Page 38 of Master of Lies

“You can go up on the other side,” he said. “There’s a clear path to climb, right up over the cliff. That way’s much easier than the way we came down. You don’t even need a rope.”

“Then why didn’t we use that way down? Dude, that took years off my life!”

He grinned. “I wanted to leave virgin snow,” he said. “No tracks to lead them to you. They won’t find you, even with thermal imaging. Just wait them out, no matter what happens to me.” He slid the backpack off his shoulder and set it on my lap. “There’s a thermal blanket in there. Hot tea in the thermos. It should stay hot all day. Take these.” He shoved a plastic bag into my pocket. “Butter shortbreads, some trail mix. If I don’t call for you, just wait for them to get bored and leave before you come out of there. Understand? Promise me you’ll do that.”

“But…but what about you?” I whispered.

“I’ll be fine.” He pulled out a small pistol, a Walther PPK, and held it out to me. “Take this. Last resort.”

I recoiled. “Oh, no, no, no. You keep it.”

“I have other ones. Protect yourself, Sandee. You’re worth it. Be careful.”

I took the gun. “Okay,” I whispered. “Thanks.”

Jed hesitated, still clinging to the opening of the hiding place. It was too small for him to fit inside with me.

Suddenly, he leaned over, cupped my head…and kissed me. The kiss was long, hot, intense. And incredibly sweet. No one had ever kissed me like that before.

When he shifted away, my eyes swam with tears.

“Damn, Sandee,” he said roughly. “You are something else, you know that?”

“You’re quite the humdinger yourself, buddy,” I told him, sniffling.

He lunged for the rope, and twisted around to look at me again. “Don’t die,” he said. It was not a plea, or a request. It was a flat command.

“I won’t,” I told him.

He launched himself out across the cliff, and started to climb. On impulse, I leaned out. “James!” I called softly.

He turned. “Yeah?”

“Fuck them up,” I told him.

His teeth flashed. “That’s the plan,” he said.

With incredible swift grace, he scaled the cliff, and then he was gone.

The guy was giving me whiplash. I had thought he was going to murder me. But instead, he took precious time he could not afford from his defense to set me up in a hiding place. With cookies and tea and a fucking blankie. Literally.

Not quite what one would expect of a sociopath bent on destruction.

CHAPTER15

Jed

Like an asshole, I’d spent way too much time tucking Sandee in, and my options were narrowing by the second. Boer’s team had made good time, despite the snow. The monitor on my phone showed me that the first SUV had already driven past my trap before I could spring it. The next one would be there in a couple of minutes.

I sprinted down the route I’d mapped out months ago, parallel to the road, clutching the AR-15. I’d rigged some defense for the road, back when I thought Mickey and I might need to lay low here for a while before we tried to hike out. It could be activated in minutes, if I was quick.

Which I fucking hadn’t been. God, stopping to kiss her goodbye and whisper sweet nothings into her ear? I may as well have read her a bedtime story while I was at it. I was a whole new level of pussy-whipped bonehead today.

I just hoped her improvised hiding place stood the test. But it was a desperate last-minute solution, and I couldn’t be sure Boer wouldn’t find her. He was an asshole, but he was not stupid, and he knew Sandee was with me. He’d keep on looking for her. He wouldn’t give up easily.

There was also no guarantee Sandee would stay put. God knows, she had a history of being self-destructive, and ignoring direct orders.

I had to forget Sandee, and get into the zone. Nothing but the mission, which was crystal clear. Thin those bastards out, by any means necessary.

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