“Did you kill her husband, too?”
“No, I couldn’t find the lucky bastard. But...hey. He’s out there somewhere. Though, Katie, to be honest, I wanted you for the grand finale. You escaped the boat! You got twelve bonus years. I was so anxious, waiting for reports from Sonny. Because you see, you should have been first. Your dad and his precious wife, your mother, should have had the agony of watching you hacked to pieces first. Can you imagine that pain? And your dad would know it was all because he just had to be a hero, couldn’t leave us to do what needed to be done...to frankly worthless people. They didn’t deserve anything they had. They could have just run crying to FEMA. Your dad! He thought he was powerful that day. I showed him.”
“You killed a man. Thousands of thugs have done the same,” Katie said. “You’re nothing special.”
“But I am... I’m the Axeman of New Orleans. And now...”
“You poisoned your own dogs!”
“Well, if you shut up, I can get out of here. I’m just going to shoot Dan Oliver when he comes looking for you. I’m not sure he’s even worthy of the axe. Then I can save my dogs. Oh, Katie, I just can’t tell you how I’ve loved this! Watching you admire me, fall in love with the mules and the dogs. And bring in so much money! Thinking you were safe. And all the while, I knew. I knew this day would come... Oh, don’t worry. I will get away with it. My dogs were poisoned. The killer was after you. I tried to stop him! I was injured horribly...well, not that horribly, but I do know how to make it look like I was attacked.”
She listened to him, scrambling in her mind for more to say.
Dan had to be out there by now. But if he just kicked in the door, Monty would shoot him, then chop her to ribbons, harm himself...
She suddenly saw movement around Monty. She blinked. There was no way Dan had gotten into the bedroom, but...
It was Mabel! And she wasn’t alone; she was with the ghost of Gray Simmons. Her friend, who had just stayed to hang around and watch as his beloved city unfolded...
It was difficult to see them as they motioned to her.
They’d all been such idiots. Looking for a big man. Monty was a big man, blocking her view now.
“My head,” she muttered, swinging backward and forward.
“You have a headache, pretty girl? It’s going to get worse!” he told her.
She finally heard what Mabel was trying to say to her.
“Kick him, kick him as hard as you can! Knock him over!” Mabel said, kicking out a ghostly foot.
“But...” Katie said aloud.
“But what?” Monty demanded. “Hmm, to shoot him in front of you, or hack you to death in front of him?”
“Kick him over!” Gray cried.
They had a plan, but—
“Monty! Monty!” She suddenly heard Dan; he was calling out. “Monty, was George here? We’re going to get him this time!” Dan called. “Where are you guys? Katie? The bastard went after your dogs! Monty, come on, I need to get you and Katie to safety.”
Monty looked at her, grinning.
She’d never known the man could look so purely evil. He was always so nice, so polite, so caring and courteous to others...
As he planned their demise.
“Kick him over!” Gray said. “Lass, you can do it!”
And then she knew Dan knew damned well Monty had taken her, and Monty had poisoned his own dogs...
Dan knew that Monty was the big man, the mastermind, the Axeman.
“Monty. I’m still confused,” she said, as if she hadn’t heard Dan. “Did this start with the Axeman, or with Allan Pierce’s theory of six and being superhuman and immortal. Or were you just sick as can be from the get-go? Because you messed up a lot. I mean, for one, Sonny Hartfield is going to talk eventually. I’m not sure if he can make a fortune with the tabloids from prison, but he’ll tell your story soon enough.”
“He won’t be able to. I can’t tell you how easy it is to buy an assassin, Katie. So easy. Of course, it’s not the same. I mean, I had to wait to hear about your parents. It’s not the same as feeling the axe in your hands, feeling it make impact with human flesh and blood! Oh, to be bathed in the warmth of blood splatter. But shut up now—”
He raised his voice. “Dan, help, help! Help us, for God’s sake! He has us, Katie and me. The Axeman has us...”
He was hunched down in front of her but looking toward the door. He had his axe in the one hand behind his back, and he started to draw out the other, in which he held a handgun.
Katie kicked him.
She kicked him hard, with all her strength, and perhaps...
Had just a little superpower of her own.
Revenge? Hatred?
Or the search for real justice, for so many years now.
He didn’t just fall. He went flying backward, sliding across the room on his rump, almost hitting the opposite wall.
The door burst open. Dan was there, and even as Monty struggled to right himself and take aim, Dan shot him.
Monty screamed as his hand exploded and his gun went flying.
“No warning! You can’t shoot me with no warning, you asshole. You’ll face charges. My rights have been—”
“Shut up or I’ll shoot to kill,” Dan said, keeping his gun trained on Monty as he hunkered down to slice the ropes from Katie’s wrists with his free hand. “And I’m just a private investigator. I’m not a cop or any kind of an agent. I’m a citizen standing my ground. I’d shoot you, you bastard, without blinking an eye, and the world—and all immortal beings—would thank me for it!”
Katie hadn’t heard the first sound of a siren.
She hadn’t heard any kind of commotion.
But suddenly, officers and agents were flooding into the room. Axel was there,
