Just stay away from him. He’s not himself these days. I shudder to think what would happen if he came upon you like I did. Speaking of which, I can’t talk you out of going back out there again, can I?”
Jack finished chewing his newest piece of pie.
“Nope. This is something I’ve got to do.”
Danni certainly understood that sentiment. She reached down into a cabinet below the sink off to the right and pulled out a thermos. She poured the rest of the coffee into it.
“Try and stay awake out there. Remember who you’re dealing with.”
“I can’t forget,” he said, taking the thermos from her and heading for the door.
“Thanks for the coffee. I’ll bring this back in the morning.”
“Just leave it by the back door. I’ll refill it for you,” she said.
Jack looked at her. “Really?”
“Don’t read anything into it. If you’re going to be out there, I want you to be alert.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Felton finally showed up on a Sunday morning, debunking the predictions of all three of his antagonists who were sure it was going to be a nighttime assault.
Jack had already made his early morning run and had been back at the pup tent for about an hour. He’d lain down for a short nap and for some reason, he could never say why, he woke up and immediately stood up to look at Danni’s backyard. He saw a figure dressed in black from head to toe enter the woods from the backyard!
Oh my God—Danni! he thought. He’s coming back from her house. What the hell has he done to her? I’ve got to go to her.
He wasn’t even sure it was Felton but he had a way to find out. Jack had Felton’s number in his phone since Felton had called him at the condo to tell him that he no longer wanted to file the claims bill. Two nights ago Jack had called the number to see if Felton still had the phone. Somebody answered but didn’t speak.
“Tom, are you there? This is Jack.”
Felton never did say a word but Jack got the information he needed. He knew how to contact Felton.
Now, as he stood in his bunker paralyzed with fear, wondering what Felton had done to Danni, wondering whether the man in black was even Felton, wondering what he was going to do—go after Felton or go to Danni—he decided to call the number. He pressed Felton’s name in his cell phone directory and watched the man who was now in the woods moving slowly toward the road. He was maybe a hundred yards away from the bunker now. Jack didn’t hear a ring, but he saw the man first look toward his right pants pocket then reach his hand in and pull out a phone and look at it. He didn’t answer it; he didn’t need to.
Jack had his man and he made his decision in that instant. Whatever happened to Danni had already happened. This might be his only chance to capture Felton. He sprang from his foxhole, taking one last look toward the house. I’ll be there as soon as I can, he thought to himself and took off after Felton, the Sig Sauer in his right hand. He closed the gap rather quickly since Felton wasn’t running. When he was within fifty feet or so and had an unobstructed view of the man, Jack raised the gun and called out.
“Tom, this is Jack Tobin. I want you to stop.”
Jack continued to move forward slowly, his gun aimed at the target. Felton looked back once, saw the gun and saw Jack coming and started to slow down. For a moment, Jack thought he was going to give himself up. Then Felton suddenly wheeled around, and Jack saw something in his hand—it looked like a small gun.
“Don’t do it, Tom.”
Felton raised his arm. Jack had no idea if he was preparing to fire or not. He had to make a split-second decision. He fired the Sig Sauer. Everything after that seemed to happen in slow motion. The bullet hit Felton in the chest. He knew it because Felton fell straight back, his legs and feet flying in the air. He lay motionless on the ground. Jack did not move toward him, though. Once the crisis was over and Felton was down, his attention immediately turned to Danni.
He ran in the opposite direction toward the backyard and Danni’s house. He saw her in his mind as she had stood in the kitchen just