Though she never meant to do that, and he'd a hell of a lot rather she spoke up than keep those creepy feelings to herself. She'd saved his neck a couple times in the last three years he'd been working for Marrok. It still wigged him out, but he accepted it better now than-

A tearing pain in his shoulder.

A bullet. My God, he'd barely heard it. A silencer…

Run.

He could see the two men bursting through the bushes ahead of him.

Turn around and run.

They mustn't catch him.

Marrok had said that was the worse thing that could happen to him.

Another slicing pain in his back.

Keep running.

Find a place to hide.

Or get to the farmyard where someone would see him.

They were behind him, running fast.

And he was slowing, stumbling…

Faster…

The blood was flowing, spurting…

Don't let them-

"SHE'S NOT AT THE FARM," Rachoff said, when Caswell answered. "She got into a van with the dog just as we got here. You said to try to be discreet, so I had a man follow her and report back to me. She went to a veterinary clinic in one of those strip shopping centers and hasn't come out. Shall we wait here until she comes back?"

Caswell thought about it. "It would probably be safer than taking a chance in a public place."

"It would be my choice." He hesitated. "But we had to put down someone who was snooping around the woods. One of Marrok's people?"

"Any ID?"

"Nothing connected with Marrok."

But if Marrok had men already at the farm to protect the Brady woman, then they'd have to move faster than anticipated.