Devil's Pass Read Free

airport with big windows that let in a lot of light. That should have made Webb feel cheerful, but it didn’t. Because it was a small airport, he’d only have a minute with her, if he was lucky.
    â€œGeorge,” Webb said, “can you excuse me for a minute?”
    George nodded.
    Webb moved to stand beside her, pretending he was just another passenger, staring at the luggage belt as if concentrating would bring the suitcases out quicker.
    â€œIt won’t get better,” Webb said to her. “No matter what you think.”
    Stephanie glanced at him like she was surprised to see him, although he was sure she knew he had been on the same plane. She had done a good job of ignoring him at the Yellowknife airport after all the passengers had cleared security, and before they’d left the terminal for the airplane.
    â€œI don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. But he knew it was a lie as soon as she lifted her hand to her face.
    â€œPeople don’t change,” Webb said. “If you stay, he’ll keep hitting you. You don’t deserve it. Nobody deserves it. He’s not going to stop. Trust me. I know about these things.”
    â€œYou can’t talk to me like that,” Stephanie said. “You don’t know me. Or my life.”
    â€œI know all about getting pushed around though. So, yes, I can talk to you like that.”
    â€œNo,” she said. She gave the word a lot of emphasis.
    It took Webb a fraction of second to realize she wasn’t talking to him but past him. Over his shoulder. Her eyes were widening, and Webb figured out what was happening just as a huge hand grabbed his shoulder, spinning Webb away from her and toward the person she was speaking to.
    Brent.
    Brent’s fist was already in motion. A big, big fist, filling Webb’s vision as it accelerated toward his face.
    No way did Webb have time to lift his arms in defense. Instead, he let himself fall backward, going with the motion of that big, big fist. He didn’t even try to stay on his feet.
    Going with the punch took away some of the impact but not close to enough. There was a flash-bang as the fist hit his face, and Webb flailed with his arms to break his fall. He also allowed his body to turn naturally with the force of the blow. Landing on his back would have been disastrous. People died that way, when their bodies hit the ground and their skulls whiplashed into the floor a fraction of a second later.
    He fell onto the luggage belt, but that didn’t give him any safety.
    A second later, Brent hauled him up again, like Webb was a runaway suitcase.
    Brent was a fast learner.
    This time, as he raised his elbow to throw an overhead punch, he kept a grip on Webb’s shoulder with his other hand, so that Webb wouldn’t bounce away from him again.
    What he didn’t know was that Webb was a fast learner too. Or that Webb had done some intense martial-arts training and had lived on the streets. This wasn’t Webb’s first fight.
    Brent had landed the first punch because Webb had had his back to him, too worried about Stephanie to focus on anything else. This time Webb saw the punch coming, telegraphed by the way Brent had drawn back his right elbow.
    Again Webb went with the natural flow and didn’t give Brent any resistance. Webb let Brent’s left hand draw him in, and then he ducked the punch by slamming the top of his forehead into Brent’s nose.
    Not painful, if you do a headbutt right. The skull is an amazingly solid object.
    But painful to your opponent. Because the skull is an amazingly solid object.
    There was a crunch of cartilage, and Webb knew instantly he’d shattered Brent’s nose. As Brent brought his hands up to the mess Webb had just made of his face, it left his lower body open.
    The knee is an amazingly solid object too.
    Much more solid than the part of Brent’s body that Webb slammed his knee into.
    Brent fell to