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“One problem at a time,” he said. “It’ll be dark before we get to Devil’s Mining Camp. We’ve got clear weather for at least a few more hours. That leaves our tracks wide open to anyone wanting to follow. So we need to get moving.”
The Russians had been worrying her and she nodded. “It’s a chance we’re going to have to take. We’re the Russian’s primary targets. Not Jonah. They see us as the bigger threat. I’m sure they have their own intelligence running interference and looking for the bombs. They don’t want us speeding up the explosive timetable if we make a wrong step.”
“Just think how helpful it would be if worldwide agencies actually shared information and worked together.”
“Well, it is the Russians,” she said. “They don’t play well with anyone. They’ll be out for blood. Ours. And they’ll want to make sure we haven’t talked. If word gets out that Russian oil tankers are wired with explosives then the trade routes to every country they do business with will be shut down.”
“The Russians we can handle,” he said. “I’m not so sure about Salt. I know his history at the CIA. He’s a legend, but his feats were no more amazing than Atticus and our team. We were all trained by the same person. But Salt beingProteusups the game. He’s survived in the darkest parts of underground terrorist organizations for years. He has contacts we could never fathom. We could use some help in this. Dynamis has a lot of resources. We need to utilize them. There’s no reason for you to think you have to take him out alone other than supreme stubbornness on your part.”
“Are you trying to irritate me?”
“That’s a side benefit,” he said, grinning. “How am I doing?”
“You’re getting close. And I’m not being stubborn. No one knows Salt and his movements better than I do. I get that all of you were trained by the same person. But Salt trained me. I know how his mind works, his expressions and thought processes. I’m the best bet we have to find him.”
“No one is disputing that. But we’ve found him. He’s at the End of the World. Now we just need to kill him. And for that, you’re going to need help.” He looked at her again and waggled his brows. “How am I doing now? Irritated yet?”
“You’ve succeeded.” She crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow. “Can we go now or are you going to launch into another diatribe?”
“One day you and I will have a normal conversation.”
“I doubt it.”
“Maybe over breakfast,” he said, ignoring her. “You seem like the kind of person who’d enjoy breakfast conversation.”
“I’m going to strangle you in your sleep.”
“Strangely enough, you haven’t been the first person to tell me that either.” Nate checked the compass on his watch and the dogs stood and shook, as if they sensed that he was ready to go.
“I want to find out more about this End of the World and the people who went missing,” Nate said, looking at his watch. “Maybe Atticus has some information. And if not, maybe he has an idea of how we can locate Salt and get past his defenses.”
Nate got out the bag of dog treats and gave them to the animals, petting one of the lead dogs behind the ears before he came back to the sled.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
The thought of riding for several more hours with her body pressed against him sounded like torture, and from his cocky smile, it looked like he knew exactly how torturous it would be.
“Why don’t you take the drive bar this time and I’ll ride behind you?”
The smile disappeared from his face and he looked down at her lips before shaking his head and getting onto the sled.
“It’s probably for the best,” he said soberly. “I guess I can let you hold on to me instead of the handlebar if you’re nice. Just don’t squeeze too hard. I’m ticklish.”
Eden snorted out a laugh and stepped up behind him. “You’re a generous soul, Nate. But you’re going to regret making the offer.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body to his back. He sucked in a deep breath and groaned at the touch.
“Maybe I will,” he said in a strained voice. “But I’ve got you right where I want you. I told you I had some ideas on how to get you to trust me. Though you’d think saving you from getting blown into a million pieces would be enough.”
“Just mush, Agent Locke,” she said, keeping her arms loose in case she needed her weapon quickly. “You make my head spin.”
“Well, then. Mission accomplished.”
ChapterTen
Full darkness had fallen by the time they reached the wooden skeleton of the first building of Devil’s Mining Camp. There wasn’t any reference to the ghost town on the map other than where Joe had circled theXhe’d made in bright red marker and self-labeled it.
They’d had to take several breaks along the way for the dogs to rest and eat. And once darkness had settled in, they’d had to stop again to put on night-vision goggles. It had been a long and grueling process, and it would be easy for exhaustion to set in, but they had a long journey still in front of them.
Nate put his foot on the brake and stopped the sled. And then he whispered, “This would be a great place for an ambush.”
