Jason looked through the window, heart pounding. He'd climbed up to the third story, crawled across the roof, and then slowly lowered himself to the small section of roof on the second story.
Climbing over the roof had exhausted him in a way that wouldn't have in the past. His chest throbbed where the bullet had gone through. Don't have a heart attack, now, he told himself wryly.
Beyond the window and piles of plywood, a figure paced. Jason would know that lithe step, that tanned, angular face anywhere.
And in the middle of the room sat Connie; she looked all right from here, but that was no guarantee Gray hadn't done something. Her scream still echoed in his head. I need to get her out of there ASAP.
He raised his pistol, aiming it toward Gray's head. I have a clean shot from here, he thought. At the same time, something held him back. He had never shot a man in cold blood.
There's always a first time. And this man deserves it, if anyone does. It's not like his life is doing the world any favors. He's beyond redemption.
His finger inched toward the trigger, following Gray's movements, waiting for the right second—
No. I can't do it.
He lowered the gun.
But he will get justice.
Jason was careful to keep below the stacked plywood, until he reached the broken corner of the window.
"Don't move!"
Gray froze, surprise written across his face.
"Hands up!" Jason stepped through the window, not taking his eyes off Gray, who raised his hands slowly. The man's surprise melted into his customary smug smile. Jason grabbed the gun from its holster, and stuck it into his belt.
"Turn around. Kneel on the floor." Gray knelt, but started lowering his arms. "Keep your hands up!"
He risked a glance at Connie beside him; her hair was disheveled, a smudge smeared across her forehead, which at first had looked like a bruise. "Connie, are you all right?"
"Yeah," she said. "Except my ankle. It feels like it's broken."
"What did you do?" Jason pressed the mouth of the gun against the back of Gray's head.
"She did it to herself," said Gray.
"Of course she did."
"I jumped out the window," said Connie. "Some guy tried to help me and Gray—shot him."
So that was the gunshot that the police had responded to. He hoped whoever it was had survived; Jason wished he could do something for him.
"I'm going to get you out of here," said Jason.
"I'm glad you got here when you did," she said. "He was planning to—"
A flick of Gray's wrist, and something flashed toward him. Pain shot through his thigh. He collapsed to one knee, grabbing for the tiny blade embedded in his flesh.
Before he could get to it, though, Gray kicked him in the jaw. He fell awkwardly sideways, just managing to hang onto his gun. Fighting the pain, he raised the gun toward Gray's face—but Gray kicked it out of his hand; it clattered across the floor.
Jason yanked Gray's confiscated gun from his belt. No time to aim, he squeezed the trigger in Gray's general direction—and Gray staggered.
But didn't fall. Instead, temple streaming blood, he launched himself toward Jason. Slammed his knee into Jason's chest.
Agony burned through him, as if the bullet had burst into him again. Gray aimed the gun down at him, grinning, the left side of his face covered in blood from the bullet that had grazed his temple. With his other hand, he raked his blond hair back from his forehead.
"You thought you could win, didn't you, Jason? But last time you only escaped on a technicality. I always finish what I start; I'm not going to let you destroy my perfect record.
"What I want to know is, how did you find me? There was nothing I did that could lead you here."
"You shot someone. That was your mistake." Jason rose slowly. Besides the ache across his chest, the burning across his face, his leg throbbed from the blade still embedded in it, blood spreading across his blue jeans.
Gray took a deep breath. "Yes, I miscalculated. But all's well that ends well. The police are still in the dark about where we are, I trust?"
"I told no one."
"Then this is just a small bump in the road. Now that you're here a few hours early, I think we'll take this conversation to a more secure location." He gestured with the gun. "On your knees."
Jason stayed standing, glaring defiantly into Gray's eyes. Gray swung his gun toward Connie, clicked back the safety.
You win this round, thought Jason. He knelt on the floor, gripped with fear at what Gray had in store for him this time.