Dream Shadow (28 page)

It was pitch black out and she didn’t know if it was friend or foe. Maybe it was the sheriff’s department or maybe it was the scum that had kidnapped her. There was just no way to know for sure. Beth stayed against the tree. It was too big a risk.

The part of the river that she was nearby was very wide and only about a foot deep. It was a fifty-foot span covered in thousands of smooth round rocks. The helicopter was slowly making its way down the riverbed. Beth started to tremble. The machine sounded so evil and it was black against the night. Spotlights flashed over her as they moved down the riverbed.

Beth was just letting her breath go when the helicopter stopped and moved back in front of her. The spotlight was off, but it came back on brighter than before. She was several feet back from the water so she didn’t think they could see her.

“Come out with your hands up!”

Terror erupted inside Beth. They must have heat-seeking radar or something. Beth didn’t know what to do. She stood up, but her legs were shaking and she knew she couldn’t run very far. The loud speaker interrupted her frantic thoughts.

“Come out now, or you will be shot.”

The only problem with that was if these were the bad guys, then they were going to shoot her anyway. But she didn’t have any choice. She slowly made her way into the streambed. She stepped from the cover of the trees and stretched her arms out above her head. Beth stood in the bright spotlight while the wind from the propeller blades chilled her to the bone.

The standoff continued for what seemed like an endless time. Beth was done being scared and just wished they would get on with whatever they were going to do. The air filled with the sounds of another helicopter. The night was suddenly full of the black machines. Two of the things landed right in the riverbed. The sound of their metal doors opening caused her heart to accelerate yet again. Even with the spotlight on her face, Beth could see the long rifles that were pointed at her.

The men stopped just outside the spotlight. Beth simply couldn’t keep her hands in the air any longer. Her arms dropped to her sides and she sank to her knees as well. The bone-chilling water quickly soaked her up to her thighs. If they were going to shoot her, they could just get on with it.

“Hands up. Now!”

“Go to hell!” Beth intended to yell that, but it came out as a barely understandable croak. The long hours in the freezing water were taking their toll on her voice as well as her body. In fact, in another minute, Beth was very much afraid that she was going to be face down in that damn water again.

The circle began to close in on her. Beth forced her head up to watch them. Was it her imagination or was that one off to her right a really big man? Maybe he was even as big as Jacobs? That would be too good to be true. He held a large pistol level with her head. Beth kept her face on him as he stepped closer. He stopped just a few feet from her and the pistol lowered.

“Beth?”

The sweetest rush of relief hit Beth.

I know that voice! It’s Jacobs!

She really tried to get to her feet but her legs refused. It wasn’t necessary. Jacobs holstered his pistol and plucked her up from the water in almost the same movement.

Oh yes! It’s Jacobs.

No one picked Beth up like he did.

Jacobs clasped her body in a hug so tight he later thought it was a wonder he hadn’t hurt her. His body shook as he felt the tremors that ran up and down her frame. She was alive.

Thank God! She’s alive!

He lifted her up and away from his body for a moment to look at her face. Those beautiful blue eyes looked back at him and that sweet smile of hers spread across her face.

He’d prepared himself to find her body. To be gifted with her life was almost more than he could deal with. Beth would be lucky if he didn’t lock her in the brig for the rest of her natural life. He slowly returned to the business at hand. She was suffering from exposure. He needed to get her out of the water and warmed up.

Or he just might not get the chance to lock her in the brig.

Most of all, he needed to find out just where Grace had freed her. There was little doubt in his mind that Grace was responsible for Beth’s freedom. Unfortunately, he knew that her captors would not make the same mistake again.

“Jacobs.” Her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Jacobs used his radio to order the last helicopter to cut its rotor so that he could hear her. He also turned and walked out of the river to get out of the current’s rushing sounds.

The unit’s medic was already spreading a blanket on the forest floor, and Jacobs placed her on it. He hesitated for only a moment before he stripped her wet clothing from her body. Her eyes went large and round but she didn’t protest beyond that. She wasn’t so sure when the medic started to pull a blood sample from her arm.

Jacobs clamped a hand onto her arm to secure it, and used his other hand to turn her face up to his.

“Relax, Beth. Let us help you.”

Someone else came up and tossed a black bag to him. Jacobs gently pressed her back, refusing to let her help him get the clothing onto her.

Jacobs watched the medic as he checked Beth’s blood-sugar level. He was a field medic too, but in this case he wanted to be the one dressing her. Jacobs resumed pulling the clothing onto her. It was too big, but it would help warm her up. Her blood-sugar level was so low he was amazed she was still conscious. He had to talk to her now. He couldn’t wait. The medic gave him a questioning look and Jacobs nodded for him to administer glucose and adrenaline.

“Beth, honey. I’m sorry about this.”

Confusion crossed her face moments before she jerked and tried to escape from the pain. He pressed her down, earning a growl from her. “Breathe, honey, just breathe,” Jacobs encouraged her.

“I’d…sooner hit you,” she forced out. “That stung. Stop holding me down.”

He sat back and eyed her. “I’m sorry, honey, but I need you to tell me where Grace is.”

“Um…” She looked behind her and back at the river. “Upstream.” She nodded. “I followed the current after Grace pushed me into it.

“They are going to…Mirror Lake. The client is going to…pick up Grace, where they can…um, drop down from high…something…they called her merchandise.”

She was nodding off but he had enough information.

“Sleep, Beth.” A warm hand slowly stroked the side of her face. Her eyes fluttered shut and he stood. But she grabbed his ankle and he looked back to see her eyes open again.

“Grace said…said I had to….Turvel.”

He dropped to his knee beside her again.

“Beth, what about Turvel?” She had closed her eyes. Jacobs gritted his teeth before slapping her cheek. “Beth. Come on. Talk to me.”

“I saw him,” Beth whispered. She opened her eyes to look at Jacobs. “He was there the day before Grace came. He was talking to Fredricks and I saw him. He told Fredricks to shoot me the second he had Grace. But I think Fredricks was afraid Grace would become too much trouble if he didn’t have me along to threaten her with.” She smiled with relief. “Grace was still a bother. Half the men split off because she kept looking at them like she’s some kind of witch. I bet she’s a pure bitch now.”

“When did those men leave?” Jacobs tried to keep his voice even. Beth was slipping away into shock, but he needed the information now.

“Yesterday…I think…maybe…what day is it?”

Jacobs stood up the second Beth’s eyes closed. He let the anger show on his face then. It had been a battle to keep it from Beth. He cast a look at Major Lorance. The man was deadly furious as well. Jacobs pulled his phone out and placed a call to General Slynn. He had his proof now. He also needed the general’s help in protecting Beth. She was their only witness. He had to go after Grace.

The general was far from pleased. “That asshole sold one of my top psychics?”

“Yes, sir, and I have a witness.”

“A witness worth a damn?” Slynn demanded.

“A general’s daughter.”

There was a crusty chuckle on the other end of the line. “Good. Get back on the trail. I’ll have a handpicked team there inside an hour to take custody of the witness. Slynn out.

Jacobs closed the phone line and looked Beth over for a moment. The field medic had wrapped her in a thermal sleeping bag. She looked like she was encased in a black cocoon, but it would get her body temperature up to a normal level. He needed to move out. Fredricks had a lead on them, and he couldn’t waste another hour. The problem was whom to leave Beth with. If Colonel Turvel had anyone planted in the unit it would be very easy for them to eliminate her tonight before she talked to the general. There was still the question sitting in the back of his mind about just who had shot Grace.

“Allow me,” Major Lorance said. “I’ll make sure she makes it to the base.”

Jacobs watched as the man issued orders into his head microphone. Lorance’s people might be a better bet. It was unlikely that Colonel Turvel had thought to monitor that unit as well.

Four people approached them and waited for their commanding officer’s orders. Lorance was brief. Jacobs assessed the men before he nodded his approval. The last person was a female. Taking a closer look, he recognized the unit’s psychic. She was maybe five foot six with light green eyes.

“Can she track Grace?”

“No, not unless she’s dead.”

The woman in question settled herself on the ground next to Beth. The other men took up posts around the area. “But she can spot dishonesty in a nun and she’d be more than happy to see Turvel face a firing squad.”

“I’ll volunteer for the detail,” she remarked. “Susan was a friend of mine. That ass drove her to suicide.”

She pulled a high-powered rifle over her shoulder and cradled it with her finger over the trigger.

Convinced that Beth was as secure as possible, Jacobs turned and moved his unit out. He just hoped that with Beth out of danger, Grace had been able to slow Fredricks down enough to give him the chance to catch up with them.

Chapter Eleven

“They are heading to Mirror Lake.” Brice spoke softly to the three other men with him. They were the best trackers this area had to offer.

“The granite bowl it sits in must be what they are hoping will shield them from radar detection.” Grant eyed him seriously. “There’s pitiful little cover up there.”

“Also pitifully few people to see what they are up to.” Brice looked back at the men with him.

“Do you get the idea these black-ops guys think we’re just a pair of hick sheriffs?” Grant asked in a deceptively smooth tone.

“Yeah, it crossed my mind.”

One of the bloodhounds began to bark. The deputy holding him looked at Brice. “He’s got a trail, Sheriff.”

“Good. Let’s box this bunch in. Make sure your chest gear is on because we’re dealing with well-trained scum.”

There were a dozen
yes, sir
s offered up from his men but Brice was already beginning the climb that would take him over the ridge. Mirror Lake was on the other side and so was Grace.

Brice was beginning to anticipate being able to wrap his fingers around the throat of the man that had Grace. Now that Beth was out of the picture, Brice felt his primitive instincts kick in with full force. The primal glow was burning slowly in his gut. Brice wanted blood. In a wholly basic manner, he had the feeling that he was going to get it.

Just hold on, Grace, I’m coming.

Fredricks was losing his grip.

She wouldn’t put it past the man to kill her before taking his own life. If it came down to the wire, she knew that Fredricks would never surrender. There was no reason to anyway, he’d only end up facing a firing squad.

She had been able to slow their progress considerably now that Beth wasn’t here to be used against her. Grace flexed her jaw and winced with pain. She had received more than one blow to her face.

Fredicks had tried to use the threat of gunshot against her, but Grace called that bluff. He wasn’t going to shoot her. There was too much risk that she might bleed to death. Terrorists didn’t pay for dead psychics. He had hit her several times with his pistol, but had stopped doing it when the weapon misfired and the bullet cut a deep groove into Grace’s shoulder. He’d resorted to his fists after that. It hadn’t deterred her.

The shoulder wound was useful. Grace was counting on Brice to bring in Allen and his bloodhound, Rudy. The dog would be able to pick up the scent of blood. Even just a little bit. So she flexed her shoulder muscles to keep the wound open, rubbing it against any tree or rock that she could in an effort to leave a trail.

Grace snapped her attention back to the present. Fredricks walked behind the tree to release the rope. She wasn’t given an opportunity to escape. The rope was looped back around her neck and pulled tight. Fredricks was smart, Grace would give him that. He made sure that the rope was secure but could not strangle her. If Grace could have gotten it to cut off her oxygen, she would have done so just to slow them down further. Being led like an animal might not be very dignified, but this was a struggle for survival, and Grace would fight as dirty as she knew how.