22. Indiana
Rather than go inside the cave, I stayed at the entrance. That way the men would remain in clear view and give Tyler a better attack position. My pounding heart matched the piercing beeping that echoed about the tiny cave behind me.
I sat with my back against the boulder, clutched the hard drive over my breasts, and prepared to put on the act of my life.
Every beep of the device was another second where nothing happened. Sweat trickled down my back. My vision clouded with uncertainty.
My thoughts homed in on Tyler. I had faced death before, but I was young, na?ve, and I’d had no idea what was happening. I knew exactly what the stakes were now, and every one of them drove my anger higher.
Footsteps pounded above me.
The air grew still.
Staring at the opposite boulder flanking the alcove, I clutched the device tighter to my chest, crushing my boobs.
A man jumped down, and I screamed as a light flared in my face.
“Don’t shoot,” I yelled.
He panned the light and his weapon into the alcove behind me. His light swung back in my face.
Squinting against the glare, I yelled, “Don’t shoot. Please.”
Lowering the light, he stepped closer, his gun aimed at my face. He was covered head to toe in black clothing and tactical gear. His features were obscured by the shadows of his baseball cap, but his eyes were cold and calculating, glinting with ruthless determination.
“Where’s your friend?” he said.
“He’s dead. You shot him.” I forced a sob from my throat. “You killed him.”
He lowered the gun. “Get up.”
I stood, still clutching the beeping device to my chest, and waited for the perfect moment to shock him.
He scanned the cave again. “What are you waiting for?”
“For you. I knew you’d track me down, and I can’t run anymore.”
“Why didn’t you toss it away?” He glanced over the cliff, and the temptation to kick him over the edge was huge, but I didn’t know where his asshole mate was.
Forcing tears into my eyes, I said, “Because I knew that wouldn’t stop you from chasing me. Please, don’t kill me. I don’t even know what this thing is.”
Turning to me, he adjusted his baseball cap backward and tilted his head like he was trying to see more of me.
Cringing, I said, “Here, have this stupid thing.”
I handed the device forward.
His eyes fell to my boobs, and his jaw dropped. He didn’t take the device from me.
I clutched the device to my chest again and made my chin quiver.
“Hey, Briggs, come check this out.”
The second man jumped down, and his boots thumped onto the dirt floor.
The first guy nodded at Briggs. “She says we killed the guy.”
“You did. You bastards.” I sucked in a shaky breath like I was all choked up. “This is what you want, right? Here, take it!”
I shoved the device toward Briggs, making sure my boobs wobbled.
Briggs wriggled his eyebrows at his partner, then took a step closer to me, his eyes fixed on my breasts. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“I’m not your fucking sweetheart.”
“Woo.” Briggs sneered. “Looks like we have a feisty one, Clark.”
Clark grinned and lowered his gun.
My heart pounded in my chest. With every breath, the air thickened around me. Fear and anticipation filled my mind.
Briggs snatched the device from my hand, and his sick grin grew bigger as his gaze lingered way too long on my chest.
Suppressing a shudder, I snapped my hands over my boobs. “You have it now. Let me go.”
“What do we do with her?” Clark asked, eyeing me with a mixture of lust and suspicion.
“I have a few ideas.” Briggs rolled his shoulders and swung his rifle around to his back.
A massive rock slammed into Clark’s head, and he dropped like a stone. Briggs spun around, grappling for his gun. Tyler dove onto his back, driving him face-first into the giant boulder.
The bastard bounced off the rock like the boulder was made of rubber, spun around with blood pouring from his nose, and swung his fist at Tyler.
Tyler dodged his fist and punched Briggs, but it glanced off his cheek.
Groaning, Clark rolled onto his hands and knees and wobbled.
Tyler and Briggs punched like prize boxers. While Tyler was light on his bare feet, dodging Briggs’ fierce blows, Briggs was like a fridge with thick arms, putting his weight behind every punch.
Their movements were a blur against the beautiful moonlit backdrop. Their grunts and blows echoed off the cave walls behind me.
Tyler plowed his fist into the asshole’s jaw, and he stumbled toward me.
I scrambled out of the way, crossing to the other side.
Briggs’ bloody face contorted with rage as he lunged at Tyler, grabbing him in a bear hug and driving his back into the giant boulder.
The wind punched out of Tyler, but he pummeled his fists into the bastard’s back.
I picked up the rock that had knocked Clark down. Screaming, I smashed it into the back of Briggs’ head.
The bastard spun to me, swinging his arm, and his fat hand swiped my cheek.
I crashed to the ground.
Tyler released a fierce roar and charged at Briggs, driving the bastard to the edge of the cliff like a battering ram. Briggs tried to push back, but Tyler gave him a massive shove.
Briggs clawed at the air between them, but it was too late. He let out a guttural cry as he hurled over the edge. I ran to Tyler’s side and watched Briggs disappear into the darkness.
Panting with exhaustion, Tyler marched back to Clark.
Clark was still wobbling on his hands and knees with blood pouring from a massive cut on his head over his cheeks. The look of absolute horror on his face confirmed he was conscious enough to know he was fucked.
Tyler simultaneously kicked him and wrestled the gun from him.
Clark flopped onto his back, and his eyes rolled like he was trying to find his brain.
Tyler flipped off Clark’s baseball cap and tossed it over the cliff. With the gun aimed at Clark’s head, he fished through Clark’s pockets.
He pulled out a protein bar and handed it to me. “Eat.”
No argument from me. As I tore the packet open and took a bite, Tyler tossed more items onto the dirt: a tactical knife, flashlight, cable ties, gaffer tape, glow sticks, several clips of ammunition, and two water bottles. He handed a bottle to me, and as I gulped the cool liquid, Tyler rolled Clark onto his back and yanked three cable ties onto his wrists.
Tyler stood and turned to me. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Told you that would work.”
Grinning at my hero, I waggled my boobs.
Laughing, he wrapped his arm over my shoulder and kissed the scar on my forehead. “You’re incredible.”
“Me or these.” I thrust out my chest.
He chuckled. “Both.”
He pulled my bikini top from his shorts pocket and handed it to me.
I took it and gave him the remaining half of the protein bar and he devoured it in two bites.
As I tied my bikini back in place, Tyler grabbed Clark by the shoulder and hip and flipped him onto his back. “Hey, dickhead. Who do you work for?”
Sucking air through clenched teeth, Clark hissed, “You two are dead.”
“Doesn’t look like it. Your mate is, though.”
Clark’s gaze shifted toward the edge.
“Answer me. Who do you work for?” Tyler stomped on the bastard’s knee.
Clark half howled in pain, half roared in anger. Then he clamped his jaw like he was determined not to talk.
“I can do this all night.” Tyler kicked the same knee.
“Fuck off,” Clark yelled so hard spit landed on his chin.
I sat with my back against the other boulder, ready to watch Tyler in action. We’d waited long enough for answers.
Tyler reached for the beeping device and smacked it into Clark’s nose. “What’s on the device?”
“Fuck you.”
“Wrong answer.” Tyler picked up the gun and aimed it at Clark’s knee. “What’s on the device?”
Clark pulled his knee away and shuffled back. “I don’t know!”
Tyler turned to me and cocked an eyebrow. We were both battered and bruised, but when he looked at me, the air between us came alive.
He turned back to Clark and squatted, but kept the gun aimed at Clark’s head. “You’re going to jail for a very long time.”
Clark shook his head. “I’ll be dead before I’m behind bars.”
“Come on.” Tyler softened his tone. “That only happens in the movies.”
Clark squinted at Tyler. “You have no idea who you’re messing with.”
“So, tell me.”
Clark rolled his gaze toward the cliff edge again.
“Clark, we know this device has something to do with Zǐháo Chui.”
Muscles bulged along Clark’s jawline as he clenched his jaw.
“But Chui’s dead.” Tyler swung the beeping device back and forth across Clark’s eyes like it was a hypnotist’s device. “Who hired you to get this off us?”
The terror in Clark’s eyes intensified.
“Listen, if you help us, I’ll make sure your sentence is reduced.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll be dead before I get there.”
“So, tell me who’s behind this so we can stop him.” Tyler tilted his head. “Or her.”
The way he said her convinced me he knew the asshole behind this was a woman.
“I don’t know his name,” Clark said in a defeatist tone.
Tyler paused to take a mouthful of water. “When were you hired?”
Clark shrugged. “A few months ago.”
“After Chui died?”
“I guess so. I don’t know.”
“What did you have to do for him?”
“Nothing.”
Tyler rammed the butt of the gun into Clark’s knee.
Clark howled. “This was my first job. I just had to be on standby.”
“How did he contact you?”
“He rang me, but his voice was disguised.” Clark glared at Tyler. “Like they do in the movies.”
“How does he pay you?”
“Cash. He posts me cash. A thousand dollars every week.”
Tyler whistled. “That’s a lot of cash. What did you think you’d have to do?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Rough people up, spy on assholes. But I haven’t done anything.”
“Except try to kill us.” I picked up a rock and pegged it at him. It slammed into his tactical vest and fell between his legs.
Clark’s shoulders sagged. “I have a son.”
Tyler nodded and eased back so his butt was against the boulder. “Then let me help you.”
Clark lowered his eyes. “You can’t. He sees everything. That’s why they call him The Eye.”
“The Eye?” Tyler scrunched his nose and turned to me, frowning.
I shrugged. I hadn’t heard of anyone named The Eye.
Blood dribbled down Clark’s temple and spilled onto his cheek.
“How many men work for The Eye?”
Clark shook his head. “I don’t fucking know. I only met Briggs tonight.”
“What about the chopper pilot?”
“Same. I’ve never met him before tonight.”
“What was his name?”
“I don’t fucking know.”
“How did The Eye hire you?”
Clark blinked like he was trying to piece an answer together. “Wax got me the gig.”
Tyler stiffened. “Wax? You mean Thomas Wexler? The young man who died last month.”
“He’s dead?” Clark’s jaw dropped. “See! I told you. They’re going to kill me. I’m a dead man for talking to you.”
Clark used the wall behind him to get to his feet.
Tyler raised his arms. “Calm down. We can protect you.”
Clark’s eyes darted from me to Tyler.
“Calm down.” Tyler clapped his hands. “Clark!”
“You can’t protect me.” Roaring like a demon, Clark charged at Tyler, but at the last second, he darted right and jumped off the cliff.