Darth continued to bark and snarl. Monroe pulled his weapon and hurried for Gil’s helicopter. Darth spun, leaped from Jackie’s helicopter, and bolted across the field to Gil’s helicopter. Monroe pulled open the door with his weapon aimed. Darth placed his front feet on the helicopter floor and snarled at Quinn, who sat on the end seat in the back and held his hands in the air.
“I’m with him,” Quinn announced. “We didn’t know anyone was coming back. Honest. It looked like a cozy, safe place to sleep.”
“Who are you?” Monroe demanded.
“I’m Quinn, and that’s Rowen,” he announced while indicating the man in the helicopter further away, although not taking his eyes off the seemingly vicious excited dog. “We were camping back there.” He nodded toward the woods. “A bear came along and destroyed our tent. We were just looking for a place to crash for a while before heading back for our car.”
“Gil,” Monroe announced without taking his eyes off Quinn. “Options?”
“Fresh out,” Gil called back while keeping his gun trained on Rowen.
They were in a bit of a predicament now. Should they hold the two strangers, possibly innocent men, prisoner? Or let them go and risk blowing their cozy safe house? Gil lowered his weapon. Despite being uncomfortable with it, Monroe followed suit.
“Where’s your car?” Gil asked Rowen.
“Out by the road,” Rowen insisted and attempted to relax. “A good mile from here. We were tired and didn’t want to make the long trip back to the car.”
“And where is this destroyed campsite?” Gil continued his line of question.
Rowen pointed toward the woods. “About two miles that way,” he announced and nodded at Quinn. “Just like my friend said.”
“Did you see the bear?” Gil asked.
“See it?” Rowen asked with some surprise. “No, we didn’t see it. Why?”
“How do you know it was a bear?” Gil asked.
“The entire camp was destroyed,” Quinn chimed in, perfecting his innocent country boy look. “I don’t think a man would do something like that.”
Gil and Monroe exchanged looks. If hitmen were attempting to clear out the woods of hunters and campers, they would do something like that.
“What are you thinking?” Monroe asked Gil.
“Do you have keys for either car?” Gil then asked his teammate.
Monroe approached the black SUV Bogart had taken off Hawthorne. Since it couldn’t be traced back to any of them, it seemed the logical choice. He checked under the floor mat and removed the keys.
“Yeah,” Monroe announced in response. “I have keys to this one.”
“Darth and I will drive these gentlemen to their car and see them off safely,” Gil announced. “Darth wants to go for a ride anyway.”
“You sure?” Monroe asked.
Gil nodded. “Darth can ride in the back with our guests,” he replied.
Rowen and Quinn tensed slightly at the suggestion but immediately covered. “That’s awful kind of you,” Rowen announced with his perfected country boy smile. “We appreciate that.”
Gil then looked back at Monroe. “You wait here, in case our friend shows up.”
Chapter 43
Kirk and Bogart continued across the sanctuary and reached the last habitat before the woods, which was the lion habitat. A pair of sliced zip ties were on the pathway not far from the faux rock formation that contained the habitat entrance. They heard the rattling of chain-link fencing. Both men drew their weapons and hurried around the fake rock wall. Nevada was within the enclosure, kicking the chain-link fence that constituted an entrance gate. Her boot knives were outside the fence, and the gate was held shut with one of her own zip ties. She appeared relieved when she saw the men and attempted to collect her emotions.
“I’m glad to see you guys,” Nevada announced, then touched her bleeding temple. “Get me the hell out of here!”
Kirk placed his finger to his ear transmitter. “Hey, we found Nevada within the lion habitat,” he announced. “She’s alone. It looks as if she’d been in a scuffle.”
Nevada glared at Kirk and raised her brows. “Someone jumped me,” she snarled in response. “Will you get me out of here?”
Bogart frowned and shook his head. “I’m very disappointed in you,” he remarked to the caged woman.
“We all have our off days,” she retorted, then turned demanding. “Are you going to let me out or not?”
“Copy that,” Kirk announced and removed his finger from his ear transmitter. He then looked at Nevada and raised an arrogant brow. “Ross says to sit tight.”
“Sit tight?” Nevada demanded with surprise, then turned angry. “Whoever clobbered me could be heading for Marco as we speak.”
“We already know who clobbered you,” Kirk informed her while sneering his disgust. “You tried to take off with Marco. I wouldn’t doubt you’re working with those two men Gil and Monroe caught by the helicopters.”
“What two men by the helicopters?” Nevada demanded in what almost appeared to be surprise. “Why would you think I took off with Marco?”
“Because Marco is gone,” Kirk informed her, then indicated the sliced zip ties in his hand. “These are yours, aren’t they? We found them around the corner, where Marco attacked you before locking you in the lion habitat.”
Nevada stared at Kirk with a strange look on her face. “He got away?” She shook her head and then turned angry. “I didn’t take off with Marco,” she insisted. “Someone jumped me, and it certainly wasn’t Marco. A professional. They must have gotten to him.” She became enraged. “We need to find him!”
“Oh, stop with the lies!” Kirk shouted in anger. “We already know it was you. Sam told us that you attacked her beyond the zebra paddock.”
Nevada stared at Kirk with horror. Her expression then turned hateful and angry. “She’s a lying bitch!”
“She said she saw you texting someone on your phone,” Bogart remarked while frowning, disappointed in the woman. He shook his head. “Why, Nevada? You put us all in danger. There’s no telling who’s going to show up because of your greed.”
“I didn’t betray anyone,” she cried out in frustration. “You’re taking the word of some park ranger you don’t even know over me!”
“In all fairness, we don’t know you either,” Bogart informed her.
Kirk slapped Bogart’s arm while nodding in agreement. “That’s right,” he announced boldly and glared at Nevada. “We don’t know you. Sam said she saw you on your cell phone. She followed you to where you had Marco and that you attacked her.” His eyes narrowed. “Well, guess what? Marco is gone. We find you locked in a cage and your zip ties on the ground. You sound pretty guilty to me.”
Nevada stared at him in stunned silence with her mouth hanging open. Rage overtook her. “You’re an idiot! I’d never betray Zack,” she cried out, then pointed demandingly. “No matter what shitty things I’d do, he always has my back. I wouldn't do anything that might get him killed.”
Kirk sneered at her and touched his ear transmitter. “Do we have names on those two guys by the helicopters?” He hesitated while listening to the response then looked at Nevada. “Rowen and Quinn.”
Nevada’s expression suddenly dropped.
Kirk smirked at her reaction and nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“I didn’t give them our location,” she announced and again turned angry. “They tracked me down at a crappy roadside motel, but I didn’t give them any information.”
§
Rowen and Quinn climbed into the back of Bogart’s stolen SUV, sliding across the seat. Gil opened the back door on the opposite side for Darth to join them. Gil then hesitated, hearing chatter over his earpiece, and touched his hidden transmitter.
“Huh--?” Gil hesitated only a moment, then drew his weapon and pointed it at the two men. He commanded to the dog in German, “Darth, halten!”
Darth snarled viciously and lunged for the men wh
ile bearing his teeth. Both men slid across the back seat and stared at the snarling, enraged dog that seemed to be waiting for the command to strike. Monroe ran to the opposite side of the car, opened the back door, and aimed his weapon at the men. He had received the same message from Ross over his earpiece as well.
“It seems we almost made a mistake,” Gil announced to the motionless men frightened by the snarling dog. “It was nice of Nevada to confirm your identities to us.”
“Out of the car,” Monroe ordered, indicating his side. “Nice and slow.”
§
Kirk glanced at Bogart and indicated Nevada still locked within the enclosed habitat. “The guys are on their way,” he announced. “We’ll just keep her locked away until they get here.”
Bogart frowned, then eyed Nevada and shook his head with disappointment. “I went to bat for you,” he huffed at the woman. “I thought they were judging you too harshly.” He then eyed Kirk with shame. “I’m always fooled by a pretty face.”
“It’s not your fault,” Kirk informed him, almost showing compassion for once. “Attractive women will always be our downfall.” He then indicated Nevada. “Watch her. I’m going to the woods. See if I can catch up to Marco before he gets too far ahead of us.”
Bogart frowned and nodded. Once Kirk disappeared into the woods, he looked back at the gate. Nevada was gone. It wasn’t as if she could go anywhere. The habitat had chain-link fencing meant to keep lions contained. If lions couldn’t escape, Nevada certainly couldn’t. The sound of the chain-link fence rattling could be heard. Bogart groaned and hurried around the side of the habitat just to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid. He stopped and watched Nevada climbing the eight-foot-tall fencing. Bogart folded his arms across his chest and shook his head while indicating the three rows of barbed wire lined across the top.
“You won’t make it past the barbed wire,” he informed her.
Nevada easily scaled the fence and ignored his words. When she reached the top, she grabbed onto the support pole angled inward, which contained the rows of barbed wire. Bogart stared in silent disbelief as Nevada maneuvered to the end then heaved herself up with astonishing agility, only touching the barbed wire with the soles of her boots. She stood on top of the angled support pole and caught her balance. Bogart stared at her eight feet up in the air and watched as she cautiously walked along the support pole closer to the edge of the fence.
“Don’t do it,” Bogart warned her and hurried closer to the fence.
It now seemed possible that she’d find a way to make it back to the chain-link fence and climb down. Nevada leaned down before Bogart reached her, grabbed the top of the fence beyond the barbed wire, and back flipped, allowing her body to strike the chain-link fence. She released the top of the fence and dropped the remaining couple of feet. Bogart was just about on top of her while reaching for his weapon. Nevada hit the ground and immediately spun into a roundhouse kick for Bogart, knocking the gun from his hand. Bogart was a little surprised by her quick reflexes but took a defensive step back, prepared to take on the nimble woman. She threw a punch for his face, which he immediately blocked and attempted to catch her wrist. Nevada saw the move coming and grabbed his wrist instead, then punched him in the chest with her left fist. The hit wasn’t excessively hard, but it was enough to catch his attention.
Bogart broke free from her grip and attempted to kick her in the side. She delivered a sharp elbow to his leg, which stung like a bastard, then delivered a soft kick to the groin. Bogart went down from the blow, feeling the intense pain. She could have easily gone for the field goal kick in order to disable him effectively, but that didn’t seem to be her objective. Bogart took several deep breaths while pulling himself to his hands and knees. He watched Nevada snatch his discarded weapon along with her boot knives, then take off deeper into the sanctuary. Bogart groaned in discomfort and frustration then touched his ear transmitter.
“Nevada got away,” he announced, alerting the others. “She’s heading deeper into the sanctuary. South, toward the train. She could be leading us to Marco.”
§
The guys were now on the hunt for Nevada after she disappeared from the lion habitat. Jackie and Zack had been heading in the direction she was last seen, but they didn’t find any trace of the crafty woman. While Gil and Monroe drove back to the sanctuary with their two prisoners, Ross and Beck left Sam at the visitor’s center so they could help hunt down Nevada and maybe locate Marco before they breached the security of the sanctuary. Kirk was now backtracking to catch up with Bogart in his search for the missing woman. The sound of Sam’s horse loudly snorting and squealing sent Jackie and Zack to the nearby zebra habitat. They entered the habitat with their weapons drawn and discovered Nevada clutching the saddled horse’s reins while holding Bogart’s gun aimed at Sam. Sam, refusing to be intimidated, had her rifle aimed at Nevada. The two women appeared to be in a stand-off. Both saw Jackie and Zack arrive, but neither took their eyes or weapons off each other.
“I caught her,” Sam announced to Jackie and Zack while keeping her weapon aimed. “She was trying to steal my horse and make a run for it.”
“You lying bitch,” Nevada growled in anger while keeping her attention focused on Sam. “She’s playing you! I never attacked her. She attacked me!”
Sam stared at Nevada and shook her head without lowering her weapon. “She’s a fucking psycho ninja or something,” Sam remarked.
Zack was reluctant to aim his weapon at either woman while attempting to sort out what was happening. It seemed very unlikely that Sam could get the slip-on someone like Nevada.
“Nevada,” Zack calmly announced. “Put the gun down. We’ll sort this out. There’s no need for anyone else to get hurt.”
“I didn’t betray you!” Nevada cried out in anger and possible frustration while keeping her weapon aimed at Sam. She then sneered at the woman ranger. “You’re being played by her. She’s been slinking around here ever since she’d supposedly been shot by poachers.”
“I was shot,” Sam snarled back defensively. “Do you think I shot myself?”
Jackie saw Nevada’s cell phone on the ground not far from them. She picked it up and fiddled with it, hoping to find some of her own answers.
Sam cast a quick look at Zack. “She attacked me because I caught her conspiring with that man and whoever she was exchanging texts with on her phone.”
“I wasn’t conspiring with anyone, and I certainly wasn’t texting anyone,” Nevada scoffed, although it was unclear if it was directed at Sam or Zack.
Zack stood alongside Sam and watched Nevada with a hard to read expression. “Just put the gun down, Nevada,” he insisted. “We can resolve this without aiming weapons.”
“Tell her to put hers down first,” Nevada snarled while sneering at Sam. “I put mine down, and she’s liable to shoot me.”
“You attacked me,” Sam shouted back in anger. “I’m not putting my weapon down. I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you.”
Jackie hacked into Nevada’s cell phone and pressed several buttons. She suddenly tensed then looked up. “Zack,” she announced in a firm tone, alerting Zack even though he didn’t look at her. “Sweep her.”
Without warning, Zack grabbed the barrel of Sam’s rifle with his left hand, jerked it up in the air, and swept Sam’s legs out from under her from behind. Sam crashed to the ground, clutching her injured shoulder from the impact, and groaned. Nevada released the breath she’d been holding and lowered her weapon. Sam scrambled to her knees while clutching her injured shoulder and glared at Zack.
“What the hell--?” Sam cried out then pointed demandingly at Nevada. “You trust her over me?”
“Nope,” Zack casually replied while slinging the rifle over his shoulder. “I trust Jackie.” He then pointed a stern, warning finger at Sam. “Stay down.”
Sam remained on her knees while staring up at Zack and shook her head. “I can’t believe you’d take her side over mine.”
Jackie glanced at Nevada and raised her brow. “You didn’t make any phone calls or send any texts, did you?”
Nevada shook her head. “I told you I didn’t,” she scoffed, still fuming from the incident.
Jackie then looked back at Zack. “Her phone is still in airplane mode, and there aren’t any new text messages,” she informed him, then looked back at Nevada and raised her brows. “Tell Zack what you were doing on your phone when Sam saw you leaving the clinic.”
Nevada frowned and shifted uncomfortably. “I was looking at photos.”
Jackie held up the phone to Zack and showed him the photo of Nevada with Zack’s kids and their friends at the hotel in Maine. Jackie then showed the picture to Nevada.
“This picture?” she asked.
Nevada frowned and looked away without answering.
Jackie then looked back at Zack. “She wasn’t conspiring with other bounty hunters,” she announced. “She misses her family.”
“They’re not my family,” Nevada muttered without looking at either. “I don’t even like them.” She then frowned and seemed almost insecure. “And I’m pretty sure they don’t like me either.”
“I somehow doubt that,” Jackie informed her, then tossed her cell phone to her.
Nevada caught the phone and placed it in her pocket without another word.
Jackie looked back at Zack then indicated Sam. “Sam took Marco,” she insisted. “We need to find out what she did with him.”
Zack glared at Sam, who remained on her knees. “Where’s Marco?”
Sam sneered at Zack. “Fuck off,” she snarled and looked away.
Without looking at Nevada, Zack held up his hand. Nevada tossed him a pair of zip ties. Zack caught them and, without emotion, swiftly zip-tied Sam’s wrists in front of her, not the least bit concerned about the pain it caused her injured shoulder. He pulled her to her feet and nodded toward the clinic. Sam sneered and reluctantly headed in the direction he’d indicated with Zack only a step behind her. Nevada watched them leave, fidgeted, and finally looked at Jackie with some embarrassment.
Witness Protection 9: S.N.A.F.U. Page 33