Chapter 17
Ren and Halle jogged toward the three houses. He scanned around and didn’t see any cars.
“They’re probably holiday homes,” he said.
Halle glanced back over her shoulder. “They’ll be here soon. What should we do? Should we hide?”
“No.” He wanted to be somewhere where he had some advantage. “I think we’ll make a stand.”
“What did your friend Sawyer say?”
“Vander had already called him. He’s been on standby waiting to hear from me.”
“He’ll come to help us?”
“Yes. But I’m not sure how long it’ll take him to get here. I didn’t have long enough to hear his plan.” Ren’s best guess was that it was at least a thirty-minute flight between Maui and Molokai.
Ren’s gaze locked onto the large house farthest away from the road.
“Come on.” He jogged toward the house. It had brown siding and white-framed windows. There was a small front porch framed by some garden beds.
Ignoring the front door, they circled around the side of the house.
“Oh, wow.” Halle’s steps slowed and she stopped to take in the view. The house sat above a perfect curve of beach. There were palm trees, and waves lapping at the pristine sand. It was a small slice of paradise.
Ren spotted a side door and peered through the glass. It led into a laundry room. He lifted his boot and kicked the door in.
He ushered Halle inside. They hurried down a hallway, footsteps echoing on the wooden floor. They stepped into the open plan living and kitchen area. It was open and airy, with a wide deck overlooking the ocean. The house was decorated like it was a holiday rental—generic furniture, stylish decor.
“Ren, how can you fight them? You don’t have a gun.” She threw out an arm. “They’ll have an arsenal and you’ll be outnumbered.”
He saw the panic in her eyes and cupped her cheeks. “Baby, this is what I was trained to do. I don’t need a gun. There are plenty of weapons here that I can use.”
Ren strode to the kitchen sink. He yanked open a cupboard beneath it, and pulled out some bottles of cleaning chemicals. There was a bottle of bleach, a can of fly spray, some glass cleaner. He set them on the countertop.
Halle frowned at him.
Next, he opened the drawers, and found several knives. Those went onto the countertop as well.
Spinning, he strode into the dining room. There was a heavy glass vase in the center of the table, and he tested its weight. He nodded.
Then he headed down the hall. Halle followed behind him.
He stepped into the bathroom. He took a second to note the clean, white tiles, open shower stall to the left, and large tub to the right. Under the vanity, he found a can of hairspray, a candle, and a lighter. He set them beside the sink. Then he leaned over the bathtub, set the plug in place, and flicked the tap on.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Preparing for battle.”
When there were several inches of water in the tub, he turned the tap off.
Next, he strode into the closest bedroom while Halle hovered in the doorway. It was clearly the main bedroom, with a large king bed that was currently stripped back to the mattress. There were blinds on the window, and he opened them, lengthening the cords dangling from them. They’d do.
“Ren?” She swiveled. “I can hear cars pulling up.”
He grabbed her arm, and they hurried back into the living room. Outside, tires crunched on gravel, and he heard voices.
Ren peered out the front window.
He saw the SUVs, and the men spilling out of them.
Show time.
Turning, he hurried Halle back into the dining area. He glanced around and his gaze fell on the large flat-screen TV resting on a large cabinet. It was made of a lightweight wood with wicker insets in the doors.
Perfect. She’d fit and she’d be able to breathe.
He opened the cabinet on the left. He pulled out several things inside—place mats, a large bowl, cloth napkins—and stuffed them into the right-hand side.
“You need to hide, Halle.” He gestured to the cabinet. “Whatever you hear or see, don’t come out until I come to get you.”
“Ren.” She pressed her hands to his chest.
He kissed her—hard and quick.
“It’s going to be fine.” He tipped her chin up. “It’s my honor to fight for you. To protect you. I think it was what I was born to do.”
She lifted her hand to his cheek. “You do what you have to do, but you stay safe. You come back to me.”
He nodded, then slipped off the backpack and pressed it into her arms.
She climbed into the cabinet. It was a tight fit and she had to curl her knees up to her chest.
He crouched in front of her. “Stay still and quiet.”
She nodded.
Then he closed the door behind her and turned. He heard voices at the front door.
He pulled in a deep breath, and let battle mode settle over him.
Defeat the enemy. Protect his country. Defend his woman.
Let’s do this.
He slipped down the hall and into the bedroom. He slid the mirrored closet door open and stepped inside. He closed the door most of the way, just leaving it open a crack.
It wasn’t long before he heard footsteps.
That’s it. Just a little farther.
The masked man entered the room quietly. He was holding a handgun.
He searched the room, and checked under the bed. Then he came toward the closet.
Just another step.
There.
Ren shoved the door open, and grabbed the blind cord. The man was whirling toward him, but he was too slow.
Ren whipped the cord around to the man’s throat. He used all his strength to pull it tight.
The man fought desperately, the blinds slapping against the wall. His gun dropped from nerveless fingers, and he struggled to get free.
Ren pulled harder.
Finally, the man slumped over. Ren lowered the attacker’s dead weight to the ground, then snatched up the man’s gun. It was a QSZ-92. The pistol used by the Chinese military.
He slipped it into the waistband of his shorts. It was a last resort. If he fired it, it would attract the others searching the other houses.
He moved into the hall, and saw another man at the end in the kitchen.
Ren moved quietly, but the man lifted his head and spotted him. He shouted.
Fuck.
Ren ducked into the bathroom. He snatched up the hairspray and lighter.
The attacker burst into the room.
Ren sprayed and ignited the chemical.
The flames hit the man in the face and his mask caught fire.
The man screamed and clawed at his head.
Ren dropped the can, then pressed a hand to the back of the man’s neck. He shoved, ramming the attacker’s face into the marble vanity.
Crack. The man went limp and dropped to the floor. The flames had died out and he didn’t move.
Two down.
All she could hear wasthe loud thud of her heart.
Halle could just see through the wicker. At least she wasn’t locked in the dark.
She heard footsteps and her chest hitched.
Two men moved into the living room.
God. Please let Ren be all right. There was a lump in her throat the size of a boulder.
One man moved out of sight. Then she heard a noise and froze.
The second man was right in front of the TV cabinet.
Oh. Hell.
She didn’t move. She didn’t dare breathe. She clenched her fingers together.
He walked past her—slowly and silently.
If he found her, she’d be dead.
She closed her eyes.
It will be fine. Ren is with you.
They were going to get through this.
She wanted a life with him. She wanted shared dinners and cotton candy, to watch corny black and white TV shows in bed together, and she wanted more toe-curling, delicious sex.
She wanted Ren.
The intruder continued on. He walked past the dining table, his gloved hand trailing across the wooden surface. He moved into the kitchen.
Suddenly, a dark shape exploded out of the hallway and rammed into the man.
Ren.
She sucked in a breath, pressing her eye closer to the wicker to get a better view.
Ren and the man grappled, and they rammed into the island. She heard their grunts and harsh expulsions of breath.
They whirled again, trading punches. Then Ren stepped back and grabbed the bottle of bleach off the countertop. He snapped the lid off, and threw the chemical at the man.
The attacker screamed.
Ren lunged and grabbed two knives off the island. He launched at the man.
Halle looked away.
When the sounds stopped, she saw Ren standing in the center of the kitchen, his chest heaving.
All of a sudden, another man ran into the room.
Ren whirled and threw a knife, but the man dodged. He was so fast.
The man leaped onto the table, ran three steps, and jumped.
Ren rolled under him, spun, and attacked him with the knife. His arm slashed out.
But the attacker had clearly been trained in some sort of martial arts. He came at Ren with a flurry of kicks and chops.
The attacker’s boot connected with Ren’s wrist, the knife went flying into the air.
Ren raised his arms, blocking several hits. He punched the man in the gut.
They collided, and crashed into a chair at the table, knocking it over. She heard grunting and straining.
Suddenly, the attacker shoved free, then slammed Ren against the table on his back. His hands clamped on Ren’s neck, and he squeezed.
No.
Ren bucked, trying to get free, but the man was strong.
Come on, Ren.
She saw Ren reaching across the table, trying to grab the glass vase. His fingers slapped against the wood.
She had to help him.
Gathering up her courage, she pushed the backpack down to the bottom of the cabinet. Then she threw the door open and surged out.
Halle ran two steps. The man was turning toward her when she grabbed the vase.
She lifted it high, then smashed it into his head.
He groaned, staggering backward. Ren surged up. He landed several rapid punches that sent the man to his knees.
She pressed a hand to her chest, over her thundering heart, and watched Ren ram his knee into the man’s face.
The masked attacker slumped to the ground.
Ren’s gaze sliced her way. “You were supposed to stay in the cabinet.”
“I wasn’t going to sit there and let him strangle you to death.”
“The fuel cell?”
“It’s still in the cabinet.” She hurried over, reached in, and grabbed the backpack.
Voices outside had both of their heads whipping up.
Ren cursed. “We have more company incoming. Come on.”
He pulled her into the hallway. She saw the bloody body in the kitchen and quickly looked away. There was another body on the bathroom floor. God.
When she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, she jerked her head up.
A masked man charged into the hallway. He’d come through the laundry room door they’d used earlier. He raised his gun and aimed at them.
Oh, no.
Ren shouldered into Halle, driving her into the bathroom.