Chapter 15
Elena stared at the gate. What if someone really had replaced the bomb? The thought of another explosion, more injuries—or worse—made her stomach twist.
A figure stepped out from the shadows, and Elena’s hand moved to her weapon before she recognized Gideon’s familiar silhouette in the headlights. She rolled her window down.
“Been waiting for you two to get back.” Gideon pulled open the gate. “You can drive through. No bombs here—Javier checked twice, and the sheriff sent a bomb squad looking for others.”
“Thank God.” The tension drained from her shoulders. “How bad is it?”
“Law enforcement showed up about thirty minutes ago. Sheriff sent some deputies, and we’ve got state police here now too.
” He waved them through. “Those drones are toast—between our veterans and the officers, they didn’t stand a chance once we figured out their patterns and could shoot them down. Horses are safe in the south pasture.”
Sully drove through the gate and stopped next to the man. “Anyone hurt?”
“Nothing serious. Few cuts from flying debris, but that’s it.” Gideon’s expression darkened. “We’ve got another problem, though. Spencer’s gone.”
“What?” Elena gaped. “How’d that happen?”
“When those drones started targeting buildings, we decided we needed to move him in case they bombed the barn.” Gideon shook his head. “Javier and I were leading him to the root cellar about the time a drone started firing. We took cover and he broke free and ran.”
She stepped out of the car. “I’m assuming you’ve been searching for him.”
“Yep. Nothing.” Gideon rubbed his neck.
Elena scanned the property. They had the place lit up with headlights from vehicles spotlighting the extensive damage. “How’s Maya? She has to be devastated.”
He scowled. “She is, but we’re insured. She’s already talking about repairs and rebuilding.
Says it’ll be better than before.” Gideon managed a thin smile.
“That woman doesn’t stay down for long, you know that.
At least most of the barn was spared. But we lost three cabins.
The gym needs serious work, and the counseling center took some hits too. ”
Sully nodded. “What about the veterans? Everyone have shelter?”
“We’ve doubled up in the remaining cabins and main house. It’s tight, but we’re managing.” Gideon turned to her. “The main house has some damage. Broken windows and some bullet holes, but your place is okay.”
“Someone can use it while I’m gone if they need to. I should go get ready.” She looked at Sully. “I need to head up into the mountains as soon as possible.”
“Let’s go then.” Sully followed her toward the main house.
She pushed open the door, her mind racing through what she needed to pack.
The thought of Spencer escaping complicated everything.
He wouldn’t know of her plans, of course, but there was no telling what he’d overheard.
He’d spill everything. Not that it would do them much good now that law enforcement covered the ranch.
She sighed. Well, there was nothing to be done about Spencer. She still had to do what she’d come back to do.
They walked through the main part of the house, past displaced vets gathered in the living room. Maya spotted them and waved but continued her conversation with two officers.
Elena led Sully down the narrow staircase to her basement apartment. The space remained untouched, everything just as she’d left it.
“I won’t be long.” She pulled a backpack from her closet. “Just need to change and grab a few things.”
Her mind clicked through what she needed. Dark clothes. Weapon. Extra ammunition. First aid supplies. Water. Food that wouldn’t make noise. Her hand brushed against the photograph of her sister she kept in her drawer. Iris. The reason she had to do this.
“I don’t like this,” Sully said from the doorframe.
She pulled clothes from a drawer. “I don’t particularly love it, but I need to try.”
His phone buzzed and he jerked. Then his eyes collided with hers. “A call is coming through.”
“The jammers are off? Maybe a drone hit one?”
“No idea, I’m just going to be grateful for it.” He answered, listened, murmured a response, and hung up. “Okay, new plan. FBI is coming. They’ll be here before sunrise. At least wait until morning to go. We’ll have more tactical support here by then.”
She paused, weighing the urgency against the danger. Going in blind at night would be reckless. But her sister . . .
Morning was just a few hours away.
Rest sounded good.
And smart. It had just occurred to her if she went at night when it was dark that she might stumble on a guard, and that wouldn’t help anyone. “Fine. First light. Not a minute later.”
He nodded. “I’ll be ready.”
The compromise would have to do. Three more hours. She could wait that long. She just prayed Iris could.
The jail cell cot wasn’t uncomfortable. Ollie had definitely slept on worse, so it wasn’t that preventing her from sleeping. But an hour of staring at the ceiling had accomplished nothing except a slight headache. She rolled to her side and checked the clock on the far wall again.
The sheriff had said they were free to use the conference room if they wanted. Television sounded better than more sleepless tossing and turning, so she slid her feet into her sneakers and tiptoed toward the door.
The hallway lights hummed overhead as she padded past the empty booking desk and caught sight of the open pack of cigarettes.
She glanced at the main door and saw the man’s outline through the side window.
No doubt he’d do another perimeter check.
Perfect timing. That left the other dude.
Agent Gowen. He seemed nice enough, but with so many attempts on her life, she wasn’t sure who to trust. Sully trusted him, though, so maybe that was okay.
She found him raiding the refrigerator in the small kitchen next to the conference room.
He had positioned himself so he could see the cameras trained on the front door.
She was glad to know he was being careful.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“You want to watch some television?”
“Um . . . no thanks.”
“Okay, if you change your mind, let me know. I’m going to check the windows and doors, but that’s where you can find me. I can see the cameras from in there too, so don’t think I’m being slack.”
“I won’t.”
He left and she chewed her bottom lip. Maybe he wasn’t so bad, but she didn’t want to watch television with him.
She wanted to be alone. To veg and not worry about what someone else wanted to watch.
She grabbed an apple and headed back toward her cell, when Piper’s hushed voice drifted to her through the cracked door of the sheriff’s private office. Ollie stopped.
“I’ve done everything you asked. My daughter better be safe.”
Ollie froze. Hannah? Why would Piper be worried about her safety?
“I haven’t gone through all of this for nothing.” Piper’s voice sharpened. “I even took her medicine! I’m trying!”
The medicine? Her missing pills? The words punched the air from her lungs.
Piper had stolen her medication. But why?
All the times Piper had protected her flashed across her mind.
Especially with the drone attack. She’d literally pulled Ollie to the floor, then covered her with her body.
Something didn’t add up. But she’d just said she took Ollie’s lifesaving meds.
“Tomorrow. The transport team arrives just before dawn.” Piper paused. “No, I can handle things here. Just make sure Hannah is safe.”
Ollie backed away, heart thundering in her chest. Piper was working with someone else. Someone who had her daughter. Someone who wanted Ollie. Nausea curled in her stomach and panic wanted to reign.
She turned and walked silently back to the cells.
Her backpack sat on the floor beside the cot.
She snatched it up and slung it over her shoulder, then picked up her coat.
Then dropped them. Footsteps headed her way.
The new guy? He’d probably stop by to check on her.
She stretched out on the cot and closed her eyes.
The footsteps paused at her cell.
She kept her eyes closed and her breathing even.
He continued on toward the conference room.
She heard the television come on and sat up.
Grabbed her backpack and coat once more and thought.
The emergency exit at the rear of the building would trigger an alarm.
The front door meant passing the office where Piper was on the phone. Neither would work.
The bathroom window was a possibility. Actually, the only possibility. All righty then. The bathroom window it was.
Ollie slipped into the restroom and locked the door behind her. The narrow window above the toilet looked barely wide enough for her shoulders. She climbed onto the tank and pushed against the glass. It opened with a slight squeak.
Freezing night air rushed in. This was going to be a cold trek to the ranch.
Should she find a phone and call the sheriff?
But she didn’t have his number. She shoved her coat and backpack through first, easing them past the narrow opening, then wriggled her lower body out the window.
The small frame scraped against her hips, forcing her to turn them diagonally to squeeze out.
But she managed it. Moonlight illuminated the ground below—a bed of loose gravel.
Hanging from the windowsill, her fingers already growing numb from the biting cold, Ollie hesitated.
She really didn’t want to do this, but . . .
With a deep breath, she steeled herself against both fear and cold, then dropped, landing in a practiced crouch.
The small stones shifted beneath her weight, the crunch sounding like a gunshot in the quiet night.
She cringed, but when no one came running, she took a moment to catch her breath and shrug into her heavy coat, then her gloves, hat, and scarf. Now, which way?
Woods surrounded the back of the building, stretching toward the mountains and, somewhere beyond them, Broken Chains Ranch.
Elena and Sully had gone back there. They would help her. They would believe her. Well, Elena would. Sully might protest, but he’d come around.
Ollie plunged into the tree line, putting distance between herself and the jail.
The sliver of a moon provided just enough light to navigate her way through the forest. She could see the road running parallel to her path, and as long as she didn’t lose sight of it, she’d eventually be able to come out near the ranch.
But for now, staying hidden mattered most.
The wind picked up, and she pulled the scarf up over her mouth and nose. The ranch had to be at least ten miles away. Maybe more. But she’d paid close attention during the drive and could see the route in her head.
Ollie quickened her pace, pushing herself, checking her route with the faint glow of the streetlamps. She needed to put distance between her and the jail before Piper realized she’d gone.
Piper had betrayed her. Someone was coming for her at 8:00 a.m.
The numbers cycled through her head—ten miles, just two hours until dawn, one chance to warn Sully and Elena. The math was simple. It was an either-or situation.
Keep moving or die trying.