Big Sky Showdown

by Sharon Dunn

  He said a prayer that Heather was all right and on the same path as he was, then he took off jogging.

  He’d paced off several miles and rounded a curve when he saw motion up ahead. Heather’s porcelain skin shone in the moonlight. He called out to her, and she stopped and turned.

  She ran toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him close. Her voice filled with exuberance. “I thought you didn’t make it.” She pulled back to gaze into his eyes.

  “’Course I made it.” The affection in her voice and the warmth in her eyes made him wish they could stay in the moment forever, but that wasn’t possible. “We need to keep moving. We don’t have much time.”

  She nodded. Her arms fell away from his shoulders. She brushed her hand over his cheek, then whirled around and took off running. He fell in behind her. They ran through the night, slowing down from time to time but never stopping.

  He was dizzy with fatigue but he pushed himself to keep going.

  The sun peeked up over the horizon when they were a few miles from the edge of town.

  Zane turned his head as a noise to the east of him caught his attention. ATVs headed in their direction. Heather stuttered in her step.

  Of course the pursuers at the top of the mountain had sent word that he and Heather had made it across the river.

  Zane scanned the landscape looking for possibilities for escape as the ATVs and armed men bore down on them.

  EIGHTEEN

  A tightness suctioned around Heather’s chest when she saw the lights of the ATVs rapidly approaching. She and Zane were so close to town, so close to being able to stop Willis and his path of destruction.

  Zane tugged on her arm and pointed at a cluster of trees that led them off the path.

  It was the only choice they had. One of the ATVs switched on a huge searchlight just as they dived into the thick of the forest. With the trees so close together, the men would be forced to search for them on foot.

  Zane pulled her deeper into the brush. They were moving away from town instead of toward it, losing ground. How long would they be delayed? Would they be able to get away at all?

  The ATVs’ engine noise stopped abruptly. That meant the men were at the edge of the forest.

  Heather heard a barked command and then a searchlight flooded through the trees. They’d be spotted if they kept running. There were no tall trees to hide in either.

  Both of them hurried toward separate hiding places. Heather slipped in under the thick boughs of a juniper and Zane disappeared behind a bush.

  Heather’s breath caught as a charge of panic skittered across her nerves.

  The bush did not completely hide Zane. She could see his feet.

  The voice of the men grew louder and more intense. The searchlight swept the forest floor.

  There was no way she could signal Zane without giving herself away. She held her breath.

  Zane must have done a final check because he pulled his feet out of view just as the searchers stepped into the clearing.

  From her vantage point with her cheek pressed against the ground, Heather caught only glimpses of the men and heard only pieces of their conversation. A pair split off and headed into a different part of the forest. One of those men held the searchlight.

  The other two walked in circles close to them, returning twice to where she and Zane were hidden. Her throat went tight with fear.

  The men were right next to her, talking in hushed tones. She could see their worn-out combat boots.

  She prayed that they wouldn’t look too closely under the brush and trees.

  “They’ve got to be hiding. No one runs that fast.”

  She dared not move or even breathe. The men were so close she could reach out and touch their feet.

  “Look around. They’ve got to be here somewhere.” A flashlight clicked on above her.

  The light swept over her, but the man did not spot her.

  She heard noises from where Zane had hidden.

  “There’s one of them,” the pursuer shouted as he ran away from her. The other followed.

  Zane had created a diversion to save her. She hoped he would be able to get away.

  Once the men left the area, she slipped out from underneath the juniper and ran toward another bush for cover. She could hear the men shouting at each other, getting farther away from her but closer to Zane.

  Please, God, don’t let him get caught.

  Their voices died away.

  She ran from one bush to another, making her way back toward the path they’d been on.

  “Heather.”

  A whisper rose up from off to the side of her. Zane lifted his head above the bush and then ducked back down.

  She listened for a moment, not hearing any of the men. She darted toward where Zane was hiding.

  He touched her arm lightly. “We have to hurry. I’m sure they will backtrack like I did in a few minutes.”

  Zane sprinted toward the trail just as the voices rose up behind them.

  The men had left their ATVs at the edge of the forest but there were no keys to allow Heather and Zane to take one. They’d have to keep running. Zane hurried down the hill toward town, sticking to the thick brush where the ATVs would have a hard time following.

  They ran hard and fast as the sun rose up over the horizon. Behind them, they could hear the ATVs revving up.

  It was a struggle to keep moving, but Heather reminded herself that her life depended on it. The lights of the town still looked so far away.

  Both of them alerted to noise off to the side, someone coming through the brush at a high rate of speed. They kept running until a braying noise filled the air.

  Both of them stopped short as Clarence stepped through the brush. He must have made it across the river after the bridge collapsed. The animal raised and lowered his head, sniggering, then lifted his muzzle and showed his teeth. He looked a little beat up with some scratches on his neck and legs. The mule was thinner but he’d clearly found enough to eat to survive for the past few days.

  Heather shook her head as relief spread through her. “I think I love that guy.”

  Clarence tromped toward them. He still had his bridle, though the saddle must have come loose. But it shouldn’t be a problem to ride him bareback, and they’d be able to get into town that much faster.

  Zane cupped his hands so Heather could use them as a stirrup to get on Clarence’s back. Once she was settled and had the reins in her hands, she angled her foot and held out her hand so Zane could get on behind her.

  He pressed in close to her, his breath warming her neck. She spurred Clarence into a trot. As the path evened out, Clarence increased his speed to a gallop.

  She could see the edge of town up ahead and hear the ATVs buzzing behind them. They’d be safe once they got into town around people. Clarence trotted past the private residences on the edge of town. Main Street was mostly empty at this early hour.

  They dismounted Clarence and headed up the street toward the sheriff’s office. The pursuers on the ATVs rolled onto Main Street, as well.

  The bank probably wasn’t open yet. They didn’t know if the plan was to wait until the bank opened or hit it before. Zane had told her that Willis usually robbed banks when they were closed—but perhaps the delay in getting the bomb ready this time meant that the time frame had changed. There was no way to know for sure.

  Fort Madison was a small town of a few hundred people; mostly it was a place for outfitters and fly-fishing guides to meet their clients. No businesses were open at this hour.

  Heather felt a tightening in her chest as they turned on the side street where the sheriff’s office was.

  Zane held a hand out, signaling her to halt. He crouched low and approached the office. All the shades we
re drawn. He signaled her to follow him around to the other side. Both the sheriff’s cars were parked out back.

  Zane crouched beneath a window and tried to see under the pulled blind.

  Heather glanced around, spotting two parked ATVs.

  Zane whispered in her ear. “There’s only a sheriff and a deputy for law enforcement for the whole county. It looks like Willis’s men might be holding them hostage so they can’t respond to the robbery.”

  Heather’s spirits sank. “There’s no time to get them free, is there?” It was up to them to stop the madness.

  Zane nodded. “We’ve gotta get down to that bank and fast.”

  Resolve settled in her belly like a heavy rock as she fought to find the strength and courage to engage in one more battle.

  The back door to the sheriff’s office burst open. She recognized one of Willis’s men, who sprinted toward them as they took off running. Zane led her through alleys and backstreets. She doubted their pursuer would call attention to himself on this quiet morning by shooting at them.

  Zane pulled her into the lobby of an abandoned hotel as the man ran past. He pressed against the wall and peered out the dusty window.

  “He’s coming back,” said Zane. He pulled her toward the high check-in counter just as the door creaked open. Footsteps pounded on the wooden floor.

  Heather breathed in dust. She pressed her nostrils together to suppress a sneeze. Her heart raced. Zane’s back stiffened. The footsteps continued to pound around the lobby, then they heard the squeak of footsteps on the stairs. The noise stopped all together.

  Heather held her nose tight. Her eyes watered. The footsteps stomped back toward them. The man came around the counter.

  Zane leaped to his feet and charged at the man. The two men punched each other. Zane was backed up to a wall.

  Heather searched the area for something to use as a weapon. She picked up a metal pipe and slammed it against the assailant’s shoulder. The man turned and lunged at her.

  Zane spun him around and hit him hard enough across the jaw that the man fell to the floor.

  They ran toward the front of the hotel. Halfway through the revolving door, Zane turned around and swung back into the lobby.

  “Men out there, too,” he said.

  The man on the hotel floor was incapacitated but conscious. Zane hurried past him up the stairs. Heather followed, not sure what Zane had in mind, but he knew this town better than she did.

  He led her through the dusty upstairs hallway toward a back room, where he swung open a window. “Climb down.” Zane ran over to the door and clicked the lock, probably to keep the man downstairs from getting to them.

  Heather stuck her head out the window. There was no fire escape, only a metal trellis. Her heart squeezed tight as she stared at the ground below.

  “It’s just a matter of minutes before they come around to the back of the hotel,” said Zane.

  She nodded and slipped out the window. Though it didn’t look overly strong, it was only two stories.

  The man from downstairs was slamming his body against the locked door, trying to break it down.

  She shoved her leg through the window and positioned her foot on the trellis. It creaked as she climbed down it. Zane slipped out of the window before she reached the bottom. He started to climb down. One of the bolts that held the trellis to the brick wall of the hotel broke loose and clattered to the pavement down below.

  Heather jumped the remaining feet to the concrete just as the trellis swung away from the wall it was fastened to. More bolts pulled loose and fell out as Zane climbed down.

  Heather took in a sharp breath. Men rushed around the side of the hotel. The same men who had been chasing them in the forest. Zane still had fifteen feet to go before he could jump. Another bolt disconnected as the metal trellis swayed.

  “Run,” Zane shouted at her while he kept descending.

  She took off just as Zane jumped the remaining distance to the ground. He dashed after her, with their pursuers hot on their heels.

  She had no idea where the bank was. She worked her way back to Main Street, glancing over her shoulder to see if she could spot Zane. No one was there.

  She reached Main Street and scanned the dark shops, not seeing the bank. She ran in what she assumed was the direction of the bank, the way they’d been going before.

  Zane joined her from a side street. He sprinted in front of her, racing past a garage with dark windows. She saw the bank up ahead, a newer building with a large parking lot.

  None of Willis’s men stood outside to block their way, so Zane and Heather rushed toward the bank entrance. The bank had large glass doors. Inside a man in a suit ran by in a hurry. She could see a bank teller whose face was stricken with fear and a security guard lying on the floor.

  Zane reached out for the door handle. It was locked.

  Heather couldn’t see any of Willis’s men inside. Yet it was clear they’d been there and had disabled the security guard and locked the building.

  Zane pounded on the glass, trying to get the bank teller’s attention. She continued to stare at the fallen bank guard.

  He took a step back. “Maybe there’s an employees-only entrance that’s open.”

  Her heartbeat thudded in her ears. “Willis’s men must be in there even if we can’t see them.”

  Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Even Zane’s response felt delayed. “I know that.”

  The men who had been chasing them entered the parking lot but remained at the edge of the pavement.

  A stillness seemed to fall on them like a heavy blanket. Heather heard a percussive boom followed by an echo. Glass shattered around her as she felt herself being lifted up and thrown back by a hot, forceful wind.

  NINETEEN

  Zane felt his body turning in space. The heat and light of the explosion surrounded him. He couldn’t tell up from down until his back hit the hard pavement of the parking lot. He slid for several feet. He registered pain in his back. Glass showered down on him and he lifted his arm over his face to shield himself. He couldn’t hear anything, though he saw men running inside the bank and knew that alarms must be going off. But no one would answer the alarms. The sheriff was being held captive. There was no other law in Fort Madison. Even the volunteer fire department would be slow in arriving. He had to find a way to keep Willis from getting away with this.

  The thermite bomb wouldn’t have caused such an explosion. Willis must have had an additional bomb designed to do damage and maybe even hurt people. He glanced across the street. With the bomb primed to do that much damage, the bomber wouldn’t have wanted to set it off manually, so it must have been remotely detonated. Was the triggerman hovering close by?

  Zane scanned the area for anyone looking suspicious, but instead spotted Heather laying on her back and not moving. He pushed himself to his feet, stared at his bloody palms then he ran toward her prone body. He turned her over. She opened her eyes and said something to him, but he couldn’t hear it.

  He shook his head, still trying to orient himself. The men who had been in the parking lot ran into the bank through the broken glass of the doors. He saw then that the steel vault had been blown completely open as the men drilled the safety deposit boxes and emptied the contents. They seemed to be selective in the boxes they chose, consulting the man in the suit who was being held at gunpoint.

  He didn’t see Willis anywhere. He must be waiting outside of town for the loot to be brought to him.

  He helped Heather to her feet. Glass cascaded off her clothes and hair. She had a gash across her forehead. He knew that she continued to shout at him from the way her mouth moved, but it felt like he had cotton balls in his ears.

  Two of the men came out of the bank, each holding a small duffel. One of the men was Jordan. Jordan
jumped in a Jeep and took off out of the parking lot, not even noticing Zane and Heather.

  Zane could not process what he was seeing. What was Jordan doing?

  Heather continued to shout at him and point at a place outside of town toward the foothills. Her expression was frantic. She placed her face very close to his and mouthed the words again as she gripped his upper arm.

  Finally, his ears cleared out. Her voice seemed to echo and sound far away at the same time.

  “I saw a helicopter land over there. It’s the direction Jordan is driving.”

  It stung to hear Jordan’s name. Why had Jordan helped them just to participate in the robbery in the end? Had Jordan simply tried to save his brother while his loyalty remained with Willis? Zane collected his thoughts and pushed down the confusion that threatened to overtake him. “That must be Willis’s escape plan to get out of here with the loot.”

  “We need to get over there and stop them.”

  The robbers had already disappeared, probably headed back up to the high country or some new hiding place before they could get caught. Maybe Willis had set up some sort of rendezvous point.

  Zane glanced around. They needed a car, and fast. There were several parked in the corner of the lot that remained undamaged by the blast. Zane ran into the bank, his boots treading over broken glass.

  The bank teller was on the phone touching her hands to her face and talking rapidly. The man in the suit who must be the bank manager was bent over the security guard.

  Zane stepped over the debris. The room still hadn’t cleared of the dust. “Are those your cars out there? I need keys. I can catch the guy who did this.”

  The bank manager pulled keys from his pocket and tossed them to Zane. “It’s the silver Honda.” He stared down at the prone security guard, his voice filled with concern. “The ambulance has to drive all the way from Badger. It will take an hour.” He shook his head. “Why didn’t Sheriff Smith come?”

  Zane didn’t have time to answer the man’s questions. “Can I have his gun?”