Bond of Darkness by Diane Whiteside Read Free Book Online Page A

dos Lagartos. The other city cop was racing down it, his voice as high-pitched as his siren. God willing, he'd drive more like an adult than a choir boy.
    A quick glance at the next corner showed a ranch's lights, half hidden by a rocky outcrop. One set of hostages behind her and out of danger. Their daughter would make it to the cheerleaders' camp next Saturday.
    She grinned through her clenched teeth. Just had to protect the rest of them, right?
    "Two-nine, signal thirty-nine, five miles west of town on Avenida dos Lagartos…"
    The trigger-happy bastard was heading straight for her. Lovely. Would the aggressive idiot's testosterone be running so hot and fast he wouldn't hear or see her? Or care if he did?
    After all, she had lights on the dash and a siren, plus some nasty surprises in her trunk. Even better advantages were her driving skills and her local knowledge. God willing, she could shove them down his throat before he found himself some hostages.
    She began to sing a Shania Twain anthem at the top of her lungs, celebrating feminine strength.
    The highway pivoted again, danced around a corner, and hung for an instant above a small valley. Lights flashed against the hillside below her—and were gone. Another pair of lights painted the rocks a minute later before disappearing.
    Her hand seized the mike, faster than thought.
    "Reynolds here. I'm less than two miles away, on the far side of Comanche Gap."
    "Copy that, Reynolds." Two-nine garbled his words, almost swallowing his tongue in relief.
    The road swooped down, allowing her an unobstructed view of the valley floor—and the large bonfire burning next to a dirt road and surrounded by four tents. Home base for that scientific expedition in the narrowest corner.
    Shit. Her heart went into overtime and tried to shove its way out of her chest.
    Try to stop the murdering bastard here—or farther west, back by the ranch? Both options stank.
    Two-nine's siren hummed in the distance, too far away to be helpful anytime soon.
    A half dozen figures were silhouetted against the fire. One was pointing at the road. Oh God, she couldn't reach her bullhorn to tell them to run.
    She slammed her foot down, ignoring every rule about obeying the traffic laws. If she didn't head off that brute before he reached those innocents, what wouldn't he do to them?
    The dusty Porsche reached the horseshoe bend at the valley's base. Steve charged down the mountain toward it, desperate to box it in. She could almost hear the sports car's engine snarl, as its driver fought to shift gears and master the narrow, steep turn under the sheer cliff.
    Its wheels spun.
    The city police car emerged on the valley's other side and raced forward, its siren abruptly magnified by the rock walls into a banshee's wail.
    More campers emerged from their tents to watch. Did they have a death wish, ignoring the risk that a car would spin out into the valley? But innocents like them were why she'd become a cop.
    The Porsche gained traction—but Steve's far bigger Expedition stood between it and the border.
    It veered—and headed off the paved road and onto the dirt road, toward the bonfire. Damn! Her heart forgot to power her lungs.
    She swung the wheel over and went after the Porsche, shifting down hard and fast, encouraging her SUV to master the unforgiving terrain. It growled and leapt onto the sand, creosote bushes whipping against its undercarriage.
    The Porsche broke through the desert's thin, hard crust. One wheel sank into dust, wallowing in it like a cat trapped by liquid tar. It came to a halt, the other wheels spinning frantically. An instant later, first one then another broke through and were sucked down, whirring and hissing.
    The sports car's door burst open and a man leapt out, brandishing a Glock. Looked like he knew exactly how to use it, too. Great, just great.
    The campers stood perfectly still and stared at him, clearly expecting him to explain himself. Goats would have had more sense than to