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She is a job—nothing more. Right.Good luck convincing himself of that. Would his judgment have gone out the window a dozen times if she were just another job? Damn her anyway. Why had she picked this place and time to get herself lost? An even better question was: what lapse of sanity caused her to take up with the likes of Alex Halstead in the first place? Travis would never understand women. Still, he couldn’t be angry with Jordan. His judgment had been equally bad when he allowed himself to be distracted enough for Brody and Halstead to surprise him at the church in Mitchell. Jordan might have been safe except for his lack of self-control.
The memory of her, soft and vulnerable in his arms, sent a yearning through him, and he quickly pushed the image away. “Jesus!” He didn’t realize the word had escaped his lips until Coop glanced his way. Itwastheir job, and, damn it, they were good at it...usually. Travis had screwed up, discounted all of his training, and become emotionally involved.Shit!He was smarter than that. Stopping Brody had to be his focus now. He would sort out his errant feelings later.
A whine brought his attention back to Jake. The dog was losing blood with each step and slowing down. They needed him, at least until it was light enough to track. Travis chafed at the pace he was forced to accept across the dangerous terrain. The sky to the east showed only the slightest traces of pink. Dawn was coming but not soon enough. “Stay on your feet, boy. Jordan needs us now.”
*****
CARMEN’S HIDEOUS DEATHpushed Jordan’s terror to an all-time high. Continually, she had to remind herself why she couldn’t just drop to the ground and rest. Was she losing touch with reality? That possibility alarmed her, but the part of her mind that followed the pretty dots and bright flashes of light in her vision intrigued her, drawing her toward a calm, quiet refuge of black. When she reached for it, her body felt lighter than air, and she floated upward until she could see herself on a sea of waving grass below.
They were walking. Jordan kept track of Brody close behind her, prodding her to move faster, but more often, her mind wandered. One minute, her mother and father walked beside her, telling her to hurry. The next, Travis grinned rakishly, making her heart flip in her chest. A sense of safety flooded her until he turned away as though someone had called to him. His smile was gone when he looked back, and dread filled her. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came. A shot rang out. Travis collapsed. Despair rocked her as she scanned for his attacker but found the offending weapon in her own hand.
Brody pushed her forward, and she stumbled before catching herself. Pain shot through her wrist, grounding her. Grabbing onto reality with both hands, she dug deep for courage. She had to keep it together because giving up was not an option.
“Let’s rest, sweetheart,” Brody said.
Jordan kept walking until he grabbed the collar of her coat and yanked her backward. “I’m not tired and don’t need to stop.” It was a lie. Jordan was dead on her feet, but instinct told her she should avoid Brody’s idea of rest at all cost.
He smiled and leaned close. “Ineed to rest.” His breath in her hair sent a shudder up her spine, and she tried to wrest free of his grip. He tightened his hold, forcing her closer. His lips tipped upward, but no humor reached his eyes. “Stay right here. I have plans for us.” He lowered his head to her ear. “Want to hear them?”
“You make me sick.” Jordan pushed him away with strength that surprised her. She backed a few steps, stumbled and fell, and landed hard on her elbows. Smirking, he advanced to stand over her.
The barking of a dog shattered the silence, close enough to shoot hope straight to Jordan’s heart. “Jake!” She screamed his name just before Brody clamped his hand over her mouth and pressed the gun's muzzle against her head.
“Shut up.” He dragged Jordan to her feet. “Make another sound, and I’ll blow your head off.”
She believed him. Brody was crazy and had nothing to lose. But neither did she. If it really was Jake, maybe Travis wasn’t far behind. She seized on that smidgen of hope.
Brody set a faster pace, requiring her to jog at times to match his stride. Dawn crept over the eastern horizon, and light would seep over the mountains before long. Jordan strained to hear sounds of pursuit, renewed hope strengthening her resolve. She’d be ready when her opportunity for escape arrived.
*****
TRAVIS AND COOP DROPPEDto the ground when Jake went crazy, barking and snarling. They froze, alert for movements in the shadows ahead. Travis half expected a bear to crash from the bushes. As abruptly as Jake’s frenzy began, he quieted and then took off like a shot, jerking the belt from Travis’s hand. He jumped to his feet, whistled, and tried to call back the dog, but his commands had no effect. Jake was gone, and the sounds of his passage soon faded into the night.
“Great!” Coop bit out the word with as much frustration as Travis felt. “Did you hear anything?”
“No.” But the dog had. Travis berated himself for letting Jake run off.
“Had to be Brody and Jordan,” Coop said.
“Maybe.” Or it could have been a deer, a bear, or any number of things. But Jake had been tracking Jordan. Travis raked a hand through his hair. “Problem is, the dog is gone, and we won’t be able to track him without more light. We’re blind, but I have a hunch we can’t afford to wait around for morning.”
Coop tapped his arm. “Your call. What do you want to do?”
“Like we have a choice.”
Gray light filtered through the tops of the trees as they started in the direction the dog had disappeared. Their pace was slower without the early warning system Jake had provided, but it wouldn’t be long before they would see Jake’s trail. He was sure to leave a fair amount of blood with each painful step.
*****
THE TERRAIN WAS REASONABLYflat, dotted with juniper trees and piles of lava rock, creating ridges that jutted from the earth. As dawn crept closer, Jordan could finally see the stones and brush she’d been stumbling through for what seemed like hours. Where were they going? The landscape in front of them looked the same as where they’d been, and no distinguishing landmarks appeared to shed light on where Brody was taking her. Seeing brought some relief, though, and with that came the possibility someone might spot them.
Jordan caught sight of a wooden structure ahead. An old shack, windows boarded up, dark and deserted. Brody altered their course to reach the questionable building. She slowed, sure a shelter of any kind would be bad news for her. Brody shoved her forward, no doubt anxious to be hidden.
Behind them, a dog barked frantically. When she glanced over her shoulder, Jordan spotted a dark form on a rock ledge silhouetted against the sky. It had to be Jake. The dog jumped, landing awkwardly. His gait was lopsided and slow as he bounded toward them.He’s hurt.From the corner of her eye, she saw Brody pull his gun and raise his arm.
“No!” She rammed her shoulder into his gut and heard his breath release with a suddenoof.The weapon discharged so close her ears started ringing. The bullet hit the ground harmlessly a few feet to the right of Jake.
“Run! Get out of here!” Jordan screamed at Jake, relief flooding her when he veered away and vanished from sight. The next instant, Brody slammed his fist into the side of her jaw. Pain erupted in an array of bright lights as she hit the ground.
