Chapter 16
Ren steadied himself.
It was hard to stay focused when that asshole had Halle. When she was in danger.
But this was what he was good at. He had the skills to save his woman.
The two men with the fuel cell walked away, their footsteps fading. The two men left to execute them, were talking.
Halle looked like she was about to lose it. He winked at her. He saw her startled look, but she stayed still.
One masked man stepped in front of Ren, a gun in his hand.
Ren released a slow breath. His plan depended on the element of surprise.
He remembered how he’d operated in Ghost Ops. Never quit. Never stop. You’re never out of the fight.
Now, apart from his training and skills, he also had the added motivation of saving Halle.
He leaped up, and his hard blow chopped into the attacker’s arm. The gun went flying. He turned and punched Halle’s captor in the face with one hand, and knocked the knife away from her skin with the other.
The man staggered backward, and Ren yanked Halle away from the man.
“Duck,” he ordered.
She obeyed without hesitation.
Ren was already whirling to attack the first man.
The asshole came in fast, with quick blows. Ren snapped his hands up, blocking the hits. The guy was swift and agile, but Ren was taller. He used that to his advantage. He leaned over and rammed his fingers into the man’s eyes.
He made a pained sound, and they whirled. Ren shoved the man into the second attacker who was advancing again.
The pair went down in the dirt in a tangle.
Ren strode forward, scooped up a dropped handgun, and aimed.
Bang. Bang.
Neither man moved.
If their friends had heard the shots, they’d think it was the men executing Halle and Ren.
He turned.
Halle swallowed. “You’re like Liam Neeson in Taken, just younger and hotter.”
The shock of humor made him grin at her. “How can you make me laugh right now?”
She ran to him, and he wrapped his arms around her. Then he ran a finger over her face, rubbing away the blood from the cut.
“He cut you.”
“Barely.” She pressed a gentle hand to his cheek. “I’m just really glad we’re still alive.”
He leaned into that touch. That softness. It was what he’d been missing. Denying himself.
“Thank you for killing to save me.” Then her face turned stricken. “Ren, the fuel cell. They have the fuel cell.”
“Then we’d better get it back. Grab the backpack and whatever gear you can salvage.”
While Halle did that, he checked the weapon and cursed. It was out of ammo. Quickly, he checked the bodies of the two men. No more ammo. Dammit. He did find a thin wire in one man’s pocket. A garrote wire. He slipped it into his own pocket.
“Come on, stay right behind me.” He tossed the weapon into the trees.
They crept quietly in the direction the other men had gone. The trees petered out, and he spotted a dark-colored SUV parked ahead. The two men were there. The boss guy was leaning against the hood, talking on a cellphone. No doubt checking in with the rest of his team.
“Halle, get down,” Ren murmured quietly.
She huddled behind a large, spiky bush. He saw the other man open the back of the SUV, putting the fuel cell in a silver case.
“Wait here.”
She nodded.
Then Ren moved through the trees. Silent. Stealthy. He dragged in a deep breath. He felt like he was back in Ghost Ops. Following Vander, with Boone and Shep beside him. Sawyer and the others bringing up the rear.
He paused. The boss was still talking on the phone. Ren advanced on the man at the rear of the vehicle, pulling the garrote wire out of his pocket. He crept in, moving fast.
He whipped the wire over the man’s head and yanked it hard against his throat.
Ren pulled hard enough that the guy made no sound. He clutched the wire for a few seconds, tearing at it as he kicked his feet. Ren gritted his teeth and held on until the man sagged.
With a bend of his knees, Ren put his shoulder into the man’s gut and lifted him onto his shoulder. He could still hear the other man talking.
He reached into the back of the SUV and grabbed the fuel cell, then he quickly darted back into the trees.
He found some dense bushes and dumped the body in them. Then he hurried back to Halle.
“The guy doesn’t even know what happened yet,” Halle whispered, nodding toward the boss guy. “You’re amazing.”
Ren felt a flush of warmth in his chest. He took the backpack from her and set the fuel cell back inside. “How about we get out of here?”
“I think that sounds like an excellent idea.”
Halle ran behind Ren.They were heading down the hill and the trees were thinning out. The grass was now knee-deep, slowing them down.
The way he’d taken out those men…
She’d seen the warrior inside him. She knew he’d do anything to keep her safe.
They went a bit farther when she spotted the road. Elation filled her.
Ren helped her over a wire fence. Hills rose up off in the distance, covered in a smattering of trees and vegetation. In the other direction, the road headed toward the ocean.
“That way.” Ren pointed toward the water.
“There’s still more of them, right?”
“Yes.” He squeezed her hand. “But I’m not letting them touch you.”
They hadn’t been walking long when she had the rumble of an engine. Ren froze and grabbed her arm.
Halle’s pulse was pounding. “Is it them?”
His gaze narrowed as he stared back up the road. “I don’t think so.”
A moment later the vehicle came into view. It was a red, soft-top Jeep. There were surfboards poking out the back and she could hear music blaring.
Ren raised an arm and waved. The Jeep pulled over, spraying gravel nearby.
There were two young men in the front who had “surfer” stamped all over them.
The one driving had shaggy black hair and was wearing a faded Corona T-shirt. The passenger had long, sun-bleached hair pulled back into a messy man bun. His Hawaiian shirt seared her eyeballs—it was a tropical mix of red, green, yellow, and hot pink.
“You guys okay?” the driver asked with a distinct Australian accent.
“We need a ride to the closest town,” Ren said.
“Sure. Get in.”
Ren helped Halle climb into the back seat of the Jeep.
A moment later, their new friends took off down the road. The passenger turned down the music and looked back at them. “I’m Matt. This is Jordy.” Unlike his friend, Matt was an American.
“You’re surfers?” Halle asked.
“Sure are,” Matt said. “We’re always chasing a good wave. Not much on this side of Molokai. We just thought we’d go for a drive today.”
“Do some exploring,” Jordy added.
“There are decent waves on the other side of Molokai.” Matt cocked his head. “You guys on vacation?”
“Not exactly,” Halle said.
Ren leaned forward. “Do either of you have a cellphone? Could I borrow it?”
Matt shrugged. “Sure. As long as you don’t call overseas or anything.” He fished around in the pocket of his board shorts, then handed it over.
With a nod, Ren took the phone and dialed a number. “Sawyer—” he paused “—yeah, we’re alive. We have the fuel cell.” Another pause. “Somewhere on the eastern side of Molokai.” He paused. “Yes. There’s a team on the ground tracking us. Chinese.” Ren glanced around. “We hitched a ride and we’re on…”
“Hawaii State Route 450,” Jordy called back. “The Kamehameha V Highway. Not far from Fagan’s Beach.”
Ren relayed the information to his friend.
Matt looked at Halle. “You guys in trouble?”
She nodded. “There’s a team of people, probably Chinese agents, after us. They’re not very friendly.”
Matt’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
“No shit?” Jordy said.
She tilted her head. “You’re both very chill about it.”
“That’s our motto,” Matt said. “Always be chill. Still, Chinese secret agents chasing you… Crazy.”
Halle heard the sound of engines.
She looked back, and her heart leaped into her throat. She saw three black SUVs in the distance.
They were still a fair way off, but were gaining on them.
“Sawyer, I have to go.” Ren handed the phone back to Matt. “Thanks.”
“Dudes, I think we have company,” Jordy said.
A muscle ticked in Ren’s jaw. “Let us out ahead.”
“You sure? This baby—” Jordy patted the dash “—has some speed. We can try and outrun them.”
“I don’t want to put you in danger. These men won’t hesitate to kill.”
Matt swallowed. “That’s not cool.”
At the next corner, Jordy pulled over.
Halle saw three large houses ahead, perched on the hillside overlooking the water. Ren leaped out, then helped her.
“Thanks for the ride,” she said.
“Go,” Ren told the young men. “They’ll see that you’ve let us out. Drive and don’t stop. Hide somewhere on the other side of the island.”
The men nodded.
“Good luck,” Matt said.
Halle swallowed. Something told her that she and Ren would need it.