Buck peered inside, reached for his flashlight when he stopped, shoved her inside before drawing his Sig, taking a shot just as a guy in black tactical gear barreled out of the dark, tackling Buck to the ground. Buck rolled with the force, grappling with the guy as they exchanged blows, the next breaker sending a foot of water over the ledge.
Tierney drew her Beretta, but they kept changing places too fast to risk a head shot, and she wouldn’t have much luck getting a bullet past his ballistic vest. She holstered her weapon, unsheathed her knife, diving into the fray when Buck kicked the guy in the head, put a foot of distance between them.
She rolled to her feet already inside the strike zone, blocking a firm right hook before landing two kicks to his knee and groin, finishing it with a lunging stab at his chest. The blade slipped through the fabric, sinking deep before she yanked it out, stepped back as the bastard staggered, tripping off the edge and into the crushing surf.
Buck hooked her arm, pressed her against the cliff, cocking his head as he listened for more movement. A blast of static blared above, then nothing but the pounding of the waves, the constant roar of the ocean.
He shook his head, ushered her into the cave as he removed his flashlight, used the red-light setting to give a muted view of the cave. Dagger-like points covered the roof, a collection of black, angular boulders lining the bottom.
He panned toward the back, stopped. Caught in the rocks were shredded, weathered scraps of bright orange fabric, the edges frayed and worn. Alongside were scattered bones, the surfaces worn smooth by salt and time. Buck inched forward, shining the red light on a skull tipped over on its side, a rusted, spent rifle casing half-buried in a layer of sand beside it.
He glanced at her. “Is it just me, or does that look like the same kind of pants that guy was wearing?”
“Identical.” She knelt beside what looked like a femur. “There’s more than one set of remains in here.”
“Which means, our friends have been at this for a while.”
“What the hell do you think they’re doing?”
“Not sure. But everything that comes to mind is pretty damn dark.” He unpacked his cell, snapped a dozen photos before tucking it away. “It also means, they’ve got more motivation than just tonight’s killing to ensure we don’t make it out of here alive.”
“All the more reason to move…” She paused, turning when a distant hum rose above the roaring ocean. “Do you hear that?”
Buck stepped in front, keeping her mostly behind him as he scanned the towering stack. The whine drew closer, sounding almost insect-like when a ruggedized, surveillance drone dropped down from the cliff above, hovering outside the cave’s entrance, its red lens glowing in the dark, locking onto them. Shouts rose from above, more rocks tumbling down the cliff, hitting the shelf with a concussive thump.
Buck cursed. “It’s fucking filming us.”
He aimed, blew the thing out of the sky with a single shot before motioning toward the path she’d already decided she didn’t want to traverse. “We need to vanish.”
Another wave crashed over the lip, surging up to their knees, nearly sweeping them off their feet as it flooded part of the cave, then slipped back, curled over the ledge.
She studied the jagged path, heart in her throat, memories of that icy river in Colombia bleeding through. How she’d already beat the odds once. The chance of making it a second time… “It’s suicide. Half the path is underwater every time the tide rolls in on a wave.”
“We don’t have enough ammo for a head-on fight. Not when we don’t know how many men there are. What kind of resources they have. If they’ve managed to call in backup. So, unless you’ve got any other options…”
She looked over her shoulder as more rocks shattered against the ledge, movement sounding on the face. It was only a matter of time before more of those assholes descended the cliff, or they sent another drone — one armed with more than just a camera.
And she knew, they either chanced the trail, or they became the next set of bones rotting in the cave.
Chapter Three
Buck stared at Tierney, wondering if she’d insist they make a stand, consequences be damned, when she mumbled something under her breath — walked over to the edge of the cave. He followed, head on a swivel, his Sig at the ready. He’d already used up half his ammo, and he knew, if they didn’t disappear soon, they’d never make it out alive.
Cracks sounded farther up the cliff, a couple ropes dropping onto the shelf at the far end. Tierney glanced over, cursed, then stepped out, testing the first few feet before fully committing. She didn’t rush, picking each footfall carefully, her right hand tracing her progress along the salt-slick basalt.
Ahead, a massive wave crashed against the path with a deafening slap, spraying fifty feet into the air before raining down, soaking the rocks as the breaker rolled out, gathering more strength for the next surge. Tierney forged ahead, catching herself whenever her boots slipped on the mix of water and algae. Buck stayed close, grabbing her pack whenever she tanked toward the ocean, determined to see she made it to the other side in one piece.
The spray soaked through to their skin, the heavy breeze chilling them to their bones as they picked up a bit of speed, still listening for more trouble. Water dripped off her hair, her clothes sticking to her skin, outlining every curve as she maneuvered the treacherous route, making it look easy. Buck watched her move, drawn to the elegant way she flowed over the rocks and gaps, how even exhausted and cold, she still kept them on track — identified potential pitfalls before they’d fallen into them.
Just more evidence of how deeply he trusted her with his life. That he’d follow her anywhere without hesitation.
Barnacles scraped his palm, the constant ocean breeze whipping salty spray into his eyes as the path dipped lower, following the massive cliff off to the right. Ahead, the next inbound wave flooded twenty feet of the jagged trail, submerging it beneath a couple feet of white-tipped water before exposing it again as it retreated, water dripping off the rocks.
Tierney stopped, waited through another sequence, then darted forward, tripping her way along the slick section, constantly eyeing the next wave. Buck followed close behind, counting down to when the breaker would hit, likely dragging them into the surf.
They reached the other side, pressed against the cliff just as the water broke over the trail, taking the chunk of rocky path they’d been standing on with it as it churned against the basalt, finally rolling back out. A couple lights flashed behind them, the beams bouncing off the shimmering rock before vanishing.
Tierney sighed. “That can’t be good.”
