"Shut up, Bobby," Mercedes snapped.

"Oh, the head count is more than that," Sam said, wondering if maybe Bobby Walker was starting to realize what kind of woman he'd hooked up with. "She's killed Bradley Guess as well."

"Mercedes!" Bobby cried, looking at her with horror. "You said there wouldn't be any more."

"Plans change, you sniveling fool," Mercedes barked. "Now shut up. You're giving me a headache."

"But you said no one was going to get hurt," Bobby persisted.

"That makes you an accomplice to murder," Will pointed out to Bobby.

"Enough," Mercedes yelled and fired a shot up into the ceiling. The report wasn't loud because of the silencer on the gun but dust and dirt showered down, stilling everyone in the room.

Sam heard Ca.s.sie groan.

"Get the d.a.m.ned boy out of the way and let me finish this," Mercedes ordered Bobby.

Zack clung to Sam's legs, refusing to let go. For a moment, Sam thought Bobby would refuse. He had a gun. Maybe he'd stop all of this right now by turning it on Mercedes.

No such luck. He hesitated, but then came toward Sam and Zack. Sam tried to shield the boy from him but Bobby tore Zack from her, shoving her back as he dragged the boy over to Mercedes. Mercedes's weapon never wavered on Sam and Will.

"Just do it and get it over with!" Bobby said impatiently and looked at his watch. He probably had a tennis game first thing in the morning.

"No!" Zack cried. "I have the other piece of the game!"

"Zack, don't-" But Sam's words were lost in Zack's.

"Don't hurt her or Will," the boy said as he slid the earphones from around his neck and opened the CD player.

Sam shook her head at the boy. "I know you want to help, but we all know the game isn't in your CD," she tried to bluff.

"I don't want them to hurt you," he said sounding years older than he was. He carefully lifted the disk from the player.

Even from this distance, Sam could see the blood-red letters: Catastrophe. The CD was exactly where she knew it would be. And now Mercedes had all of the pieces-and no reason to leave any of them alive.

"My dad told me not to give it to anyone," Zack said, looking at Sam.

Her heart fractured like thin gla.s.s at the thought of the boy keeping his father's secret all this time. "You did great, Zack," she said, her voice breaking. "Your dad would have been proud of you."

"Give me that!" Mercedes snapped, almost salivating as she took the disk from him.

Sam glanced at Will. His eyes glittered with emotion and something more. He flicked his gaze toward a dark wall off to her left. She moved her head slowly to look in the direction he indicated. A rusty old shovel stood against the wall. A weapon.

"Get my computer out of the car," Mercedes ordered Bobby. She reached for her car keys and stopped, her face suddenly distorted in rage. "You little b.u.g.g.e.r!" she spat at Zack. "Give me my keys."

Zack hesitated, but only for a moment before he dug her car keys from his pocket and handed them to her.

"You see what I mean about this kid?" she demanded of Sam.

Sam had hoped Bobby would leave and help the odds. But the moment Bobby left, Mercedes grabbed Zack and held the gun to his back as they waited for her boyfriend to return with the laptop.

Bobby dragged up some boards and put the computer on it. Mercedes popped in the first disk and added Zack's disk to the others in a neat little pile. She looked very pleased with herself. She motioned with the gun for Zack to come closer.

"I used to watch you sitting on your father's lap while he worked," Mercedes said. "You know how to put these together, don't you?"

Realization dawned. No wonder Mercedes had wanted Zack-as well as the pieces of the game.

With a defeated look, Zack moved to the computer.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Bobby asked and motioned toward Sam and Will.

Mercedes studied them for a moment.

"If you hurt them I won't show you how the pieces go together," Zack said in that older voice that made Sam want to cry. The boy had been through so much.

Mercedes motioned for Bobby to shut up. "Sure, kid. Just show me."

Zack looked over at Sam, waiting for her to tell him what to do.

She nodded. "It's okay, Zack." At best, it would buy them a little time. Otherwise, Mercedes would figure the pieces out for herself. There wasn't any doubt that once she knew how they went together, however, that she'd kill them all.

"You do it like this," Zack said, and got down on his knees. Familiar music filled the room as bright-colored graphics filled the screen.

Sam watched as he adeptly moved the mouse and things began to happen on the screen. New music soared. Images flashed.

Sam watched in awe, having no idea how high-tech computer games had become. Landscapes flew by, figures leaped from spots on the wall, rock music boomed and Zack moved through the game like a race car driver, weaving in and out, dodging evil forces, his movements quick, his gaze intent, his shoulders taut as he worked the mouse.

It dawned on Sam that the computer had been the one constant in Zack's life. This was something he'd been doing since he was old enough to sit on his father's lap while he worked.

She waited, wondering what was really inside the game, what was worth killing so many people for, fearing she already knew.

Zack popped another disk into the CD-ROM and Bobby and Mercedes moved closer to watch. Sam inched toward the shovel. If she could reach it, she would be within striking distance of Bobby. All she knew for sure was that she had to get Zack and Will out of this or die trying.

WILL HELD his breath as Sam moved toward the shovel. True to form, he improvised a plan. It was risky. But he knew with certainty that Mercedes planned to kill them.

He wasn't concerned for his own welfare, but he couldn't let anything happen to Sam. Or Zack. If he could help it.

Zack popped in another disk. More music. More wild graphics. Mercedes's gaze seemed glued to the screen as if hypnotized by what she saw there. But the barrel of her pistol was still pointed in his direction and Sam's. Bobby's weapon was aimed downward, his attention completely on the computer screen.

Will moved the moment Samantha's hand closed over the shovel handle. She grabbed the shovel and swung. Will dove at the same time for Zack. The air filled with the sound of the metal of the shovel clanging off the gun in Bobby's hand and the investor's howl of pain. Mercedes added to the melee as Will slammed her out of his way to get to Zack.

Out of the corner of Will's eye, he saw Samantha give Bobby one of her chops and kicks. The investor went down face-first in the dirt.

Will came up with Zack in his arms.

But Mercedes was very fast on her feet. Worse, she hadn't dropped her gun in the fall. She came at him, all wild-eyed, her red hair like a wound. He turned, trying to shelter Zack, as she swung wildly at them. The gun b.u.t.t connected with Will's skull. He felt Zack being jerked from his arms just before the lights blinked out.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Mercedes spat as she grabbed Zack around the neck and dragged him at gunpoint back to the computer.

SAM HAD no choice but to back off. She had tried to get to Mercedes before the redhead could reach Will, but hadn't been able to. Now he lay sprawled on the ground, a cut over his right temple, the wound bleeding into the dirt. She wanted desperately to go to him, but she held her ground, seeing murder in Mercedes's eyes. Oh, Will, why didn't I just leave you alone? If you hadn't followed me out to the library terrace that night and if I hadn't kissed you- Oh, Will, why didn't I just leave you alone? If you hadn't followed me out to the library terrace that night and if I hadn't kissed you- "Finish it," the redhead ordered Zack.

Sam watched as he put in disk after disk, until finally he reached for disk five. Time was running out, and she had no plan. Fear welled inside her-cold and dark and unrelenting fear. She couldn't save Zack any more than she had saved Will.

Music soared and the laptop's screen seemed to vibrate with color and motion. "I'll be d.a.m.ned," Mercedes breathed.

And Sam knew it was over.

"The b.a.s.t.a.r.d was telling the truth," Mercedes said.

Sam could see the screen. "Let me guess. Lucas wrote some software that would allow him to break into any computer in the world without detection." The magnitude of that didn't escape her. No computer would be safe, from banks to governments to Fort Knox.

"And he hid it in one of his stupid computer games," Mercedes said. "Pure genius."

Sam had a sudden thought. "What about the men he owes money to? Won't they be looking for this?"

Mercedes gave her a smug smile. "Come on, Sam, there were no guys. Other than Al and Ralph. I paid off all Lucas's debts but made him think Al and Ralph were goons hired to collect. I have a little genius in me as well."

So this was the end of the line. No chance of rescue. And on top of that, Bobby was starting to groan as if he was waking up.

Sam understood now why Lucas had divided the game into five pieces. He'd hoped to outsmart the goons after him and eventually pick up the pieces. He didn't have any idea the kind of people after him.

"I don't understand why you didn't just go in with Lucas," Sam said. "Then no one would have had to die. Or were you just too greedy to share even that much money and power?"

Mercedes made a disgusted sound. "I would have gone into business with him. But Lucas-" she spat out the word with distaste "-sold himself to Ca.s.sie for the price of a d.i.n.ky, worthless computer business. But when he finally has the ability to really make some money, what does he do? He gets a conscience and starts talking about what sort of legacy he'd be leaving his son if he didn't do the right right thing." thing."

Sam stared at her. "Lucas talked to you about the software?"

"Only on theoretical terms. Of course, I agreed with him that he should give give it to some government agency so it didn't fall into the wrong hands-should he ever design something so inherently harmful to mankind." Mercedes made a disgusted face. "So the fool sent me one of the pieces of the game and he called it Catastrophe. Lucas's little attempt at humor." it to some government agency so it didn't fall into the wrong hands-should he ever design something so inherently harmful to mankind." Mercedes made a disgusted face. "So the fool sent me one of the pieces of the game and he called it Catastrophe. Lucas's little attempt at humor."

Sam realized Bebe had been right, but no one had believed the ditzy blonde.

"Funny, but it only turned out to be a catastrophe for him-and, of course, you," Mercedes said. "If only he could see the legacy legacy he left his son now." She pushed Zack away from the computer. He stumbled over to Sam and she pulled him into her arms. he left his son now." She pushed Zack away from the computer. He stumbled over to Sam and she pulled him into her arms.

"You promised," the boy cried as Mercedes raised her gun to fire.

In that split second, Sam thought she heard a sound outside the building. A shuffle of feet. But realized belatedly it was probably just Ralph.

Mercedes aimed at the boy before Sam could get between him and the gun. She pulled the trigger.

Ca.s.sie came out of nowhere. Drugged and stumbling, she managed to throw herself in front of Zack, taking the bullet meant for her son.

Mercedes started to fire again. But as Sam scrambled to get Zack out of her line of fire, she heard Will moan. Then suddenly he kicked Mercedes's legs out from under her. She went down hard. The wild shot brought down more dust and dirt.

Then Will was standing and holding Mercedes and Bobby at gunpoint with the redhead's weapon, looking like only determination was keeping him on his feet.

Before Sam and Zack could rush to him, Charley was there and cops were swarming all over. Charley grabbed Mercedes, and snapped on the cuffs as Bebe began to read the redhead her rights.

Bebe. An undercover cop. Just as Sam had suspected. The blonde smiled over at her as she snapped cuffs on Bobby. "You just invested in a lot of years in prison," she said as she jerked him to his feet and began to read him his rights.

In the distance, Sam could hear sirens screaming their way toward them. She stumbled with Zack over to Will. His head was bleeding where Mercedes had hit him.

"Will. You're hurt," Sam cried.

"An ambulance is on its way," Charley said. "You're all right? And Zack?"

She nodded.

"Then get Zack out of here," her cousin ordered, "and we'll discuss just what you were doing here later."

She clutched Zack and Will to her as they stumbled outside to the sound of the ambulance's siren. She refused to leave Will's side so she and Zack were allowed to ride in the ambulance to the hospital with him.

It wasn't until later, after he'd been admitted for a possible concussion, that Sam broke down, her relief flowing out as tears as she hugged Zack and cried.

"Is he going to be okay?" Zack asked in a small scared voice.

"Yeah, he has to be, huh," she said as she stared down at Will's sleeping form. The first light of day bled through the hospital room window. "He has to be okay."

Chapter Sixteen.

"Zack?" Ca.s.sie whispered when she opened her eyes.

Sam moved closer to the hospital bed. The monitors beeped and whirred. Ca.s.sie lay white against the sheets. "Zack's fine."

Ca.s.sie smiled and closed her eyes, the worry lines smoothing in her face. "Lucas did love him, you know." She opened her eyes and seemed to fight for each breath. "Zack just needed a mother and a father. I should never have left him." Regret burned in her eyes. It was too late to change things now, but Sam suspected Ca.s.sie knew that.

"I want to adopt Zack."

Ca.s.sie smiled. "I knew you would," she whispered. "But there is something you must know. Zack-" She sucked in a ragged breath.

"Don't try to talk."

"No, I have to tell you about Zack's father," Ca.s.sie managed to get out. "It's Charley."

At first Sam thought she'd misunderstood. They'd all been going to college at the same time but...Ca.s.sie and Charley? She searched Ca.s.sie's face and saw the truth. She thought of Zack's dark hair and eyes. Why hadn't Sam seen the resemblance? It was so obvious now that she thought about it. Zack even made some of the same facial expressions as Charley.