Love Inspired Suspense December 2013 Bundle: Christmas Cover-Up\Force of Nature\Yuletide Jeopardy\Wilderness Peril (71 page)

SIXTEEN

C
arrying her tool set and the gasket she needed to fix the exhaust leak that Aiden had described, Shay tucked her hood over her head and stepped out into the cold, running over the repair she'd need to make in her head.

She had the gasket and hoped a simple replacement would fix the problem. But if Kemp hadn't flown the thing all this time and it was eroded too badly, it might require more than she could do here. That possibility had nagged her for days now. She'd buried those concerns, trying to stay optimistic, but maybe she should think like a realist. Like Rick.

What if she couldn't repair the plane in time? Or at all?

She calmed her breathing. She had to do this.
Please, God, let it be a simple fix.
She couldn't think of anything she wanted more at that moment than to fly away, even though she hated flying.

She sucked in the colder air brought in with the storm. Thank goodness it had blown through yesterday and had all but gone, leaving barely a dusting of snow that was quickly melting as the morning warmed up.

Any season in interior Alaska could be unpredictable, but the fall months leading into winter didn't leave room for any surprises. They should expect the unexpected. If for some insane reason they ended up stuck here for a few more weeks and Alaska turned brutal, the weather would be more than they could survive in the exposed setting of the mining camp. But who was she kidding? The men had no plans to stay that long—and no matter what happened, she was sure the men wouldn't willingly let her or Rick leave alive.

The camp seemed eerily quiet. No one worked the backhoe or the bulldozer. The jig was cranked up and running, but only a couple of men milled about in that area. The three of them—Rick, Shay and Kemp—easily slipped off behind the buildings and into the thick woods.

Kemp followed an overgrown trail, confident his note from Aiden would keep Rick in line. But Shay wasn't so sure. They were as free here as they'd been since arriving. Escape was almost within reach. In fact, she had no doubt that if she could fix the plane, Rick would try to overpower Kemp and get the upper hand. They would leave. But Kemp had driven a nail deep into Rick's heart, making it clear that any action from Rick could be used as an excuse to punish Aiden.

Aiden wasn't even her brother, and she couldn't see herself leaving without him now, if she ever could have.

They hiked up an incline, reminding her of just a few days earlier when she and Rick had made their way down into a gorge to get their things from the Jeep. Shay had had to face her fear of heights to make it—but Rick had been there with her, helping her all the way.

Oh, Rick.

He was quickly burrowing underneath her protective barrier. Shay almost felt helpless against his charm—charm she'd never dream would be directed her way. She'd certainly never imagined this particular scenario, either. Maybe that was the problem—she couldn't have known just what kind of protection she'd need, so she hadn't been able to defend herself against the way their situation had made her feelings impossible to ignore.

After a half-mile hike, Kemp pushed through the trees to the short landing strip. Over and out of the way was a rudimentary hangar, where he'd parked the plane. The shed offered meager protection. Shay would have to do much more than the part replacement to make sure the aircraft was even airworthy after being so exposed to the elements.

Kemp hurried across the airstrip to the plane, Shay and Rick on his heels, each of them seemingly preoccupied with their own agendas. Each of them well aware that the other men would return soon. Maybe before she'd completed her task. Maybe they'd even be discovered.

Shay set her toolbox and the gasket down and drew in a breath. Often at Deep Horizon's hangar, she had to shove all distractions aside in order to do her job. She was in her element now. Shay would get this baby flying.

And when she knew the plane was ready, she was supposed to signal Rick. They'd never really gotten to what the signal should be, but maybe a look and a nod would be enough for him. She and Rick had worked together, albeit at different jobs, for Deep Horizon for a couple of years now. She had a feeling he'd be able to tell when she finally got things up and running.

Rick remained at her side as she tried to start the plane and listen to the engine. Kemp stood near them, holding an intimidating posture. Ready to shoot for the slightest reason. She tried not to think about that, or else her limbs would shake even more than they already were.

Rick pressed a hand over hers to reassure her, but even that couldn't calm her nerves.

Aiden had been right—the problem appeared to be an exhaust leak. She climbed out of the cockpit and raised the hood.

She had to make it look as if she needed Rick to help her with this, or else he didn't have much value to Kemp other than leverage for Shay's cooperation. But Rick's nearness scrambled her thoughts on top of the pressure she already felt. Still, she managed to stammer out some instructions for simple tasks he could help her complete.

Time held no meaning as she worked. A good hour or more could have passed and she wouldn't have known. When she glanced up, she saw that Kemp had opened his satellite-phone case and was making a call.

When she finished installing the new gasket, she closed the hood and nodded at Rick. Kemp was deep in conversation, so she felt it safe to speak.

“I fixed the problem. There might be other maintenance issues, which I'll need to look at, and we'll need to do a preflight check. That'll take more time. You're not planning to leave without Aiden, are you?”

“He didn't write that note without coercion.” He whispered so low she could barely hear him. “He wouldn't ever have said that.”

“But don't you think he wants us to find him and take him with us?”

Frown lines cut deeper into his face. “Of course he does. If I were him, I'd want that, too, in a perfect world. I'd also want you to take the only chance you had and either come back for me later or trust me to find my own way out.”

Rick swallowed. Shay could tell this was a struggle for him. She would make it easy. “For now, let's stay. Stick to the plan. I'll make the radio call.”

He held her gaze and something passed between them. She was about to question him again when he turned and strolled over to Kemp, blocking his view of Shay. Good. This was her chance to make the call. They weren't going to leave Aiden.

She climbed into the cockpit. First she looked for the ELT—the emergency locator transmitter—to flip it on. That would send a signal that they needed help. Where was the thing? Didn't this plane have one?

She couldn't find it, so she turned her attention to the radio. Rick should be the one to do this. He'd know what to do. But he was also the better choice to distract Kemp. That meant Shay had to do this part. She drew in a few calming breaths, remembering the words Rick had told her to say.

She flipped on the radio and turned to the emergency frequency.

Nothing.

What? On and off, she flipped. The radio was dead.

Disappointment seized her. She had to let Rick know their plan was a complete failure. Not only had she been unable to make the radio call, she also didn't feel confident in taking the plane until she'd checked all the systems. She'd been afraid to start that process earlier because she didn't want Kemp to think she'd fixed the problem yet. She had to give him a reason to still need her. There was a tricky balance in gaining the advantage and maintaining control and she'd taken measures to make sure that happened.

From somewhere in the distance, Kemp shouted, “I'll kill you!”

Shay climbed from the cockpit. Rick had a stranglehold on Kemp. “Go ahead, Shay!” he yelled out. “Start the plane!”

Panic flooded her. She couldn't fly. Didn't he remember that she wasn't a pilot? She didn't know if the Cessna was even airworthy. And what about Aiden? All those thoughts raced through her mind at the same excruciating moment in time. Unfortunately, the thoughts kept her frozen, staring at the desperate struggle between Kemp and Rick.

If Rick didn't win this, they were both dead.

Veins bulged in Kemp's temple and his neck as he slowly forced the gun back at Rick's head, his finger on the trigger. She wouldn't have imagined he would be so strong.

She had to do something.

Shay stumbled forward. “No!”

“Start. The. Plane.” Rick choked out the words. “Do it.”

From where she stood, that didn't seem like a good plan.

If Kemp shot Rick, what did it matter if she could get the plane started or not? Shay ran toward the two men, preparing to wrestle the gun from Kemp and away from Rick's head. Both men turned red with exertion in their struggle for power and control. Rick pressed the weapon away from his head.

Kemp shifted against him and the gun went off.

Shay's heart ricocheted. “No...” she whimpered.

Rick...

He dropped to the ground.

This wasn't supposed to happen. It's not supposed to end this way.

Kemp caught his breath and aimed the weapon at Rick's face this time.

Shay screamed and ran toward him, shoving the weapon away just as it went off again, the resounding shock wave of gunfire ringing through her core.

Her ears still rang, but she didn't let that make her hesitate for another moment. “You kill him now and you won't leave,” she yelled out. “I won't finish the repairs.”

Kemp yanked her arm and twisted. He pressed the gun under her chin. “I told you if either of you tried anything, someone would get hurt. I'm thinking that someone might have to be you. What do you mean you won't finish? Didn't you already do that? If the plane is fixed, then I don't need you anymore.”

Kemp had turned vicious.

“There's more wrong with it than just the part that needed replacing. You can't fly the plane out yet.” Shay blinked away the sweat of fear from her eyes, grateful she'd thought ahead and made sure to disable it so he couldn't fly without her help.

“If you're lying, I'll forget the plane and kill you anyway.”

Shay stared him down, forcing all the loathing she could into her gaze, but that didn't keep the tears from streaking down her cheeks. “I'm not lying, either, when I tell you that if you kill him, or if you let him die, I won't complete the repairs. You won't leave this place alive, either.”

She forced bravado into her words, strength brought on by the image of this man shooting Rick. The man she couldn't love. The man she couldn't stop herself from loving, either.

* * *

Rick opened his eyes.

Fire burned across his shoulder and brought the images screaming back.

He'd tried to trick Kemp, knowing it would be a risky move. But he'd realized this would be their best chance, maybe even their only chance, to escape. He'd reconciled himself to the idea by promising himself he'd call for help in getting Aiden out, if Shay hadn't already done so, as soon as they got into the air.

But he'd underestimated Kemp and they'd struggled.

The gun had gone off.

That was all Rick remembered.

Shay's face appeared in his line of vision, her soft smile not entirely covering the frown.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” he said with a chuckle. Though there was nothing funny about this. He was incapacitated. No use to anyone.

Again.

Why hadn't Kemp simply killed him?

He glanced around, his body protesting even the slightest movement. He recognized the space they were in as the one where he'd doctored the other gunshot patient. “We alone in the room?”

“Yeah. Something's going on out there. And...well, you were shot. Unconscious.”

“Did you make the call?”

With a grim expression, she shook her head. “No ELT and the radio didn't work. My guess, he took out the first and disabled the second before he brought us.”

“Why didn't he just finish me off?”

She ran a finger through his hair. “Because he knows I won't help him if you die. Now, to that end, what can you tell me about treating your gunshot wound? I followed the instructions in this kit, but I don't know if I did anything right. I should have watched you more closely when you treated the other man, but I...I didn't think it would come to this.”

He glanced at the bandaged wound. “Impressive. You stopped the bleeding. I'm good to go for now.”

“But does it still hurt?” Her eyes held the telltale shimmer of tears.

“I won't lie to you. It still hurts. But I'm a big boy.” Rick reached up and wiped at the corners of her eyes. The one act nearly drained him completely. He had to get his strength back. What were they going to do now? “I have to tell you...” He winced as he shifted and a fire raced through his shoulder. “I have to tell you what happened.”

He caught her wrist when she made to move away. “When I was in Afghanistan, my helicopter crashed and burned. I made it out with my copilot. He was unconscious. I tried to get us to safety, but there was just so much chaos around us. The building where I had planned to run for safety blew up. We were taking fire, and there was nothing I could do about it. Every decision I made was the wrong one. I couldn't save him.”

“Rick, please, you don't have to tell me.”

Rick closed his eyes, remembering the rest, wanting to tell her but knowing it would be too much now.

He felt a sting in his leg—the same burning fire that he felt today in his shoulder—but he kept going. He hefted his unconscious copilot over his shoulder and moved to take cover in the structure of desert bricks. A crumbled building. But it would offer a measure of protection—if he could reach it. Rick was nearly there when he fell to the ground, unable to move. Unable to get completely to safety. He dragged his friend the rest of the way, his legs failing him.