Page 18 of Raven’s Claw (Raven’s Cliff #2)

Kash tugged Jordan in closer, rolled on the throttle then leapt ahead. Tires spinning. Engine growling. The bike bounced up the trail, cutting through the mud and brush. Bare branches whipped against their shoulders, threatening to drag them off as he followed the path through the forest.

Jordan held on, the grips of the twin guns pressing against his ribs. He wasn’t sure what she thought they’d be facing. Nothing good, he supposed. Like the men who’d just infiltrated the cabin. Only they’d be in trucks or on bikes like theirs.

He hit a slightly larger track and opened the throttle, mentally mapping out where they were going. Their best bet was to double back and head into town — rendezvous with his team. Find a place to hunker down until Jordan came clean, and they could make a plan.

Branches cracked behind them, a few smaller trees crashing over as a couple SUVs swerved onto the trail, engines roaring. The massive machines eating up the distance. A guy leaned out of the closest one — took a few shots.

Kash bore left, turning onto what was little more than a goat path, ferns covering most of the ground. They bumped over a few rocks, ducking beneath an overhanging branch then shot onto a gravel road.

He picked up speed, two bikes joining the chase a minute later.

Weaving through the underbrush then skidding onto the road behind them.

Pushing them farther from town. He wasn’t sure exactly where the road ended, but he had a pretty good idea they’d eventually hit the ocean.

Probably pop out near that abandoned air strip.

Which meant, they needed backup.

“Call, Beck.”

The unit in his ear hummed, Foster’s cell ringing shortly after.

“Kash? This can’t be good.”

“We’ve got serious resistance on our asses.

Heading southwest. We’re gonna need air support and some overwatch.

” He took the next right fork, bullets eating up the mud off to their left — Jordan countering with a few trigger pulls whenever she got a chance.

The engine noise faded behind them, the other cycles seemingly vanishing.

“Was that gunfire?”

Kash sighed. “You should be able to follow us through our shared location. It’s gonna be close because I have a bad feeling we’re gonna run out of real estate pretty quickly.”

Foster breathed into the phone. “Mac. Call Atticus. Get him to push out the other chopper. We’re on our way. Keep moving and don’t fucking die on me.”

Foster ended the call, the accompanying silence like a deadly premonition. Kash kept up the speed, still mapping it out in his head when those bikes shot out of another path in front, spinning toward them.

He hit the brakes, standing the machine up on its front wheel. Holding it all together as the bike roared to a halt, rear tire spinning. Smoke pouring out from the wheels. He kicked the back end to the right, hit the throttle as they bounced down, and tore off through the mud.

Jordan hung on, tapping his shoulder, pointing left as they popped out onto another road. He fishtailed it over, one of the SUVs barreling up behind them. A burst of gunfire echoed through the forest, mud spraying up from the impact.

That got Jordan moving. Swinging her leg over his hip — sliding in front of him.

Her cheek next to his, her ass hugging the tank.

She lifted both arms — put down more cover fire.

Casings shot out the sides, the reports ringing through the trees.

She dropped the spent mags, popped in some new ones then fired again.

Finally doing enough damage the lead vehicle swerved off the road — bumping out of sight down an incline.

The other roared ahead, an identical creep leaning out the window. She pocketed the guns and grabbed the frag off his vest — the one he’d hoped was overkill — pulling the pin then tossing it before swinging back behind him a moment before it exploded.

It either took out a tree or the vehicle, the resulting crash sounding behind them.

Kash veered down the next ghost of a trail off to the left, soaring over a log, then following the winding path as it paralleled the river.

The water rushed past, nearly cresting the banks from all the rain — carrying branches and other debris downstream.

Those bikes jumped into view on their six, bobbing and weaving through the brush.

The trail opened up in front, looking like more of a proper road until a massive Hummer roared to a halt, blocking out the light.

No time to think. Kash just popped the front tire up and over a large rock, then took off along a downed tree hanging above the river. He wove the handlebars through the stabbing branches, tires slipping on the wet bark as a few stubby knots nearly sent them over the side.

A spray of bullets shot up chunks of wood, a couple hitting the rear cowling — taking it dangerously close to the edge before Kash manhandled it back.

The entire tree rocked, a rough vibration rumbling up through the tires.

Jordan wrapped her right arm higher on his chest then twisted.

Three pops followed by one of those bikes revving louder for a few moments before water splashed off the right side. All the other noises cutting out.

They made it to the other side without dying, crashing their own path through a short section of mostly trees until they found a rough road. He headed right, then left, bouncing down an offshoot. A loud growl echoed behind them, blending in with the crunching gravel.

Hummer.

Had to be.

All the more reason to keep off the main tracks.

Until the bike sputtered, a couple gauges edging into the red. Smoke poured out from beneath the cowling, the entire machine finally chugging out its last breath.

“Damn it.” Kash kicked out the stand, bending to give it a quick once-over. “A few rounds punched right through. The engine’s toast.”

Jordan didn’t question his assessment, just grabbed his hand and took off running. One arm pumping. Feet flying over the ground. Only to stop when they broke out onto the side of a gully, a twenty-foot gap stretching between them and the other side.

Kash looked over the edge, shaking his head. “Climbing down isn’t an option. There’s probably a bridge along that road?—”

Tires, splashing through mud, racing up the road, all the gravel and snapping branches cutting Kash off.

He stared at the gap, then back to Jordan. “Now that I look at it, it’s not so bad. A running start and?—”

“Are you insane? It’s a good twenty feet. I’ve never jumped that far.”

“Then, it’s time for a personal best.” He grabbed her shoulders. “You can do this. You just sprint, then jump. Let gravity help you out a bit. It’s going to be fine.”

“Kash…” She stared at the gap. At the smooth face and rocky bottom. “Fine. You go first.”

“Oh, no…”

The Hummer’s engine revved louder. Not that it could get all the way to the edge, but close enough.

Jordan fisted his vest. “I’m not going to ditch you. Or sacrifice myself. But I need you on the other side to pull some kind of ninth-inning-world-series-catch out of your ass if I don’t quite make it.”

“Jordan…”

“I promise. I’ll be right behind you.”

“You’d better.”

A quick kiss and a curse, then he backed up.

Focused on the edge. He took a breath, then ran.

Arms pumping. Knees tucking in high as he threw himself off, soaring across the gap and rolling across the ground on the other side.

Nearly impaling himself on a series of branches.

His vest countered the worst of the impact, and he staggered to his feet, waving Jordan over.

She bit her lip, the Hummer’s grill appearing at the other end of the trail. She looked back, then ran. No more second thoughts. No hesitation. She hit the edge going insanely fast, throwing her arms out just like Kash had done.

Whether it was that voice in his head or the look on her face he wasn’t sure, but he grabbed a root and all but jumped off the ledge — looking like a damn starfish as he braced a boot on the side, stretched out his arm. Yanking on that root to get a bit more distance.

Her hand landed on his shoulder, sliding down his arm until he managed to lock his fingers around her wrist — stop her from falling the forty feet to the bottom. The force nearly ripped his hand free, Jordan swinging into the rock face below him. Grunting as she hit hard.

Her grip eased a bit, but Kash held on. Between him curling and her scrambling, he got her ass up and over the edge. She reached out — helped pull him up a second later. He crawled onto the ledge, whipping his head around when boots pounded on the other side of the gully.

The Hummer sat a good hundred yards off, the rear door hanging open. Some asshole in black skidding to a halt, a rifle lifting to his shoulder.

Jordan leaned over Kash, grabbed one of his K-bars and flicked her wrist. There was a flash of silver, then the guy’s head snapping back as his feet kicked up.

He got off a trigger pull, a spray of bullets cutting through the trees ten feet above their heads.

Raining down pine needles and dead twigs.

The tango hit the ground as his rifle landed in the mud beside him, legs twitching, body splayed out.

Some guy stepped out of the front passenger seat of the Hummer. Older. Dressed in black minus the body armor. Dark glasses shading his eyes. He didn’t move or try to run up the path. He just stared at Jordan, lips pinched tights. Arms crossed.

Jordan’s chest heaved against Kash’s side, her breath panting across his neck. Her gaze locked on that asshole as if she’d seen a ghost. Kash scrambled to his feet, gave her a shove toward the track then raced behind her. Waves crashed in the distance, the air carrying a hint of brine.

They followed the trail, punching out onto a scrubby plateau. Seagulls dotted the sky, thick clouds filling the horizon.

Kash glanced at his watch, praying Foster was on his way as they headed for the edge. Not that he wanted to repeat his experience from the other day, but chancing the ocean sounded better than trying to outrun a few dozen bullets.

Until that rogue bike came roaring out of the forest, catching air as it got between them and the edge. The Hummer bounced along the adjoining road, mud flying out both sides. Engine whining. Drowning out what might have been a chopper echoing through the air.

Kash grabbed Jordan, ready to step between her and the inevitable spray of bullets when Foster’s chopper rose like a wraith from below the cliff, side doors open.

Zain already zeroed in on the SUV. The bird swung in closer, nearly blowing that rider off his bike when Nyx shot out the doors.

She hit the ground going full out, eighty pounds of pure aggression crashing into the guy on the bike — toppling it over on its side.

There was growling and screaming, Zain popping off cover fire as the Hummer slammed to a halt. Kash had Nyx by the harness a heartbeat later, heaving her up and into the chopper. Jordan jumped in beside her, yanking Kash in when he reached for the frame.

Chase tapped Foster on the shoulder, and he slid the chopper over then dropped the machine off the cliff, screaming across the ocean then banking northbound. The wind howled through the doors until Chase snapped them shut.

Chase stared out the window, nodding toward the man standing beside the Hummer quickly fading into the distance. “Who’s the dick in black?”

Jordan glanced back, closing her eyes as she leaned against the seat. “If he has his way, he’ll be the reason we’ll all end up dead.”