Garrett flinched, but then ignored it as if he hadn't felt it, his arm tightening and jerking back, the blood pouring over Staunton's throat.
Blood.
Garrett's blood. Joel's blood. No more blood, Staunton.
'Let him go, Garrett,' she called. 'Dammit, let him go.' Garrett's grasp loosened for an instant as his gaze rose to the branch where she was hidden.
Staunton tore away and his knife plunged toward Garrett again. She pulled the trigger.
She watched Staunton arch as the bullet struck his body. She fired again, and he slumped to the ground. And then again. Was he dead? Please, let him be dead.
She had to be sure.
'Emily.' Garrett was watching her slide down from the tree. 'Are you okay?'
She ignored the question. 'Watch him.' It didn't seem possible that she had actually brought Staunton down. All the weeks, the search¬ing, the agony…
She jumped the rest of the way to the ground and crossed to where Staunton lay. 'I have to be sure.' She turned Staunton over. His blood was bubbling from the two wounds in his chest and a faint line was trickling from the side of his mouth. At first, she thought he was dead, but he slowly opened his eyes. 'Emily…' Then, incredibly he smiled. 'I won't die, you know. Zelov never really died, and neither will I. You can't beat us. Zelov and I are invincible. I'll get well and come back, and I'll do whatever… I wish with you.'
'You're dying now. You probably only have a few more minutes.' She stared into his eyes. 'And if I thought any differently, I'd put an¬other bullet in your head. I may still do it.'
'Would you?' For an instant he looked uncertain. 'But that isn't how-' His expression became twisted, ugly. 'No, I won't die. I'm going to live. I'm going to be so rich, I'll be a god. Like Zelov. Only better. Better…' He suddenly arched upward, his eyes glazing over. 'No!'
'Give up, Staunton.' 'I won't-I'm going to-' He screamed and slumped backward. He was dead.
Garrett's hand grasped her shoulder. 'He's gone, Emily.' She knew that he was gone, but she couldn't stop staring at the ugliness still imprinted on his face, even in death. 'Let him go,' Garrett said.
Something warm and liquid was dripping on her shoulder. Blood. Garrett's blood.
The knowledge jarred her, and she shook her head to clear it. She jumped to her feet and took his arm in both her hands. 'How bad, is it?'
'Flesh wound. But it hurts like hell.'
'It's almost stopped bleeding. But it's going to have to be stitched.'
'Be quiet.' He took her in his arms. 'Just be quiet for a minute. Okay? I need this.'
She needed it, too. 'You shouldn't have been here.'
'You're wrong. I had the right to be here. I should have been here sooner, dammit.'
'No, I was the one who-I could have handled it.' But, Lord, it had been close. 'I didn't want you-'
'Is she all right?' She looked up to see Pauley coming across the path. 'I know you told me to stay over there, Garrett, but she's cov¬ered with blood. I'm damn good at first aid. I saw a whole series about it on the Learning Channel.'
'It's Garrett's blood.' She looked down at Staunton. 'And maybe a little of his.'
'I think it's too late for first aid on him,' Pauley said, staring at Staunton. 'He's the bad guy?'
'Yes,' she said. 'And, yes, Staunton was definitely the bad guy.' She wearily brushed the hair away from her face. 'I'm glad to see you, Pauley. When I heard those shots, I thought Borg had killed both you and Joslyn.'
'Was that his name? He shot Joslyn. He was there before I knew it. I was in the woods on guard when I heard the shot. I circled around and came back and shot Borg.' He shook his head. 'It gave me a very weird… feeling. I'll have to think about it.'
'Is Joslyn dead?'
'No, but he's pretty bad. Irana showed up right after I killed Borg, and she's working on Joslyn, trying to keep him alive. Dardon is help¬ing her. Garrett told me to come with him when he took off after you. I was to be the decoy while he went in for the kill.'
'Irana is safe?'
'Yes,' Garrett said. 'No more talk. It can wait until later.' He took her arm. 'Let's get back to Irana. I want to get you both out of here before someone gets curious about those shots.'
'Do you want me to bandage that arm?' Pauley asked. 'Or maybe
TWENTY-TWO
WHEN THEY ARRIVED BACK AT the road, Irana was kneeling on the ground beside Joslyn applying a pressure bandage. 'Thank God,' she said as she glanced up and saw Emily. 'Are you hurt?'
'No, but Garrett is wounded. I don't think it's serious.' She looked down at Joslyn. He was obviously unconscious and appeared stark pale in the light of the lantern sitting beside him. 'Is he going to die?'
'Not if I can help it. He's lost a lot of blood, and I don't know if the bullet clipped an organ yet.' She glanced at Garrett. 'I told Dar¬don to phone for an ambulance. He went to the monastery to meet them and bring them here. I'm going with him to take care of him.'
'I'm not arguing,' Garrett said.
'You were angry with all of us when you got here.' She looked at Emily. 'And you blamed Joslyn enough to use him to bring us here. He may be dying because he wanted to make amends for what he did wrong.'
'Are you trying to make me feel guilty?'
'No, I'm not judging you. I helped to make sure he'd come with us. Who knows? Maybe Joslyn was looking on you as his own messen¬ger to help him make peace with himself.' Her lips tightened. 'I'm just saying that no matter how you feel about him, it's not going to stop me from helping him.'
TWENTY-TWO
WHEN THEY ARRIVED BACK AT the road, Irana was kneeling on the ground beside Joslyn applying a pressure bandage. 'Thank God,' she said as she glanced up and saw Emily. 'Are you hurt?'
'No, but Garrett is wounded. I don't think it's serious.' She looked down at Joslyn. He was obviously unconscious and appeared stark pale in the light of the lantern sitting beside him. 'Is he going to die?'
'Not if I can help it. He's lost a lot of blood, and I don't know if the bullet clipped an organ yet.' She glanced at Garrett. 'I told Dar¬don to phone for an ambulance. He went to the monastery to meet them and bring them here. I'm going with him to take care of him.'
'I'm not arguing,' Garrett said.
'You were angry with all of us when you got here.' She looked at Emily. 'And you blamed Joslyn enough to use him to bring us here. He may be dying because he wanted to make amends for what he did wrong.'
'Are you trying to make me feel guilty?'
'No, I'm not judging you. I helped to make sure he'd come with us. Who knows? Maybe Joslyn was looking on you as his own messen¬ger to help him make peace with himself.' Her lips tightened. 'I'm just saying that no matter how you feel about him, it's not going to stop me from helping him.'
Emily stared at her for a moment. 'I don't want him to die by Staunton's hand. Maybe I don't want him to die at all. But I can't for¬give what he did. Don't expect me to pretend that I will.'
Irana smiled. 'No, I don't expect you to pretend anything. You're not at all good at it.' Her gaze shifted to Pauley. 'Come here and keep pressure on this bandage while I take care of Garrett's wound.'
He moved forward with alacrity. 'Right. That's really much more dramatic and worthwhile than cleaning up that knife scratch.'
Garrett took out his telephone. 'Give me five minutes, Irana.'
'No. I'm going to do it now.' Irana took his phone and handed it to Emily. 'When that ambulance gets here, I
