CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

"Michelle, run," Theo shouted. He dropped the shotgun on the counter, then pivoted, his Glock cocked and ready.

He couldn't see the man's face; it was too dark. The huge shadow karate-chopped Theo's wrist, but he held tight to the gun.

Then the shadow grabbed Theo's arm and twisted it back with one hand as the other was coming up fast to nail him under the chin. Theo ducked, but not fast enough. The shadow's knuckles grazed his chin, snapping his head back. Searing pain shot through his jaw. Theo put every ounce of power he had in his left fist and punched the attacker in the gut. He knew then he was in real trouble. His fist felt as though he'd just struck a cement block, and he thought he might have broken his hand

.

Where had the son of a bitch come from? Had he already gotten to Michelle? Enraged, Theo hit again. With the speed of a jackhammer, the man swung his foot up to kick Theo's knee.

Michelle turned on the fluorescent lights and shouted, "John Paul! No! Let him go."

The two adversaries were now engaged in a bear hug, each trying to use his strength to break the other's back. When John Paul heard his sister's shout, he let go. Theo didn't. He tried to hit him again, hoping to smash his face, but John Paul easily blocked the punch with as much effort as it would take to swat a pesky mosquito away. In the process, his hand struck a bottle of whiskey, sending it careening into the other bottles lined up on the shelf against the wall behind the bar.

Both men took a step back at the same time, sizing each other up. Michelle got between them, glancing from one angry

expression to the other, and then decided Theo was the one more out of control. She put her hand on his chest, told him to take

a deep breath, and held him until he came to his senses and did as she asked.

Theo took a long hard look at the man. John Paul looked like a savage. Dressed in a pair of army green shorts, boots, and a T-shirt, he was muscular enough to be the Jolly Green Giant. Only there wasn't anything jolly about him. The bowie knife sheathed in the lining of his boot and the steely, pissed-off look in his eyes indicated he still wanted to break every bone in Theo's body. No, he definitely wasn't the Jolly Green Giant. Bad comparison, Theo thought as he continued to pant for breath from the exertion and the fear that maybe Michelle had been hurt. Her brother could star in a warlock movie. His hair was almost long enough, and he had the scars-one on his cheek and another one on his thigh-to make Theo think he was a throwback to times gone by.

"Theo, I'd like you to meet my brother, John Paul." Feeling it was safe now to let go of him, she turned to her brother.

"John Paul, this is-"

"Give me your flashlight," he panted.

She pulled it out of her waistband. He grabbed it, held his arm out so that it wouldn't be in front of them. Pushing her down again, he tried to cover her as he whispered, "Stay still," and then flipped the light on.

The beam struck one of the bastards running toward them from the house. Michelle saw him clearly and gasped in surprise. Recognition was swift and shocking.

Theo fired twice before he was forced to turn the light off. Bullets were flying all around them, pinning them down. Theo aimed the flashlight at the other boat, turned it on, and there he was, another man, waiting'for them. Squatting down low, he was looking through the scope of a high-powered rifle when Theo fired. The bullet struck the motor. He fired again as the man lunged over the side of the boat into the water.

Flipping the light off, Theo jerked her to her feet, and shouted, "Go," as gunshots sizzled and cracked in the air around them, ricocheting off the tree and the dock. Michelle slid across the dock, grabbed hold of the post to keep from falling into the water, and then frantically worked to untie their assailants' boat. Theo had already untied hers, jumped in, and was pulling on the engine cord.

She finally got the rope undone, and she pushed the boat as far away from the dock as possible. Theo was shouting at her to hurry. She jumped into her boat and fell back against Theo as he gunned the engine. A hail of bullets slapped the water around them.

Theo hunched over Michelle, trying to protect her and keep his head down at the same time. Turning the boat to the north, he shoved the lever down. The front end of the boat came out of the water, bounced back, then lurched forward. One bullet sizzled so close to his ear, he thought he felt the heat.

Looking back, he saw two men with flashlights running along the yard. Then one dove into the water. Theo figured he and Michelle had maybe a thirty-second lead to get away. He sat back on the bench and let her get up.

As soon as she lifted her head, she realized they were headed away from civilization. "You have to turn around," she told him.

"No," he answered. "It's too late to turn back. They're going to come after us. Shine the light ahead."

Michelle sat between his knees and directed the beam straight ahead. The light saved them from disaster. Another five seconds and they would have crashed into a dead tree stump sticking out of the water. Theo veered sharply to the left, then straightened the boat into a true course.

"Thank God, you grabbed your flashlight," he whispered.

"There's a sharp bend straight ahead," she told him. "Slow down and turn right. Left is another dead end."

Clasping his knee to balance herself, she turned and lifted up to look behind them. "I don't see any lights yet," she said with a wave of relief so intense it was almost painful. "Maybe they won't follow us. Maybe they'll leave us alone now that we've gotten away."

When she turned around, he pulled her back against him. "I don't think they're going to give up. I think they've just gotten started. Did you see the scope on that rifle? They're armed to the hilt. They came to hunt, and they aren't going to give up without a fight. We've got to get to a phone and get help. Show me the quickest way to get back to town."

"The bayou is like a big figure eight," she explained. "If you had headed south from my dock, you would have gone around a wide bend and would have seen The Swan. We have to backtrack."

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

While Michelle stood by the car talking to Ben, Theo went inside her house. He left his shoes by the door so he wouldn't track in mud, then ran upstairs, stripped out of his clothes, and took a quick hot shower. He was relieved he didn't find any ticks or leeches. He was back outside ten minutes later, carrying both Michelle's and his cell phones and her charger. He had already reloaded his gun and stuck an extra magazine in his pocket.

"Ready to go?" he asked Michelle.

"John Paul got your car started," she told him as she got inside. "Keys are in the ignition."

"Where is your brother?"

She nodded toward the side of the house. John Paul was sprinting toward the pickup he'd left parked on the road.

Theo intercepted him and handed him Michelle's cell phone and charger.

"I don't want that." There was a look of repulsion on John Paul's face as he stared at the phone.

"I have to be able to get hold of you. Take it."

"I don't-"

Theo wasn't in the mood to argue. "What are Michelle and I supposed to do if we need you? Send up a prayer?"

John Paul relented. He grabbed the phone and charger and headed for the pickup. He heard his sister call, "You take care of Daddy, John Paul. Don't let anything happen to him. And you be careful too. You aren't invincible."