"And I should care because...?"
Anger burst inside her like a firework, and she growled at the guard in a huff. "If the ranger dies before your boss gets here, he might not like it. It's not like I can do anything about it, but the least you can let me do is look at it. I am a biologist, after all."
Dani didn't know what being a biologist had to do with looking at a head wound, but it seemed like maybe the guard bought it.
"Fine, but no funny business."
"Oh yeah, a brain injury is real hilarious," she shot back at him.
"Brain injury?" Caleb said, a touch of genuine anxiety in his voice.
"I just said that to convince him," she whispered in his ear. "Besides, your brain is already injured. If anything, they probably knocked some sense into you."
She heard his soft chuckle, and it sent warm vibrations through her chest. "The light in here is terrible!" she grumbled, making a big show of squinting at his wound. "Stand up and move forward so I can see a little bit better."
Caleb stood, and Dani came to her feet behind him, keeping an eye on the guard. He watched them closely but didn't move. "Bend back a little," Dani ordered, then whispered frantically in the ranger's ear. "I need you to make yourself as big as possible. The widest shape you can pull off without looking suspicious. You need to make me invisible for a minute."
Caleb nodded almost imperceptibly and bowed out his arms as much as possible. He groaned, attempting to make it appear that he was stretching his sore muscles. As quickly as possible Dani crouched behind him, contorting herself so that she could step through her bound arms and bring them around to her front. While Janna had been an evangelist for Crossfit, Dani's first love was yoga, and right now she was thankful for hours spent on the mat, increasing her flexibility.
Although her wrists were tied with the zip tie, her hands still retained limited functionality. She bent and grabbed the small handgun from its holster beneath her pants. Gun firmly in hand she checked to make sure it was loaded, then clicked the safety off, coughing to cover any noise it might make.
"Okay, work with me now," Dani whispered to Caleb. "I've got to get behind him before he notices." She then raised her voice so that the guard could hear once again. "Oh no, this is bad!"
"What is it?" Caleb asked, the fear in his voice sounding genuine.
"It looks like you've got a major occipital occlusion here."
"And that's bad?"
"Real bad," she said, wrenching up the anxiety in her voice. "There's something we can do about it, but I need my hands."
"Not gonna happen," the guard said without hesitation.
"Then he might die!"
"He's probably gonna die anyway," the guard replied with an unconcerned shrug.
"You can't be sure of that! What if your boss decides to let us live? I'm a pretty important scientist, you know. I could do a lot of good for your boss if he keeps us around. And who better to have on his side than the sole ranger in charge of this park? Once I convince him of that fact, the next thing I'll do is let him know how you were willing to let the ranger die."
"Fine!" the guard sighed with frustration and got to his feet. "But I ain't gonna untie you."
"That's okay," she said, "I can tell you what to do."
"As long as I can do it one-handed," the guard added, "because I ain't putting down my gun."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Dani said, sliding around to Caleb's side as the guard drew up behind his back. She wanted to make sure he didn't notice that her hands were now on the wrong side and holding a weapon.
Thankfully the guard's attention was fully focused on the bloody back of Caleb's head. "What do I do?" he asked, sliding his shotgun to his left hand while making ready his right. Dani slid up behind him and pressed her gun into his back.
"You drop the gun. Right now. Or so help me God I'll shoot you."
The guard tensed but didn't move. "With what?" he asked, keeping his cool.
"With the gun, I'm shoving into your back right now." She cocked the gun, satisfied at the dry click of the round sliding into the chamber. He stiffened, proving he'd heard it too.
The guard still didn't move, however, so she pressed harder on the gun until she was sure it was digging into his back painfully. "I said drop it. Right now."
The guard sighed and let the gun tumble from his hands. Dani kicked it away. "Caleb," she said, and the ranger turned to face them. "Look in his pockets and see if you can find a knife to cut these bonds. And see if he's got your cell phone."
The ranger positioned himself awkwardly so that he could empty the man's pockets. Because his hands were still bound, he had to turn his back to him and slide up against him while he searched. Dani kept the gun firmly in place between his shoulder blades. "Found something," Caleb said.
She watched as the ranger carefully opened the short knife and sawed at his zip tie. Finally, his hands were free. He wasted no time, grabbing the shotgun and carrying it back over by the guard.
Dani's eyes widened when she saw him bring the stock up and bash it into the back of the guard's head. The man tumbled forward without a cry and lay there, unconscious.
Caleb set down the shotgun and quickly cut through her restraints. He removed the pistol from her hands so he could gently rub her wrists, scowling down at the red lines that circled them.
"You're amazing," he whispered, and she blushed at his praise.
Dani looked up at him, at the intensity of his eyes, at the blood that had trickled down his neck and soaked his shirt, at the pain in his features. It was overwhelming, the emotion she felt for him. Without hesitation she placed her hands on his shoulders and jumped up, sliding her legs around his waist and pressing her lips to his.
The handsome ranger brought his strong arms around her back and down to cup her bottom. He met her kiss for kiss, his tongue demanding entry to her mouth, blazing a trail past her lips and between her teeth to meet hers in a delightfully erotic dance. The kiss seemed to last forever. The kiss seemed too short.
Caleb pulled his head away, muttering, "God damn woman." He looked like he wanted to go on holding her, but with a sigh he let her slide back down to the floor. "No time," he said, indicating the guard before him.
Dani watched as the ranger picked up the guard and settled him into his chair. The man's head lolled until Caleb managed to prop it up well enough. He slid the knit cap around to cover the wound at the back of his neck and then said, "Good enough. Let's go find my phone."
Dani nodded, readying her handgun as he brought up the shotgun. They crept from the smaller chamber back into the central area, prepared for anything.
Chapter 14
Caleb led the way back into the larger chamber, sliding with his back against the wall and edging around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. He couldn't see anyone nearby, so he motioned for Dani to follow him.
He marveled at the sudden reversal of their luck. Not luck, he corrected himself. She did this. That tiny remarkable woman managed to outsmart our captors and get us free.
She was astonishing, incredible. More than any man could ever hope for. But now it was up to him to keep her safe.
Danielle had done her part; now he had to do his.
They stuck to the shadows, and soon Caleb led them to a set of cluttered tables. He dug through the varied contents on their surfaces while Dani kept watch. Although they could both hear voices and other noises from different parts of the cave, no one was within eyesight.
"It's not here," he said finally, trying to hide his frustration.
"I saw another table across the chamber," Dani said, pointing off to their right, past the lights illuminating the mining area. "Let's check there."
Caleb nodded, and they went back to creeping along. It seemed an eternity before they reached the other table, but their cautious movements had yet to attract any attention. Caleb scanned the surface, moving around pieces of equipment, but there was no sign of his cell phone. "Fuck!" he cursed, wanting to
bang his fists against the useless junk.
"Not there?" she asked, then frowned when he shook his head. "Well, when they took my phone, I saw the big guy shove it in his pocket. Do you think he's got yours too?"
"I don't know, but I don't know where else it could be."
Dani nodded, resignation settling into her fine features. "We need to find him then. If we can corner him alone, we should be able to get it from him."
"If he has it," Caleb warned, but he had no better plan.
"Let's do it," he said and began leading her towards the voices. They stayed deep in the shadows as they approached their captors, and Caleb was glad to hear the gruff tone of the one called Chief. The man's disgusting words from earlier ran through his mind, and he swore to himself that he would show the pig who was really in charge.
Caleb signaled for Dani to crouch beside him behind a portion of rock as they listened. It sounded like the Chief was getting a report from one of his men.
"The shipment is set for tomorrow morning. The conveyances are ready, and we'll have men stationed at intervals along the river to ensure that they stay on course."
"Excellent," the Chief replied. "I'm sure our employer will be quite happy with the news."
Caleb took a risk and leaned around the rock outcropping that blocked them from sight. He caught sight of the big man in profile and his companion, who was now taking orders from his boss.
The Chief was settled into a canvas chair, his feet propped up on a cooler. He had a magazine in his lap and was only paying partial attention to the presence of the other man. When he finished talking his lackey headed out, and Caleb pulled himself back, putting a tense arm across Dani's chest to keep them both in the shadows.
The lackey passed by without noticing, and Caleb finally let go of the breath he didn't even realize he was holding.
"It's now or never," he whispered to Dani, knowing that they wouldn't get a better chance of catching the Chief alone. "It's going to be near impossible to sneak up on him, so we'd better just go in quickly brandishing our guns and hope he doesn't put up a struggle."
Dani nodded, and Caleb marveled at her strength and courage. He did see a healthy dose of fear crowding her dark eyes, so he gave her a quick kiss. With a smile, he motioned her forward, and they leapt from their hiding place and rushed towards the seated man.
The Chief didn't even bother to look up from his magazine until they were almost on top of him. His eyes widened in surprise, but a smile soon followed. "Get your hands up and then don't move," Caleb ordered, pointing the shotgun at his adversary's wide chest.
"And if I do move?" the man asked, not willing to follow orders right away.
"Well, then you make one hell of a big target." Caleb cocked the shotgun and secretly wished the man would give him a reason to use it. Although he did not like guns, he realized their use could sometimes be justified.
Especially in situations that involved sociopathic pieces of shit like this guy.
The big man gave a hoarse laugh and finally raised his hands. Caleb motioned with his shotgun for Dani to empty the man's pockets.
"Ooh, this could be fun," the bastard said, moving so that her hands fumbled into his crotch.
"Knock it off," Caleb growled, his finger itching to tighten on the trigger.
"Ignore him," Dani said, pulling several items from his pockets. The man seemed to have more things than could generally be found in an old lady's purse, and Dani piled them in his lap while she searched for Caleb's phone. "Got it!" she yelled in triumph at last and held out his cell to him.
"Good. I want you to send the last two pictures I took to Brice Masterson, then text him that we are being held prisoners in the caves about three miles downstream from the southern split of the Alsea. Tell him to bring reinforcements."
Dani nodded and began working her thumbs furiously. She found the pictures, then added the text and sent them off to Masterson. "Shit!" she shouted. Her outburst prompted another husky laugh from the big man, and Caleb felt a twinge of fear.
"What is it?"
"There isn't enough signal in here!"
Caleb took a deep breath, considering the situation. "We've got to get closer to the entrance."
He brought the shotgun up to press it against the big man's chest. "Stand up. We're going for a walk."
The Chief rose, pushing his pockets back into their rightful place. The items that were piled on his lap tumbled to the cave floor, but Caleb ignored them.
The big man stared at him, anger finally taking up residence in his cold eyes. "And what's gonna stop me from alerting my men?"
"A bullet wound to the chest might," Caleb replied. "Dani, keep your gun on him." She pulled up her pistol and aimed it at the man's chest.
The big man laughed. "Well, isn't that cute?"
"Yeah, it'll be real cute when I let her shove it up your--"
"We don't have time for this," Dani growled, cutting Caleb off.
He nodded, shaking his head to clear it. He took his place behind the Chief and shoved his gun into the man's broad back. "Let's go."
* * * * *
Dani's hands shook as she kept her gun ready. She led now, since Caleb was stuck behind the big man, the shotgun prodding him forward.
Things were quiet, exceptionally quiet, as she led them across the large chamber towards the big machines. She knew the entrance lay just past them. Glancing down at the cell phone in her left hand she prayed for the No Service light to go away.
Soon she could see the dim outline of the cave entrance, and she sped up, full of nervous energy. It was almost too easy.
Suddenly the sounds of a struggle reached her ears, and she turned around. Two men had come out of the shadows and grabbed the ranger. "Stop!" she shouted, pointing her gun at one of the interlopers but the big man grabbed her arm and squeezed it painfully, making her drop the gun.
She ripped her arm from his grasp, watching helplessly as Caleb struggled to fight off the two men. They'd knocked the shotgun from his hand and were trying to wrestle him down to the ground.
There was nothing she could do for him at the moment, not without her gun, and her eyes flashed to the big man. He was headed for her, so she sprinted forward, out of his reach.
Dani ran towards the entrance, frantically watching the cell phone for signs of life. She had almost reached the entrance when the No Service light disappeared, and one bar beeped into life. She pressed the "Send" button, watching as an envelope with wings flew across the screen.
In her moment of distraction, the Chief caught up with her, grabbing her by the neck with one of his large hands and ripping the cell phone from her with the other. He threw the phone to the floor of the cave and smashed it under his heavy boot.
"No!" Dani cried, praying that the message had gone through, but unsure if it had.
"You little bitch."
The big man dragged her back towards his companions. He threw her to the ground in front of Caleb, who was currently struggling against the two men who held him back. One had several wide bandages taped across his nose.
"Bitch broke my nose," the injured man scowled. "I oughta break hers. Then we'll be even."
"Later, Martinez," his companion said. "I'd rather break her in than break her nose if you know what I mean."
Their words caused Caleb to struggle harder against their grips, and he nearly got free. The Chief put a stop to his struggles, however, delivering a kick to his ribs.
Dani screamed as the man kicked him again and Caleb slumped over.
"Did you really think you'd get away?" the big man barked in the ranger's pain-filled face. "I told you we had surveillance, and not just outside the caves. It was foolish to try and escape. It shows you aren't seriously thinking about accepting an offer from my employer. And I'm going to have to tell that to my boss."
"You're going to have to tell me what?" a voice asked. All heads turned towards the cave entrance to see a short, well-dressed man striding in, followed by a t
all bodyguard in an oversized jacket.
"Mr. Masterson, good to see you," the Chief said.
"I highly doubt that."
The short man came to a halt in front of the big guy and looked down at the two prisoners on the cave floor before him. "And just what in the holy hell is all this?" he asked, his anger evident. "I told you I didn't want the locals involved."
"They involved themselves," the big man said by way of explanation.
The well-dressed gentleman wasn't satisfied. "Goddammit, this is supposed to be a secret operation, Stevens. What the hell am I supposed to do with these two?"
"Well, I figured you'd want to talk to them about their options. If you're not interested in chatting, me and boys would be happy to take care of the problem for you." The big man's smile was much more sincere this time.
"All right," Wesley Masterson said with a heavy sigh. He pulled off his small round glasses and polished them with a white silk handkerchief. "How much is it gonna take to buy your cooperation?"
"More than you've got," Danielle said.
"Dani," Caleb warned.
"Is that so, little girl?" The short man replaced his glasses and slid the handkerchief back into the pocket of his expensive suit. "You'd rather I let these goons have you? I warn you, you aren't going to like what they have in mind."
"No," Caleb said firmly. "We'll do whatever you want. Just let her go."
"Ah, a gentleman," the short man said, bending down to look into the ranger's face. "Looks like you put up a fight."
"He's been causing us some trouble, yes," the big man, Stevens, confirmed.
"And why should I trust you?" Uncle Wesley asked, a smug smile on his shiny, round face.
"You shouldn't," Stevens said with a smirk. "He'll betray you in a second. I know the type."
"Not true," Caleb said with a decisive shake of his head.
"And why is that?" Wesley peered inquisitively into his face.
"Because I love her," Caleb said, "and I'd do anything to keep her safe."
A strange thrill ran through her body, and Dani realized she was shaking all over. He loves me, she thought with wonder. This strong, beautiful, and haunted man loves me. And he's willing to give up everything just to protect me.
Doctor Feelgood: (A Bad Boy Doctor Novel) Page 42
