Deadly Mountain Refuge: Mountain Ambush ; Mountain Hideaway

by Christy Barritt

  The space was still cold, even though she was inside now.

  Based on the echo of footsteps, she imagined the space to be open, airy and uncluttered.

  Was she in a warehouse of some sort?

  Finally, someone shoved her into a chair. She flinched as her back hit the wood there.

  Then the bag over her head was snatched away.

  She blinked at the bright light. Squinted at the men surrounding her. Squinted when she saw... Leo.

  * * *

  Trent pulled into the town of Wilmington Springs. He remembered the address Tessa had read to him. 123 Arnold Drive.

  “Bad news,” Zach said. “There is no 123 Arnold Drive.”

  “They had to use an address to register the car with the DMV.”

  “You know people fake documents like that all the time, right?”

  Trent nodded, coming to a stop at a red light and resisting the urge to punch his steering wheel with frustration. “Yeah, I know.”

  “We’ve got to think. Maybe the address they chose has some kind of significance.”

  Trent racked his brain, trying to remember that conversation. “There was a name associated with it. Tom Tracy.”

  “I’ll look him up and see if I can find out anything.” Zach punched something into his phone. “What do you know? There is a Tom Tracy living in Wilmington Heights.”

  “Address?”

  “Looks like it’s 121 Arthur Avenue. It’s so similar that no one would probably think twice about it if he was pulled over.”

  “Clever. Now tell me how to get there.”

  They zipped down the road, the tension between Trent’s shoulders growing by the moment. He needed a plan for what he would do when he got there. Zach was too injured to help. Which left Trent pretty much on his own.

  He had confidence in his abilities, but he had to be smart. One man against at least six—probably more—was a bad idea.

  “Zach, I need you to call my friend with the FBI.”

  “You know they might arrest her, right?”

  “I know. But without backup she’ll be dead. I have hope that when they hear her story, they’ll understand. I know Leo has planted evidence against Tessa. But there’s a lot of proof here to convict Leo, too.”

  “Okay,” Zach said, raising his phone to make the call.

  Trent slowed as they pulled up to an aluminum-sided building in the distance. A chain-link fence, at least nine feet high, surrounded it, and there were no other structures around.

  This looked like the perfect place for Leo and his men to plan their nefarious operations.

  He pulled off the road and into the woods, hopefully where no one would spot them.

  “Zach, if anything happens, I need you to turn this over to the authorities.” Trent slid the jump drive into his friend’s hand. At least if he and Tessa didn’t make it out of this, Leo could still pay for his actions and they could save the lives of thousands of people by unveiling these terrorists and their plans.

  “Trent, you should wait until backup gets here.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t. Tessa could be in there. Waiting could mean losing her.”

  Zach stared at him a moment before letting out a breath. “Let’s go, then.”

  “You’re staying here. With this jump drive. You’re not in a position to help me right now. I think you have some broken ribs and maybe even a concussion. The best thing you can do for me is to be a lookout.”

  Zach winced as if pain rushed through him again. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. Be careful, man. I’ll be praying.”

  “Okay.”

  Trent stepped out, ready to save the woman he loved.

  * * *

  “Well, hello, my darling,” Leo crooned, a wickedly charming smile on his face.

  Tessa didn’t even try to hold back her sneer. She jerked against the zip ties that kept her in her chair, knowing it would do no good. His face was not a welcome one.

  He ran a finger down her jawline. “You left so abruptly all those months ago. I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye.”

  Leo looked as slick as ever. He had thick blond hair, perfect teeth and tanned skin that looked as fake as his smile. His clothes were expensive, and he had cultured motions.

  She pulled away from his touch. “That’s because I never wanted to see you again.”

  “Well, you don’t always get what you want, do you?” He dropped his hand back to his side.

  “Why’d you bring me here?”

  “Isn’t that obvious? To make you pay.”

  “Just kill me,” she seethed.

  “That would be too easy.”

  “You just want to revel in your supposed brilliance.”

  The smile disappeared from his face. He slid his fingers to the base of her neck and tightened them. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? What did you do with all of the information you stole from me?”

  She tried to suck in a breath, but he squeezed out her ability to speak. She pushed back her panic, though. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. Not yet.

  “I don’t have it,” she croaked.

  “Then, where is it?”

  “It’s gone.”

  “Do I need to do something to jolt your memory?” He leaned closer, his glare deepening.

  How could she have ever thought he was handsome? He was conniving and selfish. “I couldn’t let you kill innocent people. Thousands of them. Millions, maybe. There were things at stake more important than my safety.”

  He let go of her and coolly walked away, letting out a detached laugh. “I have to admit, you still impress me. Just like you did when we were engaged.”

  “That was my first mistake.”

  His laugh increased. “And you’re still feisty. I feared you might lose some of your spirit. I always thought we were good together.”

  “You’re delusional.”

  “We could still be good together, you know. We could forget all of this. Go and live our happy-ever-after together. What do you think?”

  The thought turned her stomach. “I think you’re crazy.”

  “Have it your way, then. My way was much more enjoyable.” He paced in front of her and his gaze burned into her. “You did a better job hiding than I thought you would. I figured my men would find you the first week you were gone. There are so many means to track people nowadays after all.”

  “You were very clever, keeping tabs on my mom. I’m surprised she didn’t see through you. The one thing I still don’t understand is this—why? Why would you side with men who want to kill? Why would you go through all of this trouble?”

  “Do you know what kind of money is available when you smuggle blueprints for weapons of mass destruction, drones and chemical agents?”

  “But you’re already rich.”

  “One can never have too much money,” he said.

  “This has to be about more than that.” She simply couldn’t fathom someone going to these extremes to obtain more cash. Then again, money had never had a big appeal for her like it did for some.

  “Enough talking.” He abruptly snapped back into homicidal-maniac mode. “I’ve thought long and hard about this. Bernard is going to help you understand what a waste of time and resources your betrayal has been. Bernard.”

  A man stepped forward. He didn’t look as imposing as she might have thought. In fact, he appeared to be less than five feet tall. He was scrawny, with greasy hair and a receding hairline.

  Then he flashed his knife.

  Blood rushed through Tessa as she braced herself for whatever was about to come.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Trent managed to find an unlatched door. He stepped into a warehouse type of building that had been broken up into smaller spaces. The lights were dim and fluorescent, creating a subtle bu
zz.

  He held his gun close as he gently closed the door behind him. He didn’t see anyone, but he had to be careful.

  Somewhere in the distance he heard murmuring.

  What was this place used for? Was this where they ensured the artwork actually contained blueprints for top secret weapons? Was this place where all of the operations were based?

  He didn’t have time to ponder it now.

  Footsteps came closer.

  He pressed himself against the wall near the corner, his heart rate increasing with anticipation. Just as a man stepped toward the door, Trent brought the butt of his gun down on his head. With a moan, the man sank to the floor, out cold.

  He grabbed the man’s gun and slid it into the back of his waistband. One man down; how many more to go? He wished he knew.

  Cautiously he moved forward. If Zach had called his contact with the FBI, then there was a possibility they could be here as soon as ten or fifteen minutes. That was good, because time was of the essence here.

  He heard voices coming his way—at least two different people. He ducked into a room—a dark room with various boxes lined against the wall. And paintings. There were paintings in here.

  He peered through the crack in the door and saw Leo passing.

  “What are you going to do with her once we’re done?” the other man asked.

  “Dispose of her body,” Leo said. “I’m thinking the ocean. Make it look like a suicide. With any luck, her body will be sucked out to sea and no one will ever find it.”

  “What about that man who’s been traveling with her?”

  “We can take care of him. He’ll be tougher because of his connections with law enforcement. If he makes any accusations against us, we’ll deny it. It’s not as if he has any proof.”

  The men’s voices faded, but the fire inside Trent grew. He had to get to Tessa. Now.

  Once the hallway was silent again, he stepped out. He kept his steps light as he headed toward the opposite end of the building.

  The voices he’d heard in the distance became louder. He was getting closer.

  Finally, he paused outside a door.

  A scream sounded inside.

  Tessa.

  That was Tessa.

  He had to get to her.

  * * *

  When Tessa felt the knife prick the skin on her wrist and then saw the red blood appear, she couldn’t stop the scream from surging out from her throat. She could try to be tough all she wanted, but pain was pain.

  With a new faith in Christ, she wasn’t afraid of death. However, the process of dying seemed terrifying. Besides, when she thought of her family, she had a reason to live. When she thought about Trent, she knew she wanted more than anything to explore what a relationship with him might be like.

  Bernard smiled at her again. He was missing teeth and the few he had were brown or yellowed. Her arm ached after the first cut. She knew there was more to come.

  Against her will, tears rushed to her eyes.

  She fought against the restraints, trying to get away. She knew her effort was futile, but she didn’t stop trying.

  “Struggling will only make this more painful,” Bernard said, displaying a crooked smile.

  “It’s too bad Leo isn’t enough of a man to do this himself. He has to get you to do his dirty work.”

  Bernard chuckled. “I’ll pass on the message. But until then, we have other business to attend to.” He stepped closer.

  A groan escaped her lips, belying her defiant tone.

  Just as he lowered his knife toward the skin on her other arm, the door burst open.

  In a flurry of events, she spotted Trent. His gun was raised. Quickly, he pulled the trigger, first hitting Bernard and then the other two men in the room. Each of them moaned with pain, clutching their shoulders or knees. Not lethal shots, but shots meant to hinder, to slow down their efforts. She could respect that.

  A tear of joy cascaded down her cheek. Trent was here. Maybe she did have a reason to hope she might survive.

  Moving quickly, he grabbed Bernard’s knife and cut the ties around her arms. “Are you okay?” he asked, tenderness softening his voice.

  She nodded. “Better now that you’re here.”

  He glanced down at her arm and blanched.

  As Bernard started to sit up, Trent slammed his fist against the man’s head and he slumped back to the ground. “We’ve got to get out of here. Now.”

  She nodded, knowing better than to argue.

  Trent pulled her out of the chair, glanced around and then walked toward the door. He scanned the hallway before leading her out. “You know another way to leave this place?”

  “I was blindfolded. No idea.”

  He led her down the hallway. Footsteps and shouts sounded in the distance.

  Tessa knew that with the gunfire, Leo would quickly discover what had happened. They didn’t have much time.

  They reached the end of the hallway. It was a dead end.

  This wasn’t good.

  She looked up at Trent and saw the contemplation on his face. Finally, he pulled her into a room off the hallway and put a finger over his lips to signal silence. She froze, hardly able to breathe as she listened to the footsteps coming closer.

  How many men had she seen? There were at least three or four more. Could Trent handle them on his own?

  Now that they were on to the fact that Trent was here, it seemed unlikely. They were too outnumbered.

  But she wouldn’t give in to despair. There was no time for that.

  “Where could they have gone?” a voice that clearly belonged to Leo exploded. “Find them. Now. Kill them when you do. I don’t have time for any more of these games.”

  Trent’s grip on her biceps tightened and he shoved her farther behind him. He had his gun in his hands.

  “Check the rooms!”

  Tessa’s heart rate quickened.

  Slowly, Trent leaned down and grabbed a metal doorstop from the floor. With measured movements, he tossed it down the hallway. The men turned toward the sound. When they did, Trent stepped out and fired.

  Tessa gasped at the sound. Her ears would be ringing for days. If she lived that long.

  He emerged into the hallway and kicked the men’s guns out of the way. Tessa grabbed one and raised it.

  They took a step down the hallway. Just then, a man stepped out behind Tessa. His arm went around her neck and, with one squeeze, her gun clattered to the floor.

  * * *

  Trent turned and spotted the beefy man who’d grabbed Tessa. He raised his gun.

  “Let her go,” he ordered.

  “Put the gun down or I’ll kill her,” the man said.

  “I’d do what he says,” someone with a smooth voice said behind Trent.

  Trent didn’t have to look over his shoulder to know it was Leo speaking. His gut told him that the man had a gun pointed at him.

  He took one last glance at Tessa, hoping she could read the apology in his eyes. Terror stained her gaze, clutching his heart with grief at the sight.

  “Put the gun down,” the man behind him said again.

  “Don’t do it, Trent,” Tessa said, her voice raspy and strained.

  “I don’t have a choice.”

  “They’ll...kill...you,” she whispered.

  “If I don’t put this down, they’ll kill you,” he said. “I’m sorry I let you down.”

  Slowly, he raised his free hand and lowered the gun to the floor. He couldn’t take the chance. But he didn’t know how he was going to get out of this.

  Leo strode closer. “Well, wasn’t that a beautiful display of young love. You both just made my job easier. I thought I was going to have to track you down, too, but you showed up here. Now I don’t have to. I like it when things are easy.”

/>   “You’re not going to get away with this,” Trent assured him.

  Leo shrugged. “Sure I will. I always do. With money, you can get away with a lot of things. Everything is going to look like Tessa is behind it. I’ll testify that I caught her using my business to do arms deals. I’ve even had some photos altered to show her meeting in the park with a member of a terrorist group. I always say, leave no stone unturned. It’s why I’m so good at what I do. It’s all in the details.”

  The man’s cockiness set his nerves on edge.

  Tessa gasped for air in the other man’s grip. Blood from her wound dripped on the floor, and her face took on a pale hue.

  “Let her go!” Trent said, desperate to reach her, to protect her.

  Leo chuckled beside him. “I need to make her pay for what she did to me. Don’t you understand that? Haven’t your investigative skills come in handy at all?” He paced around him. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

  “I’m smart enough to know that love means not hurting or using or mistreating the object of your affection.”

  “Life is too short not to use people to your advantage.” Leo’s smile disappeared as he nodded toward the man holding Tessa. “Now finish the job.”

  Just as Leo said the words, he raised his gun at Trent.

  As instinct kicked in, Trent swung his foot and knocked the gun from Leo’s hands. Wasting no time, Trent grabbed the weapon and aimed it at Tessa’s attacker. The bullet hit him in the throat. The shot was enough to loosen the man’s hold on Tessa. She crumpled to the ground, crawling away from the man.

  Just as the man reached for her, Trent took another shot, hitting his shoulder. The thug howled with pain.

  When Trent turned back around, he saw that Leo had grabbed his gun again and was pointing it right at him.

  He dived out of the way, knowing he probably wouldn’t make it in time.

  Tessa let out a cry and lunged toward Leo. She hit his knees just as he fired. The bullet veered past Trent, skimming the sleeve of his jacket.

  “Freeze. FBI!” Four men appeared down the hallway.