Chapter Fifty-Eight

At the sound of Mort’s voice, Dix stepped in front of Jillie and pushed the child behind her in one smooth move. “Hide,” she said out of the corner of her mouth.

But instead of running, Jillie scooted over to stand behind Lil.

“What took you so long, Cuz?” Toby held his bound wrists toward Mort. “Get me out of these things; I’m feeling distinctly anti-social. You’re going to want to get my pistol from Granny.”

“Which one?” Mort said.

“The one standing next to the short old lady.”

Mort motioned with the shotgun toward Dix. “Drop it on the floor.”

Dix did as she was told.

“Came as quick as I could, Tobes. While you were hurrying off to find the treasure, I had to call an ambulance.”

“Your old man’s a wuss. From what I saw, he wasn’t hurt that bad.”

“The ambulance wasn’t for him.” Mort shifted the barrel of the shotgun a fraction of an inch toward his cousin. “Maggot got snake-bit.” He shook his head. “Never seen anything like it. You would’ve paid money to see that.” He sniffed. “After I called for help, I noticed you’d hauled ass. Then I spotted your truck on my way back into town.”

“You got your pocketknife?” Toby asked Mort.

“Yep.” With his left hand, Mort pulled a bone-handled knife from a small scabbard attached to his belt. He tossed the knife onto the floor next to Toby. “Cut him loose, Kid.” He moved the shotgun barrel to point at Dix’s mid-section. “Sorry, but you know how it is, family being family and all.”

Her fingernails chewed to the quick, Jillie struggled with the tiny, fingernail-shaped indentations in the exposed portion of the blades. By the time several seconds had elapsed, the atmosphere in the room had become so charged, Dix almost expected to see everyone’s hair stand on end.

“Let me do it.” Dix took the knife from Jillie’s hands.

Toby shrugged. “I don’t give a jolly care who does it. Just do it.”

Dix opened the larger of the two blades and moved toward Toby. Although she commanded herself to keep a benign expression on her face, she must have failed, because Toby chuckled.

“Now, now,” he said. “Just think of all the commotion you’ll make if you try to do me damage.”

“Please don’t test me,” Mort said. “I’d do almost anything to get out of this hell-hole, and a cut of the treasure is my way out.”

Dix stooped and ineffectually hacked at the bindings.

“She could have gummed these things to pieces quicker than using that thing,” Toby said. “Don’t you ever sharpen it?”

Once Dix finally managed to sever the plastic ties, Toby shook the remnants off his wrists and ankles and then removed the Taser’s prongs from his shirt front. After a couple of false starts, he managed to stand.

“Where’s the treasure map?” He turned his full attention to the women.

Mrs. Potter piped up, “There is no treasure map.”

“I’ve had just about enough of your stalling,” Toby said. “Like the big green guy used to say on television, don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

Mrs. Potter just shook her head.

His face turning red, Toby sucked on his teeth. “I’ll bet you decided to keep it all for yourself after the old man died. Is that how you managed to pay for that new truck out front?”

Jillie took a step out from behind Lil. “Pop made her swear never to tell. But I know where it is. If you let them all go, I’ll show you.”

“Oh, you’ll show me where it is, all right.” Toby lifted the pistol. “Or I’ll shoot your granny friend; then I’ll pop your godmother; then I’ll take my time with the biddy who tazed me. No more negotiations.”

“You’d better do what he says.” Mort looked at Jillie. “You really don’t want to tick him off.” He turned to Toby. “Maggot’s out of the running, and Clot doesn’t care. That means it’s just a two-way split.”

Toby smiled. “Oh, is that what it means?” In one smooth movement, he turned the pistol on Mort and pulled the trigger.

A surprised look on his face, Mort sighed and looked down at his thigh. As if the shotgun suddenly weighed a ton, its barrel dipped toward the floor, and his finger spasmodically pulled its trigger.

The unexpected second explosion resounded through the house, and the three women gasped. Jillie screamed.

Mort dropped the gun and pressed his hands against the sudden blossom of blood on his thigh. “Why’d you…” His knees buckled, and he fell to the floor.

“Sorry, about that Cuz,” Toby said. “That’ll hurt like hell for a few days, but at least you’ll live, family being family, and all.”

Mrs. Potter hurried to the fallen man, knelt, and put pressure on the wound.

“Tourniquet the leg, if it’ll make you feel better,” Toby said. “Then get over there with the rest of the Golden Girls.” He pointed the gun at Mort’s head. “Or I’ll finish him off. You want the kid to have to see that in her dreams for the rest of her life?” Toby motioned toward Mort. “Use his belt.”

Mrs. Potter tugged Mort’s belt free, then carefully tightened it around his thigh. “What kind of man shoots his own kin?”

“The determined kind.” Toby motioned toward his cousin. “He’ll be okay. I just need him out of commission long enough for me to evaporate into thin air.” He turned toward Jillie. “You go get the map. You’ve got two minutes before I start shooting your friends.” He made a big deal out of looking at his watch and pointing the pistol at Dix.

“It’s in a vase in the front room,” Jillie said. “That’s the room behind you.” She stepped around Toby.

The pistol never wavering, Toby watched Jillie’s movements.

Lil shot a look at Dix, then suddenly jabbed her index finger into her sister’s chest. “We wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t broken my phone.”

Dix smacked her sister’s hand away. “I wouldn’t have broken your phone if you’d done what I asked. But I gave you mine, so why didn’t you call for help?”

“Shut up,” Toby said, his eyes pin-balling back and forth between the women and Jillie’s retreating form as a look of recognition dawned in his eyes. “I knew it; I knew I’d seen that kid somewhere before.”

Jillie jerked to a stop and turned back toward Toby, a look of pure fear on her face.

“Go on,” Toby said to Jillie. “You got nothing to be afraid of if you bring me that map. I’ll be long gone before you can tell anyone about anything you might think you know.”

“You never charge your phone, that’s why,” Lil was saying. “It’s dead as a mackerel.” She grabbed a handful of Dix’s hair. “You’re so busy saving the world, you can’t be bothered with—”

“I said shut up!” Toby shifted his pistol slightly.

Dix slapped Lil’s face then grabbed her ear and twisted. “And you’re a heartless old crotch who hates the world.”

“I’m going to shoot the next—” Toby then made the mistake of shifting his attention away from the child and toward the twins.

Before Toby could react, Jillie pointed a small black canister at his head and pulled the trigger. Instantly, his eyes started pouring tears, his nose began to run, and he had to struggle to breathe. He stumbled a couple of steps then fell to his knees.

“Pepper spray,” Lil said. “You won’t die, but you’ll sure wish you could for about an hour or so.”

Unable to see, Toby fired the pistol in random directions until the clip was empty. One bullet found its mark, and Lil yelped.

From a sitting position on the floor, Toby scrubbed at his burning, swollen eyes with the palms of his hands. He coughed and gagged as his nose ran uncontrollably, dripping goo down his shirt front.

Jillie ran to Dix, who pulled her close. “It’s okay,” Dix said. “You’re going to be okay.”

“Or not,” Toby managed to say between coughs. “I’m going to kill all of you.”