by Mary Alford
“There’s no sign anyone’s been up there in a while...” He stopped when he noticed her staring strangely at the desk in the corner of the room. “What is it?”
Rachel visibly shivered. “Even though it’s a half hour drive from my home, I still come here every couple of days to make sure the place is okay. I’m pretty sure that drawer was closed when I was here yesterday.”
He stared at the desk and then at her. “Someone’s been here.” He stated the obvious. “What was in there?”
She shook her head. “That’s just it. Nothing was in there. There isn’t anything of value here besides the horses.”
“But they weren’t looking for something valuable.” Their gazes locked and a new fear entangled him in its clutches. “Whoever was here was looking for something connected to Liam.”
No doubt the people behind Liam’s disappearance had known about his connection to Rachel all along, including this house.
“You said you keep horses on the property?” Alex’s thoughts snarled together. What she’d told him about Liam was disturbing. That Liam had left her the location where he was scheduled to meet his asset seemed to indicate he had been concerned something might happen to him up there.
“That’s right. Why?” she asked innocently enough.
“Because they may be our only way out of here.” Alex glanced out the front window at the breaking dawn. They’d need to keep moving. Get up on the mountain as soon as possible.
“The stalls are behind the house a little ways down near the south pasture.”
“Good. Then we should probably head out. Are you ready for this?” She didn’t hesitate. Rachel had been one of the best agents he’d had the pleasure of working with. She might be a little rusty, but she was more than capable.
If something had happened to Liam, each day that passed whittled away at his chances of survival. Rachel said she’d had no word from her brother in more than a week. As a former CIA agent herself, she would know that it was common practice for agents to carry burner phones as a means of communicating without being tracked. If Liam hadn’t reached out to her by now, then something bad was wrong.
It bothered Alex that Liam seemed worried about something. It wasn’t like his friend to show fear, but from Rachel’s account, he’d definitely been concerned when he showed up at her place. He had told her he was close to bringing down a new player in the terror field. He’d mentioned something similar the last time he and Alex had talked.
Did Liam’s disappearance have anything to do with what he’d uncovered about the terrorist threat? If so, then whomever he was chasing seemed determined to silence anyone who got in their way or attempted to uncover their identity.
As he and Rachel headed out into the new day dawning, with Callie at their heels, Alex could almost feel her uneasiness growing.
He touched her arm and she slowed her steps and faced him. “We’ll find him, I promise. And don’t forget, Liam’s tough. He’s been through much worse than this.”
She smiled without answering. Did she believe him?
He needed to get a look at the map. It would give some indication as to where exactly on the mountain they’d be heading. “Do you have the map Liam left you handy?” he asked, and she dug it out of her pocket and handed it to him.
Once he’d opened it, he recognized the location right away. It was more than a twenty-four hike under the best of conditions and over some very rugged terrain.
“This is where Liam was going to meet with his asset?” he asked with a sense of foreboding.
She nodded. “I think so.”
Even if they headed straight there, they’d still have to find a place to make camp for the night before hiking the rest of the way up. Darkness came early to the mountains. They’d never make it to the site before nightfall. The weather would definitely play a factor, especially with the mountains making their own conditions. It might be early spring, but snow and ice weren’t unexpected this time of year. Up on the mountain several feet of snow still clung to the crevasses.
“I hate going into a situation blind like this, and we don’t know for sure what’s really happened to Liam. Maybe something went wrong with the meet and he was injured. Or maybe his asset sold him out.” Alex glanced around, expecting trouble.
Rachel hesitated a second too long. Right away he could tell something was wrong.
“What is it?” He almost dreaded her answer.
“There’s something else I haven’t showed you, Alex. It’s on the back of the map.”
He turned it over and saw the phone number and initial Rachel had mention previously. But it was the words that were scribbled below them that increased his concern for Liam’s well-being tenfold.
Agency. Dirty. Trust no one. Especially anyone in authority. It was a message Liam had intended for Rachel alone.
Alex stared at it and then her. If true, the magnitude of what they now faced had grown beyond anything he could have imagined.
Rachel dragged in a breath before she delivered the worst news possible.
“Alex, I think the person Liam was chasing, this new terrorist threat that he’d uncovered...I think it involves someone from the CIA.”
TWO
The expression of shock on his face told her how hard it was for him to wrap his head around the idea that someone from the CIA, both her brother and Alex’s own team, might be responsible for harming Liam.
“Rachel...” Her name came out on a frustrated-sounding sigh. Alex couldn’t hide his doubts. She certainly understood. As an agent, his head wouldn’t let him go there.
“I know how crazy this sounds, but you weren’t there when Liam came to see me. He was spooked, and Liam doesn’t spook easily. I think his disappearance is in some way connected to the new threat he’s been chasing. Maybe he uncovered information that connected someone in the CIA as possibly being involved with this terrorist somehow.”
She looked up at him, willing him to understand. “It makes sense, Alex,” she said.
Yet he couldn’t hide his skepticism. After all, Alex was still part of the CIA, and there was a bond between agents that was unbreakable. In his mind, it would be unimaginable to think someone you trusted with your life might betray you in such a deadly way.
Still, she tried to make him understand. “Just think about it. Those people who showed up at my house obviously knew about Liam’s meet location. They managed to connect my name to Liam, even though it’s an alias. They probably knew who he was meeting with as well, and those arrangements are kept confidential for the agent’s safety. So how would they possibly know about it without having some inside information?”
His gaze locked on hers; he was clearly surprised by what she’d said. “What are you talking about? You don’t know that they knew who Liam was meeting.”
Rachel blew out a breath and explained. “I do. I overheard something one of them said. They believe Liam and someone else, probably his asset, are still up on the mountain. Alex, I know you don’t want to think it’s possible, I didn’t either in the beginning, but this is Liam and his life is at stake. We can’t afford to discount anything. If they’re right and he’s somewhere up there still, he could be hurt. He needs our help, because no one else, the CIA included, is going to help him.”
Before he could voice his obvious doubts aloud, a noise in the distance captured both their attentions. It sounded like a car on the gravel road nearby slowly coming to a halt.
“That seems really close.” She turned her anxious gaze to his.
“You’re right. If they’ve found us again, we’d better hurry.” Rachel led the way to the pasture where she kept a couple of mares stalled.
“The horses know this terrain better than I do. They’ll get us out of here, but it will be slow going. Do you still remember how to ride?” she asked with a hint of teasing in her tone.
&nbs
p; He shook his head, managing a smile for her. “Don’t worry about me. I think I can remember well enough to keep up.”
The woods expanded into fertile pastureland and Rachel headed toward the barn where the horses were stabled. Behind them, nothing but eerie silence could be heard. Had the car turned around and left already or were they coming after them on foot?
Alex obviously still had concerns. “The sooner we’re saddled and riding, the better.”
“There are a couple of sleeping bags and some camping gear stored at the back of the barn on a shelf there. We’ll need the gear for staying overnight.” She pushed open the barn door and went inside. One of the mares neighed when she spotted Rachel.
“It’s okay, Naomi.” Rachel went over and patted the horse’s head. “You ready for a ride?” Next to Naomi, Esther, the second mare, whinnied.
Alex and Rachel worked quickly to saddle the mares and within no time they were leading them out of the barn.
“Let’s grab the rest of the supplies from inside,” Rachel said. She and Alex went back into the barn and brought out the sleeping bags along with camping gear, then split the load between the two horses. Rachel quickly mounted Naomi and headed down one of the trails behind the house. Alex did the same with Esther.
“There’s a ridge not too far from here. It has a great view of the house and the surrounding area. We can get a better idea of what’s going on down below,” she told him once he’d caught up with her.
Both mares covered the rocky countryside easily enough, with Callie keeping good time behind them. Once they neared the ridge, they dismounted and tied the horses in a treed area some distance from the ridge and hiked the rest of the way up.
Rachel brought out the binoculars that had been part of the camping gear and homed in on the road near the house.
“The vehicle is parked on the edge of the road close to the driveway. There’s no one inside.” She frowned as she studied it. “And it’s not the same one that was at my house.” She handed Alex the binoculars.
“Where are they?” he murmured as he focused on the wooded area between the road and the house. “Wait, I see something.” Alex zeroed in on a particular spot.
“What do you see?” She barely got the words out before he turned and grabbed her around the waist. “Get down.” Alex tugged her into the shelter of his arms and hit the ground as the world around them exploded with gunfire.
Alex’s body protected her from most of the blowback from tree branches splintering and dirt kicking up around them as the bullets hit all around. Close by, Callie whined pitifully and tromped for cover.
“Let’s get out of here. There’s enough firepower down there to take down a small village. They could have snipers anywhere.” The tension in Alex’s voice somehow got through the shock that had kept her immobile.
He got to his knees and took her hand. Together they crept as close to the ground as possible until they’d reached the horses.
“Keep as low as you can,” he told her as they mounted their horses once more and headed in the opposite direction from the shooters.
Both he and Rachel leaned in close to their horses’ necks, almost lying flat against the beasts.
“Can we make it to the base of the mountain riding?” Alex’s tone was strained. He glanced back over his shoulder, as if expecting the enemy to emerge behind them at any moment.
Rachel made sure Callie was able to keep up with them. She wouldn’t leave the dog behind no matter what.
“Yes, but we’ll have to go slower in that rocky terrain, and we will be using up valuable time we don’t have to spare. Alex, we need help.”
The path widened slightly and he rode up beside her. With no sign of the men behind them, they sat up straight once more. “Who do you suggest?”
In her mind, there was only two people she trusted other than Alex. “The Reagans are my neighbors and good friends. I can call Tom and have him meet us someplace. He can pick up the horses and bring a four-wheeler. We’ll make better time with it.”
She could tell Alex wasn’t nearly as confident in the plan.
“Alex, you can trust them, I promise. They moved to the area soon after we all went away to the university. I’ve known them ever since I came back home. They’re like family.”
He slowly nodded. “If you trust them, so do I. Give them a call. The sooner we get to Liam’s meeting location, the faster we’ll be able to figure out what happened to him.”
The problem was that she had no phone to make the call. “I destroyed both my phone and Liam’s right after I called the number he’d written down. I phoned you from my landline. I thought that if what Liam suspected were true, and these people are somehow connected to the CIA, a rogue group of agents perhaps, they’d pull apart my life piece by piece. Probably track his cell or mine. Or both. I couldn’t take the chance.”
Admiration shone in Alex’s eyes. She’d put a lot of thought into destroying the phones, but then, some of her CIA training was still useful.
“Good thinking. Hang on.” He pulled out his cell phone and handed it to her. “Use this one. It’s a burner phone and no one knows the number.”
She smiled her gratitude and dialed her friend’s number while praying that whoever was chasing them hadn’t contacted her neighbor already.
The short amount of time it took Tom to answer did little to settle her nerves.
“Tom, it’s Rachel. I need you to meet me at Willow Creek as soon as possible. And bring the four-wheeler.”
“I should be able to do that,” Tom said in an evasive tone that made her wonder if someone was listening in on the conversation.
Rachel glanced uneasily at Alex. “I’ll meet you there in a couple of hours, then.” After a second of silence on his end, she told Tom goodbye and then ended the call. She handed the phone back to Alex while praying she wasn’t leading the enemy right to them.
“He’s on his way. Willow Creek is due north of here. There’s some pretty hilly areas between, but we should be able to make it in an hour.” She hesitated. “Alex, Tom sounded strange, almost as if someone were there and he couldn’t talk.”
Rachel could see right away that he didn’t like it. “You think they’re watching him?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, but we’d better check out the area around Willow Creek very carefully when we get there. We could have unwanted company.”
The trail was just wide enough for the two of them to ride side by side for a bit and, thankfully, it was mostly level.
“Where will this trail take us?” Alex asked, keeping a careful eye on the surrounding woods.
“It will dump us out at Willow Creek after we summit Plume Mountain.”
She couldn’t help it; she had to look at him. His gaze tangled with hers. She could see that he remembered the place, as well. They’d once spent a lot of time hiking the valley below Plume Mountain and fishing back when it had been her, Liam and Alex. Before life got complicated and their career paths took them through troubled waters.
“When was the last time you spoke to Liam?” Rachel asked, mostly because she needed a distraction to get his attention off her so that she could reclaim some of her equilibrium.
There was something in Alex’s gaze that drew her in and made her wonder if he, too, was remembering their time here together. Back then their romance was just beginning. They had skirted around the edges of their feelings since they were teens. She’d often wondered what her younger self would have done if only she’d known the outcome.
“Too long ago, I’m afraid.” He clearly regretted the lapse. “I’d like to say we both got busy, but I guess in truth it was just too hard.” He spared her a look and she swallowed with difficulty and looked away, her heart going crazy with possibilities. Did Alex have regrets about their parting? He certainly hadn’t showed it all those years ago.
&n
bsp; When Rachel had made up her mind to get out, she hadn’t realized how hard it would be. Hadn’t known she’d be walking away from Alex along with the Agency. She’d been a broken person when she came back to her hometown of Midnight Mountain. She’d spent weeks crying. Liam had tried his best to console her, but Liam was cut from the same cloth as Alex. They both ate, breathed and slept the CIA.
For a long time, Rachel hadn’t known what to do to move on beyond Alex. She’d gone to church with the Reagans one Sunday. She had felt a sense of peace that day, realizing that she wasn’t alone in her pain. Knowing that God was with her no matter what happened in her life. It was because of this that her heart had begun to mend.
“To tell you the truth—” Alex’s familiar voice interrupted her unsettled thoughts “—I’ve missed working with Liam...and you.”
Her heart contracted painfully and she struggled to keep from showing how hard it was to hear him say those things. Why was he telling her this now?
She’d buried how handsome he was deep in her heart. Now it was a painful reminder of the dreams she’d given up. He was tall and fit; his dark brown hair now almost touched his collar. Those piercing green eyes still held a hint of mischief in them whenever he smiled, as they had when they were kids growing up together. Yet the years and the job had left their mark on him. Fine lines fanned out around his eyes and mouth. She’d witnessed enough horror in her years on the job to know the reason behind those lines.
Rachel shoved those dark memories back into the recesses of her heart. She needed to keep her focus on her brother.
“I called Liam a couple of months back,” Alex said, surprising her. “He didn’t answer, but he called me back a little after from a phone number I didn’t recognize. For some reason, the number stuck in my head.”
He gave it to her. She didn’t recognize it, either. She shook her head. “I’ve never heard him use that number before.”
Alex nodded. “Anyway, we talked for a bit. He sounded...tired. Distracted, maybe. He said he was getting ready to leave on a mission to Iraq.”