Janet Evanovich - Full Tilt

Max sat back on his heels but kept the gun aimed at Swamp Dog's head. "I like confidence in a man."

"I guess that makes us best friends."

"We don't have to be friends, pal, but I'm prepared to offer you a job with a nice paycheck. I want you to be part of what I call my special projects team. Immediately," he added. "Your first job would consist of protecting a friend of mine."

"Frankie Fontana. He already has a security team in place."

"Yeah, and they aren't doing a very good job. I need someone I can count on to keep Frankie and his wife safe. If you accept the job I'll deposit a nice chunk of money into an account in your name."

"And if I refuse?"

Max shrugged. "Then you're not as smart as I thought you were." He tossed the gun aside and got up.

Swamp Dog came to his feet and grabbed the gun. "You just signed your death warrant, Holt."

"Some genius you are, Max," Jamie muttered. "If he wasn't going to kill us before, he'll certainly do it now. And what do you think he'll do with our bodies? Throw them to the alligators, of course. Have you ever seen what a gator can do to a man?"

He shook his head. "Have you?"

"No, but I've heard. They drag the victim beneath the water and drown him. They don't eat the body for a few days."

Swamp Dog laughed. "It's worse than that, Miss Swift. I've seen it firsthand. And enjoyed every moment of it if I might say so."

They both stared at him.

"Relax," Max said finally. "He's not going to shoot us. He would have already done it by now." He reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a business card, and placed it on the table beside the chair where Swamp Dog had been sitting. "Call me when you're ready to make a deal."

Jamie held her breath as Max led her from the boat. Swamp Dog was probably a good enough shot that he would kill her instantly. She wouldn't have to suffer or die slowly while copperheads and God-knows-what slithered across her body. She wouldn't have to live under the same roof as Annabelle Standish.

They crossed the plank leading off the boat Nothing. She could feel Swamp Dog's eyes on her.

"Keep walking," Max said.

The swamp was bathed in shadow as they made their way back. A bullfrog croaked nearby, birds called out to one another. Jamie waded through the water, keeping an eye out for anything that moved.

"Are you okay?" Max asked.

"Fine, except for the fact you almost got us killed."

"Me? You're the one who mouthed off."

"He's a sick man, shooting just over my head if I asked the wrong question. It reminded me of an old western, where the bad guy shoots bullets at someone's feet in order to make them dance. I refuse to be treated like that. I'd rather they just shoot me and get it over with. You wouldn't have put up with it, either, Max."

He was quiet.

"Would you?"

"It depends. If I were the only one involved, then no. If I were trying to protect someone I cared about, I'd probably go along with it until I could think of a way out."

Jamie was thoughtful as they walked on. "Do you think he's the one after us?"

Max shrugged. "He knew who we were. And he's cagey enough to outsmart Frankie's security men."

Jamie looked at him. "I don't understand. Why didn't he kill us back there? He had the perfect opportunity."

"It would have been too easy. The man is a hunter. A predator. We were easy targets; there was no challenge. He's also been in the military, and like you said, probably served in a special unit."

"I don't actually know that for a fact. I don't even know if he was in the military. Probably just another rumor."

"Did you notice the table beside his chair? It was partially covered with oilcloth, but it was a footlocker. There was a name on it. J. Hodges."

"Finally, we have a name."

"Swamp Dog, I mean Hodges, is just the triggerman. He's cunning and mean, but he's not exactly an Einstein. I'm more interested in finding the one who hired him."

"You weren't serious about offering him a job."

"Dead serious."

"Why, for Pete's sake?"

"I can't keep an eye on the man way out here. I want him close enough so I can watch him."

"Dang, Max, you'll put us all in danger."

"Trust me on this one, okay? Swamp Dog is just a player in a much bigger game that obviously involves a lot of money. The person behind him is smarter and more dangerous."

"You're keeping something from me. What is it?"

"Muffin and I are still looking. I'll let you know when I have something."

Jamie had so many unanswered questions. She grew up in Beaumont, went to school with a number of people who now ran the city. She attended weddings and funerals, watched her friends have babies, and she didn't want to think any of them were thieves.

"You're awfully quiet," Max said.

"I have a lot to think about."

They arrived at the boat. Jamie climbed in and Max shoved it away from the shore. He paddled a short distance and tested the water with his oar to make certain it was safe to drop the motor. He reached for the cord and pulled. Nothing happened. He tried again without success.

Jamie glanced back. "What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "Damned if I know. We aren't out of gas, I switched to a new tank shortly before we got here. I don't think the gas is getting to the motor." He looked closer. "What the hell?"

"What is it?"

Max held up a black hose leading to the motor. "It has been cut."

Jamie gaped at him. "Who would do that?"

"Obviously somebody who didn't want us to extend our visit to Swamp Dog."

She glanced around frantically, but all she could see were trees and brush. "They could be watching us," she said quietly.

Max followed her gaze. "I don't see anybody, but that doesn't mean they aren't there." He reached for the oars. "The sooner we get out of here the better."

"Don't tell me you're going to row all the way back."

"What choice do we have?"

Jamie tried to think. "It's going to take forever."

Max continued to row, his eyes cautiously taking in the wooded area. "Check inside the seats and see if there is any tape I can use to repair the hose."

Jamie did as she was told. She lifted the lid on one seat and found a tackle box filled with lures and rusty hooks. The next seat held a couple of blankets that looked as though they hadn't been washed in years. "Oh, Jeez, there's a dead fish in here. No wonder the boat smells." She found a rusted ice pick, speared the fish and tossed it into the water.

Max, in the process of looking beneath his own seat, glanced up. "I wish you hadn't done that," he said, as the fish floated to the surface.

"It's disgusting."

"There are worse things."

"Yeah, like these nasty blankets. I can't believe my friend let this boat go to pot like he did. I'm surprised it still floats." She sighed. "Sorry, no tape." She continued to glance around uneasily as she talked. "Do you think Swamp Dog cut the hose? He would know shortcuts through the swamp. He could have found the boat, cut the hose and been out of here by the time we arrived back."

"That's a possibility," Max said.

"That would explain why he didn't kill us. He'd rather watch us die out here in the swamp."

"We're not going to die. You're with me, kiddo, and it just so happens I know a few survival skills."

"Oh, yeah, right. Like carrying your Visa Gold in case the restaurant doesn't accept American Express."

"You underestimate me."

Suddenly, something slammed against the boat. Jamie gasped and bolted to her feet. The boat rocked hard to one side.

"Sit down!" Max yelled. "It's a damn alligator."

Jamie tried to catch her balance but over-corrected. The boat veered to one side, dumping her into the river. She screamed.

Max saw the gator go for her. No time to pull her from the water. "Be still and shut up," he said, bringing the oar high in the air. The alligator was less than three feet from Jamie when Max brought it down on his wide snout. Jamie screamed again as the animal thrashed about. Max slammed the oar harder, aiming for the creature's eyes. The gator became still and sank beneath the surface.