by Debra
“Strange as all this has been, we made some positive memories last night,” she said.
“Agreed.” He drew her close, wrapping her in his arms, trying to chase away the awkwardness he’d introduced. This perfect moment would be enough. For now, and for later when she came to her senses. If they didn’t get another chance at this, he wanted her to know what he felt for her. He wanted her to know she was unique, precious, and any man would be lucky to have her.
It just couldn’t be him. He didn’t want to burden her with his baggage. When this was over, he’d explain that so she understood.
“It’s three against two today.”
“Almost seems unfair. To them,” she said as she cinched her bootlaces.
She humbled him with her unwavering confidence. Knowing her skills and unflappable composure, it meant that much more.
He could almost hear the echo across the mountain as his heart dropped into her hands. Knowing men fell in love didn’t mean he’d ever thought he’d be one of them. “Let’s get back to the crash site,” he said. Later was soon enough to deal with the emotions churning in his gut where Charly was concerned.
* * *
AN HOUR LATER, when they arrived at the crash site, he saw they were too late. Will reached for his knife as Scott, Max and Lancaster crawled through the wreckage, searching for Lancaster’s life’s work.
He wasn’t surprised that the scene looked worse in daylight. The fuselage was cracked open like an egg. Sharp scents of fuel and oil spoiled the clear air. The wings were stubs, sheared by the trees, and the tail was absent, but Lancaster’s presence was enough confirmation they were at the right site. Debris, like the first piece they’d found, was tangled randomly in the branches above and behind them. From above, Will imagined the crash site looked something like a poorly executed fire break. Will pulled out his phone and took pictures, wishing there was a cell tower to send them to Casey. If Lancaster had been able to get a helicopter up here, he would’ve gotten away with the Blackout Key too easily. Finally, a reason to appreciate high altitude and technology-free wilderness.
Despite their focus, by accident or design the men were positioned in a way that prevented a surprise attack. He couldn’t take all three of them without a diversion. His best diversion was Charly, but using her as bait put a bad taste in his mouth.
“Some mess,” he whispered to Charly.
“Where’s a flare when you need one?” she murmured, her gaze on the scene, obviously not caring any more than he did about the fate of Lancaster and his two remaining mercenaries.
Will pictured his limited options. Action, reaction. Cause, effect.
“I can go in,” Charly said.
“No.” He didn’t care that it was the right call.
“Bogus radio call?” She held up the radio.
He shook his head.
“Don’t leave me out of it,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Not that, either.” He rubbed her shoulder, pressed his lips to her temple. “First we need to know he found the key.”
She nodded, making an okay sign with her fingers.
When Lancaster found the key, Will would be able to make a final decision about how to contain the men and the device.
He signaled to Charly and they retreated back into the thicker cover of the trees. “What’s his best route out of here?”
“It’s only a few hours on foot from here to another park access point by way of a cleared and well-marked trail.”
“Then how much longer to Durango?”
“Not long at all if he has a car there.”
“He won’t go back over the mountain?”
“Would you want to go back the way we came?”
Will shook his head, suppressing his smile. “Just making sure there isn’t a direct route.”
“He’ll make better time going down and taking the road.”
“Does he know that?”
She grimaced. “I gave each of them standard trail guide maps for reference when we started out. But I’m not sure he knows where the trail is from here.”
Will considered what they’d seen and heard. Lancaster had been furious about the shifting timeline and ongoing delays, natural and man-made, keeping him from the Blackout Key and his revenge. He was coming unhinged, had lost all but two men in the search. There had to be a way to turn that into an advantage.
A plan took shape in Will’s mind. If—when— Lancaster found the damned key, this could all be over by the end of the day. He focused on that critical detail.
Yet Will knew that when Lancaster was in custody and the key safely out of commission, he’d face a new crossroads with Charly. One thing at a time, he coached himself, hearing the team leader’s voice from his first operation as a SEAL.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, worry weighting her tone.
“Nothing. Unless the key isn’t there.”
“Right. But I can see the wheels turning,” she said, repeating his words to her last night. “Tell me the plan.”
“Our best option is to move around, cut off the logical egress from the crash site. He knows he needs to go downhill.”
“All right,” she said on a quiet chuckle. “Where do you want me?”
“Behind me,” he said, ignoring the way her gaze narrowed. “After I send a specific emergency message over the radio.”
“They could hear that.”
“They don’t know we have a working radio,” he reminded her. “With the right phrase my message should bring reinforcements and not alert Lancaster.” He hoped Casey had mobilized men into the Four Corners area after their last conversation—it would make the chain of custody cleaner. Either way, Lancaster was going down today.
“Do you want me to take Scott or Max?”
Neither. But that wasn’t an answer she’d accept. “Max.” The man who’d carried the tracking device from the start was tired, irritable and the closest to Charly’s size. “Keep him alive if possible.”
Her dark brows rose. “If?”
He nodded. “This is life or death. All three of those men are desperate. Hopefully it won’t get that bad, but just in case, you’re my priority.”
“I am?”
He took a long breath. “I want you to live more than I want him alive to testify against Scott and Lancaster.”
Her smile rivaled the sun. “Same goes.” She pressed up on her toes and kissed him. “Assuming someone is smart enough to give you a medal or some kind of award for this, I want you to be alive to receive it.”
“It’s a deal.”
They stayed low and moved quickly, both of them listening for any sounds of progress from Lancaster. The random shouts didn’t sound good, and Will wasn’t sure what that meant for his chance of success. He didn’t see how it was possible that someone had found the crash site and robbed Lancaster of his prize.
But if the key had never been on the plane... He stopped that thought before it could gain momentum and cloud his analysis.
He paused when he got his first head-on look at the cockpit of the small aircraft. Burrowed into the scorched earth, sparkling as the sunlight danced on shattered glass, the pilot was slumped lifeless against the instrument panel.
Will halted when Lancaster’s rambling suddenly ceased. Hearing the victorious shout, he knew he had to act. From here, the solution wasn’t perfect, but all three men would be in front of him. Drawing his handgun, he stood tall and entered the clearing created by the downed plane.
With Charly at his back, he moved forward, confident he had the upper hand. “Arms up,” he called. The three men stopped moving, but didn’t comply. “Arms up,” he repeated. “And drop the weapons. Reed Lancaster, your little field trip is over.”
“Take them out,” Lancaster ordered Scott and Max.
Will saw the hesitation in each man’s face, knew they were weighing the odds. “Let Charly take your weapons.” He gave her a nod, and she moved toward Max.
“You’re outnumbered,”
Lancaster declared with absolute hatred in his eyes. “Do something,” he barked at Scott. “Take them out!”
Will kept his gaze on Scott and Lancaster while Charly skirted the edge of his peripheral vision on her way to take care of Max. “Get real already,” he said. “You can’t win.”
“Who the hell are you?”
Will kept his gun on Lancaster while he answered Scott. “Private contractor, just like you.”
Scott vented his disbelief, and Lancaster bellowed as he raised his gun and fired.
The software genius had lousy aim. Will charged forward, furious and tired of this jackass. Two against one didn’t bother him, not when he saw Charly holding her own against Max. He tackled Lancaster with all of his pent-up frustration, taking him down. The fumes from the crash rose up, choking him, but he ignored it.
Beneath him, Lancaster gagged, and Will knew that any second now Scott would land on him, or shoot him to protect his profit. He landed a solid punch and flipped Lancaster, using him as a shield against Scott. The older man landed a few punches with a force driven by madness, but Will fought back with knees, elbows and fists.
Until Lancaster was suddenly hauled off him and Charly’s voice cut through the blood rushing through his head.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Surrender or we shoot,” Scott said.
Will looked up, blinking. Max and Scott had guns leveled on her. One at her head, one at her belly. He considered bluffing about backup, or that she didn’t mean anything, but it was too late for that. He wasn’t close enough for a rapid strike.
Defeated, he held up his hands. “You win.”
* * *
CHARLY SCOLDED HERSELF. She’d disarmed Max, had him where she wanted him, and let herself get distracted when Lancaster took a shot at Will. That split second of panic and she’d lost her footing on the muddy ground surrounding the plane. Her mistake had distracted Will and now they were both propped against trees, hands cuffed at the wrist with zip ties, under the armed guard of Max and Scott.
“I have what I came for.” Lancaster dropped to one knee too close to her face. He held up a black plastic box not much bigger than a deck of cards, then tucked it into his pocket.
“So take it and get off my mountain.” She couldn’t believe how much blood had been spilled for that unexceptional device.
“With pleasure,” Lancaster said. With the unyielding tree at her back, there was no escaping his sour breath. She tried not to inhale. “If you get me off this damned mountain in one piece I might let you both live.”
She had to give him points for the honest disclaimer. Might was a slim chance at life. And a slim chance was better than already dead. It felt like a lousy variation on the rock-paper-scissors game.
“I’ll help you.” She didn’t look at Will. Couldn’t risk taking her eyes off Lancaster. Right now Lancaster only knew they were working together. While he was obsessed with his device, she didn’t want him to gain any advantage. If he recognized how far she’d go to protect Will, Lancaster would use her love as leverage.
Love. Charly closed her eyes as it washed over her. The feeling was impractical at best and the relationship—if running around a mountain counted as such—couldn’t possibly survive. Still, if these were her final hours, she wouldn’t live them in denial. Having seen Will in action, she knew the odds Lancaster found favorable—three armed men against a restrained man and woman—were only an illusion.
She opened her eyes. “Where do you want to go?”
“Durango.”
“Do you realize what you’re asking?”
Lancaster stared, his expression blank. “Enlighten me.”
She suppressed the shiver as fear trickled down her spine. “You can’t go back the way we came.”
“Why not?”
She stared him right in the eye. “We’ve radioed park rangers and left a trail of bread crumbs.” The lie, boosted with a grain of truth since they’d set up Jeff and Bob to be rescued, must have been convincing.
“You bitch.” He backhanded her, bouncing her head off the tree. Her vision blurred until there were two of everything. She could only hope she was focusing on the real version of Lancaster.
“Tell me how to get off this mountain or you die right here.”
“Fine.” She tasted blood where her teeth had torn the inside of her cheek. “You’re better off taking the cleared trail on this side of the mountain and hiring a car to get you out of Colorado.” There wouldn’t be any safe place for him, not anywhere in the world, with Will on his tail. With luck, they could gain the upper hand along the way to the trailhead.
Lancaster cut the straps holding her to the tree and it shamed her when she slumped forward, still reeling from the blow. He hauled her to her feet by her bound hands. “Any tricks and I’ll take my chances on my own.”
“No tricks,” she promised as they formed up. “But it’s fine with me if you leave us here.”
“Shut up and lead.” Scott’s rifle bit into her low back, pushing her forward.
“Just a second.” She stumbled, heard Will’s deep voice, but couldn’t make out the words. Something was wrong, but the cause eluded her. “One second,” she said again, from her knees. She peered out at the world, but it seemed as though she was watching the forest through a narrowing telescope. A flash of heat speared up to her head as a ring of darkness closed in. Her stomach twisted, and she battled the nausea. She was passing out. God knew what they’d do to her and Will if she couldn’t function as a guide.
Deep male voices locked in a furious debate surrounded her, though the words were incomprehensible. It made the beckoning quiet all the more tempting. So tempting to give in, to be done with this entire problem.
Only the thought of Will’s fate kept her from giving in. She thought of her grandmother’s stories of ancient days. A time of honorable warriors and mystical shamans. She knew this land inside and out, body and soul.
“Water,” she rasped, but no one seemed to hear.
She felt the cool, moist floor of the forest against her battered cheek. Her mind drifted like a feather on the wind, searching for a tether, a reason to land. Will. Will needed her. She sensed it and struggled against the pain reeling behind her eyes.
“Water,” she said again, pushing herself upright, forcing her eyes open.
Someone echoed the command a moment before a canteen was placed to her lips. She sputtered and coughed, but it helped.
“More.”
“No.” Lancaster’s denial didn’t surprise her. “Can you see?”
“Well enough.” Maybe. She didn’t need to. This was the land of her ancestors. She could walk out of here blind if she had to. Though she hoped it didn’t come to that. “One more sip. Please?”
“She’ll lead us off a cliff,” Max grumbled. “Give her the canteen.”
The hard aluminum banged into her hands, and she managed to grip it before it fell to the ground. “Thank you,” she said after another small drink. It helped to rinse the taste of blood from her mouth.
She closed her eyes, found her bearings and turned west. “This way.”
“We should kill them and go,” Scott said from a few paces behind her.
“Yeah, because that’s worked so well,” Max replied. “Four men are already dead because of this mountain.”
“We can’t let them live.”
The announcement barely fazed her. Charly knew Scott was right. Witnesses were not part of the equation for the mercenaries. She wondered if Scott and Max realized Lancaster wouldn’t leave them alive, either.
It wasn’t her problem. At least not as long as she was breathing. She would lead and trust Will to figure a way out of his restraints as well as this nightmare.
Chapter Seventeen
Will ambled on with the group, his hands tied behind his back, his weapons confiscated. Max had his knife and the radio; Scott had taken his handgun. Standard protocol and really, not problematic in the long run. He could tak
e all three of these class-A jerks with his hands behind his back. And he would. Just as soon as Charly was clear.
It wasn’t over, but getting captured wouldn’t qualify this as his finest hour.
There was still a knot in his gut from Charly’s collapse. Watching her, he knew she wasn’t fully recovered—her left foot was dragging a bit, and no matter how they prodded her, she couldn’t keep up a quick pace for more than a few minutes.
At this point, he wasn’t sure she could even find the trail if it was lit with neon lights and a parade of forest animals waving signs. They hiked across relatively easy terrain under a heavy cloud of silence. He wouldn’t make his move until he was sure she could get clear on her own. Or until they were out of time.
He had to believe his distress call had been heard by the tech-savvy specialists assigned to support this op by Director Casey. Regardless, he would be sure no one left this mountain with the Blackout Key. It was hard to comprehend how an unassuming black plastic block, small enough to fit into his palm, could be the nation’s undoing.
The damned thing didn’t look dangerous. He supposed it had been purposely designed to resemble a benign external hard drive.
“How does it work, anyway?” he asked as they crossed an open field. The grass was dormant now and small patches of crisp white snow dotted the area here and there. He imagined Charly had seen this field in every season, would know every plant, animal and stone. Remembering their earlier conversation, he decided he’d ask her about it when they were safe again. His mind played tricks on him, imagining what it would be like to kiss her here in each one of those seasons.
“Not your business,” Max replied, pulling him back to the task at hand.
“Which means you don’t know.”
“I know you should shut up before I slap tape across your mouth.”
“Seems like a lot of effort and a big waste of life to me.” He wanted to provoke Lancaster. Casey wanted solid intel as to which pieces of Lancaster’s grand scheme for revenge were already in place. “Now you can make your statement, is that it, Lancaster?”
“Shut him up,” Scott grumbled.