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I stiffened and held my breath. Did they have Paz too? Where were they taking him, and who was the boss? This was a lot more serious than I had anticipated.
I moved around quietly, feeling for anything that could help me. But other than the ropes I’d shed, the cargo area was empty. Shit. I was going to have to get out of this using my brains and my fists. And while I certainly had training and IQ on my side, they had strength in numbers.
What had to be an hour into the trip, we were still bumping along, and I was still strategizing. The van was windowless, and the door was locked. There was a good chance I could get it unlocked, but that still left me with the issue of being stranded in the middle of nowhere in the cold. And a tumble from a moving vehicle would only make that worse. So I stuck around. Especially because I needed more information about where they had taken Paz.
Professional criminals would never bring two hostages to the same place, but based on what I’d seen, these jokers were wannabes who had gotten lucky so far. So the odds were in my favor.
I spent the rest of the ride stretching and warming up. I’d need to be ready to fight and run like hell.
After another turn, the van came to a stop, and both front doors opened.
It was go time. The guys were outside the van, and it sounded like one was hollering to another person nearby. So I used the opportunity to crawl to the back corner of the cargo area and crouch on my left side.
The doors opened, shedding dim light on the space.
“What the fuck?” came a raspy voice. “Where is she?”
I stayed perfectly still. The light wasn’t bright enough to give my position away.
So I waited. And sure enough, he opened the doors wider, leaning in to search for me.
Once the man nearest was within range, I kicked him square in the head. Grinder went down hard, just as I knew he would. My side kick was brutal, and all the squats with Adele had only made me stronger.
I only had a moment, so I leapfrogged over his bloated body toward the door, only to be faced with Stinger.
“You fucking bitch,” he growled, lunging for me.
But I had another trick up my sleeve. A punch straight to his balls. While he doubled over screaming, I landed an uppercut to his jaw. He shifted and pawed at me, giving me just enough room to jump out the door and make a run for it.
There were about half a dozen men hovering in a large parking area. Big flood lights illuminated the space that looked like a camp or a work site.
I didn’t have time to take stock. I headed straight for the tree line, running right into the woods where I could be concealed.
“Get her,” Stinger yelled, his voice strained.
I would have loved to stop and admire my work, but I had shit to get done. So I kept running, dropping low and looking for potential cover as I moved deeper into the woods.
The foliage was so dense and the starless sky so dark that I kept tripping over tree roots and stones. So I dropped to my hands and knees and crawled. Yes, the snow was wet and freezing, but it was better than getting shot.
The shouting continued, and beams of light penetrated the forest as the men moved into the woods with flashlights. Their attempts were halfhearted at best. It was cold, and these woods were dense and dark. I waited and watched. They couldn’t see me, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t see them.
The open area was decently lit with industrial lights, showcasing logging equipment parked on the far side. There was a big, newish-looking pole barn and a smaller, older structure next to it. We were out in the woods, that was for sure, but the Hebert Timber logo on the side of my kidnap van brought a smile to my face. The idiots were doing my job for me.
From my vantage point, I could only make out one road leading to the clearing.
So I huddled up, grateful I was wearing Paz’s big jacket, and waited. I could run or attempt to steal one of the trucks, but Paz was in danger, and I wasn’t leaving without him. I didn’t care if I lost toes. We were in this together.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. About thirty minutes after the henchmen had given up their search for me, a white Mercedes G-Wagon pulled up. Mitch Hebert got out, wearing one of those thousand-dollar Canada Goose jackets. His brother followed and opened the back door.
My heart seized. I had no weapons, no phone, and no backup. I almost screamed, but I controlled myself.
Because there was Paz. Being pulled out by his jacket. His face was battered, and his hands were tied behind his back. His mouth was taped, but even from here, I could see his dark eyes flash with anger as he was dragged into the large building.
The rest of the men followed, all but forgetting about me. Bile rose in the back of my throat. Stinger had said they were going to shoot him. Fuck. I could not let that happen.
I closed my eyes, took a cleansing breath, and then took off through the forest around the back of the building.
Because no one would hurt a single hair on my lumberjack’s head. Not if I had anything to do with it.
