by Mayer, Dale
Then she heard the truck door reopen. Shit. A bullet was next. She eyed the ground around her. There were lots of trees, but they were all over twenty feet away. She wouldn’t make it.
Then again, she’d at least be doing something.
Just not what Swede and Hawk would want her to do. Stay alive. That was the bottom line. A bullet might not kill her, but chances were good they’d get several in before she found safety. And who said the trees would keep her safe. The men could run after her and then what? She’d have pissed them off.
“Get back into the truck,” the man who’d sat beside her said.
She looked at him, wiped out from the vomiting, and nodded.
Stay alive. She had to stay alive. He turned and led the way back to the truck.
And she bolted for the trees.
*
How far ahead could they be? Swede chafed at the slow speed. Hawk was doing one-forty on the highway that allowed for eighty, but he was sure this truck could push one-sixty.
“Swede, I can’t push it any further,” Hawk snapped. “So stop looking like I’m doing a shit job here.”
Swede growled and leaned back. “Have to save her.”
“We will.”
There was a long silence then Hawk asked, “I know, she’s my sister and all, but are you finally going to put her out of her misery?”
Swede’s eyes flew open. “Sorry?”
“She’s so damn hooked on you. Has been for years.”
“Like hell,” Swede said good-naturedly. “She’s seen me in the worst light.”
“And fell in love with you anyway. The thing is…” he hesitated and Swede tensed. Here it came. Such shitty timing.
“If you don’t feel the same, then don’t go there.”
“No place to go. She’s already mine.” Short. Clear. Succinct. Screw tiptoeing around the issue. “If she doesn’t already know it, then she had better get the message fast.”
“You keeping her then?” Hawk asked, amusement in his voice. “I already love you like a brother, but I’ll be damned if I help you do something she doesn’t want you to do.”
“You just said she loves me.”
Hawk’s voice rippled with laughter. “That doesn’t mean she’s reconciled to that fact yet.”
“She never looks pleased to see me,” Swede admitted. “It’s hot and cold all the way.”
“Been there and done that,” Dane said from the back seat. “Got to admit, it’s a shit place to be. So it’s up to you to convince her there’s no other place she’d rather be.”
“Yeah,” Swede said. They’d avoided having “advice” conversations but at the moment, it was reassuring to know they’d been in a similar position. “The thing is, I’m not sure I can let her go no matter what she says.”
“That’s my boy, she’s there. But she’s likely afraid you will return to your wild days.”
“My days were over a long time ago.”
“You know that. We know that. She doesn’t.”
“Not an easy way to convince her.”
“Tell her the truth,” Mason said. “She’s already in love with you. She respects you. Make her admire you too.”
“I ignored her because of you.”
“Idiot,” Hawk said affectionately. “I could see what was happening between you two a long time ago.”
Swede nodded. “Yep, but you were only okay with it after you found Mia.”
Silence filled the truck cab as Hawk contemplated Swede’s words. “I wonder… Eva has been alone for a long time. I hated having to leave her alone. But I couldn’t stay any longer. I had to live my dream.” He sighed. “She wanted to be a vet, you know. But wouldn’t leave to go to school. She had the marks but figured she had to stay so I could live my dream. I only really figured out she had some kind of weird attachment to our old home recently. That it would be wrong to leave. Dishonor our father’s wishes. The memories she couldn’t let go of. It’s not true, but it’s something she and I will have to discuss.”
“A vet?” Swede rolled the term around, thinking about what he knew about Eva. “It’s not too late for her. She’s young and loves animals.”
“True, but I don’t know if she wants that dream anymore.”
Swede thought about the wistful looks she’d given the vets, watching as they worked on the horses at Isabella’s. “I think she does, but she’s relegated it to something she can’t do anymore. Whether because of her animals or lack of money…or because she thinks the opportunity has passed her by.”
“None are valid,” Hawk growled. “But she always did the right thing and put everything else ahead of her needs. I’ve been gone just enough that I no longer know what those are outside of the basics.”
“We have the property together, but if she wants to sell it that’s always up for discussion. Mia hates to leave her behind too. I’d love to have them both close, but I do know that Eva won’t leave her animals.”
“She might not have to. I’m not sure if either of you would be willing to sell but you own a lot of land. I also don’t know what property commuting distance to base would be worth comparably…”
Hawk laughed. “We’d go from owning a quarter section to owning a postage size lot.”
“Not if you were out of town forty minutes.”
Hawk was silent. Swede leaned back. It was too much to hope that such a thing was possible, but hadn’t he been wondering about the same problem. He knew there was a top notch vet school close by to where he lived. At least close enough to commute. But it was all premature. She’d have to apply, get references, etc. before she’d be accepted. And she’d have to have the marks. Even then it was a long shot as the competition was fierce.
Long shots were his thing.
But were they hers?
“Look up ahead.”
An older model army rig was stopped on the side of the road. It appeared abandoned. The hood wasn’t open and neither did there appear to be flat tires. Swede leaned forward as Hawk drove ahead slowly. The front of the cab was empty. Hawk parked in the front and the men exited. No one was in sight. Shadow set to work and quickly disappeared out of sight. Swede spread out looking for tracks. Had the truck broken down? Were the occupants picked up by a second vehicle? He frowned. Maybe, but he couldn’t see any reason for the vehicle to be here. He opened the driver’s door and hopped in. There were no keys in the ignition. That had never stopped him before. He bent under the dash and had the engine turning over in minutes. He backed it up. It appeared to be in good working order. So what was the problem? He turned to study the cab. No personal effects, but several empty water bottles, and yes, a rucksack. Typical canvas bag tucked into the passenger footwell. He shut off the engine and twisted to look in the back. And froze. There was a the motel rom key on the back seat. Eva’s.
He snatched it up, grabbed the rucksack and carried both to Hawk.
The men exchanged grim looks and stared into the wild growth around them.
Hawk’s phone went off. Shadow. He sent several texts. “He’s found one dead man and has tracked a lighter set of tracks deep into the woods.”
“She’s running.” Swede raced in the direction Shadow had gone. He had no idea what shape she was in, but she’d found an opportunity and had taken it. Now she had to keep going. There were men hunting her. Likely the dead man was the one who let her get away. Followed the same theme of failure was not allowed.
Swede wasn’t dressed for a run, but he did twenty kilometers on his regular days and could double that when needed. Now he needed speed and agility. The ground was rough and his feet huge. Hard to be silent and fast but he was good at it. He caught up to Shadow, slowed to talk to him, but Shadow sent him on. The tracks were in a straight line. “We’re right behind you.”
That’s when Swede realized someone was driving the army rig parallel to the tree line. Good.
He raced forward, his gaze on the mess of tracks. How far could she have gone? That she might have doubled b
ack into the men chasing her made his heart pound and his feet fly faster.
He heard a faint cry ahead.
He adjusted his angle and added more fuel to the speed. And heard someone up ahead shout, “Just shoot the bitch.”
Jesus. His eyes searched for their location and ways to approach without them knowing.
Only the trees were thinning, but there was no way he was going to slow down. He pulled his piece out and held it ready.
Chapter 29
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Why the hell had she run? She’d seen a window of opportunity and she’d taken it. Faster, lighter, and more motivated than her pursuers she’d gained a good lead right out of the starting gate. She’d hit the tree line without getting shot and had immediately headed for the deepest part. She’d run until she couldn’t run anymore. Now she was just trying to hide.
Until a bullet splattered, barely missing her head and shocking her into screaming. She’d bolted again after that.
But her element of surprise had been lost and they were tracking her. She’d left three men behind in the vehicle but she’d only caught sounds of two of them. That one might be the commander chilled her. He’d shoot her between the eyes and never blink. She shuddered. Where the hell was her brother?
Swede?
If she ever needed that big loaf it was now.
Footsteps raced toward her. She was buried deep inside a bush with several others around her. Please run past, please.
The footsteps came closer. Oh God. She shuddered and huddled in on herself.
“Where the fuck is she?” said one of the men from the truck. So they spoke English?
“She has to be here somewhere.”
“Where, damn it. We don’t have time for this.”
“We don’t have time to not get her,” came the more lethal voice. “Failure is not allowed.”
She was close enough to the first man to hear him swearing under his breath. “God damn it,” he whispered. “I’m not going home wearing a bullet like Leon.”
She frowned. She thought Leon was one of the men in the vehicle. Had they shot him then? She wouldn’t be surprised. As the leader said, failure was not an option.
Or maybe not as she heard sounds of another man approaching, someone big, heavy. Swede? Her brother? It wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities. For all she knew they drove past each other earlier. She’d not been able to see much.
“Carlos?” one man called.
“Yeah. I’m here. But we’re not alone.”
Gunfire erupted from where the last man had spoken. Not toward Carlos and a long way away from her, but someone was shooting. Jesus. She had to be losing it but she thought she heard a truck as well. Had she almost reached a different road? She’d bolted far enough that it was possible.
Maybe she could sneak out there and get help. Or was it a road patrolled by Carlos and his men? In which case, she didn’t want anything to do with it.
Carlos moved away slightly. She could see his back as he checked the bushes beside her. How long before he found her. Then he did something that made her heart go cold. He shot into the center of the bushes. And then again and again.
Her breath came out in short rasps as she panicked. Oh God, run or stay. Run, she’d get shot at. Stay, she’d definitely get shot at.
Not much choice.
Carlos started to fire again, only faster.
She slowly stood up so she could see what he was firing at, and a bullet whispered by her head.
She ducked again and realized whoever Carlos was firing at was shooting back.
She hunkered down, her fist in her mouth to stop her from crying out as bullets rained around – until silence descended.
Taking a chance she peered through the trees. Carlos was on the ground, blood dripping from a bullet to the head. He had to be dead. Thank God. But who was the mystery shooter. Or could this be the commander and he was cleaning up?
She waited, heard nothing, and taking a chance, bolted in the opposite direction.
Instantly bullets rained on her. She dove behind the trees.
“Eva?”
Swede.
Oh thank God. Tears poured down her cheeks as she realized they were here to save her. She’d done it. She’d stayed alive and now she was safe.
No, not quite.
She heard Swede racing in her direction still shooting at someone. Maybe he didn’t know Carlos was dead.
Or maybe he didn’t know about the commander. Shit. She watched Swede race toward her. She stood up, a huge grin on her face.
“Oh thank God,” she cried. A movement behind Swede caught her attention.
The commander jumped to his feet and lined up his gun on Swede.
She screamed, “Look out.”
Using a move Hawk had taught her a long time ago, she dove forward and tackled Swede around the knees. Still powering forward, he ploughed over her head to face plant in the dirt behind her. The single shot plucking his jacket before embedding in the tree bark behind him. She threw herself on top of him. “Are you okay? Oh God, did he hit you?”
She was picked up and slammed around behind him as he pivoted and shot – the commander between the eyes.
Jesus.
She collapsed on the ground crying uncontrollably.
“Were there other men?” Swede asked, giving her a light shake? “We have three dead?”
“Dead,” she whispered. “Oh thank God, they are all dead.”
He rolled over onto his back and tugged her to his chest. “Where did you learn that trick,” he said, his big hands sliding up and down her back in a soothing motion.
She lay on his huge body trying to calm down.
When she could, she lifted her head and stared down at him. “Hawk of course. He figured I might need it for self-defense.”
“Ha,” Swede said. “That’s the only time I’ve been taken out by that movement, and who knew a pint pot your size could do it. Besides, you weren’t trying to get away, you were trying to save my very large, however, very capable ass.”
“Whatever worked,” she snapped. “Besides, according to you what we have is more than a passing fancy so I figured I had to protect my investment.”
“Your investment?” he asked warily.
“Your ass is a very nice ass. And no one is going to kick it but me.” She glared down at him. His grin was a mile wide. “Right?”
“Damn mosquitoes in these parts.” But he could hardly get his voice out he was laughing so hard.
She sat up and straddled him. “Ya think?” She didn’t know where her bravado came from, but she’d damn well had it with running and hiding and being kidnapped and shot at. She was so done with living a half life. She’d wanted this man since forever and now he was there before her.
“And I heard all about Mia and Hawk and that talk about keeping her. A running joke between you SEALs. I know my brother is a big negative in this relationship stuff between me and any of his team, so I’m stepping in and putting you all in your place.”
Swede was chuckling so much she could hardly sit on him anymore. God the man was massive.
“And just how do you plan to do that?”
“Because you can’t keep me. I won’t let you.”
That stopped his laughter cold. In fact, a hard edge had entered his gaze.
She held up her hand to stop him. “Just so we understand. You aren’t crossing any boundaries or shifting any lines or making my brother upset. This is my choice. My decision.”
He glared at her, and she could see something she’d never thought she’d see in the eyes of this so very powerful and confident man – insecurity.
“And how do you figure that?” he asked in a casual I don’t give a shit attitude that didn’t fool her for a second.
“Easy,” she said tartly. “Because I’m keeping you.”
His gaze widened and widened and that self doubt and pain slid from his eyes and a smile like she’d never seen before took hold o
f her heart and gave it a shake before it crawled inside and wouldn’t let go.
“I love you, you big oaf. I always have.”
And she suddenly became aware that they weren’t alone. The rest of the SEALs surrounded them. Huge grins were on their faces and their arms were crossed as they stared at Swede on the ground, her the victor sitting on his belly.
It was Hawk who broke the silence. “Well, Swede, does my sister get what she wants, or…”
The others chuckled.
Swede groaned. “I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
“Hell no. In Mia’s words, you’re a kept man now.”
And the place cracked up.
Not that Eva minded because Swede had jumped to his feet, clutched her tight to his heart and was kissing her like he’d finally found what he’d always wanted. “You idiot,” he whispered against her ear when he finally broke the kiss. “I’ve always loved you too. But I couldn’t do anything about it because of your brother.”
She shook her head. “No, you could have, but you weren’t ready either. Now you know what you want and are willing to fight for it.”
He stared at her and she could see the words tumbling through his mind.
“I might not have been a hundred percent ready but I wasn’t far off. And neither were you.”
“No, it just took being kidnapped to help me see my priorities.”
“And now?” he dropped his forehead to hers. “Are you sure?”
She stared up into the most majestic blue eyes and still seeing a hint of doubt she whispered, “Never been more sure of anything in my life.”
And this time she kissed him.
This concludes Book 4 of SEALs of Honor: Swede.
Book 5 is available here.
Shadow: SEALs of Honor, Book 5
Buy this book at Amazon.