Page 56

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

A s Forbes neared the cave's entrance, he pulled his handgun from the holster at the small of his back and crept forward until dim moonlight brightened the narrow cave opening.

He moved toward it and was about to peek outside when a noise stopped him. Sounded like a rock falling, bouncing off other rocks on the steep slope.

Rocks didn’t just randomly hurl themselves down cliffs.

Somebody was out there.

He settled to wait, listening for voices. Hoping one man would speak to another man, maybe go over the entire plan.

That would be too easy, but he’d take it.

Who were they? Locals? Friends of Brooklynn’s? Or strangers? Hired thugs?

The surf crashed against the rocks and sand. It sounded louder, more violent, than usual, as if an unseen storm stirred the waters.

Forbes waited for a lull, hoping the man—or men—who guarded the cove would reveal themselves.

And then a lull came.

Forbes didn’t hear voices.

He heard breathing.

Someone was right there.

On the other side of the rock where Forbes hid.

Waiting for him to emerge.

But why? How?

The truth was pure acid in his insides.

They knew about the cave. They knew!

The whole thing had been a trap.

Those gunshots had been close, but the men following had guessed where they were going. They must have found the cave.

He was stepping back silently when a voice came.

“Yeah?” The man’s voice was low. “We’re here. She was limping, so it’ll take…” A long pause, then, “They won’t.”

Forbes didn’t hear another voice, so he must’ve been on the phone.

Another man whispered, “No chatter. They must not have called…” The rest of his words were drowned by a wave crashing on the headland.

Chatter, as if on a police radio. Leo was reassuring his men that Forbes and Brooklynn hadn’t called 911. He didn’t realize yet that they knew the chief was in on the smuggling ring.

Small favors.

Forbes backed away silently, gun aimed toward the cave mouth.

His heart thumped so loudly that he feared the men outside would hear.

He and Brooklynn would wait in the cave, and if they had to, they’d make their stand there. In the middle of the pitch-black rocky space.

If anyone tried to hurt Brooklynn, Forbes would kill him. Or her , he added, thinking of Maury Stratton.

He’d die before he let harm come to Brooklynn.

He feared it would come to exactly that. And, just like with his father and mother and sister, he’d fail.

And the one he loved would pay the price.