Call It Destiny

surrender could satisfy him.
    „Heather, listen to me, I want to explain something. Something very important….“
    The quickly moving storm clouds fled through the night sky, slipping past the moon. The pale light caught the length of the gun barrel just as the man crouched in the shadows beside Heather’s front door raised the weapon and fired.

12

    Heather never saw the man or the gun. One moment she was walking beside Jake, pleasantly aware of the feel of his hand on her arm, and the next she was plunging headfirst into the carefully tended shrubbery on her left. The propulsion power came from the hand with which Jake had been guiding her and it was followed by the full force of his body.
    The unmistakable crack of a gunshot exploded in the darkness just as Jake shoved her forward. Heather felt the impact of something slamming into Jake even as he slammed into her, covering her body with his own.
    „Jake!“
    „Shut up,“ he hissed, his hand clamping over her mouth. She nodded quickly to show she understood and then he released her, rolling free of her body and realigning himself in the muddy shrub bed. She saw him digging into his belt and an instant later a small handgun appeared in his fist.
    There was deadly silence from the shadows near Heather’s porch. Jake scanned the bushes, telling himself to ignore the total lack of feeling in his right arm. Somewhere he’d read that it took a while for the pain of a bullet to make itself known. The body responded first with shocked numbness.
    He was aware of Heather lying still beside him in the mud but he didn’t turn to glance in her direction. From the direction of the main lodge he thought he heard a shout. That would be security.
    A flash of light shot through the shadows followed instantly by another crack of sound. The bullet went wild. Willing himself to concentrate completely on the least trace of movement, Jake waited.
    Rick Monroe broke cover a split second later. He must have realized that the hotel security staff was already stampeding in his direction. Jake watched as he dashed from the darkness around the porch steps and ran, crouching, for the small private-parking area behind the building.
    Jake leaped to his feet, aiming not at the poor target of the running man but at the steady unmoving target presented by the jeep. Carefully he stood, feet braced, and fired once, twice, three times into the front wheels of the vehicle.
    Monroe leaped for the seat, slamming the ignition. The engine squealed protestingly to life but the jeep raced forward for only a few yards before another of Jake’s shots caught it. This time one of the tires seemed to explode. There was a screech as Monroe fought for control and lost. The vehicle slowed to a stop just as the three security guards converged on it.
    „Watch it, he’s armed!“
    Jake’s shouted warning slowed the uniformed men but they didn’t stop. Revolvers raised, they approached with caution.
    „You in the jeep. Out!“ The man in charge of the three guards barked an order that was obeyed very slowly a few minutes later.
    Rick Monroe tossed down his gun and stood scowling furiously in the pale gleam of the overhead parking-lot light. The security guards surrounded him instantly. Heather ignored the scene, struggling to her feet and reaching for Jake.
    „Jake, are you all right? I thought I felt something hit you.“
    Jake lowered the gun in his hand, aware of the chill that climbed his arm and radiated into his shoulder. His head began a slow steady spin that annoyed him enormously. There was something he had to do, something that had to be said.
    „You’ve been hit!“ Heather’s expression went from concern to horror. „Your arm. You’re bleeding!“ Her hand came up to clamp over the source of the numbing cold and Jake followed the action as if it were all happening in slow motion.
    „Heather, I want to tell you…“
    „Hush, darling. Can you make it to the steps?“
    He ignored that. „No, this is more important. Listen to me, damn it!“ Her pale face was swimming in and out of the fog that was starting to cloud his vision, and Jake felt a sense of panic. So much to say and he couldn’t wait any longer. What if he never came out of the fog? And the pain was starting. Oh, God, the pain. It became even more difficult to think.
    „Lie down, Jake. One of the guards is calling an ambulance. They’ve gone to get some bandages.“
    „Heather, shut up and listen to me.“ But she had