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“But—”
“Jess.”
She clamped her mouth shut then jerked her head in a nod. “Okay. Go. But if you get hurt, you’re in trouble and I’m coming after you.”
He inclined his head.
Even under extreme duress, Jessica’s thoughts were for others.
Samuel gave her hand one last squeeze then let go. “Stay low, okay? And if you see anyone, hide. You won’t be able to outrun them.”
“I got it. I got it. Go.”
She put her back to the tree then slid down to crouch in the mud with the water dripping down the branches onto her.
“I’ll be right back,” he promised and forced himself to turn around.
Everything in him wanted to stay glued to her side, but this wasn’t an environment they could easily escape from. Separating was the right plan. He’d just have to get back to her as fast as possible.
It stood to reason that whoever these people were, they were also professionals. And that told Samuel a few important things. First, they’d had a plan. They were likely behind the construction mishap with the phone lines. Waiting until the storm blew in was also intentional; they’d simply jumped the gun on that one. If they’d begun their attack after the rain set in, Samuel probably wouldn’t have heard anything apart from the thunder and lightning until it was too damn late.
But the last thing that was vitally important was that teams like this often didn’t send everyone in. Keeping a small force in reserve to answer any need arising in the field was a basic move.
The road had to be on the other side of the rocks just ahead.
Samuel didn’t have a weapon. Not even a knife. He’d have to change that.
Staying low to the ground, he slid and slithered over the rocks to the best of his ability. The rain was still pouring down, making it difficult to see more than ten feet in front of him.
He smelled the exhaust fumes first. It was probably because after two months of being out here in the mountains the fumes were more noticeable.
Two male voices reached him next, their words lost amidst the downpour.
Samuel ignored the rocks cutting into his skin and peered past the low-hanging branches at the figures beyond.
A Jeep sat across the lane. Two men wearing rain ponchos stood leaning against the front of the vehicle. Was there a third inside?
Samuel pulled back, beyond the last stand of trees, and pushed down the hill some toward the main road.
The men’s attention was focused up the mountain.
He said a silent prayer as he circled around behind the Jeep.
If there was more than one person in the vehicle, Samuel was fucked.
He kept his eyes on the vehicle, ensuring it was between him and the two men as he made his way toward the road. His shoes squeaked and squelched with every step. If he thought it was wise, he’d have kicked them off. But that was a risk he wasn’t going to take. A city boy out in the woods with no shoes was a recipe for disaster.
Keeping low, he crept toward the back of the Jeep Wrangler. It had a soft top, and the back had been left partially open and flapping in the wind. Samuel didn’t breathe until he put his back to the bumper and sucked down exhaust perfumed air. Water dripped down his brow. He blinked it away and dropped to his hands and knees to get eyes on his target’s feet.
They were both at the front of the Jeep. Hadn’t moved so much as a step.
Samuel grasped the bumper and rose. The softcover hadn’t been secured all the way around. He slid his hand past the canvas and plastic to feel around the bed for anything he could use as a weapon.
His fingers trailed along something cold, metal, long, and cylindrical. While his hand was busy, he peered into the idling Jeep.
It was empty.
There were only two men.