by Mary Alford
“The minute they find out we’re not inside, they’ll fan out and search the entire mountainside. We have to keep ahead of them.”
They started walking as fast as the deep snow allowed through the woods. It took her a few minutes to realize they were heading back in the same direction as the camp.
“Do you think it’s safe to go back into the camp?” Would they be leading the men back to Deacon?
“Probably not. But it’s not safe to stay out here like this, either.”
From the tree coverage where she stood, Rachel could still see the lodge. An SUV was now parked in front. It looked like the same one that had left the camp earlier.
As they watched, a second similar vehicle pulled up. Two people got out. Rachel recognized them right away. It was Blake Temple and Michelle.
“Alex, look.” She pointed to the two. They watched as McNamara came out to meet them. From McNamara’s body language alone, it was easy to see Temple was the real person in charge. McNamara had lied about not knowing Temple.
She couldn’t make out what they were saying but it was obvious Temple wasn’t pleased with the turn of events, and everyone was feeling the effects of his anger.
Several men who had been inside the lodge came out. She turned to Alex. “We need to get out of here. They know we’re not inside.”
He pointed in the direction of the cave they’d recently left. “I hate to keep backtracking, but it seems the safest and they don’t know about the cave yet. At least we’ll be out of sight. It will give us the advantage.” He pointed to their footprints in the snow. “But first, we’ll have to try to find a way to lead them away from the spot. They’ll see our tracks and follow otherwise.” Alex scanned the surrounding countryside. “This way.” He pointed to their left. “There doesn’t appear to be as much snow there and we can circle back to the cave easily enough.”
They’d been able to slip through the cave unnoticed before. She hoped the same could be said for the return route.
“How much longer before your team arrives?” Rachel prayed it wouldn’t be too late for Deacon and for them.
The bleakness in his eyes did little to encourage. “Depending on when they were able to get in the air, I’d say we have at least another four hours to survive.”
Four hours! A lifetime when facing down death.
Alex saw her reaction and tried to be encouraging. “It could be sooner. Let’s just get to the cave and out of sight as quickly as possible.”
He was right. They were both unarmed. They needed to stay hidden.
As they hurried through the thick woods, a noise grabbed Rachel’s attention. It sounded like...footsteps close by.
Alex heard it, as well. “Hurry, Rachel.” He took her hand and they started running as fast as they could.
“Wait. Over there. I see them,” someone yelled nearby. More than one set of footsteps could be heard stomping through the woods after them.
She glanced behind them. “They’re gaining. We’ll never make it to the cave.”
Gunfire split the air and a round of bullets flew past her head. Rachel ducked low along with Alex.
Alex still held her hand. She looked into his eyes. “On my count,” he said in a steady voice, and she slowly nodded. Once he’d counted off three, together they raced through the woods at breakneck speed with the men coming after them full force firing along the way. Were they trying to kill them? McNamara had said no, but the men’s behavior spoke differently. If they no longer needed them alive, then had they found whatever they were searching for? Where did that leave Liam?
Alex stopped short when their path was blocked by a fallen boulder. It was the size of a small car and had sloughed off the mountainside.
Rachel stopped next to him. She couldn’t believe it. They were trapped. “What do we do now? They’re almost here.”
“We surrender.” She couldn’t believe she’d heard this warrior beside her correctly. They’d barely escaped with their lives the last time. “If we want to live long enough to find Liam, we have to find out what this is really about once and for all.”
* * *
Alex had just gotten the words out when four men came to a halt in front of them, weapons aimed at their heads.
“That’s far enough,” McNamara snarled at them. “You two, get them.” He nodded to the two men on his right. One of the men rushed over and yanked Rachel by the arm, pulling it behind her back.
Anger boiled deep inside of him. Rachel had suffered enough at these men’s hand. “Leave her alone.” Before he could reach her, the second man grabbed his arm, restraining him. “We’re coming with you, okay? There’s no need to hurt her.”
“Be quiet.” McNamara fumed at him. “You are in no position to tell us what to do. You two have caused enough trouble already...along with Carlson. You’d better hope when we locate him that he’s willing to talk. Otherwise, none of you are walking out of here alive.”
Rachel’s gaze flew to Alex. He’d heard it, too. They didn’t know where Liam was and whatever he’d taken was still missing.
As he’d learned so many times in the past, when your back was against the wall, God worked wonders. Alex prayed for God’s intervention with all his heart.
“Search them both,” McNamara ordered. Right away, the knife Alex had in his pocket was discovered and taken along with the flashlight.
“Get moving,” the man holding Alex’s arm ordered. “You’ve wasted enough of our time thrashing through the woods like this.”
Rachel stumbled to the ground. The man gripping her arm dragged her to her feet. “I’m okay,” she whispered to Alex when she saw the fear in his eyes he couldn’t hide. “I’m okay.”
She managed a smile, but he could tell she was running out of strength and hope. He understood. He was, too. It seemed that everything they’d tried so far had failed. They had no idea where Liam was and Deacon was in danger. Still, he wasn’t ready to die here, and he certainly wasn’t going to let anything happen to Rachel. He’d fight to his last breath to save her.
“Get them back to the lodge. He’s angry. We need to get this thing settled now. Before they arrive,” McNamara blurted out, and Rachel slid Alex a look. Someone was coming here? He tried to digest the meaning but he couldn’t.
With two men restraining them and two others pointing weapons at them, Alex didn’t believe he and Rachel stood a chance at taking them out. They’d be forced back to the lodge.
After what felt like forever, it came into view. Blake Temple stood on the porch. Where was Michelle? She’d been his constant companion and now she was no longer with him.
Rachel saw Temple as wel, and her footsteps faltered.
“It’s going to be okay. Remember, they need us.” Alex hoped that was still true.
Temple spotted them and hurried down the stairs. The men holding them captive released them and shoved them forward.
“So, we meet again.” Temple’s menacing smile told Alex the man was going to enjoy getting even. “Well, this time the tables are turned.” He addressed Rachel directly. “You will answer our questions now. Otherwise, your friend here will die.”
Standing close to her, Alex could sense all her fears. She’d been through so much. He’d hurt her badly. She’d lost her husband too soon. She deserved to have the chance to be happy again, and he was determined to give it to her even if it meant losing his life to save hers.
“Where is he?” Temple got into her face. She couldn’t keep from flinching. “We’ve searched the lodge. He’s not here. Start talking.”
While Rachel struggled to come up with a believable answer, he had an idea that just might work. “I know where he is,” Alex told the man, immediately drawing Temple’s glaring attention to him.
“What do you know? Who are you, anyway?” The man was clearly doubtful.
So far, no one appe
ared to know that Alex was CIA. He just needed to come up with a convincing story to buy them more time.
“Liam is my friend. He called me a few days before he went missing. I think I know where he would be hiding.”
Faint interest showed on Temple’s expression, yet he wasn’t fully convinced.
“A friend, you say. What else did he tell you?” He was trying to figure out how much of the real story Alex knew.
“Nothing. Only that he was coming up here for a few days to fish in one of our old spots.” The swimming hole in the cave. If he could convince them that Liam was in there, he and Rachel would have a shot at escaping through the labyrinth of passages the cave provided. The man who searched him earlier had taken the knife and flashlight, but had overlooked the lighter for whatever reason. They’d have the advantage. They knew how to get out. These men did not.
“Don’t believe him. He lied to us before,” McNamara told his boss.
While Temple didn’t quite buy the story, whatever he needed from Liam had made him desperate. He was willing to go along. “And where exactly would that be?” Temple asked in a bristled tone. “And keep in mind, you’d better not be leading us on again...otherwise...” He left the threat hanging.
“I’m not. I want to live. I want Rachel to live. I know where Liam’s at. I can take you there.” Alex held on to a breath as the man continued to watch him, trying to determine if he was telling the truth.
“And why would you give up your friend?”
Alex struggled to make his answer seem believable. “Because I care about her and I don’t want her to die because of something her brother did.” He turned to Rachel, with his heart in his eyes. As he watched, a tear spilled down her cheek.
“Touching,” Temple mocked. “Then you’ll make sure you don’t try anything foolish, because if you do, she dies.” Temple turned to one of the men standing nearby. “Take him to the vehicle. I’ll be there shortly.” He faced Rachel again. “You’d better hope he’s telling the truth. Otherwise, I’ll kill you myself.”
Temple motioned to one of his men, who grabbed Rachel’s arm and started toward the lodge. There was no way Alex was letting Temple separate them. Staying together was their only chance at surviving.
“Hold on just a second. I’m not going anywhere without her.” Alex stood his ground. He meant it. He wasn’t budging without Rachel. “If you want my help, she comes, too.”
Temple glared at him for the longest time. Alex was certain he’d call his bluff. “All right,” he said at last. “But she stays in the vehicle, and if you’re lying, I’ll have my man kill her without thinking twice about it. Understood?”
Not exactly the answer Alex hoped for, but at least Rachel would be close. He struggled through exhaustion to come up with some way to get them both free. He couldn’t help but feel time was running out. For them. Liam. Deacon. He couldn’t imagine how bad Deacon’s condition had deteriorated in the hours since they’d left him.
“Get them both in the SUV. We’ve wasted enough time. We have buyers counting on us.”
Alex’s blood ran cold. Buyers counting on us... Had Temple just let it slip that whatever it was they were trying to locate, possibly sarin gas, he had a buyer waiting impatiently for it?
He looked over at Rachel. She’d heard it, too.
“You men come with us. McNamara, try to reach them. Let them know everything is going according to plan,” Temple told the man. “Apparently I can’t trust any of you to do the job correctly. I’ll need to go there in person to make sure Carlson gives up the location for the stuff.”
Two men grabbed them by the arms and forced them into the back of one of the nearby vehicles.
Temple got up front along with a driver. The remaining two men sandwiched Rachel and Alex between them. They wanted to make sure they didn’t try to escape.
Turning in his seat, Temple demanded answers. “Well? Where is this place? And keep in mind, I’m at the limit of my patience. If you can’t produce your friend, you are no good to me.”
The warning settled over him like a storm cloud. He knew what Temple meant. If they didn’t come up with Liam soon, they’d be dead.
Alex told the driver where to find the entrance of the cave. “The vehicle won’t be able to make it the entire way there. We’ll have to go the rest on foot.”
Temple clearly wasn’t pleased by this, but he motioned the driver to begin. Once the SUV reached its limit, the driver stopped.
“Bring him with us,” Blake ordered to the man closest to Alex. “You, keep an eye on her. If she tries anything, kill her.”
“We’ll get through this.” Alex turned to look into her eyes. “Just like we did before.” Realization dawned on her face. Praise God, she understood. If she could overpower her captor, she’d need to head to the second entrance. He’d try to meet her there.
He was forced out of the vehicle. There was just enough time for one final searching look between them before he was hauled away.
Temple stood in front of the vehicle, staring at the nearby mountain. “I don’t see any cave,” he muttered once Alex was forced to stop next to him. “This better not be another runaround like the lodge. This is your last opportunity.”
“It’s no runaround. The opening is hidden by grown-up scrub brush. It’s this way, if I remember correctly,” he added, so as not to tip the man off that he and Rachel had already been through the cave earlier and Liam wasn’t there.
“Then what are you waiting for? Find it.” Temple was furious. No doubt he had promised something that he was in danger of not being able to deliver.
After another quick glance back at Rachel, where he was almost positive he saw the tiniest of nods, Alex headed for the entrance to the cave with Temple and the other two men in tow.
He took longer than necessary to uncover the opening, while his limited options ran through his head. Once he’d shoved aside the brush they’d piled in front of the entrance, he noticed that their footprints were still there. He sure hoped Temple didn’t spot them.
With the opening exposed, one of the men shoved Alex inside. He hit the opposite wall hard and winced in pain, holding his injured side.
“Well, which way to this fishing spot of yours?” Temple demanded as all three men entered the cave.
“To the left.”
“Then lead the way,” Temple ordered. “But I’ll warn you again, if you’re lying, I’ll kill you right here and she’ll be dead soon after.”
The chilling reminder of what was at stake shot through Alex’s sleep-deprived mind. “It’s dark this way. I’ll need some light.”
Temple stopped next to him. “You wouldn’t be trying to warn your buddy now, would you?”
“I’m not trying to do anything but let you know there are some spots up ahead that can be hairy. If you’re not watching what you’re doing, you could break a leg.”
After another glaring assessment, Temple motioned to one of his men, who used his phone’s flashlight app to illuminate the cave.
The pool was still quite some distance from where they were. Alex headed that way while his brain started to formulate a clearer plan of attack. It was three against one. He needed something to level the playing field.
He remembered all the times he and Rachel had come up here in the past. The pool had been a surprise at first. He’d told Temple that Liam came here to fish, but that wasn’t the case. The natural underground pool was cold as ice and there were no fish in it.
If he was recalling correctly, there was a small space just off to the right side that they’d only explored once a long time ago because it was unstable even back then. The walls were literally crumbling. If he could convince them to search in there...
When they reached the pool, the man with the flashlight app shone the light around the area. When it became evident that Liam wasn’t there, Temple rounded on
Alex. It was clear he was enraged. “You lied. There’s no one here. And no sign that anyone has been here before. Enough. Kill him,” he ordered one of the men standing close to grab Alex. The man reached for him.
It was now or never.
“I said he told me he was going fishing up here. We used to fish in this spot many times in the past. Maybe he gave up or... Wait, I think I hear something over there.” He pointed to the small area.
Temple stared at the small dark space and then at him. “I don’t hear anything.”
Alex didn’t look away. “I did. If he’s injured, he could be hiding in there.”
Temple motioned to the man with the flashlight. “Check it out.”
The man didn’t seem thrilled at the idea. Reluctantly, he did as his boss suggested.
Temple grabbed Alex’s arm and hauled him along with him. The third man followed.
“Do you see anything?” Temple asked the man with the light. He let go of Alex and peered into the darkness.
Alex eased backward; the third man was now at his left side. His weapon was within reach. If he failed, he’d be dead...and so would Rachel.
In a split second, Alex grabbed the gun and shoved the man on top of Temple, sending them both sprawling into the room. Then he opened fire on the crumbling wall. It took only two shots before the ancient rock collapsed upon itself, entombing Temple and his men.
The world around him rumbled and shook. The place was unstable. He needed to get out of here as quickly as possible before the entire cave went down.
Alex stumbled in the direction of the entrance. The rumblings stopped. Dust boiled all around him. It wouldn’t take long for Temple and his men to dig out. He had no doubt that the man guarding Rachel would have heard the noise by now.
He hurried out of the opening and spotted the man. He’d seen Alex. He jumped from the vehicle and began shooting.
Alex ducked behind a nearby tree. The man was coming his way. He returned fire, forcing the man to take cover behind the vehicle. One of Alex’s rounds ricocheted off the front of the SUV. Right away, Alex could see fluid spilling out. The radiator was shot. The SUV was useless.