Ruthless Game

Page 6

He didn’t hurry. Hurrying could get one killed. The urgency of their situation didn’t matter, only crossing the distance between him and the one man who could tell the rest of the world where they were. He inched his way, taking care to move in complete silence. The guard breathed hard, the sound loud in the night. Below them, the sound of shouts and footsteps echoed through the darkness. Lights flashed as men frantically searched the yards and apartments.
Kane patiently inched closer, breathing softly, never taking his eyes from his prey. His heart slammed hard in his chest. He couldn’t make a mistake, not with Rose and his child on the roof with him. She couldn’t fall into enemy hands. The guard shifted, and Kane froze. The man leaned farther over the wall to search the street below, watching the frantic activity. Kane inched closer. He could touch the guard now, but the automatic weapon was over the short wall. If the gun was dropped, the searching cartel members would know their quarry was on the roof. The longer the time went by, the less likely they could get away.
Kane could hear screams as innocent people were pulled from their apartments to allow their homes to be searched. The door-by-door search was loud and ugly, the men furious at having lost their hostages. By now they would have found the bodies of their slain friends. Gideon was gone like the ghost he was, climbing down from the rooftop to the desert edge, where he raced to meet the helicopter. Kane and Rose were on their own with a street full of very angry enemies.
The guard muttered something and sank back on his heels, fishing for his cigarettes. The automatic rifle lay loosely in his lap as he lit a match. Kane was on him instantly, rising up, locking his arm around the sentry’s neck, one hand on the back of his head. He applied pressure, snapping the neck with his enormous strength in one motion. Almost gently, he lowered the guard to the rooftop, crushing out the lit cigarette. He’d had plenty of time while inching his way across the roof to ensure the sentry was alone.
Rose. Kane called her to his side. Let’s get out of here.
She remained silent, coming to him without hesitation. He caught her wrist. We’re going to have to climb down. Once we’re on the ground, stay in the shadows and head for that truck at the end of the street. It isn’t the best plan, but it’s all we’ve got. You take lead. She was less noticeable than he was. They wouldn’t be looking for a woman.
There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to be captured—or killed. But he could get Rose to safety if she just did what he said.
Rose stepped past him to peer down into the street. Crowds of people were milling around, some crying, others silent, most clutching one another in fear.
You aren’t sacrificing yourself for me.
We aren’t going to argue about this, Rose. That’s our child you’re carrying. Do you have any idea what will happen to you if they capture you? Start down and get to the damn truck. I know you can hotwire a car.
She stepped in front of him, forcing him to look down at her, to meet her glittering gaze. I can change our images. It won’t last long, but it will be enough to get both of us through the street to the truck.
Too risky. He dismissed her offer immediately. Get moving.
She didn’t blink. She continued staring up at him with her wide, dark eyes, her expression the same.
Damn it, Rose. This is no time to start acting like a woman. Get your ass down to the street and do what I say. Obviously, yelling didn’t come across as well using telepathy. Intimidation and absolute command just didn’t have the same ring, he could tell by her total lack of reasoning.
Sadly for you, you have no authority over me. Get your own ass down to the street. I’m not trading your life for mine when I know we both can make it out of here. Just because you have to turn control over to me for a few minutes, you can’t take the chance, and that’s just stupid.
Kane scowled at her—his blackest, most fierce scowl. Every man he knew backed up when he gave them that look, but she just stood there, barely coming up to his sternum, looking like a little doll. He swore under his breath. We don’t have time for this.
No, we don’t. I suggest you get moving.
She was going to be the biggest pain in his ass. They really didn’t have time to argue, and it was evident by the stubborn look on her face that she would stand there until hell froze over. One of them had to be reasonable.
Cursing, Kane went over the side of the building, keeping to the darkest areas, slamming the stars deep so she could have an easier climb. With every crack he found for his fingers and toes, he swore—and there were a lot of cracks in the old building. There was a reason men didn’t go into combat with women. Rose was a prime example. Stubborn as hell. Illogical. Completely illogical. This was the last time she was going to refuse to listen to him. And it sure as hell was the last time she was going into a combat situation.
He made it to the ground and turned back to catch her around the waist. At once he realized how pregnant she was. For some reason, she just didn’t seem that big until he touched her. Then he had the feeling she had a beach ball under her shirt. He set her down gently and swept her beneath his shoulder, holding her close just for a moment. He didn’t know if she needed the comfort or if he did, but she didn’t move, her arm slipping around his waist, her head resting on his chest.
We’ll make it, Rose, he reassured. Do your thing, and let’s get out of here.
Rose straightened with a brief nod of her head. I’ll need you to stoop a little. Slump down so you’re a little shorter and stay very close to me. Just follow my lead. I’ll get us through the crowd.
Kane swallowed his protest. He’d asked her to put her faith in him more than once. Why was it so damned hard to turn over control to a woman? Hell. He’d gotten her pregnant in a place where she had no choice, knowing Whitney would take her baby from her and use it for his experiments in his quest to make the perfect supersoldier. She’d given him her trust when he didn’t deserve it. He owed her. Taking a breath, he nodded and slouched, moving very close to her, one arm around her waist.
They stepped out onto the street, into the mass of people. Rose walked hesitantly, as if each step was difficult. He tried not to notice the stains on her clothes, but even in the dark he could spot the blood spatter. Lighting was poor, but if anyone examined her, they couldn’t fail to see the spots. Families clung to one another, fear on their faces as men with guns searched their homes. He and Rose moved with infinite slowness through the throng. His heart pounded, and he avoided eyes.
Halfway to the truck, Rose stopped abruptly, hunched over with both hands on her obviously swollen belly, panting. If he hadn’t known she was acting, he would have panicked. An older woman murmured to her in Spanish, asking questions. Rose replied in a gasping voice that she was too early, and the labor was intense.
The older woman marched up to one of the cartel sentries and whispered to him. It was evident she knew him. The man looked annoyed and shook his head twice, but the older woman persisted.
You deliberately stopped in front of her, Kane guessed.
That’s her son. She’s been providing information to him about the movements of the police and soldiers. I made certain I was extra nice to her, bringing her groceries and helping her out just in case I needed an ally.
He had to hand it to her, she planned for every contingency. She was casting an illusion even he had to believe. She looked Mexican, her hair longer and thicker, and he supposed he did as well. She also looked ragged and very, very pregnant. Each step was labored. She panted. She looked as if she might give birth any moment.
The guard gave in with a dark scowl and motioned them forward. The older woman handed her keys and pointed out a battered sedan, telling her to be careful.
You should get in the car and begin sliding across the seat on the driver’s side. The moment we’re apart, the illusion will dissolve, and if anyone is looking, they’ll know something isn’t right. Start the car. I’ll drive because I know the back roads and a place we can hole up for a short while. If we get away clean, we can use the car and then ditch it as soon as we’re in the clear. If they see us, we’ll have to ditch the car sooner, and I’m not in good enough shape to walk far.
Kane nodded and pulled open the driver side door, bending with her as if handing her inside, keeping contact in an effort to preserve the illusion as long as possible. He inserted the key and turned it to start the engine. For a heart-stopping moment the engine stalled, and then it turned over. He jumped into the seat and scooted over as fast as a big man could in the small space.
Chapter 3
“Go!” Kane commanded as he settled into the passenger seat, pulling his gun from beneath his shoulder.
Rose slammed her foot on the gas and took off as fast as possible in the old sedan. The doors and windows rattled as the battered vehicle shuddered its way onto the street. She didn’t glance in the rearview mirror to see if they were drawing attention. She wanted to get off the streets as fast as possible and onto the trail leading into the desert. To do that, she had to outrun anyone chasing them.
The sedan belched smoke and shuddered as she whipped around a corner and took a second one sliding. “Are they following?”
“Keep going,” he instructed, the grimness in his voice the only answer he was giving her. He crawled over the seat and smashed out the back window.
Rose took another turn and then a fourth. She glanced in the rearview mirror. “Are you certain?”
“They’re trying to catch up.” And they had better and faster cars. Kane kept that to himself. Their only advantage was that whoever was pursuing them was uncertain if the occupants of the sedan were racing to a hospital as had been reported, or if they’d really seen something suspicious.
“We’ll ditch the car if I can get some space,” she said. “I planned an escape when I first moved here. Of course, I thought I’d have a better vehicle choice.”
“If I forget to tell you later on, Rose, you’re one hell of a woman.”
She laughed softly. “You might hold that thought until we actually get away clean.” She jerked the wheel again. “Can you see anyone?”
“Just glimpses. They aren’t on us.”
“I’ve been running without lights. I don’t think they’ll see us take this trail, but if they backtrack, they’ll find the tire tracks.”
Before Kane could ask what she was talking about—he didn’t see any trail—she’d spun the wheel again, throwing him across the backseat. The car slid in a wide arc, fish-tailed, and spit sand into the air. She didn’t let up on the gas but drove even faster. Kane cautiously lifted his head to peer out the back window. The woman was going to lose him if she kept it up. He’d nearly gone flying.
“Climb back up here. We’re going to have to jump.”
She stated it so calmly he almost didn’t comprehend. His head snapped around. “Are you out of your f**king mind, Rose? You’re pregnant. You can’t jump out of a moving car.”
“Well, it’s that or go with it into the ravine. I prefer the sand. Move it, soldier. You’ve got about fifteen seconds.”
She wasn’t kidding. The woman was insane, already opening the driver’s door and bailing before he could stop her. Kane kicked open the backseat passenger door and dove. He hit hard and rolled, his lungs burning for air. The sand clogged his mouth and he spit, staring up at the night sky, wondering what the hell had just happened.
The sedan continued forward, shooting off the cliff to fall into the deep ravine carved from hundreds of years of flash floods. He heard the crash as it bounced off rocks and scrub trees, but strangely, the sound was somewhat muffled. He rolled over and came up on his knees, looking frantically around for Rose. She lay thirty feet from him in a fetal position, knees drawn up to her chest, her hands locked around them. His heart jolted hard.