Page 45

THE MAZE BORDERING SHAFIRA

T here was the faintest hint of gray in the eastern sky, and Celine didn’t like the fact that Kontara hadn’t shown up with Michael when pitch darkness would have been the perfect time for her to slip out and head back for the hedge.

She had told Celine that was her intention before she left last night, and that she’d keep an eye out for any moment that Jossland had left his post. What had gone wrong?

Where was Jossland? Celine had just seen him going into the commode a short time ago. But he should have come out by this time.

Celine’s grip tightened on her rifle. She shouldn’t be this worried. Kontara had a pistol of her own and could take care of herself. It could be that she was waiting for him to come out of the commode before she went after him.

But that wasn’t what she’d told Celine, and anything different could be dangerous on a night like this.

Then Celine caught a flicker of movement at the door of the museum, which was nowhere close to the commode!

But it did lead to the workroom and Eve’s quarters, where Kontara would have to go to get Michael.

A trap! Jossland must have caught a glimpse of Kontara entering Eve’s quarters and left the commode and slipped around behind her to wait for her to come out.

And now Kontara was moving quietly out the door of Eve’s hut holding Michael’s hand.

“No!” Celine was on her feet and scrambling up the slope.

“Stay here, Quinn,” she hissed over her shoulder.

“Keep an eye out for Michael and Kontara.” She rolled over the hedge and picked herself up when she reached the cobbled street.

Then she was flying over the ground toward the museum, where she saw that Jossland had his back to her, but he was pointing a pistol at Kontara and Michael!

Celine stopped short and held her breath.

Move slowly.

Move quietly.

It’s not as if she hadn’t practiced this discipline many times in the past when she’d been working on learning self-defense.

Being able to come up behind an adversary and take them out was very important.

But this time it could mean the difference between life and death.

Jossland was pointing that pistol in Michael and Kontara’s direction, and if she startled him, he might fire it.

So absolutely no sound as she moved behind Jossland to strike the blow.

She took a step forward.

Dead silence.

Yet Michael suddenly lifted his head, startled. And Celine could have sworn he’d heard her.

But the boy’s motion had also startled Jossland, and he raised the gun and aimed it at Michael’s head.

Celine leaped forward and crashed the butt of her rifle down on the back of Jossland’s skull. He fell to his knees and then collapsed.

“Celine?” Kontara was gazing at her in shock.

“Yes. You’ve got to get out of here. I don’t know how much time we have.

I was watching him closely, and I didn’t see him using his phone but I might have missed it.

” It was only then that she noticed Kontara’s pistol was missing.

Jossland must have taken it when he’d first captured her and the boy.

No time to look for it. She tossed her own rifle to Kontara and then was kneeling beside Jossland and examining his wound as she took his pistol from his hand.

There was a shallow cut, but he gave a low groan and appeared to be stirring.

She looked up at Kontara. “He’s only dazed.

He’ll regain consciousness any minute. That’s good.

Because we need to have him able to point to a false trail when his buddies get here.

Grab the kid. Take him to Joe and get out of here.

I’ll delay Jossland long enough to give you a head start.

After I lose him, I’ll catch up with you. ”

“I can’t do that,” Kontara said. “You know I can’t leave you.”

“Do it,” Celine snapped. “You’ve got Joe and the kid and you’ve got to get them out of here before all of you are captured.

” She turned and smiled at Michael. “Hi, I’m Celine, and I’m a friend of your mother’s.

I’m sure she told you to go with Kontara.

I’m telling you the same thing. Your dad needs you to help your mother.

” She pushed him gently toward Kontara. “You can come back and look for me if I don’t show up when you think I should, Kontara.

But remember that story you told me about that winter day you almost got away from here by jumping in that waterfall?

Who knows? I might think it’s a great idea to follow in your footsteps.

You’ve proved that Shafira isn’t impregnable, and I bet there are all kinds of ways we can beat those assholes if we try hard enough.

” Her smile faded. “Anyway, you know getting Michael out of here is the right thing to do. Run, dammit!”

Kontara gave Celine one more agonized glance. Then she grabbed Michael’s hand and ran toward the labyrinth.

Celine watched until she saw Kontara and Michael disappear into the depths of the shrubbery.

Then she heard the sound of a groan and looked back at Jossland.

Yes, he was definitely stirring. Now she had to decide how to lure him in the direction she wanted him to go.

Her gaze traveled from the huts on the cobbled streets, to the stand of pine trees at the far end of the village, and then on toward the roaring waterfall that was cascading down the mountain to the lake in the valley below.

Another groan from Jossland. Time was running out. She had to decide. He had to feel safe, and she needed to keep any other of Cardwell’s thugs from getting involved in the chase to help him.

Okay, play it whichever way instinct led her.

The first thing she did was empty the gun she’d taken from him of all its bullets. Then she put the pistol back in his hand. Now that he had a weapon, he should feel safer.

But she knew a way to stir the bastard so that he wouldn’t be able to think of anything but the rage he felt for her.

She knelt beside Jossland, lit the flashlight on her phone, and shone it upward to illuminate her face.

Then she reached out with her other hand, grasped his shoulder, and shook it hard.

“Wake up, you son of a bitch. Do you think I’m going to let you get away with just that little tap I gave you?

I saw what you did to Barnaby. It made me sick. ”

He was fully awake now, and his eyes were focused on her face. “You!” Then his face flushed and convulsed with rage. “You did this to me?” He was looking wildly around them and trying to sit up. “Where are they? Where’s that kid? I’ll kill you.”

“I sent them away and into hiding. You’ll never be able to find them. How do you think Caldwell will like that? He’ll probably decide to get rid of you. Look how many mistakes you’ve made since that night when you tried to attack me.”

“But now you’re here.” Jossland’s lips twisted savagely. “And he’ll forgive me anything as long as he can turn you over to Zakira. You should have killed me when you had your chance.”

She shook her head. “I wanted to wait and do it slowly. And I had to remember everything you did to Barnaby. I’m very angry, and you should be afraid. Remember how I hurt you the last time? It’s all coming back to me now.”

“You’re nothing,” he said bitterly. “You’re just a stupid woman who got in a couple of lucky punches. I’ll take you down and then make you tell me where you’ve hidden the boy.”

She got to her feet. “We’ll see.” She watched him stand up and brace himself. She could see the anger and the venom, and she knew he was almost ready to attack.

Almost.

But there was still a way to make him as crazy and homicidal as she needed him to be to make certain that he wouldn’t even think about calling for help before Kontara got Michael and his father safely away.

“I’m a capable woman and I don’t think I’m in the least stupid.” She tilted her head. “Lucky punches? Let’s see if you’re right.”

She gave him a paralyzing blow to his right arm. She smiled as he cried out and the gun dropped from his hand. She followed the blow with another to his nose.

“You’re bleeding,” she said. “You do bleed easily, don’t you? What a pity.”

“I’m going to kill you.” Jossland was now positively livid as he dove down to pick up the weapon he had dropped. “I made sure your friend Barnaby died a horrible death, but it’s nothing next to what I’m going to do to you.”

“Only if you can catch me.” She took off at a dead run in the direction of the pine forest. “But you don’t seem to be very good when it comes to attacking women.” Her laughter drifted back to him. “Perhaps you need practice. I’ll be glad to give you a few more lessons.”

He roared like an animal in pain, and she knew he was running after her at top speed.

She streaked down the cobblestone street, keeping an eye out for any sign of Caldwell’s guards or Zakira’s soldiers.

It was still fairly dark and the streets were deserted, but she knew the sky would lighten in the next fifteen minutes or so.

All she could do was hope she could lose herself in the pines and allow Kontara time enough to get Joe and his son.

She was in the forest now, and the shadows were even more dark and intense.

But she couldn’t lose Jossland. She had to make him follow her.

She shouted back to him, “You’re slowing down.

Getting tired, Jossland? Or are you just afraid of what I’ll do if you catch up with me?

I’m getting a little bored. Maybe I’ll circle around and come up behind you.

The waterfall is so loud you wouldn’t hear me, and I’d be able to do whatever I’d like to you before you could stop me. ”