Page 19 of Fear for Her Life

“I am indeed.” Maggie smiled at her. “Jump into my truck. I’m going to take you straight to the ER. From what Colleen said on the phone, you’re in bad shape. Did those monsters hurt you?”

Nodding, Amy dissolved into tears again. “Will I be safe at the hospital?”

“Yes.” Maggie started the engine and they drove away. “We have a special ward there for prisoners and people needing protection. You’ll be very safe there and I will stay with you until one of your family arrives. Your mom and dad are both staying in town. They’ve been here since you went missing from the bus wreck. Once I get you to the hospital, I’ll call them and you can speak to them.” She patted her on the arm. “The doctors will need to do a few tests. It’s important so these horrible men can be charged for what they did to you. The deputies will be coming to speak to you as well. Not right away. They’re heading back to town now.”

Turning in her seat to look at her, all Amy could see was deep compassion in Maggie’s eyes. “I understand what is going to happen next but it won’t make any difference to them because they were never to be released anyway.” She looked down at her clenched fists. “Two were asleep after drinking moonshine when I left. The other one was shooting at us. I know I shouldn’t say this, but I hope the wildfire gets to them before they can escape. They deserve to burn in hell.”

TWENTY-ONE

The noise inside the cabin was deafening. Wood chips flew in all directions, spinning away in cartwheels. The fire was creeping down the cabin walls. Flaming debris and roof shingles fell and ignited the furniture. Intolerable heat burned exposed flesh, and although Kane had covered his face, breathing was difficult. The fire had sucked all the oxygen from the room. They kept firing as a hole appeared in the wall. The sudden rush of air fed the flames and all around them an inferno roared. The team didn’t stop firing until the hole was big enough to step through. Kane reloaded. “Carter, you first. Stay low and run toward the corral. I’ll put down cover fire over your heads. Stay low. Go, go, go.” Beside him Blackhawk pushed Duke and then Bear through the hole.

“Zorro, with me.” Carter dived through the shattered wood and took off with the three dogs close behind.

Flames crept across the floor, heating Kane’s boots as he sprayed the forest. The last man to leave was Raven. With the loud buzzing in his ears from the gunshot, he turned when he touched his arm and only just made out what he was saying.

“I’ll be your wingman.” Raven gave him a nod. “I’ll go right and cover your back.” He ducked out of the hole and began to lay down fire for Kane to escape.

This wasn’t the first time Raven had been beside him when they faced great danger. He’d saved Kane’s life during a deployment. That time didn’t exist for him any longer. That person died in a car bombing in DC almost seven years ago. Dave Kane had emerged from the ashes with a new identity and face. If Raven recognized him, both of their lives could be in danger. With his fingerprints removed, the only way Raven could identify Kane would be by a retina scan. Hopefully, Raven’s old friend would just be a memory. He pushed the past away and ducked through the hole. His backpack stuck tight and he turned to tug it free and then jumped down. To his right, Raven kept firing in wide arcs, his bullets tearing through the pines splintering branches. Fire licked the broken boards around the hole. Coughing with eyes streaming, he turned to Raven. “Get out of here.”

Backing away from the inferno with Raven at his side, Kane sent bursts of gunfire into the trees and then they ran for their lives as the forest exploded into flames. As he reached the others at the corral, everyone was frantically throwing saddles onto their horses. He turned to see the cabin light up the clearing. The roof had caved in and the intense fire would soon spread. Nothing they could do would save it now. Duke ran to his side barking, but he could hardly hear him with the buzzing in his ears. Wolfe, his face blackened and eyes red and running, came over with Warrior’s tack, and Kane stood, his burning-hot rifle against the corral fence, and saddled Warrior. The horse held his head high, nostrils flaring and stamping his feet eager to leave. He’d been through forest wildfires with Warrior before and he was as solid as a rock. He lifted Duke onto the saddle. The dog trembled and tried to arrange his fat body, almost slipping before Kane climbed on behind him. He rubbed Duke’s ears and held him tight. “It’s okay, boy. You’re safe.”

He looked around at the soot-streaked faces, lit up with the light from the fire, and pointed into the wind. They took off in single file following a track heading north. As the track came out onto a fire road, Kane got his bearings. They’d ridden to Bear Peak. Ahead of him, Wolfe was on the phone. He rode alongside him and waited for him to disconnect. “Fire department?”

“Yeah.” Wolfe coughed and spat. “They’ll need someone out here before the forest burns to the ground.” Wolfe turned to Kane. “Paramedics are on their way. We’re heading to the forest warden’s station and they’ll meet us there. We need oxygen and treatment for our eyes.” He coughed again and turned red-rimmed eyes to Kane. “They must have used drones to drop incendiary devices onto the roof.” He waved a hand toward the forest. “This entire escape has been a ruse to take down Jenna’s team and the FBI agents you use. Souza has masterminded all of this and he’s using notorious serial killers like puppets.”

The same conclusion had crossed Kane’s mind. Everything that had happened was slick and well thought out. Souza had been one step ahead of them all the time. The next steps to take could be fatal. This man spearheaded the import of illegal arms and drugs, specifically fentanyl, which was killing hundreds of thousands a year. In prison he still maintained his cartel no matter how many of his soldiers were apprehended. The vicious hold Souza had on his cartel meant no one in his organization dared to disobey him. He made examples of them by brutally murdering their families.

Determined, Kane stopped, pulled out a bottle of water, washed his eyes, and then drank and spat. A vision of Jenna holding a newborn and sitting beside Tauri slid into his mind. Would he ever get to see his child? Would he be there when Jenna needed him the most? The odds wouldn’t be in his favor. In front of him, Duke trembled as if he understood the impossible position this incident had put him in. He looked at Wolfe and couldn’t believe he’d made the decision. It was the only one to keep his family, friends, and America safe. One phone call to POTUS and he’d become the sniper again, the secret government asset needed to remove Souza from existence once and for all. “The team here can deal with the escaped prisoners. We’ll have reinforcements by daylight. The escape was just a distraction. Call it in. It’s time I took down Eduardo Souza.”

TWENTY-TWO

BLACK ROCK FALLS

Wednesday

Jenna gripped the phone so tight her fingers ached. The man at the end of the phone, her loving husband, had turned into the combat-ready sniper. Fear gripped her as she waited to hear the words she dreaded. “What do you mean you’re not coming home?”

“All that’s happened over these last couple of days has been masterminded by Eduardo Souza.”Kane kept on clearing his throat and turned his face away to cough.“They used drones earlier this morning in an attempt to burn us to death in a cabin. We kept vigilant all night and didn’t see it coming. We figured they dropped incendiary devices on the roof. I believe they’ve been following us from the moment we entered the forest. This was a deliberate act to take out your team and the FBI. Most likely Wolfe as well. They wouldn’t know about Raven. I’ve asked him to stay at the ranch for a few days. I suggest you put the men in the cottage and keep the women in the house. Duke will be coming home with Carter. They’ll be working the escaped prisoner case alongside our team, but Raven will be there to protect you along with the women.”He sighed.“This is nonnegotiable, Jenna.”

The fire department sirens screamed in the background. “Okay, sure. I hear sirens. Where exactly are you, Dave?”

“I’m at the office. Firefighters are coming from all surrounding counties. Everything is under control. The DOC is handling the hunt for the escaped prisoners. They have a ton of men coming from everywhere. Once our team has rested and recovered from smoke inhalation, you can send them to assist, but it might be in our best interest for you to keep them in town. We don’t know what the prisoners are doing or what intel they have. They could be heading for town.”

Trembling, Jenna kept her voice steady. “Okay, but the young girl Carter found, did she make it to the res?”

“Yeah, Chaska called the moment she arrived. She’s with her grandma. You should leave her there until this is over. It’s not safe for her in town just now.”He blew out a long sigh and wheezed.“I’m real sorry about this, Jenna. Don’t you figure I want to come home to you?”

Pressing a hand to her belly, Jenna nodded as if he were in the room with her. “Yes, I know you do. Please don’t tell me you’re going after Souza alone?”

“Yes and no.”Kane paused as if not wanting to continue the conversation.“Wolfe made the call, so I’ll have a support team. I’ll rely on their intelligence and follow their plan. I’m aware of the risk, but it’s our only chance for a normal life.”

Jenna’s grip lessened on the phone. “I figured having him in prison would stop him. I was wrong.”

“We all were. The powers that be believed once they had him in prison, a new leader would emerge, but running the cartel without contacts or finances would be doomed to fail. They didn’t realize Souza had the power to control his empire from prison, and as his people live in fear of him, it was business as usual. Once he’s gone, there are plans in place to break up his cartel. It will be a start because there are many cartels out there, but I won’t be involved in taking down the others.”

Swallowing a sob, Jenna recalled Wolfe’s warning about being Kane’s Achilles’ heel. She tried very hard to control her voice. “That’s good. I won’t ask when you’re leaving. I’m guessing you’ll be holed up somewhere getting prepared.” Knowing her calls were safe from being intercepted, she needed to know one last detail. “Wolfe will be where he normally is, won’t he?”

“Oh, yeah.”Kane chuckled.“I couldn’t go hunting without him. I’ll see you soon. Love you and give Tauri a hug for me.”He disconnected.

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