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Walker moved past her. “Yep and you will get to know this room well. To stay safe.”
The two men stared at a screen.
Harris tapped a button on the control panel.
A man appeared to be climbing the mountain.
“Fuck!” Walker seethed.
“Who is it?”
“Just a second,” Harris answered as he tapped another button and the man’s face was zoomed up.
Riley gasped. “Adam?”
Harris turned his head to look at her.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Walker asked.
“Apparently, he did care that Riley disappeared.” Harris seemed to grit his teeth.
Riley remembered him now. Sweet man, always romantic, lots of dating, flowers, trips together, diamonds, and telling her he wanted to marry her. Until her brother disappeared and then he was angry that she wouldn’t quit looking, wouldn’t quit stalking government officials. Then her getting caught breaking into someone’s office to get a file on Walker. Him bailing her out of jail and letting her know that if she didn’t quit, they were done. Her telling him well, they were done then, because someone was going to tell her what the hell happened to her brother.
“Wait, swing over Harris,” Walker ordered.
Harris tapped a couple of buttons.
The scene changed to many figures coming up behind Adam, at least a dozen.
“God Dammit!” Harris glared at the screen. “He’s being tailed.”
“And he doesn’t know it,” Walker added.
“What’s happening?” she asked.
Harris turned to look at her. “Your boyfriend is leading Falkner’s men right to us, that’s what.” His eyes were cold.
“Shit!” Walker swore. “Pan and zoom, lower east end.”
Harris tapped some buttons. The scene swung to the men’s faces.
“I’ll be fucked!” Walker exclaimed. “Faulkner. It’s him, he came with them!”
Harris clenched his fists. “Right up my dammed mountain.”
“Okay, change of plans.”
Harris looked over at Walker.
“We take the copter and fucking annihilate them.” Walker stepped forward to study the screen
“What about Adam?” Riley asked.
Both men swung their hard gazes over at her.
“You can’t just let him die.”
“If we take the time to rescue him, they will overtake the cabin, Ridge.” Harris stared at her.
Swinging her gaze up from the screen to his face, she saw he’d shuttered his expression, like she remembered he did when she first woke up here. “I’ll get him.”
“Oh, fuck no!” he yelled at her.
Even Walker paused to stare at him.
Riley stood her ground. “He’s here because of me. I can’t just sit here and watch him die.”
Harris looked like rage was consuming him. “Fucker is a dumbass. “
“Okay, okay.” Walker intervened. “We try to get him into the little bird, before they reach him.”
Riley clenched her fists. “You both cannot mean to leave me here.”
Harris nodded. “God dammed right we are. You can’t go into a firefight, Ridge.”
“I agree,” Walker added.
Riley swung her glare over at her brother.
He shrugged while looking unapologetic. “You knew I would.”
“Ooh!” She spun in a circle frustrated.
“Look, babe.” Harris stepped forward. “Come here, we are gonna need you to do a few things from here.” He grabbed her arm and moved her to the control board.
Her eyes narrowed at him. “For real? You aren’t just blowing smoke up my skirt?”
He bit back his smile. “As much fun as that sounds like…no.” He showed her the buttons to control certain mines they had planted.
Her startled gaze swung up. “You planted mines?”
He nodded. “But they do not go off except by these buttons here. The bird has a radio.” He flipped a switch on the right side of the panel. “The line is open and I will tell you when.”
“W-when?” she asked in a gasp.
“Yes, when to blow men up, little soldier.” He gave her that dazzling smile.
Her hands shook as she glanced back at the screen.
“Come on Harris.” Walker turned to the door. “We gotta head up or we will miss our window. Time to splatter some bodies.”
Harris grabbed her upper arms and looked into her eyes.
Riley had no words. His eyes looked like sparkling emeralds and her breath caught in her throat at the expression he wore. She’d never seen this in his eyes before.
“I understand if you—” He let go of her.
“Harris!” Walker called from the hall.
Harris lowered his lips to hers. “It was nice while we had it.” He kissed her softly.
Riley stood with her eyes closed. He’d never kissed her so gently before. It was whispery, soft, like he was a ghost for real, and she was imagining the kiss. While we had it? Like he means goodbye? Her eyes opened.
He was gone.
OF COURSE HE IS! She stomped her foot. “Dammit!” She whirled around to stare at the screen.
Adam was climbing and not hesitating.
She knew this climb and remembered it all now. Men shooting at her. The cold, the rocks sliding under her feet. The wall of snow hitting her, taking her breath from her lungs. Pain exploding in her head.
So, it all came back in an instant. Her life. Her work. Adam Groves. Her brother being MIA and no answers. Her doing nothing but tracking him to find out what had happened to him. Her life falling apart, losing her job at the paper and her unable to care. Why did Adam do this? We broke it off and I figured that was that. She hadn’t even cried over it. Did she ever love him?
