Iris Johansen - Dead Aim

"Are you taking the Land Rover?" Galen asked.

Morgan shook his head. "I'll walk. We'll leave the lights on and the Land Rover in the driveway. I want the house to look occupied. I'll get back here as soon as I see the helicopter. Take care of her, Galen."

"It's my pleasure," Galen said to Alex as the door slammed behind Morgan. "Let me know if you need any help getting dressed."

"Thanks." She was probably crazy for going along with this, she thought as she went into her bedroom and started to dress. She didn't know Galen, she didn't trust Morgan, and she was only a pawn to Logan. She didn't believe anyone in the FBI was intentionally conspiring against her. So why the hell had she given in to their arguments?

Waco. Ruby Ridge. WTC.

Government agencies that made mistakes could cause tragedy and endless regret. It only made sense to avoid any confrontation until she was in a position to show everyone how ridiculous the suspicions were.

She slipped on her strollers, draped her plaid shirt over her shoulders, and grabbed her jacket. Galen would have to help her put on the rest of these clothes. This blasted shoulder was too sore to punish it anymore.

Galen was leafing through the sketches when she came out of the bedroom. "These are very detailed. You have a good memory."

"They aren't faces I'd forget. Morgan was determined I'd remember every single detail. He nagged me until I was ready to throw the pad at him." She added grudgingly, "But he did a brilliant job. He's exceptionally talented."

"Yes, he is. In any number of areas. A jack-of-all-tradesand master of all of them."

"Including assassin. He told me he killed George Lester." "Before George Lester could kill you."

She remembered the tingle of shock she had felt when she saw Morgan walk out of the study with that rifle. He looked totally at ease with the weapon, as if it were an extension of his body. "But I think it was too easy for him. Human life is precious. Destroying it should be difficult, if not impossible." She crossed the room to stand before Galen. "Can you help me get this shirt on?"

"Sure." He put down the sketches and helped her with the shirt and quickly buttoned it. "Sorry about this. I'm sure Judd didn't mean for you to be-"

"It doesn't matter what he meant. It happened. And it wouldn't have happened if he hadn't brought me here." She gave him a level stare. "And you're as much to blame, for arranging it."

He gave a mock shiver. "It's dropped a few degrees in here. Let me help you put on that coat."

"Son of a bitch."

Morgan cursed steadily beneath his breath as he trained his binoculars on the caravan of cars in the valley below. He could see two police cars trailing at least four unmarked vehicles.

He quickly dialed Galen. "Get the hell out of there. It's too late for the pickup. They're on their way. Six cars."

"I'll change the pickup to the valley. We're heading for the car now. We should reach your position in a few minutes."

"You'll run right into them if you keep on going down the mountain. There's a thick stand of trees about a mile down from the lodge. Hide in the shrubbery until they get past you."

"Where will you be?"

"Guarding your back." He hung up.

"Six cars?" Alex echoed as they pulled into the stand of trees. "To capture me?"

"Evidently you're a very dangerous person." Galen's tone was abstracted as he reached for his phone. "A change of plan, Dave," he said into the phone after dialing quickly. "Send the copter to the valley. Give us fifteen minutes." He hung up and said to Alex, "No problem."

She could see any number of potential problems. "Where's

Morgan?"

He nodded at the pines surrounding them. "Somewhere out there. He has a fondness for climbing trees. Though pines aren't his favorite. Not enough cover."

"Isn't he coming with us?"

"Probably."

"What do you mean? Either he is or-"

"Here they come," Galen murmured, his gaze on the road. "I'd say they're moving with a definite sense of purpose, wouldn't you?"

There was no question of that, Alex thought in bewilderment. The caravan of cars was traveling swiftly up the road toward the lodge. The sheer number of cars was threatening. What the devil was happening here?

The cars approached and then passed the stand of trees where they were hiding.

"We'll give them a few minutes more." Galen started the car. "But they seem fairly focused on their mission."

Jesus, and she was that mission. It was too macabre.

"Okay, we're out of here." Galen put the car in gear and drove out of the trees. "If they're playing nice, we should be down the mountain before they get into the lodge."

"And what's playing nice?"

"Calling out for surrender, surrounding the place, tossing a few tear-gas grenades. Standard operations. That all takes time."

"Tear gas? For God's sake, that's ridiculous. There's no way that I'd be enough threat to warrant-"

The vibration that shook the car came a second before the sound of an explosion.

Her gaze flew to the rearview mirror. The lodge at the top of the mountain was engulfed in flames.

Galen stepped on the accelerator. "Evidently they decided not to play nice."

She couldn't take her horrified gaze from the burning lodge. "If I were in there, there's no way I'd be able to get out to surrender."

"Does that tell you anything?"

She couldn't answer. All she could do was watch in helpless fascination as the devouring flames destroyed the lodge.

____________________

"My God, Jurgens, why didn't you wait?" Leopold stared in horror at the burning building. "You didn't give her a chance." "You heard me call out and tell her to surrender," Jurgens said. "Didn't you see that rifle aimed at us from that window to the right of the door?"

"No."

"I did. From the doctor who called in the tip we confirmed that there's at least one other perpetrator. There's no telling who else is in there with her."

"So you lobbed in a rocket?"

"I had to make sure. We haven't got any cover here. We're sitting ducks. I had to do it."

"You should have given her a chance."

"Did she give those people at Arapahoe Junction a chance?" "So you convicted her before she had her day in court." "Well, if she's in there, we won't need to go to the expense of a trial." He frowned. "But it may be some time before we're able to go in and verify. We'd better search the area to make sure they didn't escape."

"So you can hunt her down and shoot her?"

"I only did my job." Jurgens smiled sardonically. "These days this country is very aware of how vulnerable it is, and people don't like it. They want to strike back when they're hurt. What side do you think Joe Public will weigh in on when all the details concerning Graham's crime come to light?"

"How do you know they will?"

"It's a certainty. We have more evidence than we revealed to the media."

"Or to us?"

"We would have shared if Graham had surrendered peacefully." He turned to the agent next to him. "Take four men and search the road and brush. Don't take chances. These are criminals who- What the hell is that?"

The metallic throbbing of rotors was followed by the sight of a helicopter coming through the pass. The aircraft dipped and then started a descent into the valley below.

"I don't like this." Jurgens ran toward his car. "Leopold, have one of your cars stay here. You come along. We may need you… The rest of you pile into those cars and get down there." "Screw you," Leopold said. "I'm not taking orders from a gun-happy son of a bitch who-" "Suit yourself." Jurgens jumped behind the wheel of the car, and the vehicle leaped forward as he jammed on the accelerator.

"They're coming like bats out of hell." Galen glanced over his shoulder at the four cars speeding down the mountain road. In a matter of seconds they'd reach the valley. "It's going to be close."