Wilder Than the Rest: MacLarens of Fire Mountain (25 page)

“You’ll be careful?”

Pierce stopped scanning the crowd and looked into eyes that expressed the concern each felt. He gripped Mollie’s arms and pulled her to him, his mouth coming down on hers, letting it move against her lips, almost desperately, before he set her away.

“We’ll both be careful,” he replied and kissed her once more before leaving to find his position on the far side of the hotel.

******

Lee searched the crowd once again. He knew Owen better than anyone and wanted to be the one to find and arrest him.

A commotion from the crowd pulled his attention back to where the president was to appear. The plan was for him to walk from the hotel, take a seat while the mayor provided an introduction, then stand and take his place behind the podium.

Lee watched as Mayor Pound, accompanied by his wife Lydia, walked outside followed by Chief of Police Curtis, a few other dignitaries, and finally, the president. Loud applause erupted as the crowd recognized the squat, rotund figure of the man elected to lead the country, followed by cheers and a few jeers as he waved and took his seat.

The agents continued to scan the crowd, watching for anything suspicious or out of place. Lee located Eva about forty yards to his right, standing alone with a parasol to ward off the midday sun, and knew she held a pistol in her other hand. Mollie held her position straight across the square from Eva, to one side of the police station, her eyes searching the crowd, which now stood elbow to elbow. Pierce was on the opposite side of the station, to Eva’s right, his height giving him an advantage. Lee noted his eyes shift for a moment to his four cousins who were spread out directly in front of the podium, their watchful eyes focused outward toward the throng of people who were attempting to move forward, wanting to get closer to the president. Pierce nodded to one of them before turning his eyes back to the crowd.

To his left stood Chaz, his face set as he made a complete turn, checking behind him then facing forward. Lee knew he would be carrying at least two handguns and a knife. It was his preferred weapon when there was a need for a fast, quiet solution.

The crowd roared once more, indicating the mayor had completed his introduction.

******

Pierce felt his heart pound as the president stood, shook hands with the men on either side of him, then turned toward the crowd. Movement drew Pierce’s attention first to Eva then Lee who had left his position and was steadily moving forward. His eyes followed Lee’s path. He was heading straight toward Colin and Quinn who were centered in front of the podium. Pierce’s gaze retraced the path toward Lee, who’d stopped, watching someone several feet ahead.

That’s when Pierce spotted Owen. He was dressed in clothing typical of the dock workers, white shirt tucked into dark pants, suspenders, no jacket, and a small brimmed dark hat. His thick blonde hair was clearly visible under the hat, and even from this distance, Pierce could see the thin scar running from his right ear to the edge of his mouth. He wasted no more time.

Chaz held his ground as Lee and Pierce cut into the crowd, drawing little attention as they focused on Owen Kendall. From experience, he knew that if his colleagues missed their target, Owen would run, most likely toward him or Eva. He caught her attention, signaling for her to stay where she was until Lee and Pierce had a chance to apprehend their target.

Mollie focused on a small group of men several yards behind Chaz. She was certain one was Thomas Traxton and another, William Hardy. Without hesitating, she left her position, skirting the crowd while keeping the men in sight. Mollie was almost halfway there when she glanced toward Pierce’s location and realized he was gone and so was Lee. She came to an abrupt halt and scanned the area. From her current spot, Mollie couldn’t find either and felt her heart rate quicken as her concern for Pierce increased.

She swung her attention back to where Traxton and Hardy were standing a moment before. Both had disappeared.

Mollie took off at a run toward the last spot she’d seen them, rounding a corner in time to see Traxton disappear down an alley. She dropped her parasol, gripped her gun in one hand and her skirt in the other as she tore down the backstreet after him. Mollie stopped when the alley turned, peering around the corner as Traxton stepped through a doorway and out of sight.

******

The four MacLarens stood in a line in front of the podium, each with a hand on the butt of their weapon as Lee and Pierce converged on the man they’d identified as Owen Kendall. They knew if the assassin pulled a weapon, he’d be dead where he stood. It was now a question of who would take him down first.

“Stop, Owen!” Lee’s voice rang out, drawing the crowd’s attention away from the president and toward the tall, dark-haired man near the center. Lee pulled out his badge, waving it in front of him as he kept walking. Owen didn’t stop. “Owen Kendall, stop where you are!” Lee shouted once more. The crowd began to part as Lee continued to display his badge while lifting his other hand, the revolver aimed toward his ex-partner.

Pierce saw the crowd move and heard the screams of onlookers as Lee positioned his gun. He swung his eyes to Owen in time to see a pistol clearly visible in his right hand.

“You don’t have a chance, Owen. Stop now and drop your gun,” Pierce said as he continued his path toward the man, pushing his jacket aside to display the badge secured to his belt.

Owen focused on the man at the podium, the object of everything he’d worked toward the last year. He’d seen his ex-partner standing near the back of the crowd, aware that Lee was searching for him. He’d heard Lee’s shouts and those of another man, ignoring both in his quest to rid the world of a man he believed had no place as his country’s leader. Owen no longer cared about his own life. He’d convinced himself that his actions were right, knowing he’d go down in history as a hero. Owen ignored the screams around him as he stopped, began to lift his gun, and aimed at the man on the stage.

“For God’s sake, Owen, put the gun down,” Lee yelled once more and held his ground not twenty feet away.

Pierce was to Owen’s right, his gun leveled and ready.

Drew, Colin, Quinn, and Brodie started forward, moving in slow deliberation toward their target.

Chief Curtis ordered his men to surround the president and move him into the safety of the hotel. The president resisted at first, wanting to face the man who’d threatened him. Curtis grabbed hold of the president’s arms as first one, then another shot rang out, chipping the columns around them, missing the president and his protectors by inches.

Lee turned in the direction of the shots, both coming from behind and above him. He spun back around toward Owen as a shot ripped through his shoulder. He faltered, his eyes blurring as he stared at Owen Kendall, the man’s gun still pointing at Lee. His second shot never left the barrel.

A split second later, Owen spun one direction then another as bullets tore into him. His body crumbled to the ground.

Drew, Colin, Quinn, and Brodie continued forward, their guns still smoking.

Pierce ran to Lee, kneeling to check his wound.

“You need to find the other shooters,” Lee ground out as he began to lose consciousness. “I’ll be fine. Go, now.”

Eva appeared next to Pierce, lifted Lee’s head, and cradled him in her lap while pressing a hand over his wound to help stop the bleeding. “Go. I’ve got him,” she said focusing her attention on Lee.

Pierce focused his attention on the buildings across from the hotel as his cousins formed a perimeter around Lee. “We have to find who fired those other shots.”

He pointed to a building on the left. “Colin and Quinn, check in there. Drew and Brodie come with me.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chaz turned and crouched at the sound of shots from overhead. He looked up to see a man, gun in hand, standing at a window three floors up. Chaz raised his gun and fired twice before running into the building, taking the steps two at a time to reach the gunman before he escaped.

A block away, Mollie moved into position behind the man she’d been following.

“Drop the gun, Traxton.” Her voice was hard, uncompromising.

Thomas Traxton turned toward her, gun in hand, an almost maniacal look in his eyes.

“There are police everywhere and they’re looking for you. You’ll never get away.”

“Oh, he just might.”

The familiar female voice came from behind Mollie as hard metal pressed into her back.

“I’d suggest you set down your weapon, Mrs. MacLaren. Or is it Agent Jamison?”

Mollie stared at Traxton in front of her, his gun pointed at her chest. Behind her stood Georgiana Grayson, her gun at Mollie’s back. The situation was bleak, yet Mollie didn’t feel the fear she expected. They stood in the middle of a three block area thick with police and federal agents, and her guess was that most of them would be looking for those who’d shot at the president.

She bent down, laid her gun on the ground, and turned slowly toward the woman behind her.

“Where’s Virginia?” Mollie asked, wondering how Thomas’s wife fit into the conspiracy.

Traxton kept his gun trained on Mollie, picked up her weapon, placed an arm around Georgiana, and pulled her tight to his side. “Virginia made a choice to pursue her own interests, elsewhere. I’m sorry to say it’s doubtful anyone will ever see my wife again.” His smile was evil, making Mollie’s skin crawl.

“We need to leave, Thomas. The police are everywhere.” Georgiana flinched at the sound of shouting from the street.

“You’re right, of course.” He waved his gun toward the stairs. “Agent Jamison, please follow me. I hope I don’t have to tell you to stay quiet. At this point, we have little to lose by killing you.”

******

Chaz stopped on the top floor, listening to what sounded like furniture being dragged across the floor in a room down the hall. He started forward then turned at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. He plastered himself against the wall and aimed his pistol.

Moments later he lifted his gun as Colin and Quinn MacLaren joined him in the hall.

“Down the hall, the last room,” Chaz whispered. “I think he may have barricaded himself inside.”

“Who?” Quinn asked.

“My guess is either Traxton or Hardy.”

They moved to just outside the door and listened. Nothing. Chaz tried the knob. Locked.

“Police. Open up.” Chaz pounded on the door, and waited.

When there was no response, the three kicked in the door then ducked back into the hall as the air exploded. Colin and Quinn turned as one and aimed their guns into the room, waited, then moved inside. William Hardy’s body lay sprawled on the floor.

******

Pierce, Drew, and Brodie entered the building from the back street, located the stairs, then stopped when voices sounded from above. They stepped back into the alley, hiding in two small alcoves several feet away, and waited.

The door from the building to the alley creaked open as Traxton took a glance around and then looked over his shoulder at Mollie.

“Do not say a word,” he warned before stepping outside while Georgiana nudged Mollie in the back to keep her moving as they exited the building.

“Stop where you are Traxton,” Pierce hissed as the three MacLarens trained their guns on Thomas and Georgiana.

Traxton swung toward Pierce and fired, nicking the wall beside him. Pierce and Drew fired as one. The impact knocked Traxton backward and onto the ground. Brodie continued to aim his gun at Georgiana.

Georgiana held her gun with both hands, pointing it at Mollie’s back, her body shaking violently as she tried to focus on the men in front of her.

“Don’t do it, Georgiana. You can still get out of here alive.” Pierce’s voice was low, calm. Drew and Brodie’s weapons were aimed at the woman. They didn’t want to kill her, but would if it meant saving Mollie.

Pierce held up his hand to ward off a group of police who came to a stop when they saw the scene in front of them.

Georgiana’s eyes shifted up and down the alley, looking for any means of escape. There wasn’t one. For a moment, Pierce thought she would fire. Instead, she backed away from Mollie and dropped the gun, then slumped to the ground.

He dashed to Mollie, turning her around and looking for injuries. Finding none, he pulled her into his arms.

Drew kicked Georgiana’s gun away while Brodie hauled the woman up and pushed her against a wall.

“Do not move,” he advised, his voice hard.

“You’re all right?” Pierce asked Mollie.

She didn’t answer. Instead, her head swiveled toward the woman Brodie guarded. Her eyes blazed with the fury radiating through her body. She took three quick steps forward and landed a punch so hard on Georgiana’s jaw that the woman’s eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the ground unconscious.

“I’m all right, now.” Mollie grimaced while rubbing her sore knuckles, then lifted her face to the others and smiled.

******

The president wasted no time boarding an afternoon train, never having finished his speech or taking the tour planned in his honor. He headed east, his next destination unannounced.