“There is no place to run.”
“Then leave me alone.”
“Can’t do that, but I’ll clear your name when I get what I need.”
She stared at the man on the porch. How could she have ever thought he was eye candy?
“Even if you make all the physical evidence disappear, you can’t erase impressions. People will always wonder.”
“You mean your agent friend McNeil will wonder.”
Just the mention of Mac’s name sent a jolt through her, making her knees weak. The expression on Mac’s face as she got into the van would forever be forged in her mind. She’d lost his trust − if she ever even had it.
If Lexie closed her eyes, the feel and taste of Mac would still be on her lips. And yes, he probably already had a warrant with her name on it burning a hole in his pocket.
She didn’t care. What she would give to see Mac’s arrogant, know-it-all face right now. But any chance of him finding her here was as desolate as the landscape.
She headed toward the rocky outcrops several yards away. After climbing to the top of the lowest rock formation, she turned toward the homestead and allowed a couple tears to fall. Just as quickly as they slid down her cheeks, she swiped them away. In the span of twenty-four hours, Ryan stripped her life apart, making it appear she was the same defenseless kid of her childhood, of no value to anyone except a madman. To hell with that. She was stronger than Ryan, her mother, or even Mac gave her credit. If she had to crawl her way out of this nightmare, she would, for Gabriel… and herself.
Sixteen
Mac inched closer to the rock formation, his heart pounding so hard, his focus, solid. Ryan’s men guarded the front lawn fifty yards away. He had spent the last hour staring through a pair of binoculars, studying the movement around the ranch. As careful as Ryan had been to date, there didn’t appear to be any security other than the few men. The ranch must be the one place this asshole was comfortable enough to relax his guard.
Doubt coursed through him as he studied Lexie perched on a large stone only a few yards away. Her face was turned away from the ranch, the sunset drawing her focus. Even in this desolate place, she took his breath away.
Mac turned his attention to the porch and Mick Ryan. The closest lead since this nightmare began was within arm’s reach. He had two choices: get Lexie away across five miles of rugged terrain to the rental car, or leave her behind while he slipped away for reinforcements.
It boiled down to priority. Grabbing Lexie meant losing Ryan. And something was making Ryan nervous. He kept glancing toward Lexie. Mac’s window was closing fast.
Sarah’s words echoed in his head. Lexie is the victim. That was what his heart wanted to believe, and his sister-in-law was rarely wrong. This was just the first time her advice didn’t quite mesh with his impressions. How could he dismiss all the evidence and disregard his loyalty to the job for a woman he might not know at all?
One thing Mac never ignored was his gut. This was a rare be-prepared-for-anything moment, and the choice he made had insurmountable consequences of life or death. Lexie was his priority. There was no way he could walk away and leave her in this desolate hell with Ryan.
He’d spent hours preparing his escape plan. He even had an alternate route mapped out that would take them into the canyons if Ryan blocked his way to the car. But could Lexie make the trip?
With his stomach to the ground, he crawled to the backside of the rock formation and peeked over the top. Ryan moved away from his men. In the night’s stillness, he had no trouble hearing Ryan’s shout.
“Lexie, get back here. You don’t want me to come out there for you.”
The anger in Ryan’s voice cleared up one element in Mac’s mind. These two weren’t friendly.
Mac pressed his back against the still-heated stone, working his way underneath Lexie’s location. Just as he got into position, Lexie’s voice came from above in an irritating whisper.
“Where the hell are you, Mac?”
He didn’t know what he would find when he reached Ryan’s ranch, but a pissed off Lexie Trevena sure the hell wasn’t what he expected. Tears maybe, a little desperation in her voice would sure help ease his mind that she wasn’t setting him up. Somehow, he had to let her know of his presence without alerting Ryan or his men.
“I’m right here.”
“Mac?”
Mac lifted his head over the rock and scanned the porch. In a low whisper, he said, “Shush! I’m under you.”
“Did you bring help?”
Loaded question. If he told her he was alone, she could signal Ryan and Mac’s life would be over. However, if he lied and told her he had an army backing him up, she could flip sides easy enough, pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes. Hell, could he trust Lexie with his life?
“Just me. Are you up for a run?”
“Where?”
“Across an old horse trail. It’s a little rugged, maybe five miles to the road. Can you make it?”
“Yes, but how? He’ll spot us.”
“We’ll stick to the shadows and outcrops for cover. I made it in. We should be able to make it back.” He glanced at the porch again. Ryan still stood away from his men, staring right at Lexie. “He’s watching you.”
“I know.”
“Give him a wave, then scoot over my way. We’ll make him think you’re heading in.”
“I’m not waving to that psychopathic asshole.”
“Then shoot him the finger. I don’t care how you signal him, just do something before he comes off the porch.”
“You need to get help, and you’ll move faster without me. Ryan won’t hurt me, but please, hurry back.”
“For once, do as I say. Drop off the back of the rock. I’ll catch you.” He climbed up the side of the formation, reached his hand out, and grabbed hold of her knee. She didn’t react. “I’m taking you with me.”
“Ryan’s crazy, and I mean deadly crazy. This is about Senator Ramirez. Ryan believes the senator is helping a Mexican cartel smuggle al-Qaeda operatives into the country. I think he’s planning multiple attacks simultaneously at border crossings from the Rio Grande Valley to El Paso, and this time around, they’re coming from inside Mexico. You need to warn Díaz.”
“There is only one drone.”
“That we know of, Mac,” she said as she eased her legs over the ledge.
“I’m not leaving you here. Scoot down into my arms. Now.”
This time around, she didn’t hesitate but pushed off the rock base with her hands. He caught her and set her on her feet. Lexie grabbed his neck and hugged him hard.
“You came,” she choked out in a hushed whisper.
“So, you finally want to see me, Lexie? Not your usual response.”
“Mac?”
He dropped his arms to his side. He hated the doubt eating at him. If it wasn’t so dark, he would know what was going on inside her head with one glance at her expression. He had too much at stake to just blindly trust—like the continued beating of his heart. “We have to move.”
“How do we do this?” she asked.
Mac picked up a broken branch and brushed away the footprints in the soft dirt against the rock. “The first twenty yards are the hardest.” Removing his hoodie over his head, he handed it to Lexie. “Put this on. It will give you some protection from the cacti. Once we leave the shadow of this rock, we crawl fast, low to the ground. As soon as we reach the larger clusters of rock formations, we’ll run. Stay close behind me, and like on the roof, don’t look back. It will only slow us down.”
Lexie reached for his hand and held it for an instant, her grip tight. “Set your pace. I’ll keep up.”
The moonless sky hid their movements, but it also made it impossible to see what was right in front of them. It took a few moments to find the trail. Mac couldn’t make out any of the natural vegetation until he was right over it. Sharp cacti snagged through the fabric of his pant legs while sharp gravel scratched his skin from his elbo
ws to the palm of his hands. Even plants that felt soft had hidden thorns that dug deep. The closer they got to the larger rock formations, the rockier and harsher the terrain. Lexie kept pace with him, never more than a couple of feet behind. She didn’t whisper one complaint even though her legs, arms, and hands were getting as beat up as his.
The moment he hit the shadow of the mesquite trees and large clusters of rocks, he reached for Lexie’s hand. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
Mac didn’t have the heart to cuff her, at least not yet. She was cooperating, making their run easier than he expected it to be, but that didn’t erase why he was here.
He pulled out a pair of night vision goggles and searched the porch. Ryan and his men were in the yard, heading toward the spot where Lexie had been. “Don’t let go of my hand.” Mac didn’t wait for a response, but tightened his grip and set out in a fast jog.
The route he mapped out earlier was etched in his mind, but he still struggled to locate the landmarks in the darkness. By pure luck, they made it around the cluster of boulders without tripping or stumbling over ruts and rocks in the path.
He tugged on Lexie’s hand to keep pace. She was a jogger, and from the sound of her panting, the run was hard, but she was working through it. At his halfway mark, he slowed his pace. Lexie stumbled into him before regaining her footing. She pulled her hand free and bent at the waist. “Why are we stopping?”
“To listen. I’m hoping they think you wandered off. The longer they think they’re looking just for you, the easier this will be.”
“They can’t use the drone to locate us. It’s not here, and there are only a couple of vehicles.”
“That can reach us in about two minutes.” Mac held out his hand and glanced in her direction. “Ready?”
This time, she grabbed his hand. “Move. I’ll keep up.”
Damn, the woman had guts, and he admired her determination. He set his pace as before. The rugged rock outcrops were several stories tall and kept a large area around them in deep shadows. Once they made their way around the cluster, there was enough distance between them and the ranch that the tension in his shoulders eased.
A half a mile from the road, he again slowed his pace, coming to a stop under a ragged juniper tree. He leaned against it, drawing Lexie to him. As soon as he caught his breath, he said, “The path we’re on leads to the road. It’s not much of a road, and it circles the ranch. Ryan could cut us off if he believes you are not alone. So, we have a choice to make. There’s a path to the right that runs through the group of rocks into a canyon.”
“And the other option?”
“We climb up into a higher elevation. Ryan knows this area well, but once we are in the canyon, it will be hard to find us. The higher we climb, the better chance at cell service.”
Lexie said nothing at first. Mac hadn’t forgotten her fear of heights.
“What’s the quickest way to get you back to civilization?”
His hand flexed into a hard fist. Were they really back to this? Maybe he should have cuffed her so there was no question of his motive.
“You’re leaving with me.”
“The drone attacks are going to happen whether I’m with you or Ryan. You have to stop them. Sarah is preparing for one attack. I saw red pins on every border crossing. El Paso has four lanes of cars crossing the bridge at any given time of day.”
She took a step back and staggered, as if her feet wouldn’t hold her up.
Shit! Mac removed the water canteen from over his shoulder. Didn’t the bastard give her anything to eat or drink all day? “Take a drink and then we’re taking the road. We’ll walk the last half mile.”
Lexie took another sip and handed the canteen back to him. “No, I’m good. We can’t slow down.”
Mac drew her against him for a moment, allowing his protective instinct to take the lead. He then released her, squared his shoulders, and moved from under the tree. His pace was slower than before. The path ended at the drop into a ditch. Mac jumped over it onto the dirt road, crossed to the other side, and moved into a blanket of low trees and bush.
Lexie followed. “Where are we going?”
“I covered the car with bush and tree limbs.”
In the darkness, the sedan blended into the landscape. It took seconds to clean it off. As soon as they settled inside, he handed her the canteen and dropped several energy bars into her lap.
“I’m fine.”
“Eat something. The way he treated you goes on the list of his sins.”
“Ryan tried to get me to eat. He made me one of those MRE meals.”
“Are you defending him?”
“No, God, no. Why the hell would you ask me that?”
Ignoring her question, Mac turned the ignition and backed out onto the dirt road. He kept the headlights off and drove as fast as he could and still see the road. One false move and he could be nose first into a deep ditch.
The shock absorbers on the poor sedan weren’t designed for the hard, rutted road. Large stones slammed into the underside and skipped up, hitting the car’s body and windshield. Dust kicked up by the tires made it that much harder to see a foot ahead of the front bumper.
“Sometimes I hate nature,” Lexie said in a forced whisper as she clutched the door.
“This isn’t nature.”
Lexie laughed. “Okay, I hate whatever this is.”
The sound of her laugh touched him. There had been little laughter between them.
She ripped open an energy bar, and a chunk touched his lips. He opened his mouth and allowed her to feed him. She then brought the water to his lips, and he took his fill. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the narrow road to glance at her. “Thanks.”
“How many miles do we have to stay on this road?”
“About five.”
What if he couldn’t trust her? Sarah and Jason both did, and he did, too, until she got into the van.
Keeping his attention straight ahead, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Everything about her since she came down off the rock gave the impression that she was what he had always believed: a good woman.
If people like Lexie Trevena were turning into the bad guys, what he did for a living didn’t matter anymore.
“And Ryan can pop out where?”
“If he discovers you had help to escape, he’ll try to get you at the crossroad where this road meets the county road.”
“Will there be any warning?”
“There’s a curve right before the county road. That’s where you’re trading places with me.”
“Why?”
“I’m a better shot than you.”
Seventeen
A sharp pain spread across Lexie’s right shoulder. The last pothole sent her airborne, and her shoulder had slammed into the door frame. But Mac didn’t ease off the accelerator. How all four tires of the rental were still functional was a mystery.
“Mac, that’s not a good plan. You don’t want me to drive.”
“You got another plan?”
“Yeah, you drive and I shoot.”
Mac let out a deep, gut laugh, more of an are you out of your mind kind of laugh.
“When was the last time you fired a gun, Lexie?”
She tightened her fingers around the handle on the door and held on for dear life. “A few months ago.”
“Truth.”
She didn’t glance his way. “With you and Rico.”
“Then hell, no.” He shot her a brief glare. “Hadn’t you heard? A new gun law is in place. Ten years hanging by the toes for the idiot who willingly puts a gun in your hands.”
“That’s not funny. I wasn’t that bad.”
He only grunted. “Stick to the plan. We’re almost at the turn.”
Lexie swallowed as her hand clamped down on his arm. “I can’t drive.”
“Yes, you can. I’ve seen you drive.”
“Yeah, but snowbirds flip me off.”
Mac eased off t
he accelerator, and the car slowed at the bend in the road. His hand covered hers. “You have about a half mile on this road. If Ryan is at the crossroad, press the accelerator to the floor. Just keep the vehicle in the middle of the road. I’ll take care of the rest.” He reached for the rifle in the backseat. “Scoot over into my seat.”
Lexie grabbed the weapon instead. “Hear me out. I can’t shoot a target the size of my fist, but I can hit big objects like radiators, windows, stupid men standing still. You do the ramming, and I’ll do the shooting.”
“Damn it, Lexie…”
“Don’t ‘damn it’ me, Mac. This is a better plan. I’ll never get this car through a roadblock. I’ve only had a license for three months.”
“How is that possible?”
“No car, little money, and as a student, I could ride all the buses for free. Believe me when I say I’m not a good driver.”
Mac studied her for what seemed like hours when only half a second passed. He reached over and unclipped her seatbelt. “Get in the back and kneel on the floorboard.”
She crawled over the seat, and he lifted the weapon. “Five-second lesson. This is a semi-automatic shotgun.”
He released the magazine and slid it in place.
“It has an extended-capacity magazine.”
He reached under his feet.
“Reloading takes seconds.”
He popped out the clip and reloaded it.
“Just like the rifle Rico had you use.”
She loaded and unloaded the magazine twice. “I’ll keep my head low and aim out the right side only.” She raised her right hand, palm out. “I promise not to shoot you.”
She tried to plant a smile on her face, but it didn’t happen.
“That’s not even a little funny.” Mac dug into the pocket of his jeans and handed her a set of earplugs. “These should protect your ears, but still hear me.” He leaned over the passenger seat and shoved it back all the way. “Now, prop your left shoulder against the front seat and brace your lower back against the rear seat. Keep your head down and shoot at everything.”
Mac removed his Glock and pressed the accelerator.
In the Shadow of Pride Book 4 Page 12