Secrets She Kept

by Debra Webb

  With his shovel in his hand, George joined the others. Sadie wanted to shake him. Why the hell wasn’t he listening? She needed something to happen soon if she was going to help Smith.

  “Hey,” she shouted at him. “Didn’t you hear what I said? We have to get out of here or we’re all going to die. Why aren’t you telling these people?”

  Several of the men glanced at her and then at George but made no move to stop what they were doing.

  “Levi!” She waited for him to look at her. “Come on. We’re getting out of here.”

  He looked around at the other men. Just when Sadie was certain he would keep working, he threw down his shovel and walked toward her.

  Another wave of relief swept through her. “Who else is with us?”

  She scanned the dirty faces. All stared at her, their expressions weary, defeated.

  “Tell them, George,” she urged. “Tell them what’s about to happen up there. We have to run while we still can.”

  George stared at her for a long moment, then he threw down his pickax and stalked toward her. She held her breath, not certain whether he intended to yank her over to take his place or if he intended to join her.

  When he reached her, he turned back to the others. “We’ll need shovels and axes. It’ll take us at least twenty minutes and if they see us on the cameras, they’ll come down here and make us wish we hadn’t listened to her.”

  “We can do this,” Sadie urged, not wanting his warning to dissuade them. “We’ll work faster than we ever have before.”

  George surveyed the men now watching him. “Grab your shovels and the axes. We’re out of here.”

  Much to her immense gratitude, George led the way. Sadie and Levi followed. At least twelve more hustled along the corridor behind them. She glanced at the cameras placed overhead approximately every fifteen yards along the seemingly endless corridor. They wouldn’t have a lot of time.

  The alarm was sounding by the time they reached the closest egress. Six of the men climbed the ladders and started to dig. Six more formed a wall across the tunnel in anticipation of the guards who would no doubt come.

  The sound of boots pounding on the ground echoed through the tunnel. George and his friends were shouting at each other to hurry. Sadie dragged Levi closer.

  “As soon as that egress is cleared,” she murmured close to his ear, “we have to get out of here and go for help.”

  He nodded his understanding.

  Shouting in the tunnel echoed some ten yards away.

  Hurry. Sadie looked from the wall of bodies standing between the coming guards and their position to the men jabbing and poking overhead.

  “Go!”

  Sadie jerked her attention toward George. Sunlight suddenly poured into the tunnel. Three of the men were already scrambling out.

  “Let’s go.” Sadie nudged Levi forward.

  They rushed up the ladders and climbed out. Two guards who had been taking a smoke break suddenly turned toward them. George and the others were on top of them before they could get their weapons into position.

  Others were clambering out behind Sadie and Levi.

  Sadie didn’t look back. She held on to Levi’s hand and ran through the woods as fast as she could.

  She had no idea how far they were from help but she had to get to wherever that was as quickly as possible.

  Smith’s life depended upon it.

  Chapter 14

  Sadie kept a firm grasp on Levi’s hand as they ran through the woods, branches and undergrowth slapping at her bare legs.

  The crack of gunfire behind them forced Sadie’s heart into a faster cadence.

  She charged forward with a new burst of adrenaline-inspired speed. Levi managed to keep up though he was barefoot and stumbling with exhaustion. He would pay for the lack of shoes or boots later. She imagined he had blisters on his hands just as she’d had after her time in the tunnel, though hers were partially healed now.

  If the guards got off a good shot, the two of them would have far more than blisters to worry about.

  “This way.” Levi tugged at the hand she had clenched around his.

  He knew the area and she didn’t. She might as well trust him. He had as much reason to want to escape this mountain as she did. Staying alive was always a strong motivator no matter which side of the equation one was on.

  Levi deviated into a different direction. Plowed through the jungle of trees.

  By the time they slowed Sadie could barely get her breath.

  “Hold on a minute.” Levi leaned against a tree and struggled to catch his breath, as well.

  Sadie propped against the nearest tree and took slow, deep breaths. When she could string words together, she asked, “How far to civilization?”

  “If we keep going this way—” he hitched a thumb in the direction they’d been headed, south Sadie thought “—we’ll hit the valley in about a mile and a half. There are a few houses in that area. We can probably use a phone there.”

  Sadie nodded. Worked for her.

  When they headed out again they moved considerably slower. Sadie’s muscles burned from the hard run and the abuse they’d suffered the past several days. She would need weeks to recover from the way she’d mistreated her body on this mission.

  Assuming she survived. She glanced over her shoulder to ensure no one was coming. Clear for now.

  As they moved downward the underbrush grew less dense. Even the trees weren’t so thick. Up ahead beyond the tree line an open pasture came into view. She and Levi hesitated at the edge of the woods to have a look at what lay beyond.

  Sadie spotted a house and barn in the distance. Judging by the cows in the field and the farm equipment scattered about, someone lived there. There were other houses beyond that one. Acres of open pasture rolled out between the houses. She glanced behind her once more. Moving through those open areas would be risky if the enemy on their trail caught up with them.

  Sadie turned to the man at her side. “Do you know any of the people who live on this stretch of road?”

  Levi shook his head. “All we need is to use the phone, right? Surely one of them will let us do that whether they know us or not.”

  Sadie nodded. “We’ll tell them our car broke down. If we mention the trouble on our heels, they may not let us in the house. Some people don’t like to get involved.”

  “Yeah.” He surveyed the expanse of green space in front of them. “You’re right. We can’t tell them what’s really going on.”

  Sadie scanned the woods behind them. She listened for several seconds. “Maybe we lost those guards.”

  More than a dozen people had escaped the tunnel. Most went in different directions. Hopefully, the two guards she had spotted as well as those who had come up from the tunnel had followed some of the others. Not that she wished that unlucky break on anyone, but she was only human.

  “Let’s try that first house,” she suggested. “The sooner we get to town the sooner we can send help for Flynn.” Her stomach twisted at the idea that he could be dead already. She had urged him to buy some time. To do his best to drag out the inevitable. She hoped he was successful. As long as he didn’t allow his emotions to take over, he would be okay. He was a well-trained agent. Hopefully that training would kick in and keep him thinking smart.

  With one last backward glance, she and Levi dashed across the pasture. Part of her braced for the crack of a weapon firing at them but it didn’t come. As they neared the house a cow raised its head and stared at them.

  They bounded up onto the front porch. Levi reached the door first. He knocked. Sadie kept a watch on the tree line to ensure no one came rushing out after them. All they needed was a phone. One call.

  Her pulse pounded as Levi knocked again. No television sound, no footsteps moving about. The house sounded empty. Worried that was indeed
the case, Sadie peered through the nearest window. Kitchen. There were drying dishes on a towel on the counter. If no one was home now, they had been earlier.

  “Somebody lives here.” She checked the tree line and pasture again.

  A loud thump drew her attention to the door. Levi backed up and body-slammed it again, using his right shoulder.

  Sadie winced as he slammed it a third time before it gave way and burst inward.

  She exhaled a big breath and followed him across the threshold. Breaking and entering wasn’t such a bad thing considering they were running for their lives.

  “Phone’s over here,” Levi said.

  Sadie went to the side table beneath the big front window. “Have a look around and make sure no one’s in the shower or something. We don’t need an armed homeowner thinking we mean harm to him or his property.”

  She sure as hell didn’t want to escape armed killers only to end up shot by a terrified farmer or his wife.

  Levi nodded and headed into the hall. The house was a brick rancher, not so large. It wouldn’t take him long to have a look.

  Sadie entered 911 into the handset. As soon as the dispatcher finished her spiel, she identified herself and asked to be connected to Sheriff Tanner.

  Tanner was on the line in under twenty seconds.

  Sadie sagged with relief. “Tanner, we’re...” Hearing footsteps, she turned to ask Levi exactly where they were.

  Gun.

  She froze.

  Levi stood in the cased opening between the living room and the hall, his hands high in the air. An older man wearing a cap had the business end of a rifle jammed into the side of his head. Levi’s eyes were round with fear.

  “I tried to tell him we need help,” Levi explained.

  “Put the phone down,” the man demanded.

  Damn. “Sir, I’m on the phone with Sheriff Tanner.” She thrust the phone at the man. “We’re unarmed. Speak to the sheriff and he’ll explain everything.”

  The man backed away from Levi but kept a bead on his head. He took the cordless phone receiver from Sadie and backed a few steps farther away in order to keep them both in his line of vision.

  “Sheriff Tanner, this is Cord Hawkins.” Hawkins gave the address and then listened as Tanner spoke.

  Sadie couldn’t make out what he was saying but she heard the rumble of his voice. Judging by the way the man lowered the barrel of his weapon, he understood Sadie and Levi were no threat to him.

  “I’ll do it,” Hawkins said. He offered the receiver to Sadie. “Sheriff wants to talk to you again.”

  “Thank you.” Sadie took the phone and pressed it to her ear. “Tell me you’re on your way. We don’t have much time.”

  As Tanner passed along orders via another phone line, Sadie was vaguely aware that Hawkins had brought cans of cola from the kitchen. He passed one to Levi and offered one to her.

  Sadie summoned a smile and murmured a thank-you. She popped the top and downed half the can before Tanner turned his attention back to the conversation with her.

  “Sit tight, Agent Buchanan, we’re on our way to you. We’ll have that mountain covered within the hour.”

  Sadie ended the call and drank more of the cola. Levi leaned against the wall and slid to the floor as he guzzled his cola. Sadie closed her eyes against the weariness dragging at her. She had never been so tired in her life.

  “Are those friends of yours?”

  Sadie jerked her attention back to the here and now and rushed across the room to the big window. Hawkins pointed at three men running across the same pasture she and Levi had sprinted across. She peered across the distance to make out their faces. One was George, she decided. She didn’t need to recognize the faces of the other two. All wore the dirty sweats and sported the greasy hair and dirty faces of tunnel workers.

  “They were prisoners just like us.” She turned to Hawkins. “They’re not the bad guys.”

  His fingers tightened around his rifle. “You sure about that, ma’am?”

  She nodded. “I’ll go out and talk to them.”

  “I’ll be watching,” Hawkins assured her.

  “Thank you.”

  Sadie stepped out the front door as the three men bounded up the porch steps. “Did they follow you?” She hadn’t seen anyone else coming out of that tree line.

  George shook his head. “We lost them.”

  “Hurry.” Sadie opened the door. “Let’s get inside. The sheriff is on the way with help.”

  Hawkins passed out colas to the three and dug up a couple of big bags of chips. The men ate as if they hadn’t eaten in days. Probably hadn’t. She kept her attention on the tree line and said a prayer for Flynn.

  He was still at that compound. On his own.

  “The sheriff’s here,” Hawkins announced.

  A whole parade of official vehicles arrived. Uniformed deputies and officers poured into the house. Paramedics insisted on giving Sadie, Levi and the other three a quick check while she and George provided information about the compound, the people there and the precarious position in which they’d left Agent Smith Flynn.

  Winchester’s chief of police, William Brannigan, was already on the phone with the ATF. The state police and the Bureau had been notified en route. Through the window Sadie spotted Agent Ross and Cece Winters, coming up the porch steps.

  “Levi.” Sadie turned to the young man who had resumed his seat on the floor. “Someone’s here for you.”

  He pushed to his feet at the same time that his sister and Ross entered the house. The reunion of brother and sister was the one good thing that had happened this day. Sadie was grateful to be a part of it.

  Cece Winters hugged Sadie next. “Thank you for rescuing my brother.”

  Sadie glanced at Levi. “I think it was a mutual rescue.”

  He smiled. “Maybe.”

  Special Agent Deacon Ross shook Sadie’s hand. “I appreciate what you must have gone through to make this happen.”

  “We’re not finished yet,” she warned. “There’s a war about to happen on that mountain. The Resurrection and the others are going head-to-head. Agent Flynn is caught in the middle of it. He could be dead already. We have to hurry.”

  George suddenly stepped forward. “I know the one access road to get to that compound. Know the codes, too. I’ll take you there.”

  The other two who had come with George echoed his offer.

  They all wanted to see Prentiss go down.

  No one wanted that more than Sadie.

  “Ms. Winters will take you back to my office,” Tanner said to Sadie.

  She shook her head. “No way. I’m going with you.”

  Tanner started to argue but he must have seen the absolute determination in Sadie’s eyes. He nodded. “All right, then, let’s move out.”

  Smith struggled to focus.

  He hung from a hook attached to the ceiling, his feet dangling several inches off the floor. He’d been stripped to the waist and tortured for hours. He’d lost track of the time.

  The beating he rode out without much more than a flinch. The shock torture had become tedious the last half hour or so. This was nothing he hadn’t endured before. But it was the burns that were about to be inflicted with a branding iron he would just as soon skip.

  Prentiss, the son of a bitch, watched from a safe distance across the room as the irons turned red amid the fiery coals. Smith knew the soldier tasked with the job of inflicting the torture. The man didn’t appear to feel bad about having to torture an old friend. Maybe Smith had made more enemies than he’d realized during his time here. Or maybe the guy was just glad to be the one inflicting the torture and not the one receiving it.

  Who could blame him?

  The one thing Smith knew with absolute certainty was that providing he survived long enough he would ki
ll Rayford Prentiss if it was the last thing he ever did.

  The bastard had admitted to murdering his father.

  Prentiss was responsible for the deaths of countless other people with his gunrunning and drug trade. And that was only the beginning.

  As if his thoughts had summoned him, Prentiss dared to venture closer. He surveyed Smith, enjoying the blood dribbling from his mouth and nose, the swelling of his face and eyes as well as the bruises forming on his torso. All these things gave him pleasure. This bastard had tortured and murdered many. But Smith would be his last, one way or another.

  Whether Smith survived this day or not, Buchanan would ensure the bastard got what he deserved.

  If she had survived.

  Smith closed his eyes against any other possibility. She was too smart and too determined to fail. Prentiss had been called out of the room once, a couple of hours ago. Smith hadn’t been able to hear all that was said but he’d picked up on the gist of the conversation. There had been an escape. Ten or twelve people had dug out of the tunnel and evaded the posted guards.

  She would be one of them, Smith felt certain.

  Go, Sadie.

  A smile tugged at his damaged lips. He liked her name. Sadie. He liked her sassiness and her courage.

  He hoped he had the chance to get to know her better.

  “What on God’s green earth do you have to smile about, boy?”

  Smith opened his swollen eyes as best he could. “I was just thinking how you’ll rot in prison with all your friends. Oh wait.” He managed a rusty laugh. “You don’t have any friends. That should be interesting.”

  He’d expected Aikman to show up even though he didn’t get a signal indicating Smith had taken care of Prentiss. With all the access codes and information Smith had provided him, he’d figured the man would make a move either way.

  “I thought maybe you were worried about your own friend, or enemy as the case might be,” Prentiss said. “Aikman, I believe his name is.”

  Smith clenched his aching jaw to prevent showing a reaction to the name.

  “You see, I found out about his man inside. He was watching, nosing around in places he didn’t belong today, so I guessed something was up. Unlike you, he sang like a bird with very little prodding. My people are on high alert. No one is getting into this compound today or any other. Strange.” He rubbed at his beard. “I understand you were going to kill me. Whatever changed your mind?”