Rachel had considered the same thing, too. “You’re right. We’ll need to find a place to leave it once we reach the base of Midnight Mountain. How are you at hiking these days?”
When they were younger, the three of them had hiked this mountain dozens of times. There was one spot in particular that they loved to camp at. The mountains at night were breathtaking and the stars appeared close enough to touch.
Alex chucked softly, the sound sending chills through her nervous system. “Don’t worry. I’m not that out of shape. I think I can still keep up with you.”
He certainly appeared fit enough. Outdoorsy as ever, Alex would always be the most handsome man she knew. Yet being close to him brought up emotions she’d just as soon not deal with.
She’d been crazy about him for as long as she could remember. The three of them had been determined to stay close after high school, and so they’d attended the same university. Deciding to join the CIA had been a joint decision, as well. They had all excelled at the job...for a while.
But soon, the stress of the life of an agent became too much for Rachel. Her world consisted of one dangerous mission followed by another. She found herself needing more than the adrenaline rush. She wanted a life beyond the spy games they played. A family. And she wanted all those things with Alex. She just hadn’t expected his reaction. He didn’t share any of her dreams.
Now, Rachel found herself wondering about what his life had been like over the past five years. Liam had told her that Alex had taken a different job within the CIA, a more specialized detachment, but he hadn’t been able to talk about it much. Was Alex involved with someone new, or was he still married to the job?
Somehow, Rachel let go of the past. No sense crying over spilled milk. Neither one of them could go back in time and change things.
“We’re almost to the base.” Her voice sounded less than steady. It was just the past. It had a way of coming to the surface no matter how hard she tried to keep it buried. Right now, she had to find a way to shove it aside. She needed Alex’s help to bring her brother home.
“There’s a group of scrub brush to your left. They’ll make for a good cover for the machine.” Alex pointed to the left side and she eased the four-wheeler in that direction.
When they were close, Alex got off and she followed. They pushed the four-wheeler behind the scrubs and then piled extra brush all around until it was completely obscured from view.
Rachel watched as Alex slipped into his backpack. Just seeing him back home made all of her young girl wishes resurface. She turned away and grabbed the extra backpack filled with supplies and then opened the storage compartment on the four-wheeler and smiled at the sack full of sandwiches, chips, fruit and water Jenny had packed.
Alex came over to where she stood and peered over her shoulder. “Looks like a feast. Remind me to thank her in person when we get back.” The words were out before he really thought about them and their eyes locked. Would they make it out of this thing alive?
As she looked into his eyes, Rachel fought to keep her equilibrium. She couldn’t get sucked back into Alex’s charm again. He was her past. If they survived this, perhaps they’d be able to resume their friendship, but that was all it could ever be.
She wasn’t ready for anything more after losing Brian. Even though they both knew his death was inevitable when they’d married, losing him had still brought her to her knees emotionally. There wasn’t anything left inside her to give to someone else, and she couldn’t put the pain and heartache Alex had caused her in the past aside, no matter how hard she tried.
The wind kicked up. On it Rachel caught the faintest of sounds. Voices? Multiple ones. Someone else was up here.
Before she could get the words out, Alex heard what she did. He pulled her close and whispered, “We need to get out of sight.” He glanced around the area. “Over there. A small opening in the mountain. It might be enough to keep us out of their view.”
They hurried over to the entrance, looking into what appeared to be a pitch-black gap in the side of the mountain.
“I don’t think it’s a cave as much as a small crevice,” Alex said in a low voice before they stepped inside. He took out his phone and shone the light into the five-foot-deep mountain flaw. “It’s not much. If they’re paying attention, we’ll be sitting ducks. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Here, get on the other side of me.” He tugged her deeper into the crevice and as far away from the entrance as possible.
Rachel could feel her heart echoing in her ears. She glanced up and saw Alex watching her. He was probably wondering if she was up to the task at hand.
“Do you think we hid the four-wheeler well enough?” She whispered her concern aloud. If the men spotted the machine, they’d know someone else was up here. If they were deliberately searching for them, then she and Alex wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Unless they’re really looking, it’ll be fine. The camo paint on the machine will help it blend.”
She said a prayer in her head as outside, multiple rocks dislodged and rolled down the path. Someone was close. It took everything inside her not to react.
Alex drew her close. She held her breath. More footsteps followed, too many to count. It sounded as if they’d stopped just outside the crevice.
Rachel remembered that they’d forgotten to cover their footsteps. Would the men look down and spot them? If so, they’d know they were right under their noses.
Outside, a cell phone rang. A man answered it. “Yeah.” He sounded less than thrilled.
Alex held her closer and she hugged him tight.
“There’s no sign of them here. The noise could have been coming from the adjoining cattle ranch. We’re heading back your way again,” the man said in a sharp tone.
Rachel waited until the men had moved away and it was quiet outside, then she let go of the breath she’d held on to. “They didn’t see the four-wheeler, but that was close.”
“I counted at least five sets of footsteps.” Alex glanced down at her in the darkness. She could almost feel his tension. “I don’t understand what’s going on here, but I sure hope we find Liam and get some answers soon.”
“Me, too. Do you think it’s safe to get out?”
“Let me take a quick look around first. Wait here.” He slowly slipped out and she felt his absence completely in the oppressing darkness.
Her pulse hammered every single second Alex was gone. When he returned, she resisted the urge to hug him again.
“It looks as if they’re heading back toward Plume Mountain, probably to your husband’s place. I’m hoping the rest of them are still there.”
Rachel followed him out again and stared up at the mountain, which was partially hidden by cloud coverage. A chill sped up her spine.
Where are you, Liam?
In the past, she and her brother always had a special connection. She could almost sense his presence in her heart. Rachel didn’t feel him now. She was terrified they were already too late.
* * *
“It’ll be dark soon. We need to find a place to get out of the elements. We’re almost to Midnight Valley. We can camp there and head out again in the morning,” Alex told her after they’d been hiking for hours. He felt the exhaustion of the miles they’d covered, fueled by his fear for Liam’s safety, catching up with him.
Rachel appeared ready to drop, as well. His heart went out to her. He loved Liam like a brother, but Liam was her flesh and blood. She probably hadn’t gotten any sleep since Liam’s disappearance.
They reached the top of the peak that looked down on Midnight Valley. The moon had slipped from its cloud coverage and made an appearance for the first time. He could see Midnight Lake in the middle of the valley below them.
Alex lifted up a prayer of thanks for their safe passage so far. They’d battled rough terrain and fear all the way to this point.
/> Rachel stopped next to him and their gazes held. Alex found himself unable to look away. Even worn-out and disheveled, she was lovely. An old memory from the past resurfaced. The three of them had been chasing an arms dealer for months near Kabul. They’d finally tracked the man’s location to a mountainous region in Afghanistan. Alex remembered the area had reminded him of this place. The air had been crackling with electrical tension back then. It was the first time Rachel mentioned leaving the Agency. He’d seen her fear. Realized the toll the job had taken on her. At the time, he couldn’t fathom walking away. Now, after being with the specialized CIA Scorpion team for several years, he understood. The team was close and they were doing good things. It wasn’t about the high for him anymore. Even so, there were times when he could almost imagine himself back here living in the small town of Midnight Mountain again.
Unexpectedly, he took her hand, and she froze briefly before turning to him. Her blue eyes were huge pools in the moonlight. The unasked questions were all there, and he couldn’t bring himself to answer a single one of them.
Through the years, there hadn’t been a day that had gone by where he hadn’t regretted letting her go. Now, he realized it was too late for them. He’d lost her for good. They weren’t the same people they once were.
He squeezed her hand and then let her go and cleared away the regret from his throat. “We’d best keep going. We’re going to need to make a fire to stay warm. It’s getting colder by the minute.”
Something bordering disappointment shadowed her eyes before she nodded and headed down the steep mountainside. After a second, he followed.
Once they reached the valley, Alex glanced around for the best spot to build a fire without it being seen by anyone above.
He pointed to a treed area. “Let’s set up camp over there.”
Alex took off his backpack and leaned it against a tree. “I’ll gather some wood. Let’s get a fire going and then dive into those sandwiches Jenny made. I’m starving.”
With the beetle infestation of recent years, there was plenty of dead timber around. Alex gathered an armful and found a good spot for the fire.
Once it was roaring, he and Rachel unrolled their sleeping bags and Rachel took out the food and handed him a sandwich and some chips along with a drink.
“There’s fruit if you want some.” She took a bite of her sandwich.
Alex didn’t answer. He said a prayer of thanksgiving in his head and then dug into his meal with relish. A simple ham sandwich had never tasted so good.
Rachel must have spotted his reaction because she laughed. “It’s the mountain air. It makes everything taste better.”
He put down his sandwich and watched her. “I remember. All those picnic lunches we used to enjoy. Good times.” He swallowed back his regret. He’d give anything to go back to that simpler period in his life.
Alex studied her expression in the firelight. He could almost swear he saw her blush.
She brushed a crumb from her mouth. “They were good times, weren’t they? When I first left the CIA and came back home, I used to come up here all the time. I think it was just being in touch with something I loved from childhood that helped ground me.”
He understood. He felt the same way.
Alex hesitated, needing to tell her something that could prove touchy. He hadn’t been completely honest with her when she’d asked about the last time he’d had contact from Liam. For unknown reasons, he’d chosen not to mention the strange letter he’d received from his friend. Now, more than ever, they needed answers. Maybe something about it might make sense to her.
Alex stared at the fire, unsure of how she would take this new piece of news. “I need to tell you something, Rachel.” He glanced her way. Immediately he could see he had her full attention. “A few days before you called, I received a letter in the mail from Liam.” Alex stopped and shook his head. “I don’t know what to make of it. It’s nothing but ramblings to me. Liam talked about our childhood here in Midnight Mountain and some of the places we used to explore together. One in particular is underlined.”
Alex took out the letter and handed it to her. When he’d gotten her call, he’d shoved the letter inside his jacket pocket and brought it with him. She unfolded it and read through it, a tear slipping slowly down her cheek.
“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” she whispered sadly, and then handed him the letter back. He tucked it back in his pocket, the desire to comfort her running deep. Alex reached over and touched her face gently, brushing aside the tears.
Before he could voice the regrets of his heart, a noise close by had them both jumping to their feet, weapons drawn.
A woman and man emerged from the shadowy woods. The woman spotted their weapons right away and quickly raised her hands.
“Oh...we’re so sorry. We didn’t mean to frighten the two of you. We just lost our way in the dark. When I saw the fire, I was so relieved,” the woman said with the tiniest of giggles, her voice accented.
Dressed in dark clothing, she was tall, almost six feet. She stepped closer and Alex got a better look. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail; she wore a baseball cap that covered part of her face.
The man hung back a little ways in the shadows. He held his hands up, too. There was something familiar about him, too, and an uneasy feeling sped through Alex. What was going on here?
Alex moved closer to Rachel’s side in a protective gesture that came naturally. “It’s okay. We just weren’t expecting company tonight.” Like her, Alex hadn’t lowered his weapon yet.
“We’re really sorry to bother you, but would it be okay if we camped out with you tonight? We’re both exhausted and I promise we won’t be any trouble.”
There was something in the woman’s voice he couldn’t place. Fear. Some type of warning. He was unsure, but Rachel’s reaction to hearing the woman speak triggered all sorts of alarms. Was it possible that she recognized the woman?
Rachel reached out and clasped Alex’s hand, squeezing it once, then letting go. She was definitely trying to warn him of something.
“Why don’t you both come warm yourself by the fire?” Alex said when Rachel stood, silently assessing the woman.
The woman glanced oddly at Rachel, almost as if she knew her. She moved over to the fire and warmed her hands. After a brief hesitation, her partner joined her.
Once Alex got a closer look at the man, he was positive he recognized him. He had no idea how.
Slowly Alex lowered his weapon. Rachel did the same and the woman let out a breath, relieved.
“Sorry to draw down on you like that. We thought you might be a bear.” Alex came up with the best explanation he could.
The woman smiled again, but it didn’t seem sincere. “No problem. I’m Michelle Mullins, by the way. This is my husband, Peter. We’re from Colorado. We’ve been hiking all the mountains in the Midnight Mountain Range.”
Alex strove for calm and eventually found it. He held out his hand and she shook it. Her husband wasn’t nearly as friendly.
The woman turned to him. “Peter, shake the man’s hand. They’re keeping us from freezing to death,” she said with another laugh.
The two seemed to be communicating something to each other. After another second, the man smiled and took Alex’s hand. “Nice to meet you both.”
“You, too,” Rachel said with an attempt at a smile once he’d shook her hand.
“Thank you so much for saving us. We got caught up in the spectacular views from the top of Midnight Mountain and lost track of the time. A foolish mistake, I know.” Michelle shook her head. “And one I’m embarrassed to say we made. We’ve been hiking for years. You’d think we’d know better.”
Rachel’s gaze met Alex’s briefly. He could see she was troubled.
“It’s no problem,” she said. “Are you two hungry?”
The woman smiled genuinely. “Starving. I’m afraid I didn’t pack enough food for the evening meal. I wasn’t expecting to be up here.” She shrugged.
“It’s okay. We have plenty.” Rachel brought out some extra sandwiches and a bottle of water and handed them to Michelle.
“Thanks.” She took it and gave Peter one of the sandwiches.
“It’s easy to get lost up here at night if you’re not careful,” Alex told the two while keeping a close eye on Peter. Where did he know the man from?
Peter nodded without answering and took a bite from the sandwich.
“Do you guys have sleeping bags with you?” Rachel asked, and looked around at the gear they carried.
From the looks of it, they had prepared for a long stay in spite of what Michelle had said.
“We do. It just makes good sense to be ready.” Michelle unzipped her backpack and brought out a sleeping bag. Alex caught a glimpse of what looked like a pistol before she closed the bag again.
He wondered why such knowledgeable hikers would allow themselves to get lost at night. Their story didn’t add up.
“So what did you say you did for a living, Alex?” Michelle asked, pinning him with her sharp gaze.
“I didn’t.” Alex didn’t elaborate. He wasn’t even trying to pretend anymore. These people were not who they said they were, and his mind had already begun to try to figure out a way to get Rachel and himself out of there safely.
How had they known where to find them? Not for a second did he buy they’d been atop the mountain. He believed they’d been deliberately searching for him and Rachel. The path Alex and Rachel were on wasn’t the most direct way to the meet location. In fact, only the locals knew about Midnight Valley, so they didn’t just happen here by accident.
“We should probably get some more firewood,” Alex told Rachel. “We don’t want the fire to go out overnight. Why don’t you come with me?”
Rachel nodded and they headed for the woods behind the camp when Michelle stopped them. “Wait, why don’t you let us help you?”
Target on the Mountain Page 23
