Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
Fear slid along Colt’s limbs. He couldn’t hear anything coming from Maren’s comms. Running with Rusk at his heels for all they were worth, they came out through the trees to a small clearing where he found Opal’s campsite. The sound of more gunfire burst through the forest.
When the gunfire ceased, Colt skidded to a halt, realizing he had no idea which direction to go. Where had Maren and her sister run off to? Back toward the road? Up the mountain toward the summit? East, west, north or south?
“I lost them,” Colt said, unable to keep the despair from his voice.
“We’re almost to the coordinates. Meet us there,” Emmett said, referring to the location of Opal’s campsite.
Heart in his throat, he and Rusk backtracked to the makeshift campsite, but he couldn’t reverse the fear crowding his mind.
* * *
Maren caught a glimpse of Opal up ahead and pushed herself to move faster, using every bit of energy she possessed to gain on her twin. Finally, she caught up to Opal, who had slowed and was wheezing slightly.
Maren grabbed the back of Opal’s army green jacket and pulled her behind a fallen pine tree.
Opal gasped and clutched at her chest. “You scared me.”
“What are you thinking?” Maren said. Anger and fear and frustration vibrated in her voice and throughout her body. Haven moved closer to Maren. “You could have been killed.”
“You were followed,” Opal accused. “How do I know you’re not in league with them?”
Reining in her upset and taking deep, calming breaths, Maren gentled herself enough to say, “Opal, I’m on your side.” She put a hand on Haven and could feel the tension in her body. “I don’t know how I was followed. But I need you to know I will not let anything happen to you. You must trust me.”
“I do,” Opal said. The fight drained from her and her whole body slumped onto the ground. She drew her knees up to her chest and put her forehead on her folded arms. “I’m so tired.”
Sympathy and empathy grabbed a hold of Maren, and she gathered her sister in her arms. “I’ve got you.” Needing to know what Opal knew, Maren said, “I understand you can identify Shadow.”
Opal lifted her head and met Maren’s gaze. There was sorrow in her blue eyes. “Georgy warned me to stay hidden while he told Shadow we wanted out. But I had to see what was happening. And then Shadow shot Georgy and I screamed. I know Shadow saw me. I ran and managed to escape.”
“Can you describe him?”
“Yeah. Thin, dark-haired, dark mustache. Weaselly,” she said with a shudder.
Maren recognized the description. “That sounds like Agent Henry Spares. You don’t have to worry. He’s dead.”
Though the mystery remained of who killed him and why. Was it simply a matter of cutting off the head of the snake and a new one growing back?
“He’s only part of Shadow,” Opal said, her voice sounding weak.
Putting her hand on her arm, Maren asked around the trepidation clawing up her chest, “What do you mean?”
“He has a partner. I don’t know who. But I do know there’s someone else. At least, Georgy was sure of it. My Georgy was smart. We were going to get out of the life. Run and take our baby as far away as we could.” Tears slipped down her face.
Maren’s heart bumped against her rib cage. “Why didn’t you contact me? I could’ve helped you both.”
A spasm of grief and pain marred Opal’s face. “I didn’t know if I could trust you.”
Heart sinking, Maren pressed her lips together.
“I’m sorry, Maren,” Opal said. “I should’ve known better. But it had been so long and there’s been so much—”
The sound of pounding feet running toward them had Maren tensing and Haven growling. The Doberman moved to stand in front of Maren.
“Stay down,” she ordered her sister as well as her dog. For extra measure, she gave Haven the down gesture. Slowly, as if reluctantly, the K-9 folded into the down position.
Withdrawing her weapon, Maren rose to peer over a fallen log. Her eyebrows rose as Agent Daniel Russell came into view. He skidded to a halt as his gaze met hers.
He lifted his hands, pointing his weapon up into the air. “Whoa, whoa. Colt called for backup.”
“Where’d you come from?” Maren asked. She’d thought he’d decided against involving the DEA. But he had told his boss. Maybe the SAC had sent Daniel.
“The fire road.” He pointed behind him.
Hesitation kept Maren in place. She holstered her gun. “I need to let Colt know.” She’d long lost the Bluetooth signal connecting her to Colt. She reached for her cell phone.
Daniel beat her to it. Taking his phone out and dialing, he said, “I’ll call him.”
Maren helped her sister to stand. Haven rose, her ears twitching, and her dark eyes trained on Daniel.
“Who’s that?” Suspicion and fear laced Opal’s voice.
“He works with my partner,” Maren told her. “They’re DEA.”
Opal jerked away from Maren. “You did sell me out.”
Outraged, Maren stared. “No. They’ve been helping me find you. I’m helping them to bring down Shadow and his organization.”
Still wary, Opal allowed Maren to lead her to where Daniel was talking to Colt. Haven stuck close to her side.
“I’ve got the women,” Daniel said into the phone. “We’ll meet you. I’ll get them there.”
Maren reached toward the phone. “I want to talk to him.”
Daniel made a face as he put his phone back in his pocket. “Sorry, he already hung up.”
Wondering how far away Colt and the team were, she asked, “Where are we going to meet?”
“The trailhead,” Daniel said. “This way. I’ve a SUV on the fire road.”
Daniel turned and marched forward. Maren narrowed her gaze on his back.
The arrogant man thought she would just follow without question.
Keeping her guard up, she hoped that letting him lead her and Opal out of the forest to the fire road would bring the comms back in range so she could communicate with Colt and the task force.
She took Opal by the arm, and they moved to follow the agent.
* * *
Rusk alerted before Colt even heard the sound of people descending onto the campsite. Surprise arced through him. It was the whole team. They’d all come.
Each was dressed in tactical gear and the K-9s wore their vests.
Emmett and his Newfoundland, Gemma, moved forward while the others hung back, awaiting orders.
“Is she on comms?” Emmett asked.
Colt shook his head, frustration making his blood boil. “She’s out of range.”
“We’ll find her,” Emmett said confidently. He studied the ground and moved southeast, away from the campsite. “There’s broken grass over here as if people had run through here. I’m guessing this must be the way the twins went.”
Colt berated himself. He’d gone north toward the sound of gunfire rather than southeast as indicated by the trail in the grass. His and Rusk’s training wasn’t in wilderness tracking. But rather in urban settings looking for narcotics.
“You and I will go together,” Emmett said. To the others he said, “Fan out and stay in pairs. Keep your radios on but silent.”
The team members dispersed, pairing off and going in various directions.
As Colt and Emmett, with their K-9 partners, headed in the direction that Emmett thought Maren and her sister might have gone, Emmett said, “Eva wanted me to give you a message. She found a bank account in the Caymans belonging to Agent Henry Spares. But there’s another name on the account.”
“That makes sense,” Colt said. “Someone killed him. Must be the person on the account with him. What’s the name?”
“Agent Daniel Russell.”
* * *
As the trees thinned close to the fire road, Maren glimpsed a blue vehicle beneath the shade of a tree. Her heart seized. It was the blue panel van.
Panic fluttered in her chest.
Trying not to let on that she’d noticed the vehicle, she purposely stumbled while unhooking the strap on her sidearm. Haven nudged her as if to try to keep her upright.
“Maren, you okay?” Opal said as she too stumbled.
“Yeah.” As she straightened, Maren withdrew her weapon. Her gaze zeroed in on Daniel, who had halted and turned toward them, his weapon aimed at Opal.
Haven emitted a low growl.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Daniel said. “Drop the weapon. Unless you’re okay with your sister taking a bullet between the eyes. Killing both her and the unborn child of my late lieutenant Georgy Trevino.”
The horror of revelation dawned on Maren. “You’re the other half of the duo known as Shadow.”
Daniel scoffed. “Figure that out on your own, did you?”
“Kind of hard not to with a gun aimed at us.” Maren tucked Opal behind her. Her sister sobbed softly. Maren reeled in the lead, keeping Haven close.
Daniel grinned. “So loyal to your sister. Doesn’t matter. You’re both going to die.”
Beside Maren, Haven snarled at Daniel.
“Keep your dog in check or that’s where the first bullet will go.” Daniel swung the barrel of his Glock toward Haven.
Rage swept through Maren. “You shoot my dog, and I’ll shoot you.”
“Look around,” Daniel said with a sweep of his free hand. “You’re outmanned and outgunned.”
Maren looked around and saw four armed people step out of the woods. Three men and one dark-haired woman. No doubt the nurse from the hospital who’d killed Henry. All had automatic weapons or handguns aimed at her and Opal.
“You’ll never get away with this,” Maren said as she laid her weapon on the ground at her feet.
Beside her, Haven tensed and strained at the tight hold she had on the leash, keeping the Doberman from lunging at Daniel.
“Colt and the task force that I’m a part of will never rest until they find out who you are and bring you down. ”
“I have no doubt that they will search. But now that I have the new role of deputy special agent in charge, I’ll have more power. I’ll send Colt far away.”
“Your boss won’t allow that,” Maren stated. At least she hoped Special Agent in Charge Herman wouldn’t agree to Colt being removed from the case and from the state.
“I have Leo wrapped around my finger,” Daniel boasted arrogantly. “Don’t you know? I’m the Golden Boy. He’ll do anything I say.”