Danger at the Border (8 page)

Once upright, she swayed. He caught her about the waist. “One foot in front of the other,” he coaxed.

His words were meant for her, but he found he needed them, too. His limbs were chilled to the bone. Movement hurt. Each step radiated upward in a spark of pain. But he forced himself to do as he said, put one foot in front of the other.

Had the cold water forced the men and dogs to turn back? Jeff prayed so with every fiber of his being.

Up ahead, through the inky shadows, the dark outline of an out-of-place structure took shape. A small travel trailer nestled amid the trees.

His heart pounded, flooding his system with a burst of adrenaline. Renewed with energy and hope, he swept Tessa up into his arms and carried her to the trailer.

He searched the darkness, looking for the vehicle that had towed the trailer into the forest, but there was nothing, only trees and bushes. But someone had driven this trailer here, so that meant a road couldn’t be too far away. First, however, his priority was Tessa. He had to risk stopping long enough to get her dry and warm.

He propped Tessa up against the side of the trailer.

“Can you stand on your own?”

“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured.

He banged on the metal door. “Hello! Anybody in there?”

Nothing moved. No light came on. He jiggled the handle. Locked. He slammed a fist against the door in frustration. The glass window in the door rattled. He combed the ground for a rock to break the window with.

He found a short, heavy log and rammed it into the glass. It took several tries before the glass gave way. He reached inside the open hole and turned the lock. The door swung open. He verified the trailer was empty.

Tessa slid to the ground. He gathered her in his arms and carried her inside and sat her on the U-shaped bench seat of the dining area. The one-room space was dark and cold. He had to stoop because of the low-lying roofline. He searched the cabinets and found blankets and enough clothes for both of them. He also found a flashlight.

Taking a momentary risk, he turned on the flashlight long enough to assess their surroundings and make sure there were no immediate threats he had to deal with. A small sink and stove gave him hope there was food in the cupboards.

He turned off the light, and while his eyes readjusted to the dark, he wrapped Tessa up in a blanket. She made no noise as she pliantly allowed him to rub her arms, letting the warmth from the friction with the blanket soothe her. “Honey, I need you to stay with me.”

“Mmm. ’Kay.”

Concern arced through him. He could barely make out her face in the ambient light coming through the broken window. Her pale skin glowed with no color in her cheeks. “I need you to change your clothes.”

“What?” she squeaked, rousing a bit.

He opened a door that led to a small bathroom that would barely have enough elbow room to complete her task. “In there.” He pushed her inside and then handed her a change of clothes from the cabinet. “You can do it.”

She clutched the clothes to her chest. “Are we safe here?”

The scared and vulnerable tone to her voice made his heart contract painfully within his chest. He wished he could reassure her, but he wouldn’t lie. “We don’t have a choice. If we kept going as we are, drenched and weighted down by our soaked clothes, Aaron would find our dead, frozen bodies. At least warm and dry, we still have a chance to escape.”

She accepted his words and shuffled into the bathroom. Jeff shut the door, then quickly changed from his soggy clothes into a pair of well-worn sweats and thermal shirt.

Both were too wide and too short, but he wasn’t going to complain. He searched for sustenance and found a box of crackers, a jar of peanut butter and a can of tuna. Not exactly a gourmet feast, but it would do. They needed strength to keep going.

A drawer held a set of plastic utensils. He searched for a knife or screwdriver, anything to use as a weapon. He found a can opener, a plastic spatula, a whisk and a wooden ladle. Useless. Nor could he find any tools with sharp points or edges.

But he did find a jug of distilled water. He tested it to make sure it was really water. It was. He found two plastic cups and poured water into each.

The door of the bathroom clicked open, and Tessa stepped out swaddled in the blanket and oversize sweats and sweat jacket. White socked feet glowed bright poking out the bottom of the blanket.

She shuffled to the cushioned bench seat and plopped down. “Whew. That was exhausting.”

His chest filled with affection. Moonlight streamed through the window and touched her like a caress. Her hair was wild and untamed, her eyes wide and dark, and her smile trembled. She’d never looked lovelier to him. The longing to kiss her again gripped him in a tight vise. Forcing his attraction down, he turned his attention to their makeshift meal. He presented his bounty to her on a plate. “This should give us some energy. But we can’t linger.”

“I’ve never been so happy to see a saltine before,” she said as she picked up the square cracker smeared with peanut butter.

“There’s no mayo for the tuna,” he said, setting the open can down with two forks.

“That’s okay. Mayo isn’t good for my figure.”

Appreciating the moment of levity, he sat down across from her but angled so that he could keep an eye out the broken trailer window.

She reached over and covered his hand with hers. Her skin was cold, but warmth quickly grew between them. “Thank you for this food.”

“God is the one we need to thank.” If they hadn’t stumbled across this trailer, they’d be as good as dead even before Sherman’s men found them.

Her expression grew pensive. “You’re right.” She lifted her gaze toward the ceiling. “Thank You, God. For everything.”

“Amen.” Jeff popped a cracker into his mouth.

They ate quickly and silently until it was all gone. Jeff refilled their water. “We should conserve the rest,” he said when he noticed the jug was half-gone.

“Agreed.” She stacked their plates. “Can we stay here all night?”

“We can only risk a few more minutes. Just because we don’t hear the dogs anymore doesn’t mean Aaron isn’t still tracking us.” He took the empty tuna can and plates to the sink. There was no running water, so he wiped them off as best he could with a paper napkin from a stack he’d found.

He stuck the empty tuna can into a plastic bag that had been beneath the sink. No sense in leaving it all out to attract the grizzly or one of the black bears that inhabited the forest. As it was, he owed the owner of the trailer a new window.

When he was finished, he positioned himself by the door, where he could keep a watch out the broken window. Tessa tucked a blanket around him before moving to the bench seat and spreading a blanket over herself. Grateful for her thoughtfulness, he tugged the edges together against the chilled air coming through the opening.

“So are you going to tell me now?” Tessa asked, her voice quiet yet intense.

He knew instantly what she referred to. The kiss. The memory never lingered far from his thoughts.

He studied her face in the soft light streaming into the trailer. She’d tried taming her hair by running her fingers through the curls and tucking them behind her ears. Her high cheekbones created shadows on the landscape of her pretty face.

Raw protectiveness surged through him. If something happened to Tessa, he didn’t know if he’d be able to take it. Somehow, in such a short time, he’d come to care about her in a way he hadn’t experienced before. She’d squirmed beneath the barricades of his heart, teasing affection and caring into blooming like the winter camellias that would soon be flowering in his mother’s garden. How had he let that happen?

No way could he admit to his feelings. He was struggling to come to terms with it all, and revealing his heart wouldn’t be a smart move, not when their lives depended on clear thinking. He could pretend not to understand, but she’d see through that ploy. Minimize. That was the way he could deal with her question and the truth of his answer. “What can I say? I was happy to see you. You could have left me there.”

“And that’s all?”

The question hung in the air. She wanted to know if his feelings for her ran deeper than happiness at being rescued. Whether they did or not didn’t matter. Couldn’t matter. They were still in danger and on the run for their lives. Confusing the situation with an attraction or infatuation would only complicate everything. Because when they left these woods, they would go their separate ways. That was how it had to be, how he wanted it to be.

“That’s it.” He could feel her gaze on his back like laser points. Her hurt was a palpable entity that pulsed through the small trailer, making him suddenly claustrophobic. “Let me know when you’ve warmed up enough to keep moving.”

EIGHT

T
essa burrowed deeper into the blanket covering her. Everything hurt, from her toes to her scalp to her heart.

The faint glow of the moonlight from outside did little to dispel the shadows inside the travel trailer. Jeff had hunkered down by the door, keeping watch. She could hear the sound of his breathing. The rhythmic noise was both reassuring and disconcerting.

The icy night air seeped in through the broken window, chilling her bones despite the dry, oversize sweats and blanket. Drawing her knees to her chest, she berated herself for being upset and disappointed.

Okay, she had reason to be upset. Ranger Randy had been shot, possibly killed, trying to help them escape. The memory of witnessing him tumble into the stream played through her mind. She and Jeff were hiding out in an abandoned travel trailer in the middle of the woods, hoping to evade a madman and his goons. Sherman and his illegal drug-making operation threatened the health of the forest as well as their lives.

Anyone in their right mind would be upset, freaked out and on the edge of panic.

But the disappointment biting at her came from the knowledge Jeff had only kissed her on impulse. He’d said he’d been happy she hadn’t escaped without him.

A simple thank-you would have sufficed.

Why had he gone and complicate things with a kiss?

Why was she getting all twisted up inside over a kiss?

It was just a kiss.

Not a promise, not a declaration, not even an “I like you and want to see where this will go” statement.

The kiss didn’t mean anything.

It wasn’t as if she’d never been kissed before. But somehow this kiss impacted her deeply and stirred in her a yearning for connection in a way she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

But she knew with painful familiarity that opening herself up to connecting with Jeff would only end in heartbreak. Once they escaped these woods—she sent up a quick prayer that they would leave the forest alive—their lives would go separate ways.

And even if there wasn’t the matter of distance between them, risking her heart again wasn’t something she planned to do, especially with a man who claimed to not believe in love and who wouldn’t commit himself to a relationship.

She squeezed her eyes closed with a prayer for safety and for Ranger Randy on her lips. But mostly she prayed for strength. Strength to not only stay alive, but also to keep her heart safe from Jeff.

When she opened her eyes, he looked toward her as if he heard her thoughts. His shadowed gaze made her feel exposed. A blush crept up her neck. She was glad for the inner fire heating her skin but more for the fact he couldn’t see the color rising in her face.

“Are you warm?” His gruff voice, his impassive face, gave nothing away.

She swallowed past the dread and resignation clogging her throat. She’d never take a heater for granted again. “As much as I can be.”

“We should head out,” Jeff said. “That town the younger ranger talked about can’t be far.”

Sadness enveloped her. “Do you think he’s dead?”

Reaching out a hand to help her off the bench, Jeff said, “I don’t know. I pray not.”

“Me, too.”

He held out her shoes. “They’re still damp, but they’ll have to do.”

At least the socks he’d found in the drawer were warm and dry. Forcing her feet into her cold, wet boots worked another chill over her body. She zipped the sweat jacket all the way up, put the hood over her head and tied the string under her chin. Then she wrapped the blanket around herself like a cape.

Jeff found a plastic garbage bag beneath the sink and stuffed their wet clothes inside. “Ready?”

“Yes. Let’s get out of here.”

“What about the animals?”

“I’d rather take my chances with the four-legged kind than the two-legged ones with guns.”

She prayed they didn’t encounter either one.

“Wait.” He rummaged through the bag of clothes until he found the small set of shears she’d lifted from the warehouse. “Put these in your pocket. They aren’t much but that’s all we have.”

“You should keep them,” she insisted.

He shook his head. “If we’re caught they’ll search me. But they might not search you.”

Her hand closed over the scissors with dread. If they were caught. She sent up a plea of protection.

She slipped the shears into the inside pocket of the sweats. The space was meant for a key, not scissors. She pulled the jacket hem down to cover the waistband of the sweats.

Cautiously, Jeff opened the trailer door and poked his head out. “All clear.”

Grabbing her hand, he tugged her outside into the moonlight. Here the canopy of trees wasn’t nearly as thick, allowing the moon’s glow in the cloud-filled sky to illuminate the ground, revealing an overgrown path where a car had once tread, leading away from the trailer. “Let’s pray this takes us to safety.”

“Amen to that.”

He tucked stray curls into the edge of the hood. “Have I told you how impressed I am with you?”

Surprised pleasure curled her cold toes. “No. Are you?”

“Yes.” His fingers lingered, lightly tracing her jawline. “When we first met, I pegged you as a pampered, high-maintenance type of female.”

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Oh? What makes you think I’m not?”

“Not many women would hold up so well under the circumstances we’ve found ourselves in. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.” She inclined her head in acknowledgment, hoping the effect his words had on her didn’t show in the shadowed light. She couldn’t remember anyone ever saying they were proud of her. Not her parents, not Michael, not her coworkers or boss. Touched to her core, she turned her head to nuzzle his hand. “I wouldn’t be doing so well if you weren’t here.”

He cupped her cheek. “I’m glad I am,” he murmured.

“Me, too.” Moonlight fell across his well-formed mouth. Longing for him to kiss her again roared through her veins, chasing away the chill that had gripped her moments before. She licked her lips.

On a groan, he captured her mouth with his in exquisite tenderness. She clutched at his shoulders, drawing him closer as yearning and need rose within her, making her forget where they were, making her forget there was no room for romance between them.

She poured all the fear-laden angst and joy-filled hope she could into deepening the kiss. His strong, muscled arms slid around her, crushing her to his solid chest.

There was nowhere she wanted to be more than within his embrace. She melded to him, willingly absorbed by his overwhelming presence.

The kiss ended far too soon but gave her enough oomph to start down the path tucked beneath the comforting weight of Jeff’s arm.

They followed the worn tracks deep into the inky woods with no road in sight. Frustration beat a steady tempo in her head.

Jeff halted abruptly, his body instantly tense.

“What?” she whispered.

“Shh.” He hustled her to a thick bramble, shoving her behind him in a protective gesture that endeared him to her in a way no flowers or box of chocolate could ever do.

The thorny branches plucked at the blanket and poked through the material covering her limbs. She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from making any noise as the sound of men’s voices growing louder raised goose pimples on her flesh and sent a wave of fear crashing over her until she thought she’d drown.

“We know you’re in there, Agent Steele, Dr. Cleary.” Aaron’s deep voice assaulted them. “Don’t make me destroy the shrubbery. We’re taking you back to the compound. Up to you if it’s dead or alive.”

She dropped her head to Jeff’s back. Not again. They were so close to freedom. Tears of anger and despair pricked her eyes.

He turned to grip her by the arms. “We’re sitting ducks in here. We have to give ourselves up.”

The moon’s glow washed over Jeff’s handsome and anxious face. He needed her to be strong. She wanted to be strong, wanted to be the woman he admired. But her legs felt wobbly and her lip quivered. “I know.”

“I promise you, I will get you out of this.”

She wished she could take comfort in his words, but was too afraid they were doomed and there was nothing either of them could do. “Why has God turned His back on us?”

Jeff shook his head. “God would never abandon us. He’ll see us through this.”

That was the second time he’d made that claim. She really wanted to believe him.

Anguish threatened to crush her, but she raised her chin, calling on every last ounce of strength she possessed.

“We’re coming out,” Jeff shouted. “Don’t shoot.”

Pulling her close, he gave her a quick and purposeful kiss. “Be strong.”

She hoped to give him a reassuring smile, but her lips trembled, spoiling the effect. With a nod, he walked out from behind the bushes. Half expecting to be riddled with bullets, Tessa followed. The night suddenly lit up with high-powered flashlights, revealing they were surrounded by a horde of men each with a pair of night-vision goggles hanging around their necks and weapons in their hands. Her mouth went dry.

“Where are your dogs?” Jeff asked, glancing around as if he expected the beasts to charge out of the forest at them.

“Those stupid animals wouldn’t cross the stream.” Aaron’s leering gaze slid over her, leaving a bitter trail of distaste in its wake. “Besides, it was more fun watching you two.”

Meaning he and his cohorts had watched them kiss. She fought the urge to gag. Aaron was beyond creepy. Beside her, Jeff’s fingers curled into fists. There was no mistaking the anger emanating off him in palpable waves. She feared Jeff would do something to cause Aaron to shoot him on the spot.

She tensed as Aaron stepped up to Jeff and slugged him in the stomach. Jeff doubled over with a grunt of pain. She marveled at Jeff’s restraint when he could easily have taken Aaron down, but she knew Jeff well enough now to know with so many guns pointed at them, he wouldn’t risk her safety.

She appreciated that even as a scream of rage tore from her. “Leave him alone!”

“That’s for making my father doubt me.” Aaron’s cruel sneer made her stomach curdle. “Bring them.”

Two men grabbed Jeff by the arms. A tall, burly man clapped a hand around Tessa’s biceps, ripped the blanket from around her and tossed it away before dragging her forward into the trees.

When they reached the edge of the stream, she was hauled through its churning flow. The fast-moving water from the falls plucked at the oversize sweats, threatening to drag her into the current. Only the tight grip of the unshaved man who held on to her kept her from slipping.

On the other side of the stream bank, she noticed drag marks on the ground along with a crimson trail. She bit her lip to keep from tearing up. They’d fished Randy out of the water and thankfully hadn’t left him for the coyotes or the grizzly bear to feast on.

The trek back to the compound was longer and more grueling as each step brought them closer to a destiny that made her mind want to shut down. But she couldn’t. She would be strong for Jeff. For herself.

Over the noise of the compound’s generator, the
whump-whump
of a helicopter filled the woods and sent hope jolting through her. Tilting her neck back, she searched the sky.

If she could see the aircraft, then whoever was inside could see her. The helicopter’s shadow passed over them. For the first time she realized there was some sort of material across the compound and attached to the trees like a supersize awning, providing concealment for those on the ground. Her hopes of being spotted sank.

“That’s a search party looking for us,” Jeff said. “These woods are going to be crawling with agents soon.”

Aaron laughed. “Sorry to disappoint you, Agent Steele, but no one will be looking here for you.” He pointed to the sky. “From up there, all they see is dense forest. They’ll move on. They always do.”

Jeff looked up. His jaw tightened. “The camouflage netting won’t fool the authorities for long. They’ll be back with infrared imaging, and when they do, you’re going down.”

Aaron’s lip curled. “In your dreams. Don’t you think we have all contingencies covered?” He tipped his chin to the men on either side of Jeff. “Put him back where he belongs.”

“I’m not leaving Tessa,” Jeff yelled and struggled against the men trying to lead him away. One of the men struck him on the back of the head with the butt of his weapon. Jeff crumpled into a heap on the hard ground.

“No!” Tessa lurched toward him. The man holding on to her wouldn’t let her move. “Please,” Tessa pleaded with Aaron. “Don’t hurt him.”

The malicious glee dancing in Aaron’s eyes said there would be no mercy from him.

Helpless to do anything for Jeff, she watched as the men dragged him to the small wooden shed in which they’d first been held captive. They threw him inside and locked the door.

“Take her to my cabin,” Aaron told the man holding her.

Horror flooded her. She didn’t want to be alone with this fiend. She had no doubt he planned to abuse her before killing her. She dug in her heels and clawed at the hand cinched around her arm. “No! I want to see Sherman.”

“That old man won’t help you,” Aaron said with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Another man grabbed her other arm.

“Sherman!” Tessa screamed. All around them, men came out of the buildings. Aaron glowered at them, and they slunk back inside.

“Help me! Someone help me!” She continued to kick and scream as the two men dragged her to the first cabin, threw her inside and slammed the door shut.

The square, fixed window in the side of the cabin was the sole source of light in the stark one-room dwelling. A bed, a sink and dresser were the only furniture. She ran to the door and yanked it open. A guard stood there with a rifle, barring her way. There was no compassion, no sympathy for her plight in his flinty eyes. She slammed the door shut.

She had to escape. She looked out the window. Sherman had come out of the house. He and Aaron were arguing. She pounded on the windowpane and screamed for help. If either man heard her cries, they didn’t show it.

Pitiful that she’d be turning to the head bad-guy honcho of this illegal operation for help.