Circle of Deception

by Carla Swafford

  Rex and Abby landed next to each other behind a thick stand of undergrowth.

  “We’ve got to quit meeting like this,” she said in her usual sarcastic tone. “It’s hell on my manicure.”

  Rex looked at her nails and up at her face. She grinned. Christ! She could’ve been killed. Unable to tease back, he gritted his teeth.

  “We’re getting fired on and you’re making jokes. Maybe you and Jack are made for each other.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished them back. Her smile disappeared, and she looked away.

  Each time gunfire zinged through leaves, thudding into the ground and tree trunks, a second later the crack of a rifle firing echoed around them. He couldn’t tell how many were firing, though he pinpointed the general direction.

  “Rex! Abby! Are you okay over there?” Jack stepped a little too close to the opening as the zing and whack of a bullet hit near his feet in warning. A second later the echo of the rifle fire reached their location.

  “We’re fine!” Rex wanted to squeeze Abby, wrap his body around her to protect her from the bullets zinging everywhere. “They want to pin us down until reinforcements show up.”

  “Yep, that’s what I think too.”

  “We’ll go farther into the trees.” Rex jerked his head toward a steep cliff in the direction of the firing. When Jack nodded, he knew he understood that they were going to work their way around and try to come up behind the shooters.

  “We need to split up.” Abby looked up from where he still pressed her to the ground. He wanted to argue and keep her close and safe, but she was right. She hadn’t gotten to her position in The Circle by hiding behind the men.

  “Okay. No time to waste. Jack and the others should be safe enough but if we don’t get the shooters before sunrise, I have a feeling we’ll have more company than we can handle. You game?”

  Abby nodded, her eyes round with anticipation. He felt the same. They were ready to kick butt.

  “The usual? I come up one side and you on the other?”

  She nodded again. “Sounds like a plan,” she said.

  He rolled off her and started belly crawling over the leaves and limbs scattered on the forest floor. A grin spread across his face when he heard her move off to the opposite direction.

  After about twenty minutes he felt he should be safe enough to gradually stand, keeping an old wide oak between him and the snipers. He heard the hiss of the bullet and as he grunted from the impact, he heard the shot. Damn, that burned like a son of a bitch. It wasn’t the first time he’d been shot, but it was never easy to deal with. He wadded the tail of his shirt and pressed it to the wound on his hip. Of all places. If it had been his arms or side, he could deal with it better. But so close to a joint, every time he moved, blood spurted out and stung.

  Hell, that hurt.

  He squinted his eyes as he tried to figure the best way to climb the side of the mountain. Without wasting another second, he placed a foot on a rock and reached for a small sapling and worked his way above the caves. He slid once but caught himself before giving his position away.

  When he stood several yards from a group of rocks overhanging the small valley below and the back entrance of the cave that Jack and the other operatives were stuck in, he waited. Abby should be in position soon. Then he heard the chack of a nighthawk. They were night birds but were rarely so far into the forest. It was the call signal they used before her capture. She was letting him know she was ready.

  Thank goodness for the waning moon. Enough light to move around and see the darker movement of two snipers. He caught a third shadow moving a little closer. Abby. He would recognize that shape from miles away.

  She fired. A blast of light from the muzzle of her gun gave away her location as she killed her target. When he caught the sniper closest to him aiming his rifle in her direction, he charged in, shooting. The fellow stood and turned. Rex unloaded the magazine into the guy. The sniper never got another round off; instead he stumbled and a scream cut through the night.

  “Everything all right?” He looked toward where Abby had been last.

  “I’m fine. How about yourself?” She was next to him. How had she snuck up on him?

  “Fine. Let’s get out of here before we really get stuck.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  * * *

  ABBY NOTICED THE limp Rex tried to hide as they made their way back to the cavern entrance. The sun’s rays stabbed the night sky when they reached the entrance. Hard to believe it was morning.

  She snagged his arm. “Have you been hit?”

  He waved at Jack and looked down at her. Before he could say anything, the pounding of hoofbeats came down the dirt road. Ty Roman rode hunched over the horse’s withers, looking like either an Old West rough rider or a Hollywood stunt double, whatever a person fancied as he pulled on the reins, causing the horse to rear. Oh, come on. Was it all part of an act?

  “You got trouble coming and fast. They’re on ATVs. I suggest you go back through and head out the other side. It’s a smaller detail than what’s coming.” He held out his hand to her. “Come with me. I’ll get you out of here.” His devilish attitude didn’t even tempt her.

  When had she started lying to herself? Besides, what had she done to make the guy think she trusted him? Before she answered, Rex stepped in front of her.

  “We don’t run when others need our help.”

  “I can speak for myself.” She nudged him with her hip. “Thanks, but I’m needed here.”

  Ty gave her his crooked grin that made her knees tremble. “I see.” Then the roar of big engines coming closer filled the air. “I hope to see you again.” He pulled the reins, leading the horse at a good clip toward the trees and disappearing down a footpath.

  Abby turned to follow Rex into the cave when the zinging of bullets warned ATV riders had arrived. Several of the men shoved a couple large steel cabinets into the opening and then Nic drove a forklift into them, squeezing the metal into a tangled barricade.

  “Jack, we’re not going through that passageway back into the other cavern, are we? They’ll pick us off like ducks at a carnival game.” Abby checked her ammo and looked around.

  She opened her mouth, about to remark how surprised she was they still had electricity, when the lights went out. Several of the operatives had their flashlights and quickly turned them on before Abby started to feel suffocated. She hated caves and especially the absence of light. The helpless feeling wasn’t one she wanted to experience for longer than a second or two. It reminded her of the weeks she’d spent beneath The Circle when Theo had thrown her into a dark, damp cell. Never had she been so happy than the day that monster died.

  The tension grew thick with worry and everyone tried to talk at once, giving suggestions to Jack as what to do next.

  “Abby,” Rex leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Do you feel that?”

  It felt like a breeze. If the electricity was off, the air shouldn’t be flowing. There had to be another way out.

  “Yeah. Do you think it’s another passageway?”

  “Not quite. I was remembering how Olivia almost escaped from Collin one time. She told him about it, laughing about how she would’ve escaped if he hadn’t been such a smart-ass and placed bars in the vents.”

  That sounded like Olivia.

  Her gaze shot up to the walls. The flashlights Nic, Jack, and the other operatives held didn’t go far enough to see if the darker spots on the stone walls were openings.

  “As much as Brody used these caves, there’s a good chance they’re vented. Only how big?” Nic moved next to them and squinted, peering around stalactites.

  “Can I borrow your light?” Abby asked the operative next to her. He handed it over. “Rex, let’s get a little closer over there and then you can lift me up.”

  He grunted as he grabbed her hips and held her up.

  “Don’t you dare tease me about my weight.” She stretched a little more and shone the light above a
small overhang. “Bingo! The vent is huge.”

  “This should help.” Nic leaned a ladder onto the protruding rock. “I found it in the corner behind some of the crates.”

  Abby reached out as Rex released her and she climbed up the ladder and onto the ledge. As she crawled into the opening, she moved the beam around, checking for anything that warned of booby traps or spiders.

  “It’s clear from what I can see.” She moved about a yard. “Tell Jack I’ll check it out and let you know what I find.” On her knees, her head cleared the ceiling by several inches. “I think it’s big enough for you too.” No sooner had she said the last word than he was on his stomach, wiggling through the vent behind her.

  “If you get my ass stuck, yours is going to be sore when we get out of here.”

  “Yeah, yeah, promises, promises. I don’t remember asking you to come along.” She tossed a grin over her shoulder and headed toward the other end of the air vent. “What did Jack say?”

  “Nic’s telling him now.”

  “All right. Just stay off my butt.” Unseen by him, her smile widened. Deep inside, just knowing that he left Nic behind made her happy.

  The flashlight clanked against the metal beneath her hand as she moved a little faster. Rex’s hot breath on her rear end bothered her, even through the thick cotton material of her pants. She had to admit, everything about him bothered her, but not the way it should. She should be mad at him. He’d dismissed her as part of another assignment. And the way he smiled at Nic yet glared at her was so irritating. But no matter how he wanted to ignore her, the sex they had together had been special. Hell, spectacular! Drunk or not, she’d felt things with him she’d never felt with any other man. Not that she had a lot to compare it to since she didn’t sleep around.

  Olivia had teased her about being so picky. She said Charlie was a good example and that she should grab one of the single, good-looking operatives at OS Sector, keep his mouth busy, work him through his paces, and then move on. Then her stress would be cut in half. But when did she have time?

  They’d gone about ten yards when a metal wall stopped her.

  “Okaaay.”

  “What?” His hands clasped her hips, and she gasped. The sensation was too much like the time at Brody’s. Get a grip on yourself. He was only looking over her shoulder at the wall.

  “We have to decide left or right. It splits here.” She looked down one dark shaft and then the other.

  “Be still a moment and see which direction the air is coming from,” Rex said.

  “To the right,” she said.

  Then she heard the noise behind her, a mechanical twirl ending with a clank.

  “What the hell?” Rex released her and backed up. “Damn it! They closed off the vent before anyone else could get in here. We better start moving in case we get trapped. They might have it set to close at the other end, too, wherever the hell that is.” He pushed her butt to get moving.

  “Okay, okay. I’m moving. Keep your hands to yourself.”

  “That’s not what you said the other night.”

  “Oh, do you really think this is the time and place?” she snapped back.

  He grunted but didn’t say anything else as they crawled as fast as possible down the vent. Then they could see daylight. The sun was up. And there was a thick grille across the opening with a lock. Crap!

  “What do we do now?” she asked. The huge steel lock meant business.

  “Move over, flat against the wall. I need to get by you.” Rex pushed on her to hurry. The width of the vent didn’t equal the height.

  “There’s no way.”

  “Lie down. I’ll have to go over you.”

  “Go over?” Did she hear him right? He wasn’t smiling. She moved into position.

  Stretched out on her stomach, she felt his big body slide over hers. His groin rubbed up her butt and then her upper shoulders before brushing her hair, and he reached the grille. Why would something so crazy send tingles scattering across her body? Definitely not the time or place.

  At that moment, the metal beneath them began to shake.

  She flung her arms over her head as the vent groaned and pinged. The sound of small rocks falling on the metal and welds as they broke filled the small space. Then a growing rumble rolled in.

  “Oh hell! They’ve blown up the place.” Rex covered her head with his body. The vent continued to shake as rocks fell for several minutes and then the smell of dirt billowed in. “Back up! Quick!”

  She scooted away as soon as he moved. A glance in the dark had her worried about going too far into the vent and mountain with possible aftershocks from the explosions. Numb with all of the possible ways to die, she lifted the neck of her shirt and covered her nose and mouth without losing sight of Rex. She wanted to see what he had planned. Deep inside she wanted to shout Hurry, but knew no matter what she said, he was moving as fast as he could.

  On his back, Rex bent his knees and slammed both feet flat against the grille. It didn’t move.

  She crossed her fingers and began praying. It had been years, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt.

  The vent and surrounding rock began to shake again and lasted longer than before. The earth around them moved so much, she felt like popcorn in a skillet. Then what sounded like thunder rolled down the vent and brought a thick cloud of dirt with it.

  “We need to get out of here. Try again.” She coughed, blinking to clear her vision.

  Rex kicked two more times, and the frame surrounding the grid creaked and bent. Several more hits and the metal piece holding the lock broke. The grate swung open with a loud screech.

  “Come on!” Rex slid to the edge and looked down and then pushed off, his shadowy form disappearing.

  Coughing, she crawled to the end. About four feet down, Rex, his face covered with a thin coat of dirt, stared up at her. With Rex being six-five, she guessed it was a drop of ten feet to the ledge that barely held him. Over his shoulder, she could make out a rocky slope tumbling down to a line of trees. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to regain control of her shaking legs. Now wasn’t the time to have a breakdown. When she opened her eyes, she spotted, off in the distance, the road they’d arrived on; several SUVs and trucks blocked the road and cavern exits as smoke billowed over the people milling around. None were Circle operatives.

  “Do you think it was Brody?” She looked down at Rex.

  “He’s not that stupid. The explosion will alert the locals. My money is on the Inferno. They don’t care who gets hurt as long as they stop us from interfering with their shipments.”

  She looked behind her. The smoke surged steadily out of the vent. The bastards had used dynamite or C4 with all her people inside: Jack, Liam, Charlie, even Nic, and so many more. Christ!

  “Abby, dammit! Jump!” he said urgently in a loud whisper.

  She sat up and pushed off, feetfirst. He caught her around the waist and grunted as she slid down, rubbing all the hard places that she loved to admire naked.

  His gray eyes darkened. She swiped at the dirt on his face. Being in the situation of nearly losing their lives, it forced a person to rethink what was so important. She leaned toward him.

  He sighed and released her.

  Sadness choked her for a moment. For him, for everyone. Maybe for herself. No time to get mushy. They needed to find a way out and a possibility of bringing back help. She ducked her head down and used the tail of her dirty shirt to clean some of the grit and tears from her face.

  “Let’s get moving,” she said as she walked around him and picked her way through the bigger rocks and shrubs. A few seconds later, she heard him follow.

  It took them close to an hour to work their way around and behind the vehicles. Everyone’s attention was centered on the entrance. The face of the mountain was sunken in; smoke floated above boulders and tons of gravel.

  “Keep an eye out and whistle if you see anyone coming.” Rex bent low and scurried alongside a couple trucks until he reach
ed one parked catty-corner to the others, the only vehicle that wouldn’t need to be backed out, thus drawing less attention.

  He opened the door and a buzzer went off.

  No one made a move toward them as he jumped inside, cursing, and softly closed the door. She wasn’t surprised that one of Inferno’s men had left the keys in the ignition. While rushing in to participate, they must’ve believed everyone was trapped in the caverns.

  The taillights came on. He slowed, shoving open the door for her to hop in. Once she was inside, he pressed the gas just enough to not sling dirt or draw undue attention.

  “Well, what do you want to do next?” She turned to the side, a knee bent on the bench seat. “Rex?”

  Deep lines etched around his mouth warned something was wrong. Big-time.

  “We’ll go over to the Lazy Inn on the outskirts of Sand City and you can call Ryker.” His voice sounded strained at the end.

  “Where are you hurt?” When they had killed the snipers, she’d noticed his limp. “I asked you earlier and you ignored me, but I can tell something’s wrong.”

  As if she hadn’t said a word, he continued, “Then you’ll need to call your family and tell them to leave town. They’re not to tell anyone. Brody’s going to be pissed and he might take it out of them. I’m not sure if Ryker will get here in time to protect them.”

  “What about the locals? We need to call and warn them. They have equipment to get the team out.” Did she really believe they were still alive? She couldn’t let any other thought cross her mind.

  “Abby, honey. It’s too late for them. If the cave-in didn’t kill them, the lack of air will. Take care of your family and let Ryker handle . . . the rest.” The last was said as if he was so sleepy he couldn’t move his mouth any more.

  He slumped to the side, and the truck swerved.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  * * *

  ABBY TOOK THE steering wheel and crawled onto Rex’s lap, inserting a leg between his knees to press her foot to the brake pedal. She pulled the truck to the emergency lane, relieved that the road was deserted. When she got the truck in park, her attention turned to Rex.