“They know. Declan called them.” Maybe he’d think they were backing her up.
“Do they have a plan?”
“Yeah,” she lied. “I’m about to go out of range. Stay at the Ridge.” She waited a second and then hung up. She exhaled.
Time to get her head into the game. She’d spent time in the area. The gunman could hide at any spot along the track and shoot her while she was driving in. If he’d already killed Matt, he could wait somewhere up the slope of the ranges and get a shot at long range.
Her throat closed over. This was madness. She didn’t have the skills to take on a killer. There were too many variables, and this guy hadn’t hesitated to kill three others.
Georgie gasped for breath as she turned off the bitumen and had to slow on the track. In front of her the red ranges soared into the air, the only thing to see for kilometres.
She glanced between the track and the ranges, trying to spot anything out of place; a glint off glass or a colour that didn’t fit in.
As she neared the rendezvous point she slowed and wound down her window, listening for anything out of the ordinary, fearing to hear a gunshot.
Every muscle in her body was tight. She reached over and pulled the rifle closer so it was within her reach.
Not far now.
This could be the last thing she ever did.
***
Matt jolted as they went over a particularly nasty bump and winced as the plastic cut into his wrists. The skin was raw where he’d been trying to break the ties. He was surprised the gunman hadn’t thrown him out of the car and shot him when he’d hung up from Georgie, but maybe he didn’t want to risk Georgie spotting the body.
They were close to where the animal traps had been which meant he had very little time to free himself. Nothing in the front seat he could use as a weapon. His best chance was attacking the guy when he got out of the car.
The car bumped over the track and rounded a corner where it widened. Standing in the middle of the area was Lee.
Matt’s mouth dropped open. What was he doing here?
“Good,” the gunman muttered.
Great, Lee was in on this. Georgie should have reported him to the police when she’d first seen him. This was going to give Georgie another level of guilt she didn’t need.
“I thought you’d like to be reunited with a friend,” the gunman said as he turned off the engine.
Matt had no idea where Lee or this guy sat in the Stonefish hierarchy. Was there any point attempting to overpower the gunman when Lee could simply shoot him?
He had to try.
The gunman got out, came around the side to unlock the passenger door and pointed his gun right at Matt’s face. “Move.”
His blue eyes were like ice, containing no emotion. Chills ran down Matt’s spine. Still no way to escape, not without risking a bullet in his brain.
Matt slid carefully out, keeping his eyes on the gunman, waiting for a moment when his attention lapsed, but he stared at Matt the whole time, ignoring Lee behind him.
Lee glanced at Matt impassively as if they hadn’t shared a beer around the campfire before, and then turned his attention to the gunman. “This is why you brought me here?”
“There have been questions about your loyalty,” the gunman said.
“Only from you.” Lee sounded bored. “What do you want me to do, shoot him?”
“Yeah, and the bitch who’s coming for him.”
Lee turned to Matt. “You’ve got a girlfriend?”
Matt ground his teeth. “It’s Georgie. He wants you to murder Georgie.”
