by Debra Webb
He watched as she opened the bottle and downed a long swallow. When she came up for air, he said, “We’re almost there.”
She choked out a dry laugh. “That’s what you said an hour ago. I’m beginning to think you’re lost, Flynn.” Her gaze locked with his. “I hope that’s not the case.”
“Being lost is one thing you do not have to worry about, Buchanan.”
He knew this place inside and out. He’d explored every square mile in his youth. Always looking for something different, something else. He’d never found it here. Leaving had been the only way to escape this life and the people he had grown to hate. His father had been the only voice of reason among the group of preppers who had started the Resurrection. When Avery Flynn had fallen ill, Prentiss had taken over and changed things without his knowledge. He’d started to dabble in criminal activities. Smith’s father had never wanted to cross that line. There had been fringes of his followers who’d gotten caught up in the black marketing of weapons and even in transporting drugs, but he’d always weeded them out in time.
But when his father lost control, it all went to hell.
Smith hadn’t come back to make things right. It was too late for that. Too many of the old-timers were gone and too much of the younger blood was greedy and power hungry. The extremists without conscience had taken over. He’d come back to take them down. It wasn’t what his father would have wanted but his father had been wrong. Anywhere those with extreme attitudes and beliefs gathered, nothing good came of it.
Ever.
“Fifteen minutes,” he assured her. “We’ll reach our destination in fifteen minutes—barring any unforeseen events.”
She screwed the cap onto the water bottle and tossed it to him. “I’m holding you to that.”
He downed a long swallow and put the remaining water away. Before he could stop himself, he licked his lips and savored the taste of her. Sadie was different from any woman he’d ever met. She was stronger, determined, loyal. Intelligent. Unconditionally fearless. She stirred his interest in numerous ways.
Shaking off the distraction, he started moving forward again. “Let’s go. We don’t want to fall behind schedule since you’re holding me to it.”
She laughed again. He liked the sound of it. “You’re a smart guy, Flynn.”
Maybe. He hadn’t considered himself smart in a long time. The truth was, he hadn’t even considered the future until very recently. He had resigned himself to the idea that he would likely die getting this done.
Still could. It wasn’t over yet.
The underbrush was thinner here in the rockier soil. Made going a little easier. Being physically exhausted, however, made just moving a chore. It had been a long day. Buchanan wasn’t the only one who was beat.
They made the fifteen-minute timeline with a couple of minutes to spare. He pointed to a copse of trees that hugged the mountainside maybe ten yards below their position. The relief on Buchanan’s face was palpable.
The overgrowth was thick around the cave opening. He carefully pushed the limbs aside and ducked inside first. There were times when a man should go first—like when he needed to ensure there were no wild animals, no den of snakes holed up in his safe place. Buchanan would likely argue the point with him but there were some things his father had taught him that stuck. Always protect those under your care.
Something else she would argue. Fiercely, no doubt.
He tugged the flashlight from its holder on the side of his pack and scanned the small shelter. Clear. No sign of animals. As often as he could get out here he sprayed the area with repellant to ward off animals but some critters weren’t so easily put off. Thankfully the place was clean, no animal droppings. No snakes.
“You can come in.” He held back the limbs, ensuring he didn’t break any. Those limbs acted like a curtain, providing a layer of camouflage.
Once she was inside, he used his flashlight to locate his stored supplies. The cave was only about fifteen feet deep and the last five or six feet narrowed down to the point where crawling was the only option. He’d banged his head plenty of times. At the very back, he carefully moved the stacked stones he’d gathered in the immediate area. All looked exactly as if they’d always been right here in this pile. He’d gone to a great deal of trouble to ensure no one who might stumble upon this place noticed his stored goods.
Beneath the stack was a nylon bag, pale gray in color, nearly as large as his pack. It was sealed in a clear plastic over bag. Inside he kept his emergency supplies. The plastic was to better protect them from the elements and to ensure the bears and wolves didn’t pick up on any scents.
His gut growled as he set the ready-to-eat packets aside. They’d only had a couple of protein bars today. It was time for something a little more substantial.
“What’s all this?” Buchanan moved in next to him, sat back on her knees.
“Dinner. A burner phone. Weapon. First-aid supplies.” Not so much of the latter but enough to get by in a minor emergency. A packet of blood-clotting agent, a suture kit. Antibiotic salve and a few bandages. “Water. A small blanket. Emergency light. You know, the usual.”
There was also a backup plan, which he pocketed without mentioning. He tucked the nine millimeter into his waistband and loaded most of the other supplies into his pack. “You want beef or chicken?”
She studied the two packs of ready-to-eat meals. “I’ll take the chicken.”
“Good choice.” He passed it to her and grabbed the beef.
He moved back to the roomier portion of the cave and opened up the small emergency light. He sat it on the ground. The lumens were low but he didn’t want it glowing beyond the cave opening. It was enough. He tossed his guest the thin blanket. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing when one was sleeping on the ground.
“You can use that tonight. I’ll use my pack for a pillow. I don’t mind sleeping on the ground.”
“So we’re staying the night here?”
He shrugged. “If that’s what it takes.”
While she opened the food pack and ate, he fired up the burner phone. Once it was on, he moved to the cave opening to get better service. With a few taps, he sent the necessary message. The phone’s battery was way too low. He’d charged it the last time he was here. With it turned off it should have maintained the charge. When the message had been delivered, he relaxed. He returned to where Buchanan sat and settled in for however long they had to wait.
He opened his meal pack and ate slowly, more slowly than he wanted to but it would satisfy him better that way. Buchanan did the same. She’d likely had similar training and understood the need to adapt to extreme change. Being a field agent required a degree of flexibility. That she consumed every bite of the less-than-tasty meal confirmed his conclusion.
When she’d finished, she said, “Tell me about the message and why we may be here all night.”
“The message goes into a pipeline of sorts. It takes a while to get to the intended recipient. Once he has it, he’ll make arrangements for a pickup. When the pickup is ready, we’ll go to the designated location. There are several good options within two miles of our position.”
She sipped on the packet of water. “The contact is aware of this location?”
He shook his head. “No one knows this location. It’s a security precaution in case there’s ever a breach in our communications. I selected this location based on my knowledge of the area and the best egress routes. We agreed upon designated pickup points. The gap allows for a degree of separation between me and any trouble that might crop up. As I’m sure you’re well aware, advance preparation is key.”
She nodded but then frowned. “What if you’re injured? You might not be able to make it to the pickup point.”
“That’s where my backup plan comes into play.” He patted his pocket. “I have a beacon, the same technology skiers u
se. If necessary, I turn it on and they can find me.”
Her expression told him she was impressed. “You’ve got all the bases covered.”
He focused on his food for a while, let the silence fill the space. It would be dark soon. Since there was no way to know what time they would have to move, it would be best to get some sleep now while they had the opportunity.
When he’d finished his meal, he put the packaging into his pack. “Sleep if you can. We may have to move again at any time.”
He checked the screen on the burner phone before sliding it into his shirt pocket. With the phone on vibrate and the pack as a pillow, he stretched out for a quick nap, braced his arms over his face. He hoped like hell the charge lasted until he had a response.
He listened as Buchanan spread the thin blanket out on the ground and did the same. She lay there quietly for about a half a minute. He was surprised she lasted that long.
“What are you, Flynn? If you tell me you’re just a run-of-the-mill member of that group we escaped, I’m going to know you’re lying.”
At this point he didn’t see any reason to keep her in the dark. “I’m like you.”
She rolled onto her stomach. He felt more than saw the move. “Only way different.”
He chuckled and lowered his arms. “Not so different.”
“Come on. You don’t work for the Bureau or I would know. The ATF didn’t claim you. Neither did the DEA. Since when does Homeland Security embed agents in the middle of nowhere like this?”
This time he outright laughed. “I’m not with Homeland Security. I’m with the ATF.”
She lay there for a moment seeming to mull over what she’d learned. It wouldn’t be unusual for an embedded agent to be denied for the purposes of protecting the mission. Like the military, need to know was the motto for most federal agencies.
Finally she asked, “How did that happen? Did someone recruit you?”
“No. I recruited myself.”
She waited for him to go on but he didn’t. He should have realized she would want his story as soon as she knew the truth about who he really was, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to share it. It felt too intimate.
Or maybe he was afraid it would turn the moment into something intimate. It was essential that they stayed focused. Emotions could not get tangled up in this precarious situation.
“I’m waiting for the rest of the story, Flynn. Don’t leave me hanging like this.”
“I grew up in Franklin County. My father was one of them, only not like what you see today. It didn’t start out that way. But I watched it happen and I hated it, hated the men who made it happen. I made my way into the ATF for the sole purpose of coming back here and taking Resurrection down. For years I pretended that wasn’t my motive. I tried to be a good agent, take the assignments given. Do the job to the best of my ability—whatever that job might be. But I couldn’t forget. Two years ago when my father died, I approached the top brass with an offer. They accepted and I came back to do what needed to be done.”
“Wow. That’s a hell of a story, Flynn. You must have incredible restraint. You’ve had to pretend to be one of them for two whole years.”
He rolled over her comment for a time and then he said, “I’ve always been one of them. I’m just not like them. That’s the difference.”
She nodded. “I get it.”
“What about you, Agent Buchanan? How did you become a rescue and retrieval specialist?”
“Growing up in Montana I always said I wanted to work where the sun shines all the time and there’s no snow so I ended up in Miami. I was so new it was painful but because of my obvious Hispanic heritage, I was needed for a particularly high-profile assignment right off the bat. They wanted me to get inside and evaluate the situation with a deep-cover agent who had gone silent. Getting in was easy. I have a knack for putting people at ease and making them believe what I want them to believe.”
“You do.” If it hadn’t been for her using the Trenton Pollard name, he could have fallen for her story. She was good.
“Not only did I find the guy but I got him out using my favorite bait-and-switch tactic. It almost never fails.”
“Is that right?”
“That’s right. I make the bad guy believe he’s going to get one thing and then I do exactly the opposite of what he expects.”
He chuckled, couldn’t help himself. This was a woman who enjoyed her work.
“Turns out my target was the grandson of a former director. He was so impressed with my work, he urged the powers that be to make better use of my skill set. So here I am. This was basically a favor. An off-the-record mission.”
“Well, Agent Buchanan, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He thrust his hand at her.
She grinned and gave it a shake. “Ditto, Agent Flynn.”
Now if they could only get themselves out of this thorny situation, maybe he’d ask her out to dinner.
A frown furrowed his brow. The beef jerky obviously hadn’t done its job or he wouldn’t still be thinking about food.
Then again, maybe it wasn’t food on his mind.
He peeked at the lady lying so close.
Too dangerous, he reminded himself.
Maybe another time when they weren’t both targeted for execution.
Chapter 10
Monday, August 12
The way Flynn kept checking the burner phone, Sadie was reasonably confident he was worried more than he wanted her to know that there had been no response from his contact and the phone’s battery was dying.
He hadn’t said as much but she was no fool. There was no way a crucial reaction to a critical situation would take this long. She pulled her fingers through her hair, wished she had a brush. She shifted her position a bit—this rock was not made for comfort. Being stuck in this cave all night was even less so. She was thankful for the protection from the elements and the enemy but even when she slept, fitfully to say the least, she was aware of him next to her. The smell of his skin, the heat emanating from his body. Not helpful when trying to sleep. At least not when she wanted desperately to do something entirely unrelated to sleeping.
Not smart, Sadie.
The situation wasn’t completely unexpected. She had been so focused on her career for years now that she’d totally ignored her personal life. Sure, she had the occasional date with some guy a friend insisted she so needed to meet. Very rarely did that develop into physical gratification. Apparently, that was an issue. She was like a starving animal now, desperate...
She rubbed her hands over her face and wished for a long, hot bath. Maybe a trip to the spa the way she’d done years ago—before her career took over her life. There, she decided, was the real source of the rub. All her female friends—the ones with whom she’d done lunch and spa days—were married. Most had children. They all thought because Sadie was approaching thirty-five that she should be doing the same. It wasn’t really because they were old-fashioned or had narrow views, it was just human nature. The heightening urge to procreate as one reached thirty.
Sadie had passed thirty several years ago and not once had she thought about a permanent relationship, much less kids.
She worked. Work was her constant companion, her best friend, her lover.
Her traitorous eyes stole a glance at the man packing up their sparse campsite. But this man had her dwelling on her most basic instincts. Of all the times for an attraction to form, this was the absolute worst possible one.
The guy was a stranger—no matter that she now knew he wasn’t a criminal—and their situation was dire at best.
Before daylight he’d gone outside their hiding place and checked the area. When he’d returned, she had taken a turn slipping out of the cave to go for a necessary break, as well. Flynn was good at concealing his concern but she hadn’t missed his mounting tension. It was in the
set of his broad shoulders, the lines across his handsome forehead.
He was worried.
Which made her worry.
It was possible, she supposed, that there had been a delay due to some unpredicted issue. But they had gone well beyond that possibility now. This was not just a delay, this was a total breakdown in the link between a deep undercover agent and his primary support contact.
When Flynn pulled on the pack, she asked the question burning in her brain. “What’s the plan now?”
“No response from my contact. The phone’s battery is dead. We move on. Staying here any longer would be a mistake. As well hidden as we are, the dogs could pick up our scent again.”
“Agreed.” For the first time this morning she thought of Levi. She hoped he had made it to someplace where he could call someone he trusted. Things would have been a lot simpler if he’d stayed with them. She glanced at the man towering over her. A lot simpler on numerous levels.
“Stay close,” he reminded her, “and move as quietly and quickly as possible. We’ll head off this mountain and into town via trails that keep us out of sight and away from where we would most likely run into people.”
Which meant they would be hiking a lot of miles, taking the longer, tougher routes. The blisters forming on her feet ached. They weren’t as bad as the ones on her hands, but they were getting there. She glanced at the bandages, considered discarding them but decided against it for now.
At the opening that would take them out of the shallow cave, he hesitated. “We’ll save the backup plan for later. I have no way of knowing what’s gone wrong with my communication link so I don’t want to give anyone our location until we know whether the one who receives the signal is friend or foe.”
So, she’d been right.
He parted the thick foliage and made his exit. Sadie followed.
Whatever happened now, they were on their own.
* * *
