Page 11 of Black Bay Protector
He’d need to get some rack soon as well. Healing took a lot of energy, and he’d done a lot of that in the last twenty-four hours. While the food he’d eaten at the rest stop had helped, he needed sleep to fully recharge or he’d soon be as vulnerable to a bullet or blade as any other human. He could have pulled over somewhere, secured his perimeter, and crashed in the back, but the thought of a hot shower had him keeping his eyes open for a motel. He was willing to bet Paige would appreciate that too.
He’d probably have to detour away from farm country and look for an area more heavily populated, which was a risk if they’d made the news, but if he was lucky, any footage they’d gotten of him – and he knew the guards he’d fought had been wearing body cams – would be too low-res for him to be easily recognized. Paige was another story. They’d probably use an image from her ID badge that all the staff at the medical facility carried. He’d have to dig out his hoodie and have her put it on before they stopped anywhere.
Glancing over at her, he wondered yet again why he’d so fervently rejected her plan. It was a good one. A Navy SEAL, former or not, would be able to protect her, and like she’d pointed out, be able to help her plan any next steps. The thought of leaving her behind, leaving her in the care of another man, of possibly never seeing her again, had triggered an almost violent response inside. Was it the animal DNA he’d been spliced with? Or was it a very human possessiveness that had been triggered? Whatever the root, he knew he wasn’t ready to say goodbye. And what he’d felt when she’d relented had been pure relief.
Movement in his side-view mirror caught his attention. What looked like a heavy-duty rig was several meters back but coming up fast. It could be anyone but the way his neck prickled as if a lightning storm was imminent, told him otherwise.
He and the others from the lab he’d been created in had been spliced with a whole mish-mash of exotic creatures, some of which had early-warning senses and he’d learned long ago never to ignore those sensations when they crept up.
“Paige, wake up.”
She mumbled something sleepily, her body moving in the seat like she was looking for a more comfortable position before going back into dreamland.
“Wake up, Paige.”
The truck was almost upon them but Jace maintained his current speed hoping he was wrong, hoping they’d pass them by. Hope wasn’t anything he’d put stock in though. How had they found them so quickly? No time to think about that now. He needed to focus and anticipate their next move. He couldn’t outrun them. This van had been chosen to blend in, not win races, and it might be armored, but it wouldn’t take much to roll them into a ditch if they were rammed.
“Paige,” Jace repeated more sternly.
That got her attention. She jerked upright in her seat. “What? What’s happening?”
“Do you know how to use a gun?”
Paige shook her head as if to clear it. “Yes. My father taught both Grady and me, but it’s been years.”
“There’s a nine-mil in the glove box. Get it out.”
“What’s going on?” she asked as she did as he’d said and retrieved the pistol.
“On our six. Coming up fast. I want you to keep your head down.” He glanced over at her as she pulled the gun from its holster, keeping her shoulders ducked. “Check to make sure a round is chambered.”
She did so, and Jace was impressed with the confidence in the way she handled the weapon. She didn’t fumble it or accidentally eject the bullet. Good. One less worry.
The truck pulled up alongside them, lowering its speed to match theirs, and Jace reached out, pushing Paige down even lower in her seat. “Stay down.”
The truck was a model the military utilized. Tough as hell and nearly impossible for Jace to determine how many combatants may be inside. Shit. He took his foot off the gas.
The truck didn’t slow. Instead, it picked up a sudden burst of speed to get in front of them before it skidded sideways to block the road.
Jace braked hard and stared out the windshield. No one was getting out yet. That would change though. Without taking his eyes off the potential threat, he unholstered his SIG and did his own press check of the weapon. Full magazine, one in the chamber, a spare magazine on his belt, safety off. Only then did he say, “I want you to stay down as low as you can. I’m going to get out. As soon as I’m clear of the van, I want you to get behind the wheel. Keep low, and as soon as I engage, I want you to get the hell out of here.”
“What? No!”
“I’ll be fine. You haul ass. There’s a sat phone in my gear. Once you’re far enough away, you contact that SEAL friend of yours and arrange a meet.”
“I’m not going to leave you!”
“I heal, remember?” He shot her a smile he hoped was reassuring, because as tired as he was, he wasn’t sure how much healing he’d be doing. “I’ve got this.”
As the back doors of the truck burst open, Jace whispered, “Remember to keep your head down,” and opened the door.
Chapter Six
Asalonecombatantjumped down from the back of the rig, Jace positioned himself in front of the van to block Paige from view and also keep an eye out for anyone trying to sneak around and get to her. He eyed the enemy and attempted to keep his surprise from showing on his face. What the hell was this?
Jace would estimate the guy was about six-foot-two, built strong and muscular. He was dressed in black cargo pants, and a tan t-shirt under a tactical vest. He possessed a military bearing and was armed as one would expect of a soldier, but this guy was nothing so ordinary.
His head was shaved and he had what looked like a three-inch-wide metal plate that started at his left temple and curved behind his ear. His left arm was mechanical, with steel rods, pistons, and gears instead of flesh and blood and bone. As well, one of his eyes was nothing human as a green beam of light emerged from it reminding Jace of a laser sight on a scope. That beam swept over Jace as if he’d just been scanned.
