Page 100 of Cold Light of Day

His gaze roamed her face, lingered on her lips, sending heat rushing through her, then settled on her eyes. Half his cheek hitched in that grin. “When this is over—”

The sound of rotors jarred Autumn into action. A helicopter was firing up. They were out of time. “Let’s do this!”

She climbed into the driver’s seat, and Grier got in on the passenger side. Nolan took off into the woods toward the airstrip to get into place. “Nolan’s an expert marksman. He’ll take care of us.”

“I still wish there was another way. I’m sorry that I got you into this. Everyone into this—”

“Nothing to apologize for. You ready?” She floored it, racing the old truck over the bumpy road through the woods andaround a steep ridge, then emerged from the forest near the opposite end of the airstrip—a 1,200-foot-long down-sloping gravel runway. Carrie James’s hangar sat at the other end of the airstrip next to the Goldrock River for use with floatplanes.

In the middle of the strip—the helicopter waited, rotors powered up.

Autumn continued forward. She needed to get close but not too close. Heart pounding, she pressed hard on the brakes and the truck skidded to a stop about fifty feet from the helicopter that supposedly held her mother and Sarah.

This feels too close.

But they needed to negotiate.

“Let’s do this,” she said.

Grier dangled the USB drive out the window, signaling that he had what they wanted. He started to open the door.

“No, let me do the talking—at least for now.” Autumn slid out of the truck but remained near the door.

Dressed in tactical gear like a soldier, Mateo hopped from what appeared to be a stolen, doors-off, tour-company helicopter. Her heart rate kicked up.

“I want to see them right now,” she shouted. “You’re not getting anything until they’re free. Right here. Right now.”

Another man stepped out—Rafael? He was out of prison?—and assisted two women out of the helicopter. They were bound and gagged. At the sight of the two sets of fear-filled eyes, Autumn thought her knees might buckle.

Mom...

She didn’t have time to unpack the flood of emotions at seeing the woman she thought was dead all these years. The blame she’d held on to.

Grier got out and held up the USB drive.

Autumn sidled up next to him. “Give it to me,” she whispered.

He walked forward. “Send the women over, and I’ll walk to you. Get close enough to toss it to you.”

“Grier, what are you doing?” Autumn whispered behind him. “They want me, not you.”

“Precisely why you’re not making the exchange.” He started forward again and glanced over his shoulder. “You stay here and wait for Sarah and your mom. Be prepared for anything.”

Rafael remained at the helicopter while Mateo ushered the two women forward, holding each of them with an iron grip. With their hands bound, they could run but couldn’t fight.

FORTY

Grier walked forward and stopped in front of Mateo, though not too close. Just out of the man’s reach.

He looked at Sarah and then at the chief’s mother—who had very similar blue-and-amber eyes. Rafael had been fascinated by her, unwilling to let her go. But he apparently was willing to let her go for money. If appearances could be trusted.

Grier dipped his chin. “Did they hurt you?”

The waterboarding memories raced across his mind.

The women shook their heads, but Sarah’s eyes held a message. She was going to try something? He pretended not to notice and telegraph that she wanted to communicate. He didn’t hold her gaze, just remained aware of their surroundings.

He lifted the USB drive. “It’s yours. Take it. They can walk back with me.”