by K. L. Donn
“Hello, Pepper.” His sickening smile would have been charming to anyone else, but she saw it for the evil he was.
Roxie was growling and snipping at him from alongside her. She’d never seen the dog so aggressive before. Remaining quiet, she waited just long enough for him to pass Jake’s unconscious form before darting into the trees behind her.
Too bad she got turned around and went the wrong way…
Leaving Pepper, lips swollen from their kisses, body tense with distress, had to be the hardest thing Nick had ever done in his life. She tried to be so fearless as she listened to their plan, told her brother to come back as she watched them pack away their gear. She fought every natural instinct in her body to beg them not to leave, and he saw the battle play out on her face. She was so much stronger than she gave herself credit for.
They were nearly five kilometres away from the cabin when they not only heard but felt the first explosion as smoke, immediately, billowed into the sky.
“Shit! He’s not wasting time,” Ace growled angrily just as Nick’s father’s voice came over the radios they all had.
“Nicky, he’s here.” The wavelength crackled as the smoke blocked some of the signal. “Son of a bitch has balls.” Before the words left his father’s mouth, another explosion went off.
Fuck,” he growled, slamming on the brakes and turning the SUV around. “Get James on there, tell him to come back.”
“On it,” Ace told him, speaking to James before he’d even finished talking.
The best-laid plans almost always fail; however, he hadn’t planned for failure with this one. He’d planned on perfection. He’d planned on keeping Pepper safe. He needed her to be safe.
“James will meet us there. What the fuck was that second explosion?” Nick knew the question was rhetorical, but failure was eating at him, and he wondered if he hadn’t disarmed one of the bombs correctly.
“Call the fire department,” he muttered to Ace. Knowing his cousin was probably already on it, he couldn’t help saying it anyway. He was in a situation where he’d had complete control, and now, they were stuck in chaos.
The five-kilometre drive back home felt twice as long as the one to get to their current location. He felt like they were going at a snail’s pace. His eyes were sharp, watching every moving branch, waiting for another attack.
As they finally reached the cabin, he saw that the back end was gone; everything practically burnt to the ground. He couldn’t care less about that. It was nothing to the safety of their woman and the fear she must be experiencing.
Flames began making their way to the front porch as he saw a small pool of blood at the first step. “Motherfucker,” he roared, jumping from the vehicle with Ace. They ran inside calling for his father. “Dad!” No answer. “Come on old man, fucking answer me!” His voice cracked just as Ace gripped his shoulder, pulling him back from inside the inferno that was his home.
“Nicky!” was called from behind them. Whirling around with guns drawn, it took them both a moment to recognize his father covered in smoke, blood, and snow.
“Fuck, Jake, you okay?” Ace asked as they ran towards him.
“Never mind me, you find that son of a bitch. He’s gone after her.” Leave it to the old man to be bleeding from his head and still be worried about Pepper.
“You okay, Pop?” His eyes roamed over Jake.
His father did something he hadn’t done since his mom passed. Wrapping a hand around Nick’s neck, he brought their heads together and said, “I’m fine, Nicky-boy. Go get your girl.”
“Fire trucks are on the way, wait for them. Send James after us once he gets here. Shouldn’t be but a few minutes,” Ace told him as Nick began following Pepper and Roxie’s tracks.
They started out at a brisk pace, noticing immediately that Medina had tried to cover their footprints. Too bad for the asshole, Roxie was too far away from Pepper for him to cover hers as well.
Ace had plenty of soul-searching, earth-shattering moments throughout his career. More life and death decisions to make than he cared to think about. Not once had any of them been as personal as the one they were in now.
He’d been worried about Pepper being out in the open, having to play bait to this psychopath, but he’d never imagined the other man would be so gutsy as to attack so soon after they had left. He had to have known they would come back upon hearing the explosions.
“You think this could be a trap?” he asked Nick.
“Fuck, yes,” he cursed. His cousin sounded deadly given the events that were occurring. Not that he wasn’t, but for Nick to be so hot under the collar, he knew the man was in love with their woman.
“Watch your six,” Ace told him, separating to run further ahead. They knew they would have to circle around the man to get the best outcome possible.
“Watch yours, too,” Nick called back to him.
A flash of light brown crossed his vision from about fifty feet to his left. Shaking it off as being a deer, he kept his eyes on Roxie’s tracks when finally, he heard voices from up ahead.
“Come on out now, Pepper,” was called, and he knew it was Alex. She had hidden. Good girl, he silently praised.
Stopping, he waited for Nick to catch up. Roxie’s angry bark carried through the trees, and he couldn’t help smiling, knowing she was taunting the man.
“How far ahead do you think?” Nick asked quietly, coming up from behind him.
Listening as the man called for Pepper again, Ace replied, “Maybe a hundred feet. What’s up that way?” He hadn’t explored too deep through the mountainside at their back door since moving home, so he hadn’t a clue.
“Thicker trees, a small stream, and a few caves further up the mountain.”
The stream was a real worry because if the snow had covered it and it was frozen, she’d never know it was there.
“The stream frozen?” He looked to Nick, seeing the answer in his eyes. “How deep?” A bad feeling hit his gut.
“Deep enough.”
“Stupid, Pepper, you’re so dumb. You know which way the meadow is, but noooo, you have to go the wrong way. Idiot.” Insulting herself while running for her life probably wasn’t the best idea, especially if he heard her. But that didn’t really matter considering he could see her footprints. She was up shit creek without a paddle.
When Roxie ran ahead of her, limping as she went, she wanted to call the animal back so damn bad. She didn’t want her getting hurt again, didn’t want to be left alone to fight this psycho off on her own.
Coming to an impasse with one way leading up and the other straight ahead, she wasn’t sure what to do. Dancing in place to warm her limbs up, she had no idea what decision to make. If she climbed upwards, there was the possibility of falling back down, and it sounded less than pleasant; however, if she went off to the left, she had no clue what she’d run into.
Her mind was running a million miles a minute as Roxie came flying to her feet. “Finally!” she gushed, bending down to the dog. She didn’t allow for much of a reunion as she pranced over to where she would have to climb. It was more of a hike than anything, but she knew it would slow her down.
“You sure?” she asked the dog. Roxie started running ahead again. With no idea what she was in for, Pepper put all of her trust in the canine.
It was hard not allowing her emotions to overtake her entire body as she ran for her life. The problem was, she knew that if she dwelled on even a little bit of her terror, she would let it consume her, and she would become easy pickings for her hunter. Alex would find her quicker than her feet could take her, and she’d be done for.
“When they catch this asshole, Roxie, I’m taking Tami up on that damn spa day I always mocked her over. Then I’m going to make Ray buy season tickets for the Canucks and the Lions,” she uttered.
As soon as she’d seen Alex’s face, all of her remaining memories had rushed back with the speed of a CF-18 Fighter Jet. The convincing Tami had to do to even get Pepper to go on th
at first date with Alex was stuck in her mind.
She loved Tami, but right then, she’d like to kill the woman. Then again, if all of this hadn’t happened, she never would have met Nick and Ace, and no matter what, she could never regret that. Not in a million years would she be sorry for having them in her life.
As the first explosion had erupted, she imagined dying in that moment, feeling the fire lick at her feet, the air stolen from her lungs. She could see everything she would miss in life if she gave into the fear rioting through her heart and mind.
She could fight him, though, and she knew she would. She had to. If she wanted the life she’d seen clear as day, she would wage war with every breath in her body. There was no doubt her men would come for her, she just had to maintain the upper hand long enough for them catch up.
Roxie’s yip from ahead of her, near what looked like the mouth of a cave, had her pausing mid-step.
“A cave?” she whispered. “I can’t go in no cave, he’ll find me.”
Roxie yipped again with a touch of impatience in her stance.
“Alright, but if I get slaughtered, it’s your fault.” She pointed to the dog as she passed.
For as light as the day was outside, it turned to dark as soon as she was a little more than a few feet in. Having to crouch down as the cave deepened, her heart rate accelerated.
“This is a horrendous idea, Pepper,” she murmured, turning to see where she was going. Noticing immediately, that Roxie was gone. “Damn dog.”
Sitting in the deepest recesses of the cave, she tried to make herself as small as possible while also attempting to stay warm. Being out of the sun had dropped the temperature, and there was a draft from inside the cave. It was only a few minutes before her teeth started rattling.
Hiding her head in her knees, a shadow fell across the opening of the cave, and her heart seized in her chest. A forceful chuffing sound froze her body in mid-movement. When the sound was followed by two huge bodies and golden eyes shining brightly as they entered, she wanted to run. Terrified they were going to eat her, she didn’t know what to do.
“Nick trusts you,” she sighed nervously. Tears silently slid down her cheeks as one of the animals drew closer to her. The other laid at the opening of the cave, almost as if it was standing watch.
The big cat approaching her chuffed a few times before sitting beside her, practically leaning on Pepper. It was such a surreal moment. Every piece of knowledge she had screamed she was in danger, but the facts right in front of her face told her she was probably safe.
When the cougar lay down in front of her, she froze. Couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, her brain even had a hard time assessing what the hell was going on.
Not realizing she’d squeezed her eyes shut, she opened them to see gold orbs staring at her, imploring her to trust it. She didn’t understand how it was possible, but these animals had shown her nothing but friendship, and against her better judgement, she believed that they would keep her safe until Nick, Ace, and James found her.
Barking from outside the cave drew their attention as Roxie’s aggressive growls from a distance drew stronger and louder.
“He’s coming,” she whispered, her fear finally taking root and settling in the deepest recesses of her bones.
Nick heard Roxie’s barking becoming more frantic as they followed her trail. She was highly stressed, and he had a feeling she was trying to hold off Medina from wherever Pepper might be hiding. Lord, he hoped she was hiding and not hurt from that thug.
“Where you guys at?” James' voice came across the radio in Ace’s hand.
“Two kilometres west of the cabin, follow our tracks. Roxie’s barking like crazy, and we’re coming up on her,” Ace told him.
“Ten-four,” James answered back. “Any cliffs out that way?” he asked. No laughter in his voice, silently telling them it wouldn’t be so bad if the man met his fate in these mountains.
Nick tended to agree. The man was a disgrace to the human race. He didn’t deserve the shitty fucking sentence the Canadian Justice System would give him.
“I mean, I wouldn’t be too upset.” Ace did laugh.
“I took a vow, Ace,” Nick reminded the other man.
“I know.”
“Doesn’t mean I won’t turn my back,” he smirked. Basically giving permission without saying the words.
While Ace was unofficially his deputy, the man hadn’t made the same vows and promises as Nick. He was sworn to God and country, sure. He was fated to be a savior in a war that was endless. But he owed nothing to a failing system.
A blur of light brown caught his eye a few hundred feet ahead of them. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered, knowing exactly what, or rather who, was out there.
“You saw it, too?” his cousin asked.
“She’ll be safe.” His vow was more of a promise. In his gut, he knew those cougars were going to be her saving grace that night.
Sirens could be heard in the distance just as three rapid shots rang out, and Roxie’s barking ceased. “If that son of a bitch shot my dog, I’ll skin him alive,” Nick growled.
Coming upon more movement in the trees at the base of the incline in the mountain, they saw Roxie struggling to get up.
“Motherfucker!” The pussy had shot his dog.
Seeing two Cougars on either side of the treeline, they watched as Medina began the hike up the mountainside. “She headed for the caves,” he told Ace.
“That good or bad?”
“Depends on how far up she went and how deep into the cavern.” Some had endless pits at the bottom of them, and some went miles deep into the mountain. If she went out of the range of light the sun offered, she could easily get lost, and for some reason, that scared him more than if Medina got his hands on her. Which he was nearly one hundred percent positive would no longer be the case.
“What the fuck?” the interloper yelled.
“Must have found a cougar.” Ace snickered. Actually snickered. Like a vengeful schoolgirl.
Rapid-fire shots rang past their ears as he trailed behind Alex, making sure to stay under cover of the trees so as not to get hit by a stray bullet.
“Call James, tell him to take cover,” Nick told Ace before taking off further up the mountain and to the side of where he saw one of the cougars lying in wait. It was a dangerous and potentially deadly tactic, but for Pepper, he would try anything.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are, Pepper. Your protectors are gone now. You’re mine.” Medina taunted her, and Nick so badly wanted to pop a round in the man’s skull right there.
“Don’t come out, Pepper,” he said to himself as he met up with the wild beast. It looked at him assessingly before continuing its vigil.
Of course, she wouldn’t listen.
“You’re such an idiot, Alex,” she snapped at him.
Their girl—so fucking brave.
Such a pain in the ass.
She just had to find her damn backbone now, figure out she had a stubborn streak a damn mile wide when she was in fucking danger.
“So, you do remember me?” Medina snarled.
Her sweet smile was so fake as she responded, “Unfortunately, I do. It’s rather disappointing. I’d had this big ol’ monster built up in my mind, only to find out you’re no monster. More like a teeny-tiny spider.” She had to be visual, too, squishing her fingers together.
“You rotten bitch, that’s your fucking problem! You think you’re better than the people around you. What you need is a man to whip you into place, someone to give you a firm hand. But I’m done playing with you. I think I’ll take what I want and kill you. Leave your whore body for those stupid men to pick up, just like the old man,” he snarled, clearly hitting the mark he intended to when her face paled.
“You piece of shit,” she sobbed. His girl with the soft heart was crying for his old man.
“Whatever. While you’re rotting in these mountains, I’ll be on some beach in the Caribbean.” He laughed, as t
hough he was actually going to get away with whatever his plan was.
Nick watched as Pepper’s entire demeanor changed, and in her, he saw the fierce protector she was, the woman who would take no shit from anyone. “You’re so fucking stupid. A complete moronic idiot. You actually think you’re leaving this mountain alive, well, I promise you, you’re not.” Punctuated by her words were glowing eyes from inside the cave she had exited minutes before. She was going to lead the fool to his death. “Enjoy your last few breaths, Alex.” She sneered his name like it was horse shit. “You won’t have them much longer.”
Turning, she ran back into the cave, Medina hot on her trail. Nick darted after them as soon as the man was out of sight, his screams disturbing the cold evening air.
She didn’t know what came over her; the gall he had. Pepper wasn’t a mean person, at least, she didn’t think she was. But he brought out the worst in her. Made every fibre of her being want to cause bodily harm, to kill someone as if they were nothing.
He was nothing.
Imagining a world with him still breathing was unfathomable to her. Her subconscious took over her entire body and led her to taunt and insult him, made him so angry, he was forced to follow her into the dark cave.
His greeting wasn’t what he had expected.
“You bitch! You have no–” Both Cougars made their presence known as she hid in the back where they’d found her. Sliding down the wall, knees curled to her chest, she blocked the sight of his body being torn apart. The blood-curdling screams made her flinch as he was shredded to a pulp.
“Stop,” she whimpered, unable to handle the terrifying sounds. The snap of his limbs being broken, the gurgling from drowning in his own blood.
“Pepper!” She heard her name being called, but couldn’t make out the voice with the cougar’s growls and Alex’s still screaming form. She didn’t know how he was still alive.
“Pepper, baby.” A hand touched her shoulder, and she screamed so loud the animals ran off.
Black dots spotted her vision; she saw stars.
