Truth or Consequences

by Diana Duncan

  She studied his drawn features. “I hate to rush you, but can you stand?”

  At his nod, she helped him to his feet and draped the jacket over his shoulders.

  He wove in place, trying to gain his bearings. “You’re pretty talented, yourself. Nice distraction while I was up the tree. You maneuvered the gym rat under me like a pro. And ten points for the direct hit.”

  She scooped up her sandals and bag. She’d have to help him, and would have steadier balance barefoot. “I was once told by a ticked-off anchorman that I’m a master of distraction. Or would that be mistress?” She chuckled and picked up the fallen limb. The branch had come in handy. “Since you’re the master.”

  A smile eased his set mouth. “Either way, I’m glad you’re on my side.” He slung his good arm across her shoulders. With her supporting him, they wobbled toward the forest.

  He stumbled, and she caught him, nearly collapsing under his weight. He swore. “The pain is making me loopy. I can’t protect you like this.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re only human, Aidan. You’ve been through a fall, a fight and in and out of consciousness in the past half hour. I wish we could let you rest and recoup longer, but we need a place to hide.”

  “You’re preaching to the choir, sweetheart.”

  She led him farther into the woods, the ferns damp and cool beneath her sore feet. The forest smelled lush and green, with a musty undercurrent of danger. He stumbled again, and she stopped to let him regroup. Her instincts prickled. The urgent need to flee crawled up her spine, and she shivered. Her nervous glance assessed their surroundings. They couldn’t go far until Aidan was strong enough. “So you jumped out of the tree, not fell? I wondered when I heard the crash.”

  “Do you think I could sit there and watch that bastard hit you?” He cupped her cheek. “Grab you? March you into the woods at gunpoint before I could climb down, and do whatever he wanted—” He clenched his teeth, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Hell, yes, I jumped.”

  Suddenly, he stiffened. “Wait.”

  She nervously glanced around. “What is it?”

  “Where’s the gun?” He scowled. “That should have been the first thing I thought of.”

  “It’s in my bag.”

  “At least one of us is firing on all cylinders.” Though approval gleamed in his eyes, frustration roughened his voice. Depending on her had to abrade his do-or-die tough-guy nerves. He inclined his head. “Before we get too far, you have to cover our tracks. And hide the gym rat from sight. Use the boughs that broke off the pine. Try to make it look like natural windfall.”

  “All right.” Her instincts screamed with tension. She did not want to leave him and walk back to the clearing alone. She’d been stalked all her life, and knew the cold, smothering feeling when the enemy got close. She scanned the area, but saw nothing. Heard nothing. Had the cougar returned? She eased Aidan down beside a huge fallen log, then dug in her bag and handed him the gun. “At least we have a weapon now.”

  He popped the clip. “Moron. Blasting up the woods, and he’s only got three bullets left.” He scowled and slammed the clip back into place. “You’ll have to search him for an extra clip.”

  “He didn’t have one.” She stooped to slip into her shoes, and got an unpleasant surprise. “My sandals don’t fit. My feet must have swollen after I took them off. They’re not used to three-inch heels.”

  “Your poor feet have taken a beating tonight.”

  She stroked his cheek. “Not compared to you.”

  Zoe started to leave, but he tugged her back. “Clean your face first. The scent of blood will attract predators.”

  Not reassuring. Was the cougar tracking her? Was that why her senses drummed with unease? Ignoring the sting, she swabbed her mouth and chin, and then her calf. She buried the wipe at Aidan’s direction. Barefoot, she hurried to the clearing.

  Muscles had regained consciousness. He glared at her and muttered angry, muffled sounds as she tented him with pine boughs. She didn’t stop to chat.

  She finished clearing away signs of the fight, and ran back to Aidan. “Done.”

  With her help, he struggled to his feet. “You’re doing a phenomenal job, Zoe. No whining, no hysterics, clear thinking in spite of the fact that you’re scared.” He smiled, his teeth white in the gloom. “You’re one hell of a gutsy woman.”

  His admiration delighted her more than a Pulitzer. And she had whined a little, in the trunk and in the dark cleft under the creek bank. “Um…thanks. But you haven’t seen my best work, SWAT.”

  “Uh-oh.” He grinned. “Now, I’m worried.”

  “You can depend on me.”

  His steadfast gaze held hers in a warm embrace. “And you on me. I won’t let you down.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. When her Dark Champion looked at her like that…fierce, determined, strong…all man…he melted her bones. Stole her heart. Owned her, body and soul. “A-all r-right. Since that’s settled, let’s go.”

  They turned, and he froze. “Do you hear that?” he murmured.

  “What?” She listened, every instinct on alert. Faint rustling, now easily audible over the abrupt silence of the night insects. Goose bumps marched up her arms. “The cougar?” she whispered.

  “Four feet, but they’re human. Coming toward us.”

  She’d almost rather face the cougar. At least the four-legged animal acted logically, and for a good reason. Panic once more reared its ugly head. “We can’t run. I don’t have shoes on, and you can barely walk.” She studied him. “Can you shoot them?”

  “In near darkness with my left hand and only three bullets?” He paused. “Maybe. But I don’t like the odds.”

  “Never tell me the odds.” She tossed the Han Solo quote at him. He flashed her a grin, and she reined in her panic. Aidan trusted her. Counted on her. They could handle two armed men. Yeah, right. “We’re stuck between the cliff and the bad guys. What do we do?”

  “Use the environment as a weapon.”

  “Exactly how do…?” She gasped. “Hold on! That gives me an idea. When I ran the first time, Muscles told me that the big boss is hot to see me. Apparently, he wants to deliver his message in person. The goons have a reward for me ‘undamaged.’ They won’t shoot me. I can be bait.”

  He scowled. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  His scowl deepened. “No.”

  She planted her hands on her hips. “It makes sense. There’s no time for anything complicated, and you’re not up to another slug-fest.” And she could live another eighty years without seeing him face the business end of a bullet again.

  He scrubbed his hand over his jaw. Studied her for a long, tense moment. “Dammit, Zoe. I don’t like putting you at risk.”

  She gave him a scowl of her own, hiding her underlying anxiety. “Well, I’m not so keen on the fact that they’re allowed to kill you on sight. Who would protect me then?” Which wasn’t what worried her, but was the type of logic he responded to.

  He glanced around, listened intently. Their pursuers were closing in. “All right. Pay attention, because we barely have time to lay this out. And we’ll get one shot. One. If we FUBAR, we’re dead.”

  Zoe hunkered in the bushes. Her heart hammered so loudly she could barely hear the approaching hunters. Now she knew how Bambi must have felt. The men wouldn’t shoot her. But if they caught her, the plan was FUBAR, as Aidan had declared. She’d heard the SWAT team use the term before. Fouled up beyond all repair, to phrase it nicely.

  And Aidan would pay the ultimate price.

  She couldn’t see or hear him. A wide expanse of dark, empty space separated them. Yet her instincts felt him. Could sense him also watching and listening. Could almost count his breaths. She felt as if they were two halves of one person. A sensation both spooky and comforting. She shivered. Did he feel it, too?

  The men shuffled closer, and she caught a strong whiff of cheap aftershave on the night breeze.

 
; Lights. Camera.

  Action.

  She stood. Blinked guilelessly at the approaching men. “Oh, no. Bad guys.” She turned and ran.

  As expected, they followed.

  Heedless of bruising rocks and sharp splinters, she sprinted full out. Toward Aidan. Toward the cliff.

  Brush and branches crashed behind her, and she sped up. Prayed she wouldn’t miscalculate. Right before she hit the cliff’s edge, she hooked left and dropped to the ground.

  The guy on her heels kept coming. Too late, he saw the drop-off and skidded, tried to stop. Hidden behind the old-growth pine, Aidan thrust the limb in front of his shins. The man tripped, fought for balance, and then plunged over the edge. A terrified scream trailed off, followed shortly by a huge splash.

  The second man either was warned by the first’s scream, or had been here before. He jerked to a shaky halt several feet from the cliff’s edge. Aidan leapt from behind the tree and swung the branch at his back. Even hurt and one-handed, he landed a massive blow. The second man followed his friend over the bluff. Another scream. Another splash.

  Dead silence.

  Zoe clambered to her feet, and limped to Aidan’s side. His expression worried, he stroked her face with his good hand. “You okay?”

  She nestled her cheek into his palm, loving the warm, secure feeling that washed over her at his touch. “Sure. You?”

  “Yeah.” His hand rested on her shoulder, and they both stared the long distance down into the restless Pacific. In the moonlight, white-capped waves lashed like silver-tipped blades. The men had both fallen over with enough momentum to clear the sharp, lethal rock formations directly below the bluff, and were swimming toward shore.

  She smiled at Aidan. “Well, that takes care of Thelma and Louise.”

  He started to laugh. Then a startled look creased his face as the earth rumbled under her feet.

  She shook her head. How could that be?

  The ground tilted. She staggered, and her arms flailed trying to keep her balance.

  “Get back!” Aidan shoved her, hard.

  Propelled backward, she sprawled in the dirt.

  The ground crumbled away in front of her, and Aidan hurtled over the cliff.

  Chapter 11

  2:00 a.m.

  There was no outcry. No splash. No sound except horrifying thuds from below. And her own scream. “Aidan!”

  Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God. He hadn’t gone over the side with any momentum. He’d be crushed, shattered on the rocks.

  Sobs tore from her throat as she crawled forward. Her desperate gaze scanned the water, saw nothing but whitecaps. Her fingernails clawed furrows in the dirt. “Aidan!” Her broken whisper echoed into empty space.

  “Zoe, stay back!” Aidan’s shout ripped apart her grief.

  He was alive! Her breath staggered, and she inched the upper half of her torso over the edge. Earth crumbled beneath her and trickled down the bluff. “Aidan?”

  Gripping a protruding tree root with his good hand, he hung less than four feet below the steep drop. So near, yet it might as well be miles. “The ground isn’t stable near the edge! Stay back!”

  She inched farther out, reached down. Stretched. She couldn’t quite touch him. “Let me help you.”

  He looked up at her. The calm resignation in his gaze made her chest ache. “You’re not strong enough to pull me up. There are no toeholds. Even if there was something to grab on to…with only one good arm, I can’t let go of this root.”

  She stared down at the jagged rocks far below him. He couldn’t hold on forever. When he tired, when his grip loosened, he’d fall to his death.

  No! She wouldn’t let that happen. “I’ll think of something.”

  “No, sweetheart.” The strain of trying to hold on gave his quiet voice a ragged edge of desperation. Chopped his breaths. “Get the gun from beside the pine tree. Head downstream to the shoreline. Stay in the creek. Hide near the dock. Wait for a rescue plane or the Coast Guard. Or sneak onto the ferry.”

  “What about you?”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll work my way down. Meet you at the dock. If I’m not there by the next ferry…leave without me.”

  Tears gathered in her eyes. “I don’t want to leave without you.”

  “You have to. It’s the only way.” His voice turned gruff. “Get going. So I can start climbing.”

  Zoe stared at him for several long, silent moments. She frowned, and worried her lower lip with her teeth. “Don’t you dare die on me. Do you hear me, SWAT? I won’t stand for it.”

  “I’ll do my best, honey. Go on, now. I’ll see you soon.”

  “That’s a promise. Don’t fall,” she choked out.

  Then her sweet face disappeared from Aidan’s sight.

  Aidan breathed a sigh of both relief and sorrow. He didn’t want to die. But if his number was up, he sure as hell didn’t want to take Zoe with him.

  There were worse ways to go. His death would be quick, if not so clean. He studied the stars, bright pinpoints of fire in the sooty sky. The hard, white moon spotlighted the ocean with an incandescent glow. As a boy, he’d loved family campouts. Clear summer nights. Campfires and singing. Meteor showers. Mom with warm, gooey s’mores. Pop telling ghost stories. Was Pop watching him from beyond the stars? Maybe that’s why he didn’t feel afraid. “Air out the guest room, Pop,” he muttered. “I think you’re about to have company.”

  His hand slipped on the root, and he tightened his grip. He’d fight to stay alive, but there was no enemy to engage. He’d tried every way possible to hoist himself up. Nothing had worked. Dangling in space by one hand without any leverage, he was screwed. His fingers were already growing numb. Struggling only made it harder to hang on. He’d cling until the last second. But before too much longer, he’d be forced to let go.

  Plenty of time for last prayers. Final goodbyes.

  Painful regrets.

  In the absolute clarity only experienced during the moment before death, he realized he’d denied himself all the good things in life. After Pop’s memorial service, he’d slammed the door to his heart and boarded it up against life’s storms. Over the years, cobwebs of fear and anger had collected in the darkness until they’d choked off his emotions. Coasting along, never too sad, never too happy, he’d been satisfied. Mundane was neat and tidy.

  Boring was safe.

  Then Typhoon Zoe whirled into his life. Her spirit had danced right through his barricades and thrown open the doors. Her zest for living flooded his self-imposed dungeon with light. Her sparkling laughter swept away the cobwebs. For the first time in years, he felt truly alive.

  His heart wrenched in sorrow. And wasn’t that an ironic twist of fate? Dangling from a cliff with nowhere to go but down, his emotions were finally at full throttle.

  He was about to die, without ever having really lived.

  What a waste.

  Zoe would make it. He had to believe that. She’d survive. Marry. Have mischievous, inquisitive kids who would drive everyone crazy, but make the world a better place.

  She’d go on without him.

  Anguish stabbed his chest with a red-hot poker. That’s what he wanted. So why did it hurt so damn much?

  His fingers slipped again. Not much longer now.

  Goodbye, sweetheart. Learn from my mistakes. Be happy.

  “Aidan!” Zoe’s voice overhead made him jerk his head up.

  Disbelief. Relief. Fear. Anger. Disparate emotions swamped him. “Zoe? Why aren’t you gone?”

  “I wasn’t born yesterday, SWAT. If I leave, you die.” Headfirst, she slithered over the cliff’s face on her stomach.

  Icy fear clogged his veins. If she joined him, she would die, too. “Don’t!”

  She kept coming, and cold sweat drenched his entire body. “Dammit, go back!”

  “Don’t shout.” She slid in the loose dirt, and his heart leapt into his throat until she regained control. “You’re distracting me, Master.”

  “Zoe.�
� He fought for a reasonable tone. Damn hard with terror choking off his breath. “Go back, before you fall.”

  “I won’t fall. My ankle is tied to a tree.” She stretched down and fastened a rope around his waist. “Now, so are you.”

  Incredulity rendered him temporarily speechless. He tried again. “Where’d you get rope?”

  “Made it out of strips of your tux jacket braided with strips of Muscles’s jeans. Denim is strong stuff, and luckily, you’re not down that far, so it didn’t have to be too long.”

  “You’re risking your life for a stop-gap measure.” He strove to keep the desperation from his voice. “You still don’t have any way to pull me up. A clothing rope will support your weight, but it’s not gonna hold me for long. Not when you start wrenching on it.”

  “Oh, ye of little faith. I have a plan.”

  Oh, Lord. He echoed her earlier words. “Did I mention how much I hate this plan?”

  Zoe’s nerves jittered, and she concentrated on cinching the knot. He didn’t hate it half as much as she did. She wasn’t deluded enough to think she possessed the upper-body strength to pull Aidan to safety. She couldn’t even put his shoulder back in. Even if she were Xena, Warrior Princess, herself, the rope wasn’t strong enough. However, it would hold him until she could carry out her plan. She would not stand by and watch him fall to his death. No matter what terrible things she had to do.

  She finished securing Aidan, and then crawled hand-over-hand back to the top of the cliff. She sprawled in the dirt for a few seconds and regained her wind before shoving to her feet.

  Muscles’s watchful stare fixed on her as she approached with her hand behind her back. She’d cut off the guy’s pants a while ago with Aidan’s knife, and he was left in a bloody head bandage and black and white-checkered NASCAR boxer shorts. Zoe didn’t blame him for looking wary. She took a deep, shaky breath. Things were about to get worse.

  Much worse.

  She sucked in another breath. Gathered her courage. Aidan’s life was at stake. Bluffing would not get the job done. She had to be willing to follow through on her threat.