Settling an Old Score - Delores Fossen Page 0,46

his forehead with the back of his hand and kept going. Kept listening. And watching. There was still no sign of Remy, but once Eli reached the house, he got a better look at the gunman. His attention was fastened to the barn.

And that’s where he had his weapon aimed.

So, he was after Remy. Well, maybe. Since the guy hadn’t fired a shot, it could be that this was a setup to make them believe that Remy was a target.

As Eli got closer, he tamped down the thud of his heart so that it wouldn’t interfere with his hearing, and took extra care to make sure his footsteps stayed light. He definitely didn’t want to do anything to alert this clown.

He threaded his way through the trees, cursing when the underbrush crunched beneath his boots. The gunman immediately whipped in the direction of the sound—just as Eli managed to duck out of sight.

Eli stayed still, but thankfully he didn’t hear the gunman coming his way. When he peeked out, he saw that the guy’s focus was back on the barn.

Blowing out a quick breath of relief, Eli started moving again, and he made sure he maneuvered himself behind the man. That’s when he realized the guy didn’t have his weapon actually pointed at the barn. He was just watching.

Why?

Had someone sent him here to keep an eye on Remy, or was this going to be another attempted murder? Eli hoped he got the chance to find out.

He stopped just long enough to glance across the yard to see if he could spot Garcia. No sign of him, which was a good thing. It meant the deputy was managing to stay hidden enough while he made his way to the barn.

Soon, very soon, backup would be arriving, and they would make a silent approach. Maybe it wouldn’t catch the attention of the gunman, because Eli didn’t want the guy even looking in Ashlyn’s direction. He wanted her safe, and the best way to do that was to stop this potential threat.

Eli crept closer, thankful for a gust of wind that muffled his move. Thankful, too, when the gunman’s next glance was in the wrong direction. Eli was on his blind side, and he took full advantage of that.

“I’m Sergeant Eli Slater, Texas Ranger. Drop that gun or you’re a dead man,” Eli warned him.

The gunman spun around, getting ready to take aim, but Eli already had him beat. His weapon was ready to blast the snake to smithereens. Plus, Eli was still partly behind cover of one of the trees.

The man froze. Cursed. And Eli saw the exact moment the guy realized he was outgunned and outsmarted. Still cursing, he dropped the gun and without prompting, he lifted his hands in the air.

“Get facedown on the ground,” Eli instructed. “Hands tucked behind your head—though I’m pretty sure you know how this all works. I’m guessing this isn’t your first rodeo.”

Eli kicked the guy’s weapon away so that he wouldn’t be able to reach it, took out a pair of plastic cuffs from his back pocket, and he restrained him while he read him his rights.

“I’m remaining silent,” the man snarled.

Eli would do everything possible to change his mind during interrogation. For now, he texted Gunnar to let him know he had the gunman. Something that Gunnar had likely figured out since he had no doubt been watching. Gunnar would send the backup to help haul the man back to the sheriff’s office.

Any word from Garcia? Eli added in his text.

Eli didn’t have to wait long for a response. His phone vibrated with an incoming call, and he saw Garcia’s name on the screen. Maybe this meant Garcia had Remy in custody.

Or not...

When Eli answered the call, he heard Garcia’s single word of raw profanity, followed by, “Remy’s not here. He got away.”

Chapter Thirteen

From the doorway of Kellan’s office, Ashlyn just stood back and watched the chaos in the squad room. Gunnar was booking the gunman while Eli was on the phone, barking out orders to the team of Rangers and deputies that he had out looking for Remy.

So far, there’d been so sign of the man.

Since no one had heard the sounds of a vehicle after Remy disappeared into the barn, it meant he’d fled on foot. Ashlyn doubted he’d done that solely because he was so upset over being at Marta’s grave. No. Remy had run because there would be charges brought against him.

Maybe murder charges.

After all, someone had murdered