It didn't take long for her to see the large opening in the rock face, and she suddenly knew that this was what she had been looking for. She crept towards the opening, keeping her eyes peeled for any signs of Caleb's captors.
Dani considered turning back, sure the opening was the entrance to the lair of the kidnappers, but she had no proof. What if she was wrong, and she led the police here to find nothing? She had to be certain. Dani picked her way quietly to the entrance of the cave, facing her fear head on as always.
* * * * *
Caleb woke to the sound of voices echoing off cave walls. His head throbbed fiercely, and the harsh voices weren't helping matters.
"Did you order the miners to leave after we brought the ranger in?" The voice was a low rumble.
Another voice answered. "Yes, I don't think they even saw anything. Only security is left on duty now."
"Good. And our other problem?"
"Surveillance confirms she's on the way."
Caleb made out the words as he tried to ignore the pain in his head. He opened his eyes to the dim light of the cave and realized he was against one of the walls. The sleepy-eyed guard was watching him, a shotgun on his lap, a toothpick jutting from between his teeth.
He watched Caleb but did nothing else.
The deeper voice replied. "Looks like we'll kill two birds with one stone. Get Roberts and Martinez and have them take up a position outside the entrance. They can nab her from behind after she comes in."
"Are you sure she will, Chief? I mean, what woman is gonna go creeping around in a dark cave?"
"The same kind that crawls around in the mud, hunting for frogs," the voice responded with a rough laugh.
"I still don't know how she figured out where we'd grabbed him."
"Probably the same way we figured out that she had figured it out. She's got cameras somewhere, just like we do."
Caleb heard the one called "the Chief" sigh. "It's too bad really. This is gonna piss the rich guy off something fierce. He said he didn't want anyone to know we are even out here. Now we've got two Nosy Nellies to deal with."
Caleb's hands tightened into fists at their flippant discussion of the professor. His hands were held securely behind his back, but he still wanted to choke someone. The voices got closer and soon they became men standing behind the guard's chair, peering down at the bound ranger.
"Looks like you're about to have some company," the taller one said to him, and Caleb realized his rough voice marked him as the Chief. He was the giant from earlier who'd ordered his lights put out.
It figured.
"Can't wait," Caleb muttered in response, his head throbbing at the effort.
The Chief gave a laugh and slapped his colleague on the back. "Go give Roberts and Martinez their orders, and have them escort the woman back here once they've got her."
The other man nodded and departed, moving from the smaller chamber back into what Caleb assumed was the larger area holding their equipment. Standing behind the guard, the Chief crossed his arms over his wide chest and peered down at Caleb.
The ranger eyed his captor, noting his muscled arms and sizeable proportions. Caleb was a large man and physically fit, but he wouldn't relish a wrestling match with the boss man. But it was the gun on the guard's lap that was the real trouble.
Caleb didn't like guns. He'd held the memory of his father's self-inflicted gunshot wound for so long that it seemed engraved on his very soul. No one should go that way, full of holes, insides spilling out.
Shaking his head, the ranger tried desperately to free himself of the throbbing ache and memories that had little to do with his head injury.
The Chief spoke again, and Caleb wished he hadn't. "We'll have the frog lady soon. I wonder why she came looking for you. Maybe there's something going on between you two that we haven't picked up on yet? She sure looks like a succulent piece. Have you been enjoying your little visitor's favors? Not that it matters, really, whether you are or not. You both know too much about our operations, and something'll have to be done."
"And you're the man to do it?" Caleb's words came out like a snarl.
The Chief laughed. "That's what they pay me for," he said with a shrug. "What they don't pay me for is making decisions. So you'll have to wait until the boss man lets me know what he wants."
"I thought you were the boss man," Caleb said, knowing the other man was referring to the real person behind the illegal mining operation.
"Nah, I'm just in charge on-site. The rich guy makes all the decisions. Don't worry, he'll be here soon, and you can talk to him then. Although, if I may make a suggestion -- take whatever he offers. Forget your pride, take his money and clam up. Then maybe you and the frog lady can walk out of here and go on to live your lives."
Caleb grunted in reply. He didn't feel like talking anymore. His head hurt, his muscles ached from their cramped position, and he couldn't stand the fear that was washing over him like the oncoming tide.
Dani was in danger, and it was his fault. He should have called it in, not bothered to confirm things. And dammit, she shouldn't have come after him alone. He pictured her, then, wide dark eyes in a heart-shaped face, pale pink lips trembling.
Those assholes had better not hurt her, or he wouldn't be responsible for his actions.
He tugged against his restraints, but they wouldn't budge. Trying hard not to think about the thugs lying in wait to ambush her, Caleb sent up a silent prayer.
Please let her turn back. Let her escape. Don't make me watch the death of another loved one.
At that moment, he admitted the worst had happened -- he'd fallen in love with the little professor. And just as he'd predicted, his love would lead to her doom.
* * * * *
Dani had just entered the cave when she heard the snap of a twig behind her. She whirled around to see two men pulling themselves out of the tangle of bushes opposite the cavern mouth. She nearly screamed but held it in. Panic shot up her spine like a lightning strike.
There was no time to run back out of the cave. Her only hope was to somehow lose them on the inside. Dani sprinted into the darkness past the entrance, following the curve around and running hell bent for leather.
When she noticed there was enough light to see, she realized the cave interior was artificially lit. That meant she'd found the lair of the rogue miners. And here she was, running deeper inside.
"Shit!" she muttered, making out some big machines before her in the large and surprisingly well-lit chamber. Dani slipped behind the bulldozer and wedged herself down low, hiding in the open area between the tracks that propelled the machine forward. Her chest was heaving, and she struggled to control her breathing. She heard the pounding of feet and prayed she could lay low long enough to get away.
It was not to be, however. Before she could catch her breath, she heard one of the men telling the other to search the equipment. Dani folded herself into the smallest ball she could, hoping the dim light would keep her in shadows.
She was thinking small thoughts when a pair of legs came to a halt in front of her. Apparently, the tracks were not as concealing as she thought, as her pursuer was able to see pieces of her ponytail sticking up between the tread links. "Come on out," he said, crouching down to make eye contact.
"No!" she shouted, her fist shooting out to connect with his face before she even realized what she was doing. He stumbled backward in surprise and fell over onto his ass, grabbing his nose with both hands. Dani could see blood dripping from around his hands and was frozen in wonder.
"You broke my nose, you bitch!" he squealed, then moaned in pain. His words broke the spell, and she was no longer frozen. Dani unfolded herself from under the track and sped past him, her hopes now pinned on making it back to the entrance.
The fallen man's partner, however, was rushing towards her. She had yet to clear the bulldozer, so she zagged backwards and pulled herself up onto the treads. Silently praising Janna for introducing her to Crossfit training, Da
ni dove into the cab and popped out the other side, the side closest to the entrance. She jumped down and ran towards the cave mouth, amazed she was actually going to escape.
A well-placed foot knocked her knocked her flat, face in the dirt. She heard a hoarse chuckle and figured it must belong to the owner of the leg. Before she could jump up herself she was hauled to her feet, her elbows pinned behind her back. Dani kicked out backwards and struggled, attempting to pull away, but her captor merely tightened his hold on her until it caused pain. Crying out, she went limp.
"That's right, frog lady," the rough voice said into her ear. "Calm down."
Dani felt plastic loop around her wrists before it bound her hands together tightly. She was then dropped unceremoniously on her feet.
The big man stood behind her holding her elbows, and he pushed her forward.
"How'd you find us?" he asked as he propelled her deeper into the chamber towards the source of the light. There were several piles of loose rubble, assumedly from the walls of the cave around her.
She noticed a few folding tables holding various pieces of equipment, and several chairs grouped together here and there. Her captor led her past a bank of artificial lights hooked to a humming generator. The lights were illuminating a large stretch of wall and cave floor that had been drilled and blasted away.
Deep inside Dani thought she caught the sparkle of gold.
Her attention was yanked back to her progress by the tightening of the hold on her elbows. Still, she wouldn't give the bastard the satisfaction of hearing her scream again. Gritting her teeth, she focused on the ground in front of her.
Soon she was led away from the center of the chamber and towards what seemed to be a smaller cavity off the central area. This room was lit by a few exposed bulbs nestled in bright orange plastic. The light had a wavy quality due to the uneven cycling of the generator that powered it.
Dani blinked, scanning the smaller chamber. Near its entrance sat a man dressed in black, a knit cap pulled down over his head and his back to her, but she could see the barrel of a gun and its stock on either side of his torso.
As her captor pushed her further into the room, she stumbled and he failed to catch her. The big man laughed as he let her drop to her knees. Since her arms were bound behind her, Dani wasn't able to balance quickly enough, and she fell over heavily onto her chest.
"Son of a bitch!" a ragged but familiar voice shouted and Dani looked up into the bright blue eyes of her ranger. He was reclined half in shadows, his arms obviously bound behind him as well.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
"Yeah," she said, able to bring herself back to her knees and awkwardly shuffle to a spot on the wall beside him.
Dani searched his face, noting the blood that had leaked down his neck and onto his left shoulder. "Are you?"
Caleb didn't answer. He'd turned back to burn the big man who'd captured her with his gaze.
Her captor laughed again, crossing his Popeye arms across his barrel chest. "Let me guess, you'll kill me for that," he said, giving Caleb a nasty smile.
The ranger just stared back at him, and Dani almost fled from the intensity she saw in his look. Caleb didn't have to say the words; his eyes said it all.
The smile melted off her captor's face. He slapped the shoulder of the lazy-eyed guard who sat silently watching the tableau before him. "Check her pockets," the big man instructed, and the man in black complied.
Dani sat still while he tugged her possessions out of her pocket and brought them to his boss. She couldn't be sure, but she thought that perhaps Caleb growled at the man as he pushed her over to search the pocket on her right side. Still, although the guard deprived her of her phone, two pens, a used tissue, and a tin of mints, he only searched her pockets.
The .22 sat undiscovered in the holster on her calf, and Dani exhaled in relief.
"Well," the big man said after pocketing her things, "you've got a little time ahead of you before the big boss shows up. I suggest you take this time to plan how you're going to beg for your lives. I can't see the rich guy wanting to leave any loose ends around, and I'm pretty good at making things look accidental. Like I told you, Ranger, if he offers, take the money and promise to be quiet."
"Fuck you."
"You kiss your lady with that dirty mouth?" the big man asked, laughing. He pointed at Dani, and a nasty leer spread across his wormy lips. "I know what I'd do if I had her all tied up in front of me like that. Or I should say, what I will do if the boss man allows it. Hell, I guess what he don't know won't hurt him."
"I will kill you," Caleb snarled then, coming to his knees and then his feet. He rushed at the big man, but the guard was quick. He had the barrel of the shotgun pressed to Caleb's chest before he could reach the other man.
"Sit down," the guard ordered, pushing against Caleb's chest with the gun. Caleb pushed back, and suddenly Dani realized that he wasn't backing down.
"Caleb," she cried. "Stop! This isn't the time for that. He's just trying to rile you up. Please stop!"
It took a minute, but her words finally penetrated his haze. With a growl, he spun around and resumed his seat beside her.
"Nicely done, frog lady," the big man said, tipping an imaginary hat her way and bowing at the waist, then turning and marching back into the larger chamber.
She hated him. He clearly got off on toying with other people's lives. But this was no time to let emotion rule them. She had to calm Caleb down. As the guard resumed his seat, she scooted closer to the ranger, close enough to lean her shoulder against his.
"It's okay," she said softly, trying to slow his heavy breathing. "It'll be fine." She hoped the empty words would soothe him, but instead, he turned, his eyes burning into hers.
"No, it's not okay. It won't be fine. You heard the man. They're going to kill us." His voice was harsh, but his tone wasn't. "And it's all my fault."
"No--" she said, but he interrupted her.
"Yes, it is. You followed me here, and now you're sentenced to death. Why, Dani?" His voice broke as he asked, "Why did you follow me? Why didn't you go for help?"
Dani felt tears well up in her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. "I didn't know where they'd taken you. And the battery on my phone was dead. I figured by the time I plugged in, they'd have taken you somewhere else, somewhere where we couldn't track you. And I thought that if the authorities descended on the park and tipped them off, we might never find you again. I had to locate you before I could call in reinforcements."
Caleb closed his eyes and exhaled heavily. "You're crazy, you know that?" He opened his eyes, and she was amazed by the depth of feeling she saw there. He smiled, and she couldn't help laughing.
"Believe me, I don't feel very smart right now. But it seemed like the best idea at the time."
Both of them laughed, their sound echoing off the cave walls, and she felt a little like she was laughing at the devil in the darkness. It revived her spirit and galvanized her to action. "Look, we need to figure out some way of getting out, or at least of getting word to the outside world. I think these guys are serious."
Caleb barked out another short laugh. "That's an understatement. The big guy looks like he tortures people for fun."
Dani wanted to agree but decided to focus on the task at hand instead of dwelling on their possible fate. "How many guys do they have around here?"
"Not sure," Caleb replied. "I've seen at least four, but there's probably more. Another one seems to pop up around every corner."
"So the likelihood of escape is minimal."
"I'd say," he said with a nod towards the gun and the guard holding it.
"So the only other option is to get word to the authorities."
"How are we gonna do that?" he asked. "Have you been training your specimens as carrier frogs?"
"I wish." She rolled her eyes, then got serious once again. "We've got to get to a phone or a computer."
"They took my phone. If I can get it back, I can tex
t Masterson our approximate coordinates, as well as send some pictures I took of their operations."
"So where's your phone?"
"I don't know. I was unconscious when they brought me in, and by the time I woke up, they'd already taken my phone, my knife, and everything else in my pockets."
"Shit," she said with a grimace. "We have to assume it's out there somewhere." She'd lowered her voice, realizing at last that if they were to formulate a plan, it would probably be best if the guard couldn't hear it.
"Yeah, either one of the men has it, or they've put it up somewhere." Caleb was as quiet as she and he bent over now to talk softly into her ear. "But how do you propose we get past this guy and his gun?"
"Well, if we can get the shotgun away from him, we've got a chance. And I've got a little surprise for them hidden in my pants."
"What?" he said too loudly, her words confusing him. "Are you sure it's appropriate to talk about sex, considering the situation?"
"Not that!" she protested. "The surprise is in the holster on my leg. Remember?"
"Yes," he said, seeming to realize she was talking about her .22. "But we can't do anything if we're stuck here with our hands tied behind our backs."
"Indeed." She considered their bindings. "I've got an idea though. Follow my lead. Scoot forward."
Caleb didn't hesitate. He began scooting forward, drawing the guard's gaze, his bored expression still thankfully intact. Dani got up on her knees and started to shuffle behind him.
"Hey," the guard barked finally, "knock it off."
"He's injured," Dani protested, whispering in Caleb's ear, "Help me out."
"Ahhh, my head hurts!" he said at her prompting.
"No messing around," the guard ordered gruffly.
"I'm just looking at his head wound if that's okay with you. He could have a concussion, or even have a seizure."
Doctor Feelgood: (A Bad Boy Doctor Novel) Page 41
