Standoff At Midnight Mountain

The hike down the opposite side of the mountain proved just as treacherous as the summit had. All the while, Alex couldn’t get the man who had attacked him out of his head. Was he CIA? They were sworn to protect, but it wouldn’t be unheard of for one of their own to go rogue. Still, why come after Liam unless he’d uncovered the traitorous threat? Was it possible this new terrorist had gotten Liam involved in something way over his head?

Once they reached the valley, Alex stopped long enough to bring out the binoculars and scan the area. There didn’t appear to be anyone else around but the man who had dismounted the four-wheeler and stood looking around with a rifle in his hand.

The dog had stuck close to them the whole way down, as if sensing something was off.

“I don’t see anyone but your friend.” He drew his weapon and turned to her. “Just in case,” he said in response to her raised brow.

They stepped from the cover of the trees close to the man with the four-wheeler who stood at full alert. His body language alone seemed to confirm something had gone wrong.

Callie spotted Tom and galloped toward him, tail wagging. A twig snapped beneath the dog’s paw and the man whirled at the sound, shotgun ready to fire.

The moment he spotted Rachel, he visibly relaxed, then reached down and patted the dog’s head. When he saw Alex with a gun in his hand, his demeanor changed immediately. He clutched the rifle tighter. Alex had no doubt he was skilled at using it.

“It’s okay, Tom. He’s my friend,” Rachel said, and then rushed over to give the man a heartfelt hug.

Alex watched her with the older man and it was easy to see that she loved him.

She stepped back and turned to Alex. “Tom, this is Alex Booth. We grew up here together. He and Liam are good friends.”

Alex tucked the Glock behind his back and shook the man’s hand. “Good to meet you, sir.”

“You, too,” Tom said with a firm handshake. He watched as the dog went to explore a nearby plant. Alex could tell the man seemed distracted by something.

“Has something happened, Tom?” Rachel obviously saw the same thing he did.

After a moment or two of silence, Tom looked at Rachel. “I wasn’t able to bring the truck. I used the four-wheeler to slip out the back way.” The man shook his head. “I’m not really sure what to make of it, but it scared me. I haven’t seen anything like it in my seventy-plus years.”

He paused for a breath and Rachel shot Alex a worried glance.

“Right before you called, a couple of men showed up at my place asking a whole bunch of questions about Liam and you.” The concern in Tom’s eyes was real enough. “They had IDs.” He shook his head. “They said they worked for the CIA... Rachel, they said Liam did something terrible. They said he wants to hurt a lot of people.”

All the color drained from Rachel’s face. “That’s not true. Tom, you know it’s not true. Liam would never hurt anyone.”

Tom’s expression softened and he managed a smile for her. “I know that. I’d trust Liam with my life. Jenny, too. But these men seemed determined to lay the blame on him for something. They said he betrayed his country.” Tom spat the words out and shook his head. “Jenny was in the kitchen when they showed up. I wasn’t going to let them inside, but they pretty much forced their way in. Something about them just worried me. When you called, I went in the other room. That’s why I couldn’t talk much.”

He stopped for a second. “Anyway, Jenny told me after they’d gone that she’s pretty sure she saw at least a half dozen more men in the woods surrounding the house. They were coming from the direction of your place. She said they were armed to the teeth.”

He blew out an uneven breath. “They’re coming after you, too, Rachel. And they’re not going to stop until they find you and Liam. And I don’t think they care if that’s dead or alive.”

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.