by Katie Ruggle
Jules glanced back, a confused look on her face, and then slowed so Theo and Viggy could take the lead. Jumping a decorative, two-foot-high border, they cut across the backyard of a cedar-sided ranch-style house. Theo opened the door and held it, but Jules gave him a shove into the house.
“Now is not the time to be chivalrous!” she said sharply, following him inside. “I don’t know where I’m going!”
The rest of them stampeded into Mrs. Epple’s house, running through her kitchen and antique-filled living room. Otto peered through the lacy curtains, searching for the helicopter. It wasn’t hard to find.
Not only were the lights blinding, but the sound of the engine and the rotors cutting through the air were thunderous, even here. Theo—who’d taken up position on the other side of the window, with Viggy bristling with excitement next to him—pointed outside. “Three at two o’clock.”
Across the room, Hugh called in a low voice, “I’ve got two on this side.”
“Four,” Grace corrected. “There are a couple more slinking along the back of the coffee shop.”
“Good catch, Gracie,” Hugh said.
Theo glanced at Otto. “Take out the helicopter, and Jules and I will deal with the rest.”
“Wait, what?” Jules asked from one window over. She was kneeling on a floral chaise, using the back as a gun rest as she aimed out the opened window. Theo slid their window open.
A shock of cold air hit Otto in the face. “Let’s do this.”
Lining up his sights, Otto aimed for the tail rotor of the helicopter. It was a small target, but the most vulnerable part of the aircraft. If he managed to hit it, he could bring the helicopter down unless the pilot was unbelievably skilled. Once he started shooting, though, he’d attract the attention of the people on the ground, so he’d have to be fast.
He squeezed the trigger, slow and easy, barely hearing the blast. The helicopter didn’t waver. Otto aimed again, focused on his task, and everything else faded into the background except for his target. The helicopter started turning to face them, the spotlights flickering in Otto’s peripheral vision. He was losing his chance. Forcing the adrenaline down, he aimed and then pulled the trigger again.
The tail rotor shattered. “Hit!” Theo called triumphantly.
“Focus on the bad guys, darlin’!” Jules yelled back, her voice higher than usual.
As the helicopter began to spin, Otto turned toward the mercenaries on the ground. The spotlights flashed and then went dark and then flashed again as the helicopter spun out of control, messing up Otto’s vision. He thought about taking out his flashlight, but that would just give the guys outside a lit-up target to aim at.
Blinking hard, he cleared his vision and focused on one of the figures in winter camouflage. He pulled the trigger, and the man went down. Otto couldn’t think about how he’d just shot someone, possibly even killed them. Right now, he needed to concentrate on getting everyone in that room out alive.
Jules yelped.
Theo’s head whipped around at the sound. “Jules! You hit?” He rushed over to her.
“Just a graze,” she replied, but she sounded breathless.
“Okay?” Otto asked.
“Yeah. It’s minor.” Despite that, Theo still sounded murderous.
Refocusing out the window, Otto took aim again, this time on a figure mostly hidden by the branches of a snow-covered pine tree. Otto fired, and the sniper dropped, just as the helicopter crashed into the roof of Grady’s store.
“Get down!” Theo warned, and Otto dropped to the floor and scooted away from the window, covering his head with his arms. The world exploded in a way that was becoming too familiar, the night lighting up right before the thunderous explosion. The glass blew out of the window, shards raining down on the hardwood floor.
Otto’s ears felt as if they’d been stuffed with cotton balls. Everything was muffled and slow-moving. Lifting his head, he checked out Theo, Jules, and Viggy. The three were huddled together, but all looked conscious and unharmed, so he turned toward Grace, Lexi, and Hugh. In the dim light, with his night vision destroyed by the blinding explosion, he couldn’t see if they were hurt.
“Okay?” he called. The word echoed in his head, but he wasn’t sure if it had come out loud enough, so he said it again.
“We’re good!” Hugh said, and Otto felt his tensed muscles relax slightly. “Or we would be if you’d stop screaming at us.”
That was such a smart-ass Hugh answer that Otto felt a rush of relief. It only lasted a moment, though, before Otto remembered Sarah was alone and there was a small army outside. Duck-walking back to the window, Otto held his gun at the ready as he peered outside. The burning store and helicopter lit everything as brightly as daylight—a hell-scape daylight. He scanned the area, but all he could see were the fallen men lying unmoving in the snow.
“Looks clear on this side.” Theo echoed Otto’s thoughts. “How are things to the north?”
“Four down over here. We’re clear.” Hugh paused for a second, and then asked, “Unless you see anyone, eagle-eye Gracie?”
“No.” There was a slight shake to her voice. “No one moving, at least.”
Her words reminded Otto of what he’d just done, but he pushed away the memory to deal with later. Right now, he had to go find Sarah. There was still one more helicopter and who knew how many more of Aaron’s mercenaries. The town was still under siege, and no one could get in to help until the snow let up—even if Steve and Cleo did manage to get a message through to the outside world.
“Theo, you lead,” Otto said, straightening up to a standing position. Glass crunched under his boots as he moved toward the door. “I’ll take the rear.”
With a short nod, Theo picked up Viggy, slinging him over his shoulder. Otto turned to Hugh. “You okay with Lexi, or do you want me to get her?”
“We’re good.” With his unbroken arm, Hugh swung Lexi up off the glass-strewn floor. She wriggled and tried to lick his face. “Thanks, Lex. Okay! Enough! I think the puppies are more restrained and well-behaved than you.”
“And you, probably,” Grace said as she fell in behind him. Her voice sounded almost back to normal, although Otto knew that was just a front. They’d all have to deal with the events of the night…if they survived it.
Theo, gun in one hand and steadying his dog with the other, checked the area out front. He stepped outside, and Otto felt the tension in his muscles ratchet up. There were no gunshots, though, just the roar of the flames and the occasional pop of a small explosion. Otto now wished he’d given Hugh time to break into the gun-and-ammo case. It was a waste that everything would get destroyed when they’d likely need the weapons before the night was over.
Once outside, Theo lowered Viggy to the ground and then moved fast. The others poured out of the house and took off after him, running as quickly as they could through the snow. The dogs loved it, bounding along in rabbit hops. Otto, on the other hand, was tense and watchful, expecting people in camouflage to come out shooting at any moment.
It bothered him that they couldn’t stop long enough to check if any of the mercenaries were still alive. It was one thing to shoot in self-defense, but the idea of leaving survivors bleeding in the snow twisted up his insides. Again, he was forced to push that thought away and focus on keeping everyone in his group alive and getting to Sarah.
The snow was still falling heavily, muffling the sounds they made as they ran through the yards. Theo led them on a zigzag route toward Gordon’s compound, keeping close to trees and buildings as much as possible to give them cover.
Something was coming toward them. Otto opened his mouth to give a warning, just as Theo’s hand came up in a “stop” gesture. They were in the middle of an unfenced yard without any nearby concealment. It was the worst possible position for a fight. Otto, Theo, and Hugh surrounded Grace, Jules, and the dogs, and Jule
s immediately aimed her pistol through the small space between Otto and Theo.
The shapes kept moving toward them, and Otto brought his Glock up with both hands, lining the sights up to the biggest form in the center. Something was wrong, though. Whatever they were appeared both too large and too small to be Aaron’s soldiers.
One of them broke away and sprinted toward them. As it grew closer, Otto recognized him. Shock rippled through him. “Hold your fire!”
“Is that Mort?” Hugh asked.
“Yeah.” His surprise changed to a tentative thread of hope. If Mort was here and okay, then there was a chance that Sarah might be, too. Holstering his gun, Otto stretched out his hands and crouched, greeting Mort with a rough scratch of his scruff. He ran his hands over the dog, verifying that Mort really was in front of him, warm and familiar and blessedly alive. The delicate tendril of hope strengthened, and Otto’s heart beat faster. Mort was here. Mort was fine. Please let Sarah be with him. Viggy whined with eagerness, and Mort danced over to his old buddy.
His heart crashing against his rib cage in hope and excitement, Otto started to jog toward the other forms moving through the snow, unable to believe what he was seeing. As he recognized Bean and Xena and then the woman riding the horse, Otto’s jog turned into a run. She was there. He wasn’t quite sure how, but Otto didn’t care. His Sarah was alive and right in front of him, and he couldn’t reach her fast enough.
“Sarah?” His yell came out as a croak, all of his oxygen fueling his legs as he plowed through the snow toward her.
“Otto!” Sarah threw her leg over Bean’s back and started to slide to the ground. Otto caught her before her boots could touch the snow. Once his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her in to his chest, it became real. He was holding Sarah. All of the nightmare scenarios he’d been imagining—her bleeding or caught or blown to pieces—lost their power to haunt him. She was here, and he would keep her safe.
“Sarah.” He pressed his cheek against the top of her head, squeezing her even more tightly. “I was so worried.” At the understatement, his laugh bubbled out, filled with sheer joy and amazement and gratitude. She clutched him just as hard, her face pressed into his chest.
He didn’t want to let her go for even a second, but he needed to see her and make sure that she wasn’t hurt. Lowering Sarah to her feet, he looked her over, checking for any bullet holes or missing limbs or, really, even the faintest scratch. She looked perfect. Her cheeks and nose were pink from the cold, but none of her exposed skin looked like it was in danger of frostbite. He pushed back an irrational urge to strip her naked and check every inch of her for possible damage. His hands smoothed over her cheeks, and she smiled at him. He couldn’t seem to stop touching her. In fact, he was pretty sure he’d never be able to stop. Unable to hold back any longer, his mouth crashed down on hers.
She kissed him back just as desperately, just as eagerly. The night had been endless, and Otto felt as if they’d been separated for so long. As they kissed, warmth filled him, and his worst fears loosened their hold, slipping away until all he knew was relief and bliss.
Pulling back, he broke the kiss and met her eyes. He loved that dazed and happy look she got when he kissed or touched her. A part of him hadn’t believed he’d ever see it again. The thought of a life without Sarah felt like a kick to the belly.
“I love you,” he said without thinking or planning or even knowing the words were going to fall out of his mouth. He didn’t care about the possible rejection or embarrassment. She needed to hear it, because she could’ve died, and then she would’ve never known how he felt about her. “I love you so much.”
Her gloved hands came up to cup his face, mirroring his. “I love you, too, Otto.”
He had to kiss her again. When he finally raised his head, he felt almost dizzy with happiness. Clearing his throat, he somehow found his voice. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She smiled at him, and everything inside him warmed, but then her expression turned sad. “I need to tell you—”
Something tugged on his sleeve—hard. He glanced down and blinked.
“Hortense?” His heart lurched. Not only was Sarah alive and uninjured, but she’d rescued all of his animals. He loved her so much it hurt.
“I couldn’t leave her there.” The goat started chewing on his coat sleeve. Normally, he wouldn’t let her, but right now he was just so happy to see them that he let her go to town.
Otto marveled that Sarah had brought the horse, the goat, and the dogs all the way from his house and over the blocked pass. His love was impressive, and braver than anyone he’d known. He looked at Bean. The horse appeared calmer than Otto had ever seen him. “You rode him bareback with a halter?”
“Well, we didn’t really have time to tack up, since we were running for our lives and all,” Sarah said. “Listen, Otto…”
Jules and Grace interrupted before she could finish. They took turns hugging Sarah.
“Glad you’re safe, Sarah,” Theo said, giving her a brief but genuine smile. “We need to keep moving, though.”
“Aaron’s behind this,” Sarah blurted out. “He, Logan, and Jeb escaped the transport van. They shot two FBI agents. The van and their…bodies are on the other side of the rockslide.”
Silence fell over the group. The pieces clicked into place in Otto’s mind. The conversation they’d overheard on their way to Grady’s made more sense now.
“How’d they—” Hugh started to ask, but Theo interrupted him.
“We have to go,” he warned. “We’ve been standing here talking too long already.”
Otto fully agreed, but now they had a new problem. The dogs and possibly even the goat could join them in the bunker, but there was no way to get Bean down there. He tried to think of anyone in town who had a barn or even a shed of some sort where they could keep the horse temporarily. His mind was a blank, though. All his brain kept repeating was Sarah is okay. Sarah is here, and she’s okay, and she loves me.
“Schwartz has a workshop in back of his house,” Theo said, seeming to read Otto’s mind. “It’s not really set up for horses, but it’d probably work in a pinch. He raises rabbits, too, so he should have hay.”
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Hugh said in a low voice. “Gordon Schwartz, savior of the town. Who would’ve thought?”
It is amazing, Otto thought. “We’ll head back to the bunker.”
“Theo, Jules, and I’ll keep searching for people,” Hugh said. “Gracie, it’s bunker time for you.”
“But—”
“No.” Hugh, Theo, and Jules spoke in unison, interrupting Grace.
“You and Sarah are their targets,” Theo said.
Grace’s shoulders slumped slightly before she turned to Sarah with a small, forced smile. “Guess we’re bunker buddies, then.”
Sarah linked her arm through Grace’s, squeezing it affectionately against her side. As Jules, Theo, and Hugh turned to leave, Grace said quietly, “Hugh.”
He turned back toward her, and Grace reached out, grabbing a handful of his coat. Yanking him toward her, she kissed him. It didn’t last very long, but both were obviously breathing hard at the end. Otto glanced away, feeling like a voyeur.
“You’re savage,” Hugh said quietly. “I love that about you.”
“And I love you,” Grace responded. “Which is why, if you die out there, I swear I’ll resuscitate you just to kill you again. Got it?”
“Got it.”
The two groups separated with quiet goodbyes and admonitions to be careful. Otto followed the two women toward Gordon’s place, leading Bean and keeping an eye out for danger. He was also sneaking quick glances at Sarah. His brain couldn’t wrap around the knowledge that she was actually here, that she actually loved him. His gaze couldn’t stay off her. Even in the oversized winter clothes and backpack, she looked beautiful.
Now Sar
ah was safe and within reach, but Aaron was still out there.
They had to keep her safe—and save the town.
Chapter 21
Sarah couldn’t stop looking at Otto. As they walked through the snow, silent except for the slight crunch of snow underneath their boots—or paws or hooves—Sarah kept sneaking peeks at Otto over her shoulder. Having him so close, knowing that he loved her, made the bombs, the bodies, the long ride through the blizzard, Aaron—all of it—seem like a fading nightmare.
She glanced back at him again, smiling when she caught his gaze. The corners of his mouth tipped up in his gradual way, and her heart almost hurt from joy at seeing that again. Until that point, Sarah hadn’t realized how scared she’d been that something had happened to him. Now, she couldn’t stop glancing over her shoulder, just to check to make sure he was still there.
Out of habit, she kept doing an animal count. Hortense was doing a better job at keeping up, although whether that was because Otto was there or because she knew she was headed for someplace warm and dry for the night, Sarah didn’t know. Xena seemed a bit shyer with Grace there, and was walking so close behind Sarah that her paws brushed the backs of Sarah’s boots.
They were all on edge, staying silent, their gazes roaming the area in a steady scan as they walked in a tight group. Grace had something on her back. In the dim light, it took Sarah a few minutes to figure out what it was.
“Is that…a crossbow?” Sarah whispered.
“Yes.” A strange expression crossed Grace’s face. “I don’t know how to use it yet, though, so I’m not much help.”
Otto cleared his throat quietly. “You were a lot of help as a spotter, Grace.”
“What happened?” Sarah asked, looking at Grace’s unhappy profile and then back at an equally grim Otto.
Neither answered, keeping their eyes on anything but her. She fell silent, deciding to ask Otto when they were alone. They walked in tense silence for a few more minutes until they came to a tall, menacing-looking gate. When they stopped, Sarah realized how incredibly tired she was. The thought of taking even one more step was overwhelming.
