The Bounty: A Novel by Janet Evanovich

Author:Janet Evanovich [Evanovich, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: 1982157135
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

14

Kate and Nick helped Hamilton and his father break down their camp. They packed up, set off on the long walk back to the beach, and by the time they got to the trailhead it was almost three o’clock.

Jake was waiting for them at the junction. “We’ve got a big problem. Horace and Jasper showed up with a half dozen other gorillas about an hour ago. They’re searching the beach and campground.”

Kate looked at Hamilton. “Horace and Jasper are the two goons who tried to burn down your farm on Maui. Looks like they’ve brought in reinforcements.”

“What do you want me to do?” Jake asked. “Is it stomping time?”

“Not yet,” Nick said. “We need to flush out their boss, but first we need to get the Kahuna and Hamilton out of this valley.”

“It’s not going to be easy,” Jake said. “The bad guys are crawling all over the place, and there are a couple helicopters making passes up and down the coast. The locals think it’s the park rangers looking for squatters, but if you ask me, they’re part of the Horace and Jasper team, scouting the area.”

“You, Cosmo, and Vicky should be okay,” Kate said. “Horace and Jasper have never seen any of you, so they won’t think too much about it if you break camp. We’ll hide out in the jungle until dark and wait for you to meet us there. We’ll hike out at midnight. With any luck, we’ll be back at Haena State Park by noon tomorrow.”

“The trail is risky in daylight,” Jake said. “I can’t see Cosmo and Vicky surviving it at night.”

“The only other choice is to hide in the valley and wait for them to find us. And eventually they will find us. There’s only one way out, and a night hike is our only option if we want to sneak past Olga’s crew and the helicopters.”

“We could leave Cosmo and Vicky here,” Jake said. “We’ll make better time without them.”

“It’s an option,” Kate said, “but it’s going to have to be their choice, because there’s a good possibility that when Horace and Jasper run out of patience, no one is going to be safe on this beach.”

“Point taken,” Jake said.

Jake marched back to the beach, and Kate led her group back into the rainforest. After a quarter mile she found a spot that felt secure, and everyone dropped their packs.

“Don’t wander too far away,” Kate said. “If you hear me whistle, hide as best you can and stay there until I give an all clear.”

Hamilton and the Kahuna went to the stream to refill their water bottles. Nick and Kate sat on the forest floor with their backs against a moss-covered tree trunk.

“I’d kill for a bacon cheeseburger,” Kate said.

“I’d kill for another shot at the waterfall scene,” Nick said. “We have some time before Jake shows up. There’s a private little pond up ahead.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?”

“We’re babysitting those two,” she said, pointing toward the two men at the stream. “Plus, there’s a small army of mercenaries after us.

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