Of course, Sam was a terrible shot. Guns were something she normally avoided like the plague after growing up with all her father’s violence, but she understood the necessity of being armed in this instance. In truth, images of the shooting that night at the rest area still haunted her. The smell of gunpowder, the loud boom of the bullet firing, the body of the dead marshal hitting the ground…
Distracted, she tripped over a tree root and bumped into Jack’s back, who swiveled fast to catch her, hands on her arms to keep her steady.
“Okay?” he asked, his gaze concerned.
“Fine. Sorry. Just clumsy, I guess.” Embarrassed, she moved around him to continue on, the sound of the rushing river getting louder as they neared. But Jack stopped her with a hand on her arm. Sam glanced back at him. “What?”
“Do you smell that?” He scowled, sniffing the air.
Sam wrinkled her nose, inhaling deep. Dirt, damp, and… “Burning leaves?”
“More than that,” he said, holding a finger over his lips for silence. They crept back toward the cabin, then crouched in the bushes as her heart plummeted to her toes. Two hulking thugs dressed in all black were busy smashing in the windows. Gasoline and lighter fluid wafted heavily on the breeze as black smoke poured out of the burning cabin. All their supplies, their shelter, all of it. Gone.
“Call the fire department! They’re burning everything down!” Sam heart slammed against her ribcage in a frantic beat. “We have to stop them.”
“It’s too late,” Jack said, hands clenched at his sides. He sighed, and his broad shoulders slumped. “They know where you and Glory are. I failed.”
“This isn’t your fault, Jack. My father has spies everywhere.”
“I thought I had accounted for that—but I must have missed something.” He cursed under his breath as one of the thugs took off in the opposite direction through the trees, presumably back to their car to call in a report and receive further instructions. The other henchman stood guard over the fire to keep lookout. Jack shifted position, wincing slightly as his knee cracked. He’d mentioned injuring it. That’s why he’d said he left the SEALs. Sam hoped it wasn’t too painful for him now. They’d have a lot more struggles ahead of them, if the current situation was any indication, and she hated the thought that she was putting him through more hardship, after everything he’d already done. He slid off the Babybjörn and handed Glory over to her with as little noise as possible. Thankfully, their daughter was still snoozing after her breakfast, and wasn’t fussing. Otherwise their hiding spot would’ve been revealed. Sam took their daughter and held her close.
“Okay,” Jack whispered near Sam’s ear, his warm breath making her shiver. “I’m going to take that guy out. While I do that, I want you to head for the SUV. I’ll cover you as best I can. Once I’ve taken him down, we’ll get out of here. It’s our best shot.”
“What about the other thug?” Sam swallowed hard, stroking her daughter’s back. “He’s still out there. He’ll try to stop us.”
“Let me worry about that. You just get to the SUV and get inside. Stay down until you hear from me. Got it?”
Sam nodded, her pulse racing and blood pounding. She stayed behind the bushes until she heard a loud grunt then the sounds of fists hitting flesh. After a deep breath for courage, she took off running toward the SUV, which was parked behind a copse of dense foliage a few hundred yards away. It could’ve been a million miles, since it felt like one of those nightmares where every step forward only put you farther away from your destination. Somehow, she reached the driver’s side of the SUV though and huddled beside it. Even there, with the vehicle at her back, she felt too exposed. Every sound made her jump and her skin prickled like a thousand eyes were watching her from the trees. She needed to get inside the vehicle. Fast.
Jack and the thug tussled and Sam took the distraction as an opportunity to jiggle the rear door on the driver’s side open and clamber inside with Glory, the diaper bag, and the rifle. She closed the door behind her, then cowered on the floor, praying that Jack would knock that bastard working for her father into next year. Cold wind whistled in through the shattered back window of the SUV, ratcheting her tension higher. The sounds of punches and groans continued a few more seconds, then there was silence as a body hit the gravel driveway. A moment later, footsteps crunched on the gravel.
Sam squeezed her eyes shut and prayed again. Please let it be Jack. Please let it be Jack.
She couldn’t peek out the window. If it wasn’t Jack who’d won the fight, then she couldn’t risk the thug taking her out as well, leaving Glory unprotected.
The footsteps approached the SUV and Sam’s breath caught in her chest, her whole body aching with stress. As if picking up on her mother’s turmoil, little Glory stirred and began to fuss. Sam held her closer, willing her to calm down even as her own tension notched higher and higher.
Please let it be Jack. Please let it be Jack.
The driver’s side door opened and Sam peeked one eye open, fearful she’d be staring down the barrel of a gun. Instead, there was Jack’s face, a bit bruised and with a cut oozing on his left cheek, but she’d never seen a more beautiful sight in her life.
“Got the keys and my wallet?” he asked, sliding in behind the wheel.
She fished the items out of the side pocket of the diaper bag, eternally grateful for his SEAL training that had him thinking ten steps of everyone else. He thought he was washed up? She thought he was some kind of superhero. “Here.”
Sam passed him the items, then grabbed his hand and kissed it. “Thank you.”
“We’re not out of the woods yet. Literally.” He gave her a crooked smile and stroked his fingers down her cheek. “Stay down until I give you the all clear, understand? I still can’t figure out how they knew where we were.” He turned back around, then started the engine, punching the accelerator and taking off, any attempt at stealth gone now as they bumped over the rough terrain of the woods, dodging trees and other debris on their way back toward the highway. “We need more help than I can give you. I’ll call my buddy at the marshal’s office and get you back into protective custody as soon as we get somewhere secure.”
She mumbled under her breath and tucked her daughter closer to her heart, giving him a watery smile. She didn’t want to leave him yet, but there was no choice now. They’d make it out of here. They would. Jack and his family might have lost his cousin’s beautiful cabin because of her, but once they were safe, she’d make sure he never lost anything else due to her awful father.
Sixteen
As Jack raced toward the highway, all he cared about was saving Sam and Glory, by any means necessary. He’d taken out one of the thugs, but there was at least one more lurking out here in the forest and Jack needed to eliminate that threat before the guy eliminated them.
Though he knew at least a hundred different ways to kill a man with his bare hands, Jack didn’t want to take anyone’s life if he didn’t have too. The man he’d fought was unconscious, and would likely wake up with a nasty headache, but be otherwise unharmed. This second henchman, though, would be more of a problem. The easiest course of action would be to run him down with the SUV as they raced to safety, but that would be messy and traumatic and could seriously damage the vehicle, so best not to do that if possible. Then there was the possibility that the thug would hide beside the road to try to shoot him through one of the side windows. If Jack had been on a mission, that’s what he’d try to do. Better coverage there for the shooter and he could wait for the perfect moment to take aim.
The gravel drive curved up ahead and Jack’s instincts said that would be the best place for the enemy to lie in wait. Time to prepare. He took one hand off the wheel and reached into the back. “Give me the rifle.”
“Are they out there?” Sam asked, handing him the gun. “How many?”
“I don’t see anyone yet. And I have no idea. We know there’s at least one more because we saw two men at the cabin. They could’ve br
ought reinforcements or the guy might have called more to come in after he left the scene of the fire. I doubt they’d have time to get here yet, but we need to be ready just in case. Keep your head down and keep Glory protected. If things go south and I take a bullet or the car crashes, promise me you’ll get out and run as far and as fast as you can away from here.”
When she didn’t answer right away, he slowed the SUV to a halt and hazarded a look back at her over his shoulder. Sam cowered on the floor of the SUV, her eyes huge in the shadows, tiny Glory in her arms, fussing slightly against her chest. He wanted nothing more than to gather them both close and tell them everything would be all right, even if it wouldn’t. But now was not the time and this was not the place. He needed all his concentration to deal with whatever awaited them ahead. He steeled his voice, hoping it might snap her out of her fear. “Sam, promise me, dammit.”
Her face got even paler, if that were possible, and she swallowed hard. “I promise.”
“Good.” Jack faced front again, chambering a round in the semiautomatic hunting rifle before placing it on the seat beside. “Now brace yourself, sweetheart. Get Glory secured in her car seat then buckle up yourself. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Jack closed his eyes and stilled his mind, the same as he did on his missions right before the big attack. Pictured in his head what he planned to do, then took a deep breath for courage. The low rumble of another engine echoed from ahead and his eyes snapped open again.
Showtime.
Jamming the accelerator down to the floor, Jack peeled around the curve in the road, spitting gravel as he went. Sure enough, there were three goons waiting beside a sedan.
Acting on instinct and pure adrenaline, Jack barreled straight for them, hunching slightly as he reached for the rifle at his side. The henchmen were fully armed as well and aiming for him. He ducked just in time as a bullet shattered the windshield, sending a spray of glass into the front of the vehicle. Sam screamed and ducked over Glory even farther and Jack went into auto-SEAL mode. Steering with one hand, he fired and hit one of the thugs in the thigh. Not a fatal wound, but enough to take the man out of commission. The corner of the right front bumper clipped another one as he tried to fire on Jack again, sending the second henchman tumbling backward through the trees. Jack glanced in the rearview mirror to see the guy sit up and shake his head, dazed but alive. Good. Two down, one to go.
Thug number three, the same man who’d walked away from the fire at the cabin, held a cell phone to his ear with one hand and a Glock in the other. His gaze never wavered from Jack as he fired off round after round into the SUV. Jack was crouched low in his seat while still trying to steer the car to safety. In the distance, the highway beckoned. Much as he hated death, he’d do what was necessary to save Sam and Glory. He raised the rifle and aimed for the man dead center in the middle of the road ahead, blocking his path. Pulled the trigger and… Nothing.
Jack shook the rifle and tried again. Nada.
The damned rifle was jammed. Cheap piece of crap. He was coming up fast on the third thug and Lord only knew who the guy was talking to on the phone—how many additional reinforcements he was calling in. Not to mention those bullets were getting far too close for comfort. The driver’s side and front passenger window were gone now too, glass littering the interior of the SUV like glitter. Sam’s ragged breaths were loud in his ears, as were Glory’s wails. Time to take this guy out, one way or another. Jack growled and made a beeline for the thug, one hand still holding the useless rifle while steering with the other. Closer, closer. A bullet pinged off the dashboard and grazed Jack’s right shoulder, but he barely felt the sting. The only thing on his mind now was getting out, getting away, getting to freedom and safety.
At the last second, the thug sidestepped the SUV and Jack took his opportunity, striking out with the butt of the rifle at the guy’s head as they raced past, scoring a direct hit on the asshole’s forehead. From the spray of blood and the crunch of bone he’d heard, the dude would have a skull fracture at least. Served the bastard right.
He didn’t slow until he squealed onto the two-lane highway, the wind whipping around him and the smell of burnt rubber stinging his nose. They probably looked like escapees from a Mad Max film, with their busted car and tattered appearance, but he didn’t care. They’d run the gauntlet and made it out alive. That’s all that mattered.
“You okay back there?” he asked as he slowed his speed to a more reasonable pace. His poor SUV was breaking about fifteen traffic laws as it was in its current state and he had a feeling the insurance company would have some serious questions about the damage, but damn if he could bring himself to care at the moment.
“Jack,” Sam said, her tone rough. “You’re bleeding.”
“Huh?” He frowned and looked down at his right arm where the bullet had grazed him. Blood was pouring from the wound and pain came rushing back. He gritted his teeth. “It’s nothing. Are you and Glory all right?”
“We’re fine,” she said, scowling. “But that doesn’t look like nothing. We should go to the ER.”
“We can’t go to the ER. You’re in hiding, remember?” He exhaled slowly. He really was getting too old for this shit. His body ached all over and his right arm was throbbing now. “We’ll find a new place to hunker down and you can get us some fresh supplies and first aid things at the store. You aren’t squeamish, are you?”
She gave him a perturbed glare, bouncing Glory on her shoulder and rubbing her back to try and calm her. “I’m a scientist. Of course I’m not squeamish. I work with sea mammals for a living. Believe me, I’ve seen more than my share of guts and gore in my time. But your wound looks like it might need stitches. I don’t have any idea how to do that.”
“I do.” He shifted slightly, then winced as fresh agony tore up from his arm to the side of his neck and head. On the battlefield, he and the rest of his SEAL team had trained as basic EMTs so they could perform emergency medical procedures until help arrived. He’d stitched up a few other guys in combat. It would be harder to do on himself, but not impossible. If worse came to worse, he could talk Sam through it too. He caught her worried gaze in the mirror and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “We’ll get through this, I promise. Trust me?”
Sam blinked at him a few times before giving a curt nod. “I don’t have much choice.”
Seventeen
After getting them checked into some fleabag motel off the highway, where the manager looked more like a pimp and there were thirty channels of porn on pay-per-view, Jack pulled his once spiffy SUV around the back of the building to hide it from any nosy passersby, then secured them in the small room he’d rented for the night with cash.
Sam was in the bathroom, getting Glory ready for bed, so Jack flopped down on the king-sized bed in the room and stared up at the water-stained ceiling. The beige paint was peeling in spots and the air smelled musty. He didn’t want to even consider what had caused the stains on the worn brown carpet and God forbid someone turn a black light on in here to reveal the bodily fluids left behind by previous guests.
Still, his arm was killing him and he felt weary to his very bones. He needed to call Zeke and arrange for a real protective detail to come and get Sam and their daughter. He wasn’t capable of taking care of them any longer. In truth, maybe he never had been good enough. And wasn’t that just a kick in the pants?
Jack groaned and rubbed his tired eyes. What a freaking mess.
“Hey, I’m done in the bathroom,” Sam said, coming out with Glory in her arms. “Let me get her fed, then I’ll help you clean your arm up.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, then rolled off the bed. She deserved so much better than him. An odd mix of guilt and tenderness swept through him, threatening to take him under as he watched her talk to Glory as she fed her a bottle, making the baby squirm and laugh with delight. So precious. So sweet. So far out of his league that he had no shot of keeping them in his life now. Best to cut ties and let t
hem move on without him.
“I’m gonna take a shower,” he said, heading for the bathroom without waiting for her reply. Once Jack was safely locked away, he turned on the water and let it run while he peeled off his clothes, layer by painful layer. While he’d won the fight with the first henchman, the guy had gotten in a couple well-placed blows, leaving Jack with a nice set of bruised ribs and a nasty gash on his cheek. Couple that with the constant, stinging pain from the bullet grazing his right arm and he felt like he was falling apart.
The blood had dried on his wound, making pulling the cloth of his shirt away a new experience in agony. His breath hissed through his clenched teeth as he ripped the shirt sleeve away and fresh blood seeped from the cut across his bicep. Cursing low, he tossed his things aside and finished stripping before stepping under the hot spray of the shower and letting it ease away his aches and pains. Too bad he couldn’t have one of these to soothe his aching heart.
After scrubbing down and drying off, he got out and wrapped the damp towel around his hips. He rinsed out his shirt and jeans as best he could, then hung them over the side of the tub to dry. Finished, he walked back out into the room to find Sam waiting for him. They’d managed to stop by a superstore and grab what first aid supplies they had, as well as a sewing kit, some snacks to tide them over until morning, and a fresh set of clothes for each of them.
“C’mon over here and let me see the damage,” she said, waving him to sit on the edge of the bed near her. “You look like you’ve been run over by a Mac truck.”
“Thanks,” he said, reluctantly doing as she told him. He wasn’t used to people fussing over him. Well, other than his mom. But that’s what mothers did. In the SEALs, you took care of others first and yourself last. Having Sam dote on him was a new experience. Not to mention the soft touch of her fingers on his sensitive flesh was sending all sorts of naughty urges zinging through his body. But now wasn’t the time and she wasn’t the person he should be doing that with. The fact he’d slept with her once already again was bad enough. It had been wonderful, but there couldn’t be a repeat performance. To allow further distractions now could be a death sentence for them all. Her father was ruthless and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. The fact he’d burned down the cabin and tried to have Sam killed meant he had no care for anyone but himself. Nope. The best thing Jack could do to keep Sam and Glory safe was to let them go. He sighed and stared down at his bare toes. “You don’t have to do this. I can handle it myself.”
The Protective SEAL Page 10