Chapter Sixteen

 

Toni raced to her room, hot-faced and shaken. How could she have let things get so out of control? She trembled thinking about what might’ve happened if Tinihanga hadn't interrupted. No time to worry about that now. On the fly, she changed from her wet clothing into slacks, a green turtleneck sweater, and boots, secured her damp hair into a ponytail, and tied it with a mint green scarf. Then she strapped on her holster and reloaded her gun.

Instinct told her this was a setup. But why would Tinihanga warn Rad if he was in on the rustling? Maybe he wasn't in with this Duke fellow after all. Where was her fieldman Damon? Nothing felt right about Tinihanga’s warning. All she could do was stay alert.

She rushed down the hall to the den. Rad had changed from swim trunks and was dressed for action. The sleeve of his white cardigan still bore the gray stain from his earlier scuffle with his captors; the collar of the shirt underneath lay high on the back of his neck, giving him an untamed look. Instead of the black slacks he'd worn earlier, jeans hugged his hips like a leather glove. Looking intense, he lifted his key to unlocked the gun cabinet.

“Where is Tinihanga?” she asked.

“Behind you,” Tinihanga said. The muzzle of his gun poked her in the temple.

“Step away from the cabinet, boss, or I'll blast a hole clean through the lady's skull.”

“Blessed Atua, she was right about you!” Rad took a step forward. Tinihanga grabbed Toni by her ponytail and yanked her head back. He dug the muzzle deeper into her temple. Toni winced and pressed her lips tightly together.

Rad froze. “Don't hurt her!”

“Then don't play hero. Do as you're told, and no one will get hurt.”

“Why, Tinihanga?”

“Money, boss, lots of money.”

“But you saved my life once. We were friends.” Rad's forehead creased. His eyes were bright, puzzled, hurt.

“Tell him the truth, Tinihanga,” Toni said. “That you were the shooter those many long years ago.”

“Shut up! How could you know that?”

“Then it's true?” Sadness weighted Rad's voice.

“So sue me. I'd never shot anyone before. I wanted to know what it felt like.”

“But you took me to the hospital.”

“I was a scared fourteen-year-old. But I'm not scared now. And if you don't do exactly as I say, you'll both die.”

Two rough-looking Caucasian men armed with rifles stepped into the room. They aimed their guns at Rad. One was tall, wiry and white-haired with a mole on his cheek, and the other shorter, heavier with dark hair. She recognized the white-haired one. He was the man they called Ghost and the last man to see Rutene alive.

“Who's behind this?” Rad asked.

“Cut the questions,” Tinihanga snarled, keeping his gun at Toni's head. “Now, Toni, nice and slow. With your left hand, take your gun out of the holster, and drop it on the floor.” The gun made a dull thud as it hit the carpet. “Now slip out of the holster.”

“Let Toni go, Tinihanga. She not a part of this.”

Tinihanga snorted. “After what she did to Duke's people? That's a joke.”

“Who the hell is this Duke person?” Rad asked.

“Never mind. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

Rad hesitated. When Tinihanga jabbed the gun harder into Toni's temple, Rad quickly did as he was told.

“Ghost, tie him tight,” Tinihanga said. The white hair growing out of Ghost's mole looked like sun-bleached grass sprouting from gray mud. When he tied Rad's hands, Rad winced. When Ghost finished, Rad started to turn to face Tinihanga.

“Stay put!” Tinihanga ordered.

****

Why didn’t they tie my hands? Toni wondered. Maybe there’ll be a moment when I can use that.

“Let's go. No heroics.” Tinihanga's cocky tone confirmed his lust for control.

Perhaps I can use his love of power against him.

The men hustled them through the house and out the front door. A strange quiet blanketed the ranch. Lights blazed throughout the compound, but no voices came from the shearing barns or the bunk house. No music. Just silence. The odor of sulfur hung in the dead air. Nothing moved, not even a leaf. Toni glanced around hoping to see Hero.

“Don't expect help,” Tinihanga said. “Your man Damon is dead. Dogs and the others drugged. If any of them are still conscious, they'll be so dazed they'll be useless.”

Damon dead? Tears sprang to her eyes.

Tinihanga shoved her ahead.

She fought to warded off the debilitating ripple of grief. “How could you drug all those people?” Toni turned her head to see his face. He jammed the muzzle of the gun against her temple again.

“I added extra salt to the food. Caused everyone to drink lots of water. Even the dogs were especially thirsty.” He sounded amused. “Oh, yes and I spiked the water with a super-powered drug.”

“Will they be all right?”

“They'll have a lulu of a hangover.” Tinihanga laughed. It was the nastiest she'd ever heard.

The dark-headed man sneered and added, “A hangover to outdo all hangovers.”

Ghost, whose eyes had narrowed to mere slits, said nothing and kept his gun aimed at Rad's head.

“You'll never get away with this,” Rad said.

“I already have.” Tinihanga let the truck tailgate down and ordered Rad to get in. As he turned and tried to comply, Tinihanga clobbered him in the head with the butt of his gun. Toni winced. Rad collapsed forward onto the truck bed.

“Why did you hit him?” she shouted at Tinihanga. “He was doing what you told him.” Toni started to go to Rad.

Tinihanga grabbed her arm and yanked her back. “Stay put.”

Ghost and the other man climbed onto the truck bed and dragged Rad out of the way. Tinihanga closed the tailgate.

He opened the door of the passenger side. A menacing sneer contorted his dark Maori face. “Slide through,” he ordered, following behind her. “You're driving.”

“Where’re we going?” She turned on the headlights and started the engine.

“Shut up, and you may live through this.”

She knew better. The absence of masks meant they weren't worried about being identified later. “Which way?”

“Head out to the west sector. And step on it.”

The sheepy-whiskey odor coming from Tinihanga filled the cab of the truck and choked her. She started to roll the window down.

Tinihanga jabbed her temple with his gun. “Leave it up!”

Toni drove down the dirt road in silence, trying to latch onto a plan to avoid whatever was coming. Moonlight silvered the hilly terrain. She slowed for a kiwi bird that ran in her path.

What if I swerve off the edge? A deep rut in the road bounced Tinihanga, forcing his gun deeper into the soft skin near her temple. Swerving wouldn't be wise.

“Turn left where the road forks.” He lowered the gun slightly. “From the beginning, you never liked me.”

She glanced at him, then back at the road without comment. The truck's bright headlights spread two cone-shaped beams a distance ahead. She had never been to this part of the property before. The road had narrowed to little more than a trail and wound between rugged, rocky hillsides.

“I'm not as bad as you think,” Tinihanga said. “I really have a fondness for the boss. He's always treated me well. That's why I'm not going to kill the two of you, unless of course you force me.”

“So, what is this? Where are you taking us?”

“To a place where you'll be out of the way. Duke wanted you both killed after what you did to his people. But what he doesn't know won't hurt him. And once I get my money, I'll be gone. I don't care what happens then.”

“Won't Ghost or the other man tell on you?”

“They don't even know what this is all about. Hard cash buys their loyalty.”

Up ahead Toni saw a skip loader. It held a huge boulder.

“Pull up next to that equipment,” Tinihanga said. “Leave the lights on.”

When they got out of the truck, Tinihanga told the men to bring Rad along. Toni walked a couple of dozen steps, and then she saw it. A cave.

Now she understood. The boulder would seal them inside. She glanced around. There wasn't a thing she could do against three armed men.

“Don't look so upset, Toni.” The nostrils of Tinihanga's wide nose flared slightly. “You'll learn I'm really a nice guy. Everything is set up in there for your comfort, sleeping bags, food, water, matches, candles, flashlight, and a lantern. Think of it as a vacation away from civilization. Someone might find you in two or three weeks.”

The humanness in his voice gave her hope. “It's not too late, Tinihanga. Let us go. You're not in too deep, yet.”

“The cave, or a bullet in the head,” he said, jabbing her in the temple with the muzzle of his gun.

“Stop that! Your constant jobs are giving me a headache.”

“Poor little pakeha,” Tinihanga said. “I'll send an anonymous note to the authorities after I'm safe in another country. Maybe. Now, get in there.”

Having no choice, she backed inside.

Tinihanga climbed on the skip loader. The lights came on. The brightness blinded her for a moment. The engine roared to life. When her vision returned, she glanced around looking for the flashlight Tinihanga had mentioned. It was on top of some cardboard boxes stacked against the wall about six steps away.

As she started for it, Ghost and the other man dragged Rad toward her and dropped him like a sack of garbage at her feet. Then they ran, barely squeezing out of the cave as the boulder blocked the soft glow of moonlight and headlights. She lunged for the flashlight, and her hand closed around it an instant before blackness dropped like life’s final curtain.