Sacketts Series #15

I leaped to my feet, and Bauer came up, knife in hand. Diana tossed me the poker from the fire­place. From outside the noise of fighting had ceased. Bauer's smile was cool. "It is too late now," he said. "My men have won. Give Diana to me and you shall go free and we'll not bum your fort. After all, there are other women." My poker held ready, I made no reply. His knife was not a small one. The poker, for all its useful­ness, was unwieldy, and if his wounds bothered him, there was no evidence of it. He was an un­usually strong, agile man and obviously was no stranger to hand-to-hand fighting. Suddenly Diana screamed, "Kin!" Lashan was in the doorway, pistol in hand. As my eyes caught him, his pistol was lifting to take dead aim at me . . .