Page 79 of An Epic Voyage

“Besides Benny and his three bodyguards, Jinger and I.”

“Franklin wasn’t with them?”

“I don’t know.I didn’t see him, but they carried us on and threw us on the floor.We were held at gunpoint.I’m not proud to admit the wetness on my pants wasn’t from residual water in the boat.Franklin could’ve been there.”

“What are you doing over there, Indigo?I told you I need you to fix my makeup.”

“Shut up, Jinger,” Jordy snapped.

“What did you say to me?”

“I told you to shut your big, fat mouth, you horrid bitch.Don’t you understand what’s going on here?There’s a good chance we’re going to die.”

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Indigo had been aboutto utter a sharp retort at Jinger’s summons, but Jordy had beaten her to it.And he’d shocked Jinger into silence.That in itself was a feat.Sadly, it didn’t last long.Jinger shook her head.

“No, you’re wrong.Benny loves me.He’ll come get me soon.”

“Who do you think put you here and chained you up?”Indy snapped.“Your precious Benny.”

“No, it was his bodyguards.They don’t like me because I make Benny send them away when we make love.”

“Jinger, grow up,” Griffin chimed in.“The bodyguards operate under the direction of Van Houten himself.If he still wanted you, you wouldn’t be here.Simple as that.”

She thrust her chin in the air.“I don’t care what any of you say.He loves me.”

It was entirely possible she would die on that hill.

“What are you doing over there, Indigo?”Jinger wanted to know.

If Jinger said anything about wanting Indy to do her makeup again, she was going to get up, march over, and slug her.

“Indigo?Answer me,” she prompted.

“Removing the chains so we can get out of here.”To Jordy, she promised, “I won’t let you die.”

That seemed to reassure him, and he nodded.

The lock snapped open on Griffin’s handcuffs.Indy changed her focus to the ones around his feet.Before she could get started, the hatch opened and light flooded the room.She cursed under her breath.She thought they’d have more time to get loose.

“Benny!There you are!I knew you’d come back for me.”

Van Houten ignored Jinger and walked to Indigo.He held out a hand.“Come with me, Indigo.”

“Benny, what are you doing?”Jinger screeched.“You’re supposed to come for me.I’m the one you want.”

“No, you’re not.”

Jinger recoiled, as if his verbal rebuke had been a physical slap.As Indigo watched, Jinger’s face morphed from shock to anger in a nanosecond.

“They are removing their handcuffs, Benny.They’re trying to escape, but I won’t because I know you love me.”

Griffin held up his arms, still bound by the flex cuffs.“Gordon didn’t put my cuffs on correctly, and they came undone.”

Van Houten withdrew a pistol.Indigo’s heart stopped.Had she inadvertently gotten Griffin killed?She started to throw herself over him when Van Houten turned and fired at Jinger.Indigo jumped as the sharp retort of the gun echoed in the tight, enclosed space, piercing her eardrums.A neat round hole bloomed on Jinger’s forehead, but the back of her head had been blown off, splattering blood and brain matter everywhere.She instantly toppled backward, dead.

Jordy screamed, and then bent over to throw up.Indigo wanted to comfort him, but she wasn’t taking her eyes off the psycho in front of her.Earlier, she’d told Jordy that Van Houten wasn’t a murderer.How wrong she’d been.