“Don’t tell me that.” Bohdan’s hands clenched on the railing. “Find a way I can get Caleb and his woman. Hunt them down. Or by God, I’ll have my soldiers hunt you down. You’re no good to me if you let Caleb disrespect me like this. Find me a safe house and then bring them to me.” He turned back to watch the burning gates of MacDuff’s Run. “Now get out of my sight. I don’t want to hear from you until you tell me you’ve found Jane MacGuire.”

*  *  *

MacDuff’s Forest
Next Day
Dawn

The sniper had to be camped around the next bend, Jane thought. He had been out for most of the night following her trail. She could smell the smoke.

He was on foot. She had made sure of it. She had located his truck about midnight and slashed the tires. Now he was tired and pissed off and wasn’t sure how many of MacDuff’s people were hunting him. He might have caught sight of her when she’d been trailing along the creek. But that was okay—he wouldn’t perceive her as a threat, because she was a woman. His shot had been aimed at Rodland. Either he had orders not to kill her or he had contempt for women as adversaries. Probably the latter. And she knew he was alone in the forest. She’d heard him talking on his phone when she’d managed to locate the duck blind where he’d set up to take his shots. His name was Nojer, and he’d sounded very apologetic when he’d told someone it wouldn’t take much longer to get the job done. Was he talking to Bohdan?

Well, it was time to prove him wrong and get rid of the threat of having him on her heels.

Move silently.

Do exactly what Joe had taught her.

She had no rifle. She’d have to get close enough that her 9mm pistol would be able to do the job.

But Joe always said that it was the skill of the shooter not the weapon that mattered.

Head for the brush now. Circle the blind and then take aim…

Stay with me, Joe…

*  *  *

MacDuff’s Run
1:25 P.M.

“My God.” Caleb gazed at the smashed stones at the top rim of the courtyard fountain. “Those drones blew up your fountain, MacDuff? Can I replace it?”

“Not unless you can pull a few nine-hundred-year-old stones from a Roman quarry,” MacDuff said. “But I can find a way to rebuild the top rim so that it won’t be noticeable.” His lips twisted bitterly. “And if it is, it will only add to the story of the Run. Maybe it needed a more modern approach to give it color and pizzazz.”