Page 42 of Burning Justice

“I have a friend in the FBI. He can help you?—”

“You trust them?” Rodrigo laughed, the sound hollow. “One day they’ll betray you. I’ve learned not to be surprised.”

“This agent is one of the good ones. One of us.” Rio was married to a smokejumper. He’d more than proven himself. “Please, come in. Stay somewhere you can be safe, where Maria can spend time with you after I get her back. She wants to see you.”

Rodrigo was already shaking his head before Kane even finished. “Find her. That’s your job—to keep her safe. My job is to finish this.”

“I’m going to, but?—”

“Good.” The older man nodded, turning for the door. “I’m going to hold you to your promise. I expect you to protect her.”

Kane followed him to the door, grabbing the wood above Rodrigo’s head. He could see he’d thrown the man off guard, and Kane used the distraction to slip his tracker ring into the man’s jacket pocket. “I can do that better if she and I know you’re safe.”

“What happens to me doesn’t matter. Only that they are stopped, no matter what they try in order to get me to give up. Give in.” Rodrigo lifted his chin. “Not even Maria’s life will sway me. That’s why it’s up to you.”

The door clicked shut and he was gone.

Kane whipped it open and stepped out into the hallway, looking both ways. “What does that mean?”

But Maria’s father was gone.

Not even her life would sway her father to do anything but “finish” this? It sounded like he was determined, but also that he didn’t care enough about his daughter to put her well-being above…thousands of lives? The destruction of the US economy? Those were high stakes, and maybe Kane didn’t want to have to face a choice like that.

A choice between the country and the woman he loved.

All he knew was that he needed to find her before she was killed. Then they could worry about saving the world.

Together.

Nine

At the end of the empty hallway, she found a door. Maria didn’t look back. She would see the man lying on the floor with pliers sticking out of his…Don’t think about that.

She tucked her right hand against her body, holding her arm, and stepped into a sort of mud room. A heavy coat hung on a hook, so she slipped her arms into it, ignoring the pain. Breathing through gritted teeth.

Trying not to pass out.

They would realize soon enough that she’d escaped. Only God knew if she’d manage to get out the door and away from here to a place where she was safe.

Help me. Don’t help me. Either way, I’m not staying here.

She used her off hand for the handle, and a rush of cool air from outside brushed her hair back from her face. Even that hurt. But she wasn’t going to think about it.

She hadn’t said anything.

He’d tried what he’d tried. When she’d grown exhausted, or so he’d thought—though, she’d only been slightly pretending, most of her reactions truthful—eventually he’d decided to give her a break. He’d told her he would come back later for round two.

Cue, escape.

Maria stumbled off the back step and headed for the trees, not the outbuilding. Run. It didn’t matter how far she had to go or how long she would have to run. She would run all the way back to base camp if it came to it.

Hopefully it wouldn’t.

Trees surrounded this homestead on all sides she could see. There had to be a fire road or some other kind of access, given they’d driven in. She remembered that much through her haze of semiconsciousness from the ride over after the bus crash.

Finding the road was the worst idea.

But then, if Kane was coming…so was leaving the house.

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