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“Are you armed?” she called across.

He held up his pistol. “I stopped at my houseboat before I headed back out.”

Michelle and Todd grabbed flashlights out of the Sea Ray’s cabin, and the three climbed off their boats and waded to shore, their pistols aimed at the FasTech just in case Eddie was lying in wait.

Covering each other, they quickly made a search of the boat and found nothing except a used fire extinguisher.

They headed to shore and then into the woods.

“We’ll spread out,” said King, “but keep visual contact. No lights yet. He could pick us off easy that way.”

A bolt of lightning hit on the hill opposite them with such force that the ground seemed to shake.

“If the damn lightning doesn’t get us first,” muttered Williams.

They threaded their way up to the crest of the hill and peered over.

“Two hundred yards and to the right is where the first body was found, if I’m not mistaken,” whispered King.

“About that,” said Michelle.

“We’ll take it slow and easy,” said Williams. “This guy’s nuts but cagey as hell. I’m not looking to end up like Chip—”

Sylvia’s scream hit them all right in the gut.

King tore down the hill, Michelle right on his heels, with Williams rumbling along in the rear.

CHAPTER

98

“PLEASE, GOD, DON’T DO

it.” Sylvia was on her knees, head flush against the top of a rotted stump, with Eddie’s knee in the middle of her back holding her in this position.

“Please,” she continued to wail. “Please.”

“Shut up!”

“Why are you doing this? Why?”

He stuffed his pistol in the gear belt he’d put on in the boat and pulled out a black hood from the inside of his wet suit. He donned the hood, adjusting the eye holes so he could see. It wasn’t the circle-with-crosshairs one the police had confiscated, but it would do just fine for this impromptu execution.

He swung up the ax in one strong hand.

“Any last words?”

Sylvia was nearly unconscious with pain and fear. She started to mutter something.

Eddie laughed. “Are you praying? Shit! Fine, you had your chance.”

He raised the ax over his head. Yet before he could bring it down on her neck, the handle of the ax exploded.

“Helluva shot, Maxwell,” muttered Williams as they hurtled forward.

If they thought Eddie was simply going to surrender, they quickly saw that wasn’t the case.

He jumped sideways, far enough to reach a steep incline, and he rolled and slid down to the bottom. He was up in an instant and sprinted off.


Tags: David Baldacci Sean King & Michelle Maxwell Mystery