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“Search has been suspended.”

“No,” Kit said. “You can’t stop looking. She could still be alive.”

“The report ... Did it say she was injured?” Cullen asked.

“Possibly. She was spotted waving at a helicopter. Pilot said she was crouched over, holding her side.”

Kit’s gut clenched. But injured definitely trumped dead.

“A vent erupted and the helicopter lost visual. When they circled back, they found no sign of her.” John unclipped a radio from his pocket. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t find any clue to her whereabouts either.”

Kit’s heart squeezed. “She’s got to be there somewhere. You have to call the helicopter back or bring search dogs.”

John shook his head, frowning. “We can’t risk any more people. I volunteered to stay for one more shift, but the agreement was I’d pull out by 8:00 a.m. No one should be anywhere on this mountain. It’s going to blow. Soon.”

His face was lined with fatigue. Probably the guy had been pulling double shifts.

He’d volunteered, chosen to risk his own safety to return to a volatile zone to locate Annette, and it was likely not the first time since the volcano had rumbled to life.

He was one of the good guys, one of the people who ran in when everyone else ran out.

Like Cullen had done in his career. And still does.

Folks who put their lives at risk to save others.

Annette had to be terrified, hunted, and now left to die? That fuzzy pink jacket ... those frightened blue eyes. She fought a swirl of dizziness.

“John,” she said. “Please. Take the men and the baby to the evac zone, and I’ll go.”

Cullen swung a look at her, mouth open. “Go where?”

“I’ll take the ATV and look for Annette.”

Cullen glowered. “That cannot happen, Kit. There’s no way.”

“She’ll die if we don’t get to her before the mountain or Simon does.” Kit glared at him.

John’s expression was as dour as Cullen’s. “I can’t let you do that, ma’am. I’ll radio the info. That’s the best we can do. We still have one helicopter up, and if they spot her, maybe there will be a chance for rescue, but right now, you need to follow me out of here.”

“But...” Kit gestured to the ATV. “She risked everything to get the baby away from Nico.”

“Unbelievable story,” John said. “So wild it’s got to be true. I’ll call it in. We’ll get help rolling, but with Ember’s status, I have to insist you accompany me to the evac site immediately.”

“We can’t just leave,” Kit said, her throat clogged with unshed tears.

John squeezed the button on his radio. “Ground, this is—”

A crack ripped the air.

Kit flinched, expecting to see the ground opening up.

She gasped in horror. John grunted, clutched his chest. Before she and Cullen could react, he was sliding to the ground.

His blood sprayed across his vehicle as he crumpled, a second bullet catching him under the chin and spinning him around.

The shooter hit him again in the chest, making sure the lethal job was accomplished.

The scream building in Kit’s throat never emerged.

Her body was rigid, wooden. Cullen grabbed her arm and whirled her around toward the ATV.

“Run.”

She stumbled as more bullets whistled by them.

“At our eleven,” Cullen shouted. “It’s Simon. He’s in the trees.”

But even as he spoke, an SUV broke from cover, rolling out of the wooded glade in an attempt to cut them off from the ATV.

The SUV ate up the ground between them before Simon braked and leaned out the window, preparing for another shot.

Before he could fire, Archie flung the passenger door open, knelt behind the metal, and began blasting away with the shotgun to provide cover.

Simon hit the gas and shot wildly out his open driver’s window as he raced toward them.

Their saving grace was the irregularity of the ground. It caused the SUV to buck and dip. Coupled with Archie’s bullets, it was impossible for Simon to get off more accurate shots.

The slimmest advantage, but it was enough.

Kit dove inside the back seat, praying no bullets had penetrated the flimsy walls of the ATV, and grabbed Tot as Archie bundled her over.

Tot cried, choking, gasping sobs.

Kit looked at the empty seat next to her.

“Cullen!” she shouted. “Nico’s gone.”

Archie drew back into the passenger seat as Cullen cranked the wheel. “That sack of garbage jumped out. Look. He’s making for the SUV.”

Simon again stopped, leaned out, and began to fire with better accuracy while Nico hopped, falling once, using his bound hands to get to his feet again. A bullet broke the passenger side glass, and she squeezed herself onto the floor, covering Tot with her body.

Cullen gunned the engine and took them in such a tight circle he almost flipped the vehicle.

“Look out!” Archie hollered.

She didn’t see the obstacle, but she knew what Cullen had in mind. Their only chance was to punch their way deep into the trees, move across through ground so uneven the SUV could not follow.

Kit thought of John, the rescue worker, bleeding to death, alone.

Grieve later.

Escape now.

If they didn’t, four more bodies would be added to Nico’s kill list.