Red Hot BOX SET: Complete Series 1-4: A Patrick & Steeves Suspense (7 page)

D
al spotted
the cleft in the cliff. From this angle it was hard to tell, but it looked like a jagged boulder had fallen over an opening. He strode toward it. He was right. Whether the boulder had fallen on its own or been wedged into place was difficult to know. Smaller rocks and rubble littered the ground nearby. He wedged his body between the boulder and the opening.

Emily was on his heels. “What is it?”

“Looks like a tunnel. I can’t see well enough to know if it’s natural or man-made. You have the flashlight with you?”

Emily reached into her back pocket and handed him the light.

He squeezed into the opening, and shone the little light into the space. The first part of the tunnel looked blasted out of the rock.

Emily cleared her throat behind him. “What do you see?”

“Let’s go a little further. You’re not claustrophobic, are you?” In the dim light, she shook her head. “Let’s go then.”

The opening extended about ten feet before narrowing into a tunnel. The dimensions were too uniform to be a natural opening. He kept his head down, so his six foot three frame would clear the ceiling. Although it wasn’t quite wide enough for two, it was wide enough for a cart or wheelbarrow. After about ten yards, he came to a T-section.

“What is this place?” Emily brushed up beside him in the widened space.

“Some sort of mine.” He shone the light into the dust on the rock floor. Wheel tracks ran through the dust.

“Someone’s been here recently?”

“Maybe not,” he said. “There’s not much movement this far in. The tracks could be quite old. Should we keep going?”

“This could make a good hiding place if we need it.”

He nodded. “Left or right?”

“Left first - then right.”

“You’re the boss.” He made his way down the tunnel to the left, their progress slowed by the rough, uneven ground. The small light illuminated only a few yards ahead. Emily reached forward to grab one of his belt loops. Was she afraid, here in the dark, in such a confined space with a man she barely knew? He shrugged the thought off. She didn’t seem the fearful type, and something had shifted between them since lunch.

He continued forward. He couldn’t figure out what kind of mine they’d have here. There was a range of mountains in the Baja and a lot of volcanoes. As a kid he’d been fascinated by geography. When they’d learned about volcanoes, his fascination with geography had sparked his interest in heat and fire.

“This is the end.” They entered an open space. He trained the light around the walls to get a better sense of dimensions. Like the head of a key, the tunnel opened into a round area about five yards across. It was empty save a square hole in the center of the space. Emily stepped toward it. “Careful,” he said, putting his arm out to stop her. “The ground may not be stable.” He looked around, there was nothing to test it. “Okay, go slowly, don’t let go of my hand.”

Emily took his hand and moved a few steps forward. “Could this lead outside?”

“Hard to say.” He moved forward with her until they were looking down into a square hole that extended farther than the light. Steel rungs jutted out of the rock. He slanted a look at Emily. She, like him, was peering into the blackness.

She turned and met his eyes. “What now?”

Shrugging, he said, “I don’t know. We could go down, but …”

“But …” she prompted.

“For one thing, it’s getting late. We want to be out of here before the sun sets.”

“You’re not curious what’s down there?”

“I am, but it’s an enclosed space. There could be toxic gases.”

“Wouldn’t we know once we got down there?”

“Not necessarily.” He scratched his ear, the skin taut from the light burns. The last thing he needed right now was to pass out down a rabbit hole. “More likely, we’d be unconscious before we knew what hit us.”

Her eyes flickered and she seemed to remember he was a firefighter. “Okay. So we take the other tunnel and see what’s over there?”

He nodded. What he’d said was true, so why did he feel like his courage was in question? He wasn’t being cowardly, he was being cautious. “Emily—”

“You’re right,” she rushed in. “It won’t serve us right now to know what’s down there. Let’s figure out what’s at the other end and get out of here before it’s dark outside.” She extended her hand for the flashlight and led them back the way they’d come.

They made better time going back and were soon back at the T-section. She turned and passed him the light. “Do you mind going first from here?” Taking the light from her, he moved forward. As he pushed on, with Emily’s fingers in his belt loops, the air grew heavier. He gulped in air that sent shooting pains through his throat and chest. Doubling over, he coughed.

“Let’s get out of here.” Emily patted his back. “I’m sorry, I forgot about the smoke inhalation from last night.”

Not just last night. His doctors had said it could be months before his lungs were back at a hundred percent, if they ever were. But she didn’t need to know that. He did, however, need to get back to fresh air. He nodded and they turned back, Emily again leading the way. He closed his eyes as another coughing fit overcame him. Emily stopped abruptly, and he bumped into her back.

“Wait.” She focused the light on an alcove in the wall. It was as if someone had started to carve out another tunnel. It wasn’t deep, barely a foot in depth, but it was wide enough for two people to stand side by side. “I didn’t see this before.”

He ran his hands over the stone. “I missed it, too.” He looked at her and she nodded. They were on the same page.

“Let’s get out of here.” She grabbed his hand and led him back through the entrance tunnel into the waning sunlight.

“
T
ell
me more about last night.” Emily reached out to touch the gun she’d left on the table beside her. Reassured by its proximity, she tucked her legs up on the couch, and took a sip of her drink.

They were in the large front living room, snacking on tinned beans and tortillas by candlelight. The light flickered off the side of his face. Despite the circumstances, or maybe because of them, the attraction she felt was strong. He was level-headed and … present. Not since combat overseas, had she encountered anyone so present.

As her confidence in him grew, she re-evaluated her first impression of him as an airhead. Not only was it ungenerous, it was inaccurate. He was cautious, in a thoughtful way, yet courageous. Aware of his situation, he had some healthy fear, but was ready to do whatever it would take to get them both out of here. She was sure he felt as responsible for her as she did for him.

Dal leaned back in the easy chair and shrugged. “Not much more to tell. I was waiting for Kris” - he reached toward his pocket, an unconscious gesture to check his phone - “then the guy yelled, the truck roared down the hill, and burst into flames. You know the rest.”

“You’re worried about Kris?”

“Damn straight. I wish there was some way to warn him.” He took a long swallow of beer and shook his head. “Ach, piss warm.” He set the can aside and spooned beans onto an empty tortilla.

“I’m sure they’re more focused on finding us,” she lied. She understood Dal’s desire to turn on the phones. Fear clutched her stomach. All she had was her father. Jack had probably already briefed him so he’d take the necessary precautions, but she knew he’d be sick with worry. She was desperate to talk to him, and to Jack, but she’d have to be patient. “Your family is in San Diego?”

“They died a few years ago.” He glanced out the window, turning his face from her. “Car accident.”

“I’m sorry. Do you have brothers and sisters?”

“Only child. My guys at the firehouse are my family now.”

“No aunts, uncles, cousins?” She hated pushing but the questions needed to be asked.

“A few distant relatives out east.” His eyes drilled into hers. “Look, is this important right now?”

She held his gaze. “I’m afraid it is. I’m trying to assess …”

A shadow rippled across his face. “Who they might go after.” He rose and stalked to the window, his large frame blocking out the night. “There’s nobody. Except for Kris, who will be a sitting duck if he brings his boat into that pier.”

She crossed the room and put her hand on his shoulder. “The minute Jack gets here, I’ll ask him to send someone to check on Kris.”

He turned to her, eyes stormy with emotion. Placing his hand under her chin, he tilted her face upward. She held her breath, heart pounding, and let her tongue slide over her lower lip. He lowered his head, her mind screamed at her to step away, but her body stayed rooted in place. He pressed his lips to hers and she kissed him back, the warmth of his mouth on hers life-affirming. Exciting, yet reassuring at the same time. Pulling her closer to him, he deepened the kiss and she melted into his embrace. She hadn’t been kissed like this since … She pulled back.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” She trembled and fought the darkness threatening to overcome her. The therapist had said that her memories would come up at the most inconvenient of times. He couldn’t have been more right.

“Hey,” he tried to hug her, comfort her, eyes radiating concern.

“No, Dal.” She pulled away, he dropped his arms to his sides. She walked to the other window and looked out into the night. “Let’s be ready when he gets here.” Her eyes focused on the inky blackness. Soon the moon would rise and provide some light, for now, she could barely make out the hills behind the barn and old store. Stars blanketed the sky above, the Milky Way brilliant so far from city lights.

The last time she’d seen stars so bright had been on tour in Afghanistan. They’d been holed up in an abandoned hut in the barren country side, a landscape much like the one she was in now. Night had fallen while she and Trev waited for communication to continue forward. On a night like this, she’d let down her guard and fallen into the arms of the man she loved, expecting to have several hours of quiet before they needed to move on. She sucked air in between her teeth, held it and slowly exhaled.

D
al grabbed her arm
. “Get away from the window.” He pulled her back into the center of the room, blew out the candle, and the room fell pitch black. He knelt and pulled her down beside him. Her stomach surged. She prayed the vehicle struggling over the rocks in the arroyo would be Jack.

And if it wasn’t Jack? She scrambled back to the table beside the couch to retrieve her weapon.

“We need to get out of the house before they see my car.” She shone a path to the kitchen, grabbed her pack, Dal picked up the rifle he’d left on the counter, and they ran out the back door. Dal grabbed the dust cover they’d left on the porch stairs. She led the way around the barn and behind the store.

“What’s with the blanket?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know - instinct.”

“I don’t see headlights… Shouldn’t they be around that corner by now?”

“Sounds like they’re coming in with the lights off.”

“That’s not a good sign.” She peered through the darkness. The crunch of rough gravel under tires rumbled through the still night as the vehicle rolled toward them. The moon, rising over the hill behind them, flashed off a piece of chrome. A tiny flash, like a minnow in sunlight. “Shit.”

“Shit is right. I don’t think this is your boss.”

Below them the vehicle slowed at the back of the house, where she’d left her car. It looked like the same SUV they’d seen near the hotel - same signature abundance of chrome - but impossible to tell. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, but all she could make out were silhouettes in the pale moonlight.

Dal nudged her. “What’s our plan?”

“Let’s see what happens. We can stand our ground and take them out, or we can hide.”

“Take them out?” He turned to her in the dark. “Who are you? Sure as hell not an Embassy clerk.”

Believe it or not, it’s my first day on the job. She’d keep that to herself for now. “I’m supposed to have a nice cushy Embassy job,” she grunted. “You’re the one who got me into this.”

“Look, Em,” he grabbed her shoulder. “I know we had a disagreement earlier, but we need to be together on this. Whatever shit is about to go down, we need to be a team. So don’t blame me for shit I had no control over.”

She lowered her head, chastened. She’d forgotten about his injuries, forgotten that he’d been in an explosion less than twenty-four hours ago. She dragged him out of a hospital bed for fuck sakes, and he was not blaming her for any of it. “You’re right. We’ll get out of this together.”

Her eyes were glued to the SUV. Two men, heavily armed, got out and crept toward the back door of the house. It was several minutes before they came back out onto the porch. The short fat one skulked off down the left side of the barn, the taller one down the right. They met at the back and checked the back door, which they hadn’t bothered to lock. Emily touched Dal’s arm. They needed to be ready to go. He shook his head and jutted his chin back in their direction. They were heading back to the front of the barn. A few minutes later, the tall one drove the vehicle into the barn, using the headlights in their search.

“They have keys.” Her stomach dropped. “Why would they have keys to the barn?” The realization that they needed a key to come in the gate hit her. “Do you think they had the combination to the gate, too?”

Dal shrugged. “They could have broken that lock,” he said. “For all we know, they broke the one on the barn, but they sure look like they know their way around.”

The voices of the men carried through the night air. Doors slammed as they made their way down the hallway she and Dal had looked through earlier in the day.

She swallowed in an effort to clear her head. “Once they realize we’re not there, they’re going to come this way. We better head for the mine.”

Grabbing her hand and moving toward the trail that cut through the hills was Dal’s response. Once they rounded the first hill and knew they were out of sight, she turned on the flashlight. They hurried down the trail as she mulled this new information over in her mind.

What the hell was going on here?