Court ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket. That way, he’d be ready when Ian arrived. He didn’t want anything slowing him down when he moved Rayna from his cruiser to Ian’s.
“Do you see anything?” she asked. Her voice was shaky, but he had to hand it to her, she was looking and sounding stronger than he’d expected. He hoped that she wasn’t actually getting used to being put in danger like this.
“No,” Court answered.
But it was hard to see much of anything. There was only a sliver of a moon, and even though the headlights were cutting through the darkness, that allowed them to see only directly ahead. It was pitch-dark behind them. It also didn’t help that there were ditches and plenty of trees in the pastures on both sides of them. It’d be easy for someone to hide out there and wait to attack.
“No way could the person who took Mom have made it out here already,” Court said.
He was talking more to himself than Rayna. But it could mean that the man who’d previously attacked them wasn’t behind this. Well, he wasn’t if he’d been the one to take Helen.
“It could be another hired gun,” Rayna muttered.
Yeah. A hired gun who was enjoying watching them squirm. Now that their car was disabled, why hadn’t the person come after them? Why wait when he or she would know that backup had to be on the way?
His phone rang again, and Court glanced at the screen to see Rachel’s name there. He was debating whether or not he should answer when he saw something. A blur of motion to their right, on the passenger’s side of the cruiser.
Someone was in the pasture.
“Get down on the seat,” he told Rayna.
“You need me to keep watch,” she argued.
He hated that she was right. Hated even more that he might need her help to get out of this.
Rayna already followed his gaze to the pasture, but Court could no longer see anyone moving out there. He kept watch. Not just there, but he looked around them, too, in case there was more than one person involved in this.
“There,” Rayna said. She motioned toward the road just ahead. “I think someone just got in that ditch.”
Court hadn’t seen it, but it was possible, especially since the headlights weren’t focused on the ditch. He put the cruiser into Drive, knowing he wouldn’t get far, but he wanted to move the vehicle only enough to shine some light in that specific area.
And it worked.
He saw the person then. Whoever it was, he or she was definitely in the ditch.
“I could lower my window enough to try to get off a shot,” Rayna suggested.
But he was already shaking his head before she even finished speaking. “Not a chance. Just keep watch to the side and behind us.” That way, he could deal with this snake.
The windows were bullet resistant. That was both the good and the bad news. It meant the guy in the ditch wouldn’t be able to execute an immediate kill shot. He’d have to fire enough to tear through the glass. But it also meant Court wouldn’t have an easy shot, either.
Even though it was a risk, he lowered his window a couple of inches and aimed his gun out the narrow space. He put his finger on the trigger.
And he waited, his attention nailed to the spot where he’d last seen the person. He doubted this was some hunter or innocent bystander out for an evening stroll. No, this was the person who’d put out the spike strip. The person who probably wanted them dead.
The seconds crawled by, but it didn’t take him long to get a whiff of something in the air.
Gasoline.
Rayna obviously smelled it, too, because she practically snapped her head in his direction.
“It could be coming from the cruiser,” he told her.
Though there was a slim to none chance of that being the case. Still, Court held out hope that maybe the spike strip had somehow flipped up when he’d driven over it and punctured the gas line.
His phone rang, and again it was Rachel. It was a bad time to be talking on the phone, but Court hit the speaker button anyway.
“We got a call,” Rachel blurted out the moment he answered. “God, Court. It’s really bad.”
His chest went so tight that it was hard for him to breathe. “Is Mom okay?”
“I don’t know. The caller said he’ll exchange her for Rayna.”
That definitely didn’t help with the tightness. “I want that call traced.”
“Ranger Owen’s trying to do that now.” His sister sounded even more desperate now than she had earlier. “The kidnapper said he’d kill Mom if we didn’t hand over Rayna in thirty minutes.”
“I can’t get there that soon,” Rayna said, and Court knew then that she was indeed planning on surrendering to the kidnapper to save his mother.
“There’s no guarantee the kidnapper will let either you or my mother live,” Court pointed out.
“We have to try. Someone disabled Court’s cruiser,” Rayna said in a louder voice to Rachel. “But as soon as Ian is here, I can get to San Antonio. Tell the kidnapper when he calls back.”
Rayna looked at Court. “We have to try to save your mother.”
Court was certain he would have come up with an argument for that, but he saw the headlights ahead. Then his phone dinged with a message from Ian.
“Rachel, I have to call you back,” Court insisted, and he switched his screen to the text.
Is it safe to approach? Ian texted.
No, it wasn’t. Someone’s in the ditch to your left, Court answered back.
He waited for Ian’s response, and since Ian was a lot closer to that particular section of the ditch, he might be able to see the person. The moment that thought crossed his mind, there was another blur of motion.
Then Court heard the swooshing sound.
As a wall of fire shot up right in front of them.
Chapter Sixteen
From the moment the cruiser had hit the spike strip, Rayna had known they were in trouble. Now that trouble had just escalated.
“I can’t drive off because of the flat tires,” Court grumbled under his breath, and he cursed.
No, and that meant if the fire started to come toward them, they would have no choice but to get out of the cruiser and run. That would no doubt make it much easier for them to be gunned down.
If the smoke and fire didn’t get to them first, that was.
Because of the direction of the wind, the smoke started to come right at them. Using the cruiser’s AC would help, but not for long. Worse, the smoke was making it very hard to see anything.
Court’s phone rang. It was Ian, and he answered it without taking his eyes off their surroundings.
“I’m going to try to drive through the fire to get to you,” Ian said. “Maybe the flames will conceal you enough so you can jump in.”
He didn’t sound very hopeful about that, and neither was Rayna. Any hope whatsoever vanished when there was a gunshot. It was a loud blast, and judging from the sound, it went in the direction of Ian’s cruiser. A few seconds later, another sound followed the gunfire.
The hiss from the new flames that flared up between Ian and them.
Also on the side of them, too.
The ditch across from the driver’s side of the cruiser burst on fire, too.
Now there were two new walls of flames and smoke, these latest ones even higher than the first. That would make it too dangerous for Ian to drive through it because if he got stuck, it could cause his gas tank to explode.
Court cursed again, and he started coughing. “Whoever’s behind this had to have put more than just accelerant on the road. There has to be incendiary devices.”
Yes, ones that were probably operated by remote control, since Rayna didn’t see anyone close enough to set the fire by hand. However, the person had to be nearby, waiting for them.
&n
bsp; And Rayna didn’t have to guess the location.
There was only one path—to her right—that wasn’t on fire, and that was almost certainly where their attacker wanted them to go. It meant that was where an ambush had to be waiting for them.
The smoke started to smother her and burn her eyes. Again, it was exactly what their attacker wanted. They couldn’t sit there much longer.
“I called the fire department,” Ian said. His voice was laced with frustration and fear, and he was also coughing from the smoke. “When they get here, they might be able to get close enough to put out the flames.”
Not likely, since they wouldn’t be able to approach if there was gunfire.
And that meant Court, Ian and she had to figure out a way to find the fire starter and take him or her out of commission. If the fire jumped the road and ditch, it could start burning the pastures and the nearby ranches. Of course, that didn’t seem so urgent as the danger that was right on top of them.
“Can you go in reverse?” Court asked Ian.
“I can, but I’d rather get closer to Rayna and you. I can maybe help you.”
“That’s too risky,” Court warned him. “Put some distance between the fire and you.”
“I’ll try... Wait, I’ve got another call coming in,” Ian said.
So did Court. It was Rachel again, and Rayna could see that he was hesitant about answering it. She knew why, too. He probably didn’t want to tell his sister about their situation. Rachel was already frantic enough about their mother, and hearing this wasn’t going to help. Still. Court hit the answer button, and as he’d done with Ian, he put it on speaker and continued to keep watch.
“Where are you?” Rachel blurted out.
Court hesitated, obviously trying to figure out how to say this. “Rayna, Ian and I are trapped on the road. Someone set fires, and that means I’m not going to be able to get to you right away.”
A sob caught in Rachel’s throat. “Are you okay?”
He didn’t even attempt a lie. “No. If the kidnapper calls back, negotiate for more time for Mom. I’ll call you when I can.”
Court ended the call just as another wave of smoke came at them. Now it was impossible to see anything, and even though the flames weren’t advancing on them, the cruiser was getting hotter with each passing second.
“We can’t stay here.” Court looked Rayna straight in the eyes when he said that, and she saw the apology that she hoped he wouldn’t say.
Because this wasn’t his fault.
It was the fault of that snake out there who’d put all of this together. Rayna only hoped she learned the reason for all of this. While she was hoping, she also wanted to catch the person and put an end to this danger once and for all.
“What do you need me to do?” Rayna asked before Court could add that I’m sorry.
“Put your phone in your pocket so you don’t lose it and then switch places with me,” he said through the coughs. He tipped his head to the ditch on the passenger’s side of the cruiser. “I’ll go out first. You’ll be right behind me. We’ll take cover and try to shoot this guy before he shoots us.”
It was a simple enough plan, and they might get lucky. Might. But there were plenty of things that could go wrong. As thick as the smoke was, their attacker could be already waiting right outside the door, and Court and she wouldn’t know it until it was too late.
Court sent a text to Ian, no doubt to tell him what they were about to do. Maybe Ian would be able to help in some way, but at this point, the deputy just needed to figure out a way to get out of that fire and be safe.
Rayna pushed back the seat as far as it would go to give Court space to maneuver. It wasn’t easy now that they were coughing nonstop. Plus, Rayna felt on the verge of panicking. It was hard to breathe with the rising heat and the adrenaline. Even harder to catch her breath when Court brushed a quick kiss on her mouth.
“Stay safe,” he said.
She repeated that to him and prayed that both of them and Ian could manage to do just that.
Court threw open the cruiser door, and they immediately caught another wave of the smoke. No bullets though, so maybe the visibility wasn’t so good for the shooter, either.
Using the door for cover, Court got out, and while staying in a crouched position, he inched closer to the ditch. He glanced around, but she could tell from the way he was blinking that the smoke was doing a number on his eyes.
“Let’s move now,” he whispered.
He took hold of her wrist, pulled Rayna out of the cruiser. In the same motion, he hurried toward the ditch. They didn’t make it far.
Before the shot came right at them.
* * *
COURT SHOVED RAYNA into the ditch as fast as he could, but it hadn’t been quite fast enough.
The shot slammed into the ground, kicking up the dirt and sending some of it into his eyes. Not good. He was already having a hard enough time seeing as it was. And now his heart was beating so fast that it felt as if his ribs might crack. That was because he wasn’t sure if the bullet had ricocheted and hit Rayna.
She could be hurt.
Rayna made a sharp sound of pain, and Court caught her in his arms, dropping down as far as they could go. The ditch was soft from the recent rain, and it helped break their fall a little. Still, it was a hard landing.
“I’m okay,” Rayna said. Though she certainly didn’t sound okay. “I just hit my head.”
That wasn’t good, since she already had an injury there, but it was better than the alternative. They could have been shot. Hell. How had he allowed it to come to this?
Because he was stupid, that was why.
He’d let the news of his mother’s disappearance cloud his mind, and now Rayna might pay for that mistake.
Since he didn’t know where the shooter was, Court adjusted his position so that Rayna’s back was against the side of the ditch and he was in front of her and facing the pasture. The lower ground helped with the smoke, too, and thankfully the wind seemed to be blowing some of it away. That was a good thing because he needed to be able to catch his breath in case they had to run.
Court tried to pick through the smoke and darkness to spot their attacker. Nothing. Nor did the person fire any other shots. Normally, that would have been a good thing, but it could mean the person was moving closer—maybe trying to get in place for a kill shot.
His phone buzzed with a text message. It was Ian, again. But Court didn’t answer it. He didn’t want to be distracted even for a second, so he passed it to Rayna so she could read it to him.
“Ian says he’s going to try to go back up the road and find a way to get into the pasture where we are,” she whispered.
That was beyond risky, but at this point, everything they did fell into that category. If Court had been alone, he would have told Ian to get to safety, but since Rayna was involved, Court was willing to take all the help he could get.
Behind them, the fire snapped and hissed, but it didn’t seem to be burning itself out. Not good. Because the flames could still reach the gas tank on the cruiser. If it exploded, Rayna and he were plenty close enough to be hurt or killed.
“We have to move,” he said, keeping his voice as soft as he could manage. And there was only one direction in which to do that. Too bad it would mean moving away from Ian, but he had to get Rayna away from the fire. “Stay behind me and try to keep watch,” he added.
She nodded, and he could feel the tightness in her body. Her too-fast breath on his neck. As a lawman, he’d faced danger, but Rayna shouldn’t have to be going through this. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a choice about that right now.
With him still in front of her, they started moving to their right. Inch by inch. It was very slow going because they had to stay crouched down. They made it about two feet before Court saw something.
A pe
rson darted behind a tree directly in front of them.
Because of the smoke, he couldn’t tell if the person was a man or a woman, but he definitely saw the gun. A rifle. If it had a scope, which it probably did, it was going to make it much easier to target Rayna and him. Court instantly got proof that he’d been right.
The next bullet tore into the ditch, and if Rayna and he hadn’t ducked down, it would have hit them. That was way too close for comfort.
It didn’t stay just one shot, either. A second one came. Then a third. All of them were ripping into the dirt just above them. Court had no choice but to pull Rayna back down to the ground. That meant he no longer had a visual on the shooter.
Behind them, he heard another hissing sound, and almost immediately new flames shot into the air. This fire was even bigger than the others and jumped up right next to the ditch. If the ground caved in any more from the shots, it would send that fire spilling down on them.
“How much ammo do you have?” Rayna asked.
That wasn’t a question he especially wanted to hear. Because it sounded as if she was thinking about doing something he wouldn’t like.
“I have two extra magazines plus what’s in my gun,” Court answered. “Why?”
“Because we can’t stay here. If we can pin down this guy, then we can get farther down the ditch and away from the smoke and heat.”
She was right about the “staying here” part, but there was no way he wanted her high enough out of the ditch to return fire. But he did have an idea.
A risky one.
It might work though if there was only one shooter. If there were more than that, well, things were going to go from bad to worse.
Still, it wasn’t as if they had many options here, and those options decreased when their attacker started sending more shots their way. Each bullet was slamming into the very dirt that could bury them in that fire.
Court tipped his head to their right. “Stay low but move as fast as you can,” he told Rayna.
He couldn’t see her expression, but he felt her tense even more—something that he hadn’t thought was possible. “What about you?” Her voice was shaking now, too.
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