True Valor

by Jax Hunter

Cruz slammed the phone down.

  “We can’t do anything until morning. The Archer won’t carry us all and I can’t get a plane rented until 0700.” He paced the length of the living room.

  Nic checked his watch. Just past one a.m. The rest of the team would be back to the house shortly unless he called them off. It was a five hour drive, maybe more; an hour and a half to fly. If they left here by two, they’d get to Galloway’s by 0900. If they could take off shortly after seven, then, by plane, they’d get there the same time. But, if she were there, she’d answer the phone.

  What if Raines did have her? Where would he take her? Could they count on him going back to the cabin? That was the only idea Nic had. Even though it was a bit closer, the times would be likely about the same.

  Stand the guys down for now. At least they could get a bit of sleep then. They’d meet at the Merced Airport at oh-seven-hundred. Between now and then, they needed a plan of attack.

  Julie’d never been very good at waiting. Waiting to be killed should have been an exception. But the night dragged by, tied in one of the kitchen chairs, listening to Raines snore.

  How could the guy be sleeping, anyway?

  Before he crashed on the bed, he joked about the little present he’d left for Julie and Nic weeks before. The best-laid plans.

  “If I’d known your guy would come through the door first…well, I’da gone with the shotgun. Or maybe rigged the whole place to explode, blown you both to smithereens.”

  Then he’d crossed to the bed and noticed the bloodstains. Again he laughed. Then he threw the covers over the blood and lay back, asleep almost immediately.

  That bed. “Her guy.” Nic’s pain. His warmth. Tears coursed down her cheeks.

  You only go around once, Jenn used to say. Carpe diem and all that. And yet, when Julie found something worth grabbing, she chickened out, let go. If she could tell him, what would she say? That from the moment he found her, she’d been home. She lost everyone she loved and found someone to love forever. Forever wasn’t long enough.

  She was torn. Torn between hoping that Nic and Cruz would show up just in time and fearing they would. Without a doubt Raines would kill anyone who got in his way. If she had a final wish, it would be that she could at least tell Nic that she loved him.

  How much she loved him.

  At oh-seven-thirty-two, the sun cleared the horizon, and Nic watched his teammates, all dressed in winter camo, board the Piper Seneca. The lieutenant had shown up after all claiming that they needed supervision. But Nic was pretty sure Quillen just didn’t want to miss out on the fun. If things went south, the LT would hang anyway, so why not have a little fun?

  Even though Cruz was as concerned as Nic, he still couldn’t hold back the grin and whistle as they’d entered the hangar. That was a fine looking plane. Even Nic knew that.

  After spending the night contemplating their options, Nic had run the whole thing by Cruz. Between them, the decision was made. They’d try the cabin first. If that failed, they’d drive to Susanville. At that point, they’d have to punt. At oh-seven-forty, the Seneca lifted off for Quincy, California. From there, it was a forty-six minute drive to the cabin.

  Nic spent the next half hour filling in his crew on the mission. He’d drawn a map of the area surrounding the cabin. The road up to the cabin. The layout of the cabin itself. The fishing pond behind. Julie’s chapel. He’d poured over road maps during the night. They could drive up an adjacent road and hike through the thick woods to the cabin. If Raines had Julie there, they’d have the element of surprise.

  Light trickled in past the edges of the blankets Raines had thrown over the windows. Julie’s eyes hurt. Her stomach grumbled. One would think her brain would have warned her stomach that they were in grave danger. But, she hadn’t eaten since the night before last, and she guessed she’d cut the traitor a break. Even if the sound woke Raines.

  If it didn’t, then something else did.

  “Wish me happy birthday, Julie.”

  At her go-to-hell reply, obscured by the duct tape, he just laughed and stretched. Then he bounced to his feet, as if great sleep had left him totally refreshed.

  “What shall we have for breakfast, Julie? We ought to have something wonderful for our last meal, don’t you think?”

  He rummaged through the cupboards, pulling out canned goods and placing them on the counter.

  “Should have stopped for groceries.”

  At last, he found several cans of roast beef hash. Nodding briefly, he hunted up the can opener and whistled as he cooked.

  The snow was deeper than it had been when Nic was last here. They were prepared for that. As they approached the cabin from the south, they caught sight of the Bronco.

  Bingo.

  Raines was here.

  Please, God, let Julie be here as well. And alive.

  Nic absently checked under his collar for the St. Michael medal he wore on missions. Joey had given it to him.

  As they moved closer, the smell of wood smoke tickled Nic’s senses. Raines still had a fire going. About a hundred yards from the cabin, they split up.

  Nic and Cruz went around back. GQ and Gabe to the north side, Will would stay on this side, Matt would cover the front. The north side was likely the best approach to get close enough to see or hear what was going on inside. Gabe had the equipment in his pack to listen in. GQ had the sniper rifle. Each had their pistol.

  Nic and Cruz inched toward the back of the house just as the snow began falling in big, heavy, stick-on-your-tongue flakes. Everything was blanketed in fresh snow, up to Nic’s calves. He watched the cabin intently as he moved through the trees.

  “Movement by the rocks out back.” Gabe’s voice in Nic’s ear.

  Nic had been so focused on the cabin, he’d missed it. He swung around to face the rocks, Julie’s chapel. Raines stood at the top of the highest rock, twenty feet or so from the ground. Before him, Julie knelt, Raines’ pistol at the base of her skull.

  A cry tore from his throat as he ran full-on for the rocks.

  At the sound, Raines turned and pulled Julie to her feet, shielding himself behind her.

  One second, Julie was squeezing her eyes shut waiting for the end. The next, she stood watching Nic charge across the frozen pond toward them. The barrel of Raines’ gun pressed hard into her neck.

  Nic wore his aviator glasses, his black hat turned backwards and was dressed in white camouflage. His face was covered with camo paint, but even so, he was a sight to behold.

  Tears stung Julie’s eyes as she watched him run.

  “He’s coming to save you, Julie. Look at all that testosterone. Does it make you hot, Princess?”

  It was hard to breathe. Raines tightened his arm around her ribs even more, making it almost impossible.

  “Superman’s comin’. Will he be able to save you? Tune in next time...” His words trailed off and he laughed.

  “Shall I kill him, Julie?” Raines whispered, his breath hot on her cheek.

  “No, please.”

  Nic plowed through the snow on the pond.

  He knew he was a sitting duck. No way in hell could he stop. Each step brought him closer to Julie. Closer to a chance to save her.

  He wouldn’t let her go again. If she wouldn’t stay with him forever, he’d leave the team and go with her. He’d find something to do.

  And on he ran.

  Almost half way across.

  Almost half way. The view of the pond from the porch. Julie beside him, holding his hand. She’d told him about her chapel, how much she’d loved it here.

  Almost half way. Damn. That day the pond hadn’t been covered with new snow. And, in the middle, the ice was different, wet. It hadn’t mattered then. It did now. Before his foot again hit the ice, he knew he’d blown it big time.

  With a loud crack, he was through the ice in an instant. On the way down, he saw the horror on Julie’s face, and wished…

  He knew the water would be cold, but, dang, it felt
like someone had slammed him in the chest. Light didn’t play down here. Had Julie said there were fish? Dumb thought. Reach for the light.

  Nic willed his muscles to work, willed his brain to stay with him. Anticipation of pain is worse than pain itself.

  Yeah, sure it is. Dang.

  Left fist up. Let ‘em know you’re all right.

  Let who know? Joey liked to ice fish.

  Chapter Twenty Seven