Page 77 of Mountain Hero

“Got it,” Ronan replies. He lifts his chin. “We’ve got your six.”

Glancing around at my friends, I meet each of their gazes briefly before asking, “Are we ready to move out?”

All four reply in unison, “Ready.”

I raise my hand, then lower in a gesture to move. “Let’s go.”

The half-mile trip to the cabin passes in a blink. Muscle memory takes over, allowing me to move through the woods quickly and without any noise. My mind is whirring, running through potential strategies to deal with Dennis. Attempt to talk him down? Promise him anything? Make an offensive move right off the jump? It all comes down to his proximity to Winter. If he’s close enough to get off a reasonable shot, I have to be more cautious. But if I can get him away from her…

In no time, we find ourselves in position, still hidden within the trees but less than a twenty second sprint to the cabin. This close, I can see how dilapidated the place is, with rotting boards and cracked window panes and several obvious holes in the roof.

I hate the thought of Winter in there, scared and confused and wondering if I’m coming for her. This has to be so triggering for her, and I just know this experience will set her back. After weeks of hard work—going to counseling, practicing self-defense and shooting with me, doing guided meditation and yoga—the nightmares and flashbacks will probably return with a vengeance.

Fucking Dennis.

No. There’s no place for anger. Not now.

As Alec and Knox gather around me, I pitch my voice low as I say, “Once we get to the back door, I’ll go in first. Knox, follow me inside, but hang back. I want Dennis to think I’m alone. Alec, you stay at the door until Knox gives you a signal to move. Ideally, I’ll disarm him and that’ll be it. But if I need backup…”

“Got it.” Knox lifts his chin. “Let’s do this.”

Hundreds of missions over twenty years, but nothing has come close to this.

We run for the back of the house, crouched low to avoid being spotted through a window, coming to a stop by the back door. I exchange glances with Knox and Alec before trying the knob, pleasantly surprised to find it unlocked.

Did Dennis think I’d just waltz up to the front door?

In another bit of luck, the door actually opens smoothly, so I can slip inside without making a sound. I enter a small kitchen with cracked counters and water-stained floors, and there’s a distinctly sour smell coming from somewhere.

The kitchen opens to what I imagine is supposed to be a dining room, though there’s nothing but a tarnished chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Around the corner, I can hear the rumble of a man’s voice, and a softer, female voice responding.

Winter!

As I move into the kitchen, Knox follows soundlessly behind me. He gestures with his chin toward the interior wall of the kitchen and when I nod, he heads over there. This way, he’s tucked out of sight but still close enough to help if I need him.

Alec comes inside and positions himself at the door. Like Knox, his Sig is in ready position. I have mine in low ready, which I’m hoping Dennis will interpret as a less threatening position. It’s not, but he’s not military, and I’d bank on him not being a skilled shooter, so he won’t know how quickly I can get off an accurate shot.

I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. All my focus coalesces into one thing. Neutralize the danger to Winter. Whatever it takes.

Then I move.

Through the small dining room and into the living room, which is empty except for two wooden slat chairs and a couch that looks like it’s at least fifty years old. Winter is tied to one of the chairs, looking not just scared, but also more than a little pissed off.

Dennis is standing, facing her, about five feet away.

When she sees me, her eyes widen momentarily, but she tries to keep her expression from giving anything away. Unfortunately, even that tiny tell is enough for Dennis to realize something’s up, and he ducks around Winter before turning to face me.

As he’s moving, I contemplate shooting him. But as good as I am, I’m not willing to risk hitting Winter. All it would take is one tiny move on Dennis’s part and the bullet could hit her instead of him.

Dennis whips out his gun and shoves it into Winter’s side, and when she flinches, I want to rip him to pieces. But instead, I just hold my gun steady, and say in a commanding tone, “Drop it. Now. Before this gets any worse for you.”

He barks out a laugh. “Hardly. I think you’re the one who needs to drop it. Unless you want me to shoot your girlfriend.”

Winter gives an almost imperceptible shake of her head, which tells me she has a pretty good idea of who he is and why she’s here.

Chances are, I could shoot him in the head before he gets a shot off. But it’s not certain. And I’d rather not make Winter go through something so gruesome. It’s just a matter of waiting for him to lower the gun. So I wait, even though it’s torture watching him pointing a gun at the woman I love.

“I don’t think so,” I retort. “You want something. Or you wouldn’t be doing this. So what is it?”

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