Soldier's Christmas Secrets Read online

  “We need to make sure the cabin is wiped down anyway,” Hawk said, hovering near the door. “And my antibiotics are still there, along with my supplies.”

  “You’re feeling worse, aren’t you?” Jillian stepped forward and placed her hand on Hawk’s forehead. His skin was hot to the touch. Cold fingers of fear squeezed her heart. If anything happened to Hawk...

  “I’m okay, but I need those antibiotics.” Hawk pulled away from her touch and opened the door to the motel room. “Let’s go.”

  Jillian wanted to argue but concentrated on bundling Lizzy into her winter coat as the men quickly filed out of the room. She was troubled by Hawk’s illness and tried to think of a compromise.

  Originally she hadn’t wanted to be left with the Callahans while he worked the case. But that was before she’d gotten to know them. Mike and Matthew were both decent men, as was Ryker Tillman. She needed to convince Hawk to turn everything over to the authorities and assure him that the Callahans could keep her safe while he received treatment for his injury at the hospital.

  Even if they didn’t get to the bottom of this right away, they could start up again after the holidays. And once Hawk was feeling better.

  Hawk came back to the room, looking impatient as he waited for her.

  “We’re ready.” She carried Lizzy to the door.

  “I’ll take her,” Hawk offered. Lizzy didn’t mind when Hawk gently pulled her away. “We’ll go to the cabin for a few hours, but Mike and Matt are going to search for a new place for us to stay. They promise to find something kid-friendly.”

  “Okay.” She liked the way Hawk held Lizzy against his chest, clutching her teddy bear with her small head tucked beneath his chin.

  The trip back to the cabin motel didn’t take long. She was all too aware that the first thing Hawk did was to find the bottle of antibiotics. He downed the pills, chasing them with a large glass of water. Then he added a couple of ibuprofens and took those, too.

  While he cleaned the place up, no doubt getting rid of any and all evidence of their staying there, she went into the bedroom to pack up Lizzy’s things.

  A strange thumping noise coming from outside made her frown. What in the world? It almost sounded like...

  A helicopter?

  For a moment she was paralyzed with fear, then found the strength to take immediate action.

  “Come with me, Lizzy.” She held Lizzy close and rushed into the kitchen. The thump, thump, thumping noise grew louder.

  “Hawk! A helicopter!”

  Hawk joined her a split second later, glancing around the room. “Where’s Ryker?”

  She shook her head helplessly. “I don’t know. I don’t think he came inside with us.”

  Hawk grabbed the car keys off the table and crossed over to the door. “We have to get out of here. Hurry!”

  “We can’t outdrive a helicopter,” she protested. It took her a moment to pull on her winter coat and Lizzy’s too, before following him outside.

  The chopper was coming in from the north, fast and low, looking like a dark menacing bird of prey about to pounce.

  “Hurry!” Hawk shouted, staying behind her as they made their way toward the SUV.

  But even as he spoke, four men, dressed completely in black and with rifles slung over their shoulders, emerged from the helicopter. They rappelled down until they were on the ground and quickly came toward them.

  Jillian froze, holding Lizzy tightly against her chest as the little girl sobbed with fright.

  They were surrounded!

  FOURTEEN

  Ryker had been right. They never should have come back to the cabin motel. As Hawk turned to face the men, all four strategically standing in a semicircle around them, with the SUV at their backs, Hawk pushed Jillian and Lizzy protectively behind him. Then he raised his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

  The only possible source of rescue would be from Ryker. Hawk didn’t have a clue where he was but knew the soldier would have heard the chopper. He hoped and prayed Ryker was hiding in the woods, getting ready to make his move at a strategic time.

  “You want me? Fine.” Hawk hoped these men couldn’t hear the hint of desperation in his tone. Lizzy’s crying wrenched at his heart, but he did his best to ignore it. “You’ve got me. Now let the woman and child go. They don’t know anything, I’m the one you came for.”

  The four armed men didn’t say anything but stood in place as if waiting for something.

  Or someone.

  The SUV was only about thirty feet away. Thirty feet that may as well have been thirty miles.

  He never should have come back here. If Jillian and Lizzy died today, it would be his fault. He could hear Jillian trying to reassure Lizzy, even though the situation was bad. Worse than bad.

  He sent up a desperate prayer that God would keep his wife and daughter safe from harm.

  “Let them go,” Hawk repeated. “I’ll come with you without a struggle once they’re safe in the SUV and have driven far from here.”

  Still no response from the four men. Clearly they were waiting for their next order. From whom, he didn’t know.

  Yonkers? Or higher brass within the Blake-Moore group?

  He scanned their faces. At least they weren’t wearing ski masks this time. Hawk tried to search his fragmented memory for recognition. It was highly likely that one or more of them had served with him in Afghanistan.

  But he couldn’t place a single one. They were strangers to him. Strangers that wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet through his heart.

  “I’m not leaving without you,” Jillian whispered.

  He ignored her because it wasn’t her decision. Hawk tried to come up with an escape plan. With Ryker’s help, he thought they might be able to take out all four of them, giving Jillian and Lizzy the chance to get away unharmed. The only problem was that his and Ryker’s chances of surviving such a rash attempt were slim to none.

  Didn’t matter. Nothing was more important than keeping Jillian and Lizzy safe. And he sensed Ryker would feel the same way.

  He remembered what Ryker had said about not hurting Olivia and Aaron because that was not the kind of soldiers they were. They were wired to protect the innocent. Especially women and children.

  He could trust Ryker to keep Jillian and Lizzy safe.

  The sound of movement coming through the trees snagged his attention. He tensed, ready to make his move.

  When a familiar figure came through the trees, surprisingly alone, Hawk knew he shouldn’t have been surprised.

  Senator Rick Barton.

  His memory hadn’t been wrong. He had seen Major Rick Barton in the Afghan mountains five years ago.

  Realizing the senator was the one behind all of this made Hawk sick to his stomach. He should have sent all of his evidence to the FBI or the CIA.

  Now it was too late.

  “Hello, James.”

  Hawk didn’t answer, partially because there was a lump in his throat the size of Mount Rushmore.

  “I know you may find this difficult to believe but I’m here to help,” the senator continued. “You’ve stumbled into a bit of a mess, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Hawk stared at Barton without responding. He wasn’t buying the oh-so-innocent act. Senators didn’t come after a soldier with a chopper full of armed men.

  Not unless the mission was to silence a threat.

  “We don’t have a lot of time, James.” The senator’s easygoing tone now held a hard edge. “So let me sum things up for you. I know you witnessed a gun deal five years ago outside of Kabul between Colin Yonkers, an American soldier, and the insurgents. I know that the plane carrying the Bravo team was sabotaged and crashed in the Appalachian Mountains. I know your body was never found and I always suspected you’d turn up one day. And finally I know you have proof of the gun deal.” Barton
paused for a moment, then spread his hands wide. “That covers just about everything, doesn’t it?”

  A strained silence hung between them for a long moment. Hawk knew that a prolonged silence often made others want to talk to fill in the gap, but Rick Barton had been trained the same way he had been.

  No one spoke or moved a fraction of an inch.

  “Not even close.” Hawk finally said in a harsh tone. “You forgot to mention how you sent armed men in ski masks to my wife’s house. How you ordered her home to be ransacked along with her classroom in an effort to find the proof I currently have in my possession. How you also sent four men after us at my cabin, but only three survived.” Hawk took a moment to meet the gazes of each of the four men. “I guess that soldier didn’t mean much to you, as I see you’ve replaced him easily enough. Tell me, are they all willing to die for you the way Tim Habush did?”

  “Those weren’t my soldiers,” Barton protested. “I’m telling you, I’m not the one out to hurt you. If you’ll just come with me to Washington, DC, then we can straighten this out.”

  Yeah, right, Hawk thought snidely. He knew if he went with the senator there was no way he’d actually make it to Washington, DC alive. More likely they’d shove him out of the chopper to his death where it would take weeks, maybe even months, before his body was found.

  But if he could buy some time for Ryker to get Jillian and Lizzy to safety, it might be worth it. He wished he knew exactly where Ryker was. And he wished he’d never allowed Mike and Matt Callahan to go out ahead of them to find a new place to stay.

  His mistakes might result in the deaths of his wife and daughter. And that couldn’t be tolerated.

  “Here are my terms. I’ll go with you back to DC, if you’ll let Jillian and Lizzy go.”

  “No.” Jillian spoke out loud for the first time since the armed men had all but surrounded them. “We’re not leaving without you, Hawk.”

  “Hawk?” Like a rattlesnake finding a mouse in the grass, the senator pounced on his new name. “Is that the name you’re going by these days? No wonder it was so difficult to find you.”

  The new name had helped keep him under the radar. If he hadn’t sent Jillian those stupid photographs all those years ago, they wouldn’t have found him now. Hawk couldn’t stand knowing that this mess was his fault.

  As he stared Rick Barton down, he tried to plan his next move. Because he wasn’t going to let Jillian and Lizzy suffer because of his choices.

  “Let Jillian and Lizzy go,” he repeated. “Once they’re far enough away that they can’t be seen, I’ll go with you to DC. That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”

  The senator’s smile was humorless. “You seem to think you’re in a position to negotiate, James. But you’re not.”

  Hawk’s muscles tensed. He hoped and prayed Ryker was nearby, l-istening to the conversation, ready to jump in to help get Jillian and Lizzy to safety as needed. The moment the senator flinched, he’d make his move.

  “But since I’m not the one behind all of this, I’m happy to oblige,” Barton said as if he were giving Hawk a medal instead of a death sentence. “Maybe then you’ll realize that my only concern is getting to the bottom of the gun dealing in Afghanistan. So sure, go ahead.” Barton waved a dismissive hand. “The woman and child are free to go.”

  “No,” Jillian protested, her voice loud enough to be heard over Lizzy’s crying. “I’m not leaving you.”

  “Yes, you are.” He turned to give her a steely glare. “Hurry. I need you and Lizzy to be safe.”

  Her eyes pleaded with his, but he refused to budge. Finally she nodded and hitched Lizzy higher in her arms.

  “Reach out to the Callahans,” he murmured in a low voice, hoping the armed men wouldn’t hear beyond Lizzy’s sobs. “They’ll help you.”

  Jillian gave a slight nod to indicate she got the message. She took several steps backward, until she was near the SUV. After securing Lizzy in her car seat, she walked around and slid in behind the wheel. The entire process seemed interminably slow, but Jillian finally had the car in gear and began rumbling down the driveway.

  He watched, memorizing the way she looked, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time he’d see her, before he turned to face Barton.

  The moment Jillian and Lizzy were no longer in danger, Hawk sensed the tension between the gunmen relaxed. Maybe Lizzy’s crying had gotten on their nerves, too. Either way, they no long perceived him as a threat.

  That was their mistake.

  “Ready?” the senator asked.

  Hawk didn’t move. “Not until she’s out of sight.” He didn’t dare rake a gaze around the area to find Ryker’s position. The guy was either out there ready to help, or he wasn’t.

  Hawk hoped and prayed it wasn’t the latter.

  * * *

  Jillian couldn’t believe Hawk had stayed behind with the senator. She should have known he was right all along. Men in power could do whatever they wanted.

  Even sending four armed men rappelling down from a helicopter to capture them.

  While she’d been partially hidden behind Hawk, she’d dialed 911 from the phone in her pocket. At least, she hoped she had. It wasn’t an easy thing to do when you couldn’t see the numbers.

  But the 911 response wouldn’t be quick enough. Not considering they were way out here in the middle of nowhere. By the time the sheriff’s deputies arrived, Barton and his armed men would be long gone.

  Taking Hawk with them.

  She considered calling again but didn’t think that would create a faster response. However, remembering the phone gave her an idea. She slowed the SUV, twisted in her seat and used the disposable phone she’d been given to snap a quick picture of Hawk standing with his spine ramrod straight and staring at Barton while surrounded by four armed men. If anything happened to him, she wanted proof of what had gone down here.

  Leaving Hawk at Barton’s mercy caused tears to well in her eyes, blurring her vision. She swiped them away, knowing she needed to drive safe for Lizzy’s sake.

  But fearing the worst made her heart ache. She couldn’t lose Hawk now that she’d found him. She just couldn’t!

  Please, Lord. Please keep Hawk safe in Your care!

  In an attempt to stall for time, she kept her speed slow. Using her phone, she called Mike Callahan, leaving a message when he didn’t pick up. Keeping the phone close, she turned her attention back to the rural highway.

  Mike returned her call within two minutes. “What’s going on?”

  “Senator Barton dropped four armed men from a helicopter to surround us. Hawk convinced them to let me and Lizzy drive away in the SUV, but he’s back there alone with them. The senator is planning to take Hawk to DC, but I don’t believe he’ll make it there alive.” The words tumbled out in a rush, as fear stabbed deep. “We need to do something.”

  “Where’s Ryker?”

  Good question. “I don’t know. He wasn’t in the cabin when the chopper arrived, so I have to assume he’s hiding in the woods somewhere, waiting for the opportunity to help.”

  “Good. At least Hawk isn’t alone.”

  She wanted to fast-pitch the phone through the windshield. “Didn’t you hear me? There are four armed men with the senator! That’s five against two!”

  “I heard you, Jillian, but you have to have faith in Hawk and Ryker’s abilities. They are both highly trained soldiers. And I need you to calm down and be patient. Matt and I will meet you at the gas station just outside Paloma. It’s the closest town to the east.”

  She didn’t want to be calm. She wanted them to rush over to help rescue Hawk. She heard Lizzy sniffling in the back seat and managed to pull herself together. “Okay, fine. I’ll meet you at the gas station in Paloma.”

  She disconnected from the call and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her racing heart. She unflexed her finge
rs from their death-like grip on the steering wheel and tried to think rationally.

  Mike was probably right about Hawk’s and Ryker’s skills. At some point during the standoff, she’d hoped Ryker would rush in, guns blazing, to take out the threat. But obviously that would be too dangerous. Not just for her and Lizzy, but for Hawk and Ryker, too.

  Maybe now that she and Lizzy were out of the way, they’d find a way to escape. She thought about how Ryker might wait until they were all hiking through the woods back to the chopper. She’d watched Hawk in action enough to know that a surprise attack from an unknown assailant would be their best chance for escape.

  Who was she kidding? She wasn’t a trained soldier and really had no idea how or when Ryker should make his move.

  All she could do was to continue driving Lizzy safely out of harm’s way.

  And pray.

  * * *

  Hawk waited a full five minutes after Jillian and Lizzy left before he gestured toward the chopper. “Okay, they’re safe. Let’s go.”

  Senator Barton looked relieved to have Hawk’s cooperation. But that didn’t prevent him from instructing one of the armed guards to pat Hawk down.

  Hawk tried not to wince as he held his arms out to the side. The bullet wound was throbbing again. He didn’t say a word when the gunman relieved Hawk of his weapon and tucked it away.

  If Ryker was listening, Hawk hoped he’d take up a position somewhere along the path to the chopper. It wouldn’t be easy to take out all four men, but he’d been in worse situations.

  It was easier to think clearly now that Jillian and Lizzy were safe. He was confident the Callahans would protect his wife and daughter.

  No point in thinking past the next step. If he didn’t return to them, so be it. At this point he was putting his faith in his skills, in Ryker and, most important of all, in God.