Collision: Book One

by L. N. Carson

  “I picked the lock on the back door.”

  She frowned slightly. “And the bit about the shower?”

  “Buying myself some time in case there was a policeman with you,” he said. “Someone still might be by to check the cabin.”

  “Maybe, but I’ve already spoken with one and given him the impression that I’m a total ditz. So if he comes by, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “You spoke with one? Why?”

  “He approached me and showed me a photo of you. Not a very good likeness, if you want my opinion.”

  “And?”

  She shrugged. “I got all scared and started asking questions. You know, who is this guy? What did he do? Is he dangerous?” She grinned. “He’d have a really hard time believing I’d picked you up off the side of the road and brought you here so you could creep around the woods and break into cabins.”

  “That wasn’t my purpose in coming here.”

  “I know. Lighten up a little.” She eased over to the window, pushed aside the curtain slightly, and looked outside. “As soon as we have a clear shot, we need to get you out of here.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that.” He expelled a breath. “Not a good idea.”

  “You said yourself that the police would probably be looking through all the cabins…if they haven’t searched them already.”

  Sam shook his head. “I don’t think they’ve searched the occupied ones.”

  “Okay, so why do we want to stick around?”

  “You stick around. I’ll go back through the woods and find a road.”

  “But that’s stupid. You’re hurt,” she said. “What did the doctor say?”

  “The doctor was a glorified paramedic who said I have some road rash—which I knew—and a lot of bumps and bruises—which I also knew.” He stepped closer to Kathleen. “You’ve been great. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but the police are looking for me. I can’t drag you into this any more than you already are.”

  Kathleen wrestled with her thoughts. On the one hand, he was, by his own admission, wanted for stealing some sort of government prototype. On the other hand, he was hurt, and she was the one who’d brought him out here to what she thought was the middle of nowhere. Had she been going to abandon him, she should’ve done it somewhere more populated where he could have at least found food and shelter.

  She shook her head. “I brought you here. I’ll get you out of here.”

  “What are you—Wonder Woman? I don’t see any magic lasso or bulletproof bracelets on you.”

  “I realize you don’t have much faith in my abilities,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “But I’m the best chance you’ve got of getting out of this park without getting hauled off to jail.”

  “I don’t see how you’re going to get me out of here without getting us both arrested. I’m trying to do you a favor here.”

  “Spare me.” She shrugged. “If you want to go, go. I’ll shed a tear for you as I watch you being shot down on the news. But only one.”

  He stood with his hands on his hips staring at her. “You think these cops have orders to shoot me on sight?”

  “I don’t know what they’ve been ordered to do. But you said yourself that you stole an important weapon from some government bigwig. That tells me that while I might not actually witness you being shot down on the news, I seriously doubt I or anyone else will ever see you again once you’re in his custody.”

  “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself, you know.”

  “Suit yourself. I’m offering to get you out of this forest. You’d fallen asleep, and I didn’t check to see if you wanted to be dropped off somewhere more populated …where you might’ve had more options. If you want to go, you know where both doors are.”

  A knock thudded at the door. Their eyes locked.

  Kathleen nodded toward the bathroom. “Hurry,” she whispered. “Get in the shower.”

  He started to speak, but she jerked her top off and dropped it onto the floor.

  Sam hesitated.

  There was another knock, and she pushed him toward the bedroom.

  * * *

  Sam quickly shut and locked the bathroom door and turned on the shower. What the hell—not to mention who—had he gotten himself involved with? He was ex-military, special forces, and here this…this high school science teacher… was ordering him around like he was fifteen years old. And he was doing what she said!

  He listened at the door to see what she was saying. Who else could be knocking except one of the officers? But he couldn’t hear anything over the shower.

  The bathroom had no window from which to escape. The only sunlight provided to the tiny room came through a small round window that didn’t open. He supposed he could ease out into the bedroom and get away. But if they were on their way into the room, they’d surely see him. He decided to stay where he was and hope for the best.

  After what seemed like an hour but couldn’t have been more than five minutes, someone tried to open the bathroom door.

  “Let me in.”

  It was Kathleen.

  He didn’t know if there were cops with her or not, but he opened the door. There she stood in her bra and skimpy panties. His mouth dropped open.

  She winked. “That’s what they said. Now get out of my way and let me shower.”

  “But what did they say?”

  “I just told you.” She moved past him into the bathroom and unhooked her bra. “I’ll see you when I get out.” With her back still to him, she let the bra slide to the floor. “Or not.”

  Kathleen Freemont was the damnedest woman he’d ever met.

  He eased into the living room to make sure the door was bolted and then returned to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and stretched his legs out, figuring he might as well hang around…at least until Kathleen got out of the shower.

  Chapter Five

  Sam was lounging on the bed when Kathleen came out of the bathroom. She was wrapped in one fluffy white towel and was drying her hair with another.

  He scowled at her. “Have you got a screw loose or something?”

  “Very possibly. But if you’re thinking of getting out your toolbox and trying to fix me, don’t bother.”

  “You’re standing here naked…in a bedroom…with a stranger.”

  “Practically,” she conceded.

  “Is this an invitation? Because if it is—”

  “It isn’t. If I ever do issue any invitations to you, you’ll know beyond the shadow of a doubt. You won’t need to ask me for clarification.” She tossed the hair-drying towel at his head. “And since you had just suffered a head injury when we first met, I’ll remind you that I’m a black belt in mixed martial arts.”

  “I figured that was just a bluff.”

  She leveled her gaze at him. “Try me.” She grabbed her duffel and went back into the bathroom. “By the way, is that why you stuck around? Because I was naked?”

  “While that was a terrific reason for staying, I also thought I should ask you what the police said. Did they come in and search the cabin?”

  Kathleen pulled a coral T-shirt dress over her head and returned to the bedroom.

  Sam looked at her as if his mouth had suddenly gone dry. “Are you…? Do you have anything on under that dress?”

  She smiled. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She did, but she wasn’t going to tell him if he couldn’t figure it out on his own. “As for the police, I held the door open wide. They left the front door open—afraid I’d cry rape or something, I guess—and then poked their heads into the other rooms. One of the officers was the one I’d already spoken with on the trail, so he was convinced I was a ninny.” She giggled. “He wouldn’t have dreamed I was capable of any subterfuge.”

  “Why are you helping me?” Sam asked, his voice husky.

  “Because I want to.”

  “This isn’t your problem.”

  She sat on the foot of the bed. “Agreed. But I did bring you to
this park, so the least I can do is get you out of it. And get some food in you. You’re bound to be starving.”

  “I could eat. How about you? How are you feeling?”

  “I’m getting pretty hungry myself. The shower helped ease my adrenaline rush.”

  He smiled. He had a gorgeous smile. He was a gorgeous man. That probably had something to do with why Kathleen was helping him—a handsome stranger, on the run for his life. How exciting. But there was more to it than that. She believed him. He was trying to do the right thing. She’d tried to do the right thing once.

  She stood. “I’d better finish making myself presentable so we can make a plan to get out of here.”

  “I believe Amun-Ra found me through a GPS tracker in my backpack. I mean, he’s the one who issued the packs to us; it makes sense he’d have put trackers in them. If I hadn’t been so quick to run, the thought would’ve crossed my mind.”

  “Oh, I can help with that.” She went to the duffel and got out a pink laundry bag. On the front was written in cheetah print, Laundry today or naked tomorrow. “You can use this. Don’t worry. I hadn’t put my dirty clothes in it yet. I’ll see if I can find a bag in the kitchen for those.”

  “I appreciate the offer—”

  “I will want that back though, once all of this is over.”

  “I’d be happy to use one of those trash bags from the kitchen,” he said.

  “Nonsense. You can’t carry your stuff around in a garbage bag. I could offer you the duffel, but—” She shrugged. “I don’t want to. The duffel is sorted just the way I want it.”

  He laughed. “Well, at least, you’re honest. I have to give you that.”

  She handed him the laundry bag, gave him an impish grin, and went back into the bathroom.

  * * *

  Sam watched Kathleen sashay into the other room. Did she have any idea how sexy she was? He remembered the slow, sultry smile she’d given him. Of course, she knew. But he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted.

  He transferred the items from his backpack into the ridiculous pink bag. He had a leather pouch filled with money—U.S. dollars as well as Euros, pounds, Canadian currency, and two fake passports. A similar pouch contained a lock-pick kit, paracord, handcuff key, duct tape, a lighter, and a knife. In a biometric pistol case, he had a gun and ammunition.

  He slipped the leather pouches into the laundry bag. He particularly didn’t want Kathleen to see the gun. She might not be so willing to help him if she got the idea he was dangerous.

  After the pouches went the clothes, first-aid kit, miniature tool kit, and a poncho that could be turned into a tent. He left a small pair of binoculars beside him on the bed.

  Kathleen emerged from the bathroom and struck a pose. “Better?”

  She’d put on a little makeup and put her damp hair up into a bun. Sam resisted the urge to go to her…nuzzle her neck…kiss her throat…drink in the scent and taste of her.

  Would she like it? Or would she punch me in the face?

  “It appears the mood in here got heavy while I was gone,” Kathleen said, sitting next to him. “What are you thinking?”

  He decided a half-truth would be best. “I believe Amun-Ra’s security team is either on the way or already here. And Hathor and Montu will be much harder to evade than the police.”

  “Then we should leave as soon as we can.”

  “You said your adrenaline rush was passing,” he said. “You’re going to crash soon.”

  “Not that soon. Not before we get you away from the people chasing you.”

  Sam picked up the binoculars and, moving from window to window, furtively surveyed the area. The police were far enough away from the cabins and the parking lot near the playground that Kathleen could probably get out without anyone paying much attention. But they were looking for him. He wasn’t safe out in the open.

  “Would you please pull up a map of this park on your phone?” he asked Kathleen. “I know the ranger gave you a map, but I need something a little more informative.”

  “You need an escape route.”

  “Exactly.”

  She pulled up the map and handed the phone to Sam. He enlarged it and poured over it until he found what he was looking for. He pointed it out to Kathleen.

  “This hiking trail leads to a service road that comes out just beyond the park entrance. Is there any way you could pick me up there?”

  “Of course.”

  He placed one hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to. If you’re done with this mess, I couldn’t blame you in the least. I can get myself to safety.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not taking any chances. I feel like I’m the one who got you trapped here. I’ll get you out.”

  “Kathleen, you’re the one who saved me from Hathor and Montu to begin with.”

  She lowered her head, but the movement couldn’t hide her blush. “So, here’s what we’ll do. You head on out and call me when you get to the service road. I’ll come there and pop the trunk, you get in, and we’ll head out.” She glanced up at him. “I’ll put all our stuff in the back seat, so the trunk will be empty.”

  Sam kissed her temple. “Thank you.”

  * * *

  Kathleen went into the kitchen to look for a plastic bag for her laundry. She found a garbage bag for the kitchen trashcan she could use. Vanilla scented. That was nice.

  “Be careful,” she said softly, as Sam went out the back door.

  “Always.” He winked. “See you soon.”

  She quickly turned away and busied herself making a pot of coffee. He’d been right about her starting to feel the aftereffects of her adrenaline rush. She couldn’t doze off and leave Sam wandering around in the woods somewhere. Or worse—caught by Amun-Ra’s muscle.

  Her mind drifted back to the feel of his lips against her temple. It hadn’t been more than a fleeting touch, but it had been electric. Things could get intense between the two of them in a hurry. And that would be a mistake. She didn’t need to get any more involved with Sam than she was already.

  After she got him out of the park, fed, and somewhere safe for the night, she needed to let him go his own way. She wasn’t his guardian angel and would only slow him down.

  Why did she always rush to someone else’s defense? Especially when it tended to come back to bite her?

  The gun shook in her trembling hands.

  “I know you won’t shoot me, you stupid girl. You don’t have the guts.”

  She pulled the trigger.

  Shaking off her reverie, she went into the bedroom, scooped up her dirty clothes, and deposited them into the plastic bag. After zipping the bag into the duffle, she shouldered her gear and picked up the pink laundry bag, which was heavier than she’d expected.

  She wondered what all was in it. She probably had enough time to look, but she’d trusted the man thus far. And soon enough, they’d be going their separate ways. Whatever was in his bag was none of her business, just as her life was none of his business beyond her helping get him out of his predicament.

  Kathleen carried the two bags to her car and placed them on the backseat. She then returned to the cabin, scanning the area as she walked.

  “Hey, there!”

  She froze and whipped her head around. It was one of the officers who’d come to check out the cabin. Had he spotted Sam leaving her cabin?

  “I almost didn’t recognize you with your clothes on,” he said with a smile.

  She laughed. “I feel much better now that I’ve had a shower.”

  “Well, you look fantastic. Could I maybe buy you dinner? I get off in an hour.”

  “I’d like that very much, but I’m checking out. I was just going back to do a final inspection of the cabin before leaving.”

  “Oh. I’d thought you were staying the night.”

  “That was the plan,” she said. “That is, until I learned there was some kind of fugitive on the loose. Now I know I couldn’t get a wink of sleep here.”

 
; “Just my luck.” He reached into his pocket and brought out a business card. “Where are you from?”

  “I live about two hours north of here.”

  “Two hours. That’s not too far. I hope you’ll call me…you know, if you see anything suspicious. Or if you want to take me up on that dinner sometime.”

  “Thank you.” She took the card. “I’ll do that.”

  Her heart pounded as she strode through the cabin to the coffee pot. She poured herself a mugful and added creamer and sugar. She was surprised the officer hadn’t been able to either hear her heart thumping over her words or seen it nearly beating out of her chest as they’d talked. But he hadn’t seemed to sense anything was wrong.

  * * *

  Sam walked purposefully but quietly. It was getting late in the day, but the sun hadn’t begun to dip yet. He stayed in the trees to avoid casting shadows. Thanks to Kathleen, he looked like any other hiker. Since he’d discarded the bugged backpack a few yards from the cabin, he now carried only his phone and binoculars.

  His lips twisted into an involuntary grin as he thought of the pink laundry bag. That would’ve been conspicuous out on the trail.

  A young couple walked hand in hand toward him. They nodded and smiled as they passed. Obviously, they hadn’t been in contact with the police yet. He hoped his face was shaded enough to avoid their making a positive identification later.

  As he strode on toward the service road, he heard the shrill cry of a falcon overhead. He stopped and looked up. The bird circled in a wide arc overhead.

  What are the odds?

  The bird came closer, and Sam hid behind a tree.

  * * *

  Hathor phoned Amun-Ra.

  “What’ve you got?” he asked.

  “The falcon has located its prey and is awaiting further instruction,” said Hathor.

  “And the coordinates have been sent to your phone?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Dismiss the bird so it’ll return to base. How long will it be before you intercept Atum?”

  “No more than ten minutes.”

  “Call me when he’s in your custody.”

  Hathor assured him she would and ended the call. She and Montu pulled up their phones’ navigation systems with the newly added GPS coordinates.