work’s starting?”
Whitson seemed determined to start a fight with Norwood. But the traitor kept his cool, not responding to the other man’s insulting baits.
“Shut up, Whitson.” Carter took the lead. Drina heard a thud of something tossed. “Plant the money and finish this. I’ll check with the guys in the helicopter to see how far out they are.”
Finish this. He means finish me.
Desperate, Drina rolled to her back again. Her gaze swept the shed for an escape or a weapon...something. Maybe if she could get to that shovel...
The door opened before she could move. Norwood filled the portal. He looked taller. Still handsome in his black leather jacket and jeans. Like a dark messenger bringing death.
He held her backpack in his hands. Crossing the room, he knelt and laid it beside her. He was close enough for her to see the gray tint of his blue eyes and the taut tension lines along the side of his mouth. Suddenly, he winked.
Drina’s eyes widened. What in the world...?
“Open the backpack and pull some of the money out on the floor.” Whitson had followed Norwood in. “Make it look like we had a fight.”
The man looked the way he sounded. Short. Shaved head. Solid...like a bodybuilder. And he had a gun clamped in one meaty fist.
“Here’s the deal, Norwood. We can’t make it look like she’s the guilty party unless we shed just a little of your blood, too. So I’m gonna have to break your nose. You can imagine how unhappy that makes me.” The man’s grin radiated pure evil.
Drina’s gaze darted back to Norwood’s. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, “Ready?”
Ready for what?
Barely moving, his hand shifted ever so slightly beneath his jacket. Drina followed the movement and saw a gun tucked into his waistband. His finger flicked a lock.
Drina looked up, startled. He was going to shoot Whitson while she lay trussed up, helpless and in the direct line of fire.
Drina started to protest, to shake her head. Norwood raised his eyebrows again and nodded a signaled countdown. Once... Twice...
No, I’m not ready!
Her screamed protest was muffled by the tape and didn’t stop Norwood’s countdown. When he reached three, he rolled to his side, pulled the gun loose and fired.
Whitson’s face slacked in shock before he doubled over. His fingers clinched on the trigger and bullets ripped across the shed. Norwood dived for Drina, covering her body with his.
The gunfire stopped. Leaping to his feet, Norwood kicked the gun away from Whitson’s body. Then he pulled a knife out of his pocket and knelt beside Drina.
“We only have seconds.” He cut the zip tie at her feet. “We need to get to my car.”
He cut the tie at her hands and pulled the tape loose from her mouth. Drina took a much-needed breath and tried to speak but the fire burning through her hands and feet cut her words short. All she could do was cry out.
“I know. The circulation hurts like crazy, but you’ve got to stand up.”
Norwood pulled her to her feet and held her upright as her legs and ankles screamed and refused to work. He hooked his arm around her waist and dragged her across the shed to peek out.
“It looks clear. Let’s go.”
Pulling her behind him, Norwood stepped outside. Drina followed. A bullet hit the doorway near her head, piercing the metal edge with a jagged hole. This time her scream echoed loud and clear. Norwood fired back, pointing in the direction of the black SUV parked in front.
With one swift move, Norwood pulled her away from the door and around the corner of the shed. Drina barely had time to see Carter’s head popping up on the other side of the vehicle. Right in front of the shooter, on the SUV’s hood, was her computer. Norwood pushed her down and she sprawled to the ground while he knelt and fired back.
More bullets pierced the metal shed, going straight through to where they crouched. Norwood ducked lower.
“We can’t stay here. Can you run yet?”
She nodded, hoping she could. Crawling to the back of the shed, Drina cringed as jagged rocks pierced her palms. Her rescuer pointed to an outcropping of rocks about thirty feet away.
“When I say go, run for those rocks. Don’t stop and don’t look back. Got it?”
She nodded.
“Go!”
Drina leaped to her feet and almost fell. Norwood grasped her arm and steadied her as they half ran, half stumbled across the open space. She expected to feel a bullet pierce her back any minute.
They spilled over the rocks. Norwood rolled. Drina fell flat, gasping, her lungs burning almost as much as her hands and feet. She lay face up, her eyes closed.
“I don’t believe this. It can’t be happening.”
Norwood crawled back to the rock wall and peeked over. “Believe it. My worst nightmare and what you thought would never happen just happened.” He took aim and fired back at the shack. “We can’t stay here. Carter can keep us pinned down indefinitely...at least long enough for the helicopter to show up. Then we’ll be outnumbered.” His gaze shot to the culvert below. “Look down there.”
Drina rose to her elbows and peered down at a small metal shed—right next to an all-terrain vehicle.
“If I can get down there, I think I can get that quad started.” Norwood cast a worried glance her way. “You’ll never make it down this hill, but I can come back for you.”
Drina stared at him, eyes wide, nodding, punctuating each of his words with a dip of her head.
“You...will...come back for me, won’t you?”
He paused, grasped her arm and squeezed. That little touch was the most reassuring thing she’d felt in twenty-four hours.
He pulled Whitson’s gun out of his waistband. “Take this.”
She stared at the black weapon and shook her head. “I...I can’t kill anyone.”
“You wouldn’t hit him even if you tried. Every time you see Carter pop his head out, point and fire. He’ll think it’s me. That will give me time to get down there without him shooting me.”
He flipped the lock and handed it to her. She grasped it with numb, tingling fingers.
“Remember, just point and click.”
She nodded again, then rose enough to peek over the rock, just in time to see Carter at the corner of the shed. Norwood took the gun out of her hand, aimed and fired. Carter lunged back out of sight. Cal gripped her hand and placed the weapon back in her palm.
“Fire again every minute or so. That’ll make him keep his head down. Watch the other side of the shed. He’ll try to come at you from there next.”
With that, he crawled to the edge of the rocks and slid down. She watched him kick dirt high in the air as he loped down the hillside three...four steps at a time, dodging around two fallen Joshua trees, straggly coated arms still reaching to the sky. Carter fired another shot, which startled Drina. Turning, she fired the gun...just to make noise. She had no idea where the bullet went, but she had to protect Cal. Maybe he was the leak, a traitor to their country. But he’d just saved her life and was helping her to escape. He deserved her help in return.
She fired again then turned back to watch Cal sprint across the clearing to the shed below. Grasping the ATV, he shook it, probably rattling the gas tank. Then he used the handle of his gun to break the lock