None of these options helped ease her fears any, and he must have seen it.
“First things first. We need to get out of sight as quickly as possible. Once we have a chance to breathe, we can come up with a plan to locate Liam.” Alex smiled and then turned his attention to the road ahead while uneasy thoughts churned through Rachel’s mind.
Who was this new player Liam had uncovered and how were they connected to her brother’s vanishing? There had to be more to the story than what Rachel knew, because right now, all she had to go on were bits and pieces of a puzzle that might well lead them to a deadly conclusion. And every minute they didn’t know the answer, Liam’s life was in danger.
* * *
Alex was still shell-shocked by the things that had happened since he’d returned to his hometown of Midnight Mountain; his head burst with unanswered questions. His fear for Liam’s safety wasn’t eased one little bit by what Rachel had told him.
While they might have lost the men chasing them for now, they weren’t out of the woods yet. Without knowing why those men were coming after Rachel and Liam so mercilessly, he had no idea what they were up against. There could be more armed men saturating the surrounding countryside and staked out in town waiting to ambush them.
Alex made several more evasive turns as a precaution before they shot out onto the outskirts of town in the opposite direction from the house where Rachel was living.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror assured him they weren’t being followed—yet.
He slowed the car’s speed and glanced over at Rachel. “They’ll be looking for this car. It’s not safe to be out in the open like this for long.”
Alex tried to recall some of the back roads they’d once used as shortcuts when they were younger, but he’d been gone from the area since his parents passed away in a car wreck his senior year. He’d graduated high school and went away to college. After that, he’d joined the CIA and his work had taken him around the world. He hadn’t been home since.
Rachel pointed up ahead. “There’s a county road a little ways from here. And I know where we can hide out for a while. Maybe they’ll think we’ve left the area and they’ll move on if they can’t find us right away.”
Alex turned onto a less-maintained road filled with potholes. As much as he wanted to believe it, these men had proven themselves ruthless.
“At least we’ve lost them for now.” He sounded much calmer than he felt inside. In the space of a less than eight hours, his life had been turned upside down. His friend was missing, and he and Rachel were working together again to try to figure out what had happened.
There was little doubt in his mind that Rachel’s worry for Liam’s safety was valid. She wasn’t the type to jump at shadows.
“Those people were there because of Liam. They thought he’d be at my house.” She turned in her seat so that she could look Alex in the eye. “He’s in serious trouble. He’s up there on Midnight Mountain somewhere... and I’m not sure if he’s still alive.”
What she said struck like a blow to the gut. “You think Liam may already be dead?” Alex couldn’t allow himself to even contemplate the possibility. He and Liam were closer than friends. They’d grown up together. They were like brothers.
“I don’t know.” She shook her head, her tone conveying her fear for her brother.
In spite of what had happened today, one thing bothered Alex a lot. Why was Rachel so convinced that Liam was in trouble with very little to back up the conviction? Was he missing something, or was there more to the story than what she’d told him so far?
“How do you know for certain that Liam’s not still on a mission? You must have something more to go on than the fact that you haven’t spoken to him in a while and he left his phone and a map at your place. I know the two of you are close, but you realize it’s not uncommon for an agent to go dark for a long time when he or she is working a lead.”
He barely got the words out before she rejected his theory. “It’s more than that, Alex, and I know it.” Her words wiped away what little bit of hope he still held on to. His heart wouldn’t let him go there. He couldn’t imagine losing Liam.
“Have you spoken to his handler?” He sure hoped she’d overlooked something. While Alex knew the information the CIA would give out to a civilian was limited, she was different. She’d once been one of them.
“I’ve tried. Seth isn’t answering. And when I called his boss, he gave me the company line. He said he couldn’t discuss any details concerning Liam’s mission. When I told him I was worried Liam might be in trouble, he pretty much dismissed me. He told me that I, of all people, should know that when an agent is on a mission, they go radio silent.”
Alex felt his hands were tied as to what to do next. “I need to reach out to Liam’s boss right away. Perhaps he’ll talk to me.”
He barely finished the sentence. “No, you can’t.”
Alex stared at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “Why not?”
Rachel turned away in a defensive manner. There was something she didn’t want him to know. “You just can’t, okay.”
She didn’t fully trust him yet and that hurt like crazy. Was it because of what happened between them, or who he worked for?
He blew out a frustrated sigh and agreed to go along with what she wanted for the time being. “All right, I won’t make that call just yet.”
It would be up to him and Rachel to put the pieces together and bring Liam home alive.
Alex glanced in the back seat where the dog had finally settled down, although she still kept a close eye on Alex. It was clear the dog was protective of Rachel.
“Who’s your friend?” He nodded behind them when she looked at him in confusion.
“Oh. Her name is Callie, and she’s been my good friend for a very long time now.” Something bordering sadness shadowed her eyes. He wondered about her husband. Where was he when all this was happening to Rachel? Why was she alone at her house?
Alex would give just about anything to ask that and the question foremost in his mind: Did she still hate him for the way he’d ended things between them? He glanced her way. Saw the closed-off expression in her eyes. They weren’t there yet. Emotionally, she was on the other side of the earth from him. She’d put up a wall between them that didn’t encourage him trying to scale it.
What she didn’t realize was that he had been a different man back then. He hadn’t believed in anything beyond the job. If he were being honest, he’d known she had wanted out of the Agency for a long time. When their relationship had turned serious, her desire for a normal life seemed to have doubled. Five years ago, Alex couldn’t imagine life without the adrenaline rush of the CIA...and so he’d lost her.
“There’s a driveway coming up on your right. Turn in there.” Rachel’s voice interrupted his chaotic thoughts. She didn’t look at him, and he wondered if she’d read his thoughts.
He spotted the driveway in question and exited onto a dirt road as dust boiled up in the headlights.
In front of them, an old farmhouse appeared at the end of the drive some distance from the county road.
“Whose place is this?” Alex asked as he stopped the car.
She didn’t answer right away and he turned to her, curious.
“This was my husband’s family home. He grew up here and I promised him I’d hold on to it after he passed away.”
Shocked, Alex couldn’t even begin to hide his surprise from her. Nothing prepared him for hearing that Rachel was now a widow. He glanced down at her left ring finger. She still wore her wedding ring. How long had her husband been gone?
Alex looked from her to the simple white house with its pale gray shutters barely distinguishable in the car’s headlights. Something akin to jealousy seared his heart. He hated thinking of her loving another man.
Liam had told him she’d gotten married a
few years after she’d moved back to Midnight Mountain some five years earlier. After that, well, Alex had just stopped checking in with his friend for a while because it was too painful.
Which was why the envelope he’d received from Liam days before Rachel’s call had been so concerning. He had no idea what Liam was trying to convey. It contained ramblings about things they’d done in their childhood and some of the places they’d explored growing up. He assumed Liam had written the letter at a low point. There was no sense in telling Rachel about it and alarming her further.
Alex realized Rachel was staring at him as if she expected him to say something. He pulled himself together and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I had no idea your husband had passed away.” She continued to stare at him with those telling blue eyes. The look in them now reminded him of when he’d told her he wasn’t leaving the CIA with her.
Was she expecting him to be jealous that she’d gotten married? If so, then she should be happy. She had no idea how hard he’d taken the news of her wedding.
“Thank you,” she murmured, and looked away. While a thousand questions flew through his head, he could tell she wasn’t ready to discuss any of them with him. “We should probably put the car away and get inside. It’s possible that whoever attacked us will connect this place with me.” She stopped for a breath. “There’s an old garage behind the house. We can hide the car in there.”
Once they’d stowed the rental car in the rickety old garage that was a little ways from the house, Alex grabbed his gear and followed her while the dog sniffed around the yard for a bit then went after them, keeping close to Rachel.
Rachel flipped on the lights, illuminating the drop cloths that covered most of the furniture inside the home.
“Sorry for the mess,” she told him. “It’s just easier to keep clean this way. The place has sat empty for several years now. Brian’s family raised workhorses up here for many years. I still keep a few pastured out back because he loved working with them so much. There’s a neighbor who stops by each day to care for them.”
He managed an awkward nod and dropped his backpack by the door. “I’ll take a quick look around just to be safe.” He could see she hadn’t considered the possibility that the place might not be secure. She’d been away from the spy game too long.
She shook her head and smiled at him for the first time since their reunion. It stopped him dead in his tracks. “I never even considered someone might have already been here.”
He loved her smile. He’d almost forgotten just how beautiful she was, especially when she smiled. She wore her golden brown hair longer now. She’d braided it and it hung halfway down her back, the overhead light catching the gold highlights. Dressed in a plaid shirt, jeans and cowboy boots, she reminded him of the young girl he’d fallen for all those years ago. Only her midnight blue eyes held a hint of the things she’d endured. There was a sadness in them that appeared embedded there.
Alex collected his straying thoughts. “Not looking over your shoulder all the time sounds like a good thing. I’ll be right back.” He excused himself and went upstairs, grateful for the chance to get control of his emotions. He thought he’d left Midnight Mountain behind for good when he went away to college, yet so many of his childhood memories were tied to this place. And to this woman...
After he finished checking the upstairs rooms, he was more ready to join her again. At the foot of the stairs, he noticed that the dog had settled down close to Rachel’s feet.
“There’s no sign anyone’s been up there in a while...” He stopped when he noticed her staring strangely at the desk in the corner of the room. “What is it?”
Rachel visibly shivered. “Even though it’s a half hour drive from my home, I still come here every couple of days to make sure the place is okay. I’m pretty sure that drawer was closed when I was here yesterday.”
He stared at the desk and then at her. “Someone’s been here.” He stated the obvious. “What was in there?”
She shook her head. “That’s just it. Nothing was in there. There isn’t anything of value here besides the horses.”
“But they weren’t looking for something valuable.” Their gazes locked and a new fear entangled him in its clutches. “Whoever was here was looking for something connected to Liam.”
No doubt the people behind Liam’s disappearance had known about his connection to Rachel all along, including this house.
“You said you keep horses on the property?” Alex’s thoughts snarled together. What she’d told him about Liam was disturbing. That Liam had left her the location where he was scheduled to meet his asset seemed to indicate he had been concerned something might happen to him up there.
“That’s right. Why?” she asked innocently enough.
“Because they may be our only way out of here.” Alex glanced out the front window at the breaking dawn. They’d need to keep moving. Get up on the mountain as soon as possible.
“The stalls are behind the house a little ways down near the south pasture.”
“Good. Then we should probably head out. Are you ready for this?” She didn’t hesitate. Rachel had been one of the best agents he’d had the pleasure of working with. She might be a little rusty, but she was more than capable.
If something had happened to Liam, each day that passed whittled away at his chances of survival. Rachel said she’d had no word from her brother in more than a week. As a former CIA agent herself, she would know that it was common practice for agents to carry burner phones as a means of communicating without being tracked. If Liam hadn’t reached out to her by now, then something bad was wrong.
It bothered Alex that Liam seemed worried about something. It wasn’t like his friend to show fear, but from Rachel’s account, he’d definitely been concerned when he showed up at her place. He had told her he was close to bringing down a new player in the terror field. He’d mentioned something similar the last time he and Alex had talked.
Did Liam’s disappearance have anything to do with what he’d uncovered about the terrorist threat? If so, then whomever he was chasing seemed determined to silence anyone who got in their way or attempted to uncover their identity.
As he and Rachel headed out into the new day dawning, with Callie at their heels, Alex could almost feel her uneasiness growing.
He touched her arm and she slowed her steps and faced him. “We’ll find him, I promise. And don’t forget, Liam’s tough. He’s been through much worse than this.”
She smiled without answering. Did she believe him?
He needed to get a look at the map. It would give some indication as to where exactly on the mountain they’d be heading. “Do you have the map Liam left you handy?” he asked, and she dug it out of her pocket and handed it to him.
Once he’d opened it, he recognized the location right away. It was more than a twenty-four hike under the best of conditions and over some very rugged terrain.
“This is where Liam was going to meet with his asset?” he asked with a sense of foreboding.
She nodded. “I think so.”
Even if they headed straight there, they’d still have to find a place to make camp for the night before hiking the rest of the way up. Darkness came early to the mountains. They’d never make it to the site before nightfall. The weather would definitely play a factor, especially with the mountains making their own conditions. It might be early spring, but snow and ice weren’t unexpected this time of year. Up on the mountain several feet of snow still clung to the crevasses.
“I hate going into a situation blind like this, and we don’t know for sure what’s really happened to Liam. Maybe something went wrong with the meet and he was injured. Or maybe his asset sold him out.” Alex glanced around, expecting trouble.
Rachel hesitated a second too long. Right away he could tell something was wrong.
“What is it?” He almost
dreaded her answer.
“There’s something else I haven’t showed you, Alex. It’s on the back of the map.”
He turned it over and saw the phone number and initial Rachel had mention previously. But it was the words that were scribbled below them that increased his concern for Liam’s well-being tenfold.
Agency. Dirty. Trust no one. Especially anyone in authority. It was a message Liam had intended for Rachel alone.
Alex stared at it and then her. If true, the magnitude of what they now faced had grown beyond anything he could have imagined.
Rachel dragged in a breath before she delivered the worst news possible.
“Alex, I think the person Liam was chasing, this new terrorist threat that he’d uncovered... I think it involves someone from the CIA.”
TWO
The expression of shock on his face told her how hard it was for him to wrap his head around the idea that someone from the CIA, both her brother and Alex’s own team, might be responsible for harming Liam.
“Rachel...” Her name came out on a frustrated-sounding sigh. Alex couldn’t hide his doubts. She certainly understood. As an agent, his head wouldn’t let him go there.
“I know how crazy this sounds, but you weren’t there when Liam came to see me. He was spooked, and Liam doesn’t spook easily. I think his disappearance is in some way connected to the new threat he’s been chasing. Maybe he uncovered information that connected someone in the CIA as possibly being involved with this terrorist somehow.”
She looked up at him, willing him to understand. “It makes sense, Alex,” she said.
Yet he couldn’t hide his skepticism. After all, Alex was still part of the CIA, and there was a bond between agents that was unbreakable. In his mind, it would be unimaginable to think someone you trusted with your life might betray you in such a deadly way.
Target on the Mountain Page 20
