As she continued to return fire, she saw the tree give way ever so slightly out of the corner of her eye.
While the men continued shooting, she felt the blowback from bullets close by. She couldn’t hold them off for long.
“Hurry, Alex.” Time was running out. She watched him gather his strength, and with one final swing of the ax, the tree came crashing down, barely missing him.
He hurried back to her. “That should buy us some time. We need to make it to those woods over there. Go ahead of me. I’ll cover you.”
She ducked low and ran for the woods while Alex continued to fire at the men. Once she’d reached the trees, he charged for the woods while Rachel covered him.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said. “I have no doubt that they’ll find another way across soon enough.”
They hurried into the wilderness. Rachel glanced back briefly. The men were slowly coming out of their hiding places. How long before they crossed the creek?
After they had covered more than a quarter of a mile through dense foliage, the woods begin to thin out slightly.
“We must be close to the camp. We need to search this area quickly. If Liam’s here, we won’t have long to find him and get out of here.”
Alex nodded. “Let’s just hope this is the right camp.”
Rachel stopped once they reached the edge. “What if he’s not here?”
“Then we keep looking. Let’s take a quick look around the place and see if there’s any sign of him.”
Working as fast as they possibly could, they searched the crumbling camp, but Liam wasn’t there.
Rachel couldn’t have been more discouraged. “This can’t be the camp Liam mentioned.”
Alex touched her cheek. “We can’t give up. You said yourself there are several other camps up here. We just need to find the right one.”
She nodded. Alex was right. She had to keep fighting for Liam. She struggled to recall the particular layout on this side of the mountain. “The next one should be a little ways up the mountain from here.”
“Good. Let’s keep going. Perhaps, if those guys come this way, they’ll think we kept heading downhill. How are you holding up?” Alex asked when she stumbled slightly.
“Tired, but I’m okay. Don’t worry, I can keep up.” She wished she felt more confident. She wasn’t used to this kind of pace.
“Let’s stop and rest for a moment.” He pointed to a fallen tree and she sat down. Alex took out one of the water bottles and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” She took it gratefully and drank deeply.
Alex looked around the desolate area. “It doesn’t look as if anyone’s been up here in a long time.”
He was probably right. The camp they’d just left was overgrown; the woods had reclaimed most of its remaining buildings.
“Liam said that’s why his friend wanted to buy the camp he did. It hadn’t been used in years, so he got a good price. He wanted to make the camp a working lumber mill again.”
She handed Alex the water and he took a drink, then put the bottle back in his backpack.
“There’s certainly enough timber up here to run several mills, especially if it’s been years since the area has been harvested.” He blew out a sigh. “As much as I hate to say it, we need to move on. We don’t know if they’ve found their way across the creek yet.”
As they headed deeper into the woods, getting into the higher altitude forced them to slow their steps down tremendously.
Rachel found herself listening to every little noise around them. She’d been in the woods since she was a kid, but this was different. She’d never been chased by people intent on taking her life.
As she had so many times since Liam’s disappearance, Rachel thought about her brother’s last visit. Liam had alluded to the fact that someone from the CIA might be involved with the terrorist threat he’d been chasing. His comment on the map he left seemed to indicate he believed it, and now there were presumed CIA agents combing the area looking for Liam. All things pointed to the same conclusion Liam had come to.
What if these men were somehow working for the same terrorist that Liam had been chasing? She voiced her concerns aloud. “If Liam discovered the connection, he could pose a threat to any further attacks.”
Alex’s expression was grim. “What are they doing here in the US? There’s no way they’d travel all this way just to track down Liam because of something he knows. They’d risk blowing their cover. There’s something more going on.”
A disturbing thought dawned on her. “Unless Liam has something they want.”
Alex stopped and stared at her. “What would be worth coming out of hiding and risking their lives for?”
Rachel shook her head. “I don’t know. Whatever it is, it must be big.”
“Let’s just hope we find Liam at the next camp. We need answers, Rachel, before this thing escalates any further.”
It felt as if they’d been hiking for hours and they still hadn’t come across the camp. So far, there was no sign of the men, but she didn’t doubt they would have found a way to cross the creek. They weren’t about to give up, especially if what she suspected were true and Liam had taken something important from them.
As she walked, she kept going back over what had happened. One thing bothered her. “Did you see Michelle or Peter back there?” Where were they?
Alex shook his head. “No. I have no idea where they are. Right now, you’re the only connection they have with Liam, so why not put every man available into capturing us?”
“Unless they’re searching for something else... Maybe whatever Liam took.”
He stopped dead in his tracks. The dawning of what she’d just said registered an alarm. “You think?”
“Somewhere here in the US could be their next target. What if they planned to attack someplace here and Liam discovered it? Liam tracked them here, found whatever they brought in to do the attack with, and hid it somewhere up here. They would be desperate to get it back. They have nothing to lose.”
* * *
If what Rachel said were true, then this thing was much bigger than either of them had originally believed. They needed help.
“Rachel, we’re in way over our heads. Let me reach out to my commander for backup.” When she didn’t answer he pressed. “We’re outnumbered and certainly outgunned. Our ammo supply won’t last past another confrontation. We have no idea how many more men these guys have up here searching for Liam and whatever else they’re looking for. We could die.” He hated pointing out the obvious, but the truth had to be faced.
He could see from her mutinous expression that she wasn’t ready to give in. “We can’t. You said yourself these men are CIA. We don’t know how deep their connections go. Even if your people aren’t involved, they could still inadvertently tip off someone who is. We can’t risk it now. Liam’s life is on the line.”
Her answer didn’t surprise him and he certainly couldn’t blame her, but he had a feeling at some point they’d have no other choice but to reach out to Jase and the Scorpion team for help. He just hoped he could convince her to do so before it was too late.
Rachel took out the binoculars and activated the night-vision function, homing in on something off in the distance.
“Do you see something?” he asked.
“Yes, just up ahead. I think it’s the second camp.” She handed him the binoculars.
From what he could tell so far, nothing about the second camp was reassuring. It appeared as overgrown as the last one. Alex chose to keep his misgivings to himself. “Let’s hope we find Liam there. Then we can get out of here and figure out what’s really going on.”
The exhaustion of the hike had begun to take its toll on his body. His legs felt like rubber. He was fit and used to the rigor. He couldn’t imagine how Rachel was feeling.
Once
they reached the opening leading into the camp, Alex stopped to take in their surroundings. In the dark, it was hard to tell much about the place, only that it appeared as if it had been years since anyone had been there. The surrounding woods had already reclaimed parts of the camp. But then Rachel had said that was one of the reasons Liam’s friend had wanted to buy the place.
“We can’t afford to use the flashlight. We could be walking into a trap.” The hackles along his neck stood at attention. He didn’t like it. “Maybe you should wait here. Let me check it out first.”
He didn’t have to look at her to see her reaction. “As I told you before, Alex, we’re in this together, I’m coming with you.”
He touched her face gently. Losing her again was an unbearable thought, but he knew it was useless to argue.
Please keep us safe...
“Ready?” he asked, the weight of what he wanted to tell her roughening his voice.
She covered his hand. “Yes, I’m ready.”
Alex shoved branches away and stepped into what had once been a camp.
When they were in the clearing, he stopped for a moment to listen. Only the sounds of the night could be heard around them. Still, the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach had him on full alert.
“Let’s start over there.” He leaned in close and whispered so that only she could hear. The last thing they needed was to alert anyone with deadly intent. He pointed to a particular area. “There’s a couple of buildings still standing. He could be in one of them. Stay close. I don’t like this.”
Alex could see the uneasiness he felt reflected in her eyes as they slowly advanced into the camp. The first building they came upon had collapsed in upon itself. It appeared to be where the trees were milled at one time.
“I can’t see anything on the inside.” He took out his flashlight and shone it around the dilapidated building. “There’s nothing here.”
An unsettling thought occurred. What if the camp were empty? They’d have no choice but to keep climbing up the mountain to Liam’s last known location. By coming this way, they’d cost themselves several hours of valuable time. If Liam were injured, it could mean the difference between life and death.
The next building appeared to be living quarters of some type, mostly intact. Alex stopped next to the door. It took several tries for it to free itself of years of decay.
Once it screeched open, he and Rachel eased inside. It took a few minutes for his eyes to become accustomed to the darkness enough to make out shapes.
The place consisted of a single room. What appeared to be a broken-down table was shoved into one corner. On the opposite wall a bed was set up. There was nothing else. Alex’s heart sank. It didn’t appear that anyone had been here in a while, either.
Frustrated, he turned back to Rachel. “It’s empty.” He barely got the words out when a noise that sounded like a wounded animal came from the area where the bed was located.
“What was that?” Rachel asked.
Alex whirled around to survey the area. “I don’t see anything.” He slowly advanced to the bed with his weapon drawn. Had some animal gotten injured and crawled inside the cabin to seek refuge?
There was nothing but a ratty old mattress on top of the bed. He realized the noise was coming from under it.
He indicated that Rachel should cover him. Alex clicked on the flashlight and counted off three in his head. Then he grabbed the bed and shoved it out of the way.
Huddled beneath it was a badly injured man who had clearly been shot. But the most disturbing part was the fact that Alex recognized this man, too. He knew him. Had worked several missions with him. This was the legendary CIA agent Deacon Broderick.
SEVEN
Rachel tucked her weapon behind her back and hurried to the man’s side. He seemed to be caught somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. It took only a cursory exam to realize he was in bad shape. “He’s been shot in the shoulder and leg. He’s lost a lot of blood.”
Alex knelt next to her and undid the man’s shirt. “Someone’s bandaged the wounds,” he said in amazement. “Still, he needs proper medical care right away.”
“Do you know him?” Rachel asked. She’d seen the way Alex looked at the man.
He searched the man’s pockets and come up empty. “Yes, I know him. I’ve worked with him before. His name is Deacon Broderick.” His gaze slid to hers. “He’s CIA, Rachel. And he’s a legend at that. Deacon has helped take down some of the biggest threats around the world.”
She couldn’t believe it. If this man was CIA, then what was his connection to the supposed deceased agents? “Do you think he’s working with the others?”
Alex shook his head. “No way. Deacon is a stand-up guy. He may know something about Liam’s disappearance, though.”
His attempt to rouse the man proved futile. Deacon continued to mumble incoherently. “He’s delirious. We need to get him help.”
Alex was right. It was time to reach out to the Scorpions for assistance. A man’s life was in danger. Liam was still missing and they were way outmanned. “You should call your command. Tell them where we are so that they can send help. We can’t let Deacon die.”
Alex clutched her arm and smiled. She could see his relief. “I’ll make the call. Can you try to keep him as comfortable as possible?”
“Go. I’ll see what I can do to help Deacon.”
While in the field, Rachel had gotten used to dealing with medical emergencies, especially gunshot wounds. She had no idea how long Deacon had been lying here injured, but there was little doubt in her mind that without further expert attention he wouldn’t survive long.
She eased his shirt away from the wound to get a better look. Whoever had bandaged the wounds had done a good job. She glanced around for something to use as a bandage and noticed that there were extra strips of cloth matching the ones used. It looked like someone had ripped apart a flannel shirt to use. Next to the cloth, there was a half a dozen empty water bottles there, as well.
Rachel took it as a good sign that perhaps Deacon hadn’t been this bad off when he’d reached the camp. She slowly eased the old bandage from the wound and examined it. Deacon moaned in pain. It appeared that the bullet had gone straight through. A good sign. It didn’t look as if infection had set in yet. Once she’d cleaned the wound with the water, she wrapped it as tight as she could.
Alex returned and helped her with Deacon’s leg injury. It was just a grazing shot and not nearly as bad.
Once they’d finished, she and Alex stepped away.
“Did you get in touch with your team?” she asked anxiously.
He shook his head. “The phone service is nonexistent here. I’ll need to see if I can find a spot higher up. Maybe I can pick up a tower from there. Will you be okay by yourself for a bit?”
“Of course.” She looked into his eyes and her breath caught at what she saw there.
He stepped closer, his voice rough with feeling. “Rachel...”
She believed she knew what he was going to say and she couldn’t let him. It was best not to open that door again. She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. You don’t have to say it.”
Regret reflected on his face and she turned away. She didn’t want to hear his regrets.
The door closed quietly behind him. Rachel drew in a shaky breath. Her feelings for Alex had no place in the hunt for Liam. She had to keep her focus on finding her brother. And Deacon needed immediate medical attention.
She shoved her own regret down deep and went back to the man. He was perspiring and mumbling to himself, unaware of what was going on around him.
Rachel touched his arm and lifted up a prayer for his safekeeping.
Someone had obviously cared for Deacon’s injuries. If it were the enemy, they would have left him wherever he was to die. Was it possible that Liam had done this? Her br
other wore flannel shirts similar to those used as the bandages.
The sight of it gave her hope that her brother had brought Deacon here to keep him safe. Perhaps Liam had tried to hike out to get assistance. Did he have a cell phone with him? Deacon had nothing on him, including any form of ID.
She bunched some of the remaining strips of cloth under Deacon’s head as a makeshift pillow, then got out the extra jacket she’d brought in her backpack and placed it over him for warmth.
One thing was for certain—they couldn’t stay here long. Those men could show up at any moment and every second they were here meant Deacon’s condition could worsen.
Lack of sleep and the physical strain of hiking the mountain had taken its toll. Not to mention the emotional roller-coaster ride she’d been on since Liam disappeared. Nothing made sense. Once they were on safer ground and they found Liam, maybe they could figure out who was behind this horror.
When Alex returned a few minutes later she hoped he had good news.
“I was able to reach my commander. He’s dispatching several choppers right away, but we may not have that long.” He had a worried look on his face. He nodded toward Deacon. “Rachel, we need to get Deacon out of here right away.”
Alex was right. The man’s life was on the line. “What do you suggest?” she asked.
“I saw an old logging truck out back. If I can get it running, we can head down the mountain to Hendersonville. There’s still a hospital there, right? Let’s hope these men won’t be looking for us there. Then, once Jase and the team arrive, we can continue our search for Liam.”
She knew it was the best plan to save Deacon’s life, but the thought of abandoning Liam even for a little while tore at her conscience.
He seemed able to read all of her thoughts. “We’re not leaving him up here. We are just saving Deacon.”
She slowly nodded. “You’re right. He needs our help the most.”
Target on the Mountain Page 26