Tears leaked from her eyes.
“This isn’t for you. Don’t worry.” He’d heard the sound of those engines. They’d been coming closer as he hunted. If he hadn’t taken Sarah down when he had, she just might have made it to safety.
Yes, she’d been much better prey than he’d expected. “This gun is for the ones coming to save you.” Because he wasn’t going out of this battle quietly. It was time everyone knew about him.
No more shadows. No more secrets.
He already knew Jenny had spent the night at the sheriff’s station. The storm had kept her there, so she would’ve had the whole night to talk about him—to tell the authorities what he looked like.
So he figured he had two choices—keep running...or go out fighting. Go out by showing them all exactly who they were dealing with in this battle.
For years, no one had known of his existence.
Soon, no one would ever forget him.
He just wished he had his rifle with him, but the handgun would have to do. He slipped back into the shadows cast by the snow-covered trees, and he waited.
* * *
“SARAH FINWAY!” SHERIFF HODGES called as he raced to keep up with the pack searching for Sarah. “Sarah!”
Thomas saw the sheriff had his gun out, and Hodges was sweeping to the left and the right. They’d tracked that dying scream out here, but there was no sound now.
Other than the frantic cries from the sheriff and his deputies.
Aaron’s shoulder brushed against Thomas’s. “I don’t like this.” His voice was low.
Thomas didn’t like this situation, either. They were surrounded by trees, so there were dozens of places for a perp to hide. The sheriff and his men were making enough noise to wake the dead.
“Footprints!” One of the deputies called out. “Here! I’ve got her!”
He had her only if those were Sarah’s footprints.
Thomas’s instincts screamed at him. Noelle started to follow the others. He grabbed her arm and barked out, “Stop!”
But it was too late. He heard the sharp thunder of gunfire. One blast. Two. Three.
Yells and screams filled the air.
“Damn it,” Aaron growled. “It’s like sheep to the slaughter!”
Thomas took cover, with Noelle right at his side. The deputies were firing back, but they seemed to be shooting wildly in all directions. They needed to calm down and focus.
“Where is he?” Thomas heard one deputy demand, voice breaking.
They didn’t see their attacker, but they were still shooting?
“Stop firing!” Thomas shouted. He couldn’t figure out anything with the chaos around him.
After a few moments, they did stop.
“The sheriff,” Noelle whispered, horror in her voice.
Thomas peered around his cover. He cursed when he saw the sight before him. The sheriff was on the ground, a bloom of red on his body. And the woman—had to be Sarah Finway—she was just a few feet away from him.
It looked like the sheriff’s chest was still rising and falling. Thomas wasn’t so sure about Sarah.
Noelle lunged forward.