Let me go out first so I can catch you.'
He' climbed out the window, swung down, and tried to be as quiet as possible as he dropped to the porch roof. The shingles
were slick from the rain, and he almost lost his footing on the sharp pitch as he landed. Bracing his legs apart, he put his arms
up and waited for Michelle to jump, all the while praying that lightning wouldn't strike and give them away. If there were others
in the yard or in the boat, they would see them and sound the alert.
He reached for Michelle just as he heard glass breaking downstairs. It sounded as if it was coming from the back door. The
noise was immediately followed by an earsplittdng sound of gunfire coming from the front of the house. The bastards were organized. They were simultaneously rushing both entrances. They wanted to trap Theo and Michelle inside.
Michelle could hear them knocking things over downstairs. How many were there? She tucked the flashlight into the waistband
of her jeans and climbed out on the ledge.
'Let's go.' His voice was a low, urgent whisper.
She hesitated for a second or two, trying to focus, but then she heard the pounding of heavy footsteps on the stairs. She let go.
Theo caught her around the waist. She slipped, but he held fast until she recovered her balance. Staying close to him, she scrambled on all fours across the roof. The rain was coming down in sheets now. She could barely see her hands. She reached the edge, tested the gutter, hoping she could hang on as she swung her legs over, but the gutter was loose, and she knew it would make a racket if it fell. There were overgrown lilac bushes all along the side of her house. She put her hand over her eyes as she jumped into the center of the thicket.
Scurrying to get out of Theo's way, she ran headfirst into a thick branch. It cut her cheek, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
'Which way?' she whispered.
'The front. Wait here.' He pulled his gun out. He edged his way to the corner of the house, ducked down, and then leaned out. The hood of his car was up, which meant they'd disabled it. He looked across the road, judging the distance to the swamp. He didn't relish getting trapped and hunted in the maze of dense vegetation, but if they could run across without being seen, then he and Michelle could make their way to the crossroads.
A car was parked further up the road. He wouldn't have seen it if the brake lights hadn't suddenly gone on. Whoever was
waiting inside had his foot on the brakes. A second later the lights went off.
Theo went back to Michelle. 'We have to try to get to your boat. It's the only way out of here.'
'Let's go.'
They made it to the edge of the dock before they were spotted. Caught hi the glare of a light shining down from the bedroom window, Theo pushed Michelle down as he turned and fired. He didn't know if he hit anything or not. The light went out, and he heard shouting.
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.
