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Back Strangers She Knows Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. BPA
  61. Author Bio

Kellen glanced out each window, searching for movement. But except for the flight of a sea gull screaming into the wind, she saw and heard nothing.

She didn’t relax. Mara was cruel and sly, and the pressure to succeed did not ease.

Kellen would win this battle for Rae, for Max, for their family and their peace.

Taking the dynamite, she used one moment of precious time to hesitate, to think. What more could she do to ensure success?

The blue can against the wall called her to attention.

Kerosene.

Highly flammable.

Yes! Exactly what she needed.

She placed an empty six-fluid-ounce Coke bottle on the workbench. The blue can had a spout; she removed the cap and poured a thin stream of kerosene into the bottle. Pungent, oily fumes filled the garage; she leaned over and shoved the window open. No need to advertise her intentions to Mara. Kellen used electrical tape to cover the neck of the Coke bottle, then united the bottle and the dynamite with the same tape.

The perfect incendiary device. Not bad for a beginner—if it worked.

She ran to the truck. As if she was sliding into home base, she slipped under the driver’s side door and taped the dynamite, and the bottle, to the gas-tank-filler tube.

The tank was located under the truck’s cab.

She knew the tank was about half full.

She knew fumes rose off the surface of the gas and saturated the empty space in the tank and in the tube. When the dynamite ignited, those fumes would roar to life, ignite the liquid gas and…

As she taped, and taped, and taped, she smiled unpleasantly. She had one chance to kill Mara—

One. Chance.

—and she wanted that explosive to finish Mara in an ugly, final way.

Next, she crawled toward the tailgate, looping the fuse wire around the frame on the driver’s side, using tiny slices of tape to hold it in place. Two feet from the tailgate, she placed her final piece of tape.

She wanted to light the fuse right now…but where was Mara? Had Kellen somehow lost her?

“Don’t be stupid now,” she muttered at Mara, and crawled out from underneath the truck and looked out the grubby window again.

Mara had crested the rise and was headed for the garage.

46

Mara was limping.

Kellen wiped at the window for a clearer view. No need to be subtle. After all, she wanted Mara to know she was in here. She needed her to come in, sit in the truck, try to start it while the fuse burned down, ignited the dynamite, set the kerosene ablaze and the gas in the fuel line and the gas tank…and the blast would wipe Mara off the face of the earth.

She needed Mara to take the bait.

She squinted out the window; Mara’s jeans were stained below the left knee. That looked like blood. Must be blood.