Explosive Reunion

by Karen Kirst

  “I don’t like being at odds with you. I miss our friendship. We used to make each other laugh, remember?”

  Her breath hitched. “I remember.”

  They left the stretch of beach and small motels behind and crossed a high, dark bridge.

  “I meant what I said back there. I’m grateful for what you do, for all the men and women who defend our country.”

  Cade’s heart pounded heavily in his chest. Her admission didn’t alter their relationship, but it did soothe old wounds.

  “I simply couldn’t live that life again, not after my dad...” She huffed out a dry laugh. “I used to daydream that he had a regular job.”

  “You wished he was a baker.”

  “That’s right. Then I could’ve had as many pastries as I wanted.”

  “You also mentioned a traveling-circus owner.”

  “I forgot about that one. I would’ve liked to try my hand at the high ropes. Jason would’ve wanted to do the motorcycle stunts.” Shaking her head, she said, “It’s wrong, I know, but I used to wish he wasn’t a hero.”

  He didn’t blame her for feeling that way. She’d been a young girl longing for her father’s love and guidance. Instead, she’d been served one disappointment after another.

  He rested one hand on the wheel. “Knowing what I know now, he could’ve made things easier on the three of you. I’ve met Special Forces guys who have families. Not only do they make it work, they’re happy.”

  A shadow passed over her face. “You think he liked the secrecy?”

  “I’m saying he might’ve taken on more than he had to.”

  “To get away from my mom?”

  “Maybe it was easier to focus on his job than deal with problems at home.”

  Tori mulled over Cade’s words. Just before the fire alarm, her mom had suggested there were things about their marriage she didn’t know. But what?

  Cade’s phone buzzed. After a brief exchange, he ended the call. “Julian’s got to run by Courthouse Bay. Something about preparations for an upcoming mission.”

  In the side mirror, she saw his Corvette turn off.

  “We’re not far from your place.”

  “Ten minutes.”

  Headlights from an approaching car temporarily blinded her. Instead of taking the highway, Cade had chosen an indirect route of secondary roads. This particular one ran alongside government land. There were no neighborhoods or gas stations, so they’d encountered only a handful of vehicles. Dusk had given way to complete night. Moonlight frosted the tips of the dense pines on either side.

  In her side mirror, she saw what looked to be twin headlights, but they were too far apart to be a car.

  “Are those motorcycles?”

  Cade cracked his window. “Sounds like it.”

  The lights approached at amazing speed. “They’re going fast.”

  “This is a good place to race without getting caught. Too often, junior Marines find themselves with cash on hand and no parents around to give input on their purchases. Bikes are cheaper than cars. Insurance is minimal.” He gauged their approach with a deepening frown. “These guys are going to find themselves in jail or the ER if they don’t slow down.”

  The roar of their engines got louder. Cade tapped the brake, clearly expecting them to pass him on this long stretch of straight pavement.

  They didn’t pass.

  The rear window shattered and glass rained onto the back seat.

  “Get down!” Cade shouted, jerking the Jeep into the oncoming lane and gunning the engine.

  Tori hunkered in the seat, her gaze fixed on Cade. He divided his attention between the road ahead and the sport bikes in the mirror. She prayed like she’d never prayed before.

  The Jeep couldn’t outrun them. Their only hope was to outmaneuver them.

  Aaron Waters had a partner.

  Another bullet hit its mark, pinging off her side mirror. She screamed.

  Cade grabbed her hand and guided it to the wheel. “Take it.”

  “What are you going to do?” she gasped, trying to stay low while also keeping the vehicle on the road.

  “Convince them to leave.”

  He removed his gun and, twisting halfway around, got off two shots. But the Jeep was slowing. If those guys managed to pull alongside and shoot point-blank—

  “Missed,” he muttered.

  Facing forward again, he resumed the wheel and their speed. Above the straining engines, Tori thought she heard a pop. Like the sound of a balloon bursting.

  “They shot the tire!” he warned, straining with the wheel.

  One minute they were racing down the deserted road, the next they were careening out of control. The Jeep tipped over and landed with a thundering jolt on Cade’s side. Tori’s seat belt dug into her torso, holding her fast against the seat. Metal crunched. Glass pricked her skin like a hundred tiny needles.

  The trees rushed at them.

  “Cade!”

  Tori squeezed her eyes shut. Please, God...

  The impact shuddered through the vehicle. It rocked several times and then heaved to a sudden stop, jarring her body. The whir of a spinning tire in midair became clear, as did the hiss of the Jeep’s engine. Smoke curled out of the hood. Images of her car going up in flames spurred her to fumble for her seat belt.

  “We have to get out.”

  Cade didn’t answer. Tori looked over, her neck protesting the movement, and saw blood trickling down his temple. His eyes were closed, his head at an awkward angle, his hands limp.

  Fear and denial forged into full-blown terror. “Cade! Wake up!”

  She tried to reach him, but he was slumped against the door, which was wedged against a sapling tree.

  “Talk to me.”

  Tori managed to release the clasp. She tumbled against him.

  Trying to find a spot to support her weight, she pressed her hand to his cheek. “I need you to wake up.”

  In the distance, she heard the motorcycles. They were turning around. Coming to ensure they’d finished the job. Adrenaline spiked.

  If they didn’t get out of this Jeep in the next few minutes, escape would be impossible.

  NINE

  Fingers whispered over Cade’s face, luring him from the brink of unconsciousness. He focused on the gentle touch to try to block the intense pain in his head.

  Someone gave his shoulder a rough shake.

  “Cade, open your eyes.” The voice was insistent. “We’re in trouble.”

  For a second, he was back in the sand pit, IEDs exploding. Gunfire threatening his men.

  “They’re coming back. We have to get out!”

  “Tori?” His lids were heavy, his body sluggish.

  “Thank the Lord, you’re awake.” She sighed, cradling his cheek. “Are you able to move? Is anything broken?”

  “Head’s about to explode. That’s the worst of it.” Blinking to clear his vision, he did a quick survey of her. He couldn’t see much in the dark. The Jeep rested at an odd angle, and she was working to stay upright and not topple onto him. “What about you?”

  “Fine.” Balancing against the seat, she fumbled for something beneath his legs. “Found your gun.” She released his seat belt and squeezed his shoulder. “Take my hand. I’m gonna guide you out.”

  She clambered out of her door and then reached back for him. Movement exacerbated the pain, but his neck didn’t protest and there wasn’t any numbness in his extremities. The rollfover hadn’t injured his spine. Or impaired his hearing.

  Their assailants were getting closer, and his and Tori’s window of escape was narrowing.

  He had thirteen bullets left and no idea how much firepower their enemies had.

  Cade crawled out of his seat. Fighting nausea, he used the dashboard and seat to work his way to the top. Tori
grabbed his hand and assisted him onto solid ground.

  Twin lights bore down on them.

  “Wait. My phone.”

  “I have mine.” She patted her pocket. “Let’s go.” Threading her fingers through his, she motioned with his gun, urging him toward the woods.

  He clung to her hand, grateful for the cover of darkness and praising God their injuries were minor. Tori’s calm astounded him. His already high admiration inched up another notch.

  Several hundred yards in, he slowed.

  She turned, her hair gleaming in the vague light. “What’s wrong?”

  “This may be our best chance to find out who’s working with Aaron.”

  “You want to go back?”

  “I want this to end,” he ground out. “Can I see your phone?”

  She complied. The screen lit up, showing zero service. “No signal.” He surveyed their surroundings. “I’ve trained in these woods. Not far from here is a dirt road that will take you to the main highway. There you can flag a passing vehicle.”

  “No. We are not splitting up.”

  “Tori, we’ve been fortunate so far—”

  “God’s got us in the palm of His hand. We’ll get answers. Just not like this.” She started backing up. “We’ll go to the facility together.” Her tone brooked no argument.

  Behind him, the noise crested and then cut off abruptly. They would soon learn he and Tori hadn’t died in the wreck and would hunt for them. If he had more time, if his body wasn’t threatening mutiny between the dizziness and queasy stomach, he’d attempt to reason with her.

  “I forgot how hardheaded you can be,” he muttered, falling into step with her. Each jar of his foot against the earth sent arcs of lightning from his left temple to his ear.

  “When the situation calls for it, I can be as stubborn as you.”

  Venturing deeper into the wooded terrain, their ragged breathing and the sweep of their shoes on the pine-needle bed below were too loud in the hushed night.

  Tori seized his wrist. “Did you hear that? Sounded like a twig or branch snapping.”

  He scrutinized the way they’d come, shadows melding into an impenetrable mass. “Let’s keep moving.”

  They walked as fast as they dared, given the limited light. He worried about holes that could twist or break an ankle. And snakes. There’d even been bear sightings through the years.

  Cade had trained in this general area multiple times during his career, both as a green Marine and at a more advanced rank. The weather hadn’t always been kind and the difficulties had varied. He’d been wet and cold. He’d been hot to the point of heat exhaustion. There’d been times he’d gotten lost. Times he’d gone hungry.

  None of that had incited the level of fear and uncertainty he was currently battling. This time, the threat was real. There were no navy corpsmen waiting in the wings to patch up broken bones or administer fluids, no commanding officers to call a halt to the exercise.

  Tori’s well-being weighed heavily on him.

  The shot, when it came, splintered the tree by his head. Bark flew in all directions.

  Tori ducked. Cade pushed her behind another tree and ordered her to the ground.

  He crouched, waiting and watching for his target to show.

  There. A glint of moonlight on a visor.

  Cade took aim and pulled the trigger.

  A grunt of surprise, followed by a growled oath, was his reward. Time to run.

  Without a word, he took hold of Tori’s arm and helped her to stand. They jogged through the woods as fast as they dared. Once they reached the dirt track, they could increase their speed. If they made it before the others caught up.

  * * *

  Tori trusted Cade to lead them in the right direction. They navigated the isolated terrain, struggling through underbrush and dodging spindly branches of dead trees that could poke out an eye. Her bare arms prickled from the scratches and scrapes she would see come morning—assuming they managed to evade the ruthless men hunting them.

  Her heart strained against her ribs, spurred by frequent jolts of fear originating in her midsection. Tori sucked in the pine-scented air. She reminded herself that Cade’s familiarity with these woods had to count for something. And the fact that one of them had been shot.

  “Do you think they stuck around?”

  Cade shouldered between a massive tree and thick bushes, allowing her to pass while he held the overgrowth at bay. “There’s a fifty-fifty chance the wound wasn’t enough to deter them. They could’ve split up.”

  “Eventually someone else will drive along and see your Jeep. They’ll contact the police.”

  “How long that might be is anyone’s guess.”

  The heel of her shoe snagged on an exposed tree root, and she pitched forward. Thanks to Cade’s quick reflexes, she didn’t land face-first in the dirt.

  “If I’d known I was going for a moonlit hike, I would’ve been better prepared.”

  “You didn’t twist your ankle, did you?”

  “I’m good.” Belatedly, she realized she had an iron-grip on Cade’s upper arms. She released him and resumed walking.

  Cade snagged her hand. “Hold on.”

  At the odd inflection in his voice, she froze. Woodland sounds pressed in. Crickets chirping. Small animals scurrying—or slithering—along the ground. The occasional frog’s bellow.

  Tori was about to speak when the rhythmic scuff of shoes against earth reached her on the still night air. Her stomach clenched.

  Cade dropped to his knees and mutely pulled her down beside him. After jabbing a finger at the bushes they’d just walked past, he indicated she should follow him. Her panted breaths accosted her ears. Surely they could hear her frantic heartbeat, sense the terror pouring off her in waves.

  Pulling up the lowest section, he waited for her to crawl into the hollow area inside. Dirt seeped beneath her fingernails. Knobby wood poked her neck and shoulders as she scooted over to make room for Cade. It was tight. His big body crowded her as he eased his weapon from its holster.

  A tickle on her exposed neck made her imagine a black widow spider crawling on her like one she’d discovered on her deck chair. Fat black body with the bloodred warning on its abdomen. A shudder worked through her. When the creepy-crawly sensation coursed along her spine, she yelped.

  Yards from their hiding spot, the steps ceased. “Did you hear something?”

  Aaron’s voice arrowed inside, freezing the blood in her veins.

  Cade’s arm came around her, a silent warning.

  “Easy,” he whispered.

  The other man grunted in the negative. They stayed where they were for long, agonizing minutes. Cade’s body heat leached into her, his soft cotton sleeves a comfort against her irritated skin.

  “Let’s keep moving,” Aaron finally decreed.

  When they’d gone, Cade removed his arm and said quietly, “I want you to stay here while I follow them.”

  Tori rejected that outright. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to split up. If you do have a concussion, you could become disoriented.” Cade veering off course and becoming lost wasn’t her only concern. The prospect of being left behind in these unfamiliar woods in the dead of night filled her with apprehension. “We should stay together.”

  She waited for him to launch a counterargument. Instead, he nodded. “Okay.”

  Cade exited and helped her to stand. At first, the pace was slow going and cautious, but soon became punishing. Her lungs were tight in her chest and her legs protesting when Cade pointed out a squat building up ahead. Its olive green exterior helped it blend with the trees. It had one window and a single locked door.

  “We’ll rest here a few minutes.”

  She knew good and well he didn’t need rest. “I’m fine, Cade.”

  “You were in the hospi
tal yesterday.” He tested the window. Shut tight. He jiggled the knob. “Fortunately for us, no one’s gotten around to updating the lock. It’s a spring bolt.” Tucking his gun in his holster, he took out his wallet and chose a store loyalty card.

  “You know how to break in using a plastic card?”

  “You’d be surprised at what I’ve learned during my time of service.”

  Tori positioned the phone so he could see, her ears attuned to any out-of-ordinary sounds. Was it too much to hope for that Aaron and his goon had given up the search?

  * * *

  He worked the card between the door and frame. He wiggled the card and, releasing the latch, pushed the door open.

  “I can’t believe you managed that.”

  They entered the musty building that smelled strongly of oil. The light glanced off containers of what was probably gasoline against the far wall.

  “In my defense, I’ve never broken into anyone else’s residence. Only my own. You wouldn’t believe how many times I used to forget my keys inside my barracks room.”

  “There wasn’t a master set somewhere?”

  “Oh, I’m sure there was, but I didn’t want the higher-ups to hear about my irresponsibility. So I took care of the problem myself.”

  She turned the light toward him. “You’re bleeding pretty bad. Got a first-aid kit hidden in one of those pockets?”

  He explored the skin around the gash on his temple. “I’m sure it looks much worse than it is.”

  “There’s nothing in here of use, is there?”

  His fingers closed over her wrist. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I am worried, Cade. We don’t know how hard you hit your head.”

  “I distinctly remember the doctor ordering you to rest and avoid undue stress.” His touch became a caress. “We’ll both get an evaluation as soon as we make it out of these woods.”

  The near-darkness and isolation, combined with the high emotions accompanying the situation, threatened to topple Tori’s defenses. She longed to seek solace in his arms. Instead, she found a relatively clean spot against the wall opposite the door and sank to the floor, wearier than she’d realized.