Extreme Exposure Read online

  “I’d say.” He gave her a quizzical look. With her life in danger, it seemed an odd thing to worry about. “Do you think you could have been followed to the resort?”

  “I don’t see how. I was really careful. And I didn’t tell anybody where I was going. I just picked up and left.”

  “Somebody must have known somehow.”

  “I don’t see how.”

  “You didn’t tell your mom?”

  “I told her I was taking a vacation and that I couldn’t be reached. I didn’t say where I was going, but I’m pretty sure my own mother didn’t send somebody to kill me and I don’t have any other immediate family.”

  “She was okay with you taking off?” If he tried to pull something like that, his dad would flip.

  “She thought it was a good idea. Everybody was angry at me for asking questions about Amber’s death. Amber’s mom, that’s my aunt, had some sort of breakdown. My mom and Amber’s sister—her name is Celia—blamed me.”

  “Her sister, this Celia, she didn’t think it was murder?”

  “Celia said Amber was still using drugs. She said it was an overdose. I think everyone just wanted the whole thing to be over, maybe because her mom was unstable.”

  He turned to her, frowning. “Could you have been wrong about Amber not using drugs?”

  That brought a glassy stare. “No, I wasn’t wrong. Can we not talk about this for a while? I really don’t feel like justifying myself to you.”

  He had said the wrong thing. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

  Taking off his knapsack, he unzipped a side pocket and handed her an energy bar as a sort of peace offering. “I don’t have a lot of food, so we’ll have to ration.”

  She tried to refuse but he put the bar in her hand, and watched her unwrap it and take a big bite.

  He used the headband to wipe the sweat off his face and neck, stuffed it into the back pocket of his shorts. “Twenty more minutes, then we can stop and rest for a while. You okay with that?”

  “Will we still get to Egerton tonight?”

  “I think so. If we get a ride.” Smiling, he pitched the knapsack higher on his back. “Had enough of me?”

  She opened her mouth but the retort died on her lips. A sound, the low hum of an engine, came across the water. Straining his eyes, there was nothing to see. Not yet. But he knew that sound.

  Grabbing her hand, they sprinted to a small tree about thirty feet away.

  Hunched against the tree, Emily stared into the distance. “A boat?” she said, holding her breath.

  “Helicopter.” His pulse raced in his throat as he peeked out from behind the fir tree. “They must want you awfully bad.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The helicopter flew in along the coastline from the south, descending steadily in the cloudless sky as it neared the barrens.

  “We have to move,” he said to Emily, who had sat down at the base of the tree. The chance that they’d been spotted moving across the flat, open barrens was overwhelming. And if there were weapons on the chopper, it was game over. Bullets would make Swiss cheese of the tree—and of them.

  “How do we know it’s coming for us?” Panting, she looked at him hopefully as she brushed her arm across her forehead to wipe away the sweat.

  “We don’t, but that’s not a chance I want to take.”

  The hope in her eyes died as she choked back a sob. “Where? There’s nowhere to run.”

  Pointing to a small outcropping about eight yards ahead, he reached down to pull Emily to her feet. Her arms hung limply at her sides, suggesting she was close to exhaustion.

  “It’s our only chance. Come on, you can do it.”

  “You go. I won’t make it in time.” Her teary eyes pleaded with him.

  His heart lurched. “Together, remember?” He ran his fingers over her cheek to wipe away a tear rolling down her face.

  A flash of irritation crossed her face and she brushed his hand away. “You and your friggin’ togetherness. It’s going to get you killed.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s just the kind of guy I am.” He grabbed her hand, turned, and sprinted toward the outcrop. Sooner or later, she’d get the message that he wasn’t going anywhere without her.

  The chopper glinted like a diamond in the sun, coming in low and fast. He raced on, but Emily was slowing, and soon he was half-dragging her behind him. After a minute, she lost the grip on his hand and stumbled to the ground.

  She said, “I can’t go any farther.”

  He reached down, pulled her to her feet, and swept her up into his arms, one arm under her knees and the other around her back. She was nothing to carry, but his energy stores were running low, too. He pushed on, refused to think about not making it in time.

  A quick backward glance showed the chopper had dropped to about five hundred feet. It dipped its nose as it raced over the barrens, close enough now they could hear the slap of the rotors. In a minute it would be on top of them.

  They were only halfway to the outcropping. His legs screamed in pain, threatening to give out, and he couldn’t get any air into his lungs. Sweat dripped into his eyes, blurring his vision.

  Second by second, the helicopter’s engine grew louder, filling his ears with its deep, thundering throb. A glance back revealed two people in the front bubble window and a dark figure with a rifle at an open door on the side.

  Seconds later, they were under fire. He couldn’t hear the bullets over the engine’s roar and the blood pounding in his ears but they kicked up dirt as they peppered the ground around his feet.

  Matt clutched Emily tighter to his chest, knowing his body shielded her. But that would only work when the chopper was behind them. Overhead, it would be another story. If he was to give her any chance of making it out of this alive, he had to get her behind the rocks.

  Rage began to boil up in him. Those bastards. He couldn’t let them kill Emily. His lungs burned, but the anger propelled him forward, forced him to put one foot in front of the other.

  Agonizing moments later, they reached the outcropping. He sprinted to the far side, collapsed on the ground on top of Emily. There was a large vertical rock, fifteen feet high, with a narrow space between it and several shorter boulders. Picking Emily up, he shoved her in the space, slipped in after her, both of them upright.

  The chopper buzzed overhead, kicking up a whirlwind of dust and dirt. The blades sliced the air with a thump thump thump. Dirt clogged his throat, filled his nostrils. Still panting, he covered his mouth, gulped, desperate for air in his starved lungs.

  A minute later, the helicopter rose slightly, then banked off to the right, flew on. It was white, sleek, room for half a dozen people. Big enough for the job. He caught a glimpse of a thick red stripe running the length of the white undercarriage.

  He and Emily stared at each other for a long moment. Rivulets of sweat ran down her neck, streaks of dirt on her cheeks, and damp hair clung to her forehead. Her nostrils flared as she struggled to breathe.

  They had to stay where they were. The outcropping was their best cover. Even if there’d been something better, he had no energy left to move.

  He watched, waited. Not ten seconds later the helicopter started a wide counterclockwise turn. His mouth went dry. Emily stared at him again, the look of a caged animal in those wide green eyes.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The helicopter circled back, more slowly this time, and lower, not more than fifty feet off the ground. The knot in Matt’s stomach tightened.

  Would the pilot risk landing on the uneven ground? Likely not, but he might not have to. Coming in low would give the gunman way better odds.

  Emily, holding herself tightly, had her eyes squeezed shut.

  “We’re going to make it out of here.” His voice sounded a hell of a lot calmer than he felt. They were standing sideways, wedged in pretty far. Shooting from a moving vehicle was difficult, but a good part of him was still visible.

  Seconds later, shattered fragments of rock
rained down on them as the first bullets smashed into the boulders. It was a semiautomatic rifle, the bullets coming in bursts of four or five. Blood pounding in his ears, he put arm over Emily’s head, tucked her in close to his chest.

  He held his breath, knowing the angle wasn’t there for a good shot unless the chopper was overhead. The pilot must have had the same idea, because in the next instant the chopper hovered directly above them, so low its downwash kicked up dirt and gravel like a mini tornado. Any lower and the pilot would have zero visibility. He’d crash and they’d all be dead.

  The attack seemed to go on for a long time. Blood pounded in his ears. Rock shards pelted his skin. His arms were on fire. The ground shook like there was an earthquake. Time stood still.

  Then the roar of the engine receded and the chopper lifted up. The noise of the blades chopping the sky gradually decreased.

  A minute later, sure it wasn’t coming back, he stepped out of the crevice. Emily followed, coughing. Dust covered her like a thick gray blanket. Sitting down, she wiped dirt from her eyes. She looked at him. “Will they come back?”

  “I doubt it.”

  “So we’re out of danger?”

  He avoided her eyes. “I didn’t say that. But it was just too hard for them to get a good shot from the helicopter.”

  She stood up, brushed dirt and rock chips from her hair. “So will they try to land?”

  “They can’t on this rock. It’s too risky, especially with the wind. Otherwise, believe me, we wouldn’t be talking right now. But they’ve pinpointed our location. They’ll come over land to get us.”

  “Well, that’s just great.” She lunged forward and slammed her hands against his chest. “You idiot.”

  He stumbled back a step. “Whoa. Take it easy. It’s not my fault they found us.”

  “I’m not talking about that.” Her fists pounded his chest. “You could have been out of here, long gone, if it wasn’t for me slowing you down. I told you. You wouldn’t listen.”

  “I can see you’ve recovered quite well.” Holding back a grin, he snatched her hands in his. “I made my decision and I’m not regretting it.”

  She tried to wrench her hands away but he held fast. “You’re still an idiot.”

  He stared into those blazing eyes, his heart hammering. Every time he looked at her, his desire increased. And she was damn good looking when she was pissed. “Didn’t I tell you I liked a woman who didn’t mind getting a little sweaty?”

  The attempt at humor was met with a scowl. He didn’t know what he wanted to do more, try to soothe her or just skip that and kiss those dirty lips. But now wasn’t the time for either. Drawing a breath, he released her. “We can argue about this later. Right now, we have to figure out what to do.”

  She put her hands on her hips, lifted her chin. “We have to split up. It’s your only chance. It’s obvious you can’t go to the road. They’ll be waiting there. You have to go back.”

  “And you? What would you do?”

  “I’ll keep going.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “I can’t go back. It’s too far. There’s no choice but to keep going.”

  She narrowed her eyes, cursed under her breath.

  Glancing around, his eyes stopped on the blue waters of the cove, below them in the distance through the thickening scrub. It was their only option. “We have to detour to the cove, see if we can find a place to hide out.”

  “And then?”

  “We’ll get help.”

  The features on that beautiful face tightened.

  He studied her a moment, sighed. “Okay. No police.”

  Relaxing slightly, she glanced toward the cove. “How far is it?”

  “From here? Five miles, I think.”

  God, they were screwed.

  He said, “We’d better get moving.”

  Although she was doing her best to look calm, those parched lips were trembling and that pulsating vein was doing triple time. She had guts, all right. He wasn’t used to seeing it in civilians, especially not those that looked like she did. He ground his teeth at the thought of anything happening to her. Maybe he could keep her alive until Egerton, but after that?

  “Wait here. I left the knapsack at the tree.”

  When he was back, he reached in and handed her a water bottle. It was about a quarter full. “Finish it up. You look like you need it.”

  Her thirst quenched, they set off again. After they’d walked thirty minutes, he said, “What will you do when you get to Egerton?”

  She slapped at a blackfly on her neck. “Grab a shower. Eat.”

  He gave her a stern look. “I’m talking about after that. You must have some kind of a plan.”

  She turned on him, nostrils flaring, angry eyes piercing his. Her eyes looked darker, a forest green, and somehow even more brilliant, if that was possible. “How can I possibly have a plan? This just happened this morning.”

  He had said the wrong thing again. “I realize—”

  “Plus, I’ve been shot at. I’m tired, hungry, thirsty, scared.” She counted them off on her fingers, paused a second before she added the sixth. “And as if that wasn’t enough, I’ve spent the whole day getting the third degree from you.”

  Eyebrows raised, he decided to let that go. She was still angry. He could understand that. But she should be thinking about developing a plan. A good one. He couldn’t just drop her off in Egerton if she didn’t have one. And the way he saw it, going back into hiding seemed the best option.

  Giving her a few minutes to simmer down, he said, “You realize you can’t go back to Riverton, at least not yet, right?”

  Her mouth pinched. “I have to go back. If anything, this has shown me that it’s no use trying to run away.”

  Putting his hand on her arm, he stopped her. “You’ll risk everything.”

  “I know that, but they’ll just find me if I try to hide.”

  Keeping his hold on her arm, he waited until she met his eyes. “What will you do? Dye your hair purple? Do you think that will throw them off the scent? God knows you can’t cut it any shorter.”

  “Will you just give it up?” She shook her arm free. “Do you think I don’t know now that a bit of hair dye won’t make me safe? At least it was better than doing nothing. And it does make me look quite a bit different, I’ll have you know.”

  He shook his head slowly from side to side. “That won’t stop them coming after you.”

  She started walking again. “I can’t run for the rest of my life. And I have to find out what happened to Amber. I can’t let them bully me.”

  He threw his hands up. “Bully you? We’re talking about people who are able to hire hit men. Get a helicopter. It’s a bit beyond bullying.”

  When she turned around to face him, that stubborn lift was back in her chin. “I owe it to Amber to figure out what happened.”

  “How are you supposed to figure it out, especially if the police can’t?”

  “Can’t or won’t? Even if I disappear, they’ll find me.”

  It was as if she hadn’t heard him at all. She was calm again, her tone resolute. How could he possibly talk some sense into her? He had to try.

  “I can help you disappear.”

  Stopping, she squinted at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I could help you find another place to live. You’d get a new identity, start over. They’d never find you.”

  The look on her face was skeptical. “How?”

  “I once helped a woman get away from her husband. He would have killed her if she hadn’t. It’s not easy, especially in the Internet age, but it can be done.” He still kept in touch with the woman. She was still fine, her daughter growing up without an abusive father. Emily could have that chance, too. All she had to do was ask.

  He said, “Before, you were ready to leave your family, your job?”

  “For a little while, but not forever. To tell you the truth, if it were just my family and my job, I could do it. Especially now tha
t Amber is dead.”

  “What about your mom?”

  “We could figure out a way to see each other once in a while.”

  “She wouldn’t mind that?”

  She shrugged. “I think once in a while would suit her just fine. We’re not terribly close. She’s pretty well known in town, has lots of friends. And she has a boyfriend. He’s a judge. They’re a power couple. Besides, I might be putting her in danger just by sticking around.”

  Walking again, he said, “What about your job?”

  “I work as a chef at my mother’s hotel. It’s only temporary. I did a year of law school. I’m thinking of going back. Harold, that’s my mom’s boyfriend, actually sparked my interest in law. I can’t be a lawyer if I disappear.”

  With forced restraint, he said, “You can’t be a lawyer if you’re dead.” The gutsy determination he’d earlier found so appealing was now irritating him even more. The thought of the risk she was taking sent a chill up his spine. How could he get through to her?

  Turning around to see if his words had hit home, that determined look in her eyes was even stronger. Underneath it all, she was probably scared as hell, but it was as if she had made up her mind and nothing would change it.

  She said, “I am not your problem, Matt, as much as you want me to be. I answered your questions, but that’s all. It doesn’t mean I want you to fix my problems.”

  “You became my problem when I fished you out of the water this morning.”

  “You did your duty. I thanked you for that. But what I do from here on in is my business.”

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “Maybe I do have trust issues.” Her eyes darkened. “But I know I want to do this alone. That way if it doesn’t work out, I only have myself to blame.” She tightened her lips. “I don’t want to debate this anymore. We’re just wasting time.”

  Balling his hands into fists, he resisted the urge to grab her shoulders and shake her. She knew the risk, but it didn’t matter. And she was doing anything she could to push him away. Why? It made no sense.