Terri Lee was squashed in the back seat of the car, her right knee pushing up against the knee of one of the bad guys, her eyes occasionally shifting down to check out the sleek, black automatic weapon he held pointing at the front. These were desperate times.
They may call for rash action.
She did not know Crouch, but thought that he worked for the FBI and, for now at least, was on their side. Here, it was the three of them versus their captors, with the victory reward being life. She trusted him in that sense; she would help him.
And, once they were free, she would leave him far behind. Cutler and she, working together as they always had, could easily do that.
The gas station had provided Crouch with a chance to do something — Terri knew not what. She hadn’t had the chance to talk to him yet. They had been stuck together, jammed together, for the last three hours. But there was an upcoming silver lining to their cloudy outlook — just starting to show itself. One of the mercs needed to stop at the very next restroom opportunity.
It came eight minutes later. The merc rushed off and Crouch spoke up first — asking for a chance to stretch their legs. Terri had noticed that Crouch always took the lead and thought that perhaps he had been a leader in a younger, different life.
The remaining mercs, if that was what they were, to their credit, realized the importance of taking a break and ushered Terri, Cutler and Crouch out of the car. It was just a rest stop, so no shops, but Terri immediately caught Cutler’s attention and nodded in another direction — telling him to give Crouch and her some space.
And thus distract the mercs a little.
She wandered over to Crouch, stood slightly behind and faced in a different direction. The afternoon sun beamed down from blue skies and a stiff breeze blew the hair from her face. Quickly, she tied it in a knot.
“What happened back there?”
“I left a message for my team. Thanks for your help, by the way.”
“How can you be sure they’ll find it?”
His voice came back with confidence. “I know them. They’ll find it.”
“Do you know where we’re going?”
He hesitated, then said, “Cincinnati.”
Terri weighed that for a moment. Her knowledge of America’s roads was average at best, but she knew Cincinnati lay just a few hours’ drive away.
“Where the hell are they taking us?”
“It’s the banner,” Crouch said. “They’re transporting it under the radar. If it weren’t for my team, nobody would have the faintest idea where it was by now.”
“Will they be there? In Cincinnati?”
“Depends how far behind they are.”
“And what if we leave before they arrive?”
“Then I’ll find another way to leave another message at the steakhouse.”
Terri kicked at the grass. It was desperate to say the very least. She imagined Cutler would have a few ideas by now, but wanted to get Crouch’s take on everything first.
“We helped them grab the banner,” she said. “But we didn’t know all this would happen. I feel so guilty. What do you think will happen to us all?”
Crouch grunted at first. “You damn well should feel guilty. What did you think would happen to the banner? It’s a bloody American symbol. An emblem to the national anthem. They lose it — or see it destroyed — how do you think they’ll feel and react every time they hear their song? It could undermine the government, the economy, which, let’s be honest, is already fragile as shit.”
Terri closed her eyes. “I didn’t see it that way.”
“Look.” Crouch took a breath, shifting slightly. “You guys? You’re world-class thieves. I know that. They know that. I think they took you at an opportune moment. I think their plan changed when we showed up. Now, we’re heading to Cincinnati to pick up the big boss and I’m guessing he’ll make the ongoing decision.”
Terri felt a leaden ball drop through her stomach. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Welcome to the real fucking world. If you two live through all this, I’ll show my arse in Tescos.”
“What?” She frowned, not understanding.
“It… it’s an English expression. What it means is — I don’t think it’s gonna happen.”
She took a moment to walk away from him, so the guards remained docile and unconcerned, then stepped back in range. “You think they’ll kill us?”
“I believe they’ll sell you to the highest bidder,” Crouch said, rubbing the top of his leg. “That bloody well hurts.”
Terri hadn’t envisioned such a scenario, but it fell over her now like a thunderous, black storm. Not only might they be split up, but they could end up in one of the world’s worst hellholes, confined, let out only to risk their lives taking part in some elaborate robbery. She could see it all — their dwindling, terrible futures.
All because they…
What? she thought. We didn’t make a mess of the job. We succeeded!
They had been tricked from the beginning. They had been employed by somebody utterly ruthless, a fanatic. That much was clear.
“We have to find a way to escape,” she said.
Crouch grunted again. “You need to wait,” he said. “It won’t happen in Cincinnati, I’m sure. It’s not the final stop.”
How could he know that?
“What is the final stop?”
“I… don’t know.”
She was sure he was lying. He didn’t want to tell her. Why? Maybe he enjoyed the company. Didn’t want to face the enemy alone. Maybe he needed a lackey to help distract the guards whilst he wrote more notes.
Either way didn’t work for her.
“And you?” she asked, trying to dig a little. “What do you do?”
“I’m a gold hunter,” he said quickly and easily. “With good connections. Someone in the FBI asked me along to the Smithsonian that night because he thought our expertise might help prevent a robbery. They never counted on a terror attack to help disguise it.”
“Neither did we. And what do you mean — a gold hunter?”
She sensed him shrugging.
“Exactly that. We seek out treasures around the world, find them, and bring them to the people that rightfully own them.”
“You haven’t always been a treasure hunter.”
“No, you’re right. I was in the British Army for many years.”
So that was it. The guy was ex-army, a captain at least. It made sense. It also explained how he could be so calm at the center of total crisis. The interesting part was the faith he put in his team — the only person she trusted that much was Paul Cutler.
And now she had to tell him the truth.
Already, the merc who’d visited the restroom was on his way back. She left Crouch where he was, staring after her, and made her way over to Cutler. One of the guards glared in her direction, so she stopped short. They were standing in a secluded corner of the rest stop; at the far end of the parking area with thick trees and shrubbery all around. The guards weren’t displaying their weapons, but Terri knew their fingers were resting on triggers underneath their jackets.
“Paul,” she said, barely audible. “You hear me?”
A shifting of his feet as he no doubt turned his mouth away from the guards and then: “Yeah, you okay?”
“Crouch thinks they’re gonna sell us to the highest bidder once we get where we’re going.”
Cutler gasped, then masked it with a cough, bending almost double. “They’re what?”
“It makes sense. Think about it — why else are we here?”
Cutler was silent as the mercs finally regrouped, huddling for a quick chat at the front of the car. He took the chance to face Terri.
“We have to run.”
“Yeah, but when? Crouch says we’re headed for Cincinnati and his team will help us.”
“How can he be sure of that? He’s fucking government, Terri, and he’ll watch whilst those bastards throw us into a dark cell. We shou
ld run.”
“They’ll kill us.”
“You wanna be sold to the highest bidder? Who knows what they’d do to us.”
Terri saw it clearly now. “Damn, you’re right.” She couldn’t put the same trust as Crouch did in his team and, even if they did manage to rescue them, they still worked for the authorities. It wouldn’t end well for Terri and Cutler.
“See there?” Cutler tipped his head toward the other side of the parking area. “It’s a hundred-meter dash at the most. They won’t shoot. I’ve been considering it for a while now. They’re trying to move under the radar, drawing no attention. We can run faster than they can.”
“Then what?”
“Anything we have to. Steal a car, probably.”
Terri quickly surveyed the far side of the lot, where most of the cars were parked. She counted at least thirty, well-spaced out. Cutler’s idea was as plausible as it was dangerous.
“We’re not gonna get a better chance, Terri.”
She knew it. Crouch had already told her they were on their way to meet the big boss. Surely, he would come with more guards. This was about as good an opportunity as they were going to get.
“What about Crouch?”
“You know what we say. It’s us and them. Let his team save him. He’s the enemy.”
Terri hesitated. “I don’t think I agree with that. He’ll help—”
“They’re coming now. We have to go. Now.”
He decided for her, grabbed her hand and pulled her along as he started to run. The mercs saw them instantly and shouted a warning. Cutler ignored them, racing through underbrush and jumping over shrubbery to clear the trees they were among. He jumped the last hurdle and came down in the parking lot; Terri staggering at his side.
“Run!”
She felt a jolt of fear-induced adrenalin wash through her entire body; the chance at freedom suddenly right there before her. Cutler was rushing a few steps ahead. Terri chanced a quick glance back.
Crouch stared after her, unmoving, the look on his face somewhat sad. The three mercs were chasing hard, desperate not to let a prize like this slip through their hands. Gold was gold, no matter what form it took in different places, in different situations.
They had covered a third of the parking lot when the first merc reached her. She swung an elbow back, caught him across the face. He yelled out and reached for her. Terri skipped to the side, still swinging her arms. Cutler swiveled his head, determination in his face. We can do it.
They had done it before.
She could hear breathing right behind her, and pounding steps. They were fit and fast these mercenaries, faster than her. Cutler was slowing to keep pace with her. It was already clear that they wouldn’t make the cars.
But still, they could attract attention.
Cutler opened his mouth to shout, but at that moment the merc behind Terri pushed her hard in the back, sending her staggering into Cutler. Together, they fell ass over head, tumbling three times, scraping their skin and getting bruises from the asphalt. Terri had never felt so out of control. Her elbows grazed the floor, smashed Cutler in the face, then hit the bone of his knees with a jarring impact. The breath was torn from her chest, leaving her panting, disoriented and with her vision full of black spots.
“No,” she managed. “No.”
The mercs dragged them to their feet and pushed them away from the open spaces, back toward the trees. They growled threats and jabbed both Cutler and Terri where the nerves clusters were most sensitive. Terri couldn’t help but be herded over the hedgerows and back among the trees, a hundred meters from their getaway car.
One of the mercs forced Cutler to his knees and drew a battered handgun. “End of the road, asshole.”
He put the gun to Cutler’s head.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Terri screamed and fought her way to Cutler’s side, still on her knees. A man jabbed her in the back, sending her face-first into the foliage. She spat dead leaves and twigs from her mouth, struggling upright once more. The merc still pointed his gun at Cutler’s head, his finger half-squeezed on the trigger.
As she rose, Terri saw that Crouch, left alone, had ducked his head inside the mercenaries’ car. He was fiddling with something on the dashboard.
She yelled harder, seeing that as of right now Crouch was their only chance. All the mercs’ attention was on Cutler and herself.
“Try to run? I’m surprised at you,” the gun-holding merc hissed in anger. “They’d kill us if we lost you now just for the loss of revenue. You fuckers are worth millions, apparently.”
“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot him,” Terri cried.
“I won’t shoot the fucker,” the merc growled. “But I am gonna break some shit.”
“No! Please, no, we won’t try it again. We’ll sit quietly from now on. I beg you.”
Cutler struck out from his position on his knees, catching the mercenary in the groin but only making everything worse. The gun never wavered. With his free hand, the man took out a sharp, serrated knife about eight inches long.
“You and my friend here are gonna get acquainted, son.”
Terri inched forward on her knees, crying now. “You don’t want to do that. The boss will want us fit and… whole.” She didn’t let on that she knew their plan to sell them. “He won’t like it that you made this decision for him.”
The merc had already placed the knife against Cutler’s left ear, but now hesitated. He took a moment to pocket the gun, but the knife sank in just a little. Terri saw a thin flow of blood.
“Ok then, I’ll just take this for a trophy.”
He positioned the blade to take the ear off with a single swipe.
Cutler groaned, but didn’t struggle anymore. Terri pleaded with the man to stand down. Still, he delayed, no doubt enjoying the moment.
“Dude,” one of the other mercs said. “That’s enough.”
The man laughed and shoved Cutler face down into the ground. Terri scrambled over, but received a kick to the ribs.
“Another display like that and we will hurt you,” a voice rasped. “Now, get back to the car.”
* * *
Crouch saw the entire altercation. The information he required had been stored in the satnav, and he’d managed to memorize the upcoming stops. At least, he thought so. Time would tell. He’d been through memory-testing sessions whilst in the Army, but that felt like eons ago.
Now, he waited nonchalantly at the front of the car, right where he needed to be. Staying with the mercs, the banner and the thieves was the right and only thing to do. The mercs eyed him suspiciously as they approached, but he only put his hands in the air. This screamed out the possibility of a hidden weapon in the car — Crouch just wished he’d have thought little enough of them to look for it earlier.
Once they were on the road again, he leaned over in Terri’s direction. “You both okay?”
She nodded. “Barely, but we’re fine. Did you…?”
Crouch was pleased that she left the rest unsaid. He simply nodded. “I get it now,” he said.
She turned to him. “You get what?”
“You and him.” He nodded at the battered and bruised Cutler, who was slouched in the window seat. “He’s your gold, isn’t he?”
Terri smiled briefly. “It’s a long story but yeah, I guess so. Feels like I’ve been chasing him forever.”
Crouch smiled back, then relaxed into the back seat, knowing the next stop was a couple of hours distant. He had faith that Alicia and the others would find him, but knew they needed help. The trick now was figuring out a way to leave the next clue without tipping off the mercs.
It was a restaurant, and they were meeting up with more men. Those distractions at least ought to give him a chance.
They would have to.
Hours later, they drove through the traffic-thick, pedestrian-crowded streets of Cincinnati, following the satnav directions to the absolute letter. Crouch sat up, ready to act, conscious that the
only ordnance he possessed was a couple of pens and some paper. When the sign for Old Rybolt passed by, he nodded at Terri and Cutler.
“Wait for my signal.”
It was risky, and maybe he wouldn’t need their help, but this next clue was imperative. The roads were wide, with eateries and gas stations situated along its length. The Sakura Steakhouse appeared, and their car bounced up off the main road and into its parking lot.
Crouch signaled Cutler to pull the door handle even before their guards moved. They climbed out, stretching their legs; Crouch searching for something to make use of.
Truth be told, and as expected, there was only one small chance.
The restaurant itself. All three captives voiced a need to visit the restroom, making the mercs pause and give it the once over.
“Can’t hurt,” one said. “Long trip ahead and the restrooms are right there.”
Another grunted. “We have five minutes before the boss gets here. Make it quick.”
Two mercs went with them, one to watch the men and the other to watch Terri. Crouch saw exactly what he needed in the first eight seconds.
Flyers were taped to the window next to the entrance. It was perfect. A message written there would undoubtedly be noticed by his team. But they were headed right past it, opening the restaurant door and searching for the restrooms. The mercs were right there, sticking to their elbows like glue. The brief, shining chance was dwindling.
Terri saw it. She saw Crouch’s face and realized exactly what he was thinking. Inside the restaurant, she drew the attention of both mercs.
“You’re not coming in there with me.”
The man in question faced her; the other gazed into the restaurant’s depths as if gauging the reaction of its patrons.
“I have to.” The first merc tried to remain calm. “The damn boss is here now. Wise up, bitch.”
“Oh, bitch? Really?” Terri’s voice rose an octave.
The second merc flexed the fingers of one hand. “Steady, steady,” he murmured. “People are looking.”
“Jesus, woman, your private bits are safe with me. I just have to make sure you don’t run.”
“A man like you would take a peek. I’ve met your kind before.”
Chasing Gold Page 8
