The man took a step closer to the door.
“It’s awfully cold out, ma’am. If we could come inside just for a minute?” He attempted a smile that didn’t come close to reaching his steely eyes.
Rachel spotted a bulge beneath the man’s jacket. He was armed! Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the woman had opened the car door and was getting out, her hand tucked inside her jacket. Why would two innocent travelers need to be armed?
“How did you know I lived here alone?” Rachel immediately regretted the question. She’d given away too much.
“Must have seen it on your mailbox,” he muttered, not even trying to hide the lie. The only name on the mailbox was Simmons, the alias Rachel had taken when she’d left the life of a spy behind and returned to Midnight Mountain.
Fear settled into the pit of her stomach when the man whipped his gun from its holster. Callie forgot her command of silence and began barking ferociously. The truth became apparent. These two hadn’t just happened by here. They were here deliberately...for her.
Rachel hurried for the door, making sure all the locks were securely in place. Seconds later, the man opened fire, bullets riddling her door.
Rachel automatically hit the floor. Keeping as much out of the line of fire as she possibly could, she crawled on her hands and knees until she reached the kitchen, with Callie close by, growling and shaking with fear.
Behind her, she could hear the man yelling to the woman to cover him while he leveraged his full weight against the locked door, sending it rattling on its hinges.
After her brother’s strange behavior before he had left to meet with his asset more than a week ago and had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth, Rachel was positive that these two intruders were somehow connected to Liam’s disappearance. If she stayed here, she’d be dead before Alex could reach her. She prayed that he was safe and had just been delayed.
If she was going to live, she had to get away now. Her frantic brain tried to come up with an exit strategy, but there was really only one way out.
Once she reached the kitchen, she grabbed her coat from where she kept it close to the back door. Keeping as low as she could, she ran out the door with Callie at her heels, before her only means of escape evaporated. What if there were more men surrounding the house? She could be walking into a trap. Holding on to what was left of her courage, she raced for the woods off to the right.
Once she reached the trees close to the house, Rachel heard the man finally break through her front door. They’d breached the house. It wouldn’t take them long to realize she’d gone out the back.
“Hurry, Callie,” she urged the dog as they forged deeper into the woods.
“There’s no sign of them inside. I’m guessing they were never here.” The man’s voice carried through the still predawn. “They’re both still up on the mountain somewhere. We know one or both are injured. Find her. We need to put a lid on this. Now. Too much is at stake and we don’t know if Carlson told anyone else.”
Reality shot through Rachel like a lightning bolt. He was talking about Liam. If what the man said were true, her brother was hurt...or worse. More than ever, she knew she had to find Liam, which meant she’d need to get out of here alive and before they could capture her.
Callie let out a tense-sounding growl as they continued frantically running through the dense wooded area. Low-slung branches tangled in Rachel’s hair and snagged her face, making it impossible to make much progress. Every step she made jarring. The cold of the early morning chilling her to the bone.
The dog was on edge just as she was. Callie had faced down lots of predators, bears included, but she’d never been involved in a gunfight.
Rachel stopped long enough to gain her bearings. From where she stood, she could just see the back of the house through the trees. Two people emerged from inside, flashlights shining all around. She ducked when the light hit close.
“Over there,” the man yelled, homing in on the area where she stood with his flashlight beam.
Rachel turned on her heel and started running again, her heart thundering in her chest with each step. She’d been out of the game for a long time. She wasn’t used to being hunted.
Callie soon took the lead. They’d barely managed a handful of steps when a round of shots whistled past Rachel’s head. Close enough for her to feel the breeze it kicked up. She tucked closer to the ground, almost doubled over, and ran.
“Hurry—she’s getting away.” The woman spoke for the first time. Rachel didn’t recognize her voice either, but she detected a faint accent that she couldn’t place. Who were these people and how were they connected to Liam?
Some distance behind her, the rustling of brush assured her that her pursuers had now entered the woods. Callie growled at the noise and turned back in a defensive stance, ready to charge the enemy. The dog was overly protective of Rachel, but she couldn’t let her companion get caught in the line of fire.
“Come, Callie. Hurry,” Rachel ordered, and the dog reluctantly abandoned her defense and followed Rachel.
Where was Alex? He should have been here by now. Had something happened to him? Fear shot through her body.
With her thoughts churning in a dozen different directions, Rachel tried to come up with a means of escape on foot. She had the advantage. She knew the area like the back of her hand. If she could make it to her neighbor’s house, she could call for help from there. But if Liam’s suspicions were true? What then? Liam was a seasoned CIA agent. If what he believed proved real, then she could be walking straight into the enemy’s arms by calling in the authorities.
Rachel didn’t dare take a direct path to the Reagans’ place. It wouldn’t be long before her pursuers figured out the direction she’d gone. She’d be bringing her troubles to the Reagans’ doorstep. She couldn’t do that.
“This way,” the woman yelled. “I see her up ahead.” More shots rang out; bullets flew past, one barely missing her shoulder. They were gaining! Would Tom Reagan hear the shots and come to investigate?
Please, God, no.
She had a feeling these people wouldn’t be opposed to killing anyone who got in their way. Even someone as innocent as Tom.
Rachel shoved branches out of her way as she ran blindly through the woods. Just in front of her, Callie suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Rachel almost tripped over the dog in the process. There was just time to sidestep in an attempt to avoid the mishap when she slammed headfirst into something warm and solid. A man! He reached out and grabbed her tight. One thought raced through her head. They’d found her. She had to get away if she wanted to live.
Panicked, Rachel fought with everything she had, but she was no match for the man’s strength. Before she could scream, a hand clasped over her mouth and the man pulled her close.
“Don’t scream, Rachel. It’s me.” Alex! He was alive and he was here.
Relief made her knees weak. She hugged him close and struggled to let go of the panic still electrifying her nervous system.
“I heard the shots from the road and guessed something had gone wrong. We need to get out of here fast. Those shots sounded close. And this place is crawling with men. My car’s just over there.” He pointed up ahead, then glanced in the direction Rachel had come. “They’re almost here. Run for the car. I’ll try to distract them. I’ll be right behind you,” he added when she didn’t budge.
Alex gave her a gentle shove in that direction, but Rachel stood her ground. She might not be part of the CIA anymore, but one