Meltdown

by Gail Barrett

  “Could it be used for weapons?”

  A frisson of dread shivered through her, turning her throat dustier yet. “Possibly. I won’t know until I examine the information on the flash drive.” But Coop had voiced her biggest fear—that her grandfather had invented something dangerous, something catastrophic. Why else would someone kidnap him?

  “You think he succeeded?” Coop pressed.

  “I don’t know. I’m sure he’s made progress. But a breakthrough…” She shook her head.

  “Then why was he so secretive?”

  “The project’s classified, for one thing. And a certain amount of paranoia comes with the job. There’s never enough funding for research, so competition is fierce. No one wants a colleague to steal their idea.” She lifted her hand and let it drop. “And he’s worked on this procedure his entire life. He’s determined to prove his doubters wrong. It would kill him to give it up.”

  The project drove him, obsessed him. Everything had always come second to his research—even Zoe, the orphaned granddaughter dumped on his doorstep when she was fourteen.

  But she understood that naked ambition, that burning desire to succeed. Her parents had been slaves to their research before they’d died, too.

  Even Coop had cared more about his job than her. He’d dropped her for fear her reputation would taint his career.

  She glanced at his noble profile, his high cheekbones bronzed by that golden skin. And she had to admit that wasn’t fair. Coop hadn’t been ambitious. He hadn’t cared about fame or rank. He’d just loved to fly. He’d lived it, breathed it, had a genius for it. Pedro had told her Coop had the most natural talent he’d ever seen.

  A born risk-taker, Coop had lived for the thrill, the freedom, the speed. Flying had been his ticket out of the desert, a way to escape the loneliness of his life.

  The same loneliness that had lurked inside her.

  Unwilling to continue down that old track, she staggered to her feet. “We’d better get going.”

  He frowned up at her. “You can’t push the pace in this heat. It catches up to you fast.”

  She agreed. She longed to lie down and sleep, but she couldn’t afford to waste time. “I’m not that tired.”

  He rolled to his knees and stuffed the blanket and water back into her knapsack. Despite her intentions, she couldn’t help but admire the powerful flex of his biceps, his wide shoulders shifting under his T-shirt, the sinews standing out in his arms.

  And a sudden thought occurred to her. “How come you don’t wear your Naval Academy ring?”

  His head came up. His gaze turned so hostile that she blinked. “Is that a joke?”

  A joke? “No, of course not.” The Navy personnel she worked with always wore their rings—not while doing research, but certainly when they left the lab.

  He surged to his feet and stalked off without answering, the emergency kit tucked under his arm. She grabbed her knapsack and trailed him, trying to keep pace with his rapid strides.

  Why was he suddenly angry? What had she said to set him off? He’d sounded just as furious at the airstrip when he’d hurled that accusation at her. But she’d never done anything to harm him.

  “Coop, wait,” she called, hurrying to catch up. “What’s wrong?”

  He wheeled around, his gaze slamming into hers. “You know damned well I didn’t go to the Academy.”

  “What?”

  He turned on his heel and strode off. She stood motionless, gaping at his retreating back, too stunned by his words to move. He didn’t go to the Academy? But that didn’t make sense. It was all he’d ever talked about. He’d told her he’d spent years after high school trying to get accepted—studying, hiring tutors, retaking the SAT multiple times in an attempt to boost his score. And when he’d finally made it…

  He wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his appointment—even marry her.

  Still reeling with disbelief, she rushed after him, her lungs sawing in the heat.

  “But why not?” she asked when she reached his side.

  “Don’t play dumb.”

  “But I don’t—”

  “You want to talk about this? Fine.” He stopped, his eyes burning black with anger, fury pouring off him in waves. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out what you did—that you got my appointment revoked?”

  “Revoked? Me?” Her jaw turned slack. Incredulity made her voice rise. “I did not.”

  “Your grandfather then.”

  “But that’s…that’s crazy.”

  “Crazy?” he scoffed. “He warned me to stay away from you, told me you wanted to be left alone. But I never thought you’d go that far.”

  She gaped at him, confusion mingling with shock. “You’re wrong. How can you say that? That’s not what happened at all.”

  “The hell I am.” He leaned toward her, his eyes blazing, the planes of his face rock hard. “I’m not wrong about the letter I got rescinding the offer.”

  “But my grandfather wouldn’t have—”

  “Pedro contacted some people he knew at the Academy. No one would admit it publicly, but a certain physicist had connections on the admissions board. And they suddenly decided I wasn’t Academy material after all.”

  Her mind couldn’t grasp it. “But that’s… I can’t believe it.”

  “Believe it, princess. It’s the truth.”

  Her stomach churned like an advancing tornado. Everything inside her protested his words. But she couldn’t deny the certainty in his eyes. He’d lost his appointment to the Academy.

  But if what he said was true…

  “I never said that,” she whispered, shaken. “I never wanted you to leave me alone.” Dear God. She’d adored Coop, loved him. “My grandfather said he’d gone to talk to you, to find out what your intentions were. And he told me…you said…”

  She choked down her pride, forced the words out. “That I was just a fling, someone to…spend time with until you could leave for the Academy.” Only he’d put it far more crudely, to her shock. “And that with my parents’ past and the security clearance you’d need, you’d never marry me.”

  Deep lines bracketed his mouth. His voice turned harder yet. “And you believed that?”

  “No. I didn’t. Not at first. I was devastated. I came to see you at the bar that night. You remember… You were with someone else.”

  He held her gaze for several seconds, then folded his arms. “Shaw said you thought I was beneath you, that you wanted me to leave you alone.”

  “Never.” A horrible sense of betrayal seeped through her. She didn’t want to believe that her grandfather had meddled in their relationship—and lied to them both. But Coop believed it. She could see the conviction in his eyes.

  And no wonder he despised her. To lose his appointment, everything he’d worked for…

  “But it doesn’t make sense. Why would he do that? He knew how much I cared about you.”

  Coop snorted. “I wasn’t good enough for you, obviously.”

  She shook her head, still not able to accept it. Her grandfather loved her. He wouldn’t have intentionally hurt her—especially after the devastation of her parents’ deaths.

  And Coop’s rejection had crushed her. It had taken her years to fully recover, years before she’d even dated again. She’d finished her PhD early, dedicated herself to her research, feeling dead inside, numb.

  But if what Coop said was true, then he had suffered, too.

  She swallowed with effort, placed her hand on his iron bicep, felt the tension rippling his arm. “Coop, I’m sorry. I still think there’s a mistake, that something else happened, but just so you know…I never would have hurt you.”

  He stared at the ground, working his jaw, and the sick feeling swirling inside her increased. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter now.”

  Of course it did. This misunderstanding had ruined their relationship, irrevocably changed both their lives.

  And anger still rang in his voice.

  But she n
odded and dropped her hand, knowing there wasn’t much else she could say—at least until she had more facts.

  They resumed hiking toward the mountains, the silence between them only slightly less hostile, her thoughts in turmoil from what he’d said. And she kept sifting through the memories, trying to make sense of what went wrong.

  She’d come to the desert that summer because of her grandfather’s health. He’d just had a pacemaker installed, and she hadn’t wanted him too far away. But after a few trips to the ghost town had assured her of his strength, she’d stayed in their rented trailer, spending her days studying while he wandered off on his hikes.

  Until she’d seen Coop again—and realized that the scraggly boy she’d met at the airstrip when she was ten had turned into a gorgeous, virile man. Her studies instantly forgotten, she’d spent long, wonderful days hanging around the airstrip, riding through the desert with him on his Harley—and even more blissful nights in his arms.

  Her grandfather hadn’t cared for Coop. Coop had lacked everything the elderly scientist valued—education, culture, academic prestige. He hadn’t seen Coop’s drive, his potential, or the tender way he’d treated her. Still, her grandfather hadn’t seemed too concerned—until she’d told him they were nearly engaged.

  But would her grandfather have lied to her and betrayed her trust to break them up?

  She gave wide berth to a clump of cactus, the brutal sun frying her head. No matter what Coop believed, she couldn’t see it. Her grandfather was a hard man, self-absorbed, driven by his ambitions—but he loved her. He wouldn’t have caused her such pain. Would he?

  A hot, edgy feeling stirred inside her. She didn’t want to believe it. She could never forgive a deception that terrible, one that had caused her such wrenching pain.

  But regardless of what her grandfather had done—or not done—in the past, he had a lot to answer for now. Why had he hidden that flash drive? What had he feared so much that he’d jeopardized both their careers? And why had he put her in this predicament—with killers on her heels, the FBI suspecting her of treason, the kidnappers’ deadline fast running out?

  Fighting her growing anger, she kept plodding over the rocks. The mountains still taunted her from a distance. The sweltering sun shimmered off the desert floor, creating mirages on every side. The parched air sucked her sinuses dry, gluing her tongue to the roof of her mouth.

  Without warning, Coop stopped. She staggered against him, and he threw out his arm to break her fall. “What’s wrong?” she asked, panting.

  “A helicopter. Someone’s coming.”

  To rescue them—or something worse? She glanced up, squinted into the blazing sky, raising her hand to shield her eyes. “Where? I don’t see—”

  “Come on. Let’s get behind those rocks.”

  He grabbed her arm to help her. Her fatigue abruptly forgotten, she dashed with him to a pile of rocks. He nudged her between two boulders, and she squeezed through the narrow space.

  “Who is it?” she asked, breathless.

  “I don’t know yet.”

  He set down the emergency kit and crouched beside her. She tilted her head, straining to hear, and finally picked up a helicopter’s rhythmic whomp.

  “Don’t move.” He inched up, peered over the top.

  “What do you see?”

  He didn’t answer. The deep reverberations grew louder. Unable to bear the tension, she rose and peeked over the rock, ignoring his warning frown.

  She scanned the sky and spotted a gray speck approaching in the distance. It neared their plane wreck, hovered over the crash site for several moments, then headed straight toward the rocks.

  Coop jerked her down, and she huddled against him, her heart stuttering hard in her chest. Had the gunmen found them? Had the FBI or police caught up?

  “Don’t signal,” she pleaded. “Please, Coop. I need time to find that flash drive.”

  His brow furrowed. The drum of the rotors grew louder. He opened the emergency kit and pulled out the mirror. Then he hesitated, the battle he waged clear in his eyes.

  The helicopter thundered closer. She kept her gaze on Coop’s, silently begging him not to move. A shadow passed overhead, the deep vibrations rattling her teeth.

  Seconds ticked by. The noise faded away. And she sagged against the rock in relief. He hadn’t signaled that chopper. He really was going to help her.

  But all warmth disappeared from his eyes. He stood. “Let’s go.”

  Hurrying to her feet, she followed him out from behind the rock. “You think they’ll come back?”

  “Count on it.”

  “But who was it? Could you tell?”

  “The Navy.”

  “The Navy?” Had someone from the lab followed her to the airstrip? But she would have noticed another car. Unless… “Are they looking for you?”

  “No.”

  “But—”

  “I said, let’s go.” His eyes simmered with anger, impatience, and something else. Guilt?

  She blinked, her thoughts thrown into disarray. Why would Coop feel guilty? What was he hiding from her?

  He picked up the emergency kit and started hiking. She followed more slowly, suddenly besieged by doubts. Surely she could trust Coop—couldn’t she?

  She scrambled across the rocks behind him, her trepidation increasing with every step. Was there some other reason Coop had helped her? Another reason he’d jumped into that plane?

  No, that was ridiculous. Coop was a fighter jet pilot. He had nothing to do with this case. He’d come back to visit Pedro, and then she’d dragged him into this mess.

  And she was getting as paranoid as her grandfather, imagining danger where it didn’t exist.

  But eight years had passed since she’d seen Coop. In all that time he must have changed.

  She grimaced. He hadn’t changed that much. And if he was hiding something, he was probably doing it to protect her, to keep her from worrying too much.

  But as she trudged behind him in the sweltering heat, eyeing the pistol tucked into his waistband, her apprehension remained. She’d trusted her grandfather—and Coop had thrown that trust in doubt.

  What if she was making the same mistake with him?

  Chapter 5

  He’d officially lost his mind.

  Coop stood on an outcropping of rocks halfway up the mountain, certain he’d gone insane. There was no other explanation for his behavior. He should have flagged down that chopper and seized the chance to be rescued. Where had he stuffed his brains?

  “Any sign of that helicopter?” Zoe called from behind him, sounding anxious.

  “No.” He looked out at the purple sky streaking the horizon, the silhouettes of mountains hundreds of miles away. Never mind that Zoe had begged him not to do it. He should have ignored her plea, signaled for help, and ended this crazy ordeal.

  Appalled at his lapse in judgment, he turned to face the woman who’d turned his mind to mush. She perched on a rock in the encroaching darkness, devouring one of the sandwiches she’d packed. The white gauze around her head gleamed in the twilight. Her braid drooped off center, the loose strands dangling around her face. Her scraped cheek had mottled over the past few hours, adding to her wretched look.

  And despite his lingering resentment, his conscience berated him even more. She should be in a hospital getting fluids and X-rays—not making a long, dangerous hike up a mountain in the dark.

  Still shaking his head at his attack of insanity, he strode back through the rocks and scrub brush to the boulder where she sat. He flexed his aching shoulder, stretched his throbbing back.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  Everything. “My shoulder’s just stiff.” He perched next to her on the rock, took the sandwich she held out. “Thanks.”

  “I hope it’s okay. It’s hummus and alfalfa sprouts.”

  He shrugged. Not his usual fare, but he was hungry enough to eat sand.

  He dug into the sandwich, devouring a third of it in on
e gulp, and his mind swiveled back to his case. He could justify running off with Zoe at the airstrip. With those would-be assassins trying to kill her, he’d hardly had a choice. But then he’d headed for the mountains instead of the road and hidden from his rescuers—which definitely looked bad. Still, the Navy would forgive everything if he found that computer flash drive.

  And turned in Zoe.

  His mood plummeting at that thought, he polished off the rest of his sandwich, then reached for the water she’d propped between them on the rock.

  “Do you want this?” She held up one of the petrified granola bars from the emergency kit.

  He unscrewed the cap on the bottle. “We’d better save it. We might be out here for awhile.”

  “Right.” She dropped the granola bar into the knapsack at her feet and sat back up. “Was that really a Navy helicopter?”

  “It had the right markings.” It also made sense. The Navy ran Madera Mountain, the lab where Zoe worked. So even though the FBI was leading the investigation, the Navy provided support—planes, equipment, manpower such as Coop.

  “But how did they know where I went—and that our plane went down? You said the Emergency Transmitter might not have worked.”

  He took another swig of the warm, stale water and gulped it down. “They could have followed you to the airstrip.”

  She shook her head, and the white gauze bobbed in the dusk. “I don’t think so. I would have noticed the dust trail if there’d been another car.”

  True enough. He shifted his gaze to the vast, empty desert darkening below them. Nothing moved in that fishbowl unseen.

  Including them.

  Was someone watching them and monitoring their progress? Apprehension trickled through him at the thought.

  “I saw some jets fly by earlier,” he said. “They might have spotted the plane and called it in. Or someone could have come to the airstrip and found your car.”

  “But how did they know which way we were heading? And why didn’t they come back when they saw the plane wreck to see if we were all right?”

  All good questions—with no simple answers. He pinched the bridge of his nose, the mounting uncertainties too strong to ignore. Why didn’t that helicopter land and check for survivors? Why hadn’t they mounted a full-blown search? And if the Navy had spotted their tracks—and knew they were alive—why didn’t they return? Unless they’d left them out here to die….