental in her research. You should be rewarded. We could get you a position back with HAARP if you want.”

Petal backed up and when she shifted her weight a pile of gear appeared behind her in the gloom.

Another step and Daniel
would be
within striking distance of Petal. “This is not the way.”

Petal pleaded with him. “It’s the only way.”

Nora squinted in the ashy light. The lump of gear moved.

No. Oh no.

It wasn’t gear. That was Cole’s green coat. She couldn’t detect any blood but her vantage point wasn’t good. Daniel must have shot him!

Nora cast around for a weapon. She crawled a few feet to a pile of rocks under the snow. Moving with as much stealth as possible, Nora pushed herself up. With her broken arm hugged to her side, she bent down and picked the biggest rock she could hold. It would have to do.

Ten minutes ago she’d have
stayed
hidden in darkness. Now she crept forward in half light. She faced Petal and Daniel in slow motion, praying
that
Petal wouldn’t give her away
when
she
noticed.

Petal’s eyes flicked to Nora and widened slightly. She refocused on Daniel and thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice.

Nora slid another foot forward, arm raised, ready to lunge in and smash the rock on Daniel’s head. It wouldn’t be enough to knock him out but it should throw him off balance
so
Nora could tackle him to the ground.

She
couldn’t fight
him
at the Trust with two good arms so she’d need a miracle to stop him now. It all rested on Petal. With any luck, Petal would come to her senses and help. Once they had Daniel contained, Nora could hold the gun on him and see to Cole while Petal disabled Sylvia’s doomsday machine.

It was a plan. Not a good one
, but a plan
.

One more step. She tensed, ready to spring.

Whether he noticed the slight change in Petal or heard Nora’s movement, Daniel’s instincts kicked in. He glanced over his shoulder.

Nora didn’t hesitate. She yelled and jumped forward, bringing the rock down with all her strength.

The blow landed squarely on Daniel’s head, bounced off his ski cap, hit
a
shoulder of well-padded down, rebounded up
,
and skidded off his arm. It caused no more damage than if she’d spit at him.

“What?” he demanded before Nora plowed into him. She
screamed at the jolt of fire in her arm.

He outweighed her and was a whole lot stronger
, but s
he couldn’t back down. Everything depended on her.
She crashed into him. They tumbled backward and landed in the snow. The gun sailed behind them.

Despite ending up beneath her, Daniel gained the advantage. He grabbed her arms and she howled in pain. He held her arms and looked up at her. Desperation lined his face. “Stop. You don’t understand.”

“You want to destroy the rainforest and kill thousands
of people
.” She struggled for release, wishing her arm would fall off and stop the torture.

He held her arms in an iron grip. He bucked her off never losing his hold. He flipped her and planted her on the ground. “You have it wrong
!
”

They struggled in the snow, the rocks bruising and scraping her.

“Petal!” Nora yelled. The girl needed to help her.

As long as Daniel had hold of her arms, he couldn’t reach for the gun. This might be their only chance. “Petal. Get the gun!
”

Daniel shook his head, panic in his eyes. Obviously he didn’t like it when the tables were turned and he might be hurt. “No
!
You’re wrong.”

From the corner of Nora’s eye she saw Petal dive for the gun. The cowboy boots slid on the snow and rocks as Petal scrambled to help.

“You have to stop her,” Daniel said.

In the high altitude and with Daniel on top
of her
, Nora could barely breathe, let alone give a good fight.
Hurry, Petal.

It seemed Petal didn’t feel the urgency but finally she stood over Daniel’s shoulder. Thank
fully
it wasn’t too late. Nora waited for Petal’s warning for Daniel to stop.

Daniel knew Petal stood behind him and he tried to swivel around while keeping Nora under control. Nora might be able to take advantage of his distraction and wrench free.

She threw herself backward and bucked against Daniel.

“No
!
Don’t
!
” He sounded frantic.

Please, just let Petal do something effective.
We
might get out of here alive.

Nora expected Petal to knock Daniel in the head with the gun but she leaned down slowly. She reached toward his back.

Daniel pulled away. “NO! Nora, stop her!”
He started to get to his feet, knocking into Petal and sending her off balance.

She stumbled backward.

He whirled around, ready to lunge for the gun. It wouldn’t be hard for Daniel to overpower Petal. Then he’d shoot them both.

Petal brought the gun up with both hands. Daniel surged forward.

The bang of the gunshot exploded in Nora’s ears a
s
Daniel’s arms flew out. Down puffed from the blackened hole in his chest, just above his heart. He was airborne momentarily then his full weight crashed onto Nora, knocking the wind out of her.

The echo of the shot faded and Nora realized the sound ringing in her ears was her own screaming.

Daniel sprawled on top of her. His head slipped off her shoulder into the snow. Blood gushed from the gaping hole in his left shoulder blade. Petal had aimed for his heart and missed. He groaned. Maybe he wanted to kill them both the way he’d murdered Mark
, b
ut this was horrible. Beyond horrible.

“Stop screaming,” Petal said, dead calm.

It might have been Petal’s uncharacteristic chill that shocked Nora to silence.

Nora squeezed out from underneath Daniel
, her arm now nearly numb from the pain
. His blood gushed over her coat and jeans, leaving a sticky, warm mess.

Nora’s hands shook as she leaned over Daniel. “We need an ambulance.” She searched for something to use to apply pressure. There was so much blood.

She wanted to help him but she needed to be with Cole.

The fresh scent of the mountain and the snow couldn’t wash away the stench of Daniel’s blood. She wanted to vomit to rid herself of the sight, the smell, the memory. Mark, Sylvia, Daniel.

Heather.

Petal remained motionless, the gun weighing down her arm. She watched Nora with no expression.

Nora ran to Cole. He lay on his side, trembling in the snow. She managed to roll him onto his back.

He opened his eyes, cloudy with shock. “Nora.”

The jeans covering his right calf were dark and soaked with blood. It stained the snow, so much like the carpet in Sylvia’s bedroom covered in Mark’s blood. “He shot you?”

Cole shook his head. “Petal
…
”

Petal. The tower. Nora twisted to locate Petal watching the point on the horizon where the sun would appear. She shouted at Petal. “Did you dismantle the tower yet?”

Petal shook her head.

“We don’t have much time.” Nora yelled.

Still Petal didn’t move.

Nora bent toward Cole. “Hang on. I have to go.”

Cole’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. “No.”

She pulled from his weak grasp. “I’ll be right back.”

Nora stumbled and slid over the rocks. She fell to her knees and fought to keep moving. Over the first ridge.

Petal finally came to life and followed her.

Nora slipped going down the second ridge and landed on her tailbone. She had to wait until her legs would move again. Petal caught up to her.

It surprised Nora that Petal still held the gun. She must be more shocked than Nora thought.

“Go to the tower,” Nora said. “I’ve got to go help Cole. Daniel shot him.”

“Daniel didn’t shoot Cole.” Petal’s voice held a flat calm that sounded eerie.

Nora started back to Cole, only paying slight attention to Petal.

“I did.”