They were being stalked.
He moved back to the kitchen. Jake opened his mouth to speak and Niail put his finger up to his lips for silence. Kimi stood and frowned. Worry was evident in her eyes. Niail fought the urge to hold her and wipe the anxiety from her eyes. Now was not the time.
“We are being surrounded.”
Jake’s eyes widened. “Who would dare?”
“Someone who knew you were working on a case against Kowal.” Kimi held her hand up to her mouth. “There’s no time. You have to call for backup.”
“I can’t do that.” Jake’s voice was serious.
“You are not working within the law.” Niail knew the truth before Jake answered. There was only one reason someone would not call for help. They were disobeying direct orders. “What do you want to do?”
“I’ll call my partner Mark.”
Niail grabbed Kimi’s hand. “I am leaving with Kimi.”
“You can’t just take her.” Jake’s voice rose. “She’s my sister. She stays with me.”
“No.” Niail pulled Kimi close. “Kimi and the children are my responsibility. I will not go back on my word.”
“Okay.” Jake raised his hands. “Wait a second. Let me call Mark and then I’ll go with you. We can strategize together.”
“I have no need for plans. We have weapons and that is enough.”
“You can’t shoot your way out of this.”
“Why not?” Niail walked to the door with Kimi following him. “I have the guns from the men who broke into the house earlier.”
“You can’t use those and expect me to turn a blind eye.” Jake grabbed his arm. “I’m a FBI agent.”
Niail stopped at the front door. “I do whatever it takes to protect.”
Jake put his hands on his hips. “Let me call Mark, then I’ll come with you.”
Niail looked at Kimi. She hadn’t said a word since he had taken her from the kitchen. “Do you want to wait?”
“We can’t leave him here.” Kimi turned her face up to him, her eyes beseeching him to understand. “He’s my brother.”
“Then we will wait.” Niail shifted his gaze to Jake. “Phone him now.”
Jake nodded and then turned back to the living room. He picked up his cell phone and made a quick dial. “Mark, we have a problem.”
Niail turned his attention to Kimi. She looked frozen with shock. He pulled her close and rubbed his hand up her back. It was an unusual situation for him, but it felt right. The tight rein he kept on his heart and emotions loosened as Kimi eased against him.
Jake hung up and grabbed his coat. “How do you want to go about this?”
“I am putting Kimi in the truck.” Niail turned the door handle. “Then I will take care of the intruders. You stay with your sister.”
“And let you have all the fun?” Jake shook his head. “Not on your life buddy.”
“My actions may not be legal.”
“The only thing that matters is that we get out in one piece.” Jake pulled a gun from a chest of drawers by the door. “Mark will meet us on the reservation.”
Niail pushed Kimi behind him. The night was cool and dark. He rushed to the truck, and within seconds, she was lying across the front seat.
“Start the vehicle and wait five minutes.” Niail put the keys in the ignition. “If we have not returned, leave.”
“Where’s Mark meeting us?” Kimi turned to look up at her brother.
“He’s going to be at the main road into the reservation. Then he’ll follow us.” Jake took the safety off his pistol. “We’re going to Grandfather’s sweat lodge.”
“That’s where I’ll go if you don’t return.”
“Mark will get you to safety if we fail.”
“We will not fail.” Niail reached for the guns he had stashed under the front seat. “We might take longer than expected.”
Jake shook his head. “Where did you get this guy?”
Kimi smiled. “He found us.”
“Five minutes, no more.” He shut the door and turned to Jake. “There are three men. Do not get in my way.”
He crouched and moved to the cover of the bushes that lined the driveway. Jake followed. He did not have to explain the drill to him. The light came again. Niail watched for a second flash and then motioned Jake in that direction.
He would take the first man and then wait for the next signal. Staying close to the ground the two men inched their way toward their quarry. The sounds of the night masked their approach. They were within a few feet of the watchers and able to see the guns that were braced against their shoulders.
The guns were aimed at the truck.
Waiting was not an option.
Niail jumped the first intruder. He broke his neck before he could send off a warning shot. Jake pulled the automatic rifle away from his opponent. The second light signaled. Niail was upon the man before he could shout a warning. He smothered his cry with his hand before choking him to death.
That left the third stalker.
Niail did not wait for Jake.
He pounced on the man and pulled the rifle up against his neck, holding it there until the life had drained from him. Jake reached him, just as he threw the body to the ground.
“You killed them all.” Jake’s whisper was incredulous. “What if they had been innocent?”
“They were not.”
“You don’t know that.” Jake raked his hands through his hair. “I can’t believe I’ve gone from a peace officer to a killer.”
Niail stood. “I did the killing.”
“Is this normal for you?”
Niail picked up the assault rifle. “We do the killing.”
“So that makes you insensitive to it.” Jake sneered.
“No one gets used to death.” Niail walked to the truck. “Did you, when you were a soldier?”
Jake shook his head, his shoulders sagging. “No.”
“I am not the enemy.” Niail reached the vehicle and opened the door. “These were Kowal’s men and they meant harm.”
Jake climbed into the front seat beside Kimi. Niail folded himself into the rear and leaned his head back. The adrenaline leaving his body was being replaced with exhaustion. His head continued to throb and he winced at the sharp pain that shot through his temple.
“You overdid it.” Kimi’s concern showed in her tone.
Niail closed his eyes. “We have taken care of the threat. Now you need to get us to safety.”
Kimi put the truck in gear and started to drive. Within seconds, they were on the road and speeding away from Jake’s house.
“How am I supposed to explain this to my superiors?” Jake twisted around to face the rear.
“Their guns were pointed at Kimi.” Niail straightened his shoulders. “The last one had his finger on the trigger.”
“You can’t leave dead bodies lying around.” Jake crossed his arms and faced forward. “Even if they are criminals, they deserve the benefit of the justice system.”
“They gave us no other option.” Niail closed his eyes.
“Your head aches.” Kimi glanced back at him in the rear view mirror. “Rest. It will take us a while to get to Grandfather’s cabin.”
Niail tried to speak, but exhaustion had already claimed him. He fell into a deep sleep and it wasn’t until his body was nudged that he opened his eyes. Jake was staring down at him, his hands on his shoulders. Niail started up.
“We’re here.”
He shook the sleep from his head, but the fogginess remained. He grimaced. The vehicle had stopped and the interior lights were on. Kimi was watching him from the front seat, concern written on her face. He needed to alleviate her fears so he nodded and opened the door. There was no way he wanted her to know how the last two encounters had sapped his energy.
Darkness surrounded them. The night sky was full of stars that twinkled and shone with a brightness that only a remote area would allow. He inhaled the brisk fresh air.
“The ca
bin is in those aspens.” Kimi came up beside him. “My grandfather often comes here alone.”
“The truck needs to be hidden.”
Jake reached for the keys from Kimi. “You open the cabin and I’ll park behind it. The trees should protect it from prying eyes.”
“What about your partner?”
“Mark knows the drill. He’s waiting.” Jake pointed to a figure moving out from the trees. “I’ll meet you there.” He jumped back into the vehicle and drove off.
Mark walked with them to the cabin. Niail waited for Kimi to retrieve the key from under a rock near the door. The pain in his left side had increased, but he pushed it away. There would be time to focus on it later. Now he had to be certain they were safe.
“You guys wait outside until I get some candles lit.” Kimi opened the door.
Jake followed Kimi in. “I’ll help.”
The flickering flames of candlelight started to show through the windows. Mark went in before Niail. A sharp stab of pain twisted Niail’s side. He leaned against the door frame and waited for it to pass. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he wiped a hand over it before entering the cabin.
“You need to cover the windows.” He pulled the first set of curtains. “The light can be seen from the outside.”
Kimi rushed to the next window and brought down the blind. “We can put towels over the openings that don’t have coverings.”
When they had finished blocking the outside Niail looked around the small cabin. It was built of log. It had a central woodstove, with a food preparation area next to it. There was a table, four chairs, and a couch in front of the fire. Bunk beds were in an adjoining room. There was enough space for at least four people to sleep comfortably.
His head swam and his stomach churned with nausea. He pushed back the sensation and took a step forward. His side screamed in protest. Now was not the time to worry about an injury. He looked at Kimi and noticed her frowning.
“Are you alright?” She took a step close to him.
“Keep clear of him.” Mark pushed her away. “He’s one of Kowal’s men.”
“That’s not true.” Kimi shook off Mark’s hand. “Kowal’s men are after him.”
“I saw him with them yesterday when I was doing surveillance.”
The world started to spin and Niail gritted his teeth. He needed to sit down. He reached for a chair, but Jake pushed him back.
“You son of a bitch.” He spat at him. “I trusted you.”
Niail swayed and then everything went black.
Chapter 11
Kimi screamed as Niail fell to the floor. She rushed to him and pushed him onto his back. That’s when she noticed the blood. She pulled his shirt up. He had made a makeshift bandage from one of her kitchen towels. A strip of ripped fabric held it in place. It was soaked in blood.
“He said it was only a scratch,” she muttered under her breath. She hadn’t even seen him take the towel to cover it. “We need a first aid kit.”
Mark snorted. “Let him die.”
“How dare you?”
Outrage at Mark’s callous attitude ripped through her. All life was sacred. Her chest tightened as she realized Niail must have been in great pain since the attack at her house. He had continued to fight despite that.
Kimi went to the cupboard and pulled out drawers until she found the kit. There were a couple of bottles of water on the shelf. She grabbed one to clean the wound. He had risked his life to save her. There was no way she was going to let him die.
“He was left for dead by Kowal’s men.” Kimi shot Mark a look of disgust. “He is not one of them.”
“He probably double crossed Kowal.”
“How do you know?” Kimi went back to Niail and knelt beside him. “Kowal’s men are after you and Jake. That doesn’t make you criminals. Niail needs help.”
An eerie hush descended on the room.
Kimi looked up.
Jake was frowning. His hands were on his hips and he was staring at his partner. Mark had his arms crossed and eyes narrowed as he returned Jake’s gaze. Suspicion and distrust flowed between the two.
“You told me you were going home.” Jake broke the silence.
Mark shrugged. “It was a last minute thing.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“I’m your partner for God sake.” Mark shook his head. “You’re paranoid.”
“True.” Jake held up his hands in a conciliatory manner. “This business of Kowal’s men showing up at my house has me a bit antsy.”
Mark’s hands ruffled his hair. “I saw this guy talking to Kowal himself. If he isn’t one his men, then he knows something.”
“He can’t remember.” Kimi pulled the towel away from Niail’s side. “Someone shot at him and left him for dead on the side of the road.”
“Is that why he’s hurt now?” Jake walked over to her.
Kimi shook her head. “No. He only had the gash on his head and scrapes and bruises when Bobby brought him to me. This is new.”
“Looks like a gunshot.”
“It’s from the men who came to the house.” Kimi bit her lip. “He rushed them even though they had guns.”
Her fingers shook as she touched the ragged edges of his wound. The bullet had grazed his side, but it still looked ugly and raw. She didn’t want to consider what would happen if Niail didn’t make it. She had to focus. She took a deep breath and poured bottled water into the gaping hole in Niail’s side.
“He’s certifiable.” Jake held his hand out for the water. “Give me that. I have emergency first aid training.”
Jake used gauze to examine the wound. “The bullet passed along the side of his chest. It barely missed his ribs. It looks worse than it is.”
Kimi released the breath she’d been holding. Her whole body trembled at the thought of Niail dying. In just a couple of days he had become important to her. She watched Jake clean the edges of the wound and then pull it together with steri-strips before putting another dressing on it. Niail had lost blood, but he should recover.
“Can we get him up on the couch?”
“He weighs a ton.” Jake closed the first aid box. “Put a pillow under his head and get a blanket. He can sleep on the floor.”
Kimi brushed the hair from Niail’s forehead. “He’s still suffering from a concussion.”
“A hard surface isn’t going to make him worse.” Jake stood. “Besides, what if he falls off the couch? It’s pretty narrow for a man his size.”
He was right. She stood and grabbed a pillow and afghan from the couch. She would stay with Niail. The thought of leaving him was unbearable. She was connected to him.
He wasn’t like any other man she had ever known. She abhorred violence, but she didn’t blame him for what he’d done. There were few choices once the men had barged into her house.
He had saved her life.
She couldn’t abandon him.
She put the pillow under his head and covered him with the blanket. She would wake him in a couple of hours to be certain that the concussion was cleared. Now she had to concentration on their plan to get help. Hiding here wasn’t getting them any closer to safety.
“How long before Kowal finds us?”
Jake’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She pulled her gaze away from Niail. “Why should he find us?”
“You tell me Mark.” Jake stood in front of his partner.
Mark crossed his arms. “I am not working with Kowal. I’m undercover and trying to put him behind bars just like you.”
“Why didn’t he visit your house?”
Mark shrugged. “I wasn’t home when you called. Who knows? He might be there right now.”
Jake grunted. “You had better not be lying.”
“Look man, we have to trust each other, or we’re lost.”
“Why can’t you call your commander and explain what you were doing? Once he knows that Kowal is after you, he’ll understand.” Kimi went to the woodstove and started to s
tack paper and kindling inside. “He’ll send someone to help.”
“We don’t have enough evidence.” Jake sighed. “Besides, Mark and I have been doing this undercover stuff on our own. No one sanctioned it.”
“So someone might think you both are working with Kowal?”
“Bingo.” Jake threw back his head. “I can’t believe we let ourselves be hoodwinked like this?”
“I’m telling you, it’s this guy.” Mark pointed at Niail.
Jake shook his head. “He brought my sister to my place. He’s the one who noticed the men outside. If he was working for Kowal he wouldn’t do that.”
“You said he lost his memory.”
“He knows who he is.” Kimi struck a match and lit the kindling. “He just can’t remember what happened before he was beaten up.”
“That’s pretty convenient.”
Kimi sat back on her knees. “It’s common in concussions. From what Bobby said, Niail was thrown off a vehicle at high speed. He hit his head on a large rock, and shots were fired at him. It’s a miracle he’s alive.”
The flames started to lick up to the larger wood pieces. In a few minutes the fire would be blazing and adding heat to the cabin. The only other thing they would need was water, but they would have to go to the creek for that. Kimi wasn’t venturing out of this place until daylight. She stood and stretched her hands over her head.
“I don’t think we’ll solve anything this evening. We need sleep.”
“One of us will stand guard.” Jake pulled his pistol out of its holster. “I’ll take the first shift.”
Mark yawned. “I’m not going to argue. I was awake all last night watching Kowal’s house.”
Kimi went to a small shelf along the wall near the door and pulled out a couple of blankets. She threw one to Mark. “You can sleep in the other room. There are two bunks in there.”
When Mark had gone to bed, Kimi gathered a blanket around her and turned to Jake. “Do you trust him?”
“More than I trust that guy.” He nodded toward Niail.
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
Kimi walked over to Niail and sat down. She had no intention of leaving him alone tonight. She didn’t trust Mark. Jake’s intentions toward Niail weren’t clear either. Niail deserved to be protected until he could fend for himself.
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