Guarded by the Soldier Read online

  And for the moment, all she could do in return was pray.

  * * *

  After placing a call to both Duncan O’Hare and Mike Callahan and giving the phone to Olivia, Ryker returned to his hiding spot at the top of the hill. He watched the two men dressed in black, carrying small handguns, as they made their way down the trail. It hadn’t taken them long to figure out where he and Olivia had gone.

  When they’d paused at the fork, he’d held his breath, as they exchanged a short, terse discussion.

  As he’d hoped, they’d split up. The taller of the two headed down the path, the shorter guy nimbly climbing up the way he and Olivia had.

  That meant he only had one to deal with for now, although he suspected it wouldn’t be long before the taller guy realized he’d been duped and joined the shorter man who was now hot on their trail.

  With all the patience and skill embedded in him from his time in Afghanistan, Ryker watched the shorter of the two mercenaries cautiously approach. He could tell, even from this distance, the guy was nervous.

  Ryker knew the guy he’d knocked out must have managed to see them getting into his SUV and leaving town to have found them so quickly. This time, he needed to make sure he did something more to ensure them a getaway.

  There were moments when he lost sight of the approaching mercenary, but waited without moving for him to reappear in his line of vision.

  As the guy approached the landing point Ryker had identified as the target spot, he readied himself. Three. Two. One. Without a sound, Ryker launched himself off the hill, landing on top of the mercenary with a loud thud.

  They rolled together, precariously close to the edge, with Ryker managing to come out on top. He pressed against the guy’s carotid arteries until he passed out, then quickly used the plastic zip ties he always carried in his pockets to bind the man’s wrists and ankles.

  Once he had the mercenary trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, he dragged him off the trail, deep into the brush. The whole takedown had gone off without either man saying a word.

  For a moment, Ryker peered into the man’s face, trying to remember if he’d seen him before, in those days before Christmas when he’d helped Hawk and his family escape from similar mercenaries sent by the Blake-Moore Group.

  But the guy was a stranger.

  For a moment he sat back on his heels, trying to understand how the Blake-Moore Group had managed to recruit more soldiers. The entire operation should have been broken up by the capture and imprisonment of Todd Hayes from the Department of Defense.

  Ryker went through the guy’s pockets searching for an ID but found nothing other than a password protected phone, which he tossed into the ravine. More proof, at least in his mind, that the two men were sent from the Blake-Moore Group. When he had the guy well hidden, Ryker took his weapon, tucked it into the waistband at the small of his back, then stood.

  One down, one more to go.

  He made his way back up to the hilltop. He wanted to go back to the large boulder where Olivia and Aaron waited, to check on them and reassure them, but he needed to keep his eye on the trail below.

  There was no telling how long he’d have to wait before the second mercenary showed up. He was a patient man by nature, but couldn’t help being concerned over Olivia and Aaron.

  As if on cue, he heard Aaron telling his mother he was tired of playing hide-and-seek and wanted to go home. She reassured him that they’d be leaving soon, but Aaron wasn’t buying it. Their voices weren’t too loud; he was listening intently, which was why he’d heard them, yet he couldn’t deny the sound could carry all the way down to where the second guy was lurking on the trail.

  Once he might have prayed for strength, but that was before he’d lost his girlfriend and her daughter. Before his entire world had turned upside down. Right now, all he did was try to ignore their voices.

  Just a little longer, he hoped.

  Finally, after what seemed like forever, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the trail. Thankfully, he no longer heard Olivia and Aaron. The taller guy wasn’t as stealthy as the first was, maybe because he was growing tired of chasing shadows through the woods.

  A fact that would work in Ryker’s favor.

  “Steve? Where are you?” The mercenary’s voice was full of annoyance and the fact that he’d called out to his buddy made Ryker smile.

  Steve, huh? These guys wouldn’t have lasted long in Afghanistan. It seemed the caliber of the soldiers the Blake-Moore Group recruited had gone downhill.

  As before, he waited with infinite patience for the mercenary to get into position. As the guy approached, he slowed his pace, as if sensing danger. Ryker gave him points for realizing something wasn’t right.

  Just a few feet more...

  Now! For the second time that day, Ryker launched himself from his hiding spot. Unfortunately, at the last second, the mercenary turned and lifted his hands in a defensive move as Ryker landed on him. They rolled over and over, Ryker’s head hitting a rock and sending shards of pain lancing through him.

  Darkness threatened, but he refused to give up. He tightened his grip and fought with every ounce of strength he possessed, finally gaining the upper hand.

  The mercenary grunted and let out a harsh expletive. Ryker pressed harder on the guy’s neck, willing him to surrender to unconsciousness.

  A minute later, the mercenary went slack. Still, he didn’t release the pressure, fearing a trap.

  Finally, he eased up and hung his head for a moment. The base of his skull throbbed, but he ignored it. Once again, he reached for the plastic zip ties, and bound the second guy’s wrists and ankles.

  “Ryker? Are you okay?”

  Olivia’s voice had him spinning around so fast, the landscape dipped and shimmered. He blinked, bringing her into focus. “Fine.” His tone was sharper than he’d intended, but the thought of her watching him struggle to subdue the mercenary bothered him. “Go back to the rock. I’ll be there shortly.”

  Her gaze clung to his for a moment, before she eased backward, out of sight. He wanted to close his eyes, make the pain in his head and his thigh go away, but he needed to finish this.

  After dragging the second perp to where he’d stashed the first one, he debated whether or not to wait for them to regain consciousness. He wanted to interrogate the two men, to find out who they worked for and what they wanted from Olivia. At the same time, though, he desperately needed to get her and Aaron far away from there.

  Logically, he knew that sticking around to question the men would be useless. Even if he managed to get them to talk, he doubted the men would tell him anything truthful.

  He took a moment to zip-tie the two men together, and to a tree, so they couldn’t get too far once they awoke. He tossed the second guy’s phone into the ravine as well, then tore their T-shirts into strips to use as gags, to keep them silent. He figured the two guys would be found eventually, by other hikers or tourists, but hoped to gain enough of a head start that it wouldn’t matter.

  Killing them would give him and Olivia more time to escape, but he couldn’t do it. No way could he outright kill a man, even a gun-wielding jerk who’d come after him, not to mention a pregnant woman and a child.

  He’d seen too much death while he was in Afghanistan, and here at home.

  When he’d learned of his girlfriend’s and her daughter’s deaths, he’d promised himself he’d only take a life in self-defense. The way he had at the nanny’s house. It had been necessary to shoot the man who had Aaron, in order to save the boy’s life.

  Still, he hesitated. Their escape from the Shawnee National Forest wouldn’t be fast, especially since Olivia couldn’t exactly run back down the mountain, then back up again, the way they’d come. The last thing he needed was to send her into premature labor.

  Finally, he turned away. He could only hope that Duncan and
Mike would be on their way soon.

  At this point, Ryker would take all the help he could get.

  FIVE

  In Liv’s opinion, the trek back down the mountain, then up again was more difficult than before. Maybe because the rush of adrenaline had faded, leaving a shaky exhaustion in its wake.

  Her leg muscles ached, but she knew that Ryker likely felt worse. Watching him wrestle with the mercenary on the ground had been a harsh reminder of the magnitude of danger.

  She was blessed to have Ryker as their protector.

  Biting back another moan, she pushed onward. The danger had been mitigated for the moment, but she knew that this was only a temporary reprieve.

  The Blake-Moore Group wouldn’t stop until they got whatever they wanted.

  She just wished she knew exactly what that was.

  As she crested the hill, the fast-food restaurant was a welcome sight. She wanted nothing more than to go inside to cool off, but Ryker steered her around to the front of the building.

  “We’ll get something for you and Aaron soon.” His deep, rumbly voice was close to her ear. “Right now we need to get out of here.”

  She nodded, understanding he was right. The more distance they put between them and the two men from the Blake-Moore Group, the better.

  But he surprised her by pulling open the back door of his SUV and gesturing to the car seat. “Pull that out of there, would you?”

  Confused, she glanced up at him. “Why? Don’t we need it?”

  “Yes, but we’re taking their SUV instead of this one.”

  “Oh.” Understanding dawned. Since he was still holding Aaron and her diaper bag, she did as he’d asked, pulling the car seat out of the back and carrying it over to the black SUV at the end of the row.

  After buckling in the seat, she stepped back so Ryker could strap Aaron inside. Then he leaned over and dropped the zebra bag on the floor of the front passenger seat.

  Sliding into the mercenary’s vehicle gave her the creeps, but she shook off the sensation. Who was she to argue with Ryker’s plan? All she wanted was for her and Aaron to be safe.

  She rubbed a hand over her belly.

  “Are you okay?” Ryker’s voice held a note of concern.

  “Fine.” She managed a weak smile. “Just tired. That’s the most exercise I’ve had in a very long time.”

  “I’m sorry.” A deep frown furrowed Ryker’s forehead. “It was the best option we had to get away.”

  “I know.” And his plan had worked. She rested her head back against the seat and momentarily closed her eyes.

  “I’ll stop soon for water, okay?”

  She opened her eyes and looked over at him. Ryker was still frowning as if he’d done something wrong. “Thank you.”

  His jaw tightened. “For nearly getting you and Aaron hurt or worse?”

  “For saving our lives. Again.” She didn’t like the self-recrimination in his tone, so she reached out and lightly touched his forearm. His skin was warm, and she ignored the shimmer of awareness. “We wouldn’t be alive without you. I’m not sure why you came after me and Aaron, but I believe God sent you to save us.”

  He looked surprised. “I run my own security consulting business, so safety is always my top priority.”

  “I see.” She was glad that he was so good at his job. She stared out the windshield. It took a moment for her to realize they were heading north, back toward Wisconsin, where this mess had started.

  She swallowed a protest and dropped her hand into her lap. Ryker had mentioned contacting two friends to help them, so she wasn’t going to complain.

  Even if her original plan was to never set foot in the state of Wisconsin ever again.

  “I’m just glad I found you.” His voice was low and gravelly, and she wondered if he wasn’t a believer. Which was a shame, because he was one of the most honorable men she’d ever met.

  “Me, too.” She remembered how suspicious she’d been about his motives for helping her. Foolish now, when he’d done nothing but save them over and over again. “Although I’d still like to know why you decided to track me down in the first place.”

  He hesitated before answering. “I told you, I was at your house and noticed that you and Aaron had left in a hurry. I was concerned about your safety, especially since I knew your husband and brother were...”

  Dead. He hadn’t said the word, but she knew what he’d meant.

  Dropping the issue seemed to be the prudent thing to do.

  “Oh!” She rummaged in her zebra bag. “I almost forgot. I’m sure it’s cold, but here’s your breakfast sandwich.”

  “Thanks.” He ate while he drove, downing the food in less than five bites. She was sure he was still hungry, but didn’t think he’d appreciate the animal crackers she carried for Aaron.

  They’d need to stop for food and fuel, sooner than later. She’d returned his phone, upset that neither of his friends had returned his call, and now wondered about that. “Would you like me to try contacting your friends again?”

  Ryker pulled his phone out of his pocket and tossed it into her lap. “Why not? They’re both cops, so it could be that they’re at work and can’t talk. We may not hear from them until their respective shifts are over.”

  They were both cops? She shivered, despite the June sun beating in through the windows. She turned the phone in her fingers. “I...don’t trust cops.”

  He raised a brow. “They’re my friends. They would never do anything to hurt you, the baby or Aaron. Mike is married to Duncan’s sister Shayla, and they have a child of their own, a boy named Brodie who is just a little older than Aaron. I’ve helped them out before, and I know they’re more than willing to return the favor.”

  She swallowed a lump of fear and tried to be rational. “I...didn’t know you had friends in law enforcement.”

  “I would trust both of them with my life. Yours and Aaron’s, too.” Ryker’s tone was soft. “They’re good guys. And they’ve worked outside the lines on more than one occasion.”

  Worked outside the lines? Meaning, not following the rules to the strictest level of the law? Knowing that should have made her feel better, but didn’t.

  “Okay.” She tried to inject confidence in her tone. “I hope you’re right.”

  “I promise—it will be okay.”

  She made the calls, but was forced to leave messages for both men. “Still no answer.”

  “They’ll call as soon as they’re able.” He paused, then added, “I know I’ve asked you this before, but there has to be a good reason why these guys are coming after you.”

  “I’ve been racking my brain trying to understand that myself. I mean, sure, I overheard a few things, here and there, but nothing serious enough to make them come after me.”

  “Like what?” There was a note of urgency in his tone.

  She watched as he pulled into a drive-through fast-food restaurant and ordered several bottles of water. “Get yourself something more to eat,” she encouraged.

  “I’m fine.” He handed her a cold bottle of water and she gratefully took a long drink. The nagging headache that she sometimes experienced when dehydrated eased off a notch.

  “I heard Colin and Tim saying something about selling weapons to the enemy.” It wasn’t easy to discuss how her husband and brother had betrayed their country. “At the time I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I soon figured out something was off when I was locked in the motel room with Jeff.”

  “There was no way for you to know the details,” Ryker assured her. “What else?”

  She thought back. The snippets of conversation were often out of context and hadn’t made any sense. “Something about a stash of money, but that was likely referring to the gun sales.”

  “Probably.” Ryker kept a keen eye on the rearview mirror in a way that convinced her t
hey weren’t safe yet. “Anything else?”

  “Not really.” She sighed and rubbed her stomach again. It was something she did unconsciously, to soothe both herself and the baby. “I did get the sense they were trying to keep secrets from their boss.”

  There was a moment of silence as Ryker digested that bit of information.

  When his phone rang, it startled them both. He gestured for her to answer it.

  The name on the screen was Duncan O’Hare. “Hello?”

  “Is this Olivia Habush?”

  “Yes. I’m here with Ryker. Let me put you on speaker.” She held the phone in the palm of her hand and used the speaker function for Ryker’s sake.

  “I hear you’re in trouble.” Duncan’s voice was matter-of-fact.

  “I need help. We’re just leaving the Shawnee National Forest, heading north through Illinois toward Wisconsin. I was hoping you and Mike could hit the road and meet us halfway.”

  “I’m happy to meet up with you. I just have to find someone to cover my next couple of shifts.”

  “Great.” Ryker sounded relieved. “I’m avoiding Interstate 57, using highway 51 instead. I was hoping you guys could meet us either in Springfield or Bloomington, depending on when you can get moving.”

  “I’ll see what I can do, and get in touch with Mike, too.” There was a pause before Duncan added, “I assume you need the usual?”

  “Yes, please.” Ryker smiled, and Liv realized it was probably the first time she’d seen him smile since they’d met. Had it really been only yesterday? He was even better looking when he smiled. “Appreciate it.”

  “Okay. Give me some time to coordinate with Mike. I’ll let you know when we’re on our way.”

  “Thanks, Duncan. Appreciate your help.”

  “Hey, it’s the least I can do. You guys left me out of the fun when Hawk needed help, so it’s my turn.”

  Ryker’s smile widened. “Later.”

  Duncan disconnected the line, so she pushed the End Call button. “Left him out of the fun when Hawk needed help? I hardly view dealing with the Blake-Moore Group as fun.”