Page 24 of Special Agent Raven
“You lost your ride too? Fuck, I was hoping you had wheels.”
Cane pretended to grimace like one might if joking. “Did I say I didn’t? Folks got worried about the weather and hopped in their boats to get the hell outta this place. Picked me up a pretty little Mustang and left it out by the road. Figured once the water recedes, I’d be gonzo.”
“Looks like we’ll both be using that Mustang then, unless you want I should just shoot you now and take the keys.”
Cane pretended to be offended. “Hey. No need to be an asshole or threaten me. I ain’t your enemy. And yeah, you can surely catch a ride with me. But what’s your plans for these folks?”
Dale’s voice turned meaner’n a rabid skunk and his shrug made the hair on the back of Raven’s neck dance a jig. “Guess we’ll have to get rid of the evidence. Figure we can drown ’em before the water drains away. Let’s see, we can take the boat out, knock ’em out and throw them overboard, then make it look likethey were capsized. They’s a rowboat we can use to get back to land.”
“That’s a lot of carrying for one guy, ain’t it? The three in the living room look to be unconscious.”
“Nah. Just sleeping. Exhausted, I guess. They can walk under their own steam.”
“Look, I gotta tell you sumpin’. I might be a thief, but I ain’t no killer, never hurt nobody on purpose and ain’t gonna start now.”
“You will or I’ll shoot the baby in the next room, and don’t think I won’t.” The woman being held by Dale struggled and then words erupted as if she couldn’t stop them. “No. You promised us that you were just holing up for a few days and that nobody would get hurt. You promised.”
“Hey baby, sorry about that, but I lie a lot. Before I killed him, it’s one of the many bad habits my probation officer said I needed to work on. That and liking to hurt sweet girls like you.”
Before he knew she’d react, the same sweet girl pushed against Dale so hard that his high stool toppled over. Though he’d tried to grab for his gun, it got shoved out of reach, and Cane, swiftly moving around to their side, had his own weapon pointed right in Dale’s face. “I wouldn’t move if I were you.”
Unaware that Dale hadn’t dropped the knife, Cane didn’t see it aimed at his thigh, but Raven did. Unable to shoot the bastard before he stuck the blade into soft flesh, she did manage to get to the scene before he rammed it in again.
“Stop. Right there. Drop it, asshole.” She held her weapon within inches of his face. Up until he’d thrust the knife into Cane’s leg, she’d felt in control of herself. But once she witnessed this cruelty to someone that mattered, she lost all sense and only her training stopped her from pistol whipping the son of a bitch and then putting a bullet in him.
As if sensing the razor thin edge of her restraint, Dale froze, his hand opened to let the knife fall. No sooner had it hit theground, the young woman had it in her hand. Wildly reacting to her new freedom, Val’s arm flashed toward him. She sliced the blade across Dale’s groin, mostly cutting material. But he reacted immediately, bending over, and trying to scurry away, using his hands to cover his jewels. And when the wall stopped him, he cringed from her fury.
She followed him, crawling like an animal, screaming all her pent-up terror and anger, while violently swinging the knife in mad circles, trying her damnedest to cut him again.
Cane’s voice calling her name seemed to get through her madness. “Val, stop. Killing the pervert isn’t worth the payment they’ll demand from you. Think. You have a baby who needs you.”
In the meantime, Raven hadn’t taken her eyes from Dale, her icy glare daring him to move or defend himself. But like all cowards, his arrogant façade had vanished, leaving behind the scared, whimpering simpleton who now faced retribution.
Once Cane had talked Val down and retrieved the knife, he held the hysterical woman while she sobbed away the tension she’d been forced to bear. “Shush, Val, it’s over now. You’re going to be fine. Helen has your baby, and the child needs you to be strong.”
Val turned her sopping wet eyes, filled with unfathomable pain, to where Raven waited, her gun never wavering. “He-he and his friend shot my boyfriend and took us hostage, beat me and forced me to do unspeakable things. I have to kill him, don’t you see?” Her voice held a weird kind of reasoning mixed with a child-like vulnerability. “He needs to die like… like an injured animal needs to be put out of their misery.”
Before Cane could answer, Helen appeared holding a sleeping baby, the child’s curls awry over her sweaty forehead. “Val, something’s wrong with Bonnie. She needs you.”
In a flash, all thoughts of Dale were overridden by her child’s needs. Val thrust herself from Cane’s arms straight to Helen. Though his leg bled profusely, Cane stumbled to his feet and moved over to where Raven held her gun on Dale.
“You got him?”
Rusted nails in her voice, she rasped, “Trust me, he isn’t going anywhere, but I sure-as-shit wish he’d try.”
Chapter Nineteen
Cane shrugged off the shock of seeing gentleness turn to steel and took the zip ties Raven handed him. First, he used one on Dale’s hands and then another on his feet. When that was done, he turned toward Raven and buried the surprise when she walked right into his arms. Instead, he gathered her close and the relief of opening up to another person felt wonderful.
She hung on for a few seconds before pushing him gently away and leading him to the high stool. “You’re hurt.”
“I’ll survive.” He undid his belt and slumping back on the stool with her help, he began wrapping it around his thigh. “This could have been a worse disaster if you hadn’t kept your head. Thanks for not barging in at the wrong moment.”
“I saw your signal.”
“You did damn good, Superwoman.” He winked her way and then added, “I think Helen needs your help in the other room, maybe take the knife with you.”
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