Page 69 of Beautiful Vengeance

Facing front once more, Marcus aimed Jack up the slope of the next hill and down the far side. At the top of the next rise, the woods finally came into view in the distance.

He rode straight for it, not daring to slow down. The enemy would be scrambling for their vehicles and would catch up to them in a matter of minutes. Only the distant trees would stop them, and hopefully give Marcus and the others concealment.

Jack’s sides heaved, his nostrils flared wide open as they galloped over the fields toward the thick trees that were still half-cloaked in red, yellow and orange. Marcus made a judgment call to split up. Staying together presented too much of an easy target.

When they were several hundred yards away from the trees he shifted slightly, looked behind him and waved Brody and Trinity off. Brody expertly turned Rollo to the right. Trinity’s horse followed.

Marcus urged Jack to the left and checked to make sure Maple followed. The mare was tiring now but anxious to keep up with Jack.

Finally they reached the edge of the forest. Marcus brought Jack to a plunging stop close to the trees. Slinging his rifle out of the way, he threw his leg across Jack’s rump and hopped off, the impact sending a hot jolt of pain through his left hip.

It started to buckle. He grabbed at Jack’s mane to steady himself, then stepped away and held up his hands to Maple to stop her.

The mare tossed her head and drew up short, skidding in the damp grass. Kiyomi lost her balance. Marcus lunged for her as she jumped free, catching her around the ribs as she landed in front of him. “All right?” he asked.

“Yes. Hurry.”

He whirled to face the horses and waved his arms to scatter them. Jack and Maple shied away, tossing their heads and snorting nervously. He whacked Jack’s rump with a hard hand. “Hyah!”

Jack bolted away, ears pinned flat to his head. Maple scrambled after him.

Marcus grabbed Kiyomi’s hand and rushed for the comparative safety of the woods, cursing his bad leg as they darted through the trees. The wall was beyond the woods. His priority was getting her to safety, at all cost.

As the woods swallowed them, it suddenly hit him. For so long he’d wondered why he had survived the op in Syria when seven of his men had not. Now he knew.

It was for this moment. To protect Kiyomi and get her to safety.

Whatever those fuckers coming after them did next, he was ready to lay down his life in order to make sure she got out of here alive.

Chapter Twenty

The amount of noise they made as they raced through the trees made Kiyomi cringe, but there was no help for it. Without the benefit of camo clothing or time to be stealthy, they had to get as deep into the woods as possible before the enemy arrived, which would be any minute. How many were coming after them, she had no idea.

She’d lost sight of Brody and Trinity. They were somewhere to the right, but they didn’t have earpieces for comms and cell reception out here was shit, so texting likely wouldn’t work either.

A few yards ahead, Marcus was leading her deeper into the woods. He was limping badly now but didn’t slow, didn’t let up.

She hated that he was putting himself in more danger for her, that his home had been attacked because of her and the others. What the hell did the Architect want with her, anyway? What was so important about her that the woman would go to these extremes to capture her?

The sound of vehicles moving in the distance came from behind her. Her pulse kicked up a notch, her nape prickling because she could feel the enemy back there, hunting them.

She dove behind a thick oak trunk when the first shot rang out, landing on the carpet of fallen brown leaves as a shower of bark exploded a few feet to her left. She got to one knee and brought her rifle up, scanning the trees for a target. She couldn’t see anyone…

Glancing over her shoulder, she found Marcus mirroring her position back and slightly off to the left. After a moment he signaled to her to come toward him.

She trusted his judgment enough to override the instinct telling her to stay put. Holding her weapon at the ready, she got up and darted toward him. Marcus fired, the report echoing through the naked trees. She flew past him, searching for another place to hide.

A large boulder was sticking out of the earth a dozen yards away. She ran for it, ducked behind cover and stretched out flat on her belly, bringing the butt of her weapon to her shoulder, ready to fire.

Marcus was still out in front of her, poised, ready to fire again. He waited several seconds, then turned and rushed toward her. Kiyomi automatically covered him, and spotted movement through the trees beyond him. “Down!” she called out, loud as she dared.

He dove to the ground and rolled behind a tree just as a bullet tore into the one he’d been standing in front of a heartbeat earlier. Kiyomi searched the area where she’d seen the muzzle flash through the undergrowth, hunting for the shooter.

Come on, you bastard. Show yourself.

A flicker of movement slightly to the left caught her attention. She aimed and fired a split second before Marcus did the same.

Three shots answered, one passing so close she heard it go past her. A chunk of rock hit her right shin.

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