Loe raamatut: «Standoff At Midnight Mountain»

ONE

The still of the peaceful Wyoming morning was broken by the noise of a vehicle approaching. Rachel Simmons breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief. Alex was here. Maybe now, with his help, she could finally get some answers into her brother’s mysterious disappearance.

Outside, the car came to a stop. A door slammed, followed by footsteps, then someone knocked noisily on her door, jarring her spent nerves.

She hurried to answer it. With her hand resting on the door handle, a voice she didn’t recognize spoke, stopping her in her tracks. “Ma’am, I’m sorry to trouble you so early, but my wife and I seem to have lost our way.” A pause followed, almost as if the man was waiting for her response, yet she couldn’t manage a word. Who was this person? “Can you tell me how to get back to the highway?”

Close by, her faithful golden retriever, Callie, growled low, the hackles along the ridge of her back standing at full attention. Callie charged for the door, sniffing and barking her alarm. A chill sped down Rachel’s spine, her internal radar skyrocketed. She’d been living on edge since her brother’s last visit. Now, after trying to reach Liam for more than a week without avail, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad had happened. It was the reason why she’d called in her CIA colleague, Alex Booth.

“Quiet, Callie,” Rachel whispered close to the dog’s ear. Callie stopped her barking and sat back on her haunches, but the ridge didn’t go away.

Nothing but the tiniest rays of light from the woodstove in the great room would be visible through the curtained windows. It was four in the morning. How had this man ended up at her door so early, and why would he believe anyone in the house was awake at such an hour?

What he’d said finally registered through her troubled thoughts and she shivered. Ma’am. He knew she was here alone.

Rachel grabbed her constant companion as of late, the one piece from her past life as a CIA agent she still possessed: her Glock.

Her place was in the middle of forty heavily wooded acres and not even close to a main highway. No one would just happen by here, especially at this hour. She clutched the Glock tighter. The man’s sudden appearance smelled of some type of setup.

“I realize it’s early, ma’am, but we really need some directions and my cell phone has died.” His tone had taken a turn toward sharp. He was growing impatient with her. “Can my wife and I come in and warm up for a bit and maybe use your phone?”

Rachel ticked off every tense beat of her heart while she tried to decide what to do next. Where was Alex? She had expected him some time ago. Did this man’s sudden appearance have anything to do with Alex’s delay? She didn’t want to think about her call being responsible for harm coming to Alex.

One of the front porch boards squeaked as the man shifted his weight. He wasn’t leaving and she had a choice to make. She needed to get rid of him before trying Alex’s cell phone. If this man was up to no good, she could be putting Alex’s life in danger. That is, if she hadn’t already...

Don’t let me make the wrong decision...

Rachel hurried to the window closest to the door and inched the curtains apart. A tall, bulky man dressed in dark clothing, a knit cap pulled over most of the top of his head, stood on her porch.

Callie followed her, growling like crazy. She was picking up on her owner’s unease.

Rachel’s gaze slid to the car parked out front. A woman was seated inside, watching the man. Was she his wife as the man had said, or was there something more going on here? “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a phone,” she called out in answer to his request to borrow hers. “But if you go back the way you came, you’ll run into the main highway without a problem.”

The man took a step closer to the door.

“It’s awfully cold out, ma’am. If we could come inside just for a minute?” He attempted a smile that didn’t come close to reaching his steely eyes.

Rachel spotted a bulge beneath the man’s jacket. He was armed! Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the woman had opened the car door and was getting out, her hand tucked inside her jacket. Why would two innocent travelers need to be armed?

“How did you know I lived here alone?” Rachel immediately regretted the question. She’d given away too much.

“Must have seen it on your mailbox,” he muttered, not even trying to hide the lie. The only name on the mailbox was Simmons, the alias Rachel had taken when she’d left the life of a spy behind and returned to Midnight Mountain.

Fear settled into the pit of her stomach when the man whipped his gun from its holster. Callie forgot her command of silence and began barking ferociously. The truth became apparent. These two hadn’t just happened by here. They were here deliberately...for her.

Rachel hurried for the door, making sure all the locks were securely in place. Seconds later, the man opened fire, bullets riddling her door.

Rachel automatically hit the floor. Keeping as much out of the line of fire as she possibly could, she crawled on her hands and knees until she reached the kitchen, with Callie close by, growling and shaking with fear.

Behind her, she could hear the man yelling to the woman to cover him while he leveraged his full weight against the locked door, sending it rattling on its hinges.

After her brother’s strange behavior before he had left to meet with his asset more than a week ago and had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth, Rachel was positive that these two intruders were somehow connected to Liam’s disappearance. If she stayed here, she’d be dead before Alex could reach her. She prayed that he was safe and had just been delayed.

If she was going to live, she had to get away now. Her frantic brain tried to come up with an exit strategy, but there was really only one way out.

Once she reached the kitchen, she grabbed her coat from where she kept it close to the back door. Keeping as low as she could, she ran out the door with Callie at her heels, before her only means of escape evaporated. What if there were more men surrounding the house? She could be walking into a trap. Holding on to what was left of her courage, she raced for the woods off to the right.

Once she reached the trees close to the house, Rachel heard the man finally break through her front door. They’d breached the house. It wouldn’t take them long to realize she’d gone out the back.

“Hurry, Callie,” she urged the dog as they forged deeper into the woods.

“There’s no sign of them inside. I’m guessing they were never here.” The man’s voice carried through the still predawn. “They’re both still up on the mountain somewhere. We know one or both are injured. Find her. We need to put a lid on this. Now. Too much is at stake and we don’t know if Carlson told anyone else.”

Reality shot through Rachel like a lightning bolt. He was talking about Liam. If what the man said were true, her brother was hurt...or worse. More than ever, she knew she had to find Liam, which meant she’d need to get out of here alive and before they could capture her.

Callie let out a tense-sounding growl as they continued frantically running through the dense wooded area. Low-slung branches tangled in Rachel’s hair and snagged her face, making it impossible to make much progress. Every step she made jarring. The cold of the early morning chilling her to the bone.

The dog was on edge just as she was. Callie had faced down lots of predators, bears included, but she’d never been involved in a gunfight.

Rachel stopped long enough to gain her bearings. From where she stood, she could just see the back of the house through the trees. Two people emerged from inside, flashlights shining all around. She ducked when the light hit close.

“Over there,” the man yelled, homing in on the area where she stood with his flashlight beam.

Rachel turned on her heel and started running again, her heart thundering in her chest with each step. She’d been out of the game for a long time. She wasn’t used to being hunted.

Callie soon took the lead. They’d barely managed a handful of steps when a round of shots whistled past Rachel’s head. Close enough for her to feel the breeze it kicked up. She tucked closer to the ground, almost doubled over, and ran.

“Hurry—she’s getting away.” The woman spoke for the first time. Rachel didn’t recognize her voice either, but she detected a faint accent that she couldn’t place. Who were these people and how were they connected to Liam?

Some distance behind her, the rustling of brush assured her that her pursuers had now entered the woods. Callie growled at the noise and turned back in a defensive stance, ready to charge the enemy. The dog was overly protective of Rachel, but she couldn’t let her companion get caught in the line of fire.

“Come, Callie. Hurry,” Rachel ordered, and the dog reluctantly abandoned her defense and followed Rachel.

Where was Alex? He should have been here by now. Had something happened to him? Fear shot through her body.

With her thoughts churning in a dozen different directions, Rachel tried to come up with a means of escape on foot. She had the advantage. She knew the area like the back of her hand. If she could make it to her neighbor’s house, she could call for help from there. But if Liam’s suspicions were true? What then? Liam was a seasoned CIA agent. If what he believed proved real, then she could be walking straight into the enemy’s arms by calling in the authorities.

Rachel didn’t dare take a direct path to the Reagans’ place. It wouldn’t be long before her pursuers figured out the direction she’d gone. She’d be bringing her troubles to the Reagans’ doorstep. She couldn’t do that.

“This way,” the woman yelled. “I see her up ahead.” More shots rang out; bullets flew past, one barely missing her shoulder. They were gaining! Would Tom Reagan hear the shots and come to investigate?

Please, God, no.

She had a feeling these people wouldn’t be opposed to killing anyone who got in their way. Even someone as innocent as Tom.

Rachel shoved branches out of her way as she ran blindly through the woods. Just in front of her, Callie suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Rachel almost tripped over the dog in the process. There was just time to sidestep in an attempt to avoid the mishap when she slammed headfirst into something warm and solid. A man! He reached out and grabbed her tight. One thought raced through her head. They’d found her. She had to get away if she wanted to live.

Panicked, Rachel fought with everything she had, but she was no match for the man’s strength. Before she could scream, a hand clasped over her mouth and the man pulled her close.

“Don’t scream, Rachel. It’s me.” Alex! He was alive and he was here.

Relief made her knees weak. She hugged him close and struggled to let go of the panic still electrifying her nervous system.

“I heard the shots from the road and guessed something had gone wrong. We need to get out of here fast. Those shots sounded close. And this place is crawling with men. My car’s just over there.” He pointed up ahead, then glanced in the direction Rachel had come. “They’re almost here. Run for the car. I’ll try to distract them. I’ll be right behind you,” he added when she didn’t budge.

Alex gave her a gentle shove in that direction, but Rachel stood her ground. She might not be part of the CIA anymore, but one thing was still ingrained in her brain: you never left your partner behind.

Alex drew his Glock and opened fire. Rachel didn’t hesitate before doing the same.

A scream of pain rang out. They’d hit one of their pursuers. Rachel didn’t believe it would slow the other down one little bit.

She turned and hurried toward the car with Callie. Alex cleared the woods shortly after her and the dog.

Before they could reach the vehicle, someone opened fire on them. Rachel ducked for cover behind the side of the car. She caught a glimpse of a man holding his shoulder. He was injured but it didn’t stop him from shooting at them. Alex managed to get off several rounds, forcing the man to hide behind a nearby tree to avoid another direct hit. Where was the woman?

“Hurry, Rachel,” Alex yelled as he opened the driver’s-side door and lunged inside. Rachel yanked her door open. Callie hit the front seat first. She followed seconds later.

“Go, go, go,” she urged in an unsteady voice, reflecting the magnitude of what had just happened.

Alex put the vehicle in Drive and floored it while staying as low as he possibly could and still see where he was going.

Rachel glanced behind them. The man had stepped from his tree coverage and began shooting at them again. Several other men joined him, all firing. The back window shattered. Rachel tucked down low while from the back seat Callie let out a frightened yelp.

“It’s okay, girl. Everything is going to be okay.” She stroked the dog’s fur, trying to reassure them both.

Alex jerked the wheel to the right to avoid another hit. The car veered close to the edge of the road. He quickly corrected and managed to keep them from crashing just in time.

Soon, at least four sets of headlights flashed behind them. The men were coming full force. Alex floored the gas pedal once more in an attempt to lose them.

“What happened back there?” he asked, the tension in his voice evident. He spared her a glance as he continued to push the car to its limit, still unable to shake the vehicles.

Numb from shock, Rachel shook her head. “I don’t know.” It was the truth, but she could see that he didn’t believe it. Not that she could blame him. People just didn’t come to your house and start shooting at you for no reason. “A man and a woman showed up at my door. He said they were lost. I could tell he was armed. When I refused to let him come inside, the man started shooting at me. Alex, I barely got away...” She stopped for a much-needed breath and glanced down at her hands. They were shaking. She’d almost died. Both of them had come close.

“There’s no way they just happened to show up at my front door. This is connected to Liam’s disappearance somehow. What I don’t understand is how they knew where to find me?” Rachel had gone to great lengths to disguise her identity after leaving the Agency. She’d created an alias last name. Even after she’d gotten married, she hadn’t taken her husband’s name simply because there was always the chance that her past might come looking for her. No one would be able to track her by that association.

Rachel cast a suspicious look Alex’s way. “Did you tell anyone you were coming here?”

His response came quick, his tone reflecting his hurt. “Of course not. Rach, you asked me not to tell anyone, so I didn’t. But the woods were crawling with people back there. I’m surprised they didn’t spot me before I was able to reach you. Or hear my car, for that matter.” He shook his head. “You said on the phone you hadn’t spoken to Liam in more than a week. You believe he’s gone missing?” She nodded. She hadn’t said as much when she’d called, but Alex had guessed. “Why do you think that? How does this ambush fit into Liam’s disappearance?”

She’d been brief on the phone. Afraid to tell him her worst fears. “I don’t know how this fits into it, but I know Liam, and I haven’t heard from him in over a week.” She realized how foolish she sounded right now, but she knew if her brother were able to, he would have been in touch by now.

Rachel kept a nervous eye on the vehicles behind them. So far, Alex had been able to keep them at a distance, but they had to find a way to lose them soon if they were going to help Liam.

“We need to get off this road, Alex. It’ll drop us into the town of Midnight Mountain, and who knows how many more men they have waiting for us there.” She pointed up ahead. “There’s a side road coming up on the right, just after we make this next curve around the mountain. Take it.”

Alex nodded and turned his full attention on his driving. When the road in question came into sight, he slowed the car’s speed slightly.

“Hang on,” he warned. Alex was an excellent driver and yet it took all his skills to make the curve at the high rate of speed. Once they’d safely exited, he killed the lights to give them a fighting chance.

With adrenaline pumping through her body like crazy, Rachel spotted the vehicles swerving onto the same road. “They’re still coming.” She racked her brain to recall the layout of this less-traveled road. It had just recently opened after being closed for the winter. Even though it was late March and springtime in other parts of the country, here in the mountains snow still hung around, especially in the high places.

“Hold on. There’s another less-traveled side road just past this next bend. It’s pretty obscured from view. Unless you know it’s there you probably won’t see it. If we can make that, with the lights out, I think we have a chance of getting away undetected.”

Alex slowed just enough to make the turn, then gassed on the accelerator once more. So far, none of the cars appeared to be following.

He glanced in the rearview mirror and then at her. She could tell he believed she knew more than what she’d told him so far and he was waiting for her to talk. Did she dare voice her concerns aloud?

With everything that happened, especially after what Liam had told her, she didn’t know who to trust. But this was Alex. He’d dropped everything to come to her aid simply because she’d asked for help.

“Rachel, please tell me what’s going on,” he asked quietly.

If what she suspected were true, had she put Alex’s career, if not his life, in danger by asking for his help? In spite of everything they’d been through in the past, she still cared for him. They’d grown up here in these mountains, the three of them. She still considered Alex a friend.

“Look, these guys have proven they aren’t about to give up until they get what they’re after. You called me in because you needed my help. You can trust me, Rachel. Let me help you.”

As she looked into his eyes, she knew, no matter what, Alex would never betray her or Liam. She could trust him.

She blew out a breath and shook her head. If it were anyone else, Alex might have thought she was overreacting. But she was former CIA herself. He knew she wasn’t imagining things. That was why he’d come so quickly.

“Liam told me he was scheduled to meet with his asset after he left my place, but I could see he was anxious about something. I’d never seen him look so worried before. He kept checking out the window as if he were expecting someone to show up.” She stopped for a breath, then told Alex what Liam had said about the newest terror threat he’d been chasing. Liam didn’t say how, but he believed the person he was after might be closer than Liam had originally believed. At the time, Rachel hadn’t been sure what to make of Liam’s comments.

She couldn’t read Alex’s opinion of this. “Yesterday, I was putting away some clothes and I found Liam’s phone along with a map that he’d left in my bedroom dresser drawer. The phone was turned off. He’d wanted me to find them after he left. There was a location pinpointed on the map along with an initial and a phone number on the back...” She stopped and realized how little it was to go on. Liam had been trying to tell her something. His warning had been chilling. If only she knew what he was trying to say!

“Did you call the number?” Alex asked, and she nodded.

“Although it took me several hours to work up the nerve.” He smiled at this and clasped her hand for a second.

“I didn’t recognize the voice on the other end. A few hours later, those people showed up at my door. It’s no coincidence.” She shuddered at the thought.

Rachel didn’t understand what was going on, but the couple that came to her house knew about her brother. They’d known Liam had been up on the mountain along with someone else, presumably his asset. They believed he was injured and possibly still there. Would she and Alex be too late? Would they find her brother dead? She couldn’t bear the thought.

Lack of sleep made it hard to keep her thoughts focused, but she had to try. Liam needed her.

“Did Liam ever mention knowing someone whose name starts with the initial D? A friend maybe?”

She watched as Alex tried to recollect any such name. He shook his head. “No, never. But one thing’s clear. Liam would never have left those things behind if he wasn’t worried about something. He wanted you to have them in case...”

He left the rest unsaid but she knew what he meant. In case Liam didn’t make it down from the mountain.

“Did you check Liam’s phone for calls? Maybe someone he called can help us figure out where he’s at?”

She had checked, and the results were disappointing. “I did. It was as if he’d deliberately cleared out all the numbers.”

Rachel could tell this didn’t sit well with Alex, yet he tried to reassure her. “Maybe he was afraid the phone might fall into the wrong hands. He could have been expecting those people to show up at your place.”

None of these options helped ease her fears any, and he must have seen it.

“First things first. We need to get out of sight as quickly as possible. Once we have a chance to breathe, we can come up with a plan to locate Liam.” Alex smiled and then turned his attention to the road ahead while uneasy thoughts churned through Rachel’s mind.

Who was this new player Liam had uncovered and how were they connected to her brother’s vanishing? There had to be more to the story than what Rachel knew, because right now, all she had to go on were bits and pieces of a puzzle that might well lead them to a deadly conclusion. And every minute they didn’t know the answer, Liam’s life was in danger.

* * *

Alex was still shell-shocked by the things that had happened since he’d returned to his hometown of Midnight Mountain; his head burst with unanswered questions. His fear for Liam’s safety wasn’t eased one little bit by what Rachel had told him.

While they might have lost the men chasing them for now, they weren’t out of the woods yet. Without knowing why those men were coming after Rachel and Liam so mercilessly, he had no idea what they were up against. There could be more armed men saturating the surrounding countryside and staked out in town waiting to ambush them.