📚 NANCY DREW📓
in
🎠SNOW MYSTERY🎠
by Ann ♪
~A Nancy Drew Fanfic~
Chapter Fourteen
“I see it, too,” remarked Ned quietly as they observed the dark vehicle with its lights out turn onto the main road behind them. It drove along silently and ominously.
“They’re back there, aren’t they?” Miranda’s voice had lost some of its anger, replaced with very real fear.
“We’re not far from the police station.” Ned’s assurance helped, although all three of them were concerned with what might happen before that.
“What do you think they’re going to do?” asked Patricia, trying to ignore what she already knew was the answer.
“You know how Miranda thinks and operates better than we do,” Nancy told her.
“They’re going to try to kill us to shut us up.” Patricia’s voice was so quiet it could barely be heard.
Nancy felt somewhat sorry for her, but not being able to fully since Patricia had attempted to murder someone and whatever else she was guilty of.
“I guess that saying is true, money is the root of all evil.”
“That’s one of the most misquoted quotes of all time,” stated Nancy. “It’s ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’.”
“That makes sense.” Patricia glanced behind them. The darkened vehicle loomed behind them. She wished more than anything she’d ever wished for in her life that she’d never said ‘okay’ when Miranda had first approached her. Wishing wasn’t going to change anything, but praying about the future would help. She hadn’t thought of doing that in a long time.
Ned kept watch on the vehicle, knowing if they were going to try anything it would be very soon.
“What’s this?” Nancy saw the flashing lights ahead for road work. Sometimes they do that at night, but Nancy suspected that this wasn’t one of those times.
“Can you go a different way?” Patricia didn’t even bother to try to keep the panic out of her voice. Regret, remorse, and terror went through her.
“Maybe up ahead, just before the road construction.” Nancy frowned, there wasn’t a whole lot of leeway there. She could gun the engine, make a ninety degree turn, and drift. A U-turn wouldn’t help, considering the dark car behind them.
“Knowing how much Miranda is into gun control, those things they have couldn’t possibly be guns, right?” Ned asked with sarcasm, already knowing the answer.
“One of the deals behind the scenes that made Miranda money was illegal guns. She doesn’t even deal with the legal ones, only the illegal weapons.” Patricia could see the alleged road workers with high powered assault weapons grasped in their hands. She knew they’d have no problem using them on innocent people. She shuddered. Her cousin really was a horrible person.
“I really don’t want to get closer. If they open fire….” Nancy shook her head.
“Maybe a surprise U-turn would be better.” Ned eyed the distance between the punks in front of them and the car behind. “You’re great at those.”
Nancy really appreciated Ned’s encouragement and confidence. It helped her a lot. “Okay, that’s what we’ll go for.”
“Do I get a vote?” asked Patricia.
“Do you have a better idea?” Nancy wanted to know.
“No. Go ahead.”
Nancy slammed on the brakes and went into a controlled ninety degree turn, tires smoking the road surface, the drift the right amount of motion and steering. In seconds she was on the other side of the road and zooming past the dark car. Nancy hoped the driver was in shock at the sudden, literal turn of events.
From behind them shots were heard. All three of them realized that wasn’t the sound of rapid fire automatic assault rifles. It sounded like…
“Didn’t those shots sound like a six shooter?” asked Ned rhetorically.
One more rang out, this bullet finding its mark embedded in the tire of the dark car, causing it to spin before sliding into one of the road work barriers.
“I think I see what I’m seeing.” Nancy stared determinedly at the rearview mirror.
“Tell me what you’re seeing then I’ll tell you what my eyes are telling me.” Ned looked behind them intently.
“A man in a black hat sitting astride a beautiful stallion holding a revolver in his hand, and he has it pointed at the bad guys to make them drop their guns.”
“Yep, okay, good, we’re both seeing it,” confirmed Ned.
“Let’s go.” Nancy again performed an expert U-turn.
“You’re not going to stop and chitchat, are you?” demanded Patricia. She just wanted out of there fast.
“No need to worry. The rider is one of the good guys and he’s got it under control.” Nancy gave the dark car plenty of space as she passed it once again.
“You know him?”
“Never met him before. Some things you just know.” Nancy slowed the car as she neared the road barrier. She made sure not to get in between the man on the stallion and the jerk in the car so that the good guy could keep the other driver covered, as well as the fake road crew. Their new friend told one of the would-be murderers to move the construction barrier.
Ned rolled down his window. “Thanks!”
The man on the stallion smiled an easy grin. “No problem. Seemed like I could help.”
“You sure did and we’re very grateful. We called the police and they’ll be here any minute.”
“Much obliged.” The man nodded his head in thanks. “These are some bad hombres that needed to be stopped.”
“We should probably head for the station now.”
“That’s a good idea.” The rider’s blue gaze kept watch on all of the potential murderers.
“Will you be alright?” asked Nancy.
The rider smiled more. “Sure I will. Don’t worry. I’ve handled punks like these before. I know not to trust them. I’m a Marshal from Arizona. Name’s Bill Law. I know who you three are. Nice to meet you.” He paused and lined his sight up with one of the punks starting to move. “Get back there,” he growled, “you’re lying to yourself if you think you’re going anywhere until the local authorities get here.” He went back to talking with Nancy, while keeping a vigilant watch on the prisoners. “Examples of mental lacking right there.”
“True.” Nancy readied her foot over the accelerator. “Thanks again! And nice to meet you, too!”
As the faux road workers and driver, who had followed the loaded suggestion from the Arizona Marshal to get out of the car, waited for the local police a conversation started.
“Didn’t anyone teach you that kind of behavior you just displayed was bad manners and against the law?” the rider asked.
“Aw, shut up,” one of the jerks muttered.
The sound of sirens became the background track that increased in volume as they got closer.
“Who hired you?”
“We’re not saying.” This was a different jerk talking this time, lined up several feet away, but within distance for the rider to keep each of them covered with the six shooter he held knowledgeably in one hand, and the other ready in case they tried to make a break for it. Bill Law wasn’t about to take any chances of them hurting innocent people.
“That’s not real bright. But I guess that’s your usual way of doing things. Apparently.” The rider casually moved the reins draped over his saddlehorn with a slight touch while looking at the apprehended killers in front of him.
The first thug who’d spoken had the spot closest to the horse and rider, although he was trying to move away without being noticed. Part of that was due to wanting to get away. The reason that rivaled that and maybe even more so, was because he didn’t like horses. He always felt like they were laughing at him. He was about to find out his position wasn’t the best place for a criminal like him.
“Hey,” the first thug exclaimed, startled as the stallion dipped his magnificent head and nudged the thug. Hard.
“Shhhh. We’re having a conversation here.” The rider gestured toward the second thug with his hand minus a gun in it. He could see everything in his peripheral, but he didn’t let the thugs in on that. He settled his blue glaze on the jerk he was speaking with. “You were saying.”
“No, I wasn’t saying anything. You can’t trick me, you’re no match for my mental ability.”
“Now, I don’t think that would be much of a contest.” Bill gave a little chuckle. “Why did whoever hired you, hire you?”
“We don’t have to say anything.” The second thug glared at the rider.
“No, you don’t.” Bill applied a subtle little bit of pressure with his boots to his horse’s sides. “But it would be helpful.”
The first thug, Thug #1, the one who didn’t like horses, interrupted the conversation again. “Hey, cut it out! Make him stop!”
“What’s your problem? He’s a friendly horse. Now quit bothering us until we’ve got these questions answered.” The rider shook his head and gestured for the second thug to talk.
“I’m not answering anything.”
“That’s not the right answer.”
Thug #1 let out a startled gasp screech type noise. “That horse is trying to bite me!”
“Now why would he do that? He’s a smart horse, he doesn’t want to get sick.” Bill raised his dark eyebrows.
“I’m telling you, that animal wants to bite me!”
“Look, will you keep it down? I’ll see about your complaint after I’m finished discussing who hired you and why as well as who the intended victim or victims were supposed to be. First things first.” Bill returned his gaze to the second thug. “Ok, go ahead with the answers.”
Thug #1 kept dodging away, while the stallion kept seeming to make attempts to take a literal bite out of crime. The rider, seated casually and looking comfortable even with the horse’s short, quick moves at times, had an amused expression on his handsome face.
~ TAP/CLICK HERE FOR CHAPTER FIFTEEN! ~
Hardy and Drew Mysteries 