Target on the Mountain

by Elizabeth Goddard

Rachel could tell there was something else on his mind. “Did you find out something?”

  He heaved a sigh that spoke volumes. “I did. I talked to Jase about the agents that were supposed to be dead. He remembered hearing the story behind the agents’ deaths from another former Scorpion commander by the name of Kyle Jennings.” Alex hesitated as if recalling the conversation. “Kyle told him that the men were in Iraq on a mission, searching for the Chemist, an elusive man who had perfected the recipe for sarin gas and was selling it on the dark web to the highest bidder. The team was spearheaded by a senior agent by the name of Blake Temple. Jase said Blake seemed to have an unusual interest in bringing down the Chemist. Kyle assumed he was just dedicated to the task at hand. I don’t know if that’s the case.”

  How did the missing agent’s reappearance and the story of the Chemist fit into Liam’s disappearance?

  “Now I understand why Peter looked particularly familiar to me. Rachel, he’s Blake Temple.” He held her gaze. Saw the surprise she couldn’t hide. “If these men came out of hiding, it has to be for something big.”

  He was right. There was no way they’d risk being captured unless they were desperate. “I wonder how Michelle fits into all of this.”

  “I have no idea. I couldn’t get a good read off her.” He shook his head. “At least we have help on the way. The sooner we get Deacon out of here, the better, though. I’ll go see if I can get that truck running before Temple and the rest of his thugs catch up with us.”

  He turned to leave, but she caught his arm. She wasn’t ready to answer the questions she saw in his eyes just yet. “Please be careful,” she said in a whisper of a voice.

  “I will.” The hint of a smile was filled with sadness. He’d expected more. She wished she could give it to him. After she was alone, regret crawled into every fiber of her being. Alex wasn’t the same person he’d been earlier and that was easy to see. But was there a chance for them? She couldn’t let herself go there. She’d lost her heart to him once. She couldn’t afford to do so again.

  Rachel checked on Deacon once more. He seemed to be resting somewhat more comfortably. It was still hours before daylight. If Alex could get the truck running, they might be able to leave the area before sunrise, which would give them a better chance at escaping the men chasing them.

  “Where are you, Liam?” she whispered into the cold air, but her only answer was the mutterings of the injured man close by.

  Rachel went over to the window behind the cabin and glanced out at the darkness. She could see Alex’s flashlight beam as he worked to bring the truck to life.

  Where were the men? Had they actually bought their decoy? As much as she wanted to believe, she didn’t. These men had survived for years without detection. They were highly trained agents just like she and Alex. They would think in the same way. They’d keep coming until they found them.

  “Liam! Get down!” Deacon called out in a panic. Rachel whirled from the window. Deacon knew about her brother!

  She was still trying to make sense of it when Alex came back inside.

  “It won’t make it far, but I think we can get down the mountain in it if we’re careful...” He stopped when he got a good look at her shocked expression. “What happened?”

  “Deacon just mentioned Liam by name.” She told him what Deacon had said. “Alex, what if Deacon is Liam’s asset?”

  Alex stared at the unconscious man. “I guess it’s possible. But why was Deacon working with Liam?”

  Rachel shook her head. “I wish I knew. Do you know what type of work Deacon was doing recently?” If Alex knew what he was working on, maybe they could figure out why Liam had asked to meet with Deacon.

  “It’s been a while since I worked with him. But I do know that Deacon was responsible for bringing down some major players in the terrorism game.”

  Maybe Deacon had information about the agents or the Chemist or... She had never felt so frustrated before. It was like trying to fit together a puzzle with half the pieces missing.

  Alex came over to her and tipped her chin so that she looked into his eyes. “We’ll never figure it out without Deacon’s or Liam’s help. But we will figure it out. Liam’s a survivor. He’s been in far worse circumstances than this.”

  She wanted to believe that. “If he brought Deacon down here, why wouldn’t he hike out on foot to get help?”

  Alex shook his head. “I don’t know. But right now we need to concentrate on saving Deacon’s life.”

  As worried as she was about Liam, Deacon needed their help immediately.

  “I’ll bring the truck around and then we can get him into the back seat where he can lie down.”

  Alex still held her, searching her face. She struggled to bring enough air into her lungs. With another intense look, he let her go and went to get the truck. She was grateful to be left alone because she so needed to control her racing pulse. Alex had a way of getting to her like no one else. She’d loved him so much. Part of her heart would always belong to him, but she needed to keep her focus on helping Deacon and saving Liam. If her thoughts wandered back to the past it wouldn’t benefit anyone.

  As hard as she tried, Rachel still couldn’t settle in her mind why Liam had brought Deacon all the way here and then left him. Something must have forced Liam to leave in a hurry.

  Before she could try to bring her chaotic thoughts together, the noise of gunfire coming from the woods nearby exploded all around. Rachel grabbed her weapon and hurried to the front of the cabin where the shots seemed to have originated. Her hand had barely touched the door handle when it flew open and Alex rushed inside and slammed the door closed.

  The fear she saw in his eyes scared her. “What’s happening out there?”

  “They’ve found us. We have to get out before they surround the cabin and have us trapped inside...” He stopped for a second before adding, “I don’t think it’s wise to take Deacon with us under these conditions. The hectic pace would be too much for him.”

  They’d have to leave Deacon behind. But if those men found him here, they’d finish what they started and kill him.

  * * *

  Rachel hurried over to the injured man. “What should we do? What if they search the cabin? They’ll kill him.”

  There was really only one option. “We’ll cover him with the bed again. I have an extra jacket. Hopefully, between the two, he can stay warm enough until Jase’s team arrives. If we can successfully lead them away from here, he should be safe enough.”

  Alex put his extra jacket over Deacon and tried to make him as comfortable as possible, then together they placed the bed over the top of him. Alex prayed that Deacon would be safe until help arrived. “We have to hurry, Rachel. They’re not far.”

  They grabbed their gear and headed out to where Alex had left the old beat-up truck running.

  Rachel slid in the driver’s side and Alex followed. He shoved the truck in gear and turned the vehicle toward the rudimentary road that had been carved out of the woods.

  “Hang on,” he told her. “I’m afraid this is going to be one hairy ride.”

  He was right. Rachel clung to the door handle as the truck bounced over downed trees and debris left from years of logging. Alex kept his attention on the road ahead as it tested all his skills. Where were the men he’d spotted in the woods? He was pretty sure he’d hit one of them, but by his best account there had been at least half a dozen others up on the hill above the camp.

  The headlights of the truck were so bad that he could barely see where they were going. He was forced to slow the truck’s speed down to a crawl as he rounded a curve.

  Ice still clung to the road in places where the sunlight didn’t reach. The truck slid sideways and close to the mountain’s edge. Rachel stifled a scream in response.

  Somehow, Alex got the truck back on the path, but his hands shook from the close c
all. Doing his best to dodge downed trees, he continued to weave down the mountainside.

  Without warning, the front windshield exploded. Both Alex and Rachel ducked as glass flew everywhere, narrowly missing their eyes.

  Another round riddled the passenger side of the truck. Alex could barely see where he was going as the shots continued to ricochet off the truck, and he was forced to stay low. He managed a quick glance ahead and saw five men emerge in front of them, weapons aimed at the truck.

  Alex slammed the brakes on hard. The men kept advancing. They were all out of options. If they continued forward, they’d be shot. Desperate to keep them alive, Alex shoved the vehicle in Reverse and tried to keep the truck on the trail.

  “Get down.” He barely got the words out when the men opened fire. Alex whipped the truck around and headed back the direction they’d come.

  “We need to find another way out of here. Otherwise, we’re trapped.” Alex glanced over at Rachel. She was white as a sheet. “They’re on foot. We’re not,” he said without feeling nearly as confident about what he’d said. He’d scouted the area briefly. This was the only road he’d seen. “Do you remember the layout of what’s just below this camp?” The road in front of them quickly disappeared and was replaced with overgrown brush.

  “Alex, there’s no road past the camp. There’s nothing.” She confirmed his worst fears. “We’ll never make it down this way.”

  He barely had time to process what she said before he realized they were now surrounded by armed men. There would be no escaping now.

  EIGHT

  Alex hit the brakes as the men circled the truck.

  Rachel watched the men advancing on them. “What do we do now?” she forced out.

  She saw the reality of their situation reflected in his eyes. “We give up.”

  She couldn’t believe what she heard. They were still no closer to knowing what had happened to Liam than when they’d first started. “No, Alex, we can’t. We have to keep fighting.”

  He shook his head. “If we resist, we’ll be dead. We have to stay alive. It’s the only way to save Deacon and find Liam.”

  Tears filled her eyes. She knew he was right. She didn’t want to die here. Not without knowing what had happened to her brother. Not with things still unsettled between herself and Alex.

  “They wouldn’t be coming after us this hard if they’d found Liam,” Alex reasoned. “I believe they still need us. They won’t kill us if we don’t resist. Maybe we can buy enough time for my team to arrive.”

  As she looked at his handsome face, there were so many things she wanted to say, but now was not the time. She would fight with everything inside her to live another day because she wanted to have the chance to tell Alex everything that was in her heart.

  With a smile of encouragement for her sake, Alex yelled, “Hold your fire. We’re coming out.” To her he said, “Do what I do, okay?”

  He waited for her to confirm, then he slowly opened the driver’s-side door. With his hands in the air, he got out. Rachel hesitated a second longer before doing the same.

  “Search them,” one of the men shouted, and someone jerked Alex forward and quickly patted him down. They took his gun and phone right away. Their backpacks with all their supplies were still in the truck.

  Another man forced Rachel to turn around, then he searched her. Alex tried to free himself to get to her side, but his captor slugged him hard in the gut. He dropped to his knees. The man reached for him again.

  “No, stop. Don’t hurt him. We’re cooperating with you.” Rachel was terrified they’d kill Alex.

  The person looming over Alex hauled him to his feet.

  “Get them back to the cabin,” said the man who had ordered his men to search them. She and Alex were forced into the bed of the truck, along with several armed men, and driven back to the cabin where they’d left Deacon. What they’d tried to prevent was happening.

  Don’t let them find Deacon.

  The man holding Rachel’s arm in a viselike grip shoved her hard, and she flew into the cabin, almost losing her balance.

  Alex freed himself from his restrainer and hurried to her side. “Are you okay?” he asked while glaring at the man who’d shoved her.

  “I’m fine.” She touched his arm and forced his gaze to her. “I’m okay, Alex.”

  The anger slowly evaporated from him. They both needed to keep their wits about them if they stood any chance of surviving.

  The leader stepped forward, inches from Rachel’s face. With his arms crossed, he stared her down. “Well, we finally caught you two. I’ll admit you gave us a good run. Just not good enough.” His smile held no humor in it. Right away, Rachel recognized him. It was the former CIA agent Victor McNamara.

  “Why were you trying to kill us?” Rachel demanded.

  McNamara smirked. “If we were trying to kill you two, you’d be dead by now.” McNamara’s words seemed to confirm what Alex said earlier. These men had no idea where Liam was.

  One of the men handed McNamara Alex’s driver’s license. He stared at it and then Alex while Rachel held on to her breath. If he recognized Alex as a CIA agent, no matter what he’d claimed earlier, he’d kill him.

  “How do you fit into this?” McNamara demanded, but Alex kept silent. McNamara motioned to one of his thugs, who grabbed Alex and slugged him hard once more.

  “Stop,” Rachel cried out as Alex doubled over in pain. She tried to come to his aid, but someone grabbed her arms, holding her in place.

  “I’ll ask you again. How do you fit into Agent Carlson’s crimes?”

  Agent Carlson’s crimes... The words settled over her.

  “What are you talking about?” Rachel demanded. She wasn’t about to let them sully Liam’s name. “My brother hasn’t committed any crimes.”

  McNamara turned his full attention on her. “Ah, the sister,” he sneered. “You clearly have no idea who your brother really is.” She had to struggle not to take the bait. “Your brother, along with Deacon Broderick, has stolen some very deadly weapons. My team and I have been searching for them for quite some time. We had them surrounded up on the mountain, but they both managed to give us the slip. Not without being wounded first, I might add. They won’t get far on their own. I believe you know where your brother might be hiding. Why else would you be up here? For his own well-being, I suggest you tell me where, so that we can find him alive.”

  McNamara was talking as if he were still an agent. He had no idea they knew the truth.

  “Tie them both up.” He barked the order to one of his men, who grabbed Alex. Forcing his arms together, he wrapped the rope tight around his wrists. Another man did the same to Rachel, and she winced in pain.

  “Who are you? Why should I tell you anything?” Rachel tried to hold on to her composure when McNamara stepped to within inches of her face.

  “I’m the only person who can keep your brother from facing the death sentence for treason.”

  Treason. “How can you charge Liam with treason?” she exclaimed, astonished. She had to hear him say who he was.

  “Because I’m working for the CIA and I’ve been trying to bring down a terrorist known as the Chemist for a long time. Turns out, your brother knew him all along. They’ve been smuggling large amounts of sarin gas into the States together. Who knows to what deadly purpose?”

  She couldn’t afford to give anything away. “That’s a lie. My brother did nothing of the sort.”

  McNamara’s smile sent a shiver down her back. “You really don’t know how deeply involved in this thing your brother really is.” She raised her chin, refusing to give in to his bluff.

  With a shake of his head, McNamara went back over to his men. He said something to them that she couldn’t discern. She had the impression that they were waiting on something...or someone.

  Rachel eased closer to wh
ere Alex was restrained. Just being close to him helped to steady her frayed nerves. She turned slightly and he did the same. As she glanced at him, so many raw emotions surged through her. She’d spent so long trying to deny what she felt for Alex. The anger and bitterness in her heart didn’t cover up the truth. Alex was important to her. Her entire past was mingled with his. How could she just write him out of her life simply because things hadn’t worked out between them? She smiled up at him and for a second, it was just the two of them. And she was sure that she saw the same feelings she felt for him reflected on his face.

  * * *

  The look in her eyes warmed his heart. So many feelings had been left unsaid by them. He believed she still cared for him, no matter how ugly he had let things end between them. Was there still a chance? He was going to do everything in his power to find out. He wasn’t about to let these men take that chance away, or lay the blame for their crimes on Liam. He’d die first.

  So far, McNamara had no idea Alex was CIA, and he planned to keep it that way. He glanced briefly at the bed covering Deacon. So far, Deacon hadn’t made a sound. Alex wasn’t sure if that was good news or bad.

  Hurry, Jase.

  He wondered where Peter—aka Blake Temple—and the woman called Michelle were. McNamara was acting as if he was the boss, yet Alex didn’t believe Temple would allow that to go on for long. From what Jase had told him about Temple, he wasn’t the type to let someone steal his glory.

  “We ran into two of your people in the woods earlier. Peter and Michelle. They were easy to capture.” Alex hoped to get some reaction out of McNamara.

  Something slipped briefly on McNamara’s face, assuring Alex he knew Peter and the woman.

  “I don’t know who you are talking about. We don’t know anyone by those names. Maybe they’re working for Carlson.”

  McNamara motioned to several of his men and they went outside, leaving two more to stand guard. What were they doing?

  He noticed Rachel’s attention kept going to the bed where Deacon was hiding. “We have to help him,” she mouthed.