Mojave Rescue

by Tanya Stowe

  “I had my heart set on reaching the base this afternoon. It’s not going to happen, is it?”

  Cal said nothing and Drina’s whole body sagged in disappointment. She looked so sad and defeated. The need to comfort her was winning Cal’s internal battle.

  The trailer slowed and once again, she tensed. Cal grasped her hand and squeezed. “Relax. We’ve just come to the T of the highway intersection. He can only go right or left.”

  “Which way is the base?”

  Cal paused, waiting. The truck geared up and the trailer swayed left. Cal sagged just a little. “We’re headed to the mountains. Lake Isabella, to be precise.”

  “But you said we didn’t want to go there.”

  “That was before our quad was washed away. Since we’re on foot now, they’ll expect us to make our way to the nearest help.”

  “That means the people in the campground.”

  “Right. But no one knows we were there. No one will be in danger.”

  “Except us. We need help.”

  He shook his head. “Isabella is good. They won’t be looking for us there. Sit back. Try to relax. There is only one place we can go once he turns left—Kernville. It’s at least a two-hour drive away.”

  Drina closed her eyes and leaned back against the soft cushion of the booth. She looked bone weary, cold and in pain. Just then her stomach grumbled. Sighing, she opened her eyes.

  “Cal, do you suppose...” She couldn’t even finish her sentence. She just pointed to the small refrigerator under the counter.

  He leaned forward. “I should have thought of that.” He scooted across the floor and loosened the latch on the small appliance. Inside were string cheese, apples, a package of raw hamburger and a whole shelf of bottled water.

  Cal popped the lid on one and handed it to Drina. She poured it down her throat.

  As she gulped the last of it, Cal handed her another. “I’m afraid this has to be the last. I don’t think he’ll miss a bottle or two but we don’t want to take so much that he’ll notice and wonder if someone’s been here.”

  He handed her a wrapper of string cheese, then pulled a discarded plastic bag out of a trash can under the booth’s table. “We’ll pack out our trash, too.”

  She nodded, then ate the cheese. Cal handed her an apple.

  When they finished, he wrapped all their trash in the bag, and then pointed to the computer still clutched in her hands.

  “Don’t you want to set that down and get more comfortable?”

  She shook her head and pulled it closer. “I don’t want another experience like the one in the riverbed when I left it behind.”

  He didn’t want that, either. In fact, he didn’t think his embattled senses could take another scare like that. “Suit yourself. But you’ll want to sleep while you can.”

  “That won’t be a problem. With the hunger pangs in my stomach eased, I’m already halfway there.” Her eyelids drooped and her head tilted to the side. Pink lips parted. Her breathing eased and she leaned into Cal. He hesitated, but after a few moments he looped his arm over and pulled her close. He wasn’t sure but he thought a small smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

  That smile melted something hard inside him, something steel-like. But he couldn’t let his determination dissolve. He absolutely had to stay focused on finding the identity of the boss. Too many people were counting on him to complete his mission...and Drina Gallagher had the potential to be as dangerous to that goal as the men chasing them.

  Four

  “Come on, Drina. Time to move.”

  Drina opened her eyes and scrambled to look out the window.

  Still groggy, she rolled to her knees and tried to rise. Every muscle in her body screamed and she almost collapsed flat on her face.

  The trailer door flipped open and Cal came back, lifting her to her feet and pointing her to the door. A blast of freezing air stole her breath and she gasped.

  “We’re at a higher elevation here in the mountains. We’ll have to find you something warmer to wear.”

  They stood in the parking lot of a business. The trailer blocked their view of the building behind, but the sign in front said Sharkey’s Auto Repair. Across the busy main street, a community park sprawled over a couple of acres.

  “Let’s go.” Cal took her arm and marched her toward the sidewalk. Drina almost stepped off the curb to cross the street, but Cal’s firm hold on her arm stopped her. He turned her toward the corner.

  “No jaywalking. We don’t want to attract attention.”

  Drina nodded numbly and leaned into him. Thank You. Thank You for Cal. I don’t know where I’d be without him.

  Yes, I do know where I’d be. Dead.

  That sobering thought jolted Drina’s exhausted mind fully awake. She straightened and looked around. Just down the street, advertisements for sports equipment and white-water-rapids trips filled a portion of a store window.

  “Do you think we could buy a coat there?”

  “A coat and other things.” He patted his pocket.

  As they moved forward, a thought came to her. “Where did you get all that cash?”

  “From my account. The boss deposited it the night of your kidnapping.”

  “He has access to your account?”

  “We have a joint account under a couple of aliases where he deposits my pay. Usually I withdraw the money as soon as he pays me and put it in my own account. The agency once tried leaving it in the account so we could trace the originating location. But the boss routes the money through too many banks and switches them all the time.” He shook his head. “I knew something was up that night he told me to withdraw the money and bring it to the meeting place. I just didn’t realize he intended to leave it behind as a ploy to implicate you.”

  “Who would have thought he’d drop twenty thousand dollars just to implicate a dead woman.”

  “That’s the point, Drina. They’ll make billions off your plans. Twenty thousand is just a drop in the bucket.”

  And that’s why I’ll never let them get their hands on my computer.

  She didn’t say the words out loud. Cal had already expressed his opinion on the value of her work. He wouldn’t understand her desperate compulsion to keep it safe, because he considered her life more important. She wasn’t sure she understood it herself. Why risk her life and, worse, Cal’s? Was her work more important than his life?

  A day ago she would have said yes. But not now. Why? What had changed?

  Nothing. Just because a handsome stranger tumbled into her life on the edge of a storm—a stranger who was thoughtful and amazing—did that mean everything she’d worked for should go out the door? Isn’t that what happened with John?

  She’d lost her head and focus. Let her emotions control her actions, and a wonderful, vibrant man had ended up dead. She couldn’t let that happen again. She wouldn’t. No matter how enigmatic and attractive Cal was, she had to stay focused on getting her work into safe hands. Opening herself up...letting herself feel would only end badly, just like it had with John.

  Her parents had been right all those years ago. Her romantic inclinations were not to be trusted.

  * * *

  Cal opened the glass door to the sporting goods store and held it for Drina, who stopped short as she caught her reflection and sighed. His gaze followed hers, over her bobbed hair, still shiny in spite of all she’d been through. She bent and tried to brush dirt from her still-damp jeans.

  “I’m a mess. I look like I’ve been through a war.”

  “You have been,” Cal murmured as she passed under his arm and through the door. “And for the record, I think you look great.”

  Drina made a rude little sound. “Right.”

  Cal didn’t miss the heavy sarcasm in her tone as she marched straight toward a rack of down-filled jackets.
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  In two strides he caught up to her and grasped her arm. “I mean what I say, Drina. I don’t pay people false compliments.”

  His words seemed to tickle her funny bone. Chuckling, she looked around then leaned in to whisper, “This from the man who’s been undercover for two years. Your whole life is false.”

  She chuckled again. Her hazel eyes sparkled. Cal wanted to just stand there and admire them.

  “Okay. Point taken.” Her smile eased his spirit, made his tone lighten. “But I meant everything I said.” He allowed his gaze to travel over her once more. “Even in the middle of that storm with the wind whipping all around your face, your hair looked great.”

  “It’s trying to frizz.”

  He shook his head and lowered his gaze as if speaking to a naughty child. “It’s like black silk and lays in waves. The way it sets against your skin...you have this amazing skin. And why you hide your eyes behind those big black Mr. Peabody glasses is a mystery to me.”

  “Um...maybe because I need to read...?”

  That smile flashed again and Cal’s stomach did a flip-flop. “Make as many jokes as you want, Drina, but I know women who would kill for your looks.”

  His compliments seemed to make her uncomfortable. She even tried to divert his attention away with words that just seemed to pop out.

  “You’re one to talk. You have this one piece of black hair that falls over your forehead just like Superman. Not to mention a smile that makes you more lethal than that gun you carry.”

  She snapped her lips shut and her eyes widened as if she was as surprised at her words as he was.

  The words and her reaction brought a bona fide grin to his lips. “Why, Drina Gallagher! You do like me.” He stepped a little closer and his tone dropped to a murmur.

  She seemed at a loss for words. The brainchild was flummoxed. Cal had scored a point and his grin broadened.

  “May I help you?” The interruption stopped Drina from replying. Much to Cal’s chagrin...he was fairly certain she was about to deny their attraction. He would have liked to drive home his point, maybe pierce that wall Ms. Gallagher kept around herself. Maybe then he could figure out what she was thinking and straighten out his own muddled thoughts, as well.

  Unfortunately, the clerk stood right beside them. Her gaze traveled up and down their disheveled appearance, a frown creasing her forehead.

  Smooth as silk, Cal wrapped an arm around Drina and pulled her to his side. “Actually, you can. My wife and I are renting a cabin for our very first vacation together. We didn’t even have a honeymoon.”

  He smiled again. “We had an accident on the way up here. Our car was rear-ended...just enough damage to jam our trunk. It’ll be another day before they can get our luggage out so we need a few things to get us through.”

  Cal’s quick explanation seemed to ease the clerk’s concerns. “I’m so sorry to hear that. How can I help?”

  “My wife can pick out some clothing, so if you’ll lead me to the backpacking equipment, I’ll look for some toothbrushes and sundries. We want to keep everything lightweight and portable. We’re avid backpackers. That’s why we’re here...scouting out the area for some summer trips.”

  “Oh, then you’ll definitely want to take a look at our white-water trips. We have some great packages.”

  She led Cal in the opposite direction. He glanced back at Drina and winked. His reward was another shake of her head, but he knew he’d flustered her again. Good. That made two of them.

  The clerk led him to a wall of sundry items small enough to fit in a new backpack. Cal thanked her and sorted through them, keeping an eye on the door and Drina at the same time. He’d purposely teased her to lighten the mood, hoping to pierce that wall. He wanted...needed to know, to understand, to piece together the puzzle of Drina and why she ignited such conflicting feelings in him. Then maybe he could forget about the petite, enigmatic engineer and concentrate on salvaging his mission.

  He looked back to see her piling warm gloves, socks, dry tennis shoes, a thermal shirt and hiking pants in her arms. For good measure, she found a sweatshirt and pants and threw them on the pile. She walked toward him, her arms overflowing.

  “I think I’m ready.”

  He pointed toward the checkout stand. She stacked her clothes on the counter and took off the jacket. As the clerk rang up their order, Drina added two boxes of protein and energy bars to the purchase.

  Cal quirked an eyebrow in her direction but said nothing. He simply pulled out five hundred-dollar bills. The clerk counted out his change. Drina put the parka on and popped the gloves out of the wrapping before handing the trash to the obviously impressed clerk. Cal took the bags and on the way to the door, Drina peeled back the wrapper on one of the protein bars.

  Outside, Cal’s lips lifted in a wry twist. “You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

  “I am.” She took a big bite of nuts and dried fruit. “It’s always nice to spend someone else’s money...especially someone you don’t like.”

  Cal laughed out loud. “I kind of felt the same way.”

  He dug out a bottle of water. “I’d love to stop and grab something hot to drink, but we have quite a hike ahead of us.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To a cabin about five miles up the mountain.”

  She tossed the bar’s wrapper in a trash can along the sidewalk. “I suppose you’re going to use that little tool in your pocket to pick the lock again.”

  He handed her the bottle. “Don’t need to. I have a key.”

  Drina held up a finger in an unspoken gesture to wait as she swallowed half the bottle of water he’d handed her.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever quench my thirst. How do you have a key and how do you know so much about the area? When we were in Red Rock Canyon, you even knew the back roads.”

  “I’ve been out here for two years, Drina. I’ve done a lot of scouting. It’s my job to know the area, to search for possible escape routes and to cover my tracks. I have a key to that cabin because it’s mine. I bought it under an alias and set it up as a safe house.”

  “How safe is your safe house?”

  “It’s good enough. It’s not connected to my life on base and no one knows about it. I visit it every other month and keep it stocked with food, money, medical supplies and weapons. It’s a place where I can hide...and sometimes where I can just be myself.”

  She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “If it’s so safe, why don’t we just call your contacts and hole up there until they arrive?”

  He sighed and stepped back. Linking his fingers with her gloved ones, he pulled her forward. “We don’t know who we can trust, remember? Besides, if I can stop dodging bullets long enough to think, I might be able to find a way to trap the boss.”

  He turned up the walk again, his hand firmly latched with hers. He liked the feel of her dainty hand in his. He needed to let go, needed to focus on his mission, but he didn’t release her even when she followed along docilely.

  They reached the edge of town and turned off the main street heading up the mountain, deeper into the forest. Buildings and homes disappeared from view down long, twisting drives. The sounds of busy traffic on the main street faded. The clear, clean scent of pine filled the air. Bright morning sun lent a sparkle to the soft dusting of snow on the pine branches and bushes. Birds twittered close by and in the distance, the soft tap-tap-tap of a woodpecker replaced the rumble of engines.

  Suddenly, Drina halted in her footsteps. “It’s good to be alive.” She turned to Cal and her green-tinted gaze met his. “Thank you for saving my life.”

  He gripped her fingers. “You are most welcome, Drina Gallagher.” With that he tugged her forward.

  They walked on and Drina seemed to be wrapped in a soft glow. But the glow faded as one mile turned into two. They climbed and climbed. Drina aske
d fifteen times how much farther.

  “It has to be secluded to be safe. Just a little while longer.”

  “You sound so patient. How can you be when all I want to do is yell at you for not stopping at the closest hotel on the main strip? I would have even tolerated one of those nasty, hundred-year-old motor hotels if the bed had a blanket.”

  Wisely, Cal kept his mouth shut. Obviously, the strength she’d gained from her two-hour rest in the back of Jake’s trailer was depleted.

  “My feet hurt. If we walk one more mile, I’m going to lie down on the next pile of pine needles and sleep.”

  “No need. This is my lane.”

  “It’s a dirt road.”

  Cal gestured. “Look there. You’ll see my log cabin.”

  Glimpses of his safe house appeared through the pine trees. From a distance, the logs looked old and rustic, but it was an illusion. Cal had retrofitted the windows and doors. They were modern, tight...and warm...which sounded appealing to him, too.

  Three wide steps led to a porch the width of the cabin. Cal lunged up but Drina stood, wavering like someone drunk.

  He pulled up a board on the porch and retrieved the key from a small box hidden below, then unlocked and pushed the door open. But he had to go back down the stairs and lift Drina.

  He carried her into the cabin, shut the door and bolted it. At the flip of a switch, golden light filled the room. Everything was just as he’d left it. The large rock fireplace across the room. A leather couch with a rust-colored throw draped over the back. To the right, the kitchen and a hall leading to the bedrooms.

  Drina started for the couch, but Cal grasped her elbow and led her to the spare bedroom. He flipped a switch and light flooded the semidark room, revealing a large bed under a patchwork quilt.

  “Take off those damp clothes and get into bed. I’ll see if I can’t get the heat going.”

  He didn’t need to say it twice. With fumbling fingers she stripped off her gloves and unzipped the parka. Dropping it on the floor, she worked the zipper of her other jacket. Beneath, she wore a gray, form-fitting flannel T-shirt.