They’d been through it a million times. In the dead of night, he’d sometimes woken her up to ask where their safe place was if they were separated or what she needed to do if she was forced into the woods and was lost. Dutifully, she’d repeat what he’d taught her. It made her grumpy to be woken up, but she knew why he did it—because when she most needed to remember those things would likely be when she was most unprepared to remember them.
And thinking back on how second nature some of what he’d taught her had become, she realized he was right. Focusing on what she knew was a hell of lot better for her confidence than focusing on what she didn’t know—or what might happen.
Straightening in her seat, she adjusted the heat, then turned to face him. “I’m ready,” she said. “Fire away.”
And so for the next forty minutes, he did just that. They went over how she could tell direction from the sun and wind, he drilled her on how best to cover her tracks in the snow, and they talked about the protocol for using the hiding spot he’d found their first day in Vermont—a place they would go to if they were ever separated in the woods.
While Garret’s drilling came fast and furious, the drive itself was slow going, and getting slower by the minute as the snowstorm turned almost blizzard-like. Kit was grateful she wasn’t driving and kept her eyes trained on Garret rather than the near whiteout conditions of the road in front of them. She had no idea how Garret managed to continue to test her, talk to her, and still stay so calm and focused as he drove. But she was grateful for it. His confidence in driving and in coaching her had the calming effect he no doubt intended.
A small smile played on her lips as he asked her yet another question about how best to maneuver around the lake in conditions such as those they were driving in. She was about to answer when she heard his phone vibrate in the console where it sat between them.
He cast a quick glance at her before reaching for it. She knew he shouldn’t be driving and talking at the same time, but she said nothing. Her stomach had dropped at the sound of his phone going off, and coward that she was, she was pretty sure she didn’t want to hear whatever message was being relayed to Garret. She didn’t know for sure if it would be about her or Kašović, but if she didn’t hear it, maybe she could deny the situation for just a little bit longer.
Or not.
Garret glanced at her one more time as he asked several one-word questions. “Where? When? How?” Those words were evidence enough that Kašović was finally making his play, but the final confirmation came when Garret eyed the clock on the dashboard, paused in thought for a few seconds, then replied to whoever was on the other line. “Plan B it is then,” he said. “I’ll be there in about thirty minutes.” He paused again, listening to the unknown speaker. “Okay, let me know if things change,” he responded, and then he hung up.
Kit watched him stare out the windshield onto the snowy road. He seemed to be gathering himself up for something. And in that short moment, Kit realized that while Garret was confident in his abilities, he still didn’t like what was going on and he, like she, needed to prepare himself for what would come next.
“Garret?” she said, laying a hand on his shoulder. He shot her a quick smile, one that was more burdened than fun, before returning his eyes to the road.
“It’s going to be fine,” Kit continued, feeling the need to comfort him, reassure him.
He let out a small laugh at that, but he reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Yeah, it will be fine, but we have to get through this part first.”
“And what is this part?” she asked. “Kašović is here, isn’t he?”
Garret nodded.
“Who called you?” she asked.
“Caleb,” he answered, slowing the car as they rounded a turn. When they were back on a straightaway, he continued. “Your brother’s been here for a few days. Camping out in the woods,” he added.
At that, Kit did have to let out a little laugh. “I don’t know what it is with you two and camping, but whatever works for you—as long as you don’t make me do it.”
She saw the sides of Garret’s mouth tip into a smile. “I was only camping on your property all those months ago because your brother thought it would be less complicated if he didn’t have to introduce me to you or explain me to anyone.”
“Fat lot of good that did,” Kit interrupted. “Not, of course, that I’m complaining.”
He did smile at that. “I liked coming back to my camp that day to find you sitting there, just waiting for me. It was a surprise, and I hadn’t been surprised in a long time. I don’t know what would have happened if Caleb had brought me into your home, but being out in the woods kind of gave us a neutral place to meet and talk for the first time. So, I’m not complaining either.”
Kit brought his hand up to her lips and brushed a kiss across his knuckles before releasing it so he could have both hands on the wheel. “But I assume that’s not the reason my brother is camping? And he must be beyond freezing.”
Garret lifted a shoulder. “It’s wet and snowy here, but we’ve been to a lot colder places, and no, you’re right, he’s not camping to make things less complicated. He’s camping because we wanted someone watching the house while we’re out, and even when we’re not, but we needed someone who couldn’t be seen around the house itself.”
“You didn’t want Kašović scared off,” she interjected.
“Or tipped off,” Garret added. “We’ve gone to all this trouble to lure him up here, we didn’t want to take the chance that he’d think it was anything more than a writer’s getaway once he got up here.”
Kit accepted this with a nod. “Okay, so what did my brother say, and assuming he said Kašović has been spotted, what is plan B? And why not plan A?”
She knew Garret would answer, but he took a long pause before doing so. Finally, he let out a deep breath and spoke. “Plan A doesn’t work because, while our backup team is on its way, they aren’t quite in place yet. So plan B means I’m going to drop you about a half mile from our meeting spot. I want you to walk there and stay there. With the all-weather gear we have here in the car, and that you’re going to put on, you shouldn’t have any problems staying warm.”
Their meeting spot was a cave on the northeast side of the lake that Garret had found on one of their first walks. It was about a mile from the cabin and it was a place she’d been to many times before—a place she could find blindfolded which, in the storm, she practically would be.
She didn’t relish the thought of being there alone, but despite the ominous sound of calling it a “cave,” it was actually a fairly large opening once you made your way past the narrow entry. Formed years ago by the quarrying in the area, the opening was well hidden by a copse of trees and together, they’d cleaned out the interior enough so that she didn’t have to think about things like snakes and spiders—although in the winter, neither was a huge issue. But still—caves, spiders, and snakes just seemed to go together, if only in her mind.
“Okay,” Kit nodded, knowing she could make the walk to the spot on her own. She gave more than a moment’s thought to saying they should stick together when she remembered her own thoughts from earlier in the car ride. She needed to trust him. She didn’t need to like it, but she needed to do it.
Garret slid her a look, his brows raised as if he was waiting for her to protest to being dropped off. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Whatever we do, I won’t like, because it will put us, all of us, including my brother, in danger. But at this point, what I know I can do is trust you.”
“And you do,” he said. It wasn’t a question and though he was still tense, she could see in his shoulders and hear in his voice how much of a relief it was that she did.
“I do,” she repeated. “So what happens now and where do you go after you drop me?”
He took another breath, then spoke. “First, I’m going to pull into the lot at the little community store and we’re going to get you changed into the gear I ha
ve for you so you’ll be prepared for the walk. We’ve got everything in our kits in the back of the car, so you should be set. Once I see you on your way, I’ll meet up with your brother and we’ll take it from there.”
“Do I want to know what ‘take it from there’ means?” she asked.
“It doesn’t mean what you think it means, but even so, I can’t tell you exactly what it does mean since however this turns out will depend in large part on what Kašović himself does. What I can tell you is that our intent is to capture him.”
Not kill him, she noted to herself.
“Okay, so it’ll just be you and my brother out there? What about this backup you mentioned?”
Garret lifted a shoulder. “Caleb is checking in with Drew on that. He’s sending two men, and last Caleb heard, they were on their way, but we don’t know how far out they are.”
Kit frowned. That didn’t sound like Drew. Drew was one of the most prepared people she’d ever met; it wasn’t like him to send people who may or may not make it in time to help. And she said as much to Garret.
Garret inclined his head. “Caleb and I specifically requested the men Drew is arranging for our backup. Drew’s been coordinating it and wanted to get them here sooner, but logistics got in the way. Our preference is to hold off on capturing Kašović until they get here, but even if they don’t make it in time, your brother and I will be able to handle things.”
How they would do that, she didn’t know; how they were going to do that she didn’t need to know—at least not right now, when he was preparing to do battle, so to speak. Even so, her mind and body felt like they were being torn apart by emotions; her anxiety about the situation was battling with the certainty she felt in Garret’s ability to do what he said. But as he’d told her earlier, her only real option was to accept that nothing in the situation was going to feel “easy” and she’d just have to live with knowing that whatever was going to happen was going to happen and that, eventually, it would be over. So she swallowed her own panic and said nothing.
They rode the next ten minutes to the community store without another word. And in silence, Garret helped her into her all-weather gear. She changed her socks and shoes, added waterproof pants and a jacket, and checked her hat and gloves.
Once she had all her clothing in order, they methodically went through the backpack Garret had packed and put in the car almost as soon as they’d arrived at the cabin. He’d made one for each of them and she knew what was in it, everything she’d need to keep her warm and fed for over twenty-four hours. She didn’t need to go through it again, but doing so gave her an extra few minutes with Garret, so she didn’t complain.
When he was satisfied that she had everything she’d need and knew where to find it, he turned and shut the trunk of the car. The snow was still coming down, but he’d parked under the overhanging roof that extended from the store and only a few windswept flakes made their way to where they stood. One landed on her eyelash and before she could sweep it away, Garret slipped his hands into her hair to steady her as he brushed away the flake with his thumb.
When she looked into his eyes, she saw everything that he was leaving unsaid. Fear mixed with intimacy combined with regret and maybe even some guilt shadowed his gaze. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against his. The mist from their breath mingled. She closed her eyes.
“I’ll be fine, Garret,” she whispered. His hands tightened in her hair. He said nothing, but drew her mouth up to his. It wasn’t a scorching kiss or one meant to ignite her, but it was, without a doubt, the most intimate touch she’d ever experienced.
Feeling tears start to form under her lids, Kit pulled back. The last thing Garret needed was for her to show her own fears and panic. Opening her eyes, she cleared her throat. He was still watching her. Without taking her gaze from his, she slid her own hand over one of his and brought his palm to her lips. Placing a kiss there, she stepped back. His other hand fell away.
“We need to go,” she said. His gaze lingered for a moment, but then he nodded. She gave his hand one last squeeze, then turned and made her way to the passenger side of the car. Garret was already in the driver’s side when she reached for her seatbelt.
Pulling out of the small parking lot, Kit kept her gaze on the barely visible landscape. Every now and then she caught a glimpse of a house or smoke coming from a chimney, but it was hard to make out much more than that.
“So, is the plan what we already talked about? I’ll just meet you at the cave?”
Garret nodded as a wave of melancholy swept through her at the thought of being alone—waiting. Garret had packed a satellite phone in the backpack for her, even though they’d checked the reception in the area and knew she’d be able to place calls from her cell. Both phones had all the necessary numbers programmed in and ready to go should she need them. She would never be truly alone. But still, all she really hoped was that Garret would return to her, in person, as soon as possible.
With everything confirmed and in order, there seemed nothing left to do or say. And so, for the short five-minute ride to where Garret would drop her, she said nothing more. When he pulled over onto the dirt road that led to the trail she would take to the cave, they said nothing. When he opened the door and she stepped onto the unplowed road, there was nothing but the sound of the car’s running engine. And when he helped her on with her pack, she could swear she heard the sound of the snowflakes landing on the ground.
But when she turned and walked away, she heard him all but whisper, “I love you, Kit.”
She didn’t turn back to look at him when she replied, “I love you too.”
CHAPTER 19
GARRET STAYED and watched Kit until her form was swallowed up by the snow and she was no longer visible. And then, for a moment, he stared into the empty whiteness in front of him. All his fears reared their heads in one fell swoop and he nearly dropped the plan and went after her. Nothing he had ever done—and he had done a lot—had ever been so difficult as watching her walk away.
Forcing his gaze and his body to move away from the road, Garret climbed into the car and dropped heavily into the driver’s seat. For a moment, he sat waiting, hoping she’d come back. But as soon as he acknowledged the wish, he put the car in gear and pulled away. He didn’t really want her to come back. Not if they wanted this thing with Kašović to be over. And if she did come back, he couldn’t be there because he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to watch her walk away a second time.
So he made his way down the snowy road to where he and Caleb had agreed to meet. Kašović was lying in wait near the house. The plan was to come at him from behind. Or at least he was planning on coming at Kašović from behind. Caleb would take the car straight to the house and circle back behind the building. From where Kašović had stationed himself, he was facing the southwest side of the house, more to the west. He would be able to watch the car make its way up the drive, but once it came around the last bend toward the parking area, it would leave his line of sight.
Both Caleb and Garret were counting on the reduced visibility and lighting to help ensure that Kašović wouldn’t be able to see who was—or wasn’t—in the car. There weren’t many perks about working in these kinds of weather conditions, but it did make the element of surprise a little easier. Unfortunately, that worked both ways.
Forcing his mind to stay focused on the plan and not on Kit, Garret pulled to the side of the road. Rather than climb out of the car and into the snow, he crawled to the back and pulled out his own pack. He donned his own winter gear, checked his kit and then, once he was sure everything was in order, he checked the pistol he had strapped to his ankle. Confident it would stay dry and in place, he double-checked the weapon now strapped to his chest as well. Only then did he climb out of the car and around to the back.
Staying under the protection of the back door, he pulled out a locked box, keyed in the security code, and gently lifted the lid. His rifle lay there, cleaned and ready to go.
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He examined it quickly, made sure it had ammunition loaded, locked it, and slung it over his back. He didn’t think he’d need it, but just in case, he grabbed some extra ammo and shoved it in the pocket of his white jacket. Gently, he closed the trunk, took a deep breath, and began to make his way toward Caleb.
One of the other benefits of working in snow, Garret mused as he made his way to Caleb, half a mile into the woods, was that it didn’t let you let your mind wander. There was no way he could spare any deep thoughts for Kit as he made his way through the conditions that were now rapidly changing from a snowstorm to an ice storm.
With a glance upward, he hoped the change would hold off long enough they wouldn’t have to worry about any branches coming down under the weight of the ice. He was pretty sure they would have Kašović under control fairly quickly, but then they had to wait for Drew’s team for the retrieval. Though he trusted Drew and knew he had everything covered, Garret wasn’t sure how the weather would impact the arrival of the team.
Garret paused and checked his GPS. Caleb was less than forty feet away, and Garret couldn’t even see him. For a moment, he wondered just how close his partner had had to get in order to see Kašović. But he pushed that thought aside and made his way a little farther into the woods. Two minutes later, he could make out Caleb’s form against a tree.
Caleb stood, binoculars in hand, not moving from his position. But Garret didn’t need a greeting to know that the other man knew he was there—not after all these years.
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