A wave of desperation and fear gripped Rowley but he pushed it away, determined not to allow this lunatic to win. One on one, he’d have a chance, but stuck between an open door and the cab, Sawyer had the upper hand. A couple more blows to the head would finish him. Right now, he was out of options, it was move or die. Then he remembered his tracker. Wolfe had supplied them all with an emergency beacon; it used the same technology as a satellite phone. He reached across his chest and pressed the stud beside his badge. Soon Jenna and Kane would be able to hear every word he uttered and know his position. He just had to survive long enough for them to get to him. The chances of surviving had fallen to just above zero, then, as if someone had heard him, Kane’s advice drifted into his head. When cornered, attack. Grinding his teeth, he glared at Sawyer’s amused expression and lifted his chin. “Do you give yourself extra points for attacking an unarmed man, Sawyer? You’re nothing but a yellow-bellied coward.”
“Oh, listen to the brave deputy.” Sawyer took a few steps back and grinned. “Okay, let’s make this real fun. The truck is stoppin’ my swing anyways.” He beckoned him forward. “Show me what you got.”
Rowley had trained for this type of situation. He turned to one side, then lashed out with his foot once, twice, three times, but Sawyer deflected the strikes with the handle of the shovel. Giddy and hurting, he took a couple of unsteady steps away from the cruiser but kept his attention on Sawyer. The man stood, eerily confident and with a slight smile on his face, swinging the shovel as if waiting for his next move. He was playing with him, like a cat with a mouse.
“That all you got?” Sawyer laughed. “What are you? A black belt in stupid?”
Not willing to give in, Rowley straightened and stared him down. Although his right arm was practically useless, and agony cut through his head like a knife, he took a fighting stance. No way was he going down to this maniac. Help would be coming and he needed to transmit as much information as possible. “You can’t win, Sawyer. Backup is on its way. The sheriff knows you own the fertilizer plant and is heading here now.”
“I don’t think so. You forgot to call in, didn’t you, and how long do you figure it will take me to disable your radio?” Sawyer gave him a maniacal grin. “I’ve taken down bigger men than you and you’re injured. You won’t last long. I’ve seen hogs bleed less than you.”
A rush of warmth trickled down Rowley’s cheek and bright red spots splashed the snow at his feet. I’m bleeding. He stared at the crimson flow in disbelief and tried to concentrate then aimed another kick, this time at a Sawyer’s knee, but landed a feeble blow to the man’s thigh. “You may have damaged one arm but I still have my feet.”
“Not for long.” Sawyer grinned in a flash of white teeth, raised the shovel and brought it down in a whoosh of air.
Oh, Jesus. Slowed from the head injury, Rowl
ey had no way of avoiding the blow. Searing pain shot across his right knee and he buckled, falling face down in the snow. “I’m down.” He hoped Kane could hear him.
Another crushing blow to his head sent shocking agony rocketing down his nerve endings and white stars danced across his vision. Sawyer’s low chuckle and the fear of dying in the snow shot adrenaline through his veins, pushing away the red-hot pain. He blinked blood from his eyes and rolled away, kicking at Sawyer’s legs with every ounce of strength he had. “Now you’ve made me mad.”
He landed a kick on Sawyer’s knee but to his horror, the man absorbed the blow and just stood there grinning down at him. Panic welled and he gulped down freezing mouthfuls of air. Under him, the ice-packed snow, crimson with his blood, blurred. His muscles trembled and it was as if he floated on the edge of reality. He shook his head, desperate to stay alive; help was coming and he had to remain conscious. Digging his fingers into the ice, he inched away to get some distance between him and Sawyer. Too late. With a triumphant grunt, Sawyer came down on him hard with both knees. Air left his lungs in a rush of steam and in seconds, Sawyer had pulled zip ties from his back pocket. Rowley fought hard but Sawyer was incredibly strong and, moments later, had him trussed up. He stared up into Sawyer’s black unyielding eyes and hoped Kane or Wolfe could hear him. “I’m down, need assistance.”
“You sure do but you don’t have no radio on you, now do you?” Sawyer gave him a satisfied grin. “Did I hit you too hard and scramble your brains? Don’t pass out on me now or you won’t enjoy the next bit.” He slapped Rowley hard across the face.
“Oh, Jesus.” Rowley ground his teeth against a rush of searing agony.
“Jesus can’t help you now.” Sawyer bent over him and stared into his eyes. “I’m so gonna enjoy watchin’ you get all chewed up in the hogger.”
Cold hit Rowley’s back as Sawyer lifted his feet and dragged him with ease across the parking lot, heading toward the hogger machine. The stark horror of what Sawyer intended to do hit home. Fighting to keep conscious, he tried to reason with him. “It’s not too late. You can walk away now. I won’t say anything.”
“Oh, you’ll say plenty and by the time you die you’ll be cryin’ for your mommy.” Sawyer dragged him into the courtyard. “When I have the conveyer belt runnin’ and you’re headin’ down into the grinder, you’ll scream and no one will be able to hear you but me.” He chuckled and kept moving closer to the machine. “I love it when they scream.”
Sixty
Jenna gripped Kane’s satellite phone in both trembling hands and listened to the horrific attack on Rowley. Sick to her stomach, she glanced at Kane. “We won’t make it in time.”
“We will.” Kane moved his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel. “Jake will fight back. Listen to him. He might be injured but he isn’t down yet.”
Terrified for Rowley, Jenna stared at the screen, willing him to survive for just a few more minutes. She wished he could hear her. “We’re coming, hang on. Come on, Jake, fight back.”
The sickening thuds and gasps made her stomach cramp. Her hands shook with every word Rowley uttered. Hearing a friend fighting for his life was tearing her apart. She looked at Kane. “Go faster; we have to get to him. Please, Kane, we can’t let him die.”
They shot past two eighteen-wheelers and Kane aimed the beast into the middle of the highway, wheels straddling the centerline. The motor roared and the hood raised as the powerful engine threw Jenna back in her seat. Ahead the road was clear into the distance, but even Kane wasn’t invincible. If they hit one patch of ice they would slide into the ditch at full speed. She gripped the seat. “Oh, shit.”
“The middle has less ice at the moment and every second counts.” The nerve in his cheek twitched as trees flashed by in a blur of brown and white. “Hang on.”
Jenna held her breath as Kane slid the truck around the corner and it fishtailed on the ice before he gained control and they charged down the road leading to the fertilizer plant.
In her hand, Kane’s cellphone relayed the horror Rowley was suffering. His voice came through the speaker in almost a whisper now.
“Sawyer is dragging me to a machine he calls the hogger. It’s a massive shredder.” Rowley panted out each word. “I’m not going to make it out of this. Get this SOB for me, Wyatt Sawyer is the Axman.” He sucked in a deep breath and his voice came out calm, almost resigned. “It’s been a pleasure knowing you all.”
Fighting back tears, Jenna’s chest constricted and she bit back a sob. “Oh, my God.”
“There’s Jake’s truck.” Kane bypassed the parking lot and squeezed his truck down a sidewalk toward the building. Ahead, Jenna could see a man dragging Rowley by the feet toward a huge piece of machinery. She slotted the phone into its bracket and pulled out her weapon. She was out the door and running by the time the truck slid to a halt in front of a concrete post dividing the walkway. The snow underfoot bogged her down and she slipped on the ice-covered pathway. Glacial air cut deep into her lungs. Seconds later Kane was at her side in a cloud of steam, Glock drawn. She kept running. “Sheriff’s department! Stop what you’re doing.”
To her horror, Sawyer ignored her and lifted Rowley onto the conveyer belt as if he weighed nothing. He glanced at them and shrugged, then calmly walked to the machine. Jenna kept running—she had to save Rowley. “Stop or I’ll shoot.”