by Linda Style
Cole put one of Ryan’s arms around his shoulder and Serena did the same. Then they all but dragged Ryan into the tunnel. She gulped air, and felt the pressure of Cole’s hand on hers around Ryan’s back. She felt his strength pulling both her and Ryan forward faster.
She didn’t know who was following them, but figured it was the men she’d seen earlier.
“How far to the end?” Cole queried.
“Too far.”
“Here, take the flashlight,” he said. “I may have to stop to hold them off while you go ahead for help.”
A harsh voice bellowed from somewhere behind them, sending another shard of fear through her.
More voices. But she couldn’t make out anything being said.
Her heart thudded. The tunnel was cool, humid and dark; the only light was the swath cut by the flashlight. But they kept moving forward.
“There’s a different way,” Ryan suddenly said. “Up ahead. I found it earlier. It’s shorter.”
She felt Cole’s hand fall away from hers. “You guys go on.”
“No,” she said, and grabbed Cole’s hand. “We’re not leaving Ryan. He said there’s another way.” At that, she felt Ryan stand without her support. He shoved both Cole and Serena ahead.
“Keep going,” he said. “Trust me.”
Fear the likes of which she’d never felt gripped her.
“You’re trapped! Come out now,” someone shouted.
She almost stopped to see if Ryan was okay, but he kept shoving her forward, propelling her faster. Cole pulled her behind him.
They rounded a curve, and the tunnel got lighter. She could actually see. Then Cole stopped short. He looked, listened. Serena listened, too, then heard a dull roar, which grew louder and louder. “What’s that?”
Their eyes locked. “It sounds like a train,” she said, realizing suddenly that the tracks under her feet vibrated like an earthquake registering six on the Richter scale.
“It’s an underground river,” Ryan said. “But the other tunnel is right ahead.”
Cole yanked her forward again and the roar continued to increase, until it sounded as if they were standing under Niagara Falls. She held Cole’s hand as in a vise; her feet were pounding as fast as her heart was hammering. Oh, God!
Cole halted abruptly and she did, too.
“Go to the left,” Ryan said. “The tunnel is right there.”
Serena looked left and saw a pinpoint of light in the distance. “C’mon,” she said, and started forward, then stopped when she saw the ground in front had turned into a ledge and there was water below. In order to get out, they’d have to walk along the ledge for a few feet. She turned to Cole. “Are you still afraid of heights?”
“Get going,” he said. He jerked his hand from hers and she dropped the flashlight. The deafening roar of the water enveloped her.
She drew in a deep breath, flattened herself against the wall and took a step. Then another and another. Cole and Ryan were right behind her. Then the ledge opened out, and the light in front of them grew more pronounced. Relief flooded her.
Cole stroked her back. “Keep moving.”
She did, and in a few more feet, the path widened and they were all standing next to one another. “You think we lost them?”
Cole shot her a quick grin. “I think we did.” He gave Ryan a playful tap on the arm. “Good work, Ry.”
Just as he said it, Serena heard voices again. Her heart leaped to her throat. Where to go? She glanced around, and spotted another tunnel opposite them.
“Move,” Ryan said.
Voices again. Closer.
She barreled ahead, with Cole and Ryan right behind. Ahead, bright white light glared, guiding her path. Once at the opening, she stopped and let her eyes adjust to the light outside. That was when she saw they stood on a bluff overlooking a lake. With nowhere to go but down. She clutched the cold wet granite behind her, fingernails scraping against the smooth surface.
“What now?”
“We jump,” Ryan said.
She looked at Cole. He shrugged. “I’m the one afraid of heights. I’ll follow you.”
Her gaze darted back to the tunnel. Something shiny glinted. A flashlight? Or the barrel of a gun? Blood thundered in her ears.
Cole tipped his head forward, indicating she should jump.
Serena drew her lips between her teeth and bit down so hard the coppery taste of blood burst onto her tongue.
“It’s the only way,” Ryan said. “Let’s go. It’s a piece of cake.”
Cole nudged her and held out his hand. “C’mon. We’ll go together.”
“I’ll go first,” Ryan quickly said, “and you’ll see it’s okay.” With that, he pushed off from the wall and jumped into the open air.
Shaking like a leaf, she stared at Cole’s outstretched hand. She placed her hand in his, and when he wrapped his fingers around hers, she nodded, and they both pushed off and plummeted into the void below.
White light turned black, and she felt as though she was floating in space. But she wasn’t dead. She lost Cole’s hand when they hit water. Down and down she went, until her fierce kicking sent her soaring to the surface, where she gasped for air.
Cole popped up nearby, surfacing with a giant splash. She paddled toward him, sucking in huge gulps of air. When Cole saw her, a giant smile creased his face.
Ryan paddled over then. “See,” he said, his eyes still red. “Piece of cake.”
Treading water, they all squinted toward the top of the escarpment. She couldn’t believe she’d actually jumped—and not died.
“Yeah, piece of cake.” She splashed a handful of muddy water at her brother.
“Hey watch it. Just because you’re already wet doesn’t mean you can’t get dunked.” They all laughed.
She should be exhausted, but instead, she was pumped. Ryan had really come through. She didn’t know what was going on with those men, but Ry had come through.
She tipped her head back to swish the hair from her eyes, then she glanced around to see how far they had to swim to dry ground. As much as she liked water, she’d had her fill.
To their right was a stand of tall sycamore trees—an oasis in the middle of granite and sand. Cole looked in the same direction.
“Shoes off,” he said. “Easier to swim that way.”
She agreed, and when she finished removing her boots, he grabbed them, tied the laces and draped them around his neck. “Let’s get out of here.” He shot her a killer smile.
Serena launched off on her own, saying over her shoulder, “I’ll race you guys.” She thought she heard Cole snort, and in the next instant he was stroking past her. With each stroke, she regretted having opened her big mouth. Her clothes created resistence she hadn’t counted on. And though she was mentally psyched, she was so physically exhausted, she was lucky if she’d be able to dog-paddle. Ryan was nearly at shore.
Cole, apparently seeing her struggle, treaded water to wait for her. “You can hold on to me if you want.”
Suddenly, she wanted that more than she’d ever wanted anything. For once in her life, she wanted to depend on someone else, have a strong shoulder to lean on when she needed to.
It was almost tragic that the someone she wanted this from was Cole. She kept on swimming. “No, thank you. I might not be ready for the Olympics, but I’m sure I can make it on my own.”
“Okay. Don’t say I didn’t offer,” he said, then swam alongside. As they closed the gap between water and land, Cole tested the water’s depth, and stood when it was knee deep. He held out his hand and drew Serena close to him.
She staggered, uneasy on her feet. Again she wanted to grab him, hold on and never let go. But he’d started sloshing to shore, where Ryan sat. She followed behind Cole, tired and drawing air from the bottom of her lungs as they reached dry ground and headed toward the stand of trees.
Serena had gone but a few steps when a woman emerged from behind a giant sycamore, a gun pointed directly at them.
Lucy.
In the next instant, Cole shoved Serena behind him, acting as her shield. “I don’t know why you have that gun on us,” Cole said quickly. “The only reason we’re here is that we were looking for Ryan.”
She stepped out from behind Cole. “Lucy, what’s going on?”
Her brother came up beside them. “Put the gun down, Lucy. You’re just going to get us in bigger trouble.”
Serena stared at Ryan. “What’s going on, Ryan?” She looked at Cole, then back to her brother, hoping neither would make a stupid move they’d regret later.
Carrying some kind of backpack, Lucy held the weapon steady while she pulled out a satellite phone, punched a button and started talking. “I need backup ASAP,” she said, then gave whomever it was directions to their location. Serena heard her mention some names, apparently telling the others how to find them. When she hung up, she said, “Your sister wants to know what you’re doing here, Ryan. Tell her.”
He glanced away. “I didn’t know what they were doing.”
Serena’s stomach knotted, anger and fear warring inside her. Instantly, she decided on a different tactic. “Thanks a lot, Ryan. I should have realized you’d screw up again. We nearly died back there. I think we deserve a better explanation than that.” She intentionally raised her voice.
Ryan stared at her as though she were crazy and she winked almost imperceptibly.
He must’ve got it because he edged closer. “You should have known? Yeah, you should have known. Because that’s what you think of me. I’m just a screwup.” He walked over and got directly in Serena’s face.
“Hey,” Lucy said. “Stop that.”
“Stop nothing. You know what she’s like, Lucy. Always butting in, trying to run my life.”
Lucy appeared confused and started to say something, but Ryan suddenly lurched to the side and grabbed the gun barrel.
In one swift instant, Lucy elbowed Ryan in the gut, grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground, facedown in the sand.
“Dammit, Ryan,” Lucy said. “Don’t try to be a hero here.”
Ryan stood up, an uncertain smile on his face. “Jeez, Lucy. Where’d you learn that stuff?”
Serena stood with her mouth agape.
“Put your shoes on,” Lucy said.
Cole’s eyes narrowed and Serena had the feeling he was strugging to figure something out. All she wanted was to get them all out of there safely. Serena whirled, took her hiking boots from around Cole’s neck and went to the tree. She plopped down in the sand underneath and jammed her feet into her boots. Cole came over, sat next to Serena and pulled on his own boots.
Ryan hadn’t taken off his boots, but came over to stand in the shade next to them, bouncing from one foot to the other. She realized the drugs must have worn off and he was so tightly wound he could freak out at any minute. She didn’t know what was going on, but whatever he’d agreed to with Lucy was bad, and they needed to get out of there before anyone else showed up. “Where’s your car, Ryan?”
“That way.” Ryan indicated with a nod.
“Get up and start walking,” Lucy said. She tipped her head in the same direction Ryan had. “When you reach Ryan’s car, get the hell out of here.”
Cole, Serena and Ryan exchanged surprised glances. She was letting them go? Maybe she really did have feelings for Ryan. But the reason didn’t matter. Serena and Cole started off and within seconds, Ryan followed. Serena had the distinct impression that Ryan had second thoughts about leaving Lucy there by herself.
The sun pounded mercilessly on their heads as they picked their way through a half mile of rocks. When they rounded the next hill and saw a beat-up, green camouflage Humvee parked in the shade of a scrub paloverde tree, Serena breathed a sigh of relief. The front of the vehicle had a roof over the top, but the back was open. There seemed to be some kind of tarp over whatever was in the rear. “It’s not mine,” Ryan said. “They had me drive it out here.”
“What?”
Serena brushed sweat from her face. “God, it’s an oven out here,” she said. “I suddenly feel like I’m burning up.” She glanced at Cole. “How’re you doing?”
Cole touched her forehead. Her face was as red as an apple and she looked about to faint. “Get in the shade,” he ordered, nudging her toward a paloverde tree. “She’s gotta go back now!” he yelled at Ryan. Heatstroke was all too common in the desert and would sneak up on a person before he knew what hit him, and then it was too late.
He walked with her to make sure she was settled under the tree.
Ryan rummaged in the car again, then brought a canteen of water over to them. Cole grabbed it, spilled a little on his hands, patted Serena’s forehead and cheeks with his damp fingertips and lifted the container to her lips. Even the water was boiling hot.
Ryan peered into Serena’s eyes. “Serena? You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she repeated, “and we have to call the sheriff again.”
“I will,” Cole said. He turned to Ryan, unapologetic. “We can drive to my car and I’ll take Serena back in that.” He was offering Ryan the opportunity to ditch the Humvee with whatever cargo was in the back. Cole had a pretty good idea what it was.
Ryan nodded.
“Give me your keys. I’ll start the air.”
Hesitant, Ryan got more water and handed his keys to Cole. Cole slid inside and jammed the key into the ignition, trying not to touch anything.
The Humvee started instantly. Once Cole got the air cranking, he sank in the seat, lowered his head and searched for a phone. Relief kicked in when he located a satellite phone under the seat, the kind used in the military, which should work almost anywhere. When he got a dial tone, he punched in 911. No sooner had he done so than Ryan sidled up to him.
Cole didn’t know what Ryan might do if he knew the police might be on their way. He could panic and do something stupid. Ryan’s judgment right now was questionable at best. If Ryan was going to be in trouble, he’d have to deal with it.
“Does it work?” Ryan asked.
“Seems to, but I can’t get a stable connection to actually make a call,” he lied. Cole set the phone back where he’d found it, shook his head and exited the vehicle.
Serena seemed to be resting comfortably now that she was out of the sun and had had some water. He surveyed the area, and decided they weren’t too far from the road they’d come in on. One thing he knew with certainty was that whatever those guys were doing, it wasn’t safe, and there was no telling how they’d react once the police got into the act.
“So what’s your involvement in this?” Cole asked Ryan.
Ryan closed his eyes for a moment. “I just wanted to make some money. I—I thought I could do it just once and that would be it.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t know that once you got in, you couldn’t get out.”
Cole bit the side of his cheek as he glanced at Serena. “So, what happens now?”
Ryan raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. If I’m caught with this stuff I’ll go to jail, and if I don’t deliver, those guys will kill me…”
Cole realized he couldn’t worry about Ryan. There was only one way he’d ever be able to live with himself again. “Well, I’m going to put Serena into that vehicle over there, and I’m going to drive her to safety. If you want to come along, that’s fine with me.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
SERENA STARED AT COLE. Ryan was in the backseat, his head in his hands. Knowing how much trouble Ryan was in, she had no clue what to do. If Cole went to the police, she wasn’t sure what would happen to Ryan.
It would take them a few hours to get back, she decided, and maybe during that time she could convince Cole that going to the police wasn’t the best option. Ryan might be screwed up, but she knew in her heart he’d never hurt anyone. Cole stomped on the gas, and even with her seat belt on, she bounced up and down. She turned to look behind and saw two big Humvees cresting the hill bearing down on them. She motioned to
Cole.
“Where the hell did they come from?” Cole shouted as he maneuvered over the rocky terrain.
Serena looked at Ryan, who was crouched over. “Ryan,” she said, and poked him on the back. “Why are they after us?”
He gazed at her. “Oh, God. They want what’s in the back.”
She turned to Cole. “What should we do?”
He swung a curve. “If they want the stuff, let’s give it to them.”
Serena nodded. “Good idea.”
Though reluctant, Ryan nodded, then crawled into the back. Serena followed and between the two of them, they chucked box after box into the desert. As they were about to toss the last one, Cole noticed one of the vehicles had stopped. But the other kept on. Shit.
“Oh, man,” Ryan said. “I am so screwed.”
Serena took a deep breath. “Do the right thing, Ryan, and I’ll help you whatever way I can. The best lawyer, therapy, whatever. You can make this right, Ryan.”
“What do you want to do, Ryan?” Cole continued in the same soothing tone. He was afraid Ryan would do something stupid and endanger all their lives. But maybe Ryan’s feelings for Serena would kick in.
“Make a deal with the authorities and you’ll get off easy. We’ll testify on your behalf.” He waited a few minutes for the message to sink in. “We’re all willing to stand by you, and that will mean a lot to the court.”
Faint sirens sounded, then got louder, and Cole saw a half-dozen police vehicles come over the rise.
Suddenly sober, Ryan faced Serena. “Okay. I’ll do whatever I have to do.”
Cole checked the rearview mirror and saw the chasers stop and retreat. He halted when two squad cars cruised up alongside. Four more zoomed past apparently to chase down the guys who’d been holding Ryan hostage.
In less than an hour, they were all on their way out of there, Ryan in one squad car, Cole and Serena with Karl in another.
Cole asked Karl if he’d take him to his Jeep and Karl agreed.
Four hours later, he and Serena were together again sitting across from each other outside the interrogation room at the Prescott jail, which apparently had jurisdiction. The federal authorities had been called in, as well, since they were dealing with a large operation that smuggled firearms across the border into Mexico. Apparently the authorities had been on watch for a long time. And when Cole saw Lucy coming out of an interrogation room, his mouth dropped open.