Mountain Hideaway

by Christy Barritt

  She climbed into the passenger seat as he slammed the driver’s door shut. He cranked the engine and started down the road, his heart pounding as he realized what’d just happened. That could have turned out so much differently.

  Thank You, Lord.

  “We don’t have much time,” Trent said.

  “What do you mean? You think those other guys will find us?” Tessa glanced back, as if expecting to see the second car. Then she began fiddling with the handcuff still left on one wrist. She unlatched it and stuck the tack into her pocket.

  “Unfortunately, I fear they’ll find us sooner rather than later. This car probably has a GPS and they’ll be able to track us down.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “We hold tight for a little while. As soon as we’re able to, we’ll ditch this car and get a new one.”

  “That sounds easier said than done.” She shivered and stared out the window a moment, a certain melancholy washing over her. “You think those guys will be okay?”

  He nodded. “They’ll be fine.”

  “That’s the first time I’ve ever shot someone.”

  “You saved my life.” He glanced over and saw the worry across her features. He reached across the seat and squeezed her hand. “You were brave. You did the right thing. Those guys were ruthless, Tessa. There’s no telling what would have happened when we got to whatever destination they were taking us to.”

  She nodded uncertainly. “Mentally, I know that. Emotionally, I’m still spinning.”

  He squeezed again before pulling his hand back to his side. “I know it’s tough.”

  She drew in a deep breath. “I have to stop thinking about that. I’ve got to start focusing on survival.”

  With that, she opened the glove compartment.

  Tessa riffled through the papers that had been left in the car. Certainly there was some information here, even if it was fake.

  “What are you doing?” Trent asked her.

  “I’m seeing if I can find anything useful,” Tessa told him. “Maybe there’s some evidence of what they were planning. Whatever information we can arm ourselves with, the better.”

  “I agree.”

  Tessa thought she saw a touch of admiration in his eyes. She continued to browse the papers, but saw nothing helpful. The car was registered to someone named John Tracy. The name didn’t ring any bells with Tessa. Some sales papers indicated it had been purchased in Alexandria, Virginia. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

  Tessa had worked in a gallery outside Washington, DC, just a few miles from Alexandria. That was where Leo had based all his operations. This only solidified everything in her mind. Leo had hired these men and sent them after her.

  How many were out there, searching for them? Right now, it almost seemed like an unending army. There’d been the men at her cabin who’d driven off the cliff. The ones at Trent’s cabins who’d followed them through the woods. Then this group. How many would Tessa have to defeat before she’d won the battle?

  Tessa knew that someone with Leo’s power, money and influence could afford to hire as many people as he wanted. He’d made millions on his arms trade. She’d sneaked onto his computer and seen the numbers herself.

  What she’d never been able to figure out was his motive. Was it just the money? Did he really hate this country that much? Maybe it was both. Maybe it was just to carry out his family’s legacy. Until eight months ago when she’d made her discoveries, Tessa had never had any indication that he had ties to terrorists.

  After that, she’d been able to put some of the facts into place. Leo did have a lot of hushed phone calls and out-of-town business trips. She’d always thought it was because he was trying to secure new art deals.

  Suddenly, something landed in her lap. She looked down and saw a wallet. “What’s this?”

  “I took it from the man driving the car. See what’s inside.”

  She opened the bifold and saw at least six one-hundred-dollar bills. The man’s driver’s license read Tom Tracy and he was from Wilmington Heights. His picture seemed to glare at her from the plastic identification card.

  She continued to go through the wallet and found two credit cards, a slip of paper with an address on it and a season pass to a local amusement park.

  Funny, even men like John Tracy had a life outside criminal activities.

  “Anything?”

  She held up the paper. “An address.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s in Wilmington Heights, Virginia. 123 Arnold Drive.”

  He handed her a phone. “This also belongs to one of the men who were after us. Look up the address on the map. I’m guessing it’s near DC. Within an hour, at least.”

  “You think it’s where they were going to take us?”

  “It’s my best guess.”

  Before she could pull up the map, the phone beeped. An incoming call.

  A name popped up on the screen.

  Leo McAllister.

  NINE

  Trent stared at the phone a moment, contemplating his options and weighing the possible consequences. He didn’t have much time to make up his mind.

  “What should I do?” Tessa asked. “If no one answers, Leo will get suspicious.”

  Trent held out his hand, decision made. “Let me have the phone.”

  Her eyes widened even more. “Are you...?”

  He nodded.

  After a moment of hesitation, she slipped the device into his hands. He drew in a deep breath before putting it to his ear and answering. “Hello.”

  “Tom, what’s the word?” a deep voice asked.

  Trent kept his voice neutral, trying to sound indistinguishable. “So far, so good.”

  “You running on schedule still?”

  “By all calculations, yes.”

  “How’s the girl?”

  “Scared.”

  “Good. Wait till she sees me.” He let out a diabolical yet untethered laugh.

  Trent forced himself to let out a deep chuckle, also. He had to sound as if he was on Leo’s side, even if the mere thought of it made him feel sick to his stomach. “Yes, sir.”

  “All right. See you in a few hours, then.”

  Trent hung up and glanced at Tessa. Again, his heart welled with compassion and protectiveness. Leo was planning something extremely painful as a repercussion for her betraying him. Trent couldn’t let that happen. Anger surged through him at the thought. How people could be that twisted, that selfish, that evil was hard to fathom. Yet he’d seen his fair share of evil. He’d fought terrorists before. He’d won. He was determined to do the same here with Tessa.

  “Well?”

  “He says he’ll see us in a few hours. Wherever they were going, it wasn’t terribly far away.” DC was probably three hours from here, but the suburbs could be reached in two or less.

  “So what do we do?”

  “Call the number on the back of those credit cards. See if we can find out how much is left on the credit line. We’re going to need a new vehicle.” He glanced at the dashboard. “And gas.”

  With trembling hands, she began making the calls. “It looks as if there’s about five thousand,” she said several minutes later. “You think we can get away with using these?”

  “If we find a small dealer and we go at dusk so we’re less recognizable. Or if I put a hat on to disguise my face a little more. There are a lot of factors here.” They’d all raced through his mind at once, causing a small throb to start forming at the back of his head. There was so much at stake. One wrong move could end with both of them dead.

  Not on his watch.

  “Okay. Whatever we have to do.”

  “It’s not ideal,” he said. “But there aren’t a lot of choices.”

  “You’re right. If we are where I think, there’s a town about fifteen minutes from here. It’s small, but large enough to have a variety of businesses. Maybe we can find something there.”

  “Even better—look up some
online ads.” Buying from a private dealer was the best option. He prayed that everything would fall into place.

  Tessa got busy, her fingers flying across the phone’s keyboard and her gaze concentrated on the screen. “This one looks promising.”

  “Call them.”

  Tessa did as he asked. When she hung up, she said, “The seller said we can go to his house now. He has one of those credit card readers, so he’ll let us use our cards.”

  “Perfect. Tell me how to get there.”

  Ten minutes later, they pulled up to a small house in the mountains. A man named Jim with long hair pulled back into a ponytail met them outside and showed them a faded red sedan he was selling.

  “If I’d had more time, I would have cleaned it up for you. It’s a little junky inside. My apologies,” Jim said in a West Virginia drawl.

  Trent peered inside and saw some old soda cans in the backseat, along with some napkins and a few magazines. That wasn’t what concerned him. He really needed to see under the hood.

  Jim popped it open for him and Trent examined the hoses and belts, checked the fluids and looked for any corrosion. Afterward, he cranked the engine and listened to it run for a moment.

  “You two from around here?” Jim asked, crossing his arms and looking as if he had all the time in the world.

  “Not too far away,” Trent said. “We’ve been looking for a new car for the family. We didn’t want to let this one pass us by.”

  The man tapped his knuckles on the side of the vehicle. “She may not be beautiful, but she’s solid. I fixed her up myself. It’s what I do—find oysters and make them into pearls and then I sell them.”

  Trent didn’t have enough time to make all of this small talk. He stepped from the driver’s seat and held out his hand. “We’ll take it.”

  A smile spread across the man’s face and he closed the deal with a handshake. “Sounds great. Let me go get my phone and card reader.”

  As he hurried into his house, Tessa looked up at Trent. “You think this can get us out of town?”

  “The car seems to run well, even if it is junky. And the price is right. Now we just have to hope this payment goes through.”

  Jim returned with his smartphone. Trent’s fingers were steady as he handed the credit card to him.

  Jim looked at the card for a moment and then back at Trent. “Since this is such a large transaction, could I see some ID, also?”

  “Of course.” He reached back into the wallet and emerged with the driver’s license. He tugged at his hat as Jim studied the picture a moment. The man looked at the image there and then back at Trent.

  Trent held his breath, waiting for Jim’s conclusion. This could ruin everything for Trent and Tessa. He only prayed Jim didn’t look too closely.

  “These pictures really make us look horrible, don’t they?” Jim finally said with a laugh.

  A chuckled escaped from Trent as he let out the breath he held. “You’re telling me. Or maybe it’s the fact I need bifocals but keep resisting. I don’t feel old enough for that yet.”

  “Let me get this done.” He swiped the card, waited a moment and then looked up with a smile. “All set.”

  “Perfect.”

  Jim handed him his card back, along with the car keys and title. “Enjoy!”

  Trent glanced at Tessa, and she nodded. She took the keys from him. “I’ll be driving this. I’ll see you later...honey.”

  “I’ll see you at home,” Trent said, just as they’d rehearsed.

  They’d discussed abandoning the fake police cruiser a little farther down the road, hopping into the sedan and taking off.

  Trent had walked four steps toward the cruiser when Jim called his name. His fake name. Had Jim realized what they were up to? Trent prayed that wasn’t the case.

  Trent froze, his skin pricking. He turned around, plastering on a fake smile. “Yes?”

  Jim held out a bag of apples. “Here, take these. I have several trees on my property, so I like to give them away to everyone I can. No way I can eat all of them.”

  Trent slowly let out his breath. “Thank you.”

  He took the apples and smiled as he turned away.

  * * *

  “The town is about five miles from here. We’re going to need to stop for some gas,” Tessa said.

  Just then, her stomach let out a grumble.

  Trent tossed her an apple. “See if this will hold you over. We’ll need get something to eat soon, too. Our energy will run out before our adrenaline.”

  “I could use a quick bite.”

  “We’ll get it to go. We’re not far enough away to feel comfortable.”

  Tessa shrugged her shoulders back. “I just can’t relax. It’s as if I’m waiting for a deer to pop out in the middle of the road at any minute. Only it’s not an innocent deer. It’s worse. But then I think—how would these guys know where we are?”

  “They’re pretty smart, so I’m not putting anything past them. Soon they’ll realize that the two henchmen we left on the side of the road aren’t answering their phone. They’ll check things out. The men will be found on the road, taken to a hospital and they’ll check in with Leo. We’re basically on borrowed time here.”

  She shuddered again. “It almost feels like a no-win situation.”

  “It’s not. You’ve handled yourself well so far. Your work with the gun was impressive, to say the least.”

  “All those lessons are paying off, I guess.”

  “I’d say so.”

  A few minutes later, a little town came into view. It looked like a classic mountain community with one main street filled with old buildings that could use some renovation. Still, the storefronts served the purpose they were needed for. There was a post office, a convenience store, a hardware store, deli and gas station.

  While Trent got gas, Tessa hurried inside and cleaned herself up in the bathroom. She eyed the deli right beside the gas station, her mouth watering at the thought of a nice warm sandwich. Instead, she opted to grab some of the premade ones at the gas station, along with some bottles of water, crackers and a prepaid cell phone. She feared Leo would trace the one they used earlier, so they’d left it in the abandoned car.

  She paid using the cash Salem had given her. She’d had to leave her backpack at Chris’s, but at least she had this money, as well as what Trent had taken from the man who’d abducted them. She’d also kept Grath’s gun, just in case.

  One day, she’d repay Salem for all of his kindness. She had a lot of people to repay, for that matter. At the top of her list was Trent.

  As Tessa left the store, she froze in her tracks.

  Emerging from the deli were the four other men who’d been at Chris’s place. They’d ditched their fake police uniforms and had fountain drinks in hand, talking merrily as if they were just some friends out for a good time.

  She had to get Trent and get out of here.

  Now.

  TEN

  Seeing the alarm across Tessa’s face, Trent followed her gaze and spotted the men from the other SUV. He instantly turned around before they recognized his face. Tessa dropped behind a gas pump and pretended to tie her shoe.

  Their gazes connected and no words were needed. This was a very precarious situation, and one wrong move would throw their entire plan into upheaval.

  From where Trent stood, he could hear a phone ring. One of the men answered.

  “What do you mean he’s not picking up?” the man barked. “They were right behind us.”

  Trent motioned for Tessa to hop in the car. Remaining low, she climbed into the front seat and sank down. Trent finished pumping gas and screwed the lid back on the tank. He moved at a normal pace, remaining casual but keeping his back toward the men near him.

  “We’ll go check it out and make sure nothing happened,” the man continued. “We know how important this is to you. You want the girl. Alive. Or, at least, alive enough that you can deal with her yourself.”

  A glance from
the corner of Trent’s eye showed that the men were creeping closer, walking toward their vehicle, which must have been parked out of sight on the other side of the station.

  One of them glanced his way as he passed. Trent tugged his hat down lower. He had to keep a cool head.

  Something seemed to register in the man’s gaze.

  “Trent?” Tessa questioned.

  “Put your seat belt on.”

  “Okay...”

  Before any more time could pass, Trent cranked the engine and pulled down the street. He glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see the men turn and stare.

  They were on to them.

  It would take Leo’s men some time to get to their car, which meant that Trent had to move quickly and carefully.

  The thugs would most likely assume Trent and Tessa would take the road out of town, in the opposite direction from which they’d come. That was why Trent decided to hang a left and head around the block. They’d go back in the direction they came, but take a different route, one away from Leo’s henchmen.

  “They’re still following us,” Tessa said, peering behind her.

  Spontaneously, Trent turned left and swerved into a side street. He wasn’t going to lose them as easily as he’d hoped. He had to make a split-second decision.

  Seizing a window of opportunity, he pulled into an open garage bay at an auto shop. As soon as he threw the car into Park, he hopped out and lowered the garage door.

  “What are you doing?” someone said behind him.

  Trent ignored whoever was speaking for a moment and remained beside one of the windows, holding his breath as he waited.

  “Sir?”

  Trent raised a finger, begging for the man’s silence. Two minutes later, the car chasing them squealed past, not even glancing in their direction.

  His heart slowed for a moment. Maybe they’d lost them. He had to be patient, though, and make sure they’d really lost them. His hope was that the men would assume Trent and Tessa had headed toward the interstate instead of hiding here.

  “Now, would you care to explain what’s going on?” the voice behind him asked.