“You didn’t answer my question.” Sutton interrupted my internal volleys.
“No. I wouldn’t be willing to stake my life on it. But what if she is in danger because she’s my friend? The assassin could go after her to get to me.”
“Then as soon as we get to post, we’ll have her taken into protective custody,” Nolan said.
I sat back and relaxed. Yeah, Smitty would never be involved in what they claimed. If anyone could be the assassin, it would be the first sergeant. The man hated me.
Chapter Ten
Hmmmmmm. A hum came from behind us. I twisted in my seat and looked over my destroyed head rest. Two independent headlights came up from behind us, weaving around the spring ruts in the dirt road. Fast. Dirt bikes?
“Two on our six. Motorcycles.”
“Cover us. I’m going to try to lose them.”
Morgan scrambled over the seat and pulled out her weapon. Unlatching the window, she pushed it open. “Got it,” she said as she slapped her magazine into her rifle and chambered a round. She rested the barrel on the rear gate and took aim through the night vision scope. The Jeep kicked up dust behind us. The lights disappeared and reappeared. “The bastards are playing hard to get, but moving targets are my specialty.”
Nolan reached over and shoved on my head once more. “Get down.”
I pushed his hand away and turned, peering around the seat, watching the bikes draw closer. “I want to know who.”
He reached out and pulled me across the center console, shoving my face into his lap, holding me down. “You don’t have an option.”
“Let go.” I pried at his hands. “I need to know if Smitty’s involved.”
“Not going to happen.”
A round smacked into the back of the Jeep. “They’ve opened fire.”
“Perfect. We can now treat them as hostile.” Nolan glanced in the mirror. “Take the fuckers out, Morgan.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir?”
“Not now, Davis.”
“You’re a sir?”
“Yes.”
“What rank? With what organization?”
“No.” He tightened his grip on my collar. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“I’ve been fucking an officer—and you were going to tell me this when? No, not later. Who are you working for?”
“Sorry, sweetheart. It’s on a need-to-know basis.” He eyed the rearview mirror and shifted into a higher gear.
“I think I deserve to know who the fuck I’ve been screwing.”
“Is that what you think we were doing?” Nolan all but growled it out, clearly irritated with my terminology.
Sutton cleared his throat behind us.
“Not now, Davis.”
“I have a right—”
Pthump. Morgan fired.
“One down.” Chu-cha came the familiar sound of a round chambering. Morgan let out a breath. I could almost hear her focusing. “Crap. The other disappeared. I’ve got no visuals.”
“They didn’t disappear.” I moved to sit up, and Nolan tightened his grip, holding me down. “They’ve either cut their lights, or they’ve changed course. Watch our three and nine. They’ve got nothing to lose at this point. My guess is they’re going to move up on our flanks and try to finish this. God, I wish you had a set of thermals in this vehicle.” No sooner than he’d said it than the window beside Sutton exploded, followed by a loud oomph.
“Shit. I’ve been hit,” Morgan said.
“Where?” Nolan said.
“Clipped my shoulder. A flesh wound. Slug went through. The glass took some of the power out of it, but it’s bleeding like a faucet.”
My heart pounded so hard I could barely breathe. I squirmed again, and Nolan tightened his hold. “Keep pressure on it,” he said. “We’ve only got another mile to post.” He slammed his foot all the way down on the gas, and the Jeep fishtailed. Fabric ripped as someone tore a strip off their uniform. “I need to let go of you, Davis. Don’t move—that’s an order.”
“From who?”
“We’ll discuss this, I promise. But if you sit up, I’m going to kick your ass. I need both hands on the wheel, and I don’t need any other members of my team hurt. Clear?”
“Clear.”
“Good girl. Hang on to your skivvies. This might get hairy.”
He had to be kidding. How much hairier could it get? Russian spies, a road chase from the field, on a military installation where they checked ID at the gates. It should be impossible to have someone firing live rounds at us. And then there was the whole sir thing. Did he really think it could get any worse?
We hit a hump in the road, and the Jeep went airborne. “Shit,” I screamed, bouncing up when the tires made contact with the road again, smacking my head on the steering wheel. Pain exploded through my skull, and light flashed across my vision.
“Brace yourselves,” Nolan yelled. The Jeep swerved right and left, the back catapulted around, and the tires left the road. I flew sideways and hit the roll bar as our escape vehicle barrel rolled. Glass flew everywhere, pelting my exposed skin. Our equipment tumbled through the cab, something hard hit my head, and then everything went black.
***
I came to while draped over someone’s shoulder in a fireman’s carry. His sneakers were the only thing I could see, and I knew instantly who had me. “Nolan,” I said.
He stopped and lowered me to the ground. Turning around, he put his hand up and made a signal for his team to stop. I quickly realized the error of my ways. Sound carried better in the dark, and I might have given our position away.
Smooth move. It didn’t take much to figure out not only were we not out of the woods—we weren’t out of the proverbial woods. The hairs rose on my neck, and bile lodged in my throat. My stomach spasmed, and my innards twisted, encouraging me to vomit. I reached up to rub one of the many lumps on my scalp, remaining silent. When I pulled my hand away, I touched my thumb against my fingertips. Sticky and wet.
Nolan turned and lifted my weapon, staring through the night-vision scope. The crunching of boots indicated someone approached. The next sound, a familiar chu-chu of a round being chambered. I held my breath. Nobody knew where we were, or that we were in trouble.
Nolan stared into the dark for another moment and then quickly lowered his sniper rifle, slinging it over his shoulder. I turned to see Morgan and Sutton approach. Sutton handed me my MOLLE, having carried it, God knew how far. I slipped it on and buckled up.
Morgan had her arm around Sutton’s shoulders, and limped, hopping on one leg. I looked up at Nolan and raised a finger to his lips. Even in the dim light, I could make out a big gash on his forehead. It didn’t seem to affect him. Actually, he didn’t act any different than he normally did, just a little bloodier. He extended a hand to me.
I slapped my hand into his palm and wondered what had happened after we crashed. With a tug, he had me on my feet. Chest to chest, we stared into each other’s eyes for several seconds before he turned and started walking again. He led, and I followed. He continued to hold my hand, his flesh warm against mine, pulling me along behind him. Little jolts raced through my body. Damn, what a badass, and I couldn’t help it. He made me feel all gooey inside, even when danger circled. Even when I didn’t have a clue to his real identity.
A mile in the dark, when you were being hunted, could feel like twenty. Nobody had to say anything. We all knew we’d be lucky to get out of this alive. We were being stalked and this, none of it was a game.
Things just got a whole lot hairier.
***
As the sun came up, I pulled out a field knife with a compass on the end. I looked to the sky and the sun rising in the east, so the compass didn’t lie. We’d traveled in the opposite direction of the post—and for how long? I glanced over at Nolan and frowned. Where? It looked so familiar. I surveyed the area, and it all came rushing back to me. “We’re at the LZ?”
“Yes.” He jogged over to an area nex
t to some bushes and reached down to lift a square lid covered with leaves and soil, exposing a hole. “Get in.”
I walked over and eyed the dark hole, not liking the idea of climbing into it with possible snakes and spiders. “That’s a rathole.”
“Yes. Move.” He picked up my pack and tossed it in, followed by his. Sutton and Morgan dropped their packs down next, slipping the straps of their weapons onto their shoulders.
“How did—”
“I’ll explain later. Get in. It’s reinforced and big enough for all.”
I eyed a steel ladder and started climbing down. After descending about twenty feet, I hit solid ground. No, not ground. Concrete. Morgan came next, followed by Sutton and the last person, Nolan, who tossed a flashlight down to Morgan and slid the lid over the opening, sealing us in. Morgan clicked the light on and pointed it into a tunnel that led several feet to a steel door. Above us, steel beams and concrete reinforced the structure.
“What is this place?”
“It’s part of a bomb shelter from World War II. They have them all over out here. Enough to hide a division should we be invaded. They have vaults that can be stocked with weapons and ammunition, clothes, MREs, and about anything you’d need to keep an army going. Few know about them. This one is for the division ops center. The division commander could use this as a tactical operations center in a worst-case scenario. They keep them up to date and functional. Just in case.” Nolan retrieved his pack and tossed me mine before motioning us to the door.
He pulled a lever down on the wall, lights came on, and the steel door slid open. I stepped into the room and took in my surroundings. Off to the side were half a dozen bunks and blankets. Shelves held food and water. From all appearances, the bunker had been recently stocked. Nolan’s next words confirmed it. “I came here a few days ago. We knew they were going to make their move soon, so I prepared, just in case. The hatch over there leads to a series of tunnels honeycombing this post. They built a hydraulic dam that runs off the Black River back in the 1940s. It powers everything independently. They’ll always have ventilation and power down here. Once we rest up and treat our wounds, we can take the tunnel back to post. I don’t want to move too soon, so we’re going to sit tight for the next few hours or so. The tunnel should come end just outside the LeRay Mansion, the old post commander’s residence. They use it for visiting dignitaries, now. It’s not too far from my quarters. I can call a team for extraction there.”
“Who said I want to run away?” He seemed to be taking for granted I wanted to go with him. I didn’t plan to run. I knew if they came after me on a military installation, they’d keep coming, no matter where I went. We’d need to make a stand. I didn’t need babysitters, and, back on post, I should be safe once the authorities were notified. Whoever Nolan was, I’d never asked for his protection. “I worked too hard to walk away.”
“You can’t stay in the Army. They want you dead, and the longer we give them a target, the better the chance they’re going to get a shot.”
“Can’t we contact CID or notify the military police? If they came after me here, what’s going to stop them from coming after me anywhere?”
Nolan frowned. “Too risky. We still don’t know who’s involved. It would be safer for everyone if you were gone. Other people in the class could get caught in the crossfire. We can pull whoever’s involved out of cover this way when they try to follow.”
I hadn’t thought of that. I swallowed and blew out a breath. This sucked. Everything I’d worked for, gone in a matter of hours. “Okay.”
Nolan gave me a smile. “Go sit on the cot.” He pointed. “I’ll get the first aid kit and patch you up.”
I glanced over to see Morgan stitching up Sutton’s bullet wound as though she did it every day. “How did you know about this place?”
“The post commander disclosed it to me as a possible means to escape, should you be attacked in the field. I know the location of several entrances. This happened to be the closest to where we would be, so I prepped it. My job is to stick to you and make sure you stay alive.”
“So, is that all I am to you?”
“No.” He put a hand between my shoulders and guided me to the cot. “Sit. Right now, I need to keep my head on my mission. I promise you, once you’re safe, we’ll discuss us. Okay?”
I nodded again. I had no idea who us was anymore. I didn’t even know if Nolan used his real name. He said he did, but everything I thought I knew about him had turned out to be a lie. How did I know he didn’t work for the enemy, so he could kidnap me? I needed to talk to my father. I knew without a shred of doubt, I could trust him. If he’d sent Nolan, he’d tell me.
Nolan cleaned the cut on my scalp. He pressed a gauze pad to the wound and used a roll of the same to secure it. “I don’t think you’ll need stitches. Head wounds bleed pretty good and often appear worse than they are. You might have a concussion, though. So, I’m going to ask you to stay awake for a bit longer. Are you dizzy? Sleepy?”
“No. I’m tired, but not to the point I can’t stay awake or feel like I’ll pass out.”
“Good.” He tore a strip of medical tape with his teeth and stuck it to the bandage to hold it in place. “I’m going to check on the others. Sit tight.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
I pointed at blood seeping through a hole in his uniform, right near his shoulder. I’d noticed it while he bandaged me, and also, he seemed to be favoring his right arm. I didn’t get a glimpse of the back of his top, but I’d bet the bullet had gone straight through. Whoever chased us used high-caliber rounds. If they’d used something else, like a twenty-two, the round would’ve fragmented and bounced around inside and done a whole bunch more damage. It’s why snipers in Vietnam favored the lower caliber weapons. More bang for their buck. Still, it didn’t mean the round hadn’t done some damage, and I wanted to get a look.
“Flesh wound. I’ll have Morgan triage it.”
The triage took all of half an hour. I didn’t realize how tired I really was until the adrenaline wore off and exhaustion caught up with me. I found it more and more difficult to fight the sleep tugging at my eyes. Several times I shifted positions on the bunk. A dull throbbing pounded inside my skull and my lids felt heavy. I jerked upright and rearranged the way I sat for the eleventh time. Yeah, it could be a concussion, but I’d also been going all night, and lack of sleep and adrenaline burnout could also be the reason for my exhaustion. Regardless, I wasn’t willing to take a chance and sleep. I rose to my feet and stepped away from the bunk. I lifted a bottle of water to my lips and took a swallow then I splashed a little in my face.
Nolan glanced my way and held my gaze for about a minute. I stared at him through dripping lashes. My heart skipped. The intensity in his gaze, the concern I saw, and the last thing I wanted was more for him to worry about.
He jumped to his feet and began to rummage through his pack. “This will help.” He tossed me a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans. “I always pack them. The caffeine will snap you out of that. They won’t be expecting us until Monday. I don’t want to exit the tunnels too soon. They might have agents on post looking for us. I want them to think we made our escape. Morgan and Sutton will stay put. Her ankle is junk. We’ll send someone back to pick them up. We’ll do better time with just the two of us.”
I tore the bag open, poured a handful in my palm, and popped them into my mouth. “What if they track them back here?” I chewed. I sure didn’t want Morgan or Sutton to get killed because of me. I didn’t believe one person’s life was any more valuable than another’s.
“They won’t. And even if they did, there are two ways in here, and either direction they come from, they’d be walking into a wall of lead. My guess is they’ll go back to post and wait for us to show before they make another move. They won’t be expecting us to come in by the tunnels. Doubtful they even know about them.”
I ate another handful of the coffee beans and
handed them back to Nolan. “Thanks.”
He nodded and tucked them back into his pack before he walked over to the bunk, sat down, and leaned against the wall. Crossing his arms, he watched me, not moving from his post. He stared. I stared back.
After a couple of minutes, I couldn’t take the silence anymore. “You can get some sleep. I’m okay.” The muscles in my thighs and pelvis tightened, responding to his heated stare. The whole situation had stressed me, and my body demanded I release some of it. I had a few interesting ideas, but nothing I could act on with Sutton and Morgan present.
“No." He shook his head. “Not until you’re safe.”
“I’m okay.” But the longer the man stared at me, the hotter I got. I wasn’t okay. I needed. I needed to get out of here. I needed to figure out what I’d do next, and damn, I needed him. My stomach flip-flopped, and my heart sped up.
“You might say you’re okay, but I need to see you to safety myself.”
“And then?”
“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Which meant what? I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. I nodded, my stomach sinking. I’d known better than to get involved with a military man, especially one who worked in special ops. He might be deactivated once he completed this mission, but it didn’t mean what he did on the outside didn’t put him neck deep in dangerous shit. These kinds of men and relationships didn’t work out. They never knew where they’d be, or how long they’d be there. I couldn’t have felt more stupid than I did at that moment, and something in my expression must’ve said it better than any words I could have spoken.
For the next few hours we sat in silence. I rolled every possible outcome through my head. Every way it ended, it didn’t end well for us. I dug into my pack and pulled out my MRE. I wanted to eat, but didn’t dare, even as my stomach grumbled. A meal would put me to sleep. I’d had enough of the silence, several hours’ worth and I couldn’t’ take another minute. These people didn’t mess around—they’d infiltrated the Army. Who was he kidding? “I don’t know how you think you can protect me.”
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