by Mary Alford
“We can’t wait long,” Aaron warned. “If you’re not there by half past the agreed-upon time, we’re going to assume something went sideways.”
Jase understood what that meant. There’d be no exit plan. No help.
“In the meantime, stay safe. This is almost over, I promise,” Aaron assured him.
“Roger that.” Jase disconnected the call and breathed a sigh of relief. It felt as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders. They just had to stay hidden a little while longer.
He rubbed a hand over his weary eyes. If they survived this nightmare, he knew in his heart he didn’t want to let Reyna go.
There was no denying his feelings for her were growing. But did she feel the same way? She’d been through more than most people went through in a lifetime and she was still processing it. Was it too soon? He prayed not, but only God knew.
He glanced out at the dark night. He was exhausted down to his very bones. Today promised to be another difficult day and he needed rest. Who knows what they’d encounter on the drive to the base tomorrow.
He stretched out on the sofa and put the Glock under the pillow next to him. Still, his thoughts wouldn’t shut off. The past was right here with him taunting him like a puzzle he couldn’t solve. He was haunted. By the unsolved questions concerning the attack. The identity of the woman and man in the photo. But mostly by his attraction to Reyna.
Jase spent the rest of the night fully clothed, snatching moments of sleep only to awaken from dreams of Abby. At times, she appeared close enough to touch. He’d reach for her only to have her turn into Reyna before his eyes.
He wasn’t sure when he had finally fallen asleep. The last time he looked at his watch it was after six in the morning. He awoke just as the first bit of sunlight edged its way through the curtains in the room and he finally abandoned sleep entirely.
Jase stretched and winced at a couple of new aches and pains. He glanced at himself in the mirror in the living room. The past life he’d lived as a spy showed on his face every day. Each death-defying mission, each kill, had left its indelible mark in the etched grooves around his mouth, the squint lines around both eyes. The furrow between his brows. He prayed with time the memories of the things he’d done in the name of justice would fade.
* * *
She had slept like a rock. Exhaustion had a way of doing that to a person. The smell of fresh brewed coffee awakened her, calling out to her from a deep sleep.
Reyna grabbed the clothes Linda had given her and went to shower. She looked so pale. The past six months had taken their toll on her emotionally and physically.
She dressed quickly and followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen. Jase was there. He stood with his back to her, staring out the window. Tall. Strong. Handsome. Dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, he looked so good.
She must have made some sound, because he turned to her. She could feel her cheeks growing hot under his probing gaze. He took his time looking away. He’d seen something in her expression.
“Coffee’s fresh. Want some?” She nodded and sat down at the table.
Jase poured a cup and brought it over to her.
She cleared her throat. “Thank you.” She felt awkward with him and she wasn’t sure why. What had changed? Was it him—or her feelings for him?
“There’s been news from Aaron. He’s assembled a team to get us out of here. We’re meeting him at ten.” Jase quickly ran through the details. “Soon we’ll be safe and hopefully we’ll be able to figure this all out.”
And when it was over, where did that leave them?
When she couldn’t formulate an answer, he came over to where she stood. “We’re almost there, Reyna. We just have to keep fighting for a little while longer.” When he gazed into her eyes, the intensity in his expression took her breath away. He looked like he was going to kiss her, and she wanted it as much as she wanted her next breath. She wanted...his heart.
Her hands cupped his face, drawing him down to her level. She yearned to feel the gentle press of his lips against hers. But it was not to be. Jase simply tugged her up and into his strong embrace. Her head resting against his heart, Reyna could hear its thunderous beat. It was just the two of them facing an uncertain future.
He let her go. He looked into her eyes and said, “You once asked me what my dreams were. Well, they’re simple. I want a chance at a future beyond living in the shadows. I want to feel normal again. I want a chance to...love again.” His voice cracked and she could see the fierce longing in his eyes. “I want to have a family, Reyna,” he declared fervently. “I want what you do. I think we both deserve it.”
Reyna’s breath stuck in her throat. She did, too. She hadn’t realized until she met Jase just how desperately she wanted all those things. Their gazes lingered. She’d give just about anything if they were having this conversation as two normal people not running for their lives. It was a bittersweet feeling to know she wanted love again and knowing that they may not live long enough to see if there was a chance for them to be together.
“We should collect our things. I want to be on the road soon.” His voice was still a little unsteady. She understood. She felt it, too, but she wasn’t ready to send the moment.
He moved away and she reached for his hand. “Jase.”
He turned to her. “What is it?” he asked, and he looked so tormented. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t give him any promises just yet.
“Nothing. Only, I’ll be so happy when this is all nothing more than a nightmare.”
TWELVE
The noise of a vehicle approaching had Jase rushing to the window. Please don’t let them have found us again.
He saw Don hurriedly coming up the steps. Jase unlocked the door and stepped aside to let the gentleman in.
“You folks had better get out of here as soon as possible. Linda had a call from one of her friends in town. She said there are men all over the place going door to door. They claim to work for some government security agency. She said they were flashing pictures of a couple. Linda asked her to describe the people in the photo and they matched you and Reyna. Linda’s friend said it just about scared her to death.” His craggy face filled with concern, Don glanced from Jase to Reyna. “They’ll be coming this way soon.”
Jase drew in a ragged breath. This wasn’t the news he wanted to hear. What happened if they didn’t make it out in time?
He dug into his backpack where he had stashed an extra phone and thumb drive. He took out the drive and copied the files on the laptop to it and then typed a brief message explaining as best he could what had happened. Jase handed the drive to the old gentleman. “I need you to do me a favor. Can you mail this to the US Attorney’s office in DC? Make sure you don’t put your name or address anywhere on the envelope and try not to mail it near here. I want to keep you and your wife out of this as best as I can for your safety.”
Don stared at him in shock. “Sure thing.” He shoved the drive into his pocket.
“Thank you,” Jase told him solemnly. He and Reyna would forever be indebted to Don and his wife. “Since we can’t go through town, is there another way out of the ranch? We need to reach the old military base near Steamboat.”
Don rubbed his chin as he thought about it for a second. “Yep, there sure is. You just follow the main road out of the ranch until you reach an intersection. To the right is Painted Rock. To the left a smaller gravel road. Just keep on that road for about ten miles, maybe a little more, and it will dump you onto a paved road.” He paused, took a deep breath. “When you reach the pavement, you’ll be just outside a small town called Jackson Valley. You can pick up the highway leading to Steamboat there.” Don headed for the door. “I’d better go. Linda was pretty shook up by the call.”
Jase followed him and clapped a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “Thank you, Don, and thank Linda, as well. I hope we haven’t caused you too much trouble by being here.”
Don was quick to reassure him. “No, sir
, there’s no trouble. I don’t like it when people try to bully other people.” He nodded at Reyna one more time. “You folks take care.”
Jase closed the door and turned to face her. “Are you ready? We need to get out of here before they get to the ranch.”
“Yes, I’m ready,” she said in a tight voice.
They went outside and Jase scanned the area for any possible threat. “I don’t see anyone, but we still need to hurry.”
Their breath chilled in the air as they loaded stuff into the truck and got inside. It felt as if the temperature had dropped even more.
Jase eased the truck down the slippery drive and out to the road.
They reached the intersection Don had mentioned without trouble and Jase turned left. He glanced at Reyna. He could see the uncertainty etched on her lovely face.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. This is almost over.” He hoped to console her, but in truth his internal radar was going crazy.
She tried to smile, but he doubted if either of them believed what he’d said.
With nothing left to say, he focused on the road ahead while his thoughts raced over the files, jumbling things up. Confusing details. He couldn’t deny the woman’s resemblance was uncanny. That photo got to him because it reminded him of... No way.
Abby was dead.
He blew out a breath. Was he just so exhausted that he was grasping at straws?
What then was Eddie trying to tell him? The photo had to be important. Why else would he go to such great lengths to get that photograph to Reyna? He shook his head. Soon, with God’s help, they’d be in the presence of others with whom they could examine the evidence thoroughly.
The gravel road ended outside of Jackson Valley and they picked up the highway from there.
“Not much farther,” he told her. “It’s only about five miles to the base.”
Turning toward him, she gently squeezed his bicep. “I am so ready for this to be over.”
He smiled at the way she enunciated every word. “Me, too. I want to start living again without looking back over my shoulder. I’ve almost forgotten what that feels like.”
She didn’t answer, but she was still smiling and it held so much promise.
Jase glanced in the rearview mirror and frowned. A vehicle was coming up behind them. Still some distance away, it could just be some innocent traveler.
Reyna noticed it, as well, her gaze locked with his, and he quickly tried to reassure her. “We don’t know it’s them. It could be anyone. Besides, they don’t know what we’re driving and they certainly can’t know about the meet up.”
She nodded but the fear didn’t leave her face.
The vehicle, a large SUV, continued to keep the same amount of distance between them, almost as if they were deliberately trying to fake them out. If it was the men chasing them, he couldn’t lead them to the meeting place. It was too risky. Jase had seen firsthand the manpower this group possessed. Aaron’s team wouldn’t stand a chance.
“I’m going to try something. See if they follow.” He turned off onto a smaller road. The SUV did the same.
“They’re still behind us,” Reyna whispered. “How did they find us? There’s no tracking device left.”
She was right. How did they know their whereabouts? He didn’t believe it was just a coincidence that the men hunting them had ended up on the same road leading to the base.
His mouth thinned. “Aaron’s the only one who knows where we’re meeting and I trust him completely.”
“I do, too,” she assured him. “Do you think someone who helped Aaron organize the rescue might be part of their team?”
It was plausible. “I’m going to see if I can contact Aaron and let him know we have a tail. Maybe he can delay leaving or at least send help.” Jase called Aaron’s number, but the call didn’t go through. He checked the service bar on his phone. It was nonexistent. “There’s no cell signal. I don’t like it, Reyna. We can’t lead them to Aaron’s team. There could be a bloodbath.”
She glanced behind them once more. “What do you want to do?”
“We’ve got to lose them before we get there.” He glanced at his watch. It was already the scheduled meet time. They had half an hour to spare. “Aaron’s team won’t wait much longer. There’s a bad storm moving this way, and if we’re not there soon, they’ll have to leave.”
Jase spotted a four-wheel-drive path up ahead and to the right. “Hold on,” he told her as he whipped the truck onto it and floored it. The SUV did the same, confirming the truth. This was no innocent bystander. These were the men who had been chasing them. They’d found them again.
Reyna clutched the grab handle of the truck and stared straight ahead, all color gone from her face.
The tire chains spun out of control in the deep snow. Jase’s hands grew sweaty on the wheel. The SUV was now right on top of them. It rammed the truck hard. Jase fought the wheel but, with the snow and ice accumulation, he had almost no control. The truck slid sideways.
One of the men in the SUV shot out the driver’s side tires. The truck ground to a halt. Reyna screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. They were stranded up here with a group of cold-blooded killers and the worst part was no one knew where they were.
Two men got out of the SUV and ducked behind their open doors, weapons aimed.
Jase pulled out the Glock. “Reyna, I need you to do exactly what I tell you. I’m going to do everything in my power to get us out of here alive, okay?” Silently he prayed he could make good on that promise.
“Get out of the truck with your hands up!” one of the men yelled.
Reyna fearfully glanced Jase’s way. “What do we do?”
“We do as they say. Stay close behind me. We’re going to pretend to go along with their plan.” He tucked the Glock behind his back and they got out.
Jase put his hands up and started walking toward the SUV.
“That’s close enough,” the man called.
Behind him, Jase heard Reyna gasp.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
“That’s the man from my church. That’s Frank.” Her voice shook with the revelation.
Frank grinned nastily when he realized she had recognized him. “That’s right, Reyna. You should have gone along with the plan. None of this would have happened if you had. But you got suspicious.” He shrugged. “I should have realized the wife of a former CIA agent wouldn’t be an easy mark. You figured out I wasn’t there to be your friend...and now you and Bradford are going to pay the price. Get your hands up,” Frank barked at her.
“You were watching her. Trying to get her to tell you where Eddie left the laptop,” Jase surmised. He needed to keep the man distracted while he figured out how to neutralize the situation. It was just the two men. If he could manage to disarm one of them, then he could deal with the other.
“Well, aren’t you the master detective,” Frank said in a sarcastic tone. “Yeah, Bradford, I was watching her. It was my job to make nice. Get her to trust me and then get the laptop.” He waved the gun their way. “Just think how much trouble you could have saved yourself, Reyna, if you’d just talked to me,” Frank mocked. “Now do as I said and put your hands up.” He was growing more annoyed, so Reyna complied and lifted her hands into the air.
“That’s better. Too bad you weren’t as obliging when I was going to your church. You and Bradford are in a world of trouble. You’re going to regret the day you met me.” Frank motioned to his partner. “I’ll cover you. Get him under control first. I’ll take care of her.” His threat was unmistakable: Jase and Reyna were not supposed to walk out of this alive.
The partner didn’t like being ordered around by Frank. “Why me? You take care of him.”
Frank’s anger exploded. “Do as you’re told unless you want to end up with the same fate as them.”
Reyna inched closer. Jase could feel her warm breath against his neck. She was trembling and terrified.
“It’s going to be okay. Trust
me,” he murmured so that only she could hear. God, please guide our steps.
The second man reluctantly left his hiding spot and moved cautiously toward them. He stopped a few feet away and tucked his weapon behind his back before ordering, “Keep your hands up. Don’t try anything, Bradford, or I promise I’ll kill her.” He glanced back at his partner, who was now standing behind the SUV’s door. “You got me covered?” he asked.
Before Frank had the chance to answer, Jase snatched the man’s arm, twisted it behind his back and clenched it as tight as he could.
The man yelped in pain. “Let me go!” he demanded furiously while trying to free himself. Jase tightened his hold and the man slumped against him.
Using the disabled man as a shield, Jase swiped the man’s weapon and handed it to Reyna. “It’s loaded and the safety’s off. Just point and shoot.” He removed his Glock and aimed it at the man near the SUV while keeping pressure on his prisoner.
Frank didn’t flinch at the sight of the weapon. “There’s no way out of this for you,” he said. “We have more people on the way here now. It’s over, Bradford. Give us the laptop and we’ll make sure your end isn’t so painful. Otherwise...” Jase didn’t believe a word of what the man said. The sneer on Frank’s face assured him they’d be dealt with in the worst possible way.
Jase didn’t respond to the man’s threat. “Put down your weapon if you want your partner to live.”
Frank actually laughed. “You think I care about him? I have orders to get the laptop and take you two in dead or alive. Him, I could care less about.” Before Jase had time to process the threat, Frank fired at his partner, hitting him in the leg. He screamed in agony and dropped to the ground at Jase’s feet.
“Frank, why’d you do that?” he raged while grabbing his injured leg.
Jase realized Frank would stop at nothing, even harming his partner. “Run, Reyna. Get behind the truck,” he commanded while he aimed at Frank’s weapon and fired. The gun bounced from Frank’s hand and he screeched in pain before ducking beneath the door. Jase fired again and the bullet splintered the window. With his weapon still drawn, he advanced on the SUV. His training had taught him to strike while you had your enemy on his heels.