Target on the Mountain

by Elizabeth Goddard

  A shiver ran down her spine. “It’s unimaginable that someone who is sworn to protect would do such a horrific thing.”

  “Yes, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Temple and his goons are dirty. They’ve been doing who-knows-what unimaginable things since they faked their deaths. They’re capable of this and a whole lot more.”

  She didn’t doubt it for a second. “How do you think Liam got turned onto their crimes?”

  Alex stopped for a breath. “Probably through his investigation of the new terror threat. That led him to these guys. I’m guessing Deacon may have been responsible for bringing them together.”

  It was beginning to add up. Liam had been searching for a link to tie the gas to his new threat. Deacon might have been working undercover with the Chemist or even with Temple.

  “What about Michelle? Where does she factor into all of this?” Rachel asked as they started walking again. It was hard just putting one foot in front of the other.

  Alex ran a hand across the back of his neck. “Her I can’t figure out. I felt as if she was frightened of Temple and yet when she had the chance, she didn’t accept our help. In other words, I don’t know.” He barely managed a shrug.

  Guilt tore at her. He’d put his life on the line and they were still no closer to understanding what was happening than when they’d started on his mission. She touched his arm and he stopped, looking at her curiously. “I’m so sorry I got you involved in this. I didn’t know who else to trust. Liam’s note scared me.”

  His handsome face twisted in pain. “No, Rachel, don’t apologize. Liam is my family...and so are you.” His green eyes softened as they swept over her face, the look in them reminding her of the man she’d once loved...the one she still loved.

  You never forget your first love...

  She swallowed back the hurt that realization brought. He stepped closer. She did, too. He was going to kiss her. She so wanted to feel his lips against hers again, but she was barely hanging on as it was. She wasn’t ready to face the truth just yet. She stepped away. Saw his wounded reaction, but she couldn’t go there. Not now. Not yet. She wasn’t even sure they would survive the day, much less if she could survive Alex’s leaving her again.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered in a broken tone. “Are you okay?”

  She couldn’t look at him. “I’m fine. It’s just...working with you again has brought up some old feelings I thought I’d dealt with.”

  He didn’t say anything. The uncertainty in his eyes had her full attention. This was not Alex. He had never seemed so unsure before. “What is it?” she asked.

  His gaze held hers. The pain she saw there was real. “Being with you again has made me realize what I lost when I lost you.”

  With her heart breaking, she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying. “We both made mistakes, but that’s all in the past. We can’t go back and fix it now, can we?” She loved him, but she couldn’t open her heart up to that much hurt again. She’d lost too much in her life.

  “I guess you’re right.” Regret hung in his voice. She understood. She had regrets, too. “We still have a long ways to go. At least we’ll have decent cover at the ranger station. It’ll get us out of the elements for a while.”

  Rachel couldn’t answer for the longest time. It was a struggle to keep back the tears. It felt as if they were saying goodbye to each other all over again. “I guess you’re right,” she managed, and they both started walking again.

  The farther they climbed up the mountain, the more the snow piled up. Little sunlight got through the denseness of the wilderness up here.

  Exhausted and barely hanging on, Rachel lost her footing on what appeared to be a downed tree. She started to slide back down the mountain but Alex caught her.

  Without the proper hiking gear, they were at the mercy of the mountain. Yet one thing working in their favor was that the men chasing them didn’t seem any better equipped for the hike than they were.

  She looked behind her to see what she’d stumbled over and somehow managed to stifle the scream before it could escape. It wasn’t a log. It was a man.

  He’d been shot in the back of the head. There was a gaping hole there where his skull had once been.

  Alex knelt and rolled the man over. Rachel recognized him. “That’s Seth Jamison. Liam’s handler. Alex, they killed Liam’s handler. Which explains why I haven’t been able to get in touch with him. What was he doing out here?” Her voice trailed off as the truth became apparent. Seth was the person on the inside helping Temple and his men.

  “My guess is he was working for Temple. Something must have happened. Maybe Seth got a conscience and threatened to turn them in. They killed him because of it.”

  Rachel was in shock. “I can’t believe it. Why would he do such a thing?” Something else occurred to her. “He betrayed Liam. Alex, he must have told Temple about Liam’s meet. That’s why they were ambushed. Seth almost got them both killed, and for what?”

  Alex stared at the dead man. “I don’t know. I can’t believe someone Liam trusted was corrupt. But it explains a lot. Once Jase and the team arrive, we’ll send someone down to retrieve the body. His family will need to be notified.” Alex got to his feet and looked at her. “How are you holding up?” It was freezing cold and she was beginning to perspire. They couldn’t afford to become hypothermic.

  She shrugged, resigned. “I’ll be okay. The sooner we get to the station, the better, though.”

  Alex didn’t look convinced. “It’s at least another hour if not more before we reach it. We need to find a place to warm up. Otherwise, we’ll never make it.”

  Weary to the bone, she looked around, but there was no shelter from the elements. “We really need a fire.”

  Alex dug into his pocket and pulled out the lighter the men hadn’t taken. “Let’s see if we can find some sheltered trees to a build a fire so that we can warm our frozen limbs.”

  The sight of the lighter in his hand was like a prayer answered. “Oh, thank you. I can’t feel my feet anymore.”

  He looked around, trying to find a safe place for the fire that would be obscured from sight. “Over there.” He pointed to a group of trees. “It looks secluded enough. They shouldn’t see it if they happen this way.”

  Alex dug out a spot in the snow to put the fire while Rachel gathered what loose branches she could find.

  When the fire finally caught, they both moved in as close as they dared. Rachel could feel its warmth as she leaned in closer. Never had a simple fire felt so good. She closed her eyes with joy. “That feels wonderful.”

  Alex chuckled at her expression. “You’re right it does. But we can’t afford to stay here for very long. We have to keep one step ahead of them if we’re going to make it out of this. And there’s always the chance they’ll see the fire and come check it out.”

  She understood, but she hated to leave the warmth. It was funny the things you took for granted. Like being warm enough.

  “How much longer before your team members arrive, do you think?” she asked again, and couldn’t quite keep the desperation from her tone.

  “Not too much longer. The only problem is they have the coordinates for the camp. They won’t know how to find us up here unless we can radio them from the tower.”

  He focused on the fire, no doubt weighing their impossible options. Rachel glanced his way. Alex was still the most attractive man she knew. He fit the part of a true hero right down to tall, dark and handsome. And she would always love him.

  Alex caught her watching him, and her chest grew tight at the tenderness she saw in him. There was no denying the feelings still ran strong between them. But would it matter in the end if neither of them were able to walk off Midnight Mountain alive?

  * * *

  There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her. He’d never stopped loving her. She wasn’t r
eady to hear those words from him. Would she ever forgive him, or had his actions all those years ago destroyed any hope they had for rekindling their love?

  It was a hopeless feeling to be caught up in a situation so out of control and bordering on impossible like the one they faced right now. In his heart he believed that God had answered his prayer and was giving him a second chance to prove to Rachel how he felt about her. They just had to survive long enough for him to have that chance.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, trying to take his mind off their grim situation.

  She turned to stare up at him, then slowly smiled. “Better, thanks. The fire really helped.” Her smile still had the power to brighten his dark day.

  “I’m glad. Are you ready to finish this?” She didn’t hesitate before confirming with the smile still in place.

  Together, they tamped out the fire then threw snow on top of it to cover the smoldering ashes. Once Alex was satisfied they’d hidden all evidence, they started up the mountain again.

  Just having time to warm up and rest did wonders for his drained energy. He was ready to finish this thing once and for all, to find out the truth behind Liam’s disappearance and hopefully convince Rachel to give him a second chance.

  He still couldn’t believe that Liam’s handler had been working for Temple’s crew. How long had Seth been betraying his country? Had he been involved with Temple’s plan to fake his death? With Seth dead and Liam missing, the only chance they had for getting answers was through Temple.

  Alex hadn’t been able to get Liam’s letter out of his head. There was no doubt in his mind that Liam was trying to tell him about the one specific location he’d underlined for a reason. He believed it was where Liam had stowed the sarin. He told Rachel his suspicions.

  That realization dawned on her face. “It makes sense. I can’t believe I never considered it before now. Alex, we can’t let Temple and his men find those weapons. If they reach the cave before we do, then they won’t need Liam or us.”

  Those frightening words hung uneasily between them. “Let’s just hope they haven’t found them already. They certainly have enough men out here to search the entire mountainside.”

  “Where is Liam?” Rachel shook her head, and Alex could see her frustration. “I can’t help but believe he’s up here somewhere still. There’s so much territory to cover up here. It could take weeks to locate him. By then it will be too late.”

  He stopped walking and faced her. “You can’t think like that. We need to trust God to take us to where Liam is.” He did his best to sound convincing, but it was hard to keep positive after everything they’d been through. He wanted to believe God was directing their footsteps, but his faith was faltering.

  Help my unbelief. The last thing he wanted was for Rachel to see him give up.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just tired. Liam wouldn’t give up on either of us if the tables were turned. I won’t give up on him, either.”

  He tucked her hands in his. “Good. I can’t help but think Liam had a backup plan in place when he came up here. Maybe he even had some supplies stashed somewhere. I know Liam. He’s a stickler for details and he always was the most prepared of the three of us.”

  She smiled at the memory. “Yes, he was. He left me the map and his phone for a reason. The same way he left you that letter. Of course he’d be prepared for whatever came his way. He’d be expecting trouble. He was expecting it.”

  Her confidence in her brother was well deserved. Liam was a seasoned agent. He would be okay and so would they. Once they reached the ranger station, they’d radio Jase with their location. Praise God, this thing was just about over.

  The thought had barely cleared his head when a noise nearby captured both their attentions and sent them running for the cover of a nearby grove of spruce trees.

  Alex could make out voices. More than one and they were almost right on top of them.

  “The boss said he saw smoke over this way. I don’t see anything, do you?” There was no mistaking McNamara’s voice.

  Alex tugged Rachel closer. Her eyes were filled with an uncertainty that he couldn’t begin to assuage. His own pulse was threatening to explode in his chest.

  “Did you hear something?” one of the men asked in a somewhat uneasy tone.

  “No, but you two check it out,” McNamara ordered. “We can’t afford to let them get away. Too much is at stake.”

  Alex heard footsteps coming toward their hiding spot. One of the men was almost directly in front of them. If he turned slightly, he would see them. If they were found now, his gut told him they wouldn’t walk out of the wilderness alive.

  He prayed with all his heart and left the fear in God’s hands.

  “There’s nothing here,” the man closest to them grumbled. “Come on, it’s freezing up here. I don’t see anything that resembles a fire, anyway. The boss must have been mistaken.”

  The second man stared straight at the tree they were standing behind, then abruptly turned on his heel. He and his partner headed back to where McNamara and another man waited.

  “Let’s get out of here. Chances are, they headed back down the mountain another way,” McNamara told them. “We can still head them off before they reach the town and we have men waiting there if they give us the slip.”

  Alex clutched Rachel close as the noise of the men’s footsteps slowly disappeared.

  When he felt it was safe, he eased out from behind the tree with Rachel still tucked in his arms.

  “That was too close,” she whispered, her breath fogging the air between them.

  “Yes, but it sounds as if they aren’t expecting us to be here, which means they won’t be looking for us up at the station. That’s something,” he managed without really feeling confident.

  “It should give us time to finish the climb without looking back over our shoulder. Either way, let’s keep pushing forward. We’re almost there, Alex. We’re almost there.”

  He brushed back some escaping hair from her face and looked into her eyes. There was still a lot of danger between them and getting the answers they wanted. He needed her to listen. He’d been holding these feelings inside for way too long and there was no promise of the future. They faced armed men, the elements of the mountain and physical exhaustion. There were no guarantees.

  If they were caught, if they didn’t walk out of this thing alive, he wanted her to know the truth. He loved her. He wanted to be with her. And he’d do whatever it took to convince her he was serious this time.

  THIRTEEN

  She held her breath, waiting for him to say something. Hoping he did. Praying he wouldn’t. She couldn’t lose her heart to him again.

  His hands still rested on her shoulders. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. “Rachel, I know things ended badly between us before because of me. I know I hurt you terribly, but I want you to know that I learned a lot after you left.”

  She tried to pull away, but he didn’t let her. “No, wait.”

  She couldn’t do this now and not fall apart. “Alex, please...”

  “Rachel, look at me.” Slowly, she did, because in spite of everything her heart desperately wanted to hear what he had to say. “I know I messed things up between us, but I’m not the same person I was back then. I’ve changed. God changed me,” he amended, and she believed him. She’d seen this change in him.

  “I’m not asking for you to forget what happened, and I don’t expect you to answer me now, with our lives on the line like this. I just want you to know that I still care about you. I never really stopped caring.”

  Tears filled her eyes. She turned away and he let her go. Why now? Why did he have to tell her these things now, after all the heartache and pain she’d gone through? Why couldn’t he have loved her the way she needed him to back then?

  “Alex, I can’t do this now.” Her voice was
little more than a broken whisper.

  When he didn’t respond, she looked at him. Her answer couldn’t be the one he’d hoped for, yet he slowly agreed.

  “Okay.” Without another word, he started walking and, after a much-needed moment to regain her composure, Rachel followed, her thoughts disjointed. Her heart was in her throat.

  Through the clearing in the trees, she could see the ranger station up ahead. They were almost there.

  “Alex, look.” She pointed up ahead and he followed her direction. The relief on his face was easy to read.

  Just seeing the station gave them both an extra boost of energy. They were almost to the building when a debilitating thought occurred and she grabbed his arm.

  “What if someone is waiting for us in there?” Rachel could tell he hadn’t considered it.

  They ducked behind a tree. “I can’t see anything, can you?”

  She squinted hard but could see nothing in the twilight of the wilderness. “There’s no movement that I can tell. What do you want to do?” She was grateful that at least they were both armed now.

  “Let’s ease up to it. Try to stay in the cover of the trees as much as possible.”

  She nodded and waited until he’d made the first move and then she followed. Each step echoed in her ears. So far, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Still, they’d been through so much already. What if there were men waiting inside to finish the job?

  Still some distance from the station, Alex stopped suddenly.

  “Did you hear that?” He barely got the words out when the silence around them was shattered by an assault rifle discharging.

  Rachel dove for the cover of the closest tree, with Alex in tow.

  They hunkered low as the shots continued to ring out. With the distance between themselves and the person firing on them, it was impossible to make out anything about him.

  “I only hear one shooter,” she told him.

  He listened for a moment. “You’re right. Whoever it is, they’re alone. Can you cover me? I’ll try to circle around behind the station and go up that way. Maybe I can take him out.”