Doranna Durgin - Survival Instinct

Atilio probably took in one word of ten from the conversation he’d heard, but her tone and manner did the trick. His frightened features relaxed, and if his eyes didn’t shine with hope, they once again showed some spark.

Wham. The impact of foot against door shook the frame, but nothing seemed inclined to break.

“Hit it at the lock,” Karin suggested, knowing just how well such suggestions were likely to go over.

“Oh, right. Hit it at the lock,” Dave said, breathless. “Hadn’t thought of that.” Wham!

“Hit it hard,” Karin offered.

“You just think if you make me mad enough, I’ll turn into the Hulk and rip it off the hinges.” Wham!

“You never know.” She waited for his response. She only got his grunt of effort, an oddly surprised sound. “C’mon,” she said after a moment. “I think it’s working. The frame is starting to crack at the-”

At the lock. Which was now turning. As in, someone on the other side was using a key.

She didn’t hesitate. She whirled around to the boy. “Atilio! ¡Oculta!” She stabbed a finger at the freezer, around and beyond, and kept her voice low. Whisper-low. “Use the manta azul-that tarp! Go! ¡Vaya, vaya!”

He scampered away and she didn’t dare follow to make sure he fully concealed himself. She reached for the big Ruger, clutching it awkwardly. At least she knew it was a double-action only. A long, steady pull on the trigger would do it. No safeties, no cocking, no nothing. She pressed herself up against the rough cement brick wall. Be wrong, self. Be oh so very wrong about who’s coming through that door…

She wasn’t wrong.

First came one of Longsford’s men, his gun out but not pointing in any useful direction unless he intended toe target practice. And Longsford himself. And someone behind him, but by then Karin thought it’d be a good idea to introduce herself. She stepped away from the wall slightly and pointed the gun at them in a two-fisted hold. “How’d you know?”

Longsford and friend stopped short, assessing her stance with the gun, the confidence on her face-and slowly coming to recognize her without her Maia wardrobe, makeup and comportment. And the eyes-light again, like Ellen’s. Surprise flickered across his features but quickly faded to cold annoyance. “Exactly who are you?”

“Did you want to guess Ellen? You can sit on that a moment, until we get ourselves sorted out. My vote is that you all drop your various little guns and back yourselves into that corner on the other side of the stairs. You can hold hands if you’re frightened.”

Longsford looked back at her with those small, flat eyes and Karin’s heart suddenly did triple beat. It could be tricky, playing layered personalities. Longsford was just the man she’d have avoided for a real scam, and this moment was the perfect illustration of why. His expression teetered on the edge of something nasty before he gave her a cold smile from that almost-handsome face with its close-set eyes. He tipped his head at the figures behind him, and they moved forward.

The ex-boxer, Diffie, had Dave’s arm slung over his shoulder, a careless support that was nonetheless the only thing still holding him up. Dave’s head lolled back, his mouth slack and his eyes rolled out of sight; blood streamed down the side of his neck.

Yet another new feeling roared through Karin’s body, rushing through her ears to drown out all other noise. Helplessness. But not for herself this time. For someone she knew. For someone she-

It wasn’t at all the same feeling. And to judge by the watery nature of her knees, not nearly as easy to fake her way through.

Diffie looked at her and grunted in satisfaction, recognizing her. With her hair hidden, her eyes their normal color and her grubby state, she probably didn’t look much different than she had at the farm. But the grunt was the closest thing to an I-told-you-so that he’d probably dare.

“This is a fine and interesting tangle,” Longsford said. “I think we’ll talk about it until I understand what’s going on.” At his infinitesimal nod, Diffie dropped his burden. Dave tumbled down the steps and sprawled there, jeans and sweatshirt picking up the dirt that Karin had already disturbed.

She almost went for him. She almost lost her advantage, lowering the gun to rush to his side. But no. I might be stupid, but I have no intention of being predictable. So she kept the gun where it was and asked, all in annoyance, “How the hell did you know I was here?”

Longsford nodded at the door. “How stupid do you think I am? This place is wired. You triggered motion detectors as soon as you came through that window.”

Karin swore resoundingly. Of course he protected this place.

Longsford’s eyes narrowed at her reaction. “You look like Ellen,” he said, scanning her up and down. “But Ellen couldn’t have hidden herself from me as you did. She wouldn’t have the nerve to have done any of this.”

“She wouldn’t,” Karin agreed. “Not to mention holding you at gunpoint.”

He responded without concern. “My men have guns trained on your friend. I don’t get the connection between you yet, but I will.” He turned to the man who’d come down the stairs first. “Make sure the boy is secure.”

“No!” Karin fine-tuned her aim at the man. “You don’t come inside any farther than this. In fact, I think you should all leave. Go away. Run. I’ll bet you’ve got a nice nest egg set up somewhere. Now’s the time to take advantage of it. Forget about disappointing Mummy and run.”

Longsford shook his head in a patronizing gesture. “We’re nowhere near that point yet. I can clean up all my problems within a few moments.” To the errand boy, he said, “Go.”

Karin took aim and pulled the trigger. Or rather, she took aim and she pulled and pulled the heavy trigger, and by the time the big gun fired her aim had shifted and the man in her sights was no longer in her sights. He leaped at her, smashing his own gun across the injured wrist.

Karin howled, a sound she’d never heard from the inside out, and her legs crumpled. She curled up around the newly injured wrist with pain roaring through her mind as loudly as the helplessness. But she still had the gun and like an animal she struck out, snarling and leaping up with her finger already on the trigger.

The man met her movement with a dead-center kick to her chest, knocking her flat backward and on top of Dave. Dave grunted at the impact but made no effort to shove her off, no attempt to mutter his smarmy French curse phrases. The gun went flying somewhere; Karin had no idea where. She coughed, hunting air, and by the time she’d gotten to her knees, Longsford had taken over. “Brad, secure the boy. Diffie, stand at the door and keep these two in and everyone else out.”

Okay, fine. They weren’t going anywhere. Not just this moment. But the game wasn’t over yet.

And Karin knew how to play it better than anyone.

First she took the time to do that which she hadn’t allowed herself to think about. Dave, limp and injured and bleeding. He was scary-still, his breathing uneven and riding the edge of a groan, but even in his motionlessness he still gave the impression that he was trying, trying hard, to leap to his feet and save the day. You would. Karin rolled him over just enough to check his head. Glass crunched just to the side of her leg-old window glass, some of it now under her shin. She found an ugly wound, split and puffy and pumping a steady stream of blood, and glared up at Longsford. “You didn’t have to hit him so hard.”

Longsford just shrugged. “I owe this man, after his many attempts to interfere with my life.”

“I don’t think he gave a damn about your life,” Karin said. She let Dave settle back into place and as clichéd as it was, put his head on her knees rather than see it rest on the hard, dirty floor. The immediate warmth of his blood soaked her jeans; her fingers, as she withdrew them, gleamed wetly. She wiped them on her jacket and glared up at Longsford. “If you hit him hard enough to kill him, the authorities won’t ever leave you alone. His brother Owen won’t leave you alone. But you probably don’t know about Owen, do you? Runs an international investigative agency? Plays with all the big boys? The feebs might be limited to pursuing you in the States, but Owen will find you wherever you go.”