Blood Storm Page 7

  She followed Sam through the earthen tunnel until they approached a ladder on the opposite end. Sam helped her through the hatch. She could hear the helicopter hovering overhead.

  “Put these on,” he ordered. He handed her a pair of goggles.

  While he adjusted the controls, Kate peeked through a crack in the door. A figure in dark clothing was being lowered to the ground by a rope ladder. And he had a gun.

  Chapter Ten

  “Get on. Now!”

  Kate wasted no time hopping onto the seat behind Sam.

  “Wrap your arms around my waist and hang on. We’re going out the back.”

  “But. . .” The engine roared to life drowning out her protest.

  Sam shifted to reverse and accelerated. The snowmobile shot through the half open door in the back of the small shed, sounding like a jet breaking the sound barrier. She ducked her head as a barrage of splinters scattered around them.

  Kate closed her eyes to the stinging cold, clinging helplessly to his midsection. She felt the vehicle shift and spin. Suddenly they were skimming across the white ground, weaving in and out of trees with the helicopter in hot pursuit.

  She was relieved when Sam finally pulled the vehicle to an idle beneath a thick canopy of pines. She could hear the chop of helicopter blades in the distance, a sign their escape was only temporary.

  “We need to make it to the opposite side of this clearing,” he explained between gulps of air. “It’s the only way off the mountain. It will be safer if you dismount here and walk through the woods. I’ll meet you on the other side.”

  “But they’ll see you as soon as you enter the meadow. Why can’t you go through the trees like me?”

  “The woods in this area are edged by a rocky bluff with lots of ground cover. I can’t navigate the Polaris through that type of terrain.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  Sam swung his leg over the console and yanked her from the vehicle. “No, you’re not.” His expression left no room for argument. “They’ve got guns. If they start firing at us, you could get shot.”

  She frowned as his words sank in. “But what about you?”

  “I can perform evasive maneuvers if you’re not on board.” He reached under the seat and pulled out two rifles from leather sheaths. He placed one beside him and handed the other to Kate. “This packs quite a kick when it’s fired but should stop anything in your path. Have you ever shot a gun?”

  “I’ve taken some lessons. . .”

  “Good.” He handed her the knapsack, thrusting her father’s letters and box inside the canvas case. “Keep this with you. If anything happens to me, stay to the right of this clearing. You’ll eventually come to a small creek. Follow it for several miles and it will lead you to the highway. You’ll be on the outskirts of town. Be careful who you talk to. Ask for Drake Jennings with the Wilderness Ranger Patrol. He’ll take care of you.”

  Kate stepped back, her heart skipping a beat. “Don’t talk like that. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

  Sam pulled the goggles over his eyes. “Take care, Kate. You’re a special lady.” Without looking back, he accelerated the snowmobile and skidded across the frozen surface.

  A dark shadow crossed over Kate like a huge tidal wave. The helicopter spied Sam’s snowmobile and closed the distance. Suddenly bits of snow were erupting all around him. He weaved and dodged through the onslaught of gunfire, barely avoiding their attack as the helicopter moved ahead and blocked his path.

  It swooped like a giant hawk hunting a field mouse, closing in with frightening speed. Sam spun in a circle, sending a plume of white spray in a radius around his vehicle. By the time the air settled, he had pulled the Polaris to a halt and was crouching to one side. The helicopter hovered directly overhead.

  Kate watched helplessly as a gunman leaned out the door, aiming his automatic rifle at the snowmobile. He was going to kill Sam! Without stopping to consider her actions, she bounded into the field waving the knapsack over her head.

  “Over here! I’ve got the formula!”

  Kate tried to run to Sam but the deep snow combined with her injured leg hindered her progress.

  The gunman’s head swiveled to her bobbing figure. He lowered his rifle, appearing to speak to the pilot. With a quick tilt, the aircraft headed toward her.

  Kate waited until they were close enough for her to clearly see the shooter’s profile. A rope ladder was tossed through the door and the man began his descent.

  It took only a few seconds for her to drop the knapsack and lodge the rifle against her shoulder. Taking quick aim through the high powered scope, she fired directly at his head. A sharp crack echoed through the air. She watched in what seemed like slow motion as the surprised gunman dropped his weapon and tumbled to the white powder below.

  A second shot shattered the window of the helicopter. Kate looked up and saw Sam lowering his rifle from twenty feet away. A bright flash illuminated the interior before it wobbled precariously in the sky. She watched it change direction and disappear over the horizon, trailed by a plume of dark smoke.

  Sam approached the body of the gunman, checking his pulse for signs of life. The snow was stained bright red beneath the body. He glanced up, slowly shaking his head.

  Kate edged nearer, surprised to see a stormy expression settling into his face.

  “That was a foolish thing to do.”

  “They were going to kill you.”

  “My life is not as important as the safety of our country.” Sam held her gaze for a moment, a tiny muscle working furiously in his jaw. “Let’s get out of here before they call for reinforcements.”

  She hobbled after him to the snowmobile. Sam returned the rifles to their cases before casting a sideways glance over his shoulder.

  “Who taught you to shoot like that?”

  “I told you I took lessons. Being a process server is not all fun and games. A girl has to protect herself.”

  To her surprise, a throaty chuckle drifted across the air. Kate failed to understand his humor and slid stiffly behind him, wrapping her arms around his middle. He reached down and unexpectedly squeezed her hand.

  “Are we going back to the cabin?” she yelled over the roar of the engine.

  “Nope. Our location has been compromised. We’ll have to find shelter for tonight and head down the mountain tomorrow morning.”

  “Why can’t we go now? There are still several hours of daylight.”

  Sam shook his head. “Not enough time, Kate. I’m not as familiar with this side of the clearing. There are a couple of bluffs that drop off forty or fifty feet. I don’t want to risk it in the dark.”

  He urged the snowmobile forward, discouraging any further discussion. Kate sulked in silence as the icy air whipped around his broad shoulders and stung her face. She was beginning to realize Sam Holden enjoyed having the last word.

  As they glided through the trees, her eyes fell to the scenic landscape. Majestic granite bluffs stretched above dark green forests and pristine white planes. The falling snow gave it a hazy appearance, looking much like a Currier and Ives painting.

  The chill had stiffened her muscles by the time Sam pulled the snowmobile to a halt in front of a craggy outcropping of rocks. Raising his goggles, he surveyed the stone crevices with a critical eye.

  “There.” He pointed toward a dark inset in the rock. “That’s where we’ll stay tonight.”

  Kate frowned uneasily. “You’re kidding, right? We’re not going to sleep in a cave?”

  He winked, a devilish grin lighting the blue eyes. “It’ll be cozy, you’ll see.”

  She reluctantly followed as they climbed several feet to an obscure opening. Sam pulled a halogen flashlight from his belt and shone it into the dark interior.

  “Stay here,” he ordered. “I’m going to bring up our supplies and bedrolls. Can you build a fire?”

  “I’m sure I can manage,” she retorted.

  “You took campfire building lessons,
as well?”

  Kate had to smile. “No, silly, they don’t like fires at the gun range.”

  He tossed her a lighter and the flashlight. “Try building it against the rock face in the back. The fire will warm the stone and help radiate the heat.” Before she could reply, he disappeared into the late afternoon light.

  Kate glanced through the shadows. It wasn’t a large cavern but there were dried tree branches and pine needles that would work for a fire. It should keep them from freezing to death.

  She placed grapefruit sized stones in a circle before piling twigs in the middle for kindling. Stacking larger limbs at angles to provide air circulation, she again scattered leaves and twigs among the branches. To her relief, the fire started immediately, ramping up to a warm, welcoming glow by the time Sam returned with their supplies.

  “Nice,” he acknowledged sincerely, joining her by the radiant heat. “You build a fire as good as you shoot.”

  “I am accomplished at some things.”

  “I’m sure you are.” His eyes held a strange gleam before he turned toward the bedrolls.

  A half hour later, their camp was set up. Two cans of soup were warming in the coals and their beds were angled close to the fire. Sam leaned against a large boulder, studying her through half closed eyes.

  Kate caught his gaze and smiled. “A penny for your thoughts.”

  “How’s your leg? You’ve given it quite a workout today.”

  “It’s a bit tender,” she admitted. “I should change the bandage.”

  He extracted a first aid kit from a vinyl bag. “Let me help. I want to make sure it’s not infected.”

  Kate hesitated. She didn’t understand the sudden shyness that swept over her. Just a few hours earlier, she had been stroking his erection and now she was embarrassed to expose her bare thigh.

  “I’m sure its fine. I’ll slip behind this rock and look at it.”

  He arched a brow questioningly. Before he could respond, Kate pulled the first aid kit from his hand and quickly disappeared into the shadows.

  Her leg had been throbbing ever since she had tried to run in the meadow but she didn’t want to let on. After dropping her jeans, she realized why. The wound on her thigh had started bleeding again, soaking the old bandage.

  Kate bit her lip as she lifted the soiled gauze. A soft cry escaped her lips when she touched the affected area.

  “Let me help.”

  Kate took a startled step backwards when his voice boomed from behind her, tripping over the jeans around her ankles. Sam caught her, easing her to the ground.

  “I was afraid of this,” he murmured softly, after inspecting the torn flesh.

  “I’m sure it looks worse than it actually is.”

  Without asking permission, Sam kicked away her jeans and scooped her into his arms. He eased her onto a sleeping bag before retrieving the first aid kit.

  Kate watched as he extracted a thin silver flask from his coat pocket and uncapped the top. The odor of whiskey scented the air.

  “Are you going to disinfect the wound?”

  “Yes, but I have alcohol swabs for that,” he said, offering her the bottle. “I think this will do more good on the inside of your body.”

  “You want me to drink it?” She turned up her nose and pushed the flask away. “I already told you, I don’t like whiskey.”

  “It will help numb the pain while I dress the wound.”

  Reluctantly, she tipped the flask and took a big gulp, coughing as the warm liquid trickled down her throat. Kate wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. An involuntary spasm shook her body. “What a horrible drink,” she muttered in disgust. “I don’t know how anyone ingests this stuff.”

  Sam chuckled out loud, encouraging her to take another swallow. “I suppose it’s an acquired taste.”

  She shivered and scooted a bit closer to the fire. “I’m cold. I want to put my jeans back on.”

  “Not until morning. No restrictive clothing tonight.”

  “I’ll freeze.”

  “My sleeping bags are rated for sub zero temperatures on a ground sheet so you should stay warm.”

  Kate pulled the quilted cover over her legs, leaving only her thigh exposed. She took another sip of the whiskey, welcoming the seductive burn as it relaxed her limbs.

  What was it Sam had said? Something about a ground sheet? She had no idea what he was talking about but it sounded brilliant in her woozy state.

  His hands touched her thigh, short circuiting her mental acuity. The warmth of the fire and whiskey were like a massive dose of Valium, lulling her into a relaxed state.

  “Do you go camping often?”

  Sam shot her a perplexed glance. “I used to. My brother and I did quite a bit of wilderness hiking when we were younger. We both enjoyed the outdoors.”

  Kate tilted her head to one side. A brother? For some reason, she had imagined Sam as a loner. No family, no friends. This was a new twist to the Sam Holden story and she was eager to learn more.

  “Where does your brother live? Does he ever visit?”

  Sam opened the first aid kit, rummaging through its contents before answering. “I saw him a year ago. We don’t talk much.”

  “Because of what happened with your godson?”

  A scowl burrowed across his features. “No, Kate, because of life. We simply grew up and went in different directions. Do you ever stop asking questions?”

  “I didn’t mean to pry.” She dropped her gaze. “I thought he might have been there for you when everything happened.”

  Sam grew silent, thoughtfully poking at the fire. “Trent rides the rodeo circuit.”

  “He’s a cowboy?”

  “A bull rider. He’s a little wild and untamed so I guess that lifestyle suits him. I’m sure he’ll settle down some day.”

  “You two are more alike than you realize. You live in the untamed wilderness, and he rides untamed bulls.”

  “I’m more settled than he is,” Sam argued pleasantly. “Trent likes chasing women, broncs, and trophies.”

  “Well, at least he’s not running away.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. Kate realized immediately she had said the wrong thing. Again.

  Sam’s expression turned to granite. He yanked the old bandage from her thigh, causing her to wince, then extracted a small bottle of antiseptic and a cotton ball from the first aid kit.

  “Better take another swig of that whiskey. This is gonna hurt.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “You imbecile!”

  The man’s rage forced the pilot to take a step back. “How was I supposed to know there would be people up there? You told me she was dead. All I had to do was find the metal box in the wreckage.”

  “You should have stayed and followed them. Now we have to start over.”

  The pilot’s eyes glittered belligerently. “I wasn’t in any position to stay in the air. You bitch killed Jacko. And her friend shot through my gas line. I barely made it back to the heliport.”

  The man turned away. Mostly because he didn’t want the pilot to witness the gleam of admiration transforming his steely expression. So Kate Merrill was alive. What an incredible turn of events. She was proving to be a worthy adversary. This would make killing her so much more pleasurable - after he’d gorged himself on her delectable assets, of course.

  He took a deep breath to calm his excitement before turning around. “What direction were they headed when you lost them?”

  “I’m not sure. Down the mountain on the Nevada side.”

  “I see.” The man mentally calculated how many small towns would be within a day’s ride of the crash site. He’d recruit some help and canvass the area with Kate’s picture. A woman that enticing would be hard to forget. Pulling a pistol from his waistband, he pointed it at the man in front of him and pulled the trigger, watching unemotionally as the victim staggered back in surprise and collapsed to the floor. Blood poured from a hole in his forehead.

 
The man stuffed the pistol into his waist and stepped over the body.

  Good help was hard to find these days. If something was to be done right, you had to do it yourself.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kate pulled the edge of the sleeping bag across her shoulders as frosty air penetrated her muscles. Her head felt like someone had used it as a snare drum, a painful consequence to the whiskey she drank the night before. She tried not to move, certain it would result in the contents of her stomach heaving across the earthen floor.

  “Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty!”

  The sound of Sam’s voice sent her burrowing under the covers as another wave of nausea left her muttering a few choice words beneath her breath.

  Sam reached over and tugged at her bedroll. “C’mon, Kate, up and at ‘em.”

  “No! It’s freezing out there.” She opened one eye, pulling the cover down to her chin. Sam’s cheerful face did nothing but irritate her. “Thanks to you, my head hurts and I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Once you start moving around, you’ll feel better.” He sat a steaming mug of coffee on the ground beside her. “This should put you in a better mood. I have aspirin for your headache.” He handed her two white caplets with a smug grin. “Don’t be mad at me. I didn’t force you to drink whiskey half the night.”

  “You said it would deaden the pain.”

  “True, but you continued to sip from the flask long after your wound was dressed.”

  Kate scooted into a sitting position, her pouting lips nursing the hot brew. He was right. And that did nothing to sweeten her mood.

  She tried to recall what led up to her pounding headache. The whiskey had definitely dulled the throbbing in her leg. After the first few sips, it didn’t taste as awful. She liked the warmth and congenial mood that surged through her body, and apparently so had Sam. They passed the flask back and forth until his mood had lightened, as well. He even shared humorous stories of camping out with his brother when they were teens.

  Kate hid her smile by taking another sip of coffee. “What time is it?”