Second Chance Gold (Buck Reilly Adventure Series Book 4), John Cunningham [polar express read aloud .txt] 📗

I looked up the hill. “Not without Jerry.”

“Not without the gold,” Gunner said.

He took off back toward the plane and I was right on his heels. I couldn’t trust these guys not to abandon us out here, and if we didn’t get Jerry to the hospital fast, he was a goner. If he wasn’t already.

We got back to the plane and the smell of aviation fuel burned my nose.

“Look, Jack, we’ve had our differences, but I don’t give a shit about the gold, I’m here to save that guy’s ass. I’m going to get him now, do not leave us out here!” After giving him a hard stare I took off up the hill again.

“Be ready to start the engines!” Gunner said behind me. “I’m going for the gold.”

My legs burned as I ran up the ravine. The damn gravel was loose, so traction was difficult. Covered with grit and soaked with sweat, I thought I might have a heart attack myself. The sound of rocks crunching made me glance back. Gunner was following me up, no doubt looking for the best angle of attack in order to surprise Blue. I couldn’t let him do that—it might put Nicole and Gisele in even more danger.

As we ascended, the occasional shift in topography revealed Blue and Caterina struggling to hoist the trunk around the hill. It was damned heavy, and the footing was iffy. Not a good combination, especially for Caterina, who wasn’t much heavier than the trunk.

My lungs screamed a chorus with my quads, and I had to stop to catch my breath. Gunner caught right up to me.

“They’ll kill those girls, Reilly.”

“Not if we don’t fuck—”

“They killed the Calypso crewman’s grandson, why would those broads be any different?” He grunted. “Use your head, boy. The fewer witnesses the better.”

I recalled when they took Nicole and me to that hillside villa in Flamands. They wouldn’t have let us out of there alive, I was certain of that.

Gunner was right.

“I need to get to Jerry,” I said.

I quickly closed the remaining distance. The pain and lack of breath didn’t register until I stopped next to Jerry’s inert but still breathing form. I reached down and took his pulse while Gunner crouched next to me, watching Blue and Caterina through the low shrubs.

“Fools would have been better off having the boat meet them at the plane,” he said. “Those rocks are killing their progress.” Once a mercenary, ever the strategist.

I felt a sporadic pulse in Jerry’s wrist. I shook him.

“Jerry, can you hear me?”

He stirred. “Gisele?” His voice was breathless. He cringed and grabbed hold of his left arm. “I’m … in … pain.”

“They’re getting away, Reilly,” Gunner said.

Jerry’s eyes popped open.

“Don’t let them … take her, Buck. I don’t care about … the gold—” He coughed and winced. “Forget … me, help her!”

My gaze shifted to Gunner.

“You ready?” he said.

Shit. How did I wind up partnered with this thug?

“Time to see what you’re made of, Reilly.”

“Shut up and let’s go.”

Blue and Caterina were struggling along, taking frequent breaks. Black held the gun on the women in the boat while walking in circles waiting for his brother. His position in the narrow, tree-shrouded cut would make it impossible to see Blue until they were nearly to the boat.

We, on the other hand, were in plain sight—if he decided to glance up the hill.

I started down its side, crouching in the underbrush that tore at my exposed arms and legs, Gunner following. My taking the lead meant I’d also take the shotgun blast if any were fired, which I was sure Gunner had considered. When we reached the halfway point we hesitated, then agreed to diverge. I looped to the right, going for Black and the women, Gunner looped to the left intending to surprise Blue and Caterina.

Just then, Jack fired up the twin Ranger engines on the Widgeon, which created a roaring distraction. Everyone in the boat looked up—I couldn’t see Blue and Caterina, but Black spotted Gunner and me, and started screaming at the brother he still couldn’t see. I hoped the twin engines and surf crashing along the rocks would drown him out—

BOOM!

Black had fired at Gunner! And now, back on the boat, he put the barrel of the shotgun to Gisele’s head. She was seated in the bow, facing up toward me.

A shrill whistle sounded. It was Black—he pointed to where I assumed Gunner was, then to me, then back to Gisele. He held his hand up instructing us to halt, or he’d shoot.

I stopped in my tracks.

Would Gunner?

Black whistled again, now waving only to Gunner. Of course he hadn’t stopped—he’d made it clear he only cared about the gold.

BOOM!

Black fired another round at Gunner, then swung the gun back toward Gisele.

“NOW!” I yelled at the top of my voice.

Nicole flung herself at Black. They fell together into the bottom of the boat, the gun on the deck.

I started running straight down the hill toward them. Gisele was screaming.

A quick glance to my left showed Gunner higher and further away than I’d expected. He was trying to circle in behind Blue and Caterina, who were perilously close to the curve of the island where they’d be able to see the melee on the speedboat.

I looked back at the boat—Gisele dove into the brawl!

My foot slipped in the gravel. I fell, rolled onto my ass, slid downward, and crashed into a cactus field.

“Oww!”

God knows how many cactus spikes impaled my right leg and both palms as I tried to stop my slide, but they felt like a thousand sharp needles. The deceleration sprang me back to my feet.

Gisele now held the gun on Black, who was supine on the bottom of the boat, clutching his neck. Nicole scrambled up to stand with her, Gisele handed her the shotgun.

Yes!

But Blue and Caterina were closing in fast. The women couldn’t see them and I couldn’t yell to