Proving Ground

by Stanalei Fletcher

  Now they were in the middle of the forest, a place where they had shared happy times when they were younger, the perfect place to recapture what they’d lost. If only he was willing to try. But they couldn’t take the time, not with the fire coming straight at them. Their situation was no longer just a rescue—it was a race for survival.

  Caitlin held her breath when Mac still hadn’t moved. She sensed he had more questions. If he asked, she’d tell him what happened. Even though the circumstances didn’t make any sense to her yet. She’d wrestled half the night with why Dunn and his brother-in-law wanted to start a wildfire. Not a single theory made sense.

  Instead of turning his back on her and starting up the boulders, Mac slid his pack off and placed it on a large rock. He dug inside it and pulled out an energy bar. “Here. Eat this.”

  Caitlin grabbed the bar and tore off the wrapper as if it was last food she’d ever eat. “Thanks.” With the first bite, her fatigue lifted. She knew it was an illusion. The nutrients wouldn’t have absorbed into her system that fast. But the chemical reaction in her brain was enough for her body to respond and feel as though she’d been given new life.

  “Finish that. Then we’ll begin the climb.” Mac bit into his own bar and chewed. After he swallowed, he added. “When we get to the top, I want some answers.”

  She popped the last of the bar in her mouth, savoring the flavor. Maybe talking the situation through would help her find her answers, too. Right now, she had a bigger problem. How was she going to climb those rocks? Every inch of her body hurt. She couldn’t put weight on her ankle without pain shooting up her leg. It was a good thing it was dark. Seeing the sheer magnitude of the climb in daylight would probably send her screaming the other way, in spite of the wildfire.

  Mac finished his bar and stood patiently waiting. At least, he appeared patient. “Ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She hitched her backpack a little higher and searched for the tummy straps.

  The movement caught Mac’s attention and he took a step toward her. He grabbed her hands as she snapped the catch. His touch was electric, making Caitlin jump. Her movement caused the back of his hands to brush the underside of her breasts.

  They both froze. His fingers rested atop hers. Even in the dark, she felt his gaze travel from their joined hands to her mouth. She couldn’t keep from moistening her lips. Her breath caught, ragged and raw in her throat.

  The night air had been heavy with smoke, but now it was hot and saturated with yearning. His warm breath tickled her cheek as he lowered his head, blocking out the night. Her heart hammered and throat tightened. Anticipation brought her breath in quick pants. Mac’s grip tightened on her hands. She stretched her neck ever so slightly to meet his mouth.

  “Caitlin.” His breath whispered over her lips.

  To the south, the night lit up. Caitlin saw desire burning in his eyes as fiercely as the hungry fire devouring the forest.

  Mac wanted her.

  The moment suspended. Then in a heartbeat, he pulled back and looked at the glowing sky. “Damn.”

  Her heart tumbled at the lost opportunity. With their hands still clasped, she glanced at Mac’s face. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes turned in the direction of his gaze. He didn’t need to answer. She saw the steadily growing fire for herself.

  The wildfire had doubled in size.

  “The fire’s erupted.” Worry etched lines on his forehead. “We’ve got to go. Now!” Abruptly, he released her and turned her around. “Give me this.” He pulled her backpack off. “You can move faster without it.”

  “You can’t carry all that.”

  “I’m not injured.” He slipped out of his pack and began to empty the contents of her pack into his. He paused when he found her Glock. When he held it up, the metal reflected the firelight with a dull gleam. “What in the hell is this?”

  “My sidearm.”

  “I can see that. Why are you carrying it out here?”

  “Bears.”

  Mac huffed. “Yeah, right.”

  “It’s my training, okay? I’ve carried a gun ever since I got my license.” She was weary of continually explaining herself to him.

  “Too bad that training didn’t keep you from fighting Dunn.”

  He shoved the gun all the way into the bottom of his pack and then flattened her backpack and stuffed it inside, too.

  “We don’t need the flashlight now.” He slipped his arms through the straps of his bulging pack and snapped the tummy catch into place. “Let’s get moving.”

  Caitlin took a deep breath and shuddered. As impossible as it seemed, the urgency of the night had grown tenfold. She pushed errant strands of hair from her face and tried to shake off the conflicting emotions raging inside her. “Lead the way.”

  Mac glanced at her, his eyes dark and unreadable, then he turned and started up the rockslide.

  She followed as close behind as she could.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mac stretched out a leg and stepped onto the flattened surface of a large boulder in front of him. Just below, he heard Caitlin’s boots rasp across the rocks as she struggled to keep up. She was one gutsy woman to tackle this climb after all she’d been through. He couldn’t help but admire her, but he also wanted to strangle her and kiss her, and couldn’t make up his mind which to do first.

  If the devil had a name, it was Caitlin Malone. He had no doubt she could tempt the moon from the night sky with little effort on her part. She certainly tempted him. Even though he’d always viewed her as his little sister, he hadn’t disagreed with his school buddies that she was his sexy sister. Honesty forced him to admit to feeling possessive whenever one of his friends had asked about dating her. He never told his buddies they couldn’t, but he hated the thought of anyone taking advantage of her. Oddly enough, that had never happened. Caitlin hadn’t dated any of his friends. Even after she graduated from high school, she rarely dated. Mac had never quite understood why. At least not until later.

  So much had built up to that fateful night. Even now, he berated himself for wanting to touch her fiery hair, feel the soft silkiness between his fingers. The way the strands caught light and changed colors, was hypnotic. Even more mesmerizing were her eyes, amber, like a tiger’s. Quick and intelligent. Yet she had a stubborn streak that made her charge ahead with all the forethought of a runaway freight train.

  Even now, she dogged his heels as they ascended the mountainside, scrambling from one boulder to the next to outrun the fire. Mac looked over his shoulder at the fire in the distance. After the initial eruption, the fire had raged steadily toward Lake Madeline. When the flames reached the ridgeline, where the terrain leveled, the hungry blaze finally slowed a little.

  Smoke billowed high as a skyscraper into the night. From where he stood, Mac saw glowing ash floating in the breeze, waywardly blowing toward pristine meadows and untouched groves. More sparks to find fuel, ripe and ready to devour.

  He paused to give his screaming muscles a needed rest and let Caitlin catch up. They were close to the summit. When the wind shifted and smoke drifted away from them, he could see the outline of the rocky rim against a moonlit sky. Dawn was still at least three hours or so away. At the rate they were climbing, they’d reach the summit just before first light crept over the eastern range.

  “How are you holding up?” he asked as Caitlin reached the boulder next to his.

  “I don’t want to think about it,” she said between gasps.

  Her breathing was labored. If possible, she looked even worse than when he’d found her. At that moment, he couldn’t have been more proud of her. Somehow, she’d managed to make the climb without slowing them down. Even with her injuries. “We only have a little farther to go. Look.” He pointed to the summit.

  She straightened and gazed at the strange sight ahead. The moonlight made the boulders seem almost white, while in the background, an orange glow seemed to reflect off the rocks.

  “I can see the top.”r />
  Mac nodded. “Once we cross the summit, we can slow down.” He looked at her and saw the pain she tried to conceal. “Do you think you can hold out?”

  She stared back at him, pale under the layers of dirt, soot and blood. “I can, if you can.”

  “Good.” He grinned. That’s my Cait. Still stubborn as ever. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, hold her until neither of them could think straight. Instead, he reached for his water. “Here. Drink some of this.”

  Caitlin reached for the straw connected to the water bladder in his pack. In order to be near enough to drink, she had to step across to his boulder. There wasn’t much room as she crowded closer, and she teetered a little near the edge of the large rock.

  “Whoa there.” Mac grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. Her breasts pressed against his chest, triggering an unwelcome tightness below his belt, but he pushed the sensation aside and kept her from tumbling down the rocks. “Are you okay?”

  She gave a quick nod, and he noticed the pinched line along her lips. He looked away from the temptation, surprised how her warmth permeated his shirt, making him realize that, although the physical exertion during the climb had kept the chill at bay, his skin had cooled. Until Cait’s touch, he hadn’t realized how cold the air really was. Her heat was subtle, but penetrating. Fanning the flame he’d been trying to suppress since her return to Rockton.

  Then the warmth changed to something more electric. The air seemed to crackle as though the fire was upon them. He sensed that Caitlin felt the shift in energy too. Although he didn’t loosen his hold, he stood straighter to regain control of the temptation. He didn’t dare let down his guard. They had a long way to climb to the top, and the danger below was gaining ground.

  She took the water he’d offered, putting the straw to her mouth and sipped. When the water filled her mouth, she held it for a moment before swallowing. “Thanks.” Her voice still sounded scratchy, but not quite as raw as before.

  “There’s plenty of water,” he said. “Drink some more. You need to stay hydrated.”

  She looked up at him. Her face was barely discernible in the dim moonlight. Their gazes met, and he couldn’t look away.

  Her hand closed over his as she slipped the straw between her lips and drank again. When she finished, she handed the straw back.

  Mac raised it to his mouth, his eyes never leaving her face. He pressed his mouth where hers had been. Her taste flooded his senses. The water sliding down his throat wasn’t nearly enough to quench what he truly thirsted for. Not enough to hold back the yearning that he knew to be wrong. He took one more deep swallow and broke eye contact as he capped the water and secured the straw. “Come on. Rest period is over.” His tone was harsher than he intended, but he had to get a grip on his unruly need. Removing his arm from around her waist, he turned and started the final ascent.

  Behind him, he felt Caitlin shiver. The cool air replaced the warmth they’d generated while standing so close together. It seeped into places where sweat soaked through his clothing and brought a bit of sanity back to the dire situation. The only way to stay warm now was to keep moving.

  ****

  Pounding on the front door woke Dunn from a dead sleep. He’d crashed after the local authorities forced the bikers to evacuate the campgrounds. The roadways down the canyon had been lined with flashing strobes from every law enforcement vehicle in the area. Secretly, Dunn took pleasure in Smith’s frustration at the delay getting to the lab.

  Dunn’s reprieve from completing his promise was temporary, and he really needed the final payment, but it was satisfying to get one up on the terrorist for making him set the fire and kill Jack’s friend.

  The door rattled on its hinges as the pounding came again.

  “Keep your panties on,” he growled. “I’m coming.” He stomped through the living room wearing only his boxers and T-shirt and flung open the door to stare at the deadpan face of Mr. Smith.

  Dunn considered himself as intimidating as any man out there, but the empty look in Smith’s eyes gave him chills. Dunn swallowed. “I thought we were meeting at six.”

  “I’ve been listening to the scanners.” Smith spoke in a monotone voice. “They’ve moved the command post up the canyon. The road to the lab is clear. We must go now.”

  Dunn nodded. He didn’t like the change in plans, but wasn’t willing to back out, either. The promise of the other payoff would make all this dirty work worthwhile. He would lose his job once the authorities discovered his security card made an unauthorized entry at the lab. But Smith was probably right. The timing was good. With the authorities focused on the fire and crowd control of a hundred or more bikers from the rally, the fire, as a diversion, was still working in their favor.

  “Give me a minute.” Dunn left Smith at the front door. It made no difference if Smith let himself in or not. Once this job was over, the terrorist would be out of Dunn’s life. He could focus on Lacey and getting her well again. Only a few more hours, and he’d be on his way to Salt Lake City for her treatments.

  Once dressed, he returned to the living room. Smith stood looking at the pictures on the fireplace mantel. This was the only room Dunn kept cleaned while Lacey was in the hospital—a shrine in the room she loved best.

  Smith picked up a picture of Lacey smiling into the camera. He turned when Dunn stopped next to him. “She’s pretty.” Smith’s words were harmless enough, but the tone he used lifted the hair on Dunn’s neck.

  “She’s none of your business.” Dunn’s fists clenched.

  Smith raised a brow, but didn’t respond to Dunn’s belligerence.

  Dunn ignored what could quite possibly be a warning—most certainly more emotion than Smith had displayed thus far—and grabbed the picture out of the other man’s hands. “She’s got nothing to do with this.” He gently returned Lacey’s picture to the mantel.

  Smith stood aside. When Dunn headed for the door, he followed. Dunn opened it for Smith to precede him. As Smith disappeared into the cool early morning, Martin Dunn took a final look at his wife’s picture then closed the door behind him.

  Dunn waited until Smith climbed in his truck before starting the engine. They were taking Dunn’s work truck to avoid suspicion. Logically, it made sense for Dunn to run a security check on the facility, given the proximity to the fire. It was all part of the plan.

  Only two things had gone wrong so far. The first was that stupid bitch who rode to the rally with Jacko. Dunn felt badly about having to kill her. He’d always liked her father, Sean Malone. But her appearance at the cabin actually helped divert attention away from Dunn and Smith when the fire started. Everyone was too concerned about her whereabouts to notice that Dunn and Smith were missing when the fire actually started. And even better, once they found her body, she’d be blamed for starting the fire, diverting all suspicion from him.

  The second hitch was the fact that they couldn’t finish the job last night. The blaze had forced the evacuation of the campground as planned, giving Dunn the excuse he needed to get away from the rally. Unfortunately, the fire forced the authorities to ban all civilian vehicles from traveling up the canyon. Dunn couldn’t return until the authorities cleared the lower foothills of fire danger and reopened the road.

  Dunn slowed to take the turn up Madeline Creek Road. Smith settled in his seat, dressed in a suit and tie, looking suave and refined. Nothing like the deadly terrorist he was, but part of the cover story they’d devised. Dunn shook his head at the lengths Smith used to meet his objective. Then he realized he’d done the same thing. He was not a saint by any stretch of the imagination. Some of the things he’d done before he met Lacey… He shook his head. He wouldn’t second-guess his choices now. The die was cast. He was in this mess up to his neck.

  ****

  Dawn crept closer. The lightening sky showed a bright orange-red glow from the smoke particulates coating the atmosphere. Mac swore as he reached the final obstacle on their trek to the summit. Up to now, th
ey’d done little more than rock hop up the boulder field, even though it had taken them almost three hours. Now they faced a ledge where, hundreds of years ago, the rocks had broken free on a glacier and cascaded down the hillside, making a natural dam that created the lake.

  This was real rock climbing. Free climbing, if he wanted to be technical, since he didn’t have the gear to rope them up. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Caitlin carefully picking her way up the rocks. She’d stubbornly kept up. Not once complaining about the tough go of it, even though he’d heard painful moans when she was forced to reach farther than her legs normally stretched. Regardless, they’d made it this far, and once on the other side, they’d have a relatively easy downhill hike to a clearing where the helicopter would pick them up.

  “This is the last part.” Mac tried to encourage her as she reached the rock adjacent to his.

  She studied the ledge and then scooted sideways along some other rocks, still looking up at the massive cliff formation. “There’s a kind of chimney on this side.”

  Mac scrambled beside her and looked up. If the early morning shadows weren’t playing tricks, then it appeared the chimney might be an easier way up. They’d still have to do some climbing, but they could go at it in stages, almost like a ladder. He looked at Caitlin. “What do you think? Can you make it?”

  She pursed her lips and took a breath. The night hadn’t been kind to her, but then again, he probably looked just as hammered.

  “I’m willing to give it a shot. It certainly looks easier than the straight up approach on the other side.”

  “Then this is the place we’ll climb.” Mac projected a confidence he hoped would assure her. He glanced downhill. The charred landscape to the south still smoldered. Although they’d outrun the fire by going up, the blaze had continued toward the lake, devouring more forest in its path. “We’re almost home free.” He glanced at Caitlin.

  She offered a weak smile. “Then let’s get going.”

  “I’ll go first and test the handholds. Once I’m secure, I’ll pull you up.”