Shotgun Justice (17 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

The horn had been faint at seventy miles an hour on a motorcycle. Jesse almost ignored it. Then he came to a skidding stop and knew the SOS was Avery and did a U-turn.

Leaving the bike on the side of the road, he used Avery's shotgun to hold the barbwire fence away from his face as she went through. On the other side, he sent a text to Garrison and Parker, then switched his cell to silent mode before stuffing it in his jeans pocket. He watched the dirt road, listened without hearing anything—even bugs.

On the next rise he got low to the ground and shoved his way behind a pile of dry brush and dead branches. He could see the black car's silhouette, along with Avery.

Snake Eyes had her on her knees and was wrapping something around her neck. She wasn't attempting to get away or struggling. He bent and yanked her head backward, then connected whatever was around her neck to her hands. She cried out in surprised pain.

Whatever the madman had planned to do with Avery when he casually left the subdivision, it was clear that things had changed. Snake Eyes paced the length of the car, hitting his forehead, clearly shaken by whatever had given Avery the opportunity to sound the horn.

He walked to the trunk. The light reflected off a slew of knives neatly laid out in rows. Jesse had to get to Avery fast. Her captor had changed. He was no longer cool and collected, and his hands shook with such force Jesse could see them.

Snake Eyes fingered several knives before dropping the largest and walking away. Jesse began breathing a little easier, but then his target hurried to the trunk and placed the knives in order, talking to himself.

“He's nuts,” Jesse mumbled.

No time to lose, Jesse backed out of the brush to approach from the front of the car. It was darker there and should give him an advantage. The closer he got, the more he heard Snake Eyes mumbling.

“Kill her now and forget your fun.” He pivoted.

“But you left her new eyes at home,” he answered in a different voice.

“Forget your signature—everyone will know it's you. Kill her!” He twisted his head as if listening for Jesse. Then kept up his argument.

Totally nuts.

Closer, Jesse crawled on his belly. If Snake Eyes came to this side of Avery, one blast from the shotgun and he'd be stunned for a few minutes. As luck would have it, he continued his debate with himself at the trunk. He'd lift a knife, walk in front of Avery, point it, shake his head, then return it to his stash.

Avery was in the light from the car door. Jesse could see that she was wrapped in wire. Loops around her feet stretching to her hands, multiple wraps around her hands connecting tightly to strands around her neck. If she moved her hands or feet, she'd pull the wire into her neck. Hell, if she fell forward she might slice her neck open.

He couldn't get her free from that mess without wire cutters. He'd have to unwrap the wire by hand. And he had no time. There wouldn't be any distractions, then swooping in to pull her out.

His only choice was to remove the threat. And he had to get closer if he intended to use this shotgun to do it. At her Dalhart house, having buckshot wasn't a terrible decision. It gave Avery enough range and power inside.

Here was a different story. He might hit his target from twenty yards, but he was at least thirty or thirty-five from Avery. To his right, the car blocked everything. To his left, the only cover was well over seventy-five yards away.

Snake Eyes was sure to hear him moving through the grass and twigs before he got close enough. Opposite was the road. Pretty much flat and bare about ten yards on either side. This was his only route.

Getting to Avery would be tricky, and once there, he couldn't get her free, couldn't knock her over. She was close enough to Snake Eyes for him to slice her open or just shoot and kill her. Jesse didn't like his odds. He could save Avery by simply eliminating the target.

This was one time in his life that he wished he could just damn the consequences and head in guns blazing without thinking about it. No thinking. Avery needed him to save her. But he had to think. It was who he was.

Who he was...
A planner who thought about everything too much.

Weapons...
He'd take the shotgun and keep his handgun ready. Safer. Better coverage. But he'd still have to aim. If Snake Eyes kept up his monologue with the knives, Jesse would be aiming at a moving target for eight or nine more passes. He'd be hard to hit.

Position...
He moved to his left for a better line of sight.

Rescue...
Then what?

No choice...
Take out the target so the hostage would no longer be threatened.

Execution...
He inched his way through the field. He had a decent shot. He aimed. He tried to pull the trigger.

All he heard was Avery's voice telling him she wouldn't use deadly force as long as there was a chance. She would shoot to defend herself. This was why they practiced and trained...so they wouldn't think; they'd just do.

Delay...
She was right. He loved her with everything and he still couldn't just shoot a man in cold blood. No matter what kind of man the target was.

With his hesitation, he'd lost opportunity.

Snake Eyes had something in his hand and quickly got behind Avery.
I can't be off six inches or I'll hit her.
“Raise your hand, you son of a—”

His body was braced. He was ready with a follow-through shot and began squeezing. But he immediately stopped when Snake Eyes snipped the wire connecting to Avery's feet.

What was the perp going to do now?

“You are quite a subject, Avery Travis,” Snake Eyes said. “I haven't had many who could balance without their panic forcing me to intervene.”

She continued to be perfectly still. Jesse didn't know how she was doing it. He kept his finger ready. He'd shoot before she could be hurt.

Snake Eyes forced her to her feet. She turned, refusing to get inside the car.

“You can do whatever you want. Do you understand me?” She'd raised her voice.

The words were for him. She knew—or hoped—he was there. She stepped away from her captor. One small step, then another long one before Snake Eyes realized why.

Jesse pulled the trigger, sending buckshot into the man's side.

Avery ran. Arms twisted high behind her, she ran.

Snake Eyes dropped to the ground, then half crawled, half dragged himself into the backseat.

“Jesse!”

“Over here!” They met a little off the road. “This is the fastest way to the bike.”

“He's got the car. Can you...?” She stretched her neck and turned for him to help untie her. “Two guns that I know of.”

Headlights bathed them in light as Snake Eyes bore down on them. If she fell, the thin wire could slice her windpipe, but they ran anyway. Jesse couldn't stop to untwist the wire yet. Up and over the slight rise. The car followed, bouncing through the uneven field, heading to cut them off.

“This way. Do you see them? He can't follow through the stacked hay bales,” Avery said, sliding to her knee. She needed her hands. It was too dangerous for her to keep going like this. “We can still get to the motorcycle, can't we?”

“If he stays on the road, he'll cut us off or be waiting on us. Stop behind the hay bale for a sec. You need to be free.” The shotgun dropped to his feet as he used both hands to untwist. “This thing is worse than a bread tie.”

* * *

N
O
DEBATE
. J
UST
ACTION
and keeping herself from inappropriately laughing at his analogy. Avery lifted her hands behind her as high as possible. It was a bit painful as Jesse twisted and then twisted some more. It was frightening to think of what might have happened if she'd moved before her feet had been snipped free.

Don't go there. Think about now.
They were being surrounded in more light from the car. One wrist could now move.

“You have to hurry, Jesse.”

“Just a couple more and we're...there. That's it.”

She started to face him, but he held her in place. She felt him gathering the wire and shoving it down the back of her shirt.

“Done. Now you won't get caught. Let's go.”

The wire still around her neck reminded her of the shock collar. The helplessness knowing that a sadistic monster had control of her fate. As they took the first steps, the car drew closer to them and Snake Eyes fired.

Jesse dropped to the ground, pulling her with him. He swung the shotgun around and fired the second barrel into the side of the car. Snake Eyes drove past and circled. They had seconds before he'd be able to fire at them again.

“You're going to listen to me for once, Avery. No questions.”

“I'm not leaving you.” She couldn't save herself while he stayed behind.

“I didn't think you would. But one of us has to get to the road and let the team know where we are.” He gave her the shotgun and the phone. “Empty. But you can swing it, okay? First, climb the hay, babe. Up and over. Can you do that? Get clear on the other side and call Garrison. He's on his way. He just isn't in the right place yet.”

She nodded. He was right. To a point. Snake Eyes wouldn't be looking above Jesse's head. She could take him by surprise. “Don't do anything stupid.”

“Count on it. Now get out of here so I can stall him.”

Jesse cupped his hands and gave her a boost high onto the bales. They were packed firmly and close together. She lay on her belly, getting ready to swing when Snake Eyes got close.

And he would get close. Even though he had the guns, he was fascinated and fixated on his knives. He was a sicko who would want to end Jesse with a blade.

“Here he comes,” Jesse said below her. “Get ready to move. Please do this, Avery. For me.”

Avery backed away from the edge so the headlights wouldn't shine on her. It was so dark out here that when you were out of the beam, you couldn't be seen. Snake Eyes pulled around wide.

The back of the car fishtailed across the pasture. He was going to ram Jesse and the stack of hay. The engine revved. The headlights blinded. She screamed Jesse's name, but he was already on his toes like someone playing chicken with a two-ton vehicle.

Snake Eyes didn't flinch. He shot forward. Jesse jumped out of the way at the last second. The car struck the bales, shaking her to one side. She clawed her way back to the top.

Jesse was already pulling the stunned Snake Eyes from the car. He quickly jerked away from a knife arcing toward his abdomen. Jesse continued backing away but took off his shirt and wrapped it around his forearm. It stopped the blade from slicing his skin to the bone and allowed him to get closer.

The headlights were buried in hay, creating an eerie effect. Avery jumped to the hood of the car, waiting for Snake Eyes to get closer. She had the stock of the shotgun raised and ready to hit the back of his hooded head.

Then the fight changed.

Snake Eyes locked his arms around Jesse's midsection and started moving the knife closer to his throat. He absorbed Jesse's elbow that repeatedly hit him in the side. The murderer ignored the pain he must have felt because of the shotgun blast. With his other hand, Jesse kept the knife inches away, holding it at bay.

The madman's grip around Jesse's middle had him pinned. Jesse threw his head backward, connecting with the man's nose. Then Snake Eyes spun him and shoved him into the car trunk, backing away. He pulled his mask off his head, sniffing at the blood coming from his nose.

“Avery, Avery, Avery,” Snake Eyes chanted. “Here I am. Can you see me?”

She could barely make out the outline of his face. She didn't have to see his features to know the man had experienced a psychotic break. He spun around like a child watching snowflakes fall.

Jesse roared like a lion, shoving away from the car and throwing his shoulder into Snake Eyes's belly. He tackled him to the ground like a linebacker sacking a quarterback. Snake Eyes just wouldn't stay down. He fought like a crazy person who needed a straitjacket.

The glowing contacts made spotting Snake Eyes easier. A punch caught Jesse in the chin, momentarily shooting him backward, but he returned with three quick jabs.

Get the guns!
Avery jumped from the hood, determined to find them inside the car. She could end this with a loaded weapon in her hand. Snake Eyes would be forced to stop. But when her feet hit the dirt, she caught the attention of their attacker.

He raised the knife with a maniacal cry and sliced into Jesse's uncovered arm. Jesse staggered. Snake Eyes was on her so fast she couldn't react. He shoved her back against the car, holding the knife to her throat.

“I wanted to play with you, Avery. We all did.”

His rancid breath choked her after the sweet-smelling hay. The edge of the sharp blade held her where she was. She could see the dust floating in the buried lights. She would have been as crazy as Snake Eyes if she hadn't been frightened.

But she wasn't crazy. She had reason for hope. Jesse was slowly approaching.

“See the special eyes I have for you?” Snake Eyes took two rocks from his pocket and pushed her face to the hood. They were cool against her cheek where he set them.

As the blade moved from her neck to the corner of her eye, she asked, “What...what color did...did you choose for me?”

He seemed excited that she was curious. She didn't really want to know. Ever. She was trying to stall to give Jesse time. Still holding the shotgun, she wanted to club Snake Eyes with it but couldn't.

If she moved, the knife point might take out her eye. Jesse was close. She shoved the knife away from her face and kicked the shotgun to him. Snake Eyes turned to face Jesse. She rammed the crazy man in the back, causing him to stumble forward, away from her.