by Elle James
Rachel wrapped her arms around her sister and held on tight. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this mess, but I’m so glad you found me.”
“Me, too.” She set her sister to arm’s length. “Rachel, they brought me in unconscious. Where exactly are we?”
“We’re in the mountains of Idaho.”
Hope swelled in Kate’s chest, and she dropped her voice to a whisper. “I think we might get out of here sooner than you think.”
“Really? How?”
“Do you remember telling me to go to Montana and find Hank Patterson?” The mere thought of the Brotherhood Protectors gave her courage. They would come. Chuck would be beside himself until he found them. Yes, he’d told her he didn’t want a relationship. But the man was committed to his mission. He wouldn’t stop until he found and freed them. Of that, Kate was absolutely certain.
Rachel squeezed her sister around her waist. “The truck driver told me that if I ever needed help from someone I could trust with my life, I should look up Hank Patterson in Montana. He said his son worked for him. He employs former military men and women. Did you find Hank?”
Kate laughed. “I did. And if I’m not mistaken, he and his guys will find us.”
“Thank God.” Rachel hugged her sister again. “I don’t know if it’s fate or divine intervention, but I think someone or something has a plan. We just have to learn what it is.”
“Though Hank’s guys will be coming, we can’t wait for them to get here. We have to help ourselves and Lyla out of this situation.” A plan formed in Kate’s mind, and with that plan, confidence and a fierce determination returned. “For now, we should rest until daylight. We need to be ready when they bring in the morning food.”
By the time they landed outside the small town of Angel’s Rest, Idaho, the eastern sky had lightened with the gray of predawn.
The pilot offered to stay around for twenty-four hours to take them back to Eagle Rock when they were done with their business.
Hank thanked the man and led the way out of the plane onto the tarmac.
Kujo and his retired military working dog, Six, crossed from the fixed base operator’s building where the general aviation planes were serviced. “You guys are a sight for sore eyes,” Kujo said. He reached out and shook Hank’s hand and then greeted the others as they descended from the plane, carrying their go-bags.
“What’s the scoop?” Hank asked.
Kujo’s brows drew together. “A plane landed here a couple of hours ago. A van, with several heavily armed men, met them on the tarmac. They offloaded their cargo and drove away. I followed them up into the hills. They were headed for the cult compound.”
“Did you see what their cargo was?” Chuck held his breath, waiting for Kujo’s response.
“No. I didn’t want to get too close in case they saw me. But whatever it was took two people to load one of the bundles, and I think a woman loaded the other. I’m guessing it was the woman and child you thought it might be. The sizes looked about right. They must have given the woman something to knock her out. She wasn’t struggling at all.”
Chuck let go of the breath he’d been holding and pushed forward, his heart squeezing so hard it hurt. “Take us to the camp.”
“It’ll be daylight by the time we get there,” Kujo warned. “We’ll need to move in slowly. They have a pretty tight perimeter, and they mean business. They’re fortified with manned machine guns and men armed with semi-automatic rifles.”
“Think they know how to use them?” Hank asked.
Kujo nodded. “I know they do. I found where they practice. It looked like something mocked-up for military training in urban terrain. These guys are badass.”
Hank frowned. “Then we have to tread lightly. We’re not in a war zone. We’re on American soil. If they own the land, they might have the right to defend it.” He glanced around at the men. “Number one…don’t kill anyone, unless it’s your last choice. Number two…be careful, there might be collateral damage if anyone starts shooting.”
“And there would be.” Kujo’s mouth set in a grim line. “Inside the perimeter is an entire community with women and children.”
“Which means, we can’t go in shooting everything that moves,” Hank said. “Killing women and children isn’t what we do.”
“And it’s bad for business,” Kujo agreed.
“What do we have going for us?” Duke asked.
“Someone inside that compound kidnapped two women and a child,” Chuck said.
Hank nodded. “Those people are on the wrong side of the law. We’re only going in to rescue our clients.”
They followed Kujo to the large SUV he’d rented for his stay in Angel’s Rest, and loaded their gear in the rear and then climbed inside, filling all the seats.
Six lay on the floor between the captain’s chairs and rested his head on his paws.
The ride up into the mountains would have been nice if Chuck wasn’t worried about Kate, Lyla and Rachel. The road wound through national forests, across rivers and past stark bluffs. The soft morning sun shone through the canopy of leaves, giving a false sense of peace in a place sure to test their abilities.
Eventually, they turned off the paved highway and bumped along a dirt road for another couple of miles.
“I found this road while out hiking the area. It parallels the one leading into the cult compound,” Kujo said. “It’s not as well maintained, but it serves the purpose of getting us closer without having to walk several more miles unnecessarily.”
He tipped his head toward a cooler on the back seat. “There are sandwiches and drinks in the cooler. You might want to fuel up before we start our hike. The hills are steep and rocky. It’ll take some time getting in. If we play our cards right, we can get close enough that I can show you where the perimeter guards are located before dark. Then when night falls, we can sneak past them or take them out. Either way, we’ll get in.”
Chuck wasn’t hungry, but he ate anyway. He understood the necessity of providing his body with fuel. If he wasn’t in top physical condition, he put his teammates at risk. So, he ate a sandwich, wondering if Kate and Lyla’s captors were feeding them so that they could keep up their strength.
He hated that Kate had been kidnapped and hated even worse that Lyla had been subjected to this nightmare yet again. At this rate, the poor kid would have bad dreams for the rest of her life.
He vowed to find the three of them and get them out unscathed. Failure wasn’t an option.
Kujo parked the SUV beneath the spreading branches of an oak tree.
The men climbed out, donned their gear and performed a comm check with their radios. When everyone was ready, they moved swiftly through the woods while they could. Kujo explained that once they crossed over a certain ridge, they’d have to slow down and move carefully to avoid detection.
Chuck had to resist the urge to charge through the woods and right into the camp. He would be of no help to the women if the perimeter guards shot him and left him for dead.
The men spread out, using the skills they’d attained while training with special operations teams. Noise discipline was fully enforced. Along the way, they gathered additional leaves and foliage to camouflage their helmets and clothing.
Kujo led the way, pausing at the top of a ridge to point out where they were heading and the location of the cult’s camp. “From here on, move slowly, deliberately and keep low. They’re using real bullets in those machine guns and rifles.”
Hank waved his hand indicating they should move out.
One by one, they slipped over the top of the ridge and descended into a broad valley.
In the distance, Chuck could make out a few buildings and a farm field. As they dropped lower, climbing over rocks and boulders, he lost sight of the village, but he knew about how far it was and hope built in his chest. He had a hard time slowing down when he wanted to race ahead, find his girls and get them out of harm’s way.
But he followed Kujo’s lea
d. The man had spent time spying on the closed community. He would know what they had to do in order to stay safe, get past the perimeter guards and rescue the women.
By the time Kujo brought them to a halt, it was past noon.
Though the air in the mountains was still a bit chilly, Chuck had worked up a sweat, climbing over hills and easing past some rugged obstacles.
“We stop here,” Kujo said into Chuck’s headset. “The guard manning the machine gun is at our ten-o’clock position. Look closely. He’s using camouflage netting to blend into his surroundings, only the camouflage is lighter than the surrounding green of the trees. Do you see it?”
A moment of silence passed.
“I see him,” Duke acknowledged.
“Me, too,” Hank said.
Chuck raised his mini binoculars and studied the terrain until he too spotted the camouflage netting. “I see him.”
“Got ’em,” Bear chimed in.
“Now,” Kujo said. “Look toward the two-o’clock position. There’s a man sleeping at his post. He’s armed with a semi-automatic rifle.”
Once again, the men chimed in when they spotted the second guard.
“There are three more positions in the woods and a pair of guards on the road leading into the community.” Kujo had done well with his recon mission.
“We can’t see anything of the community from here?” Hank said.
“No, you have to get past the perimeter guards to get close enough to see what’s going on in the village,” Kujo admitted. “I was able to sneak past the two guards on the northern end of the perimeter a couple of times. But other than the training they’re conducting, I didn’t see much else. They have gardens they tend and fields of wheat and corn. They farm using mules and primitive plows. “
“Kate, Lyla and Rachel have to be in there somewhere,” Chuck said.
“Most of the buildings are made of logs cut from the surrounding forest. But there is one larger structure made of concrete blocks, located in the center of the community,” Kujo said. “I didn’t see a whole lot of movement around it, but that would be my bet if they’re being held captive.”
“That’s our objective,” Hank said. “We’ll wait until nightfall to enter the camp. By then, the women and children will be inside, eating their evening meal or in bed and sleeping. For now, rest in place. We move as soon as it gets dark.”
Chuck stared at the woods ahead, every muscle in his body tense, ready to rush into the village and free the woman he’d fallen head over heels for. Love? Yes, he loved her. Was it too soon to know? Hell, no.
Why else would he feel so horrible? If he didn’t care about her, he might not be so anxious to get this extraction operation under way.
He lay on the ground, his weapon pointed toward the machine gun nest. Drawing on his experience as a SEAL, he focused on controlling his respiration and heart rate. If he didn’t relax and let his body rest, he’d be worn out before he took one step toward the camp. At the ripe old age of forty-seven, he worked out, ran and lifted weights. But he knew enough to recognize that he had to pace himself.
Chuck lay still, his pulse slowing, his breathing becoming more regular. He had a mission to accomplish, and he needed every bit of strength and stamina to do it right.
When the sun dipped over the edge of the western ridgeline, the lengthening shadows blended into the dark gray of dusk.
They’d be moving soon. It wouldn’t be long before he would be reunited with Kate and Lyla. He could barely wait another minute to see them, but he practiced patience, praying they were all right and everything would turn out okay. He sure as hell couldn’t lose them now. Not when his heart was fully committed to the love he felt.
“Time to move out,” Hank said into Chuck’s headset.
He gave his full focus to the mission ahead, and set out to do it to the best of his abilities. Lives depended on him. Lyla’s, Rachel’s and Kate’s lives.
Chapter 13
Kate waited through the day for someone to open the door to their cell. But no one came. Her stomach rumbled and by the fading light beneath the door, she guessed the sun was setting. And still, no one came to give them food or water.
“This is the first time they’ve skipped feeding us breakfast,” Rachel said.
In the limited light, Kate studied her sister. Her skin was pale, except where shadows made dark crescents beneath her eyes. She’d lost weight since Kate had last seen her, appearing almost gaunt.
When they got out of there, Kate was going to feed her sister good food and take care of her. She’d never have to be afraid again.
First, they had to get out of their prison.
Darkness claimed the cell again. Night settled in. Hunger knifed through her belly, but Kate refused to let it bring her down. She hadn’t been there as long as Rachel. One day without food wouldn’t slow her.
Footsteps sounded outside the metal door of their prison, and keys rattled and scraped against the lock.
The door opened, and a woman entered carrying a tray of food.
A man stood behind her, holding a lantern.
Kate recognized the woman as Becca, the lady who, with her daughter Mary, had befriended her in the park in Eagle Rock. “Becca?”
Becca cast her eyes downward. “You should eat,” she said softly.
“You were part of bringing me and Lyla here?” Kate shook her head. “Why?”
“It’s not for me to explain. I only do as my husband commands,” she said and slid her eyes sideways as if motioning toward the man with the lantern. Her husband, Daniel.
Anger burned in Kate’s gut. “You lied to me and took my child.”
“She was not yours to take,” the man said from the doorway. “The child belongs to the collective.”
“She doesn’t belong to the collective.” Kate’s hands balled into fists. “She should be with her mother.”
“Please,” Becca begged. “Take the tray. You need to eat to keep up your strength.”
Clearly, the woman was cowed by the man behind her. This made Kate even angrier. But she held her temper in check, channeling it into a plan.
She took the tray from Becca and then tipped it. The food slipped onto the floor.
“Oh, now look what you’ve done.” Becca ducked to pick up what she could, leaving a clear line from Kate to the man in the doorway.
Curling her arm, Kate flung the tray like a frisbee, aiming it at Daniel’s throat. Her aim was true. The tray slammed into the man’s Adam’s apple. He dropped the lantern. The lantern oil spilled onto his jeans, and the flame caught his pant leg on fire.
Daniel clutched at his throat, gasping for breath while the flames climbed up his leg.
Kate grabbed Rachel’s hand and ran for the door.
Blocking her path, Daniel hopped up and down in an attempt to put out the fire.
Once again, Kate put her kickboxing class to use and planted her heel in Daniel’s gut, knocking him backward. His head hit the concrete wall with a loud thud, and he slid to the ground.
“Run!” Holding Rachel’s hand, Kate dashed past Daniel and ran for a set of stairs.
“Wait,” a voice called out behind them. “Take me with you.”
Kate paused with her foot on the bottom step and glanced back at Becca, her hands outstretched.
As Becca passed her husband, Daniel reached out and snagged her ankle. She fell hard, landing on her stomach.
Daniel raised his fist to punch her.
Kate ran back and kicked his arm before he could land the punch.
He roared, rolled to the side and lurched to his feet, towering over Kate. “I should have killed you instead of bringing you here.”
Kate crouched in a fighting position, her eyes narrowing. “You’re not going to do either.”
The big man’s face glowed a ruddy red in his anger. He seemed to have forgotten the fire climbing up his leg, burning his skin.
Kate cocked her leg and hit him in the kneecap.
&nbs
p; Daniel clenched his fist and swung hard.
Kate ducked but not fast enough.
His fist clipped the top of her head, sending her staggering backward.
“Kate!” Rachel cried.
Before Kate’s vision could clear, Daniel swung again.
Only this time, his fist didn’t make it to her face.
Becca had swung the lantern, catching Daniel’s arm, blocking the blow meant for Kate. Oil spilled out of the crushed lantern onto Daniel’s arm, and his shirt burst into flames.
The man screamed and staggered backward.
Becca grabbed Margaret’s arm and dragged her out of the cell.
The four women raced up the steps and out into the open, night air.
“Where are your children?” Kate demanded.
“In James’s house,” Becca said. “But you won’t get inside. He has guards.”
“We’re getting inside,” Kate vowed. “I’m not leaving Lyla with that lunatic. Show me the way.”
Becca backed up several steps. “I c-can’t.”
“You can, and you will.” Kate snagged the woman’s arm. “Show me. I’ll do the rest.”
Margaret stepped forward. “I’ll show you the back way into the house. I lived there for seven years. I know how to get in and out without being seen.” She darted a glance left then right. “Follow me.” Then she slipped into the shadows cast by the stars lighting up the sky.
“Stay and risk being caught, or come with us,” Kate said to Becca. “We’re going after Lyla and Mary.”
Becca bit her lip, her eyes wide with fear. “You don’t know what he’s like.”
“We’re going.” Kate left Becca standing in the doorway of the camp prison. A moment later, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Becca hurried to catch up.
Margaret had the lead, slipping from shadow to shadow alongside the buildings lining the road through the village. At the northern end of the village stood a much larger building made of stone and cedar, not the rustic log cabins so many had built with their bare hands and lived in with nothing more than wood-burning heat.
