by Cindy Dees
A male voice spoke very quietly in the darkness. “Mac, check off.”
Mac spoke quietly from beside her. “Check.”
Silence.
What in the heck was going on? Obviously, that had been one of the good guys or Mac wouldn’t have said anything. So where did the guy go? A hand slapped over her mouth and she about jumped out of her skin. Man! She hated it when these guys did that!
A man’s voice whispered in her ear. “Don’t make a sound. Understood?”
She nodded under his hand. She was surprised when the hand didn’t move away from her mouth.
“Hi, sis.”
Tex! She’d have squealed for sure if his hand weren’t over her mouth. She shook his hand off and demanded in a whisper, “Where did you come from? How long have you been back in Texas? Thank God you’re here! I’ve been so scared—”
Mac’s low murmur cut her off. “Not now, Susan.”
She stopped babbling abruptly. He was right. They weren’t out of here, yet.
Mac continued in a whisper, “Good to see you, Tex. What’s up?”
Her brother answered, “It’s a mess out there. Quite a fireworks show. The hostiles are armed to the gills. And this building’s laid out like a plate of spaghetti.”
“The building’s not secure?” Mac murmured in surprise.
“Not even close.”
Susan’s heart dropped to her feet. Great. Now her brother’s neck was on the line, too. “So what are you doing down here, then?” she interjected.
“I heard a rumor that my sister and my best buddy were prisoners in here somewhere. That was reason enough to invite myself in.”
“I’m going to kick your butt when we get out of here for taking such a foolish risk,” Mac growled under his breath.
“I’ll let you,” Tex murmured back, “after we get out of here. What’s your status? You look like death warmed over through these IR goggles.”
“I feel worse. Susan’s cuffed to a chair. Have you got your picks on you?”
“You bet,” Tex answered. “I’ll have her loose in a sec.”
Susan waited impatiently while Tex worked on her handcuffs. It took under a minute for the metal bracelets to fall away from her wrists. “I didn’t know you could pick locks,” she commented.
Tex chuckled quietly. “I can do all sorts of things you don’t know about.”
“So I gather from hanging out with Mac.”
“I know you two are glad to see each other, but we need to get out of here,” Mac reminded them.
“Right,” Tex answered. “One escape coming up. I’ve got two sets of night-vision goggles for you guys. They’ll work better once we get out of this dungeon. There’s a little ambient light in the halls upstairs.”
What felt like a set of heavy binoculars was thrust into Susan’s hands. She felt for the head strap and pulled the goggles on over her head. She didn’t see anything until she looked up at the exit. But then she made out a faint line of green coming from under the door.
“I’ve also got throat mikes for you guys.”
“Great.” Mac’s relief was audible.
Susan took the jumble of wires Tex handed her and managed to sort it out and don the microphone all by herself. She was getting pretty good at this special-ops stuff.
“I see you’ve been playing with Mac’s toys,” Tex remarked.
She sputtered and couldn’t come up with a response to that one. She truly hoped blushes didn’t show up through his infrared goggles.
Mac covered up his abrupt cough by asking Tex, “Have you got any heat to spare?”
“Of course,” Tex answered casually.
Susan heard several metallic clicks. “What’s that noise?”
Mac answered. “I’m checking to make sure there are bullets chambered in the pistols your brother just handed me.”
“Oh.” She gulped. “Are we going to have to shoot our way out of here?”
“Let’s hope not,” Mac replied. “But you know us. We plan for the worst and…”
“…hope for the best,” she finished for him.
“Exactly. Tex, if you don’t mind taking point, I’m not at a hundred percent.”
“You got it. Susan, stay right on my heels, and Mac will follow you. Okay?”
“Okay.”
She heard the frown in Tex’s voice. “It could get sporty out there. Do exactly what I say as soon as I tell you to do it. Got that, sis?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve crawled around with Mac, avoiding these guys before. I know the drill.”
They eased up the stairs and Susan held her breath while Tex pushed the squeaky door open slowly. Silence. Nobody shot at them. They moved out into the hallway on their hands and knees, and it jumped into dim, green focus. Doors and signs came into view. She put all her weight on her arms and her good leg, and Tex set a slow enough pace that she could keep up.
Tex whispered into his throat mike, “We can’t go back the way I came. Too much company for the three of us.”
Especially since she was a noisy amateur with a bum knee, and Mac was badly hurt. She made the mistake of glancing back over her shoulder in his direction. She felt physically ill at the sight of him. He was covered in black, which had to be dried blood. What she could see of his face around his goggles was monstrously swollen and misshapen. If she ever got the chance, she was going to kill the guy who’d done that to Mac. Painfully.
Mac tapped her foot and pointed forward. She jumped, remembering abruptly that she was supposed to be sticking close behind Tex. She sped up as best she could on her tripod arrangement of limbs and moved back into position behind her brother.
They crawled down the hallway until the first intersection, where Tex motioned her to stop and stand up. It felt really good to unbend her aching knee.
“Wait here while I check it out,” Tex murmured. He crouched low and disappeared around the corner.
Susan glanced over her shoulder and was surprised to see Mac facing the other direction, pistols at the ready in front of him. Had he heard something?
She strained to hear anything. The rat-a-tat of distant gunfire was the only noise she picked up.
A finger tapped her on the shoulder and she whirled around, terrified. Tex. He motioned her to tap Mac on the shoulder and then to follow him. She did as he instructed. They repeated the same drill a half-dozen times, Susan and Mac stopping and waiting while Tex went ahead to scout. But when Tex returned the next time, he ducked around the corner fast and uttered a single word.
“Run!”
She followed Mac clumsily back in the direction they’d come from with Tex supporting her left elbow. The sound of shouting behind them in Spanish spurred her forward.
“Hit the deck!” Tex ordered.
Susan mimicked Mac’s rolling dive as bullets slammed into the wall above her head with a sickening thud. Bits of plaster flew at her, stinging her face. Her knee was screaming bloody murder. Tough. It wasn’t like they could stop and rest it right now.
“Follow me,” Mac called over his shoulder while Tex returned fire. She hop-skipped after him, and then Mac took a running dive in front of her and landed beside an office door. Somehow he managed to open the thing from his prone position on the floor while he shot a pistol down the hallway. She dived through the opening that appeared behind him. Mac followed right on her heels, and Tex dived in behind him, closing the door fast. Then her brother sped over to a heavy filing cabinet, which he immediately pushed over in front of the outer door.
She looked around. It was a plainly appointed office, with tall filing cabinets ringing the walls.
Tex crawled to the window and peeked over the sill using a small periscope thingy. “Good news,” he transmitted over his throat mike. “We’re on the ground floor on the back side of the building. Most of the shooting is around front. We ought to be able to get out of here.”
“Great,” Mac grunted. “’Bout damn time some luck went our way.”
Susan’s head swiveled sharply in hi
s direction. He sounded bad. He slumped weakly, sitting against a filing cabinet, his right hand holding his side and his left arm cradled awkwardly across his chest. The side of his head was bleeding again, and even through her night-vision goggles, he looked pale. She made out big beads of sweat on his forehead.
“Good grief, Mac! Are you trying to kill yourself?” she demanded as she hastened to his side. “Why didn’t you tell Tex you needed to rest?”
Tex materialized at her side. He took one look at Mac and let loose a stream of curses. “Mac, you know better than to press so hard in your condition. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I thought getting out of here alive was a higher priority than my current…discomfort.”
“Yeah, and what if you went into shock on us or passed out from loss of blood? Then where would we be? I’m calling in a full assault team and we’re yanking you out of here.”
Mac’s response was immediate and sharp. “No, you’re not. Susan would be put in too much danger.”
“So what do you suggest, tough guy?” Tex asked irritably.
Mac was silent for a long time.
“What’s on your mind, my friend?” Tex asked. “When you’re quiet this long, you’re usually cooking up something diabolical in that twisted mind of yours.”
Mac frowned. “I was thinking that Ruala is going to keep coming at us until he takes out Susan. He’ll never back off and leave her alone. If he doesn’t kill her tonight, he’ll try tomorrow or the next day or the next until he succeeds.”
Tex scowled. “That bastard’s not walking out of here alive.”
Mac replied slowly, “True. But we’ve got another problem. Ruala said tonight that Ferrare wanted film of Susan being killed. And if Ferrare has decided she needs to die, he’s not going to back off until she’s dead, either. He’ll keep sending thugs after her until she’s history.”
Susan frowned. If he was right, then she was never going to be free of this mess!
Tex nodded slowly at Mac. “Yeah, you’re right about Ferrare. He must have figured out she’s my sister. He can get even with me for stealing the RITA rifle from him if he kills her.” He frowned. “What else were you thinking about?”
“Killing Susan.”
“What?” she squeaked.
Mac sent her a pained smile. “Faking it. Making Ferrare think you’re dead.”
Tex nodded slowly. “It would back him off.”
Mac frowned. “She would have to stay dead until we kill Ruala and catch Ferrare. And we would need to stage a funeral—maybe send Ferrare word that we’re coming after him to get even with him for killing your sister.”
Tex nodded slowly. And turned to look at her questioningly.
“I’ll do it if you guys think it’s best,” she said bravely.
Mac reached out a bruised hand to squeeze her fingers. There wasn’t anywhere near enough strength in his grasp. “Think this through before you decide, Suzie. If we don’t manage to kill Ruala tonight, you’ll have to completely disappear, sweetheart. You’ll have to cut off your family, your friends, everyone you’ve ever known. You’ll have to quit your job. Give up your entire life.”
It wasn’t like her life or her job was anything to write home about. And if it would stop Mac from flinging himself into danger… She stared at him for a moment and then asked, “If I pretend to die, could you stop putting your neck on the line for me?”
He frowned. “I suppose so.”
“Then I’ll do it,” she answered emphatically.
“You sure?” he whispered weakly.
“Mac, you were willing to give your life for me tonight. I’m certainly willing to give up a job and a few friends for you. Besides, Tex will know I’m alive. And you will.”
His battered fingers touched her cheek lightly.
Tex cleared his throat. “Look. Whatever we decide, we need to get on with it. The guys who chased us in here will no doubt be back with reinforcements soon.”
Mac’s voice was fading badly. “Give me a second to rest. And then we’ll figure out how to kill Susan.”
Tex dug in a pouch at his belt and held out a small packet in his palm. “Can I interest you in a spot of morphine?”
Mac smiled lopsidedly. “I thought you’d never ask.” He tore open the packet and popped the pills in his mouth, dry.
Tex went over to the window and peered outside cautiously.
“How’s it look?” Mac asked.
“Real quiet. Too quiet if you ask me.”
Mac nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.”
Susan frowned. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Mac and I are guessing that a few of Ruala’s men are out front putting on a big show, while he and his best men come around to the back of the building to wait for us to make our escape,” Tex explained.
“You mean there’s an ambush waiting for us out there?” she asked, dismayed.
Mac answered, “In a nutshell, yeah.”
She gasped. “What are we going to do about it?”
Mac actually grinned. “We’re going to sit tight and let Tex watch out the window. In case you didn’t know it, your brother has the best eyesight of anyone I’ve ever met. Give him a few minutes and he’ll know the position of every shooter out there.”
Susan looked over at her brother who was standing beside the window, staring outside with total concentration. “Really?”
“Yup,” was Tex’s absent reply. “I’ve already spotted two men. But the way they’re positioned, there should be one more guy out there.”
About two minutes later Tex stepped away from the window and shook out his shoulders. “Got ’em all,” he announced casually. “Whenever you’re ready, Mac, we can blow this joint.”
Susan jumped. “You’re not literally going to blow it up, are you?”
Mac and Tex looked at her sharply.
Tex commented slowly, “You know. That’s not a bad idea…”
“The timing would be tight,” Mac answered.
“Hell of a diversion, though. Great way to kill her.”
Mac grinned at Tex. “Great way to flush out Ruala and his men, too. How much go-bang have you got on you?”
“A couple pounds of C-4.”
Mac nodded. “That’s a little shy of what I’d need to drop the building, but I could start a nice fire with it. That way, if any of Ruala’s men get away, word will get back to Ferrare that she was waxed here.”
Susan couldn’t stand it anymore. “What are you two talking about?”
Mac smiled. “You’d be a natural at special ops, Suzie. We’re going to do what you suggested and blow up the building.”
“The building we’re sitting in?” she asked, incredulous.
“The very same.”
“With us still in it?”
“Well, with you still in it. Tex and I will bail out just as it blows up. The blast will mess up the night vision of the snipers out there and cover our movements. They won’t know if you’re still inside or not.”
“Pardon me, but won’t the blast mess me up, too?”
Tex grinned. “Ahh, sister mine. Allow me to introduce you to one of the best explosives men in the United States Armed Forces. He’s a veritable artist with C-4. He’ll set the charges to blow away from our position. You’ll be in a dead zone right in the middle of the blast.”
Susan glanced at Mac. “Dead being the operative word. Sounds awfully dangerous to me.”
He flashed a wolf-like grin at her. “Trust me, baby. The place will go up in flames around you, and you’ll be able to stroll out of here as pretty as you please.”
“Mac, you’re terribly hurt. I don’t want you roaming around the hallways trying to set charges with Ruala’s men out there, too.”
“That’s my job. I know how to do it.”
“Mac, you can hardly move. You show Tex and me where to set the charges and we’ll do the work.”
“She does have a point, Mac.”
Mac g
lared at Tex. “I don’t like it.”
“Well, buddy, I’ve got the C-4 and you’re outnumbered by Monroes, two to one.”
Mac’s swollen eyes still managed to narrow menacingly. “If anything happens to Susan, I’ll break your neck.”
Her brother laughed at Mac. “If anything happens to Susan, we’ll see who breaks whose neck first. You ready to go?”
Mac drew in a slow, careful breath. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
The next ten minutes were a nightmare. Susan rapidly thought better of her earlier bravado. Every little noise made her jump, and Mac was in no shape to be moving at all, let alone crawling around messing with explosives and detonators. Tex shot at something behind them once, but when Susan turned around to see what it was, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her in the other direction.
“Don’t look back,” he bit out.
He must have killed someone. Although she was getting pretty immune to that idea at this point. Nevertheless, she spared herself the sight and followed Mac into the next stairwell. They high-tailed it back to the office they’d come from as soon as the wiring job was done.
Mac rested while Tex manhandled two heavy filing cabinets onto their sides and then dumped a half-dozen more onto their sides across the first two, creating a bunker for her beneath their metal frames. Mac explained that the paper-filled cabinets would protect her from the dynamic over-pressure of the blast—the air recoiling back into the space where the explosion had just blown outward. It was mostly a precaution. When the C-4 blew, it would create a ring of fire well away from this office and give her plenty of time to get out.
Not that that sounded ominous, or anything.
Susan watched as Tex followed Mac’s directions in laying a line of thin, rope-like explosive he called det cord around the window. Tex pulled a grenade off his belt and passed another one to Mac. “My last two flash-bangs,” he announced.
Mac nodded.
“What’s a flash-bang?” she asked.
Mac replied, “A grenade with very little explosives in it. It makes a bright flash and then a loud noise, but does practically no damage. Wrecks night vision like a charm.”
“All set,” Tex announced.
Mac helped Susan into her makeshift foxhole. His hand trembled on her back. Clearly, he was at the very end of his formidable strength. She paused to look up at him.
