From the Shadows (Buckhorn, Montana #2) - B.J. Daniels Page 0,107
these tunnels. She didn’t. He would catch her—and Finn. She couldn’t chance that. Nor could she wait to be saved. She was on her own. Reaching behind her, she groped for something she could use as a weapon.
Her hand closed over a cold, heavy cylinder. It felt greasy, as if it were part of a piece of machinery. It was heavy and fit in her hand, and right now it was all she had, because Emery was struggling to his feet.
Casey took a step forward and winced as she swung the weapon. The heavy metal connected with his skull. Emery grunted and grabbed her wrist. He twisted her wrist so hard she thought he would break it, his grip was so strong. But she stubbornly held on, kicking him as hard as she could as he tried again to get up from the ground to give himself the advantage over her.
Once he got to his feet, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
One kick made him howl in pain before he jerked on her wrist, throwing her off balance. She lost her grip on the weapon as she hit the ground next to him. He was grabbing for her, trying to pin her down, when she heard her name called again—much closer.
Emery heard it, too. He hesitated, and Casey saw her chance. She elbowed him hard in the stomach and rolled away from him. She was on her hands and knees, trying to get her feet under her, when, from behind, she heard Emery lumbering to his feet. He grabbed for her, catching the tail of her T-shirt. She heard it rip, but he didn’t let go. She was trying to run but he still had hold of her shirt. He jerked her back. She stumbled and fell, but quickly crab-crawled away from him.
Emery had blood running down his face from where she’d hit him with the makeshift weapon. But it was the look in his eyes that told her he was no longer even pretending to protect her. She was now one of his victims and would be added to his book if she didn’t get away.
* * *
FINN CAME AROUND a bend in the tunnel and saw the giant looming over Casey. He reacted on instinct, letting out a roar as he charged the big man. As he did, he saw Casey pick up something from the ground. He plowed into the man, catching him off guard and throwing him back against the shelves along the tunnel wall. The man seemed to shake off the blow. Finn could see the older man’s strength return as he lumbered to his feet. The giant lunged for him, but before Finn could react, the man suddenly doubled over in a howl of pain. Finn realized that Casey had grabbed up a metal stake from the ground. It was now sticking out from between the man’s ribs.
There was a clatter as the shelves gave way and objects fell around the giant as he went down. Finn stood over him for a moment to make sure he wasn’t getting up before he turned to Casey, now curled up against the tunnel wall with a look of horror on her face. She was covered with dirt, her clothes filthy and her T-shirt torn. She’d never looked more beautiful.
“Are you all right?” he asked as he dropped down next to her.
She nodded and seemed to come out of her shock to throw her arms around his neck.
For a moment, he just held her tightly before lifting her to her feet. “We have to get out of here. We can’t go the way I came in. This way.”
He led her down through the underground tunnel, moving aside boards and debris that threatened to block their way. They both coughed, having breathed in so much of the dust that was only now starting to settle.
She could feel Finn’s anxiety and knew that, like her, he feared that they would reach a dead end or a cave-in and not be able to get out. Or, worse, that at any moment they could be buried alive down here.
Then in a dim overhead light she saw what was ahead and felt her heart drop. It was a dead end. Panic rose up in her like a primitive wail. She must have let out a cry, because Finn turned back to her. “Look, there’s a ladder up the side of the wall. That means there must be a trapdoor up there.”