by Linda Style
“Okay. Let’s hit it!”
They couldn’t see the mine shaft from where they stood, and Serena knew it wasn’t as close as it seemed. As she’d reminded herself earlier, nothing in the desert was ever as close as it seemed.
“I’m as ready as you are.”
Cole arched an eyebrow. Yeah, she was ready, all right.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CLIMBING UP A SMALL BANK, Cole offered Serena his hand, then steadied her as she picked her way across the rocky terrain. Her legs were unsteady, yet she never wavered, never complained.
When they finally arrived at the mine, he said, “Doesn’t seem that anyone’s been here in years.” In fact, if the Keep Out signs hadn’t been there, they might not have even found the place.
Serena picked her way toward the shaft entrance, where weathered boards crisscrossed a small opening in the side of the mountain. Cole grabbed her arm. “Don’t get too close.” The dangers around old mines were the unexpected—rock slides, sinkholes, snakes.
“It’s okay. I’ve been in there before. Look—” She pointed to the top board. “The planks are barely attached. Almost as though someone was here recently. And look there.” She whirled around. “Footprints.”
Cole glanced at the gravel where she pointed. “Animals. And I still think it’s too dangerous to go any farther.”
“Maybe for you, but I’m going to see if this—” She stepped forward and touched one of the old boards. On contact it shifted and fell off, clattering to her feet. “Ack!” She jumped back, and he caught her in his arms. “It’s okay,” she said. “It startled me, that’s all.”
He considered holding her so she wouldn’t pull any more stunts like that, but she felt too damn good and he couldn’t trust himself. Reluctantly, he released his hold. She moved nearer the entrance and, using the fallen board, pried at the one remaining. His stomach knotted. She’d not be satisfied until she was one hundred percent sure her brother wasn’t inside or hadn’t been there. And she didn’t care if she got hurt in the process.
But he did. No way was he gonna let anything happen to her.
“Here, let me do it.” He muscled the board away.
“Great. I’m going in,” she said.
“The hell you are.”
Serena turned, then laughed him off. “It’s safe. I’ve been in there before. This door leads to a cavern and the actual shaft goes down from inside.” Her eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at him. “Are you coming with me?”
Cole ground his back teeth and stifled his reservations. He lurched forward and motioned for her to follow him, placing a finger over his lips. “Shh,” he whispered. “Just in case.”
The mine was dark except for the faint light coming from the entrance. As his eyes adjusted, he inched forward, appreciating the fact that the farther they went, the cooler it got. As yet, he didn’t need the flashlight he’d wedged into his back pocket.
So far, no sign of her brother. She closed her eyes. She felt him…and he was close.
A creature fluttered above them, and Serena scurried up behind him, grabbed on to the back of his shirt and huddled against him.
A few feet farther, they entered the inner sanctum. There was still enough light to see, and Serena quickly scanned for any sign of life. Cole inspected the center area, where the shaft was loosely covered by boards. Surrounding the shaft was a rail, and to the side of it, a rusty iron wheel and harness—apparently, the method used to haul ore up and down. Oddly, the place was clean, almost as if someone had been there recently and swept it out.
“Stay where you are,” Cole instructed, holding up a hand while he checked the ground beneath their feet with a board he’d picked up at the entrance.
Serena halted. She waved toward another tunnel—a draft, as the miners called them. He knew the drafts led to smaller tunnels that fanned out into the mountainside in the quest for larger veins of gold or silver.
“Cole,” Serena said.
“Keep it down,” he whispered.
“But see, there’s a tunnel. We need to take a look inside.”
Cole ducked his head to flash a beam of light inside. “Too dark in there to see anything. Besides, there’s no sign anyone was here. No tire tracks below, nothing inside.”
“Ryan’s been here. I feel him and he’s in trouble. C’mon,” she urged. “Let’s go.”
He didn’t want to go, but he knew what it meant to her.
He grabbed her hand and pushed her ahead of him, his hands clamped around her waist. “Okay, let’s go. But I want you right where I can see you.”
Cole practically propelled Serena toward the exit. He dreaded going back into the heat after the small reprieve. As he followed her out, the glare of the sun almost knocked him to his knees, and he raised a hand to shield his eyes. Serena did the same. Then she positioned herself, feet apart, right hand shielding her eyes as she scanned the area.
She had to be disheartened over not finding her brother, but she had to know they couldn’t remain out there forever. “C’mon. We’ll go back home and and if Ryan hasn’t returned, we’ll get a search party. Maybe Natalia—”
A crack rang out, then something zinged off the rock beside him. He latched on to Serena and dived for cover. What the hell!
“Stay down,” he ordered, dragging Serena farther behind the rock. Her eyes looked like moons; blood ran down her arm. His heart stumbled. Fearing she’d been shot, he bent to examine the wound, and was thankful to find just a bad scrape.
He ripped off his neck scarf. “Here. Wrap that on your arm and get behind me, over there.” He indicated the boulder to the left of the shaft entrance. “And keep low!”
“Wh-what’s going on?” Serena said, obviously shaken and confused.
“Someone’s using us for target practice, so get down and stay down!” He pulled his pistol from his ankle holster.
Serena looked aghast—whether from surprise that Cole pulled his gun or horror that someone was taking potshots, he didn’t know. Nor did he care. Following his orders, she crawled on her hands and knees to hide behind the rock.
“Just stay there. I’ve got to assess our position.”
“Someone is shooting at us?” Serena asked incredulously.
“You got it.” He picked up a large chunk of stone and tossed it out on the opposite side.
Zing, zing, zing. A barrage of gunfire ricocheted around them.
Squatting, he went to where Serena was huddled, arms wrapped around her knees, eyes locked on the weapon in his hand.
“It’s okay. It’s legal,” he said in an awkward attempt to ease her fear.
Her hand went to her throat. “Wh-why would anyone—”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” he answered before she’d finished.
“And what’s that?”
“I think we interrupted someone doing something illegal.”
Immediately, he thought of what the sheriff had told him several weeks ago about the FBI working on a huge bust in the area. “Maybe it’s someone who believes we’re claim jumpers.”
Cole wondered if she’d intended that as a joke. But from the fearful look on her face, he could tell she was serious.
“People still work the mines. Eccentric people who could feel we’re after something. When they learn they’re mistaken and we’re not going to do anything, it’ll be okay.”
Possibly. But he doubted it. “I bet it’s someone doing something illegal. Like drug trafficking, or coyotes hauling a truckload of illegal immigrants.” Those were the only likely possibilities for Cole. And he and Serena were sitting ducks.
He checked the cartridge, and in the instant his eyes were directed down, Serena was waving something white in her hand.
“Please stop shooting,” she shouted. “We’re only searching for someone who disappeared while hik—” Zing, zing, zing.
Cole shoved Serena down and blocked her with his body, letting loose a barrage of his own gunfire. He crooked an arm around her waist an
d dragged her like a rag doll back behind the rock. “Damn stupid thing to do,” he hissed through his teeth.
For one god-awful moment he’d thought he’d lost her.
“Are you okay?” he asked on the next heavy breath.
She gave a tiny jerk of her head.
“Dammit. You gotta listen to me. These guys are serious. And it’s not because we jumped their claim.”
She glanced fearfully at his gun. “Why do you have that thing?”
“I always take a gun with me when I go out in the desert. It’s a safety precaution. And I’ve had lots of gun training.”
He panned the area for an escape route of some kind. “You got any ideas on how to get out of here?”
She straightened. “There’s the mine.”
“Not on your life.”
“It’s safe. We could spot anyone coming in.”
“It’s a trap—the mine is a trap. We’d be sitting targets with no way out.” He glanced right, left, up, down.
“There’s another entrance to the mine on the west side, and a shaft that leads out near the base of the mountain.” Her forehead furrowed. “I think.”
“Can you get us there?”
Serena raised her chin. “I’m pretty sure.”
“We’ve got shooters out there. Time is critical. Just tell me which way to go.”
She glared at him and motioned for him to follow. When they’d eased their way around a few boulders and were, hopefully, out of sight of the shooters, Serena pointed to the right.
“Beyond that craggy corner is the entrance. It leads out farther down on the other side. The only problem is that when we exit, we’ll be really far from the Jeep.” She crossed her arms.
“Fine. Let’s move it,” Cole said, grasping her hand. “We’ll be out of range of the shooters. That’s the important thing.”
Serena had no time to reflect as they scrambled over the rocks and around the cactus, getting poked and scraped by every sharp thing in their path. But her physical discomfort was minuscule compared with her emotional turmoil. If Ryan was out here, he could have encountered these same men and who knows what might’ve happened. Now she was more certain than ever that her feelings had been right, though it was no consolation.
She avoided the woody spine of a dead cactus, and at the same time Cole caught her, his hold firm and decisive.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. Just fine.” They continued on, hunched down behind the larger rocks as they moved toward the west entrance to the mine. Cole shadowed her steps. When voices suddenly echoed from the other side of a large outcrop, he yanked her back and put his arms around her, as if to keep her still.
Apparently someone else knew about the other mine entrance. Good grief. Were these people together? How many were there? Were they surrounded on all sides?
Serena heard a man’s voice from the other side of the boulder. “You stay and guard the hostage. We’ll fan out and find who’s out there.”
Oh, God. Hostage?
“We can’t have any witnesses,” he said. “Shoot to kill. No one will ever find them out here.”
Serena’s heart stalled. Shoot to kill? Oh, God. Serena gasped.
Cole held her tighter, murmured “Shh” in her ear. Then he poised himself in front of her, obviously intent on protecting her. And he seemed to know what he was doing.
“Stay down. A couple of them are leaving,” Cole whispered over his shoulder. He waited briefly, turned and flattened his back against the boulder next to her. His eyes narrowed, and he studied her. “You okay?”
She nodded. But she worried about Cole. His chest was heaving. The air was hot and dry, and sweat formed damp circles on his shirt under his arms, and lines across his shirt over his stomach. He’d lost his hat, too.
As she gazed at Cole, his every muscle appeared to ready for action. Despite the way Ryan had treated him, he was doing this for her brother. Or for her. Maybe both.
A bitter pill of remorse lodged in her windpipe. Their lives were at stake. She’d put Cole’s life in danger and she was focused on herself.
She tried not to think that Ryan might be the hostage, but the thought kept coming back. And if Ryan was indeed a captive, she was to blame for trying to get him to do something he wasn’t ready to do. Now she watched as Cole crept forward around the jagged outcrop, then stopped at a point where, apparently, he could see the other entrance to the mine.
“There’re three,” he said in a hushed tone. “We’ll wait till two leave, then I’ll take it from there.” He crouched in position, maintaining vigil.
“What will you do?” she asked, her voice lowered to a near whisper.
He shot her a sharp glance. His eyes held no emotion, only hard purpose. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep us safe.”
She began to rise to get a look over his shoulder, but he stayed her with a hand to her arm.
“I’ll wait until the two guards leave to look for us, then overtake the remaining guard.”
Serena sucked in a shaky breath. “What should I do while you’re doing that?”
“You’ll stay right here where you’re safe. When I’m done, I’ll come back for you. I will get you out of here. That’s a promise.”
Serena jerked her head up. “I’m the one who got us into this mess. I should be helping.”
His eyes softened as his gaze held hers. “You didn’t get me into anything. I made the choice to come.”
She skimmed the contours of his face, the lines of purpose on either side of his mouth, the hard set of his jaw, and she realized the truth of it.
He could easily have taken her back. He could’ve taken her back at any time. But he hadn’t. He’d come with her to find her brother. Whether for her sake or Ryan’s, she didn’t know. The fact was, he was here. A pang of guilt pierced her. He was a man willing to risk his life for others, and all she’d remembered was one thing.
“Okay. But if you’re going to overtake that guard, I’m going to help.”
Cole glared at her as though he knew she couldn’t accept no for an answer. “Okay, but you have to do exactly as I say.”
Serena nodded and peered through the fissure in the rock. Three guards stood hunched, studying something that appeared to be a map spread out on a rock. She couldn’t see their faces, but the familiar stance of one man gripped her heart like an icy hand. It was the guy with the weird hair who’d been at Ryan’s apartment. She didn’t recognize the other guy. No question about it.
Then she heard their voices. “Okay, Wheeler, you head in that direction and I’ll head the other way.”
Cole took another look. “Okay, they’ve left, but now the other guard isn’t there. He must’ve gone inside, so we have to move fast.” He pulled out his gun. “You stay directly behind me. Okay?”
Serena nodded again, and when Cole signaled, she moved in behind him, as close as possible without touching.
They slipped up next to the craggy outcrop and climbed over, careful to be quiet. But rocks scattered and rolled in a small avalanche beneath her feet. She stifled a gasp as Cole’s arm jutted out to keep her from falling. They advanced quickly and reached the entrance with no catastrophes. Cole listened, then they eased inside.
If she remembered correctly, this entrance was like the other, a narrow passage leading to another cavern, but with only one large side shaft like a tall train tunnel. It was braced on the sides with iron bars and wood beams, and metal tracks ran down the middle for the ore cars.
Ryan had always said he’d come back here, that someday he’d stick a pick into a vein of gold so thick he’d never have to work another day in his life.
Cole reached behind and grabbed her hand, then drew her with him as he inched forward.
Soon she discerned light, which she figured was the cavern ahead. Fright stabbed her. What if the guard started coming out while they were in here? What if the others returned?
Cole tightened his grip, and she was oddly reassured.
They stopped at the mouth of the inside cavern. A voice? Someone moaning.
Cole peered around the corner and saw the guard’s back as he hovered over a limp form on the floor near the wall opposite them. The hostage the other guys had mentioned.
The guard handed a canteen to the hostage and said, “Drink, my friend.”
The other man stretched out a wobbly arm and accepted whatever the guard was offering, but then flung it across the room. “Not your friend,” he slurred.
The guard shrugged, then turned and started walking toward a large wooden box in the corner.
Cole motioned for Serena to stay put, held his gun at the ready and ran over to the guard, hoping surprise was in his favor. The man turned just as Cole threw a punch. The guy’s eyes rolled upward and he went down and out. In seconds, Cole shoved the gun in his belt, then turned to help the hostage. As the man struggled to raise his head, Cole stopped dead. Ryan.
Cole jostled him. Damn, he was drugged. By choice or force, Cole didn’t know. He picked up the canteen and poured some in Ryan’s face, then started untying the rope around his legs.
No way could they get him out unless Ryan could move on his own. Just then Cole felt Serena’s warmth behind him.
“We better hurry,” she said. Then she spotted Ryan and her face went white. “Oh, God.” She knelt and began helping Cole untie him.
Ryan mumbled, “Serena?”
Cole turned and handed her the rope. “Tie that guy’s feet together.”
As she did, Cole slipped off his belt to strap the guard’s hands to one of the steel rebars, then he removed his bandanna and stuffed it in the guy’s mouth. At that moment, voice echoed from the entrance.
On instinct, Cole shoved Serena ahead of him and into the tunnel. “Run.”
She looked at Ryan. “But—”
“You go. I’ll help him.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SERENA IGNORED THE order and reached to help Ryan up.
He accepted her hand, but couldn’t quite grasp it. “Serena. I knew you’d find me.”
