Pure Dynamite

by Lauren Bach

  "Wow. I bet that's why Nevin took off. To line up a new supply."

  "Maybe. But after today's bust, you know it will be even harder to find. All the usual suspects will close shop until the heat dies down. I don't know what kind of background you concocted for my supposed partner, but the McEdwins are salivating."

  Stan coughed. "Yeah, well I can't take credit for that one. That's something else we need to discuss one of these days. Long story."

  "All that matters is it worked. Lyle's completely convinced that my partner, Montague, and I were dealing military arms. He wants us to help him locate another stash of C-4."

  "Sounds like a perfect opportunity to learn what their target is, too. And hook up more quickly with Willy," Stan said.

  "I need to go; give Ethan an update and tell him I expect to free the doctor within the next day or two."

  "Can McEdwin survive without her?"

  "Not yet. He's still running a fever, but I hope the new medicine will start working soon. Then it's just a matter of finding a place to leave Renata for Ethan's men."

  "Roger that," Stan said. "Just be careful. I have a feeling things are getting ready to heat up."

  They ended up staying at the cabin another two nights. Nevin and Willy both remained incommunicado, though the guards outside were doubled.

  Adam burned to take action but couldn't seem too eager to deal and raise suspicion. He also worried that Nevin would find a replacement source for the explosives.

  Adam knew the time weighed heavy for Renata, too. Being forced to care for one of her captors didn't help. While Lyle's fever lowered, it didn't completely go away which frustrated her.

  Adam's admiration for her inner strength increased each day, just as his desire for her body increased each night. They continued to shower together, but rushed through it. His erection was perpetual. A curse. He dreamed about past lovers, the women who'd used his body without inhibition. But all of them looked like Renata.

  To pass time, he spent part of each day doing calisthenics; sit-ups, push-ups, crunches.

  By the third day the swelling in Renata's foot had gone down and she even worked out with him, though he refused her request to go jogging.

  "Do you jog daily?" he asked.

  "When I'm not being held against my will? Yes."

  Lyle called out, breaking into their conversation. Leaving her handcuffed, Adam walked into the bedroom and found him sitting up.

  "Get ready. We're finally leaving here."

  "Now?" It was barely dusk. "Going where?"

  "Kansas. It's a temporary stop."

  "Not again."

  "My old man's spooked because of that shipment getting seized, so he'll stay on the move himself for a little while."

  Adam frowned. "This is getting old, kid. I expected to be a thousand miles away by now."

  "It won't be much longer. The fact we're heading west is a good sign. And I mentioned that we're working on the C-4. He nearly shit." Lyle's grin stretched from ear to ear. "If we can pull this off, I'll be a hero."

  Once again they traveled at night. The directions were tedious, and took them through the darkest stretches of landscape Adam had ever seen—the unending cornfields of southern Illinois.

  The brakes of the vehicle ahead of them suddenly flashed on, the bright red lights careening crazily before spinning into the air.

  Adam stopped short, his headlights sweeping the scene. A minivan had flipped, coming to rest upside down in the middle of the road. The mangled body of a deer lay in the van's headlights.

  Renata sat forward. "My God! Someone's lying in the road! We have to help!"

  Lyle roused in the back. "Why are we stopping?"

  "An accident." Adam pulled over, turning on his flashers as he threw the car into park. "I'll be right back."

  Renata lunged for his shoulder, held out her cuffed hands. "Take me with you. They may need a doctor."

  "Don't do it man," Lyle warned. "She'll run."

  "If I run, shoot me," she said.

  "Agreed." Adam unlocked her cuffs and grabbed a flashlight, before turning to Lyle. "We'll be right back. I'll leave the car running."

  Tugging her from the car, Adam kept her close as they hurried toward the body in the road. An eerie death-like chant of cicadas filled the night. He saw only the one victim, a man, who he'd guess had been thrown from the car.

  Adam had expected to find a dead body, but the man stirred when they approached, in pain. "My legs are broken ... Please ... get my son!"

  A child's sobs broke the night.

  "Stay with him," Adam said to Renata. But she was already on her knees, checking the man's pulse as she asked questions.

  Adam hurried toward the van. The front seats had been completely demolished, the engine shoved forward. Oddly, the radio still blared sound popping and crackling from a shattered speaker. "The search continues for the escaped convicts..."

  He flicked on the flashlight and peered inside at the back seat, afraid of what he'd find. A small boy, still strapped in the car seat that had saved his life, hung upside down, red-faced and screaming.

  Relief hammered in his chest. "Easy, buddy. I'll get you."

  Adam tried to open the doors but found the frames jammed too tightly. Dropping to the ground and lying on his back, he wedged his shoulders through the busted-out window, praying he didn't get stuck. Broken glass bit into his flesh as he forced his upper body farther into the vehicle.

  The smell of fear and urine hit him as the kid continued to scream. Adam reached up, realized his hand was covered in blood. His? The kid's? Then he caught the scent of ketchup, saw the long forgotten french fry still clutched in the child's hand.

  The little boy cried even harder when Adam freed him from the seat and slowly backed out of the wrecked vehicle.

  Cradling the boy carefully, he hurried to Renata. As they drew near, the injured man held out his arm. "Tanner!"

  Adam lowered the little boy to the pavement beside his father. Tanner promptly buried his face in his father's neck and howled even louder. Renata moved closer, soothing the child with low sounds as she ran a tentative hand down his back, checking for injuries.

  She nodded at Adam's shirt. "Is that your blood or his?"

  "Mine. I don't think he's hurt. He was still in his car seat."

  A new set of headlights flashed on the horizon. Another vehicle approached and pulled over in front of Adam's car.

  A woman came running up, a cell phone pressed to her ear as she shouted the location of the accident into the phone. Adam moved closer to Renata.

  "I'm an RN," the woman said to Adam. "Is anyone hurt?"

  "Thank God! This man needs help." He yanked Renata to her feet, pinned her to his side. "You've called the police? Our cell phone's dead."

  "They're on the way." The woman dropped beside the injured man and began asking questions and checking his vital signs.

  Behind them Lyle honked the horn, flashed the headlights.

  Adam turned to the nurse. "That's our kids. We left them in the car and they're probably fighting. My wife and I will be right back."

  The nurse, who had looked up at the honking, nodded absently and refocused on the injured man and child.

  They had almost reached the car when a siren echoed in the distance. Adam clapped a hand over Renata's mouth and pulled her into a run. At the car, he shoved her inside and quickly handcuffed her.

  "Don't—" Renata struggled in vain.

  "Jesus Christ! The cops are almost here and they ain't stopping!" Lyle yelled. "We're fucked!"

  "They're coming for the accident, not us." Adam dropped the car in drive and took off.

  Behind them a patrol car approached lights blazing. From the corner of his eye, he saw Renata look over her shoulder just as Lyle leaned forward and wrapped an arm around her neck. Yanking her backwards, he pressed a pistol to her temple.

  Her scream was cut off as Lyle tightened his arm.

  "They get too close, I'll shoot her,"
he slurred. "And when I toss her body in the road, I guarantee they'll stop!"

  Chapter Fourteen

  "Whoa there!" Adam kept his voice steady, to calm Lyle. "Look, the cop already pulled over at the accident. Once we clear this curve, I'll floor it and they'll never find us."

  Undoubtedly, Nevin had provided yet another handgun—a problem he'd deal with later. His only concern right now was Renata's safety. And his choices were brutally simple. Stopping to disarm Lyle while lights were still visible behind them would only agitate the kid further. Adam had his own gun drawn, but out of sight. If he couldn't talk Lyle down...

  "Yeah? Well, they can still come after us," Lyle persisted. "That's why I say we dump her. So what if we get rid of her a day or two earlier?"

  "You're still running a fever."

  "Big deal. Once we hook up with my father—"

  "And when will that be? Your old man's pushed us off several times already." Adam glanced over his shoulder. "Besides, we may need her as a hostage."

  Lyle swore, then suddenly withdrew the gun and released her. "You got a point. But let's get the hell out of Dodge."

  His own fury barely under control, Adam hit the gas, eager to get away from the accident scene to disarm Lyle.

  * * *

  Lyle snored like a warthog in the back seat, having taken yet more painkillers.

  The incident left Renata feeling as if she sat three feet from a rabid dog, wondering if the leash was about to break. Could Adam truly protect her from Lyle's escalating volatility?

  She thought back to the accident, wished she had tried to tell the injured man who she was. But he'd been barely conscious, worried only about his child. And it had been so dark, so chaotic, that neither the man nor the woman who stopped had seen them clearly.

  Adam stopped at a riverside park just across the state line. He pressed a finger to his lips then climbed out of the car. She watched not understanding, until he opened the back door and snatched the gun from Lyle's waistband.

  Lyle stirred, disoriented. "What's up?"

  "Pit stop," Adam said.

  With a groan, Lyle sat up. "Hey! Where's my gun?"

  "In a safe spot."

  "Give it back."

  "Not while you're popping pills."

  "Who died and left you in charge?"

  "I've always been in charge. Remember?" Adam moved closer. "Don't ever pull a stunt like that again, kid. You were waving the pistol all over the place, and I was this far from shooting you myself."

  Lyle swallowed clearly unable to recall the incident. "I'm sorry, man. I—"

  Behind them, headlights swept the gravel lot. But as quickly as the car arrived, it sped away with a loud burst of music and laughter.

  "A bunch of kids." Adam straightened. "This is probably one of their drinking spots, which means the local cops patrol it. We've got to go."

  Renata's knees complained when she finally climbed out of the car. They'd crossed the Kansas line shortly after sunup, having lost even more time with an unexpected detour caused by road construction. She knew their chances of being recognized in daylight were far greater, which was why Adam had ordered her to crouch down.

  Lyle was once again unconscious-via-pills and Adam made no attempt to rouse him.

  She squinted against the sun, taking in her surroundings. They were parked in front of a fairly new doublewide trailer set off alone near a creek. Wheat fields stretched as far as she could see in every direction.

  "Welcome to the Middle of Nowhere." Adam unlocked the handcuffs and offered her a bottle of water.

  She drank greedily, more dehydrated than she'd realized.

  "Easy," he said. "Don't get sick guzzling it all at once."

  His reminder irritated her. She was the doctor, damn it. She took another sip and capped the bottle.

  He pulled her away from the car. "Did Lyle hurt you earlier?"

  She bit back the urge to snap at him. Lyle pointing the gun at her head had frightened her terribly. "Physical hurt? No. But I know what he's capable of now, and that scares me. Especially since he mentioned getting rid of me early."

  For a long moment Adam didn't answer. Then, "I promised in the beginning that you wouldn't be harmed. It's a promise I intend to keep."

  He kept his voice low, nearly unintelligible, but sincere. Did she believe him? Oddly, she did. After watching him help the accident victims, she had concluded once and for all that he and Lyle were as different as sun and ice.

  To her surprise, Adam moved behind her and started rubbing her shoulders at the exact spot that hurt.

  "I know it wasn't comfortable riding on the floor like that."

  She started to jerk away, then stopped recalling her plan to soften him. Exactly what Would it take to convince Adam to free her? Bribery? With what? Seduction?

  The idea wasn't nearly as repugnant as it had been a few days ago. Was it because she'd do anything to gain her freedom? Yes...

  I can do this, she thought. Just take baby steps. Fake it.

  She shifted closer to him. "Lower, please."

  His fingers found the knot of tension at the base of her spine. As he rubbed she pressed backwards, felt his body against hers.

  A twig snapped the sound distinct.

  Adam stepped away. "Get inside."

  She scanned the horizon, sensed someone watching. She should have known the McEdwins would have sentries posted here too.

  Adam brought Lyle in right behind her.

  "Bed," Lyle said his voice slurred. "And before you ask, no, I don't need her to check me and I ain't sleeping with an IV"

  The younger man had barely climbed into the bed before passing out again. Adam did a quick search of the room. He didn't expect to find another firearm hidden, but he wasn't taking any chances.

  Renata watched, but didn't speak until they were alone in the living room. "He still needs the antibiotics."

  "I'll press the issue later, after we've all had some sleep. Right now, he'll just fight us over it."

  He unfastened her handcuffs and led her down a short hall to the other bedroom. Adam eyed the king- size bed. It looked like heaven. For what little sleeping he'd be able to do.

  Guilt over Renata's predicament weighed heavy. Her well-being was his responsibility. He needed to get her out before Lyle's behavior grew more erratic.

  He rifled through the stack of clothes that had been left. Both he and Renata had blood on their clothes from the accident. He probably had glass embedded in his shoulder. He tugged out a clean shirt and found several new articles of women's underwear. He eyed the bras, found himself wishing his request had been ignored. He'd enjoyed seeing her braless. And at night, when they slept, his hands had sought the silky expanse of her back, unfettered by straps.

  "Come on." He tugged her toward the bathroom. Having the master bedroom meant they had a private bath. With a window. A ready excuse for not letting her shower alone.

  Renata pointed to the window. "Do you really think I'd risk running away knowing there are people skulking around outside?"

  His hand came up, cupped her cheek as his thumb stroked the soft skin beneath her chin. "I didn't think you'd take the risk you did before. And I'm not in the mood to argue, so please get undressed."

  He turned, ignoring her as he peeled off his clothes before reaching in to turn on the water.

  She caught a glimpse of broad shoulders, tight buttocks and looked away. Their last two showers had been fast, sterile affairs which were no less embarrassing.

  She took a deep breath and tugged off her jeans. It was less awkward undressing while his back was turned and the sooner she got it over with, the better. She peeled off one shirt, then the other, reminding herself that she had a plan: seduction.

  The moment she let the shirt drop from her fingers, Adam turned. His eyes flared as they swept over her. She caught the fire in his gaze, saw his erection move, swell.

  He quickly turned away. "You first."

  Confused by his actions, s
he stepped into the shower. He'd been affected but sought to hide it. As if he didn't want to be aroused by her. Why? And how could she possibly seduce her way to freedom if the man wasn't interested?

  When she looked over her shoulder, she found him staring with undisguised heat. He did want her. She did have some power. Thank goodness. After days of feeling weak, the knowledge made her daring. Reckless.

  She turned, faced him fully, and watched his eyes skim from her throat to her breasts. Her nipples drew tight.

  Then his gaze dropped to her groin. The warmth that had been building inside her flared. Burned. She had never experienced a white-hot sexual craving. The sensation was heady. Intoxicating. And she shook with a desire that threatened to devour her as she waited for Adam to make a move.

  He didn't. He simply stared.

  Until she touched him.

  She hadn't had a conscious thought to do so, but once her hand moved forward, she couldn't stop. He trembled, fiercely, and bucked as her fingers closed over the head of his penis, clasping it.

  She looked down. He was rigid, fully erect. Her hand was tiny against his swollen flesh. Fascinated she slid her fingers lower, grasping the thick shaft. He was rock hard and grew longer at her touch.

  Wet from the shower's spray, her hand slipped easily up. She glided her hand back down, shivering at the sensation of silk over steel, felt him harden even more. That he made no move to touch her in return puzzled her.

  "God ... damn."

  At his strangled curse, she looked up.

  "You have to ask me to touch you," he whispered. "But if you're not going all the way, don't start."

  His words shocked her. Titillated her. She closed her eyes, breathing with difficulty. What the hell am I doing? This was supposed to be about him getting excited. Not her.

  If you’re not going all the way.. .

  She couldn't say yes. She didn't want to say no. Yet her hand remained around his erection, unable to release him.

  Adam felt as if hot daggers were being traced over his skin, the edge touching but not slicing his flesh. Drawing blood one moment, ecstasy the next. The line between pain and pleasure contracted then expanded. The dance.