“Your record will show up soon enough.” The colonel opened his file folder. “Now, you’re an interesting person, Dr. Adams. You’re an archeologist caught up in a subversive organization.”
“Your information is wrong.” Hester’s voice was only mildly curious. “I came to Turkey to see Gobekli Tepe.”
“Strangely enough, we found a lot of dead men there.” The colonel tapped his fingers on the file folder. “I doubt that is a coincidence.”
She shrugged. “They attacked one of my colleagues.”
“A Joshua Graves to be exact.” Schneider looked up from his papers and glared at Hester. “He’s a subversive known to us.”
“Who are you?” Hester’s tone was aggressive. “I’m an American citizen and you have no right to hold me against my will.”
“Ah, but I do.” The colonel raised an eyebrow. “You are in my custody and will remain so for the rest of your life. No one leaves here.”
Hester sat back and crossed her arms. “Nobody has that much power.”
“You and your collaborators know exactly what we’re capable of.” He leaned forward. “It was foolish to rebel against us. Now, I need the names of your contacts.”
“I wouldn’t give you information like that even if I knew.”
Schneider chuckled. “That’s where you’re wrong. Once I send you a few more floors below ground, we’ll know everything about you. There are no defenses against the techniques our friends use.”
Hester frowned. “Is this another secret government agency?”
“You know who they are.” Schneider slammed his folder shut. “The Albireons have helped us for years. The threat you and your friends represent will not be tolerated. You will tell us everything you know, and after that, I will enjoy watching you die.”
“Enough.” Eogan growled. “I will not allow you to threaten the life of a woman and not take action.”
“Try it.” Schneider’s moved back from the table. “No man escapes here alive.”
Eogan’s patience had ended.
The man’s over confidence would be his downfall.
He pushed Hester on the ground at the same time as he elbowed the man beside him in the gut and grabbed his rifle. He aimed and killed one soldier before the others could react. Eogan stood and pulled the still groaning victim of his elbow in front of him. He used him as a shield. The two other soldiers fired their weapons, killing their comrade.
Eogan shot both of them through the forehead before turning the gun on Schneider.
“Who are you?” He was reaching for his weapon.
“I am a Hunter.” He shot the colonel through the heart. “No man threatens a woman and lives.”
Eogan then shot him in the forehead.
Schneider fell face forward on the table.
In the next second, the door to the room opened and three other military men barged in firing their weapons.
Eogan continued to use the lifeless soldier in his arms as a shield and killed the new arrivals. There was silence after that. He steadied his breathing as he waited and listened for reinforcements. None came. Eogan dropped the dead man, and went to the door. He checked the hallway for more attackers, but it was empty. Schneider had underestimated his enemy. It was a serious mistake that had proved fatal for the colonel.
Eogan reentered the interrogation room and shut the door.
Hester was still on the floor, shielded by the table.
She looked up at him. “Are you hurt?” Her voice was shaking.
Eogan shook his head. “We need to go. They have to report on a regular basis. One missed call will alert the base to a problem.”
Hester scrambled out from under the table and grabbed her bag. “I’m more than ready to leave this place.”
“Stay behind me.”
Eogan swung the strap of the rifle over his shoulder and picked up two abandoned pistols. He put one in his waistband, and kept the other in his hand as he opened the door. He checked the hall again. It was clear. He motioned Hester to follow him. Together they left the room and started down the maze of hallways. If this place was like Pine Gap, the bank of elevators would be in the center. He moved in that direction.
Footsteps sounded from one of the corridors.
Eogan flattened his side against the wall, keeping Hester covered.
He felt her hands flutter against his back, and as much as he longed to take her in his arms and comfort her, he forced himself to focus on whoever was headed their direction. Within seconds, the men had rounded the corner. There were three in all.
Eogan grabbed the first one by the neck and used his weapon to shoot the next two before tightening his hold on his captive. “Report that everything is okay.”
He snatched the man’s radio and jerked him tighter before holding it to his mouth. “Now.”
“Everything is under control,” the soldier said.
Eogan turned the transmitter off.
He then pulled the entry card from his prisoner’s waistband and handed it to Hester. “Unlock the door across the way.”
Once it was open, he hauled his prisoner into it and hit him over the head with the end of the pistol. The man dropped to the ground unconscious. Eogan dragged the two dead men into the room, and then locked the door. He picked up their assault rifles from the hall floor, and slung them on his shoulder. He would need all the firing power at his disposal to get them out of the base.
“That should give us extra time.”
Hester nodded, but Eogan could tell she was shaken by what had happened. He pulled her close. “There was no choice. It might have been more merciful if I’d killed the last man because once the Albireons find out he failed, they will order him shot.”
“It’s all so horrible.” Hester’s voice was hoarse. “Yesterday I didn’t know that such a place like this existed. Now, I’ll never forget it.”
“We can worry about this once we’re off the base.” Eogan took her hand and started down the hall. “I will not rest until I know you are safe.”
They reached the bank of elevators, and when the door opened, Eogan stretched up and hit the camera with the butt of one of the assault weapons. They would send someone to check the malfunctioning unit, but they would have already made their escape from the base. He took the entry card from Hester and swiped it before pushing the ground button. The elevator jerked and then began its ascent.
Hester opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed a finger against her lips. They may not see them, but the audio feed would still be connected. She seemed to understand right away and instead of speaking, she leaned into him. He sent her strength and energy.
There was still a long way to go before they would be free. The elevator stopped with a jerk on the second floor. Eogan pulled Hester behind him and moved to the side, gun ready to shoot. He eased the tension from his muscles and waited.
“I hope you can convince him we need a reasonable solution to this problem.” A male voice was speaking just outside the open door. Eogan could see the man’s reflection in the shiny metal on the rear elevator wall. The man was alone, and he was holding something in his hand.
His chest tightened as he recognized the voice.
It was General Carter, his handler from Pine Gap.
“I’m all for using force in this situation.” The general paused for a few seconds and then the sound of the elevator bell had him turning toward the open door. “I don’t know who they’ve captured, but Schneider thinks I should handle it personally.”
Eogan stilled his breathing.
Fear was emanating from Hester, but he blocked it. His complete focus on this situation was necessary if they were to stay alive. Every cell in his body screamed to kill this man who had caused him so much pain over the years. He had to hold himself back from jumping out of the elevator and ripping his enemy apart with his bare hands.
Hester was the reason he hesitated.
He couldn’t risk endangering her life.
The general
had to finish his telephone conversation before he could kill him. Anything else was too risky and might alert someone to their escape. Once he hung up, then Eogan would attack.
“I think we need to handle this before it gets out of control. There are too many eyes on it.” The general put his hand on the elevator door to prevent it shutting. “Let me assess the prisoner on Level Four and see what she knows. I’ll get back to you.”
They had just escaped from Level Four.
Hester was the situation that needed to be handled. If Carter was involved, then that meant certain death. He didn’t care about gathering information. He had authorized the ambush to kill Eogan and the other members of the raiding team in Syria. Once a person was of no further use, Carter had them eliminated. He would do the same with Hester.
There was only one solution.
Carter had to die.
As the man took a step toward the elevator, Eogan readied himself.
Chapter 16
Hester’s worse fears had come true.
Within seconds, they would be captured again.
Hester held her breath and shut her eyes. She willed the man to move away from the elevator. She’d seen too much death in the last few minutes, and she didn’t think she could stomach anymore. Eogan would kill this man. She had no doubt of that. It was only a matter of timing.
A phone rang.
The man took his hand off the door and answered. “Carter here.”
The door closed, and the elevator continued its ascent. Hester released the breath she’d been holding and leaned her head against Eogan’s back. That had been close. She didn’t know if she was up to any more of this adventure. She might have longed for excitement when she was huddled in her cozy apartment doing research, but she’d had enough.
Adventure was overrated.
There was a lot to be said for living a boring life.
A second later, the doors opened, and they walked out into a huge structure. She looked around the hangar-like building, noting the parked military vehicles and the sounds of music coming from somewhere on the right. She’d been wrong with her first assessment. The place wasn’t empty, she just couldn’t see anyone.
“That was General Carter.” Eogan’s low voice rumbled through her.
“You knew him?”
Eogan nodded. “He was my handler for many years. He sent me on my last mission. It was an ambush and intended to kill me.”
“It’s a good thing we got out of that interrogation room when we did.” Hester shivered as she considered what could have happened if Eogan had been found out.
“We do not have long before they send someone after us.”
Eogan motioned her to a delivery truck ten feet away. The logo on the side announced that it was an international courier service and its rear door was open. Maybe she could mail herself home?
Hester moved fast to keep pace with Eogan who was heading for the vehicle. When he got there, he looked underneath and then inside. The driver was nowhere in sight. Eogan grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up into the truck. He crouched low, and she saw him move to the side and examine the wheels. A minute later he was back.
“They checked the truck going into the base.” Eogan jumped up beside her. “There will be no need to check it when it leaves.”
“Are you certain?” Hester looked around at the packages piled high against the steel panel walls.
“No, but we’ll take that chance.” Eogan moved her behind a large box. “To be safe, you will hide.”
“What about you?”
“I need to insure the driver doesn’t deviate from his route. If he does, then I will take over the driving.”
“That means you’ll kill him.”
“Only if he’s a threat.” Eogan would have said more but the stomping of boots stopped him.
He moved closer and crouched down beside her. He was like a beautiful animal of prey, his body poised to attack at the slightest provocation. Hester marveled that they had made it this far. There were voices and footsteps approaching them. She held her breath and strained her ears to listen to what was being said outside of the truck. Snippets of words were all that came through.
Delivery.
Speed.
Next time.
There was a scraping sound at the rear door and then the thump of something being thrown into the vehicle. Seconds became minutes as Hester listened to boxes being loaded. As long as they kept the packages near the door, and didn’t reorganize the load, they should be safe. Several beats of silence were followed by the slam of metal against metal when the rear door was shut.
She exhaled the breath she’d been holding and sagged against a box behind her. She heard the cab door of the truck open and then the engine roar to life. They moved ahead with a jolt and the sound of grinding gears. Hester’s heartbeat returned to normal. They had made it past the first barrier to freedom.
Hester plopped down on the floor. Her legs were too weak to hold her up any longer. If they had to run again she needed to conserve her strength. Eogan, didn’t seem to tire. She felt a glow of heat race through her as she thought about his declaration. They were pair bonds. She didn’t care what he called it.
It was love.
Love had entered her life after she’d given up all hope of ever finding it. She wanted to hold it tight and luxuriate in the bliss and euphoria that surrounded her whole being. She was in love and it was heavenly.
Eogan glanced over at her. “You are happy.” It was a statement, not a question.
She nodded. He’d sensed her feelings. “When will we know we’re safe?”
“The driver has to pass two gates before he will be on the outside. There should be a quick inspection of his logbook and then they’ll let him through.”
“I hope so.” Hester sighed. “I want to go home.”
“We will arrange that after we are free. There will be no tracking device this time.” Eogan’s voice was a low whisper as the truck geared down. “This is the first checkpoint.”
Hester ducked further behind the box and Eogan moved to the opposite side of the van. If someone looked in from the rear, they wouldn’t be able to see either of them. The voice of the driver was a mumble of words she couldn’t interpret. She clenched her fingers together and waited to see if they passed the barrier.
Seconds later, the truck was in motion again.
She grinned over at Eogan. “One more guard post.”
Eogan nodded, and loosened his hold on the assault rifle. He checked the magazine for cartridges and then reinserted it into the gun. Hester’s eyes widened. He was preparing for a confrontation. It had to be a precaution. They’d made it through the first barrier without a problem.
The next stop was several minutes later. Again, she snuggled further into the boxes. Eogan did the same, with one exception, he aimed the rifle at the door. She heard the distinct sound of boots walking along the side of the truck.
The footsteps stopped at the rear.
A bang reverberated through the metal box of the truck before the latch was pushed aside. Hester brought her arms and legs closer to her body, trying to become as small as possible. As long as they only took a look from the outside, they would be safe. Her breath caught in her throat and she closed her eyes so she wouldn’t see what was happening.
She felt the rush of air on her face when the rear door opened. There were the voices of several men and what sounded like someone stepping onto the vehicle. A few more words and then the scraping sound of boxes being shoved aside. Her heart beat frantically as she waited for them to walk further into the truck. Once they did, Eogan would have no choice but to shoot.
Footsteps came toward her and stopped.
She heard the tearing of paper.
The slide of cardboard against metal boomed in her ears.
The stomp of boots echoed as someone turned and moved to the exit. They jumped down with a soft thud, and Hester eased the tension in her body. They weren’t in the c
lear yet, but they were safe for a few minutes longer. She prayed they would let them leave and not call for someone else to search the truck.
Time dragged to a halt as she counted the seconds with her heartbeats.
A wave of calm flowed through her.
She opened her eyes and stared into the dark orbs of Eogan. She saw her future in his gaze. His gun was aimed and ready to defend them. No matter what happened at this check station, they would survive. Even if he had to kill all the guards and drive the truck himself, they would escape this place.
The men’s voices were low and then she heard the slam of the rear door. They must have been satisfied with what they’d seen because the footsteps moved away. Hester exhaled a deep breath and leaned back. All they had to do was wait for the driver to pull away from the base and their escape would be complete.
They drove for several miles before the vehicle jerked to the right and slowed down.
Eogan motioned for her to join him. “He is stopping.”
“Is it scheduled?”
He shook his head. “I punctured one of the front tires so it would leak air slow enough he’d make it through the base, but not into town.”
“Wouldn’t it have been easier for us to escape in a populated area?”
“Too dangerous.”
Eogan waited until the truck stopped and then unlatched the rear door. He jumped down and held his arms up for her. Once she was on the ground, he closed the door and they rushed to the opposite side of the road. The driver was just leaving the cab of the vehicle by the time they had found cover behind some rocks.
“Can you walk?”
“I’ll have to.” Hester stayed low and followed Eogan until they were out of sight, then she stood and stretched. “How much time before they start the search?”
“They’ll look for the truck first.”
“So that’s why you wanted us to leave?” She was impressed.
Eogan offered his hand so she could scramble down a shallow ditch. “We must keep moving. We have to find shelter so that we can avoid any aerial detection.”
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