by R. C. Ryan
The plane’s engines could be heard directly above. His eyes narrowed. Police? Or Malloys? Not that it mattered. Right now, they were all banding together to stop him before he could hurt Ally. Being a lawman, he knew the drill. But they were too late.
Archer circled around to the passenger side and opened the door before uncuffing Ally’s wrist and hauling her roughly from the truck.
She stumbled and quickly righted herself before trying to run.
“Why you—” He yanked her backward by her hair and pistol-whipped her until she dropped to the ground, dazed, blood spilling from the blow to her temple.
“You try that again, I’ll beat you senseless. You understand?”
She fought back tears as she mopped an arm over her face to stem the flow. “Why are you doing this…?”
A shadowy figure stepped from the trees, causing both Ally and Archer to stare in stunned surprise.
“You’re bleeding.” Reed’s voice was low with fury when he caught sight of Ally. He took aim with his rifle. “Drop your pistol, Archer.”
In one quick move Archer wrapped an arm around Ally’s neck, yanking her to her feet before pressing his gun to her head. “Now you drop yours, Malloy. Slow and easy.” Archer’s lips curved into a sneer. “You’re talking to a man of the law. This ain’t my first rodeo.”
He watched with satisfaction as Reed tossed his rifle to the grass.
With a smile of pure pleasure, Archer took aim before calmly firing.
If Reed hadn’t turned, it could have been fatal. Instead, Reed took a bullet to the arm.
Ally’s screams filled the air as blood spurted from Reed’s wound and ran in rivers down his shirt, his pants, and into the grass at his feet.
Pleased with himself, Archer thrust Ally aside before strolling closer to Reed and firing a second time, intending to finish him. A fountain of blood spurted, staining the front of Reed’s shirt. The pain had him staggering to his knees and clutching his chest.
Out of the corner of his eye Archer saw a blur of motion and realized that Ally had taken that moment of distraction to run into the woods. He swore and started after her.
“You’re not going to outrun me, you fool. You may as well give it up.”
He paused in front of a giant fallen tree, layered with mounds of rotting leaves. A slow smile peeled back his lips. “You think you’re so smart. That’s the oldest trick in the books.”
He kicked at the leaves and looked surprised when they blew aside, revealing only empty ground beneath the fallen log.
When he turned, Ally was behind him, swinging a tree limb at his head. The force of the blow knocked him backward, and he fell over the log.
By the time he’d regained his footing, Reed was there, holding his rifle.
Archer appeared stunned. “You should be dead, Malloy.”
Reed saw to it that Ally was safely behind him before saying, “You’re a lousy shot, Deputy. Now it’s your turn to toss aside your weapon.”
Archer glowered at him before tossing his pistol into a nest of grass and leaves. “You think that’s going to save the two of you, Malloy?”
“That, and this rifle, and the fact that the rest of my family are on their way here to back me up.”
“You’re going to need all of ’em. In fact, it’ll take an army to stop me now, Malloy.” Archer lowered his head and charged Reed, catching him in the midsection, knocking the rifle from his hands.
With a grunt of pain Reed shook his head to clear the stars that were floating across his line of vision.
The two men rolled around in the dirt, moaning in pain, exchanging blow for blow.
Ally picked up Reed’s rifle. She’d never fired a gun in her life, and she dared not try to fire it now, for fear of hitting Reed instead of Archer.
She turned it around, intending to use it as a club. Above the sounds of the scuffle, she heard vehicles arriving, as well as several state police helicopters landing nearby. The whir of their blades sent the nearby trees into a frenzied dance. In the distance could be heard the drone of a Cessna as it landed somewhere out of sight.
Desperate, Ally raced from the woods, hoping to alert the new arrivals to what was happening.
Before she could say a word, the sheriff caught her by the arm and thrust her toward Frank and Grace, sprinting the distance from their plane.
“Here, Ms. Malloy.” Eugene pushed Ally into Grace’s arms before removing his gun from its holster. “See to her wounds.”
“No. I don’t need help. It’s Reed. He’s badly wounded, Gram Gracie.” Ally turned to Frank. “You have to help him, Grandpop Frankie. Archer is trying to kill him.”
Frank exchanged a look with Grace before hefting his rifle and joining the sheriff. A hurried exchange of words let Eugene know Reed was badly wounded and fighting for his life.
Eugene conferred with a cluster of state police in full gear who took up positions with orders to shoot the deputy if they saw an opening.
As they hurried into the woods, they could see both Reed and Archer bloodied beyond recognition.
The sheriff fired a shot into the air, hoping to put an end to the battle. Instead of drawing apart, Reed and Archer remained locked in mortal combat.
Those watching were aware that this epic battle could very well end with both men losing their lives, unless the deputy made an error and gave them an opportunity to take him out.
Sensing that Reed’s wounds were taking their toll, Archer was on Reed like a feral animal, pummeling him about the head and face until Reed was blinded by his own blood.
Reed struggled to hold on. When he realized that Archer was frantically scrambling with one hand in search of his pistol, he made a valiant effort to roll free, but the gunshots had badly weakened him, and Archer’s liquor-fueled strength proved to be too much.
Archer gave a snort of triumph as he suddenly pointed his police-issue pistol at Reed’s head.
“I’m the one in control here.” He looked around at the circle of sharpshooters. “You’ll lower your weapons, or I’ll blow his freaking head off.”
At a single command from the sheriff, they did as he ordered.
“Now step back.”
Again, they followed orders.
Archer glowered at the family and dragged Reed to his feet, his arm wrapped firmly around Reed’s neck, using him as a shield. “If you don’t want to lose another Malloy, you’ll do the same.”
Stunned by the amount of blood oozing from Reed’s wounds, Frank, Matt, Luke, and Burke dropped their rifles, while the women, horrified by the sight of Reed’s battered face, gathered around Grace to offer comfort and to draw strength from her.
Ally pulled away from the others, determined to distract her uncle.
It was Eugene who broke the silence. “What brought you to this, Archer?”
Archer turned to Ally, standing alone. “It didn’t have to come to this, if the little slut hadn’t meddled.”
Ally moved instinctively closer to Archer and Reed. “If that’s true, then let Reed go and I’ll take his place.”
At her words, Reed sucked in a breath and began struggling.
Archer seemed to be enjoying his new power. “Oh, I intend to kill both of you. But now that I know he’s important to you, important enough that you’d give your life for his, I’ll just hold on to this Malloy and watch the rest of you squirm. And when he dies before you, you’ll know it’s all your fault, slut.”
Ally held out a hand pleadingly. “I told you, Archer. You’re not making any sense. I swear I don’t know what this is about.”
“Liar.”
“She doesn’t know, Archer.” Reed looked at Ally and fought for breath as Archer’s arm tightened on his throat. “Archer took Kyle’s dog tags away and put them in his room. After Archer left, Kyle slipped into Archer’s room and found his dog tags in Archer’s treasure box. There was something else in that treasure box. Damning evidence that caught in the chain of Kyle’s dog tags without his knowled
ge. When Archer got home and found it missing, he knew his secret had been discovered.”
“What was it?” Ally took another step, hoping for the chance to touch a hand to Reed. Just a touch.
Despite the pain of his wounds, Reed managed to say, “A ring. A ring worn by my mother on the night she and my father died in the accident.”
At the mention of Bernadette’s name, Archer’s face contorted with rage and pain, causing his trigger finger to twitch. “Don’t you speak of her. Don’t you dare speak her name.” His eyes filled with tears and, to the amazement of all watching, he began sobbing. “Bernie was the love of my life. She was mine long before she ever met Patrick Malloy. Then he came along and dazzled her with his big ranch and fancy life. From the first time she saw him, she never even looked at me again. I hate Patrick for stealing my girl. And I hate him for being the son of a rich rancher. If I’d had all that, it would’ve been me all those years instead of Patrick.”
At his words, the Malloy family stared at him with matching looks of astonishment.
“What about the night of the accident?” Eugene’s voice had gone deadly soft. The voice of a professional interrogator, hoping to keep a man on the verge of insanity from going over the edge and doing something drastic.
Archer flinched, and for a moment those standing around feared he might snap and pull the trigger.
Instead his voice wavered. “I was at Clay’s, drinking with Lon Wardell. Patrick and Bernie came in and started snuggling in a back booth, blind to everyone. I knew it was their anniversary. I’d counted every day, every year she’d been with Malloy. I sent them a round of drinks so they’d invite me over. Patrick said he didn’t want to drink because he was driving his grandfather’s Rolls.” Archer sneered. “This was the guy who used to be my drinking buddy before he stole my girlfriend.” His voice rose to a whine. “So I picked up the beer I’d ordered for Patrick and downed it in one long swallow before setting it down and walking back to my own table. It was Lonny who said it was too bad I couldn’t get Patrick drunk so I could have an excuse to drive him home. That way I’d get a chance to drive his grandfather’s big, fancy car, as well as time alone with Bernie. So I ordered another round and had it sent to their table, and then another. Later, when I saw Patrick hadn’t touched any of the beers, I went over and drank all of them and left the empty bottles on his table.”
“You wanted everybody to think Patrick was drinking?” The sheriff’s voice remained soft and easy. “Were you setting him up to be killed?”
“It was an accident.” Tears rolled unchecked down Archer’s cheeks. Though he kept an arm around Reed’s throat, he seemed unaware of anyone now. His voice rose higher with each memory. “I saw Bernie get up from the table and start toward the ladies’ room, and I rushed over and dragged her onto the dance floor. I just wanted a chance to have my arms around her. But she said I was drunk and tried to push past me. Then Patrick walked over, and I was itching for a fight, to show Bernie what kind of real man she could have married. Instead, the two of them just headed for the door, after Patrick told me to leave his wife alone.”
Archer’s eyes blazed. “His wife. His wife. What about the fact that she’d been my girl before they met?”
Eugene stepped slightly closer, keeping his hands where Archer could see them. “Then what happened?”
“I wanted to hit him. He cheated me out of a satisfying, knock-down, drag-out fistfight so I could show him up in front of my girl.”
“So you followed his car?”
“Huh.” Archer puffed himself up. “That was a no-brainer. Nobody but a Malloy ever drove a Rolls in Glacier Ridge. Besides, anybody with any sense wasn’t out on the roads in a snowstorm like that.”
“But you were. And Patrick. Is that when you decided to kill him?”
“I swear I never intended to kill him. Maybe I would have, if he’d been alone. But I just wanted to smash that fancy car so Patrick would be in trouble with his rich old grandfather. So I stayed behind until I realized we were coming up toward that big old tree that stood on the turn just as you pull off the interstate. Then I speeded up, and as I pulled up alongside the car, Patrick saw me and hit the gas, trying to get away while waving me off. At the moment of impact, when my truck sideswiped the Rolls, it hit the tree with such force, I couldn’t believe the wreck.”
Archer went very still, returning in his mind to the scene. “I ran around to the passenger side and dragged Bernie from the car. She was so still. I laid her in the snow and pressed my mouth to hers, hoping I could force her to breathe. When I realized she was gone, I guess I went crazy. I saw a pretty ring on her finger, and I slipped it off and told her it would always be a gift from her to me.”
“What about Patrick? He’d once been your friend.”
Archer’s eyes went hard as flint. “He was all bloody and still. I knew he was dead. He deserved it, after killing my girl.”
“So now he killed your girl?” Eugene moved closer. “How did you explain the damage to your truck?”
“You know. You filed the report.”
“I know what you told me at the time. Why don’t you tell me again.”
“A couple of wranglers from a nearby ranch arrived on the scene, and one of them asked about the damage to my truck. I told them I’d just arrived, and it was snowing so hard, I couldn’t stop on the snowy, icy road, so I bumped into the crushed Rolls. After that, they repeated what I told them, until everybody on the scene believed it.”
“What about your drinking buddy, Lon Wardell? How did you keep him from talking?”
Archer’s voice grew agitated. “That piece of…” He looked over at Luke Malloy. “Lon promised to always keep my secret. Then, when his life was on the line and he tried to use that information to save his miserable life, I saw my chance to get rid of him once and for all.”
“So it was you who gave that order to the police sharpshooters to open fire in Ingrid’s barn?”
“Yeah. Served him right for thinking he could spill the beans on me.”
“And you figured your last tie to Patrick and Bernie’s death had been severed.”
“Yeah. And then my niece and her brat had to come along and start poking into my life, and they ruined everything.” He turned to Ally with a look of supreme confidence. “I read the fax from your big, important security company, saying they had proof that a crash from twenty years ago may have been deliberate. You’re just like my sister. A traitor to her own family. You had to come back all these years later and say you wanted us to be a family again. I should’ve stuck to my guns and had nothing to do with you or your brat. As for the Malloy family”—he turned to Frank and Grace and actually smiled—“now you get another funeral.”
As his finger closed over the trigger, Reed brought his booted foot back with such force, Archer dropped to his knees with a grunt of pain.
Ally caught Reed’s hand and pulled him so hard he slammed into her, and the two of them fell into the grass.
Seeing their opening, the sharpshooters let out a deafening volley of gunfire that rang out in the still summer air.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ally heard the hail of bullets resounding in her own chest. Or was that her heart pumping so furiously? She heard a moan. Fearing Reed had been shot in the cross fire, she was screaming as she freed herself from his weight and knelt over him.
Reed lay in the grass, blood oozing from a half dozen wounds, staining the grass beneath him.
“Oh, Reed. Hold on. Please, Reed. I love you so much. Please don’t die.”
Through thick layers of fog, Reed tried to say something that would reassure her. But though his lips moved, no words came out.
Grace knelt beside Ally, fighting tears.
Reed saw the pain and grief in his grandmother’s eyes and struggled to comfort her. But though he fought to lift a hand to hers, his arm refused to move. He stared dumbly at it, wondering why his body was failing him.
The sheriff touched a hand t
o Archer’s throat before getting to his feet and leaning over Reed.
He straightened and shouted, “We need a medic here. Now.”
A team of state police medics raced over, checking Reed’s vitals, injecting something to ease the pain while hooking him up to a bag of intravenous fluids.
The blades of the state police helicopter were already beginning to spin as the team lifted Reed to a gurney and raced toward it.
Ally covered her face and began weeping. “This is all my fault. If I’d never come here…”
Frank came up behind her and lifted her to her feet before giving her a shove toward the waiting copter. “There’s no time for that now, girl. You go with Reed.”
She was shaking her head. “It isn’t my place to do that. You and Gram Gracie…”
“We have a plane to fly. Go.” Grace put her hands on Ally’s shoulders and began steering her toward the team of medics.
One of them offered Ally a hand up, and she climbed in behind the gurney. There was no time to utter a word of thanks or good-bye to all the family members and police who had teamed up to save her.
The helicopter lifted into the air and headed toward the medical clinic of Glacier Ridge.
Dr. Leonard Cross and his niece, Dr. Anita Cross, had grown accustomed to the chaos that always seemed to accompany anything even remotely connected to the Malloy family. As soon as they received the call from the police that Reed Malloy was being transported to town, they began preparing for the coming pandemonium.
Agnes, their devoted assistant, set up extra chairs in the exam room, knowing the Malloys would refuse to remain in the waiting room like other families. She even prepared an armchair for Nelson LaRou, esteemed patriarch of the family, who would no doubt try to direct the entire operation in that rich baritone he always used to his best advantage.
Patients who would have been discharged later in the day were being signed out as soon as their family members arrived to drive them home.
Still, despite all their attention to details, the doctors were surprised by the depth of emotion they could sense in the entire family as they began arriving. They realized that something monumental had occurred.
