Blink of an Eye (Kendra Michaels #8) - Roy Johansen Page 0,100

face with full force.

Pain.

Dizziness.

She fell to the ground and was only vaguely aware of him standing above her. His eyes were blazing down at her and he was pointing his gun at her. “It could be that you’re right,” he said hoarsely. “Maybe it does end here. Maybe Charlotte was right about you.”

She shook her head to clear it. “What a cowardly son of a bitch you are. What do you think you’re going to do?”

“I’m finishing it.” He aimed his gun at her. “Go.”

Dee hesitated; she had no doubt in this moment that he’d press that trigger. She had no weapon but perhaps she could find one on the plane and use it to go after him. He wouldn’t expect an attack from behind. At any rate, she’d have to make certain that Noah found a surprise if he made it back here to the plane alive.

“Whatever you say.” She struggled to her feet and gave him one more defiant look as she started up the steps toward the plane. “By all means finish it, Noah. I’ll be waiting for you.”

* * *

With the sound of Noah’s idling jet engines as their guide, Kendra and Jessie made their way through the maze of old airliners.

“We’re almost there,” Kendra said. “Just one more turn, and—”

She and Jessie froze.

Noah stood on the path in front of them, his assault rifle leveled at their heads. “Throw your guns down. Both of you.”

“Let Dee go, Noah,” Kendra said. “Do that and we won’t try to stop you. You won’t get a better deal all day.”

“Throw down your guns,” he repeated. “You won’t need them. Dee is already on the plane. If I get so much as a scratch out here, my pilot has been ordered to kill her immediately.”

“Nice. Does she know that?” Jessie said.

“It doesn’t matter. She’s a great prize but self-preservation is everything. If you really care about Dee, get rid of your guns. Throw them as far away as you can.”

Kendra and Jessie looked at each other, then tossed their handguns.

Noah cautiously looked around. “Where’s Lynch?”

“We don’t know,” Kendra said.

He gave her a suspicious glance.

“I’m telling the truth. I have no idea.”

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t do something foolish. It wouldn’t be good for you or Delilah.” He motioned with the barrel of his gun. “Step out onto the airstrip.”

As Kendra and Jessie walked onto the airstrip, they saw Noah’s waiting plane. His hired gun, Chester, stood guard next to the plane’s open stairs.

Noah stepped close to Kendra and placed his gun barrel under her chin. “You’ve caused me so much trouble,” he murmured. “I gave you a chance to just go away. You should have taken it.”

“Why?” She looked him straight in the eye. “Your life is over, Noah.”

“Funny. I was just about to say the same thing to you.”

Before she could respond, they both heard the plane’s engines suddenly roaring, kicking up sand from the desert floor!

They whirled to hear Chester screaming as his feet left the ground and he was sucked into plane’s left engine.

Blood sprayed onto the jet’s tail, and the engine sputtered in a shower of sparks.

Noah, Kendra, and Jessie stared in horror at the smoking engine. Then their gaze was drawn to the cockpit window.

Lynch was in the pilot’s seat.

“Nooo!” Noah screamed and raised his gun to point toward the cockpit. But only halfway, because in the next second Kendra lunged toward him with an object she’d taken from her windbreaker’s right pocket.

She stabbed him once, then again, deep in the chest.

Noah froze for a long moment, then dropped his gun. He took one step, then another, then looked in puzzlement at the ornate object protruding from his chest. He dropped to his knees, then finally fell unconscious onto the airstrip. Dead.

“What in the hell is that?” Jessie asked, gazing at the weapon in Noah’s chest.

Kendra kicked Noah’s gun away. “A gift from Lynch. A Lhasa Tibetan phurba. It’s for fighting demons.”

Jessie slowly nodded. “I think it works.”

They heard the pounding of footsteps from the jet’s stairs. Dee ran across the airstrip and threw her arms around Jessie. “I was so afraid for you.”

“You were the one being dragged off,” Jessie said. “I knew you were going to raise hell with him.”

“I didn’t have a weapon. So I had to go on the plane and look for one.” She turned around and smiled at Lynch, who was now coming down the steps behind her. Her hand made a little flourish in his direction. “And