Cold-Blooded, Book 2 in the Mattie Saunders Series

When Dying Seems Inevitable

Mattie stared at the gun. First she thought she'd faint, but she didn't, neither did she pee her pants as she had before when confronted by another vicious snake. This time though she didn't think she could count on Liz to save her.

"Lee doesn't want to hurt you, Mattie, he's not a violent man."

Mattie wasn't so sure. "What do you want me to do?"

Lee smiled and lowered the gun. "First, give Liz your cell phone, then we all get in the truck and go for a ride back to where you came from."

The plan was for Mattie to drive back to the sanctuary with Lee and Liz hidden in the back seat to avoid being spotted by police surveillance. She'd exited the underground lot, navigated the side streets and now was on Highway 17 heading back to Delta. She couldn't see anyone following her.

"Then what?" Mattie said.

"Once inside the compound, back up to the sanctuary so Lee and I can get out without being spotted," Liz said. "Then pull up next to the van in the parking lot."

"Okay."

"Go in the house and after a little bit go back out to the van and move it to the far corner of the parking lot, you know, like you want to get it out of the way. Get the two large envelopes under the passenger seat, hide them under your coat. Then get in the Land Rover, back up to the sanctuary like before, we get in and you drop us back at the apartment."

"That's it?"

"That's it. We won't bother you again."

Somehow Mattie doubted that.

Once she had turned off the highway on to 104th Street the tail was back. It probably had always been with her Mattie thought, but on this rural road with no traffic, they couldn't help but be conspicuous.

Mattie followed instructions, what choice did she have? The big question, one she needed to consider but was reluctant to, was what would they do with her after they got the drugs from the van and she had delivered them back to the apartment in Surrey? Were they just going to trust her to not call the police? Could she convince them she had no inclination whatsoever to do so, to get further entangled in this web of deceit? What if they didn't trust her? They didn't seem like the trusting kind.

She pulled into the compound and watched the car following her go past, hopefully, to turn around and park somewhere close by where they could watch her comings and goings.

Mattie backed up to the sanctuary, got out and opened the door. Lee and Liz got out the back door that faced away from the road, kept low and were in the building in seconds.

"Can I unload the snakes?" Mattie said.

"No," Lee said. "Park the truck and get in the house. We don't want to be here any longer than necessary."

"We should let her unload the snakes, Lee. It's cold and they'll get sick."

Lee lashed out with the back of his hand and hit Liz on the side of the face knocking her off balance. He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the wall.

"Fuck the snakes," he said. Liz crumpled to the floor in a tiny black heap.

Lee looked at Mattie. He smiled. "Stick with the plan. Liz will be waiting at the back door of the house to keep you company. I'll stay here with the birds. After fifteen minutes, go and move the van, get the envelopes and back your truck up here."

Mattie was shaking. She remembered a saying her grandfather was fond of, "Character is not made in a crisis. It is only exhibited." Lee was showing his true character and it did not bode well for any of them, snakes included. She turned to go.