Chapter 16
My heart raced as the gun wedged into my neck. “Don’t shoot.” As I raised my hands, fury blazed through me.
Kat wriggled beneath me, trying to see our attacker.
“Get up. Nice and slow, or the bitch dies.” His English was good despite his thick Mexican accent.
Kat whimpered as I rolled off her making sure I shielded her from the asshole with the gun.
I turned to face him, and dread raced up my back. The fucker was a cop.
A Mexican cop.
He was tall with broad shoulders, a chiseled jaw, dark eyes that were as menacing as the gun pointed at my head, and a scar ran down the side of his face, making him look as mean as a prison lifer.
Kat scrambled to her feet and raised her hands. “Don’t hurt us.”
I stepped between her and the corrupt cop. “What do you want?”
He waved his gun. “Move.”
Rain started again, and shielding Kat with my body, I directed her to walk in front of me.
He pressed the gun to my backbone. “Move.”
“Where are you taking us?” I demanded.
“Shut up.” The gun slammed into the back of my head.
I balled my fists. “Let the woman go, and I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Shut the fuck up.” He smashed the gun into my skull again.
I roared with agony and rage.
“Walk!”
We shoved through bushes with inch-long thorns that clawed my skin and tugged my clothes. Kat winced as she wiped blood from a nick on her upper arm.
“It’s okay, Kat, just do as he says.”
“Yes, Kat. Do as I say.” The cop mimicked my voice, and I wanted to rip his fucking throat out.
“Where are you taking us?” Kat asked with a sob.
He didn’t answer.
As my bare feet squelched in the mud, I peered at the sky, searching for the sun to get my bearing.
Shit, he’s taking us away from the beach at the cave entrance.
Is that because my men are there?
Did my guys capture or kill whoever was helping this asshole?
Is that why he’s running solo?
I cocked my head at a distant rumble. The chopper! Are my men leaving?
No, they’d never abandon me.
They’ll come looking for us.I need to stall this asshole.
“You’re fucked, you know.” I braced for another pistol whip.
He kicked the back of my knees, and I crumbled forward into Kat.
She shrieked as we both collapsed into the mud.
“Shut up!” The asshole stomped on my bare foot.
Fuck! Forcing down a cry as pain ripped through my ankle bone, I glared up at him. “My team knows about the truck full of toxic waste.”
He kicked at my knee, but I yanked my leg away before he connected, and lunging forward, I punched his side, burying my fist into his kidney.
Howling, he hit the ground.
I jumped to my feet and dove at him.
He swung his weapon toward me, and the gun exploded.
A bullet whizzed past my ear.
He aimed the weapon at Kat. “Get back!”
I dove sideways, shielding her with my body.
“I’ll fucking shoot you.” He glared at me.
Why didn’t he?
He must need something from me, but what?
Keeping his gun aimed at my chest, the asshole stood.
“Move.” He spoke through clenched teeth.
When I turned to Kat, the fear in her eyes nearly ripped out my heart.
I pressed my hands to her shoulders. “Do as he says.”
“What do you want from us?” she yelled at the cop.
“Move.” He indicated with his gun.
“You’re Gonzales or Santhwente, aren’t you? You killed my father.”
The cop stiffened.
What the hell? Is she right?
“Move!” He aimed the gun at my head.
“You murdered my dad!” she yelled. “You’ll never get away with killing us.”
“Who said I was going to kill both of you?” He fired his gun.
The bullet just missed her head.
“Fuck!” I yelled. “Okay. Don’t shoot.”
“The next one will go through her brain.” He glared at me. “Now, move.”
Gripping Kat’s shoulders, I turned her around. “Move, Kat.”
“He killed Dad. I know it.”
“Just do as he says.” I pleaded with her.
As we shoved through wet leaves that slapped our arms, the rain stopped again, and the rumble of the waterfall dominated all sound.
That’s where he’s taking us.
He’s not shooting us because the bullet would be evidence.
He’s going to force us to jump into that sinkhole.
In front of me, Kat’s shoulders heaved. She’s crying.
I clenched my fists until my nails dug in. No fucking way were we dying in this shithole.
Not here. Not today.
The vegetation thinned out around the sinkhole and a log covered in moss crossed our path. Kat glanced at me, and my heart cracked at the distress in her eyes.
I nodded at her, trying to portray that we would be okay. She pressed her hands to the log as she straddled it, and to her left, sticking up from the log was a branch that was as thick as my wrist and about two feet long.
Clenching my jaw and harnessing the rage coursing through me, I wrapped my hands around the branch, snapped it off, spun toward the asshole and whipped the branch upward, smashing his gun. The weapon exploded as it flew through the air.
He stumbled back. I launched at him, smashed the branch across his nose and the brittle timber shattered into dozens of pieces.
The asshole just shook his head like I’d attacked him with a feather.
He raised his fists and stood in a way that proved he was no stranger to fighting dirty.
I dropped the broken branch and as I clenched my fists, I noticed my missing fingers more than I ever had.
The asshole smirked as he wiped a trickle of blood from beneath his nose and circled to my right–toward the gun.
I matched his stride. “You’re a dead man.”
He threw a punch, but I dodged his fist.
Twisting my body, I drove a right cross into his chin. Pain reverberated up my damaged hand as the asshole stumbled backward.
He swung his fist. I ducked, spun away, and punched the side of his torso.
Groaning like a wild boar, he shuddered. “I’m going to fucking kill you and your bitch.”
Kat moaned, and I glanced at her over my shoulder. She was on the ground, holding her stomach.
“Kat!” I screamed.
She raised a bloody hand. “I’m okay.”
A blow hit my cheek. My head snapped sideways, and I staggered into a tree. Pushing off from the rough bark, I charged at the cop. Lowering my shoulder, I rammed his chest.
In a tangle of limbs we body-slammed into the mud.
He punched my back, my kidneys, and the sides of my head.
I pushed away and drove my fist under his chin. His head jerked backward, and his knee rammed into my balls. Howling in agony, I slumped to my side, cupping my groin. Stars shot across my eyes as pain rained down my legs.
He rolled to his hands and knees.
“Colton!” Kat’s desperate cry shattered my senses.
Shaking the fog from my brain, I rammed my fist into the cop’s gut. He tumbled over but still staggered to his feet.
Growling like a beast, I stood and faced him. Anger raged through me. Every muscle tightened.
He rushed forward.
Turning side-on to his attack, I balled my fists and hit the asshole in the side of his neck, but it was like striking a fucking tree. He barely flinched.
Sneering, he faced me with raised fists. Blood oozed from his nose and over his lips as he cocked his head.
Aiming for his nose again, I made two quick jabs, left then right, but he dodged both.
He plowed his fist into my gut, and doubling over, I gasped for breath.
He charged at me.
Taking advantage of my lower angle, I used my whole body to ram upward, collected him on my back, and drove him into a tree.
He fell like a corpse, and I staggered back.
With my balls throbbing like hell, I searched for the gun.
His boots stomped behind me, and I ducked, spun, and drove my fist into his face. Blood burst from his nose, and he howled as he crumpled to his knees.
Spinning on my foot, I kicked the side of his face. His head slammed into the moss-covered log, and he slumped to the ground.
I scrambled over the log and fell to my knees at Kat’s side. “Kat. Oh Jesus, Kat, you were shot.”
“I’m okay.” Her wide eyes blazed with fear.
“Fuck!” I pressed my hands over her bloody fingers. “You’re going to be okay. I promise.”
I pulled the bag off her back so she could lay flat. “Keep pressure on that wound.”
Tears spilled from her eyes.
I tipped out the contents of the pack, grabbed her father’s shirt, folded it over, and as I lifted her hands, I stifled a gasp as blood oozed from a bullet wound above her right hip.
Fuck, this is bad.
I pressed the shirt to the wound, and she winced. “Sorry. Here, you keep this in place. You’re going to be okay.”
Her shaky hands pressed the shirt onto the bloody wound. “Is he dead?”
“Don’t worry about him.”
“Colton. I want him to pay for what he did to Dad.” Tears spilled from her eyes as her chin quivered.
“Shush.” I pressed my hand to her cheek. “Keep calm, okay?”
Her eyes bulged. “Watch out. Behind you!”
I grabbed her father’s journal to use in my attack and charged at the bastard.
His gun boomed as I dove at him. I tackled him backward, and as his spine slammed into the log, I wrapped my hands around his neck and squeezed.
He clawed my arms.
I clamped harder.
His eyes bulged as blood oozed from his nose.
His face turned purple.
Clamping my jaw, I squeezed harder around his neck.
His eyes rolled. His tongue bulged from his gaping mouth. And his body slumped beneath me. But I kept my grip.
“Colton.” Kat’s strangled croak reached me.
It took everything I had to release my hands. I shoved back on my haunches and stared at the asshole. “I told you I’d kill you.”
I stood and dusting my hands on my pants, I raced back to Kat.
Her jaw quivered as tears spilled from her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”
I placed my hand over the back of hers. “I’m not. He deserved it. Are you okay?”
She tilted her head at me. “Is that a trick question?”
“Right. We need to get you to a hospital.” I searched the trees around us, but we were all alone. “I’m getting you out of here.”
Her eyes looked right into my soul. “Can you make sure my mom gets Dad’s journal?”
Ah, Jesus!
“Kat, you’re going to deliver that journal yourself. Okay?”
“Promise me, Colton.”
“I promise you’ll be delivering that journal. Okay?”
She nodded.
“Good. Keep pressure on that wound.”
“Don’t leave me.” A sob burst from her throat.
“I’m never leaving you.” I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. “Keep still.”
Standing, I tried to ignore the throbbing in my balls as I returned to the dead cop and fished through his pockets. I pulled out keys, a lighter, and cigarettes.
“Yes! I found a phone, Kat.”
It took three goes and an adjustment to the dead cop’s position to get the facial recognition to work.
“Got a signal!” I picked up Kat’s father’s journal.
Rushing back to Kat, I dialed Team Eagle headquarters. “Wyatt. It’s Colton.”
“Colton! What the fuck, man? Walker, Ty, Knox, and Corbin are down there trying to find you.”
“I ran into trouble. Listen, Kat’s been shot and needs emergency evac.”
“Where are you?”
Standing, I scoured the trees. “I don’t know. But I saw their chopper fly over and I heard gunfire. Tell them to search for a large natural sinkhole nearby with a waterfall. We’ll wait for them there.”
“Roger that.”
“Tell them to hurry.”
“You got it. Keep your cool.”
“Copy that.” I ended the call and shoved the phone into my pocket.
“Hey Kat, they’re—Kat.” I fell to my knees.
“Kat!” I shook her shoulder and her head wobbled.
Her eyes were closed, her mouth was open, and her hand had slipped away from her bullet wound.
“No. No. No.” I pressed my fingers to her neck and found her pulse.
Thank God.Scrambling to my feet, I shoved her dad’s journal into the pack and hooked the bag over my shoulders.
I pressed the bloody shirt to her bullet wound and placed her hand on top, and she groaned as I scooped her into my arms.
“I’ve got you, Kat.” I pulled her to my chest. “You’re going to be okay.”
I barged through the bushes, and my heart hammered in my chest as I shared my gaze between her bloody fingers, her lifeless expression, and the sky.
“Stay with me, Kat. The chopper is coming.” I wove through the vegetation and every step was harder than the last. Determination to save Kat was the only thing keeping me upright. “Nearly there, Kat.”
A heavy beat thudded through the air.
“You hear that. It’s the cavalry. They’re coming to save you.” I strained to see through the canopy of leaves and branches above.
She moaned and her eyelids fluttered.
“It’s okay, babe. I’ve got you.”
“Colton,” she muttered.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“You called me babe.”
I chuckled. “Yes, I did, babe.”
Her body softened, and her eyes rolled.
“Kat!” I shook her body. “Kat!”
I screamed to the sky, searching for our rescue chopper.
But I couldn’t see it anywhere.