Chapter 10 - The Standoff at Devil’s Gate
Marcus’s eyes darted between the muzzle of the shotgun in Cole’s hands and the pistol in Nora’s grip. The arrogance that had sustained him for years evaporated into pure, animal panic.
"You won't shoot me," Marcus sneered, trying to salvage his bravado. "The police are already converging on this basin! They think this guy is an armed kidnapper! If I don't walk out of here alive, they will hunt you both down!"
"He’s right about the police," Cole said, not looking away from Marcus. "They’re at Devil’s Gate bridge right now. They've set up a roadblock."
"Then you're trapped!" Marcus laughed, a shrill, manic edge in his voice. "You have no way out!"
Cole stepped forward, using the barrel of the shotgun to lift Marcus’s chin. "I don't need a way out, Marcus. I have you."
Ten minutes later, the black Dodge Ram was speeding down the muddy logging road toward Devil’s Gate.
Cole was behind the wheel, driving with icy focus. In the passenger seat sat Nora, wrapped warmly in dry blankets, holding Ranger’s leash as the dog sat alert between them.
In the back cab, stripped of his weapons, his phone, and his dignity, Marcus sat bound hand and foot with heavy zip-ties, his mouth taped shut, staring at the back of Cole’s head with murderous hatred.
As the truck rounded the final hairpin turn before Devil’s Gate bridge, the glare of a dozen searchlights blinded the windshield.
Three county cruisers, two state trooper cruisers, and the sheriff’s tactical command vehicle formed a solid V-shaped blockade across the narrow two-lane bridge. Sharpshooters lay prone across the hoods of the cars, their rifles trained on the oncoming Dodge.
Over the cruiser PA system, the Sheriff’s booming voice echoed through the canyon:
*“Driver of the black Dodge! Kill the engine immediately! Step out with your hands raised! You are surrounded!”*
Cole did not speed up, nor did he slow down. He brought the truck to a smooth stop twenty yards from the barricade, in full view of the spotlights.
He shifted into park. He looked over at Nora.
"Ready?" Cole asked.
May you like
Nora looked back at him. The frail, terrified woman who had tumbled down the mountain was gone. In her place was a woman who had survived betrayal, murder, and the freezing depths of the wilderness.
"I’m ready," she said.
