Mallory opened her eyes. Gage was gently shaking her shoulder and saying her name. It must be her turn to keep watch. She’d slept badly, fitfully, but she had slept.
She pushed hair back from her face. “I’m awake.” Her voice was thick from sleep. She cleared her throat. “Your turn.”
“Not that. Storm’s over.”
Mallory held her breath. No screeching wind. No thuds from snow striking the cabin. Gage moved away from her and went into the kitchen. Mallory lumbered to her feet and made her way to the window. She parted the drapes a few inches. Moonlight streamed in.
Gage spoke from behind her. “Before we leave, I’m going to take a look outside. Make sure we don’t have company.”
Mallory wanted them to be on their way as much as she wanted her next breath, yet she hesitated. “I don’t like you going out there. You could be walking into an ambush. It’ll be daylight in a couple hours. We’ll be able to see this whole area then and if anyone is out there.”
“We can’t blow this chance.”
His implication was they may not get another one if they waited. “Okay then, I’ll go with you. Or instead of you.” This was her investigation, after all.
“Your leg will slow you down in that snow. If there’s trouble, you’ll need to get out of there fast.”
Then he was gone. She went to the window. She caught sight of him briefly under the full moon, then he stepped into the shadow of the trees and blended into the darkness.
With the absence of the wind, all was still outside and there was a preternatural quiet that she found terrifying. Her heart pounded like a jackhammer. Surely if Gage had encountered someone, there would be some movement, some sound.
The cabin door opened and Gage stood in the doorway. “We’re clear. Time to go.”
He wrapped gauze around Mallory’s injured ankle, then wound tape tightly around it several times. When he was done, Mallory tested the support and nodded.
While she put on the parka’s hood and the gloves, Gage pocketed the keys to Mitchell Turner’s truck and doused the fire. They left the cabin with Gage in the lead. Though he’d deemed the area clear, his gun was gripped in his gloved hand.
On the porch, Gage paused and glanced around. Mallory did the same. The absence of sound struck her. She found the silence eerie and unsettling. Her nerves, already frayed, vibrated like tuning forks.
Gage glanced back at her and nodded, then took her hand and they made their way down the steps and into the snow.
The contrast to their surroundings from the last two days was startling. Moonlight struck the snow and it glittered. A scent of pine came off the trees and carried on the air. The view looked post card pretty. The view, coupled with the stillness and quiet made the setting appear serene. It was a false sense of calm, Mallory thought, with the bombs they’d planted among the trees.
The sounds of several engines cut the silence. High-pitched whines. These vehicles were coming at them from beyond the trees, and approaching fast.
Gage slid an arm around her waist, and half carried her, seeking shelter behind a tall Evergreen. Headlights cut through the darkness then two snowmobiles broke through the trees.
One of the snowmobiles drove into one of Gage’s traps and the driver was pulled from the vehicle. The man landed in a bloody heap in the snow and that snowmobile, now out of control, spun and struck a tree.
The second driver must have spotted them. He turned the vehicle in their direction, headed straight for them. He raised a gun and an instant later, a bullet clipped one of the branches inches above Gage’s head.
“Get down!” Gage shouted to be heard above the roar of the engine.
His hand landed on Mallory’s head and he pushed her to her knees behind him. Gage brought his gun up, took aim and fired. The man cried out and clutched his chest. An instant later the snowmobile spun, dislodging the driver, and barreled into a snow bank.
Gage didn’t waste a moment. He clutched Mallory’s hand again and they were off, moving toward the snowmobile. Gage backed the vehicle out of the snow. Mallory climbed on behind him, and put her arms around his waist.
Three more snowmobiles came out of the trees. Gage gunned the engine. Using one hand to steer and maintain their speed, he raised the gun and took aim.
Their vehicle fishtailed. The mark was lost and Gage cursed. In those few seconds, the snowmobiles following them gained more ground.
“Give me the gun!” Mallory shouted. “You can’t aim and drive!”
Seconds later she saw that he could. Gage took aim again, then fired into the trees, igniting one of the home made bombs. A boom, and then flames erupted. He fired again with the same result. One of the snowmobiles, in the path of the fire, swerved and collided head-on with a second vehicle.
The third emerged from the billowing smoke as Gage reached the mountain road. Mallory glanced back at their pursuer. The snowmobile continued to glide over the snow, coming at them now at top speed.
A bullet shattered one of the side mirrors, spraying glass.
Again, Gage shouted, “Get down!”
Mallory noticed he was watching his rear view through the one remaining mirror carefully. He reduced speed.
“Gage! What are you doing?”
He didn’t respond. Their pursuer fell back, zigzagging over the snow behind them, and coming up beside them. As Mallory watched, the driver raised his gun. “Gage! Look out!”
But he didn’t need the warning, she realized. He was tracking the other snowmobile. His arm was already up, the gun aimed. He fired. Blood spurted from the man’s neck. The snowmobile veered out of control and overturned.
Gage swung to face Mallory. “You okay?” When she didn’t answer immediately, his tone sharpened. “Mallory?”
“Yes.” She released a pent-up breath. “By the way, good shooting.”
He kept his eyes on her for another instant, then glanced at their rear view again. “I don’t see anyone else on our tail. That may have been the last of them for now.”
The “for now” had Mallory taking another look behind them. “How much farther to Turner’s truck?”
“We’re almost there.”
They descended the rest of the mountain without incident. The pickup truck was an early model behemoth that had seen better days. Gage got the vehicle started and with a bounce that lifted Mallory off the seat, they left the mountain behind.
She braced her hand on the dashboard. “How far is the town from here?”
“I don’t think we should take you into town. I don’t want to risk you being spotted. Your office is in Bradley, right?” At her nod he continued. “We’re about three hours out. Safer to take you there. Until we hit the interstate, stay below the windows.”
Thirty minutes later he steered the truck onto the highway. “Okay, we’re clear.”
Mallory sat and buckled up. Her stomach growled.
Gage glanced at her. “There’s a rest stop coming up, but I’d rather forego it and get you to the Bureau.”
“I agree. My stomach can wait. I want to get to the office as soon as possible.”
The interstate had been cleared of snow. She focused on the traffic outside her window, willing them to reach the Bureau office quickly. The old truck’s heater provided little warmth. She was glad of Gage’s parka and huddled into it.
They drove without speaking for the most part but the drive was far from quiet. The wind whistled. The engine hummed and traffic whooshed as it sped by.
Gage, she was sure, had more on his mind than idle banter. His features were strained and his body was tense. Several times, she’d observed him checking the view behind them or glancing in her direction. Clearly, he was alert should another threat present itself.
When they entered the small city of Bradley, Mallory gave Gage directions to the Bureau office. He pulled to a stop in front of the door to the building.
Mallory removed her seat belt. “York, my boss, will want to speak with you too.”
> “I expected that. I’ll park and meet you inside.”
In the small building, she led Gage to the office of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey York. York was a sturdy man, built like a bull with close cropped gray hair and a trim moustache. Mallory made the introductions and the men shook hands. York listened intently as Mallory updated him on the situation, then Gage added details of his own.
Mallory shifted in the seat. She wanted to get to the warehouse and it was taking a force of will for her to sit through this briefing.
When Gage finished speaking, York picked up the phone and punched numbers. “I’m getting a team together to go into that warehouse.”
Mallory leaned forward on the chair. “I want to be part of that team.”
York nodded. “We’ll meet in the briefing room.” He turned to Gage. “Appreciate your help on this Captain Broderick. If you could wait here, I’d like to speak with you again.”
Gage agreed.
With all that had happened, Mallory hadn’t had a chance to contemplate saying goodbye, but Gage’s agreement brought on a release of tension and, for some reason, a profound relief.
In the briefing room, the team leader laid out strategy for the strike. Mallory dressed in her gear and joined the other agents in a truck. Nerves were riding her hard. The lives of twelve women depended on everything going right.
They arrived at the warehouse a short time later. The proximity of it, to the city, to the Bureau office struck her, along with Considine’s audacity to keep these women so close with no fear of detection.
All was quiet outside the warehouse. Though Mallory was straining to get inside, she recognized the team leader’s prudence in observing the scene before proceeding. When more time passed without movement, the leader gave the signal to “Go”.
Mallory took up her assigned position by the door. On another signal from the leader, she entered the warehouse.
The building was dark and cold. Her breath puffed out with each exhalation. The women would need heat if they were to survive. Considine would not be careless with what he considered his merchandise and her stomach churned with the fear they were too late and the women were no longer here.
Weapon drawn, she moved deeper into the warehouse. A rodent scurried out of her path.
She turned a corner and came to a door. Flattening herself against the wall, she put her gloved hand on the knob and yanked the door open. Her fear was confirmed. The room was empty.
The team leader came up behind her. “We’ve finished checking out the rest of the place, Burke. Empty and clean. There’s nothing to suggest anyone was here. We’re packing it in.”
* * *
Once Mallory went with the team to converge on the warehouse, York had asked Gage to go over what had taken place at the cabin again. After, Gage had declined York’s offer to wait in his office for Mallory’s return and had opted to wait in the hall. A door opened. Gage wheeled toward it. A redhead, heels tapping a staccato beat, crossed the tile and entered one of the offices. Gage rolled his shoulders to relieve a knot of tension there, but it remained. Another door opened. But it was only a man pushing a mail cart.
Gage needed to call Mitch and let him know what went down at the cabin. The thought flitted through his mind but was dismissed as he focused once again on the exit door.
He was pacing the length of the hallway when the rumble of the elevators at the far end drew his attention. He spun toward them. A soft ding heralded the opening of the double doors. A tall man in combat gear stepped out and after him—Mallory.
Without blinking, Gage marked her passage down the hall until she entered York’s office. He rolled his shoulders and this time felt a release of the tension.
A phone was on a table in the reception area, along with a scattering of magazines. He dropped onto one of the padded chairs and called Mitch.
Two rings later, Mitch came on the line. “Mitch,” Gage said.
“Hey. Where you calling from?”
“Bradley.”
“I caught a weather report out your way. Hell of a day for a drive.”
“Yeah. Mitch, I’m calling to let you know that you can expect to hear from the PD out here.” Mitch was also a cop. They’d met when they’d both been at the academy. Twelve years later, they were still tight. Mitch was now police chief of a district. Gage told him what went down at the cabin.
Mitch’s voice tensed. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Fine.”
“What’s the status of the investigation? How deeply are you involved?”
“Investigation is ongoing. Now that Agent Burke is back at the Bureau office, my part in this is done. I’ll be driving back up to the cabin later today.”
Mitch was quiet for a beat. “I was hoping you were going to say you had enough of the place.”
Gage didn’t have an answer for that, so he said nothing.
“I was hoping you were going to tell me you’re going back to the job,” Mitch added quietly.
No, Gage couldn’t do that. He wasn’t fit to command. He didn’t expect he ever would be again.
When again, Gage offered no response, Mitch said, “If you need anything.”
“Just the cabin.”
“It’s yours for as long as you want it, you know that.”
“Appreciate it.”
“Gage—”
“I gotta go. Give my love to Shelby.” Shelby was Mitch’s fiancée.
“She worries about you, you know.”
Though Gage did know that Shelby worried about him, that was Mitch’s way of saying he worried.
“Take care of yourself,” Mitch said.
“You, too.”
* * *
While the rest of the team changed out of their gear, Mallory accompanied the team leader to York’s office. Inside, the leader updated their superior on what had gone down at the warehouse.
“. . . and there’s nothing there to show that the women were ever there.” The team leader concluded. “Sorry, Burke.”
Mallory acknowledged the sympathy with a nod.
York pressed his lips together. “Then there certainly isn’t anything to show us where they might have been moved.”
“No.”
After the team leader left, Mallory remained in York’s office. “Sir, we need to get Billy Wilder, the owner of the club, in here and sweat him. He abducted a federal agent. To save himself, he’ll give up the location of the women and then his boss, Considine.”
York drummed his fingers on his desk. “I’m already on it. Our people are on the way to round him up. I’ll call you when we have him.”
“I’d like to be in on the interrogation.”
York nodded. “You’ve earned that. I’ll be in touch. For now, go home.”
Mallory left York’s office. She found Gage in the reception area.
“The women?” he said.
She shook her head. “Considine moved them.”
Gage cursed under his breath.
“Yeah,” she agreed.
“You okay?”
“Far from it,” Mallory said. “Not only were the women moved, but it looks like they were never there. “York’s having Billy picked up in connection with my abduction.”
“Once Wilder is in custody, the Bureau will have a shot at Considine. From what you’ve told me, the first real shot. You know Wilder. Is he likely to flip on his boss?”
She sneered. “Wilder will talk. He’ll have no choice. Once he’s picked up, Considine will mark him and Billy’s hours will be numbered. Billy knows that. He’ll be terrified to turn against Considine, but he’ll realize that we’re his only chance to stay alive.”
“Things will happen fast then once Wilder is apprehended.”
“Can’t happen fast enough for me.” She tapped her leg in a gesture of impatience. “York said he’d call when Wilder’s in custody. Nothing more I can do here.”
“I’ll drive you home.”
Snowbound: Chapter Six
Gage hadn’t planned on remaining with Mallory after he drove her to the Bureau office. As he’d told Mitch on the phone, he’d planned to turn right around and drive back up to the cabin today. If York hadn’t had a chance to explain the situation at the cabin to local law enforcement, Gage imagined the sheriff’s office would have questions for him.
But then he’d learned from Mallory that the women had not been found and that Billy Wilder was still at large. As long as he was, Mallory was still a target. Her fight, as important as it was, wasn’t his. He’d lost his fight six months ago. But the thought of Mallory in danger had his gut clenching and he hadn’t been able to walk away.
“Can we make a stop on the way to my place?”
Mallory’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “Sure. We should take you to a hospital. Have you checked out. I doubt you told York about the car accident or your injured ankle so he wouldn’t stop you from going on that raid.”
“You’re right. I didn’t mention any of that to York. There’s a clinic not far from my place. We’ll make a stop there, but I need to go somewhere else first.”
Gage narrowed his eyes at her urgent tone. “Where?”
“It’s silly. Beyond silly, but I want to go back to the warehouse. I want to take one more look inside.”
“You think something might have been overlooked?”
“No. Maybe. I said it’s silly, but it’s something I need to do.”
He saw it was gnawing at her. “Which way?”
She gave him directions and shortly after, he parked the truck in front of the warehouse. It was situated at the end of a dirt road with no other buildings on it. Anyone traveling on this road would be destined for the warehouse.
Any trace of the FBI raid a couple of hours earlier was gone and the building appeared deserted. His truck was the only vehicle on the lot.
Still, appearances could deceive and according to Mallory’s information, until recently, this warehouse had been used in the commission of a crime. Until he knew for sure that Considine’s people hadn’t returned, Gage wasn’t taking any chances. When Mallory opened her door, he put a hand on her arm and detained her. “Someone may have come back here since you and the team cleared out. Did you get your service weapon replaced?”
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