Page 73 of Mountain Rescue
“What’s not going to happen?” Noah said.
He kept his gaze on her. “Rachel wants to use herself as bait.”
“No,” Jack barked.
“No way,” Noah said.
She scowled at each of them. “My life. My choice.” She let out a long breath. “Okay, guys, I get that you all are hardwired to protect, but just think about it for a minute. This could go on for who knows how long, and we all have lives to get back to.” She waved a hand at Jack. “Nichole isn’t even living in your own house with you because you’re afraid Robert could get to her.”
“She’s safe where she is,” Jack said.
“The point is, she shouldn’t have to be hiding out. I shouldn’t have to. From what I know of SEALs, you guys know how to plan an operation and successfully carry it out. Am I wrong?”
That was a trap, and from Jack’s grunt and Noah’s silence, they knew it, too.
“Never thought I’d see the day three of the baddest guys on the planet turned chicken.”
She was entirely too clever. Not one person—man or woman—had dared to call him and his SEAL brothers cowards until this one. She stared back at them with an innocence that he didn’t trust for one minute.
Jack leaned toward her. “You want to repeat that, little girl?”
Noah snorted.
She lifted her chin. “Repeat what, the part about you all being chickens? Sure, I’ll say it again.” She poked Jack in the chest. “Chicken.” Her finger landed on Noah. “Chicken.”
When she swept her hand toward him, Dallas stepped forward, ramming his chest into her finger, and putting his face inches from hers. “Call me a chicken all day long, but I’m not putting you out there as bait.” The idea was too ridiculous to even consider.
“I’m not talking about sticking me in the middle of the road and telling Robert to come get me. In a movie I stunt doubled in, the FBI agents tricked a serial killer by making him think his next victim was alone in her house. Unfortunately for him, there was an agent in every closet and behind every door. We can come up with something like that.” She put her hand on his chest. “I trust all three of you to keep me safe.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Jack said.
Dallas turned on him. “Have you lost your mind? You know as well as I do that there are no guarantees of a successful operation. Sometimes things go south no matter how well you plan.” He could attest to that. Had the scars to prove it. “I won’t risk her getting hurt. We’ll find another way.”
Her eyes softened and she flattened her palm over her heart. “You won’t let that happen.” She patted her chest. “I know that to the depth of my soul.”
“Rachel, please—”
She put her fingers over his lips. “We all know he’s not going to stop until he finds me. Who’s to say that won’t be when I’m alone or that he won’t find us while we’re sleeping? Isn’t it better to control how he finds me?”
“She’s got a point,” Noah said.
Jack nodded. “How about this? We talk to Deke, get him onboard.”
“That’s a bad idea. You know the cops will take over, and none of them have the training we do.” Dallas couldn’t imagine why Jack thought that was a good idea.
“Deke’s former Delta Force, and some would argue that those dudes are the baddest.”
Noah grunted. “That’s a lie.”
“Well, we know that, but the point is, he’d be a positive addition to the team,” Jack said. “We just have to convince him not to include the police in our plans. He might not be willing since that could get him in trouble with his department, but if he signs on, I’d be a lot more comfortable with four of us.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Dallas couldn’t imagine him risking his job.
“Then we go ahead with the three of us.”
“I still don’t like it.” Seemed like he was outvoted, though. His phone chimed, and he eyed the screen. “It’s TG.” He put it on speaker.
