Dash’s stomach and he had to stop his truck for a minute while he heaved onto the side of the road. As soon as he was done, he reached into the back of his truck for his bullet-proof vest. He’d worn it riding out today, after hearing that Arroyo might be on the loose.
“Sheriff is maybe ten minutes out,” Shane replied. “Ken, the hands and I should be there in five.”
“Two for me,” Dash told them. “I’m the one he wants. I’ll go in and see if I can trade myself for her.”
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Ken’s voice came on the line. “Take care of my granddaughter—but take care of yourself too.”
“I’ll do my best,” Dash assured them. “That’s all I can promise.” He climbed back into the cab and floored it for home.
* * * * *
Carmen heard the truck coming up the road before her captor. Since he’d moved out onto the porch, she’d managed to inch back to the table. At the sound of his 74
Eagle’s Redemption
delighted roar, she jerked back, tipping her chair sideways and slamming her head into the floor as she fell. Her leg rattled the table and something fell off onto her cheek.
The carved eagle. Once again she could feel Dash’s love in every line. With renewed determination she tucked it under her chin and used her legs to push herself under the table and toward the back door. Meanwhile Silver inched toward her, whimpering as his claws scrabbled on the wood floor.
“So, pendejo , you finally show your fucking face.” Arroyo’s voice was harsh and loaded with manic violence.
Carmen heard footsteps as Dash approached. She momentarily stopped her efforts to scoot toward the back door. “Where’s my woman, motherfucker?” Even amidst all this, she couldn’t help a moment of warmth at hearing him call her his.
“In the house. Take this, asshole.” Arroyo jumped off the porch and sent his lit cigarette through the door. Carmen couldn’t see it, but she’d smelled him smoking, and she heard the whoosh as the butt ignited the gasoline poured over the floor and furniture. Her scream erupted even as she forced herself to move. She had to get out of there fast—he’d poured some on her as well. She’d burn as quickly as everything else.
Her hands found Silver and she touched his head, searching mentally for his wound. When she found it, she poured all her healing power into him, mending it as best as she could. The bullet was still lodged in his hip—Shane would have to dig that out later if they lived through this.
Silver struggled to his feet and took the wooden chair back into his powerful jaws, pulling Carmen toward the back door as the flames erupted around them.
Over it all, she heard Arroyo laugh then Dash’s beloved voice as he shouted something at their attacker. Then there was the sound of a gunshot, more laughter and the door of the truck closing as the vehicle roared off into the night.
The laughter had been Arroyo’s. Dash was shot.
Carmen was devastated, but she still wanted to live. If he wasn’t dead, maybe she could help him as she had Silver. Once she was out of the cabin, there’d at least be hope.
75
Cindy Spencer Pape
She used her feet to help Silver move her toward the door just as she heard footsteps run up to the porch.
“Carmen!”
It was Dash’s voice she heard just as Silver pulled her out the back. Joy surged through her just before her head hit the step and she blacked out. She couldn’t even tell Dash that she was safe.
* * * * *
Dash saw the dark shadow of a man with the burning dot of a cigarette on his front porch as soon as he drove up to the line shack. There was no sign of Carmen. Please, god, let him not have already killed her. Anything but that. His hands in the air, he had his pistol tucked into the back of his belt.
“So, pendejo , you finally show your fucking face.” Arroyo’s Puerto Rican accent was stronger than it should have been considering the man had been born and reared in Chicago. Some of the
“Sheriff is maybe ten minutes out,” Shane replied. “Ken, the hands and I should be there in five.”
“Two for me,” Dash told them. “I’m the one he wants. I’ll go in and see if I can trade myself for her.”
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Ken’s voice came on the line. “Take care of my granddaughter—but take care of yourself too.”
“I’ll do my best,” Dash assured them. “That’s all I can promise.” He climbed back into the cab and floored it for home.
* * * * *
Carmen heard the truck coming up the road before her captor. Since he’d moved out onto the porch, she’d managed to inch back to the table. At the sound of his 74
Eagle’s Redemption
delighted roar, she jerked back, tipping her chair sideways and slamming her head into the floor as she fell. Her leg rattled the table and something fell off onto her cheek.
The carved eagle. Once again she could feel Dash’s love in every line. With renewed determination she tucked it under her chin and used her legs to push herself under the table and toward the back door. Meanwhile Silver inched toward her, whimpering as his claws scrabbled on the wood floor.
“So, pendejo , you finally show your fucking face.” Arroyo’s voice was harsh and loaded with manic violence.
Carmen heard footsteps as Dash approached. She momentarily stopped her efforts to scoot toward the back door. “Where’s my woman, motherfucker?” Even amidst all this, she couldn’t help a moment of warmth at hearing him call her his.
“In the house. Take this, asshole.” Arroyo jumped off the porch and sent his lit cigarette through the door. Carmen couldn’t see it, but she’d smelled him smoking, and she heard the whoosh as the butt ignited the gasoline poured over the floor and furniture. Her scream erupted even as she forced herself to move. She had to get out of there fast—he’d poured some on her as well. She’d burn as quickly as everything else.
Her hands found Silver and she touched his head, searching mentally for his wound. When she found it, she poured all her healing power into him, mending it as best as she could. The bullet was still lodged in his hip—Shane would have to dig that out later if they lived through this.
Silver struggled to his feet and took the wooden chair back into his powerful jaws, pulling Carmen toward the back door as the flames erupted around them.
Over it all, she heard Arroyo laugh then Dash’s beloved voice as he shouted something at their attacker. Then there was the sound of a gunshot, more laughter and the door of the truck closing as the vehicle roared off into the night.
The laughter had been Arroyo’s. Dash was shot.
Carmen was devastated, but she still wanted to live. If he wasn’t dead, maybe she could help him as she had Silver. Once she was out of the cabin, there’d at least be hope.
75
Cindy Spencer Pape
She used her feet to help Silver move her toward the door just as she heard footsteps run up to the porch.
“Carmen!”
It was Dash’s voice she heard just as Silver pulled her out the back. Joy surged through her just before her head hit the step and she blacked out. She couldn’t even tell Dash that she was safe.
* * * * *
Dash saw the dark shadow of a man with the burning dot of a cigarette on his front porch as soon as he drove up to the line shack. There was no sign of Carmen. Please, god, let him not have already killed her. Anything but that. His hands in the air, he had his pistol tucked into the back of his belt.
“So, pendejo , you finally show your fucking face.” Arroyo’s Puerto Rican accent was stronger than it should have been considering the man had been born and reared in Chicago. Some of the
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