The Senator's Choice (28 page)

Can I really do this?

He convinced himself he could — and that they were going to kill Luke anyway. His paternal instincts wanted to fight for Luke
’
s life, but it was beyond that now. He couldn
’
t kowtow to the kidnappers
’
desires, not now anyway. It was too late for that. He had to do what needed to be done. He
’
d made his last stand and sent Seth Matthews after his son. They
’d failed.

No use making this entire venture a complete failure.

As Daniels walked down the aisle to cast his vote, one of the freshman senators, Gary Gordon, from his party stopped him.

“What is it, Gary?” Daniels asked.

Gordon sighed before speaking. “I—
I just can’
t vote for this.”

“Did they get to you?”

Gordon diverted his eyes.

“Look at me,” Daniels demanded. Gordon lifted his head up and his gaze met Daniels.

“What?”

“Did they get to you?”

Gordon started to push past Daniels. “I already cast my vote. It
’
s over, man.
”

Daniels watched Gordon walk past him and take his seat on the chamber floor. He fumed as he walked forward and cast his vote.

Upon returning to his seat, he received a text message.

Disappointed in you.

His thumbs tapped out a response:

You found a workaround yet you still torture my son?

You
’
re sick. I
’
m going to find you.

His phone buzzed with another message.

Better come find your dead son first.

Daniels seethed as he watched the votes roll in. Gordon had betrayed him. If the count his aides gave him was accurate, they were headed for a tie that would send the deciding ballot to the vice president, a member of the opposing party. Everything he
’
d worked for was gone. And now so was his son.

Or he soon would be.

CHAPTER 44

LUKE TRUDGED TOWARD THE WATER with the inflatable raft resting on his right shoulder. He wanted to run and get as far away from these men as possible. But he couldn
’
t. Not yet, anyway. One way or another, this nightmare was going to end soon enough if he had any say in it.

Dave Dumas broke out into a laugh as he glanced at his phone.

“What is it, boss?” Bill asked as he put the raft in the water.

“Looks like we don
’
t have to go on the river after all,”
Dave said.

Luke knew what he meant. He threw himself onto the raft and started slapping at the water with his hands to push himself forward while he looked around for the paddles.

He looked over his shoulder at a dumbfounded Bill and Sam.

“Don
’
t just stand there,” Dave shouted. “Go get him!”

***

HAMMOND AND ZELLERS watched the scene unfold in front of them but waited for Matthews
’
command. Luke dove into a raft and started flailing as he attempted to build enough momentum in the lazy river.

Zellers leaned forward, preparing to run after Luke.

Hammond put his hand on Zellers
’
chest.
“Not yet.”

They watched as Luke beat the water and urged the raft forward. He didn
’
t get far before both Sam and Bill dove from the bank and each managed to grab a portion of the raft. They climbed aboard.

“Boss, we need to move,” Hammond said on his com link.

“We
’
re almost in position,” Matthews said. “Go after him.”

Hammond and Zellers scrambled down the embankment and threw their raft into the water. Once they untied the raft, Hammond yanked the starter cord on the motor as it roared to life. He revved it up several times before ramming it into the water and speeding after Luke
’
s boat.

They started to catch up rather quickly before their raft suffered a jarring bolt from the surprising arrival of another passenger.

It was Dave Dumas. And he was wielding his gun.

CHAPTER 45

SENATOR DANIELS
’
PHONE RANG. He glanced down at the screen. It was his son, Ben. This wasn
’
t a conversation he wanted to have, not now with all his raw emotions. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and took a deep breath before answering his phone.

“Hi, son. How are you?”

“How do you think?” Ben snapped. “You just condemned Luke to death. Are you out of your mind?”

“Actually, I
’
m keenly aware of what
’
s happening.
”

“Would you care to enlighten me then?”

“
I don’
t think I know any more than you. It
’
s just that—” he stopped and scratched his forehead, searching for the right words to say. “It
’
s just that, I didn
’
t want Luke
’
s death to be in vain.”

“So you voted for a bill that
’
s obviously not going to pass — and now it cost Luke his life? Smooth move.”

“It
’
s not like that.”

“Oh, yes it—” Ben stopped talking.

“Ben? Are you there?”

“Yeah, I
’
m here, but I don
’
t believe this. Are you watching the votes?”

Daniels stared at the board. He couldn
’
t believe what he was seeing. The bill passed. A pipeline was going to be built. He
’
d saved his hometown — and other portions of Ohio.

Or at least, someone else did.

He
’
d stood on his principle — and maybe even lost his son in the process.

Daniels broke down and wept on the chamber floor.

CHAPTER 46

LUKE SLID TO THE SIDE to avoid the oncoming tackle from Bill, while Sam climbed aboard and fired up the engine. He backed toward the middle of the boat in an effort to keep Bill and Sam within his view, even if it was only his peripheral vision. They all lurched once Sam opened up the throttle on the motor in the back.

Luke surveyed his situation, which didn
’
t appear favorable initially. Once Bill took the upper hand on him, he knew it was over.

On his right, Luke watched Bill creeping toward him. Bill reached down and snatched a knife out of his boot.

“I can make this quick, kid,”
Bill said.

Luke glanced at Sam, who bit his lip. After several seconds, Sam finally spoke up.

“Come on, Bill. Do we really have to do this?”

“This kid has seen our faces,” Bill answered. “He could identify us in a lineup. If we don
’
t kill him now, we
’
re going to jail — and for a long time.”

Sam stared at Luke. “
You won
’
t tell, will ya, kid?”

Luke shook his head. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Bill laughed.
“Like I believe that.”

“Honest, I swear,” Luke shot back. “
I won
’
t tell a soul. I don
’
t care what you guys are up to, but if you let me go, I promise I won
’
t tell anyone.”

“There
’
s only one way to ensure that someone doesn
’
t say anything,” Bill sneered. “You make sure they can
’
t talk.”

Bill lunged for Luke and held his knife close to his face. The current began to pick up pace as the boat bounced through some low rapids. Luke could hear Bill
’
s shallow breathing along with the trickling water and the sound of rocks scraping the bottom of the boat. He tasted the bile in his throat as he glared up at his attacker.

“You ready for a life of silence?” Bill asked.

A shrill scream echoed through the mountains — and everyone turned and looked toward the back of the raft. Then they all froze.

***

HAMMOND DIDN
’
T NEED to inspect Dave Dumas up close to know that the arrow from his crossbow penetrated the man
’
s shirt and ripped into his heart. The raft morphed into a bloody mess as Dave stared back at the two men, mouth agape.

Stunned, Dave grabbed his chest with one hand, his gun falling out of his other. “I never meant for anyone to get hurt.”

“So, that
’
s why you pummeled a kid?” Hammond asked.

Zellers didn
’
t wait for a response. He just glared at Dave and pulled the trigger again. “That was for Luke.”

Still clutching his chest, Dave rolled off the side of the boat and tumbled into the river.

Hammond cranked the engine up a notch and sped toward Luke.

***

BILL WATCHED DAVE slip into Sanders Fork and disappear beneath the surface. Luke didn
’
t hesitate to turn the element of surprise in to his favor. He gave Bill a shove and rolled away from him before jumping to his feet.

Bill, caught off balance for a moment, staggered to his feet and waved his knife at Luke. “Look what you did!” Bill growled.

“I did nothing,” Luke answered. “
I don’
t have a gun.”

“But you
’
re the reason he
’
s dead.”

Luke
’
s eyes narrowed. “No.
He
’
s
the reason he
’
s dead. You should
’
ve never kidnapped me in the first place.” He paused and studied his two attackers, both still trying to get a better position so they could pounce on him.

“Now, you
’
re going to die,” Bill said. He rushed Luke and caught him near his knees.

Luke buckled and crashed to the floor of the boat. Instead of giving any more lectures, he went for the knife lodged in his sock and jammed it into the side of the boat.

Air whistled out of the boat as it started to deflate. Bill lunged toward Luke.

And Luke tumbled into the water.

CHAPTER 47

SETH MATTHEWS GRIPPED the steering wheel and bit his lip. The seconds dripped past like hours, with each one creating a flurry of questions in his mind. Though there was only one he wanted to know the answer to: Is Luke safe?

“Will someone please tell me what
’
s going on?” he said into his com link.

The sporadic chatter and shouts along with gun shots created more concern, even though he could still hear their voices.

“Don
’
t make me ask again,” Matthews said.

“Luke
’
s in the water,” Hammond said. “I repeat, Luke is in the water.”

“Where are you, Jones?”

“I
’
m on the bank about half a mile upstream. I can see everything.”

“And?”

“Luke just rolled into the water and they
’
re going after him. It looks like Luke punctured the sidewall of the raft and it
’
s losing air rapidly.
”

“Atta boy,” Matthews said with a smile. “Be ready to go in after him.”

In the backseat, Shepherd stared at his laptop screen, his fingers ablaze on the keyboard.

“How are we doing back there?” Matthews said as he glanced in the rearview mirror.

“Almost there,” Shepherd said. Every piece of footage captured by Shepherd
’
s micro drones were being forwarded to Senator Daniels
’
office.

“I
’
m about to pull over and set up on the riverbank. Do you think you can handle yourself while I
’
m gone?”

“If I can manage to pull you out of a burning cellar with a fire burning six hundred degree Fahrenheit, I think I can handle myself.”

Matthews went to rub Shepherd on the head before Shepherd grabbed his arm just short of its destination.

“Don
’t touch me,
”
Shepherd said.