by Mary Alford
With Michelle guarding McNamara, the man in front of Alex took hold of Liam once more.
As they headed through the woods at a slow pace, Rachel kept a close eye behind them to make sure no one was coming after them. Thanks to God, they now had breathing room.
“I’m sorry about your husband,” she told Michelle. “I lost mine, too.”
Michelle looked at her in shock. “You did? I’m so sorry. I know how difficult it is, losing someone you love.”
It had been. She’d loved Brian so much and she was grateful for the time they had together. But part of her heart had always belonged to Alex. He’d been her first love. They’d shared so much together. Like it or not, their pasts were forever linked to each other.
Rachel so wanted to live long enough to find out what the future held for them. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that Alex was a career agent. It was his calling and he was good at it. She couldn’t ask him to leave again and she couldn’t live that type of life. She was done with the shadow games. She needed to live in the light. Would he surprise her and walk away from the CIA? Or would he break her heart again when he left for the next mission? She didn’t think she could bear going through that much pain again, but somehow she would manage for him. Because she wouldn’t keep him from doing what he needed to do.
* * *
A noise in the distance captured his attention. It sounded like...choppers. More than one! Jase was here.
Rachel heard it, as well. “Is that...?”
His smile broadened. “It’s my team. Rachel, it’s almost over.” He lowered Liam’s legs to the ground. The man did the same. “Keep an eye on the both of them for me, Michelle.”
“It will be my pleasure.” Michelle moved closer to McNamara while keeping the second man in her sights. Alex glanced over at the raging inferno that had once been the ranger station. “They won’t have any way to know we’re still here. We have to find a way to get their attention.” He remembered the flare gun he’d taken from the station before it collapsed around him. He pulled it out of his pocket. “The station was equipped with this. Once they get closer, we can shoot it off to let them know we’re still down here.”
Rachel hugged him close and he was so thankful that he’d thought ahead enough to grab the flare gun.
Alex spotted the two Scorpion choppers rising over the mountain edge. He’d been through some terrifying moments while on a mission, yet never had there been a more welcome sight in his opinion. The first chopper hovered above the burning remains while the second one hung back.
Alex aimed the flare gun away from the fire and shot the flare into the air.
The first chopper moved away from the fire and lingered near where they’d seen the flare. Alex left the cover of the trees and began waving frantically. Rachel followed him and did the same.
He could see his friend Aaron Foster at the helm of the chopper. Aaron banked to the left, looking for a place to land.
“They’ve seen us. They’re landing.” He hugged Rachel close once more. He was so happy. They’d survived the nightmare. They weren’t alone anymore.
Aaron found a landing spot and brought the chopper slowly to the ground; the dust debris it kicked up had them shielding their eyes against the blast.
Once the first chopper was on the ground, the second found a landing spot a little ways down the mountainside.
With Rachel tucked against his side, Alex hurried toward Aaron’s chopper. The door slid open and his good friend Jase Bradford hopped out, followed by several other members of the team.
Jase glanced at the towering inferno. “What happened here?”
Alex gave him a quick rundown. “I have an injured man over here who needs immediate medical attention.” He pointed toward Liam. Then he explained about McNamara’s injury and where he was located.
Jase motioned to Ryan, the EMT of the group. Along with Gavin, they hurried to assist Liam and bring out McNamara.
“We need to get to Deacon, too. He’s in bad shape and he’s been down there alone for a while.” Rachel told Jase where the agent was located.
“I’ll send Ryan and Aaron down to get him. They can take him and your brother along with McNamara to the hospital right away. I have the state troopers on their way up the mountain as we speak. We’ll have this location saturated in no time. Temple and his men won’t get away this time.”
Alex watched as Ryan and Gavin carefully carried Liam over to the chopper, with McNamara trailing behind them. Liam was strong and Alex believed God would bring him through safely. McNamara appeared defeated. He had to know what lay ahead for him. If he talked, it might help him in the long run.
“Take some of the team with you.” Jase gave Aaron the location where Deacon was hiding. “We don’t know what you’ll find there. Temple’s men might have found Deacon by now, so be prepared.” Alex prayed Deacon was still alive.
The chopper carrying Liam and McNamara quickly became airborne. Jase waited until it was heading down the mountain before he turned to Rachel and held out his hand.
“Jase Bradford. It’s nice to meet you.” Jase smiled.
Rachel shook his hand. She seemed to be unable to grasp that they’d finally been rescued. She had a surreal look on her face. “Rachel Simmons. I can’t tell you how happy we are to see you.”
Jase laughed. “I can imagine it’s been a crazy few hours up here.”
Michelle emerged from her hiding place with her prisoner in front of her.
With everything that had happened, Rachel had forgotten about Michelle guarding another of McNamara’s men. Alex explained what he knew about Michelle’s role in everything along with what she’d done to help them.
Agent Liz Ramirez took the weapon from Michelle and then cuffed her prisoner.
“I appreciate you helping my people, but you have to understand, you’re still a suspect in all of this until we know what truly took place.” Jase indicated Liz should put Michelle and the man into the remaining chopper. “Keep an eye on both of them.”
Michelle’s story would get sorted out in time. She’d be treated fairly.
“We found agent Seth Jamison’s body a little ways down from here.” Alex filled Jase in on what he believed happened to Liam’s handler.
“Unbelievable. I guess that’s how Temple and his men managed to stay hidden for so long. They had inside assistance.” Jase shook his head.
They’d sort through the web of lies in time. Right now, Alex’s main concern was locating Temple and his men before they found the sarin gas. “We need to go after Temple’s people before they get away. Or worse, locate the gas.”
Jase nodded. “You’re right.” He motioned to the rest of the team standing by. “Fan out. Keep your eyes open. They have lots of men up here and they have nothing to lose.”
Jase turned to him and Rachel. “You two should hang back. You both look exhausted. We’ve got this.”
Standing next to him, Alex could feel Rachel ready to protest. He was right there with her. They’d come this far. “No way. We want to see this through to the end.”
Jase didn’t appear surprised. “All right, but be careful.”
The airborne chopper was still in sight when it opened fire on something down below.
Alex focused on the area. “It looks like they’ve located some of Temple’s men.” The team rushed for the location. Alex stuck close to Rachel. They were both drop-dead exhausted, but they’d come this far. They weren’t about to give up the fight without knowing its ending.
The chopper hovered over an area, occasionally firing. Alex heard the men return shots, then silence followed.
Rachel glanced at Alex. “What happened?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m guessing they realized they were outnumbered and gave up.”
Once the team reached the site, the chopper took off a
gain. There were half a dozen men standing with their hands in the air. Within no time, they were subdued in cuffs.
As Alex looked over the faces of the men who had surrendered, he realized none of them were Temple’s CIA team. They’d somehow managed to get away.
Jase came over to where they stood and confirmed the truth. “Temple and the rest of the agents aren’t here.”
Alex couldn’t believe they’d gotten away. “Let’s just hope he hasn’t located the gas already.” Alex told Jase what they overheard McNamara say about the prospective buyer.
“That doesn’t sound good. We need to find these guys and soon.” Jase glanced up at the threatening skies. “It’s getting colder and we’re running out of daylight. If we haven’t found them by night, they could manage to give us the slip.”
Jase ordered some of his team to watch the prisoners. “Let’s keep looking,” he told the rest. “We’re losing daylight fast.”
In a matter of hours, the entire mountainside was crawling with state troopers and agents. Alex didn’t believe Temple’s team would risk leaving the area. “They’re hiding out somewhere. Probably hoping we’ll think they’ve left the mountain.”
Rachel stopped walking. “The cave. It’s the perfect spot to stay hidden and Temple knows about it. There are several passages, and if they stumble upon the one that we did, they could escape.”
“You’re right.” Alex told Jase about the cave. “I sure hope we find them before they reach the sarin. We have no idea who their buyer is, but we need to put him out of business before he can do any harm.” Alex didn’t want to think about the possibility of the gas falling into deadly hands. He’d seen enough damage over the past few years by terrorists wanting to promote their own agendas.
They’d lost one of their teammates because he’d gotten tied up with some very bad people. The last thing Alex wanted was more bloodshed. He’d seen enough of that to last him a lifetime. And it was why he’d come to a conclusion while up here. This was it for him. He’d gotten a second chance with Rachel and he wanted a fresh start in life with her. He was ready to come back home to the tiny town of Midnight Mountain and start living a normal life again.
EIGHTEEN
As they approached the cave, Rachel couldn’t help but feel as if everything they’d gone through so far would come down to just this moment.
She touched Alex’s arm. She was so afraid something bad was going to happen to take away their chance at happiness.
He looked deep in her eyes and she saw the same fears in his. But he did his best to reassure her. “It’s going to be okay.”
She tried to smile. She so wanted to believe it.
“Jase, we need someone around at the back exit in case they stumble on it. We don’t want them to get away. Too much is at stake,” Alex told his commander.
Jase agreed, “You’re right. Go. You two know where it is. Take some men with you.”
Alex pointed to three of the team members. His fellow patriots. They followed Rachel and Alex as they headed toward the back entrance.
Rachel’s thoughts went to Liam. He’d looked so pale when they’d taken him away. She couldn’t bear it if anything happened to her brother.
Alex clasped her hand briefly. Their eyes met. His feelings for her were right there for her to see and she wanted to cry. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Would Temple and his band of corrupt CIA agents win in spite of everything they’d fought so hard to accomplish?
“We’ll get them.” She glanced up at Alex. He was trying to be strong for her. She needed to be for him, as well.
“You’re right. We will.”
Rachel located the back entrance of the cave and pointed it out. “Over there.”
They eased closer. If Temple’s team was in there, she didn’t believe they’d had enough time to find the escape route yet. But there were dozens of other passages throughout the cave. There could be another way out. She and Alex knew the cave better than anyone and even they hadn’t known about the exit.
She turned back to the three men. “Stay here. Alex and I will check it out.”
The three agents looked to Alex, who nodded. Then he and Rachel headed inside.
As hard as she tried, Rachel couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Alex must have sensed her struggle.
He drew her close and whispered against her ear. “It’s almost over.”
As they headed down the same narrow passage they’d taken before, her heart was hammering in her chest. She so wanted to have another chance at a future...with Alex.
Alex stopped and grabbed her arm. She heard it, too. Voices.
“They’re CIA and she’s with them. It’s over, Blake. We should just turn ourselves in and face the music,” said a voice she didn’t recognize.
The only answer was a single gunshot. Then the sound of something dropping to the ground. She didn’t doubt for a second that Temple had killed the man. Trapped like animals, they were turning on each other. Would they kill themselves before Alex’s team had the chance to interrogate them?
She mouthed, “We need them alive.”
She and Alex charged Temple’s men. She didn’t doubt that the three men standing guard outside would have heard the shot and would follow.
Surprised, the men whirled with weapons drawn. One man lay on the ground at Temple’s feet.
They stood facing each other in a silent standoff.
“Drop your weapons. Otherwise, you’re not getting out of here alive,” Alex ordered.
Rachel counted the remaining men. Three. There was something wrong. One of the team was missing. Had he escaped a different way or...?
Before she’d finished the thought, someone grabbed her from behind. A gun was shoved against her temple.
“Drop your weapon unless you want her to die,” the man behind her yelled.
Rachel’s gaze locked with Alex. She was so afraid. She didn’t want to die. Not like this.
“Take it easy.” Alex tried to keep the man calm. “You don’t want to do that. There are dozens of agents all around. None of you are walking out of here free.”
“Shoot her. I’ve got him,” Temple ordered the man.
“I said drop your gun.” Her captor’s hand shook nervously on the weapon. Rachel knew if she did as he asked, she’d be at the man’s mercy. That would leave Alex alone. She couldn’t do it.
Alex’s gaze sliced to the side. He was trying to tell her something. The three Scorpion team members were close.
She managed the tiniest of nods.
“Okay, stay calm. I’m lowering my weapon now.” She held the gun out in front of her. With the man still clutching her, she managed to slowly ease the weapon down to the ground.
“Now,” Alex yelled. Rachel jabbed her foot hard into the captor’s shin. He let her go and she hit the ground. Alex fired; the shot hit the man in his arm. The weapon flew from his hand. Rachel fired at Temple before he could get a shot off, striking him in the upper torso.
Before the remaining men could manage even a single shot, the three Scorpion agents appeared with weapons drawn.
“Shoot them,” Temple raged while rolling around in pain. “You can take them. We can still get out of this.”
“Don’t do it,” Rachel warned. “You still have a chance to live. You don’t have to die here.”
As the standoff continued, the men seemed to be debating on whether or not they stood a chance at surviving. Behind them, Jase and the rest of his team reached them.
Realizing they were severely outnumbered, Temple’s men slowly lowered their weapons.
“Get a medical chopper up here right away. We have injured men,” Jase told one of his guys.
But Rachel was no longer listening. She ran to Alex and threw her arms around him. She was so grateful that they’d made it thr
ough alive.
He held her close for the longest time. Then he framed her face and kissed her tenderly.
She loved him so much. She didn’t want to deny it any longer. She loved him and she was so afraid he would choose the job over her once more.
“Temple shot his own guy dead,” Alex told his friend. “He wanted to surrender. Temple wasn’t going down without a fight.”
Jase came over to where they stood. “We need to get these two to a hospital. The rest of the men will be taken into custody. We’ll interview them separately. Let’s see if we can get one of them to talk about who was supposed to buy the sarin gas.”
Rachel still couldn’t believe how close to dying she’d come. “Is there any news on my brother?” She had to know Liam was okay.
Jase’s smile broadened. “The cell service up here is horrible, but I just got the word. He’s going to be fine. He’ll be in the hospital for a while, though. Deacon’s touch and go. He was in pretty bad shape when Ryan reached him.”
She said a silent prayer for Deacon’s recovery. He’d fought so hard to live even though his injuries had been severe. Deacon had tried to help Michelle get away from Temple. He’d done his best to bring down Temple and his thugs. He didn’t deserve to die because of his loyalty.
* * *
“I know where the gas is hidden.” Alex glanced down at Rachel as he spoke.
Jase stared at him in surprise. “Where?”
“The cave Liam mentioned in his letter,” Alex said to Rachel. “He was trying to tell me without saying it directly in case the letter fell into the wrong hands. Liam must have realized that Seth was dirty and was fearful he’d find the letter somehow.”
“We need to find the sarin as soon as possible,” Jase said. “And we need to find the rest of Temple’s men. I have the state troopers combing the woods. There were some at the lodge. They’d been digging up the floor. They said they thought the gas was there.” Jase shook his head.
“I guess they bought my story after all.” Alex told him what had happened before they arrived.