Alaskan Courage: Silenced Part 38

Fear reverberated through Kayden. What did the evil woman have planned?

Reef woke to the ringing of his cell phone. "Yeah?"

Please let it be good news, Lord.

"Jake's found Angela's hideout," Sheriff Marshall said. "The old army bunker up on the north bluff. It's marked on your topo map. If you and Kirra cut across the ridge rather than going around, you should be able to reach them in under a couple hours."

"Okay, I'll wake Kirra now and we'll head straight out. Have you alerted the rest of the teams?"

"I have my deputies on it as we speak."

Good. The more, the better.

"Be careful."

"Will do."

Unzipping his tent, he moved to Kirra's. "Kirra?"

Rex moved, his collar jingling.

Reef unzipped her tent. She was sound asleep, Rex sitting at the ready beside her.

He growled.

"It's okay, Rex. It's just me. We need to wake Kirra up."

Man, she was a sound sleeper.

"Kirra," he said louder, and she stirred, shifting her arms over her head. Her blond hair was disheveled about her.

"Kirra!"

Her eyes shot open-beautiful crystal blue staring back at him, full of . . . fear? "What?"

"Jake found them. We need to move."

"Oh." She shook off the lingering sleep and whatever had her fearful. "Give me five."

He nodded and set to dismantling his tent.

A few minutes later Kirra emerged from hers-dressed for the day, Rex bounding out beside her. "Just give me a minute to get my pack set and we can go."

Reef nodded, amazed by how vibrant and beautiful she looked just minutes after waking. Whoa! He had to stop thinking of Kirra that way. The elevation must be going to his head.

He exhaled. Who was he kidding? He lived at this elevation all s...o...b..arding season.

He rolled his tent and sleeping bag, putting both in his pack while Kirra did the same.

"Where are they?"

"The old army bunker out at the north bluff. Marshall said if we cut across the ridge we can make it in under two hours."

Kirra studied the topographical map they'd brought. "He's right. It's a strenuous hike, no truck access through a good portion of it, but it's a lot faster than hiking back to the truck and taking the road all the way around."

Reef cinched his pack on his back. "Let's do it."

"Did Jake say how Kayden was?"

"Marshall just said he'd located Angela's truck, not that he had eyes on Kayden yet."

"I just pray she's okay, that they both are."

Reef appreciated her sincerity. "I do too."

"Would you like me to say a quick prayer?"

"That'd be nice." G.o.d would no doubt be more likely to listen to her prayers. She was the ultimate good girl.

She bowed her head and Reef did the same.

"Father, only you know what's happening with Jake, Kayden, and Angela now. We pray for protection for Jake and Kayden and that justice would be done. Please lead us to them quickly, and may we all be home secure in our own beds tonight. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."

"Amen," he said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Not just for the prayer, but for caring about my family." Being away so long, it was good to know his siblings had such good friends standing by them and looking out for them. He wanted his siblings to know he'd stand by them too. Maybe Anna was right. Maybe this was where G.o.d wanted him.

"They're good people," she said, shifting her pack and the topic, a hint of longing in her voice. "Have Cole and Bailey landed?"

"Marshall said they have, and they're en route now."

"Jake."

It was Kayden's voice.

"Jake." Chains rattled nearby. "Can you hear me?"

He forced his eyes open. Lights glowed in the dimness around him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice weaker than he'd ever heard it.

He turned to see her shackled beside him, dried blood in her hair, bruises on her face . . .

His heart lurched.

"Kayden." He reached for her, his shackles pinning him tight to the wall overhead.

"I'm okay."

She clearly wasn't.

"Angela's crazy."

"I figured that one out."

"She killed her husband."

"What?"

"She made it look like a suicide. And Becca . . ."

"What about Becca?"

"Oh, now you've gone and ruined the surprise," Angela said as she reentered the room.

"You!" He struggled against his shackles. "You killed Becca and our daughter?"

"I didn't know she was pregnant." A cool smile spread on Angela's lips. "Not that it would have made any difference. In fact, it made it all the better revenge-wise."

Jake wrestled against his bonds, determined to get out of them, even if it meant breaking his own hands.

"This time you get to watch the woman you love die."

Jake looked at Kayden. He prayed she knew he truly loved her, even if Angela was the first to actually say the words.

She looked over at him, such sweetness and sincerity br.i.m.m.i.n.g in her eyes despite the dark circ.u.mstances. "I love you too."

"What?" The breath left his lungs. She loved him? He'd been praying he'd been right about her starting to care for him, but she loved him?

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier." She wept. "Sorry I kept you at arm's length."

"It doesn't matter. You've just made me the happiest man alive."

Angela lifted her gun. "Not for long."

An explosion rocked the south wall. Angela glanced over. "Looks like we've got company." She moved to the camera feed.

Jake took the opportunity to dislocate his thumbs and slide his hands free of the cuffs. He signaled Kayden to be quiet while he grabbed the Taser.

He moved behind Angela. She must have caught his reflection in the monitor because she turned and shot.

He stumbled back with the force of the bullet, with the heat searing down his arm.

"No!" Kayden screamed.

Rex burst into the room, followed by Reef and Kirra.

Angela took off with Rex at her heels.

"Jake." Kayden wrestled to break free.

"Kayden." Reef's gaze landed on her with alarm.

"Jake's been shot."

Reef and Kirra's attention shifted to Jake. Kirra moved to a.s.sess.

"It's just a shoulder wound. He'll be fine." She grabbed the blanket off the air mattress and began tearing it into strips long enough to bind his wound.

Reef moved to help Kayden.

"Angela has the keys, but there are some nails on the floor."

"How are nails going to help?"

"Here." Jake moved before Kirra could finish bandaging his shoulder, popping his thumbs back in place with an agonizing grunt. He pulled a pick from his pocket, surprised Angela hadn't patted him down while he was out. She'd taken his gun and knife but hadn't bothered checking his pockets. Sloppy.

He bent and picked Kayden's handcuffs until they both opened. She lunged forward and hugged him.

He winced as she collided with his gunshot wound.

She pulled back. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"I'm not." He cupped her face gingerly and brought her lips to his, kissing her with all the loving fervor he'd been storing up for years.

She kissed him back, just as pa.s.sionately, and he never wanted to let her go.

But Gage and Darcy barged in.

"Well, it's about time," Gage said before Darcy elbowed him.

"What?" he said. "Everyone else is thinking it."

At the distant sound of Rex's bay, Jake pulled back. "Which way did she go?" He needed to keep Kayden safe, and that meant finding Angela and getting her back behind bars, where she belonged.

Kayden pointed. "She took off down that corridor. Rex should distract her for a bit."

Jake focused on Rex's barking. "It sounds as if he's chased her into the underground maze at the rear of the bunker. I've explored three of these already, and from my experience, it might be a while before she makes her way out.

"Gage and I will go out the front and wait at her truck. Reef, you and Kirra go after Rex and flush her out."

"She's got b.o.o.by traps set up," Reef said. "Luckily Kirra spotted the trip wire or we would have been toast, or at the very least, seriously maimed."

Jake smiled at Kirra. "Nice work."

"Thanks. As a vet I deal with the effects of far too many poacher traps. I've learned to watch for them whenever I'm in the wilderness."