by Donna Young
“Time to go. Now.”
Kate’s eyes fluttered open and she looked up, trying to see if any of the earlier emotions from last night remained on his face. Not surprised, she saw nothing but the inherent strength of the man beneath.
Rising from her, Roman extinguished the fire and carefully buried the coals while she dressed in silence. Once she was clothed, he handed her some rations. “That’s all. It’ll have to last until we reach Cedar.” Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the lighter. “Take this.”
When she didn’t immediately do as he said, he grabbed her front pocket and shoved the lighter in.
“Keep it on you at all times. If we’re separated or something happens to me, find the deepest, darkest ditch you can and stay there. Don’t come out, not even to relieve yourself.” The dark eyebrows slanted. “Cain will find you.”
Realizing arguing was futile, she forced a smile. “Okay.”
They stepped out into the glare of the morning sun, and for the first time Kate had the opportunity to take in their surroundings. The mine was built on a flat wide ledge of the mountainside, crumbling from years of erosion. Roman had carried her up to the rim of the timberline. A glance above revealed the jagged and unscalable walls of the mountain. Anxiety jabbed at her as Roman walked to the edge.
She stepped back, not able to bring herself to follow him. For distraction, she searched for the side trail they’d taken to the waterfall. Foreboding brushed her nerve endings and started them tingling. No more than a few feet away, where the trail used to be, lay a high wall of rock and mud.
Suddenly Roman was by her side, studying the wall of debris. “It looks like we’re doing this the hard way.”
She swallowed and tried to laugh. Her breath came out in a puff. “What else is new?”
“The rock slide was worse than I thought. It goes at least several thousand feet down and it took a good portion of the mountain with it.”
If he noted her hesitancy, he ignored it. Cerberus was firmly in place. He dropped the backpack to the ground. “We can’t climb over the slide here. With the degree of the slope and the sodden ground, those rocks could give anytime.” Grabbing Kate’s ragged shorts from the bag, he said. “We’ll scoot down on our butts, you behind me like before. We’re going to have to use our hands and feet for balance.” He ripped the shorts into wide strips. “Give me your hands.”
Quickly, Roman wrapped the cloth around her palms before securing them with a knot. “This will protect your skin. When we reach a safer point, where the terrain is more level, we’ll scale the rocks and climb back up to the trail.”
Kate found herself glancing uneasily over his shoulder.
“It’s going to be okay, Kate. You’re not doing this alone.”
“I know.” When she tried to speak, her voice wavered. She cleared her throat before trying again. “Just promise me the next time we have to run from a psychotic arms dealer, that we do it where there’s nothing but flat land, okay?”
Amusement flickered in the eyes that met hers. “I promise.”
The descent was surprisingly simple once Kate got the hang of it. Planting her feet and hands wide, she slid over the gravel and mud. Deliberately she kept her gaze focused on the back of Roman’s head and ignored the pinches of anxiety that plagued her. The route he’d picked kept them parallel with—but at a safe distance from—the slide. Once, when speed almost caused her to lose control, his back was there to halt her momentum. After a few hundred yards, he stopped. Kate took a shaky breath in an attempt to slow her racing heart.
“Here’s a good place. The slopes are less drastic and the rocks more stable.”
She glanced up to the side, following his gaze. The barricade of debris reminded her of a rock pile she’d once seen in an old prison movie. Approximately six feet high, it hardly looked stable.
Not trusting her limbs, she locked her arms around her bent knees to stop the trembling and waited while Roman took a closer look.
Within minutes he was back and pulled her to her feet. “It’s secure enough. Take your time, find the larger rocks and use them as steps. If it feels unstable choose another and wait until you’re balanced. I’ll be right behind you.”
Still wary, Kate picked her way over. At the crown of the wall, Roman snagged her pants. “Turn around and face me. It’ll be easier to keep your balance.”
Following orders, Kate shifted her feet until she faced the rocks, gripping Roman’s shoulders for balance.
“Take it slow.”
She smiled at his warning and started her descent. Rocks crumbled all around her, but he urged her on. “Only a few more feet and we’re home free.”
She stepped down, instinctively feeling for the ground underneath her feet. She settled her weight and breathed a sigh of relief. “I did it.”
Kate heard the sharp snap of boards just as Roman screamed, “Move!” Time slowed as the earth gave way underneath her feet. Suddenly Roman shoved her hard, sending her flying. A horrendous crash echoed around her, mixing with her own scream of terror as she slammed into the ground.
Chapter Thirteen
“You didn’t have to shove me so hard. I was moving.” Kate laid her cheek against the dirt, struggling to get air back into her lungs. When no reply came, she rolled over and sat up. “Roman?” She scrambled back up a few feet. “Roman!”
A hole about four feet in diameter lay where she’d been a few moments before. From the look of the broken boards, it appeared to be part of an old mining shaft.
She took a step closer, trembling. “Roman! Damn it, answer me!” She waited, but there was no response.
“He’s okay, Kate. He’s okay.” She chanted the words under her breath as she dropped first to her knees, then her belly. Impatiently she tore the cloth from her hands. He’s okay. She gripped a ragged board that rimmed the opening and pulled herself to the edge. Closing her eyes, she eased her head and shoulders over the lip.
“Open your eyes, Kate. It’s just a hole,” she told herself. She blinked once, then a second time, before forcing her eyes to stay open.
Below lay nothing but a black void.
“Roman, please answer me.” She reached into her pocket for the lighter, praying that it actually worked. Shakily, she lowered the flickering light, bracing her arm across the hole for support. Fear washed over her, drenching her with perspiration. The hole was several feet deep, disclosing a wide tunnel below. The earth tilted and a sudden need to retch cramped her insides. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and took another deep breath.
“Roman!”
No response. She opened her eyes and then saw him lying on his back, his arm distended awkwardly. Fighting her panic, she scooted back, clasped her knees to her chest and began rocking.
Best-case scenario, he was unconscious with a broken arm or shoulder. Worst case, he had internal injuries.
Kate stared at the hole. God, he might be dying and she couldn’t even look at him without falling apart. Desperately she took in her surroundings, seeing nothing to help her save Roman.
What would he do? Probably weave a rope out of leaves or something. She looked at her clothes, instantly dismissing the idea to use them for a rope as ludicrous.
Think, Kate! Furious with her helplessness, she hit her fist against her head, only to swear when the corner of the lighter jabbed her forehead.
Slowly, she opened her hand and stared at the lighter. Her thoughts snapped into focus. She had two options. She could stay put, see if he came around and take the chance his injuries weren’t life threatening. Or she could find help.
Kate studied the mountain. Roman had said Cedar was a half-day walk northwest of here. Did half a day mean five hours? Or six? In five hours he could be dead.
Of course, that was avoiding roads and people. Maybe if she found a well-used trail, she’d find help. It was a risk—one that put her in danger of running across Threader’s men. Still, it was a risk she had to take.
For the
first time, she understood Cain’s need to always have a backup plan. She hugged the lighter to her chest. “Find him, Cain, please, for me. Don’t let him die.”
Without hesitation, she dropped the lighter into the hole and quickly covered the opening with loose branches. Then bit by bit, she picked her way west across the mountain.
WHITE-HOT FIRE seared Roman’s shoulder. He jerked away. Bone ground against bone, eliciting a grunt as he struggled to focus past the onslaught of dizziness. In his mind, he saw the ground give out from under Kate and his shove to keep her safe.
He raised his head. “Doc?”
Razor-sharp stars glanced off the inside of his skull and bile rose in his throat. Roman let his head drop back to the ground. Fending off another explosion of stars, he forced his muscles to relax and took inventory.
He’d dislocated his shoulder. Having accomplished the same feat several times over the past few years, he was familiar with the jarring pain. The head injury was another matter.
Using his good arm, he probed the back of his scalp until he felt the warm, sticky blood. A hindrance certainly, but not critical.
He moved the rest of his limbs cautiously, each stiff and sore from the fall but otherwise undamaged.
“Kate?” Gritting his teeth, Roman sat up, only to suck in air as his right arm dragged up against his body, useless. He counted to ten slowly, then scooted against the wall.
He willed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Another slug of pain hit him, but he ignored it and slid off the back pack. When his hand closed around the flashlight, he thumbed the switch.
The beam glanced over the area. Splintered pieces of wood lay at his feet. He flashed the light over the ceiling. The hole, toothed with more broken boards and covered with debris, was several feet above his head. An old ventilation shaft. From the smell of the stale air, it must’ve remained hidden for years until the rockslide weakened the already rotting wood.
“Kate!”
No answer. Except this time Roman didn’t expect one. She was gone. Instinctively he knew it. The tension inside him tightened, threatening to snap.
After tucking the flashlight in his waistband, he struggled to his feet, using his good hand to claw the wall for support.
She had screamed just before he’d fallen through the hole. If near, Threader’s men would’ve heard it, too. He shoved away from the wall and grabbed the light. Time was running out.
With an effort that left his body damp, Roman searched the passageway only to find that the hole above him was his only means of escape. He bit out a string of curses. Even if he had a rope—which he didn’t—the dislocation prevented him from climbing.
His gaze settled on the pine support beam half buried in the dirt wall. The possibility of another cave-in loomed over Roman as he gave the beam a couple of hard shoves, testing its strength. Satisfied the wood wouldn’t budge, he placed his shoulder against the pine.
He pulled back, preparing to use every ounce of power to try to reset his shoulder, when a faint rustle of branches drifted from the opening. He froze and within moments a flash of light bounced through the tunnel.
The soft twittering of a bird whistled.
Cain.
Thank God. Kate was safe.
“Here.” Roman called and slid to the floor. Another wave of dizziness hit him, underscoring the throbbing in his skull.
“Your mama was worried,” came the warm, welcoming response from above. Roman smiled grimly at the code words. In normal circumstances Cain’s voice was never warm or welcoming.
“My mama loves me,” he replied.
Any other response, and Cain would’ve known that Roman had undesirable company in the tunnel. A rope dropped from the hole.
“How’s Kate?” Roman shouted, unable to wait until his partner joined him.
“She’s not with you?” A sudden, thin chill hung on the question as Cain, dressed in full military gear, rappelled, hitting the ground only a few feet away. He unclipped his harness and crossed to Roman.
In the dimness, the similarities between brother and sister appeared stronger. The black hair. The aristocratic features. Usually Cain’s gray eyes remained passive under hooded lids, but now they glittered with the hue of tempered steel.
“What the hell do you mean? Didn’t you track the lighter?” Anger singed the corners of Roman’s control as comprehension dawned. Cain had tracked the lighter—to the tunnel.
Cain flashed the high-beam light across Roman before sending it over the floor. Within moments he stopped on an object lying by the opposite wall.
“You mean this?” Cain asked before picking up the lighter.
Swearing, Roman turned on Cain. “Your sister is the most reckless—”
Cain held up his hand, cutting off Roman’s tirade. He touched a small transmitter on his ear. “Repeat that.”
Roman raised an eyebrow. “Ian?”
With a nod of affirmation, Cain answered. “Everything’s secure. Copy that. I’m going to need your help. Roman dislocated his shoulder.”
This time, Roman interrupted. “Tell him to stay put. There’s no way out of here except up.”
“Disregard that order. Roman says we’re sitting ducks down here. Watch our backs and I’ll let you know when I need help.”
Cain hesitated, his features impassive. “Kate’s not here. Scope the area and see if you can pick up anything. I want to know if she had company or if she went looking for help.”
There was a long pause. Cain’s voice burned with emotion when he spoke again. “Affirmative. We’ll each take a turn beating her when we find her.”
Roman’s lips tightened in understanding. Neither brother nor Roman would ever hurt Kate, but the thought was somehow comforting nevertheless. “What time is it?”
Cain dropped his gear to the ground. “Ten hundred hours.”
He’d been unconscious for two hours, then. Roman leaned against the wall, wincing when he bumped his scalp wound. “Kate’s got about a three-hour start on us.”
Alerted by Roman’s pained expression, Cain crouched, then held the light to Roman’s head. “Do you know where she’s gone?”
He probed the wound. Roman’s jaw tightened. “Cedar.”
“We’ll catch up,” he said, before examining Roman’s shoulder. “Any other injuries?”
“No.”
Cain stepped away and flashed the light against the hole. “You’ll survive.” He brought the beam back to Roman, his voice cool and clear like ice water. “It’s probably a good thing you hit your head first. Anything else would’ve killed you.”
Roman knew when his partner was making a joke. The man had a sense of humor drier than the Sahara. “Yeah, tell me that again, after you snap my shoulder back into place.”
Dropping the flashlight, Cain grabbed Roman’s arm in a vicelike grip and placed his foot snug against the indent of the injured shoulder. Roman steeled himself for what was to come.
“Ready?”
Before Roman could respond, Cain gave a vicious yank.
Bone slid and snapped. Roman let out an agonizing roar. “Damn, it never gets any easier.” Taking in a few puffs of air, he waited while the burning dissipated into a dull ache. Then he tested his arm.
Not much strength, but at least it was mobile. What he needed was a sling, but it would let their enemies know of the injury and give them an advantage.
Taking his good hand, Cain pulled Roman to his feet and helped him with the backpack before donning his own equipment. “Let’s find my sister.”
A few minutes later Roman, Cain and Ian stood on the ground by the hole.
“I found the trail.” Ian, also outfitted in fatigues and gear, pointed west. “She was alone and not running from anyone.” Different in looks from his siblings, Ian had cobalt-blue eyes and the chestnut hair of his father, cropped military short. “The tracks are practically invisible up to a hundred yards away. She did a hell of a job hiding them.”
“She’s been watching m
e for the past few days.” Watching and learning, Roman thought. Let’s hope it saves your life, Doc.
Aloud, he issued orders. “Take point, Ian. You’re the better tracker. Cain and I will bring up the rear.”
Cain nodded his agreement before adding, “Let’s move. My little voice is telling me we’re running out of time.”
Roman had learned to respect that voice over the years. It had saved his and Cain’s lives so many times he’d lost count.
He glanced at his partner when Ian jogged ahead. Forged from an innate sense of caution, precision and justice, Prometheus was one of the best in their field.
“When this is over,” Cain said, interrupting Roman’s thoughts. “You can tell me what the hell you did to my cabin.”
Roman smiled. “I blew it to pieces.” Then his lips turned grim. “But you have a bigger problem, chief. Labyrinth has a mole.”
KATE HIKED THROUGH the trees that hugged the paved road, loosening her back muscles now and then, trying to ease the ache between her shoulder blades. Had she done the right thing? she wondered for the hundredth time, her eyes searching the deserted road. Surely help would come soon.
Pinpricks swept up her spine and over her scalp. Braced to run, she watched as a rabbit hopped from a nearby bush. When it paused, its nose twitching in the air, Kate smiled, light-headed with relief.
“Don’t worry, bunny. I don’t have a knife. Even if I did, I’m a lousy aim.”
“Perhaps all you need is a little practice, Dr. MacAlister.”
Kate’s heart jumped at the softly spoken words. Before she could move, a huge, bald-headed man dressed in camouflage stepped from the trees.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” the man continued, his tone thick with a Mediterranean accent. “I am Quamar Bazan.” He salaamed. “I work for Nigel Threader.”
Suddenly a half-dozen men surrounded her, all pointing machine guns. Each was dressed in army fatigues, unshaven and drenched in sweat. One in particular smiled at Kate, his oily face gleaming with pleasure. Kate suppressed the urge to gag.
She’d failed. A heaviness settled in her chest. She’d failed all those innocent people. And she’d failed Roman. No doubt if she didn’t get these men out of the area soon they’d eventually locate Roman. She couldn’t let that happen.
