He nodded. He so wanted to believe that, but desperation made it difficult to hold on to his faith. He loved her. He didn’t want to die without letting her know how much.
Alex cupped her face. There were tears in her eyes. She understood what possibly lay ahead for them, as well. “I love you, Rachel. I love you so much.”
A sob escaped and she hugged him tight. “I love you, too, Alex.”
“Last chance. Surrender or die.” McNamara’s ultimatum interrupted the intimate moment.
Alex brushed a tear from her cheek. “I know that, and I never stopped loving you, either. I’m just so sorry I messed things up between us before. I should have listened to what you needed. I should have been there for you.”
She shook her head. “No, you were right. I had no business putting demands on you. Just because I was ready to leave the CIA didn’t mean you were, too. I should have listened to what you wanted. I shouldn’t have run away from you.”
He tugged her closer. “None of that matters now. We love each other. That’s all that matters. I love you so much and with God’s help, we will get through this.”
She smiled up at him. She had enough faith for the both of them and he was grateful. “You’re right. We will.”
But they both knew there was only one option left for them. Giving themselves up was their only chance, but convincing Michelle of this would not be so easy. Alex told her what they must do.
Her reaction wasn’t a surprise. “I can’t. He’ll kill me.” Alex didn’t doubt for a second that her fears were justified.
“You’re right, he will. You should head out,” he told Michelle. “We’ll turn ourselves in. They still need us to find the sarin. Take the gun. My team should be here soon.”
Michelle was stunned that Alex would let her go. “Thank you for trusting me,” she said with heartfelt gratitude. “I don’t know how to repay you.”
“You saved our lives,” Rachel said. “You don’t need to repay us. But you need to hurry. We can’t hold them off much longer.”
As Michelle went deeper into the wilderness thicket behind them, Alex prayed he hadn’t made a terrible mistake by letting a person go who was at the very least an accomplice to Temple’s crimes.
When he was satisfied she was a safe distance away, he looked down at Rachel. “Are you ready for this?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I’m ready. We’ll get through this, Alex. I know we will.” Her strength reminded him of all the times they’d fought side by side.
Alex let her go and they got to their feet. “McNamara, we’re coming out. Hold your fire. I want your word you’re not going to shoot us. Otherwise, you’ll never find the sarin.”
A tense silence followed. Alex wondered if McNamara and the rest of Temple’s goons had already located the sarin. If so, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill all of them.
“All right, you have my word. Put your weapons down and come out with your hands up.”
Alex blew out a sigh. They hadn’t found the gas yet.
Rachel didn’t seem at all convinced. “Do you believe him?”
He didn’t, but he didn’t want her to give up. “I do. He has no idea where the sarin is. They need us. Follow my lead, okay?”
She slowly nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Alex lowered his weapon to the ground and Rachel followed his lead. With one final look into her beautiful eyes, and a prayer for safety chasing through his head, he took Rachel’s hand and stepped out of the coverage to face five armed men.
McNamara stared at them through narrowed eyes. “Where are the others?”
“Carlson’s injured. He’s in there. Your friend Michelle got away.”
McNamara stepped inches from Alex’s face. “You’re lying. She’s working with you. I saw her helping you.”
Alex shook his head. “I don’t know what you saw, but she tried to shoot us.”
McNamara motioned to one of his flunkies. “Check it out.”
The man clearly wasn’t thrilled to be heading into what could be a bloodbath, but he knew better than to disobey McNamara’s command. He eased through the opening. He wasn’t in there long before he returned. “Carlson’s in there. He’s unconscious. He won’t be telling us anything. She’s gone.”
“You expect me to believe Michelle overpowered both of you and got away?” McNamara asked. When they didn’t answer he said, “It doesn’t matter, she won’t get far. I’ll take care of her soon enough.”
Alex wasn’t going to let McNamara hurt Michelle. They’d need her to help them fit the pieces of Temple’s crimes together and put them away for the rest of their lives.
“So with your friend in there unable to help us find our product, why should we keep you two alive? You’ve been useless so far.”
“Because Carlson told me where he hid the gas. If you want your product, you’d better hope we both stay unharmed,” Alex told him.
McNamara didn’t believe him, but he was all out of options. “All right. Let’s say you know where it’s hidden. Tell me where, and I’ll have my men check it out. If you’re telling the truth, I’ll let you both live.”
Alex’s thoughts churned like crazy trying to come up with a believable location. There was only one that came to mind. “It’s at the lodge.”
McNamara grinned his disbelief. “Nice try, but we’ve already been there, remember? There’s nothing there but a decaying old building.”
Alex kept his expression blank. “That’s because you didn’t look in the right place.”
McNamara’s interest was piqued as he tried to determine if he was telling the truth. “And where might the right place be?”
Alex could think of only one option the man might buy. “Under the floorboards in the great room. Carlson told me he hid it there.”
McNamara looked as if he hadn’t heard him correctly. “The floorboards,” he said doubtfully. “You’re lying. There’s nothing there.”
“Am I? Do you want the sarin or not?”
Wavering, McNamara grabbed his cell phone and tried it, then raged at the lack of service—the fire must have destroyed the phone lines. He turned to two of his men. “Head back that way. Tell Blake where the sarin is supposed to be.” He tossed Alex a threatening glance. “Let me know if it’s not there as soon as possible.”
The two men headed back in the direction of the lodge. McNamara came over to where Alex stood. Taking the butt of his gun, he slammed it into Alex’s midsection. Alex doubled over in pain as air evaporated from his lungs. It took forever for him to be able to breathe normally again.
“That’s for all the trouble you two have caused us so far,” McNamara growled heartlessly. Alex slowly straightened, trying not to show any reaction.
“You’d better hope for your sake and hers that you’re telling the truth. Otherwise, your deaths will be slow, and you, little sister, can watch your brother die a very painful death.”
SEVENTEEN
Rachel put her arm around Alex’s waist to help him stand. McNamara saw it and yanked her away, dragging her over to one of his men. “Keep an eye on her.” To the other man he barked, “Get Carlson out here. I don’t trust him out of my sight.”
The man rushed to do McNamara’s bidding while Rachel’s mind went crazy with worry. Liam was so weak. He could have internal injuries they didn’t know about. He needed to be kept as still as possible.
The man returned, dragging Liam in his arms. He dumped him on the ground at McNamara’s feet.
Rachel broke free of her captor and knelt close to her brother. She cradled Liam’s head in her lap.
“Leave him alone. He can’t help you with anything.” She stared up at McNamara in defiance.
“Then your friend had better be telling the truth. Otherwise, I’ll force you to watch him die.”
It took everything inside of her t
o hold it together. She was terrified Liam would die up here on the mountain and there was nothing they could do to help him or Deacon.
McNamara took out his phone again. “Keep an eye on them. I’m going to try to get a service spot. I need to talk to Blake right away.”
Rachel watched as McNamara walked a little ways from them. She glanced over at Alex. This was their only chance. She could see he understood.
She motioned to the man standing near her. Alex gave a tiny nod. She silently counted off three and then jumped to her feet. Before the man knew what she had planned, she struck him hard in the stomach with her fist. He bent over in pain and she grabbed his weapon easily enough.
Once she’d gained the upper hand, she turned. The man guarding Alex charged for her, but Alex grabbed his weapon and he froze.
The man she’d disarmed yelled at the top of his voice. Right away, McNamara jerked around. Seeing what was happening, he came rushing back to the site.
Alex grabbed the man closest to him and pointed the gun at his head. “That’s far enough. Unless you want your friend to die.”
McNamara stopped dead in his tracks, hesitating. Then he grinned. “You think I care about him?” Before they knew what he had planned, he shot the man through his chest. Alex just had time to jump sideways before the bullet struck him, as well. The man fell to the ground dead.
Alex fired one shot, striking McNamara in the upper arm near his shoulder. McNamara’s weapon flew from his hand. He grabbed his wounded shoulder, screaming in pain.
“You shot me,” he raged as if he couldn’t believe what was happening. Alex grabbed the weapon he’d lost.
“Don’t you dare try anything.” Rachel kept her weapon trained on the one remaining man. The man slowly nodded.
Rachel moved to Alex’s side. “We need to get out of here before Temple’s men realize we were bluffing about the sarin gas.”
“We can’t leave Liam here. They’ll kill him,” Alex said.
Rachel turned to the remaining man. “You, get him up.”
“I’ll help.” Alex grabbed Liam’s legs and the man took hold of his arms.
Rachel motioned to McNamara. “Get moving.”
Before they’d managed but a few steps, Michelle appeared out of the woods.
She pointed her gun straight at McNamara. “You, you deserve to die.” All of her anger and hurt was written on her face.
Rachel couldn’t let Michelle kill McNamara. They needed him and she would have to live with what she’d done for the rest of her life. “Drop the weapon, Michelle.” She zeroed the gun in on the woman. “If you kill him, you’ll be just as guilty as he is.”
“He and his buddies murdered my husband,” she said with tears in her eyes.
Rachel couldn’t believe it. “What are you talking about?”
“Shut your mouth,” McNamara raged.
“My husband was Robert Ludwick. You know him as the Chemist. He created the recipe for the sarin gas Temple used. Temple and his men promised to pay him for the recipe and his client list. Instead, they killed him and forced me to work for them.”
Now it made sense why Michelle had helped them.
“This one, he shot my husband in front of me.” She waved the gun at McNamara. “He deserves to die.”
Rachel took a step closer. “You’re right, he deserves to pay for what he did to your husband, but don’t let him destroy you in the process. He’s not worth it. You still have a chance at a life, Michelle. Don’t throw that away for him. It’s too precious.”
Tears spilled from Michelle’s eyes and she sobbed, her heart breaking. Slowly, she lowered the weapon.
Rachel went over and put her arm around her. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll make sure they all pay for what they’ve done...thanks to you.”
Michelle finally managed a smile as she brushed away her tears. “Promise me?”
Rachel gladly gave that promise.
“Ladies, we need to get out of here now. We don’t know where the rest of Temple’s goons are.” Alex motioned to McNamara to get moving.
With Michelle guarding McNamara, the man in front of Alex took hold of Liam once more.
As they headed through the woods at a slow pace, Rachel kept a close eye behind them to make sure no one was coming after them. Thanks to God, they now had breathing room.
“I’m sorry about your husband,” she told Michelle. “I lost mine, too.”
Michelle looked at her in shock. “You did? I’m so sorry. I know how difficult it is, losing someone you love.”
It had been. She’d loved Brian so much and she was grateful for the time they had together. But part of her heart had always belonged to Alex. He’d been her first love. They’d shared so much together. Like it or not, their pasts were forever linked to each other.
Rachel so wanted to live long enough to find out what the future held for them. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that Alex was a career agent. It was his calling and he was good at it. She couldn’t ask him to leave again and she couldn’t live that type of life. She was done with the shadow games. She needed to live in the light. Would he surprise her and walk away from the CIA? Or would he break her heart again when he left for the next mission? She didn’t think she could bear going through that much pain again, but somehow she would manage for him. Because she wouldn’t keep him from doing what he needed to do.
* * *
A noise in the distance captured his attention. It sounded like...choppers. More than one! Jase was here.
Rachel heard it, as well. “Is that...?”
His smile broadened. “It’s my team. Rachel, it’s almost over.” He lowered Liam’s legs to the ground. The man did the same. “Keep an eye on the both of them for me, Michelle.”
“It will be my pleasure.” Michelle moved closer to McNamara while keeping the second man in her sights. Alex glanced over at the raging inferno that had once been the ranger station. “They won’t have any way to know we’re still here. We have to find a way to get their attention.” He remembered the flare gun he’d taken from the station before it collapsed around him. He pulled it out of his pocket. “The station was equipped with this. Once they get closer, we can shoot it off to let them know we’re still down here.”
Rachel hugged him close and he was so thankful that he’d thought ahead enough to grab the flare gun.
Alex spotted the two Scorpion choppers rising over the mountain edge. He’d been through some terrifying moments while on a mission, yet never had there been a more welcome sight in his opinion. The first chopper hovered above the burning remains while the second one hung back.
Alex aimed the flare gun away from the fire and shot the flare into the air.
The first chopper moved away from the fire and lingered near where they’d seen the flare. Alex left the cover of the trees and began waving frantically. Rachel followed him and did the same.
He could see his friend Aaron Foster at the helm of the chopper. Aaron banked to the left, looking for a place to land.
“They’ve seen us. They’re landing.” He hugged Rachel close once more. He was so happy. They’d survived the nightmare. They weren’t alone anymore.
Aaron found a landing spot and brought the chopper slowly to the ground; the dust debris it kicked up had them shielding their eyes against the blast.
Once the first chopper was on the ground, the second found a landing spot a little ways down the mountainside.
With Rachel tucked against his side, Alex hurried toward Aaron’s chopper. The door slid open and his good friend Jase Bradford hopped out, followed by several other members of the team.
Jase glanced at the towering inferno. “What happened here?”
Alex gave him a quick rundown. “I have an injured man over here who needs immediate medical attention.” He pointed toward Liam. Then he explained about Mc
Namara’s injury and where he was located.
Jase motioned to Ryan, the EMT of the group. Along with Gavin, they hurried to assist Liam and bring out McNamara.
“We need to get to Deacon, too. He’s in bad shape and he’s been down there alone for a while.” Rachel told Jase where the agent was located.
“I’ll send Ryan and Aaron down to get him. They can take him and your brother along with McNamara to the hospital right away. I have the state troopers on their way up the mountain as we speak. We’ll have this location saturated in no time. Temple and his men won’t get away this time.”
Alex watched as Ryan and Gavin carefully carried Liam over to the chopper, with McNamara trailing behind them. Liam was strong and Alex believed God would bring him through safely. McNamara appeared defeated. He had to know what lay ahead for him. If he talked, it might help him in the long run.
“Take some of the team with you.” Jase gave Aaron the location where Deacon was hiding. “We don’t know what you’ll find there. Temple’s men might have found Deacon by now, so be prepared.” Alex prayed Deacon was still alive.
The chopper carrying Liam and McNamara quickly became airborne. Jase waited until it was heading down the mountain before he turned to Rachel and held out his hand.
“Jase Bradford. It’s nice to meet you.” Jase smiled.
Rachel shook his hand. She seemed to be unable to grasp that they’d finally been rescued. She had a surreal look on her face. “Rachel Simmons. I can’t tell you how happy we are to see you.”
Jase laughed. “I can imagine it’s been a crazy few hours up here.”
Michelle emerged from her hiding place with her prisoner in front of her.
With everything that had happened, Rachel had forgotten about Michelle guarding another of McNamara’s men. Alex explained what he knew about Michelle’s role in everything along with what she’d done to help them.
Agent Liz Ramirez took the weapon from Michelle and then cuffed her prisoner.
“I appreciate you helping my people, but you have to understand, you’re still a suspect in all of this until we know what truly took place.” Jase indicated Liz should put Michelle and the man into the remaining chopper. “Keep an eye on both of them.”
Target on the Mountain Page 34
