Dangerous Refuge

chapter Fifty



When there was a sudden flare of light against the trees up ahead and to his right, Ace thought the pepper spray had truly damaged his eyes. He blinked and blinked again. Then he realized he was seeing the beam from a flashlight, bouncing around in an erratic fashion, way too close to the Bronco.

Someone is injured. Or completely panicked.

About time I caught a break.

He knew Davis had been hurt in the crash, but not how serious his injuries were. Even if the man was armed, if he was the one with the flashlight, he was barely staying on his feet. It would be easy to sneak up and kill him. Or her.

Both would be good.

Bang. Bang. They’re dead.

I’ll take Davis out first. Then her. Even if she has a weapon, she doesn’t have the balls to kill a man.

Ace was almost disappointed that the hunt was coming to an end so quickly. He had learned long ago that anticipation was the best part of any chase. The rest was just a bloody chore.

And I’ll have one more to hunt after I take care of them. Not that Kimberli will be much of a challenge. She never has been.

Candy from a baby.

The light looked like it was moving toward the Bronco at a lurching pace. The beam was jerking around wildly, sweeping left, right, up, down, backward and forward, without any predictability. Once it even flicked over him, but he doubted he’d been seen. Whoever was holding the flashlight was a half step away from passing out due to pain or fear.

Goddamn Rua anyway. If he had just done what he was told, none of this would have happened. But no, he had to get greedy and steal from the old man even though I paid half up front.

Stupid amateur.

Serves him right.

The flashlight beam kept bouncing around up the slope. Ace followed, closing in as quickly as darkness and the landscape allowed. Several times he had to hit the ground when the light jerked toward him. The last time he ducked, he decided he was close enough to run the prey down without screwing around anymore.