Chapter Four
Rebecca hid beneath some brush as a man walked in the woods, searching for her. Since dawn, the men descended on her location and at every turn, she seemed to find more of them. With four bullets to her name, she couldn’t afford to shoot and risk giving away her location.
Her fingers felt frozen and her toes, despite the extra sock layers, no longer hurt but went blessedly numb.
She needed to find someplace warm to hide soon.
Unable to reach her office or Julio, Rebecca felt the beginning stages of panic setting in.
Her friends might pay the price for her decision if she didn’t get help to them soon.
The man paused a foot away and took out his phone. “There’s no sign of her. I’m telling you we’ve searched the entire area.” He listened for a moment and then said, “I don’t give a shit what your device says. It must be broken. We’ve scoured the place. She’s not here.”
Rebecca waited until he walked a fair distance before banging her head against her fists.
They put a tracker on her. She recalled the night before and nearly groaned at her stupidity for not checking her clothes or coat sooner.
She passed out, leaving them ample time to plant one on her body.
Rising from her hiding spot, she sprinted in the opposite direction from where the last man came from.
Counting five of them, she ducked behind a tree and took off her coat, tracing along the pockets and edge.
Her fingers finally landed on a round disc near the zipper of the hood.
“Damn it, Rebecca. Now you’re swearing at yourself. Use your damn head,” she admonished as she rechecked the coat again and then her clothes. Ripping open the new coat, she removed the tracker, smashing it with a nearby rock and grinding it into the dirt.
She shoved her arms through the sleeves as she surveyed the area.
Cars and trucks seemed closer as she heard semis on their brakes or blowing their horns.
Rebecca turned toward the noise, still sticking to the edge of the wooded area.
The slamming of car doors not far off in the distance made her keep moving.
Either they recruited more people, or they left.
Her cheeks felt on fire with wind burn as she made it to the highway. She crouched low under a bridge as she took out her phone. She dialed her office and it rang. She nearly wept in relief when the operator picked up.
“It’s Rebecca Rhodes. I need you to connect me with Director Stills, please.”
“Please hold,” the woman said politely.
A minute later, he picked up the line. “Rebecca, where the hell are you, Harrison and Jackson?” he answered.
“I’m using a burner phone, sir. I’m not sure of my location, but the last three cars have New Hampshire license plates. Director Jackson, Harrison, and I have been taken hostage. Rahimi and his cousin, Hasan, ambushed us at the airport.”
“What the hell do you mean?” he shouted into the phone. “How did this happen?”
“Director Jackson and Harrison remain in the cabin. When I left, they remained under the influence of drugs given to knock them out. You must track this phone’s location. I only have half a battery left.”
“Hold on, Rhodes,” he ordered. She listened as he shouted instructions to the other agents.
“I have Dan working on it now. Keep your phone on,” he instructed. “Can you tell us what you see?”
“I’m under a bridge. The cabin’s remote. I’ve marked my trail to get back to them. They’re expecting Rahimi’s cousin Hasan to show up this morning. He came into the country from Vermont. They’re searching for Avie Rahimi’s location.”
“Good job, Rhodes,” Director Stills praised her. “Can you get to a safe place?”
Rebecca moved from the bridge and saw a truck stop not too far away. “Yeah,” she mumbled, already salivating for a cup of coffee.
“Call me back in half an hour,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir,” she replied before hanging up. Walking toward the busy restaurant, she shrugged out of her coat and turned it inside out. Rebecca reached into the pockets and pulled out the spare money she always kept in there after a long walk for her favorite coffee near her apartment.
“May I have a cup of coffee to go?” she asked the waitress.
“Honey, if he roughed you up this bad, you need more than a cup of Joe. Get you a bat and the next time he’s sleeping, whack him a couple of times and leave,” the waitress advised, leading her toward the back.
“I can’t stay,” she said, easily playing along with the ruse. “He might find me.”
“Don’t worry. Big Mike will keep him away from you. Stay in the kitchen and he’ll make sure you’re fed,” she promised as she opened the swinging door.
A giant of a man stood behind the stove and smiled at her as he flipped eggs and hash browns. “Have a seat, and I’ll get you fixed up in no time,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said as the waitress returned to the floor.
“Where are you from?” he asked as he flipped a couple of pancakes.
“Texas,” she lied. “I thought coming here might put distance between us. What’s the name of this town again?”
“Berlin,” he informed her as he set a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast before her with a side of two pancakes.
Rebecca smiled and said, “Thanks,” as she picked up her fork and shoveled the food in her mouth. The pounding in her ears grew louder as she mentally calculated the distance between Berlin, New Hampshire, and Greenville, Maine.
“Slow down,” Big Mike chuckled. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”
Rebecca chugged the hot coffee and stood. “Thanks, Big Mike.”
“Where are you going? It’s freezing outside and you look like hell,” he exclaimed.
“I can’t stay. He’ll find me,” she said, sticking with their assumption. “I appreciate the hot meal. One day, I’ll pay you back.”
“No need. Promise me, you won’t go back,” he insisted. “It’s too dangerous.”
She knew what he meant, but his words seemed to echo a warning about her current situation.
“I know what I have to do,” she said, smiling at him.
Rebecca left through the back entrance and waited until she saw three signature SUVS pull into the parking lot.
Men climbed out, searching for her and her phone rang as she watched from the corner of the building.
“Yes?” she answered.
“I sent a team to fetch you. They’ll arrive any minute. Give them the location of the cabin where Harrison and Jackson are held,” Director Stills ordered.
“Yes, sir,” she said, heading toward the vehicles.
As she approached, one of the men stopped and waited for her.
“I’m Special Agent Hemming, and you must be Agent Rhodes. We heard you experienced a long night. Do you think you can lead us to the cabin where they held you?”
“Yes,” she said, climbing into the passenger seat. “Head west and I’ll tell you where to turn. How many men?” she asked.
“We have an entire unit, plus backup once we get to the site,” he reported.
“Good,” she said, feeling relieved and anxious for her coworkers. Once she led them to the bastards, she’d relocate Avie and Deni, then catch a flight to Texas and surprise Julio. Rebecca felt the need to see him now more than ever.
Once they drove a couple of miles from the cabin, she instructed them to pull onto an access road and park.
“I marked the rest of the way. We can’t be more than two miles away.
Hasan, Rahimi’s cousin, planned to arrive this morning.
It’s imperative we catch him. Call your units and get them into position,” she ordered as she searched the trees for the marker.
Feeling more fortified after her cup of coffee and breakfast, she ran through the snow to get to her friends.
Agents followed her as Agent Hemming placed his call.
When they neared the cabin, she crouched down.
“When I left, two men entered the cabin and a sniper stayed in the tree pointing his weapon at Director Jackson’s chest,” she said, huffing and puffing.
“I bashed the first bastard over the head with his own gun and tied him to the chair. He’s not dead, but I’m sure he has one heck of a headache. ”
“Do you have your weapon, Agent Rhodes?” Agent Hemming asked.
“No, I have his. I’ll need more ammo. I only have four bullets.”
Agent Hemming pulled out his weapon and handed it to her. “I have a backup. Let me take the other,” he said, holding out his hand.
Rebecca pulled the sidearm from behind her back and placed the butt in his hand, exchanging weapons. She pulled back the slide, checking for a bullet in the chamber. Nodding, she indicated for them to proceed.
The men drew closer to the cabin, splitting into formation as they circled the house.
She stayed back among the trees, allowing the men with bulletproof vests to go before her.
They burst into the house, and she heard the commotion as shots filled the air.
Her heart pounded when everything went silent and Agent Hemming motioned for her to go inside.
She ran up the steps of the porch and entered.
Shock filled her as she recognized four men from the unit down and bleeding profusely.
She dropped to her knees, trying to stave off the flow of blood from one of the agent’s chest. No one bothered to help the other injured men, making her uneasy as she glanced up to find Agent Hemming watching her.
“What are you doing?” she shouted. “Call for a helo and render aid.”
The man pulled his weapon and pointed it at her chest. “I’m afraid they all died in the line of duty saving the agents.”
“Where’s Harrison and Jackson?” she demanded, realizing the man she tried to save no longer lived.
Slowly rising to her feet, Rebecca glanced at the men in the cabin.
Where did Rahimi get all this manpower, and how did they know of her location this fast?
Her mind went into overdrive as she pieced the puzzle together.
Someone in her unit must be a mole, exactly like Julio discovered.
Agent Stills came to mind as one of the men approached her.