“Then she’ll have to live with knowing she caused your death.”
Nausea swirled in his stomach. Georgie already had guilt over Charlie’s and her parents’ deaths. She would do whatever the guy said. Matt lunged for the phone, but the gunman was too quick. He stepped back and slammed the door in Matt’s face, locking it so he couldn’t get out. Then he shut the bonnet and got into the driver’s seat, placing Matt’s phone in the hands-free cradle. So responsible.
He did a U-turn and headed back towards town, one hand on the wheel, the other still holding the gun.
The doors were locked so no way Matt could jump out. Not that it was a viable option at the speed they were going. But perhaps he could convince the man not to shoot him. “Why are you doing this?”
The man didn’t answer.
“We haven’t done anything to you.”
Again silence.
“The police will be watching Georgie.”
“The police will be too busy to notice she’s gone.”
What had Stonefish organised? Concern for his sister added to his other concerns. Was she all right?
As they reached the area where phone reception kicked in the gunman pressed dial on Matt’s phone. Georgie’s voice came over. “Matt, where are you?”
His heart squeezed, but before he could speak, the gunman pressed the gun against his head. Matt froze.
The gunman chuckled before saying, “Matt’s currently tied up in my car.”
***
The unfamiliar chuckle made Georgie want to throw up. “You’re the gunman.” She said the words quietly, but Penelope and Declan shot her looks of concern. Georgie gestured them over and turned the volume up so they could both hear the caller without putting it on speaker.
“I might be,” the man answered. “You’re going to leave the fire station quietly and meet me at the base of the ranges close to where you discovered Lance.”
“I want proof Matt is alive.”
Penelope’s eyes widened and she mouthed,What’s going on?She got out her phone.
“Say something,” the gunman ordered. In the background it sounded as if they were driving, but there weren’t many places along the road to town where there was reception.
Georgie mouthed,Call Dotto Declan.He had to know something about what had happened.
He nodded and stepped away to make the call.
“He refuses to speak. I’ll show you.” The man switched to video, being careful not to show his own face. The image was jerky as the car bumped over the road, but Matt sat in the passenger seat, his hands tied together.
“Don’t come, Georgie,” Matt shouted. “Stonefish set up a diversion for the police.”
Rage swept over her. She would not lose another person she loved. The video switched off and the gunman spoke. “You have an hour.”
“I need more time,” Georgie said. “I don’t have a four-wheel drive.” And they were definitely on the dirt by the way the car had been jerking about.
“Parks and Wildlife does. You have one hour or he dies. If I see anyone else, he dies.” The man hung up.
Georgie’s pulse raced. Penelope grabbed her. “What’s going on?”
Georgie shook her off. “I don’t have time.”
“Dot wants to speak with you.” Declan shoved his phone at Georgie, but Georgie refused to take it.
“I can’t. If he sees the police, he’ll kill Matt.”
