His calm words soothed my out of control heart, and even though my body still trembled, I nodded in understanding. Drew’s hand slid away, and his lips pressed a quick kiss of apology to my cheek. Rolling carefully from the bed, I crouched and immediately found my suitcase sitting neatly pushed up against the wall. In the dark, I had to rummage aimlessly through my clothes until I found panties, and pulled them quickly up my legs. I couldn’t hear Drew behind me, but I knew he was there, and it gave me the courage to slip into a pair of shorts, struggle with a bra, and pull on a t-shirt, all while holding myself together rather than crumbling in panic. My clothing could have been inside out for all I knew, but my hands were shaking, and I didn’t want to slow down to figure it out. Suddenly, Drew was kneeling beside me and shoving my sneakers into my hands.
“Hurry, Mouse.” Not bothering with socks, I pulled them on and fumbled with the laces until I was sure they were tied. “Ready?”
“Uh-huh.”
Drew’s hand wrapped around my arm, and he carefully pulled me to my feet before moving around the bed until we were standing in front of our closed door. Here, he paused and I stilled, my body pressed against his back as I absorbed the heat radiating from him. Silence greeted us, and I wondered what was going on. I couldn’t hear anything, nor could I see anything. What had Drew heard that had him launch into warrior mode? Glancing toward the curtains that were pulled across the large window, I noticed a silhouette cast from the moonlight, proving to me something was in fact, “going on.” Who was that? Tugging on Drew’s shirt, I pointed before remembering he probably wouldn’t be able to see me in the dark space.
“Who’s that?” I breathed as quietly as possible.
Drew’s response was to open our door and move on silent feet across the threshold. I was practically dragged across the living area, through the kitchen, and into the laundry room. The figure that greeted us almost pulled a scream from my lips until Gabbie’s reassuring whisper instantly calmed me.
“Two at the front. There was also one at the back that I’ve already taken care of,” she murmured, while pulling open the door which led outside. Gabbie took a moment to check around the door frame, then she disappeared into the darkness. My hand, wrapped in Drew’s, received a tight squeeze before he encouraged me to hold the back of his belt.
“I need both my hands free. Don't let go unless I tell you to,” he whispered in my ear, his breath tickling my neck.
Then I was being pulled out into the crisp night air. It was quiet, not even a breeze disturbed the night as Drew kept us pressed to the side of the house. I had no idea where Gabbie was, and the thought that something might happen to her made me feel nauseated. Gabbie had skills, though, and somewhere deep down I knew she could take care of herself.
“Go, go, go,” her voice came from somewhere behind us, scaring the shit out of me.
Her voice was urgent, and Drew didn’t wait to ask her what was going on. He simply crouched low and ran across the small clearing that separated the barn from the forest. I did my best to keep up, my fingers hanging onto his belt like a lifeline that might be severed at any moment.
Once we were under the cover of trees, Drew maneuvered us through the forest like he’d done it a thousand times. I guess when he and Gabbie had been checking the perimeter and ‘getting a lay on the land,’ this is what they meant.
A popping noise split the calm air around us, and Drew swore before using a big hand to push my head down. I felt Gabbie’s hand on my back, her body protecting mine.
“Hijo de puta!” Gabbie spat out.
Under the slight glow of the moon, I watched as she stood taller, turned, and fired her own weapon. Then I was tugged forward again, Drew ducking and weaving through the forest while I did my best not to trip over and fall flat on my face.
We suddenly stilled and Drew pressed my body against a large tree.
“What about Grandma Catalina?” I whispered frantically.
“She’s okay. We had a plan in place for her. We need to worry about us right now, and we need to keep quiet, Mouse.”
I stood still as a statue while trying to catch my breath without making too much noise, which was much harder than I thought possible. Drew wasn’t even panting, and it occurred to me that maybe I should have been joining him on those runs he went on every day. My stamina was non-existent.
A sudden noise to our left had Drew’s body tense as he pointed his gun, pressing me even further into the bark that bit my naked arms and legs.
“Don’t shoot me, Grumpy Bear,” Gabbie whispered, coming to stand beside us. “Let’s move out.”
Once again I was being dragged through the trees and trying hard not to fall flat on my face. God, this was just like Thailand. Would there ever be a time when I was not running? It felt as if my entire life had been a damn marathon.
Gabbie slipped into position behind me, and Drew led the way until we were standing by a small creek. I imagined it would have looked pretty if the darkness hadn’t smothered its beauty. Drew didn’t stop; he simply waded into the water making as little noise as possible and pulled me right along with him. The ice cold water hit my skin like sharp knives, and I gasped as I was dragged deeper into the water. I was able to touch, barely, but Drew’s hand never left mine as he pulled me quickly to the other side and began to drag me up the embankment. Now with wet shoes, my feet slipped on everything, and Drew had to holster his gun to help me up. Another popping noise made my heart skip a beat, and Drew shoved me hard to the ground, pressing my body to the ground and covering me. More popping, which I assumed was Gabbie returning fire, followed by a thunking noise and Gabbie spitting out something in Spanish which didn’t sound quite as beautiful as it normally did.
“Get your ass moving,” she ground out, an edge to her voice I had never heard before.
Drew pulled me to my feet, and I was airborne, my abdomen connecting with his hard shoulder as he carried me up the embankment and away from the creek. Before I had a chance to tell him I was going to puke, he dropped me to my feet and turned me until I was facing what seemed like a rocky outcrop buried under the thick forest. He pushed my head, and I dropped to my knees.
“Gabbie?” he whispered.
“I took one down, the other is still out there.” She paused, panting hard which seemed unusual for Gabbie. “I don’t think the bullet came out,” she murmured from beside me.
I realized what the unfamiliar tone in her voice was . . . pain.
“You’ve been shot?” I squeaked out.
“Where?” Drew demanded, not a trace of fear behind the word.
“Shoulder, but low.”
“Get in the hole with Lola. I’m going to take care of this.”
Gabbie didn’t argue. She crawled into the shadowed space in front of us, and Drew pushed me, signaling me to follow.
“Drew?” I asked, wondering if he was going to fit into the narrow crevice. I doubted he would.
“Get in there, Mouse. You need to find where Gabbie’s been shot and put pressure on it to slow the bleeding. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
CHAPTER 33
DREW
Even in the darkness, the stark fear in the whites of Lola’s eyes broke my heart just a little. She shouldn’t be living like this. She should have nothing to fear. She should be safe.
Pressing a quick kiss to Lola’s cold lips, I encouraged her to duck down and crawl into the space Gabbie and I had discovered on our second day here.
“Drew?” Lola whispered as I turned.
“Yeah, Mouse?” I murmured, trying to keep my voice as low as possible.
“If you don’t come back I’m going to find you and kick your ass.” She said, her voice shaky yet determined.
I smiled. “You won’t even have a chance to miss me.”
And with that, I moved away from the hiding spot. Once again, I found myself in an element that was all too familiar, and the calm that settled over me was all too easy. Although I wasn’t used to being t
he hunted, being the hunter was something I understood on a level that some might find terrifying. Edging further and further away from the rocks where Lola and Gabbie were hiding, I did my best to draw attention away from them. The hiding place was only a stone’s throw from the river. If a hired assassin knew what he was doing, he’d follow our tracks and locate them easily. That’s why I had to find him first.
Pausing, I cocked my head and listened. The forest was quiet, not even the slightest breeze disturbed the foliage. The stillness was both a gift and a curse. It meant there was no noise to mask my own movements, but that meant my enemy was in the same predicament. Not a muscle twitched as I stood, waiting, listening, and then I heard it. The soft and crunch of dry leaves underfoot. Moving toward the creek, I followed it several feet, taking advantage of the soggy ground to hide my footfalls, then I turned and headed back into the thicker trees, keeping low and stepping carefully heel to toe. Pausing, I listened again. The snap of a twig gave him away, and he was so close it’s a wonder I didn’t feel the heat from his body. Raising my arm, I pointed the Glock that was resting comfortably in my hand, but as I pulled the trigger, he moved, ducking low and charging straight into my body. We fell, a mass of limbs hitting the hard ground with a thump. Clenching my fist, I punched and felt nothing but satisfaction as I connected with bone that crunched in a way that brought a smile to my usually downcast lips. The masked man let out a grunt and rolled. Now free, I jumped to my feet and swung around gun raised. A sharp pain in my thigh made my leg wobble, but I locked my knees and fired in the direction of the shadow in front of me. It missed, and I don’t know if it was instinct, because I couldn’t see shit out here, but I ducked just as the familiar feeling of a sharp blade sliced across my arm. Blades, guns, fists, it didn’t matter to me, I was competent with all weapons, and this fucker could try all he might to gut me, but he wouldn’t win. He was motivated by money; I was motivated by something far more valuable.
Wanting to end this sooner, rather than later, I did the opposite of what natural instinct might tell one to do in these circumstances, and I moved into the man’s body. For a moment, the moonlight broke through the canopy above, and I only had a split second to grab the arm that came at me with the knife, aiming for my stomach. With one hand holding the thick wrist away from my body, I raised my gun that was still wrapped in my hand, and I fired, hitting the fucker in the chest. I didn’t stop there, though. I fired again and again until he toppled backwards and fell heavily to the ground.
Breathing hard, I knelt for a moment to catch my breath. While every molecule in my body wanted me to run and check on Lola, I needed to be sure there was no one else out here. So, I knelt, silent and still, and listened. Once assured there was no one else creeping around the forest, I turned and began running back toward Lola and Gabbie’s hiding spot. My leg throbbed, and I knew I’d taken a hit from that fucking blade to my thigh. Blood trickled down my arm from where he’d tagged me a second time. Ignoring the pain, I ran through the trees, no longer trying to be silent. As I approached Lola and Gabbie, I called out, not wanting Gabbie to shoot me. Dropping to my knees, I grabbed my phone from the water safe pocket of my cargos and used it to light the small hole in which the girls were hiding. Lola’s fearful eyes locked on mine.
“She’s not talking anymore. I think she’s unconscious,” she whispered.
“Let me see,” I murmured, using every ounce of training to keep calm. If Gabbie was dead, I’d go back and kill the fucking asshole that shot her again. If Gabbie was dead, her loss would be monumental; I wasn’t sure how Montgomery’s would take a loss like that. Bomber would fucking kill me. If Gabbie was dead, I wasn’t sure if it was something my conscious could bear. All of those fears raced around my head as Lola crawled out of the small space. Once she was free, I reached in and carefully placed my hands under Gabbie’s armpits, sliding her out into the open.
“Call Dillon. His number is the first one in my contacts. Tell him we need an evac.” Pressing my fingers to the pulse under Gabbie’s jaw, I found the slow, faint beat. Not good, but at least she was alive. “Tell him Gabbie needs medical attention, and we need it, like, yesterday.”
Noticing a wadded-up piece of cloth at Gabbie’s side, I reached for it and pressed it against the bleeding wound on her shoulder, far too close to her chest for my liking. Glancing at Lola to make sure she was okay, it was only then I noticed that she stood shivering in nothing but her bra and shorts. Looking back to the blood-soaked cloth in my hands, I realized that she’d shed her shirt for Gabbie.
“He said he’s putting a chopper in the air. Twenty minutes.”
There was nowhere for a chopper to land close by, and Lola was going to be hypothermic any minute in these conditions. Knowing we had no other choice, I shoved the bloody shirt under Gabbie’s fitted top to secure it against the bullet wound before I turned to Lola and placed my Glock in her small hand. The torch app on my cell phone illuminated her pale face, and I noticed her lips were a shade of blue. When I bent to scoop Gabbie up into my arms, she finally understood. She needed to protect us because my hands were now full.
“We gotta move, Mouse.”
Turning in the direction of Grandma Catalina’s home, I began to walk. My pace was obviously much slower carrying Gabbie, but even so, Lola struggled to keep up. She was fumbling and tripping, more so than she had while I’d been dragging her through the forest. She was also quiet . . . too quiet.
“Lola?”
“Yeah?” she asked after a short pause.
“You with me, Mouse?”
“Yeah,” she panted.
We slid down the slight embankment and waded back into the water. There was no way around; this was the narrowest point for miles, and although more exposure to the icy water wasn’t a good thing, hiking out here in the elements while Gabbie bled out wasn’t an option.
“Grab my belt, Mouse,” I ordered, the stress over the shitty situation causing my voice to be much harsher than it needed. Lola didn’t argue or call me out on it; instead, she obediently latched on to the back of my cargos as we moved through the water. I could feel her shaking at my back, and my injured thigh almost gave out as I pulled her from the water with Gabbie still in my arms.
“I’m really cold, Drew.”
“I know, baby. It's not far now, just hold on.”
Inevitably, she had to let go of my pants after almost pulling me down with her stumbling, but the sound of her heavy feet behind me pacified me enough to keep moving without constantly checking on her, and I kept talking to keep her focused.
“Why don't we take a vacation after this, a real vacation?”
“A vacation?” she asked.
“Somewhere warm,” I suggested.
Lola was quiet a minute. “I want to go back to Thailand and pay my respects to Norm and Pen-Chan’s family.”
“Perfect, we can visit Chiang Mai then head over to Ko Phi Phi. I’ve been there before. It's warm, there's white sand, and an ocean so blue it hurts your eyes.”
“Sounds pretty,” Lola said, her voice barely a whisper.
The sound of beating rotor blades in the distance almost brought me to my knees. So close but still so far.
“Hear that, Mouse?” She was quiet so long I almost stopped to check on her.
“The helicopter.”
I could hear the relief in her voice, and I had no doubt it matched mine. Gabbie was still out cold, but she was breathing. Every now and again I paused to check, placing my cheek by her lips, and the slight breath of air that tickled my skin was like winning the lottery every damn time I felt it.
“Call Dillon. Tell him we’re ten minutes out, due west from the homestead, and tell him we need thermal blankets if they’ve got ’em.”
A moment later, Lola swore, and I paused, glancing back over my shoulder.
“My fingers,” she shivered. “Having trouble getting them to work.” All of a sudden, she offered me a shaky smile, pressing the phone to her ear. “Got it.”
We continued on, and what felt like hours later, but was probably no longer than eight minutes, the sound of heavy feet thumping through the forest caused my eyes to shut with sweet relief. That sound had to be the sound of fucking angels.
“Drew?” came Bomber’s familiar voice.
Yep, the sound of fucking angels, big, oversized, arrogant angels.
“Here!”
Torch light flickered through the trees, and before I knew it, Bomber, Dillon, and Larz were fast approaching.
“Fuck,” Bomber spat out as his eyes landed on Gabbie’s prone form.
“Took a bullet to the shoulder, but it's low, no exit,” I explained, and I transferred her to Bomber’s arms. I was done, the adrenaline would soon wear off and every ache in my body would slow me down. Right now, Gabbie needed speed. Dillon wrapped a thermal blanket as best he could around Gabbie, then pried my gun from Lola’s hand, wrapped her in her own blanket, and scooped her into his arms. “Gabbie’s grandmother is in a panic room back at the house.”
“I know Grandma Catalina. I’ll take care of it,” Larz said as we jogged in the direction of the house and chopper. “Is the forest clear?”
“I think so. Gabbie counted three, we took them all out. One back by the house, one by a creek about two miles behind us, and another about one hundred yards east along the same creek.”
“I’ll co-ordinate clean up and get in touch with local PD,” Larz offered.
“Ask for Sergeant Rivers. He might be a little more cooperative then some of the others,” Dillon said in his usual commanding tone.
At that, we peeled off as Larz headed toward Grandma Catalina’s house, and we followed the winding driveway to the open road where the chopper had landed. Bomber wasn’t too far ahead of us and already lowering Gabbie to a stretcher on the floor inside the chopper’s belly. The rotors still whirled, and I ducked, now limping as the pain in my leg doubled. After helping Dillon get Lola onto a second stretcher, I kneeled by her side and strapped her in as Dillon went to get a saline drip started in Gabbie.
Losing Lola (Mercy's Angels Book 5) Page 23
