"Hate you? My God, Ellen ... I loved you. With all my heart and soul!"

"I--I didn't deserve to die." She curled her hand into a threateningfist.

"I had a ... right to live in peace!"

"What about my rights?" Bartholomew's voice rose in emotion.

"You put me in that damned hospital, with the shrinks and the crazies. Ihad no freedom. It was as bad as dying!"

"I didn't put you there." She took a brave step forward. "You wantedwhat you couldn't have. You were obsessed."

He raised his hands, cowering against her ghostly approach. "No.

Don't say that word. They were wrong. I wasn't oh-obsessed. I only wanled what was rightfully"-- Hank stopped, lowering his arms. Hisexpression changed as his gaze dropped to her feet, then trailed to theshadow she cast over the snow. He covered his sudden burst of gleefullanghter with one hand. You know, I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid."The laughter took on a maniacal edge.

"Ghosts don't have shadows."

He lunged at her, but Alec grabbed him from behind. "Run, Ellen!"

Bartholomew made a complicated move which nt Alec flying. Trainingallowed him to dilute. the force of the landing with a tuck and roll.

As he flipped to his fet, he 230 A Killer Smile realized Ellen hadn'ttaken advantage of the diversion to escape.

"Get out of here!" he shouted, shifting his attention from his attackerto her.

Bartholomew took advantage of Alec's split eoncenta-lion and madeanother attack, this time with the knife. Down filling spilled from thewhite slash in Alec's dark jacket. The knife sliced the air again, aimedat the arm Alec used to protect his face. He felt the blade bite intoIris forearm, but he ignored the pain in order to catch his opponent inmid swing and kick the knife out of the man's hand. The weapon flewaway, embedding itself in the snow.

To Alec's surprise, Bartholomew performed a spectacular fly/ rag divefrom which he sprang back to his feet, clenching the switchblade. Therapid recovery revealed years of martial-arts training, an annoying factthat cut into Alec's concentration.

Crazy but well trained.

A deadly combination. And a painful one.

"You don't stand a chance," Hank taunted.

"You're losing your touch, Hank," Alec zeplied, hoping to keep the manoff "From what I hear, you used to be a pretty efficient killing machine.

But you mi ed Ellen--and now me. Face it--you just don't have what you used to.

You're a failure, Hank, a complete fail The madman's smile was brilliant.

"Nice trick, but it won't work. Too obvious."

Alec fended off a well-placed kick, furiously trying to formulate a new plan.

"Obvious? Maybe. Lucky? Deft-nitely. Much luckier than you." Ellen, please forgive me. "I got something in just a couple of days that you tried to Killer Smile get for years but couldn't. She made the first move, 2 know, jumping my bones like a twenty-dollar hooker."

Hank stumbled over an exposed tree root, demon sting the relative success of Alec's psychological tactic.

"She's a real hellion in bed," he continued.

"Did, know that?

Extremely talented and very eager to ple God. what things that woman can dov' He forced h self to smile as if savoring a fine memory.

"Of course, 3 wouldn't know anything about that, would you?

You w never man enough to interest her."

Hank's smile faded, and a look of anger took its pll Ashis control began

to slip, rage threw off his timing blunted his judgment. Alec was able to kick the knife i a protective tangle of thorns, and the odds shifted in favor. He played on Hank's physical weaknesses, a be spot from the left and a tendency to keep his weight on right foot.

Finally AIEC threw one perfect punch, a product dumb luck more than talent.

That single, well-placed r cross to the chin connected.

Hank went down. And didn't get Up.

Alec wiped one sleeve across his face. The material v soaked in blood from the cut on his. forearm. He knelt side his fallen opponent, fumbling with the man's ! buckle. He won't be out long. I've got to fir it so can't' Suddenly, he felt Ellen's presence behind him, I he turned around, forgetting the important task awai[ him.

She was shaky, looking as if she was on the verge of coming sick.

"Jack ..."

He said the first words that rushed into his mind, v ing them rather

than the ones from his heart.

"Why did you run when I told you to?"

A Killer Smile A Killer Smile Ellen didn't offer any answer as she knelt

beside him. She lifted a hesitant hand to touch his sleeve. Fear remained in her face.

"You're bleeding."

He pushed her hand away.

"You were in danger. You should have run when you had a chance."

"I." I knew I couldn't keep nning from my problems, and I couldn't leaveyou here. With him." She stood, acknowledging Bartholomew's presencewith a furtive glance and a visible shiver.

"He won't bother you anymore." Alec dragged his gaze from his fallenopponent to the pale woman standing in front of him.

"I came back for you. Three days after Hermitt inlerrupted them with athroaty growl. Ellen screamed.

"Look out, Jack!"

Pain exploded behind his eyes, radiating into his vision like a thousandsparks of light. He thought he was falling toward her but instead heplunged into a gaping, black void.

1.. 7 SCREAMEO her warning too lale, and Hank hit Jack squarely acrossthe back of the head with a piece of charred wood. Jack stumbled towardher with the force of the tremendous blow, and she fell backward as hisbody s10mmed into her. pinned to the ground, she straggled under thedeadweight, vaguely aware of Hermitt's growls, which changed to painfulyelps. When she could focus, she saw Hank towering over both of them.

"Oh, God ..." she prayed.

He kicked Jack, and the dull sound made her throat close. Hank pushedthe limp body off her.

"Sweetheart ..." Hank held out a hand, but she squirmed back, trying toget away from him. The mere thought of his touch made her stomachrevolt.

"Now, Ellen ..." he chided.

"Is this any way to greet the man you love? I don't mean this jerk." Hekicked Jack again.

"You could never love him. I know you still love me."

"Get away from me, you bastard," she rasped.

"Not on your life, darling." Hank stood over her, offering his hand tohelp her up. When she tried to kick him in the shins, his offer ofassistance turned into a backhanded swing aimed at her face.

She tensed in anticipation of the blow, but before the hand reached herface, Hermitt sprang forward, clamping his teeth into Hank's wrist. Hankscreamed as the dog tightened his jaws and twisted his head, trying todrag the attacker away from his prey.

Ellen turned to Jack, praying she could rouse him before Hermitt lost his advantage.

"Wake up, Jack! Please!" Tears blurred her vision as she shook him,slapping at his face.

Jack looked groggily past her to the altercation between man and beast.

Determination pushed the blank look from his face. He stumbled to hisfeet, shoved her out of the way and lunged at Hank just as the man brokeloose from Hermitt's grip. As Jack tackled Hznk around the legs, Ellenheard her dog's anguished yelp of pain and watched the animal land in acrumpled heap.

Jack managed to grunt a single word at her as he fended off Hank'spunches.

"Run!"

This time Ellen obeyed, heading for the trail. She could hear the soundsof the fight behind her splitting the silence of the forest.

Fists striking flesh, grunts of exertion and pain, anonymous noises thatpainted a frighlning picture in her mind's eye.

234 A Killer Smile A l11er Smile 231 She stumbled down the muddy path,praying she wouldn't lose her footing. How long could Jack keep Hank atbay?

How do you win a fight with a mad-- "Ellen? For one unforgivable moment,she couldn't tell their voices apart. She stopped.

"Damn you, Ellen!"

Hanld She veered off the trail, tripping over the saplings. Barebranches whipped behind her as she pushed her way through the trees andunderbrush.

Behind, the sounds of curses gained on her. She glanced down, seeing therocky sod beneath the snow. Ahead of her a break in the trees became anominous sign.

Ellen realized the stupidity of her tactic; instead of slowing herattacker down by leaving the established trail, she'd boxed herself in.She remembered too late the stone outcropping, a flat rock shelf thatjutted out into open space with a fifty-foot drop beyond.

A great place for a picnic.

A lousy place to die.

"There you are." Hank emerged from the trees and stopped, smiling whenhe realized she was trapped.

"What a lovely spot." He pretended to admire the view, then leered ather.

"Well, sweetheart, it's just you and me." He stuffed his hands into hispockets and gave her a broad smile.

"Stand back, Hank. Or I'll ... I'll jump!"

Hank began to laugh, and the small canyon amplified the sound indemented echoes.

"Don't make me laugh, Ellen. Thafs exactly what I want you to do." Hepaused, and the smile faded away.

"I want you to die."

She ran through her options at a furious pace. Deadly inspiration camequickly.

"No, Hank. You want to kill me. If I jump, then I rob you of thesatisfaction you want ... that you've wanted for years. I might die,but you won' be able to claim any credit for it. You would have failed."She paused and added, "Again."

"I'm not a fa'dure!" he screamed, his voice becomini unnaturally shrill.

"You won't jump. You'd have to lx crazy to jump."