Sins Of The Mother (Chapter-40)

Brooke heard the shot as it echoed through the trees. It sounded as though it came from the direction Lukas should be heading. What the hell? Was Lukas in trouble? Had he killed Dolan? She waited, hiding in the trees behind snow covered branches. It took every bit of restraint she could muster not to run for the cabin. It was only thirty yards away. Smoke was coming from the chimney. Someone was in there.

Something moved behind her. She spun and noticed a branch bobbing up and down from snow that had fallen to the ground. The wind? No. She was in an area that was relatively sheltered from the wind. “Hold it together.” She continued watching the cabin and the surrounding area.

She heard footsteps approaching from the ridge where Lukas was supposed to be. She leaned against the tree until she saw movement. It was Dolan. Fear gripped her. Where was Lukas? The shot she’d heard earlier suddenly took on ominous possibilities. “My God, Lukas, where are you?” Dolan trudged through the snow moving closer to the front of the cabin. It was now or never.

She emerged from the trees with her Glock in hand.

“Hold it, Dolan. That’s far enough. Take another step, and I’ll drop you where you stand.”

Dolan stopped. He was holding what looked like Lukas’s gun in his right hand.

“Brooke,” he said. “It’s good to see you. Lukas sent his regards, right before I shot him with his own gun.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Lukas was dead? He couldn’t be. She refused to believe Dolan.

“Drop that weapon and lace your fingers behind your head,” Brooke said. “Do it. Now, Dolan!”

“Don’t think so,” Dolan said. His left hand slid into his coat pocket, and he pulled out a small, black plastic object that looked very much like a fob for keyless entry to modern cars. He pushed a red button on the device and held it in. “Guess what this is?” he said. “It’s a detonator. Have you ever heard of a dead man’s switch, Brooke? I just pushed the button. The button just armed a little vest I have on Sierra. If I let go of this button for any reason, that vest explodes. There won’t be anything left of her.”

Brooke felt a wave of terror run through her. She wasn’t sure what to do. She decided to stall. “You’re lying. Where is she?” Brooke said.

“Sleeping inside. Don’t worry, she won’t wake up anytime soon. I’ve made sure of that.”

Dolan raised the Sig Sauer and pointed it at Brooke’s head.

“Time to make a decision, Mommy,” he said. “Drop your weapon and come inside with me or listen to the explosion that blows your precious Sierra to bits.”

“I want to see her,” Brooke said. “Prove to me that she’s alive.”

“First of all, you’re in no position to be dictating terms. Secondly, you reneged on our deal. You were supposed to come alone. That makes me angry. So, what do you say we do this old school? I’m going to count to three. If you haven’t dropped your weapon, I’m going to start shooting and release this button. You’ve seen me shoot. You know I hit my target.”

Brooke’s mind was whirling. If he was telling the truth and she shot him, the vest would explode, and Sierra would be killed. Was she willing to take that chance? My God, where was Lukas? Was she alone on this mountain with this maniac?

All her training had told her to never surrender her weapon.

Never.

“One,” Dolan said.

She needed more time. God, she needed more time.

“Two.”

Lukas, where are you? She couldn’t risk Dolan blowing up Sierra.

She dropped the gun.