“Jaden, you fool,” Dyle shouted. “I need him. Now go down and get him. We’ve got to get out of here. Chances are he’s not alone.”
She hoped Lynch wasn’t alone. But she couldn’t let Jaden let loose any bullets at that helicopter. She took cover behind another row of boulders, reached to her waistband and pulled out the gun she’d taken from Biers.
“You go get him,” Jaden told Dyle. “I’ll join you as soon as I take care of the problem here. After all, that’s what you pay me for.”
Dyle was swearing as he started crawling down the embankment.
“Here we are, Kendra.” Jaden had ducked behind the boulder again. “What a lot of bother you’ve caused us. I don’t relish your coming along and causing me more trouble. So I think we’ll dispense with you before Dyle comes back and decides he needs you, too.”
A bullet splintered rock a foot from her head.
She fired back in the direction from where she’d judged his voice had come.
Blamm!
Kendra’s right arm throbbed, and her gun went flying.
Pain. Searing, horrible pain.
“Now we take care of unfinished business.” She could see Jaden moving toward her. “Are you ready, Kendra? You’ve had a very long grace period, but all things come to an end.”
A barrage of gunshots erupted from the top of the rim. Spitting sand only inches from Jaden.
“Dammit.” He dove back behind the rocks. “Only a minor interruption. I’ll be right with you.”
He returned the fire from the rim.
“What are you doing?” Dyle was crawling toward him from the embankment. “I told you we have to get Waldridge out of here. Now do it. I wasn’t able to get him up that embankment.”
“And I’ll take care of it,” Jaden said. “Don’t I always take care of everything for you?”
“Talk’s cheap. Get us out of here.”
“Too late,” Lynch called down from the rim. “I wanted to spend a little time with you, Dyle, but Jaden shot Kendra, and I don’t have that choice now.”
“Kill him,” Dyle shouted at Jaden. “Now.”
Jaden was already firing a round at the rim.
“I’ve got cover and a clear view,” Lynch said. “I see you, Dyle. Enjoy the next minute while I line up my shot.”
“Kill him,” Dyle screamed again. “You heard him.” He was trying to get closer to the protection of the boulder. “Take him down!”
“Time’s up,” Lynch said softly.
A bullet tore through the center of Dyle’s skull. His head jerked back, a thin ribbon of blood ran from his lips.
He slumped over, dead.
More bullets tore down from the rim, pinning Jaden behind the boulders.
Jaden returned the fire. “Well, Kendra, it appears the situation has changed. I may have to assess the situation and change with it. Would you like to take a little ride with me?”
“Screw you. You’re beaten, Jaden.”
“I’m never beaten.” He crouched low, moving slowly toward the bank of rocks where Kendra lay. “Let’s go.”
“A hostage? Seriously?”
Jaden whirled around. Lynch was standing less than ten feet away, holding his rifle in front of him.
“You should rethink that strategy,” Lynch said.
“It’s worked before.” Jaden spoke in a lazy drawl that belied the intensity in his eyes and movements.
“Not this time. Drop your gun.”
Jaden nodded up to the ridge. “I thought you were up there.”
“That’s what I wanted you to think.” Lynch shrugged. “I brought a friend.”
Jaden nodded. “You’re good.” He paused. “So … how good are you?”
“You don’t want to find out.”
Jaden gripped his rifle. “The way I see it, I have a definite advantage. I’m wearing Kevlar. You’re not.”
“That’s why I’d put a bullet in your head as I did Dyle. Drop your gun.”
“Look, you just killed my employer. Somehow I don’t think I’m getting paid for this job.”
“I think you’re right.”
“So why don’t we call it a day? I’ll pull my men out, and we can—”
In a blur of motion, Jaden raised his gun.
Blam!
The shot was Lynch’s. Jaden went down with a single bullet in his forehead.
Lynch didn’t even look at him, he immediately whirled and strode toward Kendra.
The next moment he was kneeling beside her, pushing the shirt off her shoulder to reveal the wound. “Why the hell did you decide to take on Jaden? I was here, dammit. All you had to do was let me—”
“It didn’t work out that way. Waldridge might have been—”
“I don’t want to hear about Waldridge right now. Is this the only wound?”
“Yes.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Jessie was running down from the ridge. “I’m pretty good a dressing wounds. Why don’t I—”
“No.” Lynch put a hand out to stop her. “She’s not bad. I’ll take care of her.”
“Waldridge is down the embankment,” Kendra said. “Jaden hurt him. He needs help, Jessie.”
“Yes, by all means, go down and help Waldridge,” Lynch said roughly. “Or she’ll be going down herself.”
“Right away.” Jessie was already running down the embankment. “I’m on it.”