Page 33 of Raider Unleashed

Baker inched in Raider’s direction, but it was taking a long time. Instead, he rolled on his belly and pulled himself over. Piper lost sight of him.

“Good, now pull off my boot.” There was silence and then she heard the snick of a blade locking into place. A few seconds later Baker was standing up. He disappeared again and then Wells was standing there. The two of them were whispering.

“We’re gonna go. Sorry man but we don’t want to be busted. This is whack,” Wells said as he started to back away.

Piper’s belly rolled. “Guys,” she said, “you won’t make it past Kasinski and Denlo without us. We’re trained for this kind of situation. You aren’t.”

“I didn’t see your training doing much for us any other time,” Baker snarled.

There was a loud sound from the kitchen. A chair moving. Baker and Wells froze. They all waited in silence. After a fullminute, Wells leaned over to Baker and whispered something. Then they both stared down at her and Raider. “If we cut you loose, you have to let us go and not follow us, okay?”

“Agreed,” Raider said.

“Deal,” Piper responded.

After a slight hesitation, Baker squatted down. He cut Raider’s feet first and then came around and cut Piper’s. Then Piper leaned forward so he could reach her hands. He cut them both loose. Raider and Piper were on their feet in seconds. Her legs tingled numbly, but the adrenaline coursing through her helped steady her.

Now came the hard part. How were they going to get out of the house without alerting Denlo and Kasinski? The front door was an option but chances were good Kasinski would hear them and come running. They wouldn’t have enough time to get away before he started shooting. And they wouldn’t have the van. They’d be on foot with deserted roads and a lava flow between them and safetyThink this through, she told herself.Be smart.She clamped her jaws together to keep her teeth from chattering in reaction to the adrenaline.

Raider drew them all in close. “This is what we’re gonna do. We’re going down that hallway. The TV is on the opposite wall from this room so chances are good Kasinski is facing away from the opening. I’ll check it out and then wave you all down the hallway. It’s dark. Stick to the walls.”

“Can’t we go out the front door?” Baker asked.

Piper shook her head and explained the issue. Raider grabbed the tape as he went to the far wall and checked on Kasinski. He waved Wells down the hallway. Wells disappeared and then he did the same for Baker. Piper joined him against the wall and they went together. A sound reached them all as they were lining the walls. Denlo was returning. Piper’s stomach dropped. Raider pointed at the bedroom next to Baker andWells and they disappeared inside in the darkness. Piper backed into the bedroom they’d stayed in, and Raider followed her but stayed by the door.

Denlo opened the bedroom door and came down the hallway. Before she could blink Raider went out behind Denlo and grabbed him, pulling him inside the room. He had him in a chokehold. It seemed to take forever for Denlo to pass out but once he was out, Piper swung the door closed and they taped up Denlo’s hands behind his back and his legs and then put tape over his mouth.

“Get the thumb drive,” she demanded. There was no way she was putting her hand in Denlo’s pocket. Raider grinned and dug it out and then tucked it in his own pocket. He opened the door and waved for her to precede him down the hallway to the primary bedroom. Baker and Wells followed. Raider closed the door and then walked over to the sliding glass doors.

Piper looked at Baker and Wells. “Okay, guys, we’re all gonna go out that door into the woods. You guys stick to the woods as long as you can but head down toward the main street. Baker, I assume you know how to hotwire a car?”

He hesitated and then nodded.

“Good. Steal one of the cars in the neighborhood and drive yourselves to the airport. Get on the next flight out. I never want to see either one of you again. Deal?”

Both men nodded.

“Remember, stick to the woods, and move quickly. If you’re on the street, chances are good they’ll see you when they come looking.”

“Okay,” Wells said. “Where are you going?”

“We’re gonna do the same thing,” she assured them.

Wells nodded again.

Raider opened the door. “Go left. Stick to the wall until you reach the end of the house and then run for the woods.”

Wells went first and Baker followed. They did what they were told and made the tree line.

Piper glanced around the room. On the corner of the desk was a laptop. She grabbed it. She dug around in the closet until she found a backpack and stuck the laptop inside. “In case we get a chance to check out the thumb drive.” She stepped out onto the deck and made to follow Wells and Baker. Before she could move, Raider grabbed her hand and then pointed in a slightly different direction. She nodded and the two of them took off for the tree line.

Piper’s heart was hammering and sweat was running down her back but they made the tree line but kept running up the hill behind the house. Raider kept up the pace at a good clip.

Piper finally tagged him and asked for a break. “Why are we running uphill?” she asked as she sucked in as much oxygen as she could manage. Kilauea was still spewing ash and making it harder than normal to breathe.

“Because when Kasinski finds us gone, he and Denlo are going to head downhill. That’s what makes the most sense.”

Piper stared at him gasping. “Do you think they’ll find Baker and Wells?”

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