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“They could raze all the buildings to the ground,” Shep said.
Her hand clenched on Boone’s arm. “Oh, my God.”
Boone squeezed the back of her neck. “We need to hide her somewhere safe.”
“I know a place.” Shep rose. “The mine.”
* * *
They movedthrough the trees quickly, heading up the hillside toward the old mine. Atlas kept pace with Shep, who was leading the way.
“Boone—”
“It’s going to be okay, Gemma.”
But he and Shep were heavily outnumbered. He’d put in a call to Declan at Treasure Hunter Security for help, but Dec and his team were hours away. He carried a rifle and several weapons from Shep’s stash.
The mercs were coming for Gemma. They didn’t have much time.
All he had to do was keep them away from her. Make sure they couldn’t find her.
He already knew he was falling for her. Hell, had fallen—body, heart, and soul.
Gemma Newhouse was his to protect, his to care for, his to love.
His to die for.
“The mine is a maze of old tunnels,” Shep said. “Some are unsafe, so don’t wander around. We’ll find you a good area where you can hide.”
Face pale, she nodded.
They reached a locked metal door set in the side of the mountain. Shep pulled a ring of keys out.
“We aren’t going in through the mine building?” Boone eyed it farther up the hillside.
“The mercenaries might check there, or target it. This is a secondary adit. It’s better hidden.” Shep pushed the door open, and the hinges screeched in protest.
Boone clicked on a flashlight, as did Shep.
The tunnel wasn’t large, but it looked sturdy enough. They kept together as they headed in.
“Keep taking the left-hand tunnels,” Shep said.
They took the next left, then another. The next tunnel went straight into the mountainside. In a few areas, the tunnel widened up, and Boone saw old gear still stored there. There were stacked wooden crates, some old tools, and some rusted metal containers.
They reached an area where several tunnels speared off into the mountain. There were more wooden crates.
“This is a good spot,” Shep said. “That larger tunnel leads up into the main mine building.”
So Gemma wouldn’t be trapped if someone made it this far.
Shep met Boone’s gaze. “We need to get back and prepare.”
For the incoming assault. Boone really wished they had their full Ghost Ops team to help. He turned to Gemma. She was scared, but holding it together.
“Here.” He handed her the flashlight. “Stay hidden and quiet.”
She nodded.
