Uncontrollable (The Nature of Grace, Book 2) (32 page)

“You know, you’re a very smart girl,” Katie calls out over her shoulder.

I watch the back of her head as she glides through the snow. “Really? Why do you say that?”

She keeps talking, but I struggle to hear because she’s facing away from me.

“I don’t think I gave you enough credit in the beginning. Now I’m wishing I would have paid more attention. It would have been better for business.”

I stop in my tracks. “What do you mean?”

Katie faces me and looks a little surprised. “You mean you haven’t figured it out? Really?” She looks amused. “I thought you had for sure.”

Suddenly my heart races. Something is wrong. I take a step back. “I think I should go back.”

As I spin around to leave, Katie grabs my sore arm and squeezes tight. “Not this time, Grace.”

“Ow!” I almost collapse in pain, but I manage to stay on my feet. I look into her eyes. They’ve darkened in the dim light, and her mouth is drooping into a sneer.

That’s when I notice the green bandana hanging out of her pocket and the gun in her hand. And the fact that she’s dressed in all black.

“You aren’t here to save me.” Fear fills my body like water being poured into a glass. “You’re here to kill me. This is all connected to you, isn’t it?”

She raises her eyebrows. “Keep going. You can piece this together. You’re smart.”

Sentences run through my head. Articles I’ve read. Slowly, the important facts bob to the surface.

“You’re behind the wolf killings, not Porter.”

She laughs. “See. I have faith in you. Porter was a necessary sacrifice. I needed someone to do the work for me, and he was the only one I could pay off.”

My legs start to tremble and my wound throbs. I think about all I know and realize it was there the whole time.

“You know vet medicine. Your dad was a vet, and you worked for him. I saw the picture. You’ve been helping euthanize those poor wolves. But why?”

She pokes the gun into my side. “You can talk, but you need to keep moving. We don’t have much time.”

She pushes me forward so hard I almost trip in the thick snow. My breath quickens. Why would a beautiful and powerful woman like Katie Reynolds sabotage a conservation program of which she’s the head? Then it hits me.

“You have a lot to lose, don’t you?” I stop and feel the gun bump into my back. I muster up the nerve to turn and face her. The gun is now pointed directly at my chest. “
Mandy
.”

She frowns. “How did you know that?”

I clutch my head as the information all falls into place. “Oh my God. You own Cardinal, Inc. Katie Amanda Reynolds, or should I say CEO-at-large Mandy Smith. You’ve been going by Katie Reynolds because that was your dad’s name. But your mom remarried, changed her name, and you were adopted by your stepdad. So your name changed, too.”

She pushes me again. “Shut up and keep walking.”

I stumble backward. “You’re pretending to support conservation and the red wolf program, but the whole time you’ve been sabotaging it. Then eBuild can start developing again.” I point to the forest we’re walking through. “This is prime real estate.”

Her voice is hard. “A few wolves aren’t worth millions. Not to me.”

“So this is about money?”

“Isn’t everything?”

I turn and start walking again, but I move a bit slower, letting her get closer to me, waiting for her to get within range of my back kick.

“So what now?” I say. “You think someone won’t figure this out? I did. Sweeney will find me.”

“He’ll find you dead. And he’ll think Al got to you. That’s what they’ll all think — that Al is back. They’ll never think I did it. I’ll get rid of you and slip back to work with an alibi. And by the time they find you, your body will be cold, and Al will be gone.”

I think over everything. “That’s why you didn’t give the syringe to Sweeney.”

She kicks my heel. “That was where Porter went wrong. The fool. If he’d done what I asked and not gotten careless, everyone would have suspected Seth died of hypothermia. You weren’t supposed to be out there anyway. No one was going to find Seth until spring. Until you had to continue butting in. You never know when to stop.”

I laugh. “Guess you don’t know me as well as you think.”

“True. I will give you that.” Katie huffs in frustration. “I never expected you to volunteer after all the things your family went through. That was where I went wrong. But then I thought you wouldn’t last a day after you found that wolf.”

“I don’t scare off easily.”

She pushes me again. Hard.

I fall forward in the snow and land on both arms. I scream out in pain as my right arm turns to fire.

Katie grabs my hood and yanks me to my feet. Tears are streaming down my face now.

I stand and face her, teeth gritted. “I told Sweeney about the syringe. He knows you have it. He’ll come for it, and he’ll know you’re lying if you say you don’t have it.”

She holds up a syringe. “You mean this one? Or the fake one in my office I’ll give him in the morning when he comes to tell me of your unfortunate death.”

I clutch my arm. It’s wet and warm. My fall started the bleeding again.

“So Al was never here? This whole time you’ve been pretending?” I hunch over a little in pain.

“Perfect, isn’t it? Al is long gone from this place. He’ll never be found. But I had no idea how well it would work. I didn’t realize the power he had over everyone around here.”

With that stupid comment, I swing my leg up and clip Reynolds right under the chin. She is so taken off guard, the gun pops out of her hand, and she falls backward on the ground. I bend over to grab the weapon, but she charges at me, practically growling. She tackles me to the ground, and I yelp in pain. But before she can pin me, I flip her off and struggle to my feet. Even though my legs are wobbling and my stance is far less than steady, at least I’m up. I shake away the stars in my vision.

“I won’t let you get away with this,” I say.

She swings and punches me in the jaw. I stumble backward as she hisses at me.

“You don’t have a choice. You think I’m going to let some brat teenager bring me down? Do you realize how hard I’ve worked?”

She punches me in the stomach, and I double over, almost hurling into the snow.

“Do you know how long it’s taken me to get the respect I deserve? To get all of this?” She waves to her house.

At that moment, I side kick her in the ribs. She grunts this time and stumbles, falling to one knee.

I smile. “Do you realize what I’ve been through? Do you think I’m going to lose my dad and fight off some madman poacher, bring down a family friend, and then let a bratty, rich woman beat me down?”

I punch her in the stomach and grab her arm, twisting it up behind her. She elbows me in the gut, and I release her, putting my hands on my knees and coughing. I lunge and grip around her neck, but she’s slightly taller than me and is able to flip me onto my back. The air shoots out of my lungs, and I gasp for breath.

Her face appears above me, and she points a gun in my face. “I win. Now get up.”

I writhe in the freezing cold snow, unable to stand. She tosses the green bandana onto my chest as I continue gasping for air.

“To be honest, you should have died with your daddy. But this time, it all ends for you, Grace. I’ll go back, and they’ll mourn you. The wolf project will be cancelled, and eBuild will develop these mountains the way my company has always planned. And I will be even richer than before. Best part is I will get away with it all.”

A gun cocks behind us. “Over my dead body.”

Survival Skill #33

Never underestimate the size of an opponent. Everyone is capable of strength, speed, skill, and the will to defend themselves
.

I
smile and look back.

Birdee is standing a few feet away, wearing her Wellies and a straw hat while holding a rifle. She fires one shot into the air and breaks the silence of the forest. The woods awaken and sound off a natural warning. Birds scatter and squawk in different directions as the shot reverberates through the trees.

Birdee walks toward us. “Put the gun down and get away from her.”

I smile up at Katie. “I’m not the only person you underestimated. Guess someone else knows your plan now, too. What now? Your Al story won’t hold up anymore unless you kill both of us.”

“That can be arranged. What’s one more?” Katie points the gun at Birdee and slowly backs up. “I’m not going down without a fight.”

Birdee takes a step forward. “And you ain’t going. So it looks like it’s a duel to the death.”

I force myself to my feet and hobble over to Birdee.

She glances at me quickly, then back at Katie. “Go get Sweeney.”

I watch Katie, who’s eyeing Birdee and me as if waiting for one of us to make a wrong move.

“I’m not leaving you out here,” I say.

Birdee grits her teeth but keeps her eyes on Katie. “Don’t argue, I said… go.”

Even though my whole body is rejecting any movement, I muster up all my strength to sprint up the hill, afraid of hearing a shot ring out behind me. Pain jolts through my arm, and my stomach throbs. I scream Mo’s name at the top of my lungs. As I reach the house, he comes tearing outside with Sweeney hobbling behind.

Mo looks panic stricken. “Bloody hell! Grace!”

I collapse into him. My head is woozy and my vision is blurry. I point down the hill but can’t catch my breath. Sweeney glances around with his gun raised, protecting Mo and me.

“We heard a shot,” he says.

Mo touches the bruises forming on my face. “What happened?”

I force out words. “Katie attacked me. Birdee’s with her.” I gasp for oxygen as Sweeney races down the hill. I push Mo away. “Go! Sweeney’s hurt. He can’t handle Reynolds. She’s crazy!”

He looks torn. “I promised I wouldn’t leave you.”

I’m sobbing now. Gasps and tears punctuate my words and broken sentences. “Please, Mo. I can’t lose Birdee too.”

Mo yells. “Wyn!”

Wyn bolts onto the deck and points after Sweeney. “Go! I got her.” He hops down the stairs and limps toward me.

“Be sure this time.” Mo kisses me and darts off into the dark woods without even saying goodbye.

I try to push up so I can go with him, but my body gives out. Just as Wyn reaches my side, another shot goes off. I scream and bury my head in his jacket, wailing.

He strokes my hair. “It’s fine, G. I promise.”

I shake my head and cry, feeling like I’ve just lost everything for the second time.

He whispers in my ear as he rocks me. “It’ll be okay.”

I mumble, “How do you know?”

“Because this time, no matter what happens, I’m here.”

I sniff and pull back, nodding. “What about Mo?”

He holds me tight. “Doesn’t matter. You’re my friend, and I love you. I’m not going to let you down again.”

I hug him tight. “Promise?”

He pulls back my face and kisses my forehead. “Scout’s honor.”

I sit there on the snow with my eyes still on the woods, scanning the trees. Waiting for anything to tell me what happened. Waiting for Birdee and Mo to come walking out of the woods.

Together.

Alive.

But the minutes pass slowly, and no one shows.

I’m afraid my world has just collapsed.

Again.

Survival Skill #34

Sometimes, because of emotional stress, we may expect dangers or threats that might not really exist
.

I
t seems like forever until Sweeney walks out of the woods.

Followed by Mo.

I wait and watch the tree line. Praying. Hoping. Waiting for Birdee.

But she doesn’t show.

Mo and Sweeney approach me, and their faces are long. Neither can look me in the eye.

I search them for the truth, but I can’t even force out the question forming in my mind,
is Birdee dead
? I start to cry, and Wyn holds me tight.

Before they say anything, Birdee’s straw hat bobs out of the trees. She has her rifle slung over her shoulder like she’s in some kind of Western movie. I rip out of Wyn’s arms and push through the pain to my feet, stumbling down the hill. I throw myself on her, laughing and crying at the same time.