Page 33 of Resisting His Target
“You’re a doctor, for God’s sake. You know that’s bullshit.”
“I know there’s nothing they can do for me here. I’m not leaving Jackie.”
Mac put his hands on his hips. “And what if you hold her back? You thought about that? What if you’re physically unable to make the trip?”
He hadn’t considered that possibility, and much as he hated to admit it, Mac was right. “I’ll have them do a stress test in the morning before they discharge me. Make sure my heart’s up to it.”
“And if they won’t?”
“Then I’ll have Logan help me and do it myself.”
“You’ve got a skull thicker than a concrete slab. You know that?”
“I need to see this through. She and her daughter deserve a new beginning.”
Mac shook his head and sighed heavily. “Just be careful. In my experience, people don’t always get what they deserve.”
18
Jackie stood between Razorback and Cowboy, gazing at the map spread out on the table of the hotel room that had been her temporary home while Razorback recuperated at the hospital. Her fingernails dug into her palms. Lines and colors. Arbitrary determinations that had deeply affected her life. She was still an American in her heart, and always would be.
Even if I’ve got to sneak back into my own damn country.
She’d been hoping HERO Force would come through with a passport and a nice, comfy first-class flight into Dulles, but it seemed their options were this or nothing. They would go across the Rio Grande and into South Texas, the way hundreds of migrants entered the United States every year.
If they survived the journey.
She’d heard of this trail before. It was legendary for the human remains that littered the route, all that was left of those unable to complete the arduous trek. The area was hot, drought-ridden, and paradoxically humid—a potentially deadly combination for a hike this long, and the forecasted highs for the next week were well over a hundred degrees.
But it was the only way, and she trusted Razorback to lead her. He was a Navy SEAL, for God’s sake. If anyone could get her through hell and back, it was him.
She glanced at his face and serious expression. They hadn’t been alone since they left the resort when HERO Force arrived, hadn’t even had a chance to talk. Now they were setting off with the barest of essentials for a grueling hike, alone.
Cowboy pointed at the map. “You’ll cross the Rio Grande here tomorrow morning at oh four hundred hours. I’ll meet you on the other side at the first set of coordinates and drive you fifty-five miles north.” He pointed again. “That’s when you need to get out. The Falfurrias checkpoint is set up on the main highway just to look for illegals. We can’t drive you through it, so you’ll hike around the checkpoint and I’ll pick you up at the second set of coordinates. It’s mostly ranchland.”
“What if Border Patrol sees us when we cross the river?” Jackie asked.
Cowboy shook his head. “They won’t. Watch for choppers. That’s how they’ll spot you if they do.”
She furrowed her brow. “But they have electronic surveillance cameras up and down the river.”
Cowboy met her stare. “Jackie, you’re not going to get caught.”
Understanding dawned. They wouldn’t be caught because Cowboy had made sure they’d have safe passage. “Oh.”
Razorback pushed away from the table. “I’m going to finish packing. Be ready in ten.”
“Ian,” said Cowboy. “Just so we’re clear, once you get out of my truck, you’re on your own. Jax’s instructions were clear. HERO Force can’t swoop in and save you unless you make it to the coordinates.”
“Understood.” Razorback walked out the door, calling over his shoulder, “We’ll make it.”
She stared at the closed door. “What happens if we get caught?”
Cowboy hitched his hip on the edge of a dresser. “To him? Nothing. To you, with your situation? God only knows. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“I don’t have a choice.” In truth she felt ready for nothing, anxiety permeating her nervous system like a toxin. What could possibly prepare her for the journey ahead, a trip back in time to the place she swore never to return, and the trail through a desert where so many had died? She didn’t like it one bit. “How sure are you about this route?”
“Born and raised just a few miles from there. This is your best chance into the country.”
