Chapter 14

 

Caleb led the way back into the larger chamber, sliding with his back against the wall and edging around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. He couldn't see anyone nearby, so he motioned for Dani to follow him.

He marveled at the sudden reversal of their luck. Not luck, he corrected himself. She did this. That tiny remarkable woman managed to outsmart our captors and get us free.

She was astonishing, incredible. More than any man could ever hope for. But now it was up to him to keep her safe.

Danielle had done her part; now he had to do his.

They stuck to the shadows, and soon Caleb led them to a set of cluttered tables. He dug through the varied contents on their surfaces while Dani kept watch. Although they could both hear voices and other noises from different parts of the cave, no one was within eyesight.

"It's not here," he said finally, trying to hide his frustration.

"I saw another table across the chamber," Dani said, pointing off to their right, past the lights illuminating the mining area. "Let's check there."

Caleb nodded, and they went back to creeping along. It seemed an eternity before they reached the other table, but their cautious movements had yet to attract any attention. Caleb scanned the surface, moving around pieces of equipment, but there was no sign of his cell phone. "Fuck!" he cursed, wanting to bang his fists against the useless junk.

"Not there?" she asked, then frowned when he shook his head. "Well, when they took my phone, I saw the big guy shove it in his pocket. Do you think he's got yours too?"

"I don't know, but I don't know where else it could be."

Dani nodded, resignation settling into her fine features. "We need to find him then. If we can corner him alone, we should be able to get it from him."
"If he has it," Caleb warned, but he had no better plan.

"Let's do it," he said and began leading her towards the voices. They stayed deep in the shadows as they approached their captors, and Caleb was glad to hear the gruff tone of the one called Chief. The man's disgusting words from earlier ran through his mind, and he swore to himself that he would show the pig who was really in charge.

Caleb signaled for Dani to crouch beside him behind a portion of rock as they listened. It sounded like the Chief was getting a report from one of his men.

"The shipment is set for tomorrow morning. The conveyances are ready, and we'll have men stationed at intervals along the river to ensure that they stay on course."

"Excellent," the Chief replied. "I'm sure our employer will be quite happy with the news."

Caleb took a risk and leaned around the rock outcropping that blocked them from sight. He caught sight of the big man in profile and his companion, who was now taking orders from his boss.

The Chief was settled into a canvas chair, his feet propped up on a cooler. He had a magazine in his lap and was only paying partial attention to the presence of the other man. When he finished talking his lackey headed out, and Caleb pulled himself back, putting a tense arm across Dani's chest to keep them both in the shadows.

The lackey passed by without noticing, and Caleb finally let go of the breath he didn't even realize he was holding.

"It's now or never," he whispered to Dani, knowing that they wouldn't get a better chance of catching the Chief alone. "It's going to be near impossible to sneak up on him, so we'd better just go in quickly brandishing our guns and hope he doesn't put up a struggle."

Dani nodded, and Caleb marveled at her strength and courage. He did see a healthy dose of fear crowding her dark eyes, so he gave her a quick kiss. With a smile, he motioned her forward, and they leapt from their hiding place and rushed towards the seated man.

The Chief didn't even bother to look up from his magazine until they were almost on top of him. His eyes widened in surprise, but a smile soon followed. "Get your hands up and then don't move," Caleb ordered, pointing the shotgun at his adversary's wide chest.

"And if I do move?" the man asked, not willing to follow orders right away.

"Well, then you make one hell of a big target." Caleb cocked the shotgun and secretly wished the man would give him a reason to use it. Although he did not like guns, he realized their use could sometimes be justified.

Especially in situations that involved sociopathic pieces of shit like this guy.

The big man gave a hoarse laugh and finally raised his hands. Caleb motioned with his shotgun for Dani to empty the man's pockets.

"Ooh, this could be fun," the bastard said, moving so that her hands fumbled into his crotch.

"Knock it off," Caleb growled, his finger itching to tighten on the trigger.

"Ignore him," Dani said, pulling several items from his pockets. The man seemed to have more things than could generally be found in an old lady's purse, and Dani piled them in his lap while she searched for Caleb's phone. "Got it!" she yelled in triumph at last and held out his cell to him.

"Good. I want you to send the last two pictures I took to Brice Masterson, then text him that we are being held prisoners in the caves about three miles downstream from the southern split of the Alsea. Tell him to bring reinforcements."

Dani nodded and began working her thumbs furiously. She found the pictures, then added the text and sent them off to Masterson. "Shit!" she shouted. Her outburst prompted another husky laugh from the big man, and Caleb felt a twinge of fear.

"What is it?"

"There isn't enough signal in here!"

Caleb took a deep breath, considering the situation. "We've got to get closer to the entrance."

He brought the shotgun up to press it against the big man's chest. "Stand up. We're going for a walk."
The Chief rose, pushing his pockets back into their rightful place. The items that were piled on his lap tumbled to the cave floor, but Caleb ignored them.

The big man stared at him, anger finally taking up residence in his cold eyes. "And what's gonna stop me from alerting my men?"

"A bullet wound to the chest might," Caleb replied. "Dani, keep your gun on him." She pulled up her pistol and aimed it at the man's chest.

The big man laughed. "Well, isn't that cute?"
"Yeah, it'll be real cute when I let her shove it up your--"

"We don't have time for this," Dani growled, cutting Caleb off.

He nodded, shaking his head to clear it. He took his place behind the Chief and shoved his gun into the man's broad back. "Let's go."

 

* * * * *

 

Dani's hands shook as she kept her gun ready. She led now, since Caleb was stuck behind the big man, the shotgun prodding him forward.

Things were quiet, exceptionally quiet, as she led them across the large chamber towards the big machines. She knew the entrance lay just past them. Glancing down at the cell phone in her left hand she prayed for the No Service light to go away.

Soon she could see the dim outline of the cave entrance, and she sped up, full of nervous energy. It was almost too easy.

Suddenly the sounds of a struggle reached her ears, and she turned around. Two men had come out of the shadows and grabbed the ranger. "Stop!" she shouted, pointing her gun at one of the interlopers but the big man grabbed her arm and squeezed it painfully, making her drop the gun.

She ripped her arm from his grasp, watching helplessly as Caleb struggled to fight off the two men. They'd knocked the shotgun from his hand and were trying to wrestle him down to the ground.

There was nothing she could do for him at the moment, not without her gun, and her eyes flashed to the big man. He was headed for her, so she sprinted forward, out of his reach.

Dani ran towards the entrance, frantically watching the cell phone for signs of life. She had almost reached the entrance when the No Service light disappeared, and one bar beeped into life. She pressed the "Send" button, watching as an envelope with wings flew across the screen.

In her moment of distraction, the Chief caught up with her, grabbing her by the neck with one of his large hands and ripping the cell phone from her with the other. He threw the phone to the floor of the cave and smashed it under his heavy boot.

"No!" Dani cried, praying that the message had gone through, but unsure if it had.

"You little bitch."

The big man dragged her back towards his companions. He threw her to the ground in front of Caleb, who was currently struggling against the two men who held him back. One had several wide bandages taped across his nose.

"Bitch broke my nose," the injured man scowled. "I oughta break hers. Then we'll be even."

"Later, Martinez," his companion said. "I'd rather break her in than break her nose if you know what I mean."

Their words caused Caleb to struggle harder against their grips, and he nearly got free. The Chief put a stop to his struggles, however, delivering a kick to his ribs.

Dani screamed as the man kicked him again and Caleb slumped over.

"Did you really think you'd get away?" the big man barked in the ranger's pain-filled face. "I told you we had surveillance, and not just outside the caves. It was foolish to try and escape. It shows you aren't seriously thinking about accepting an offer from my employer. And I'm going to have to tell that to my boss."
"You're going to have to tell me what?" a voice asked. All heads turned towards the cave entrance to see a short, well-dressed man striding in, followed by a tall bodyguard in an oversized jacket.

"Mr. Masterson, good to see you," the Chief said.

"I highly doubt that."

The short man came to a halt in front of the big guy and looked down at the two prisoners on the cave floor before him. "And just what in the holy hell is all this?" he asked, his anger evident. "I told you I didn't want the locals involved."

"They involved themselves," the big man said by way of explanation.

The well-dressed gentleman wasn't satisfied. "Goddammit, this is supposed to be a secret operation, Stevens. What the hell am I supposed to do with these two?"

"Well, I figured you'd want to talk to them about their options. If you're not interested in chatting, me and boys would be happy to take care of the problem for you." The big man's smile was much more sincere this time.

"All right," Wesley Masterson said with a heavy sigh. He pulled off his small round glasses and polished them with a white silk handkerchief. "How much is it gonna take to buy your cooperation?"

"More than you've got," Danielle said.

"Dani," Caleb warned.

"Is that so, little girl?" The short man replaced his glasses and slid the handkerchief back into the pocket of his expensive suit. "You'd rather I let these goons have you? I warn you, you aren't going to like what they have in mind."
"No," Caleb said firmly. "We'll do whatever you want. Just let her go."

"Ah, a gentleman," the short man said, bending down to look into the ranger's face. "Looks like you put up a fight."

"He's been causing us some trouble, yes," the big man, Stevens, confirmed.

"And why should I trust you?" Uncle Wesley asked, a smug smile on his shiny, round face.

"You shouldn't," Stevens said with a smirk. "He'll betray you in a second. I know the type."
"Not true," Caleb said with a decisive shake of his head.

"And why is that?" Wesley peered inquisitively into his face.

"Because I love her," Caleb said, "and I'd do anything to keep her safe."

A strange thrill ran through her body, and Dani realized she was shaking all over. He loves me, she thought with wonder. This strong, beautiful, and haunted man loves me. And he's willing to give up everything just to protect me.

But she couldn't let him.

"No!" she cried, struggling against the man who held her arm.

"Aw, looks like she doesn't love you back, partner," Stevens mocked.

"That's not what--" Dani began, an indignant look on her delicate features, but the short man interrupted her protests.

"Enough!" Masterson yelled. "It doesn't matter. You know too much, and I can't count on either of you to keep your mouths shut. I've got better things to do than hang around here. I just came by to make sure the shipments are on time this week. You won't be too distracted by our little problem to get them out, will you?"

"No sir," Stevens said, with a predatory look. "And I assume you don't care what happens to these two?"
"Make sure it looks like an accident," Masterson ordered before he turned back towards the entrance and motioned for his bodyguard to follow. "And don't fuck up again. Or you'll be the next one to have an accident."

With that the short man left, his bodyguard exiting behind him. Their shadows disappeared around the corner and out of the cave, and Stevens began to rub his hands together greedily.

"Did you hear that boys?" he said, his tone excited. "Who's ready to have some fun?"

 

* * * * *

 

"Tie him up," the big man said, pointing at Caleb. They'd returned to the smaller chamber where they had been kept earlier. The guard was once again awake, and as he bent down to take Caleb's wrists into his hands to bind them, he aimed a well-placed kick into his kidney.

Caleb felt the air whoosh out of him while a stab of pain cut through his side.

"No!" he heard Dani scream. "Leave him alone!"
"You should be more worried about what we're going to do to you, young lady," Stevens said, licking his thick lips.

"I call dibs," Martinez said, rubbing at the growing bulge in the crotch of his cargo pants.

"No way." The Chief shook his shaggy head.

"Come on," Martinez began to whine. "She broke my damn nose. I should get to go first."
"Fuck you, Martinez," Stevens replied with a laugh. "You can have sloppy seconds."

"Fine." The darker man scowled. "Then you better leave something after you go. Not like last time. I'm not into fucking corpses."

"Yeah," his partner Roberts agreed. "Make sure there's enough left to go around."

"Oh, there will be." The Chief's tone was menacing. "She's a feisty little one. She might even like it."

"Shut up!" Dani screamed.

The three men laughed, and Caleb wanted nothing more than to rip their hearts out and show them to the men before they died. Instead, he sat helplessly while the guard behind him pulled the zip tie tight around his wrists.

He had to find a way to save her, to stop these men. He couldn't let this happen, especially not in front of him, not while he watched.

Stevens began to unbutton his pants, and Caleb saw panic enter Dani's wide, dark eyes. "Take off your shirt," he ordered.

"No," Dani replied. "Not a chance in hell!"

Stevens laughed, exposing big white teeth. "Martinez, take her shirt off." The man with the bandaged nose set down his gun and walked over to Dani where she stood near the cave wall. He pulled down the zipper on her jacket, slapping away her hands when she tried to prevent him.

He then bent down to tug the shirt off of her, but she wouldn't hold still for it. Dani balled up her fist and swung it, smashing it into the bridge of his already injured nose.

"Fuck!" Martinez screamed, falling to his knees in pain. "She fuckin' hit me again."

"Enough!" the big man shouted. He moved towards Dani and yanked her closer to him by her ponytail.

She cried out in pain and Caleb felt as if his heart was being crushed. Anger flared inside him, turning his insides molten until he felt capable of breathing smoke.

He took in the scene around him in a split second. Martinez was down, his gun lying by his side. His partner Roberts was bent over him, carefully poking at his injured nose, his gun a hunting rifle that was slung over his shoulder and was hanging ignored down his back.

The big man's attention was entirely focused on Dani. He was standing in front of her, struggling to get her shirt off. And behind him stood the quiet guard. Caleb knew he had the shotgun, but he didn't feel it pressed against his back.

He had to take a chance. There was no way he could sit here and watch his beloved professor being brutally assaulted by this gang of thugs.

It was time for action.

Without hesitation, he threw his entire weight backwards while pressing off with his knees and then with his feet. He tumbled back against the guard, catching him unawares, and the man fell underneath him.

Caleb rolled over, crushing the guard's arm before he could bring his gun up. Taking a look into the man's wide eyes, he drew back his head and slammed it into the guard's forehead. The force of the blow, coupled with the head wound from earlier caused the other man to lose consciousness.

"Stop him, you idiots," Stevens said with a growl, slapping Dani hard across the mouth when she scratched his face.

Caleb rolled off the guard and struggled onto his feet while the two men were trying to determine just what was happening. In a flash he was across the room, kicking Martinez's gun out of the way before barreling into Roberts at full speed. The surprised man fell beneath the force of Caleb's push, and the ranger brought his knee down over the man's throat.

Roberts gurgled in pain, but before Caleb could repeat the blow, he felt Martinez grab his bound hands and twist. Without delay he swung around, standing up and kicking a leg out, sweeping the legs from under the man with the bloody nose. Martinez fell on his face and let out an agonized scream as his nose was injured for the third time.

Caleb turned back to Roberts who had recovered enough to try for his gun. It had unfortunately become caught on his belt, and he couldn't bring it around in time. Caleb stomped on his chest, causing him to cry out in pain and forget the gun at his side. Another stomp and the man stopped moving.

"Stop!" Stevens yelled, pushing Dani to the ground and straightening back up. "I thought it would be amusing to make you watch, but you're just too big a pain in the ass," he said, grabbing Caleb in a headlock. "Looks like I'm going to have to take care of you first."

Caleb twisted in his grasp, wedging a leg behind the big man's thigh and jerking it forward, causing the man to stumble and lose his grip. The ranger took the opportunity to aim a kick at the man's chest, but the Chief was too fast. He grabbed Caleb's leg from the air and pushed it, causing him to fall over backwards.

Caleb sat down hard, cursing a blue streak. The big man smiled cruelly and then put his boot on the ranger's face.

Caleb saw stars as agony rearranged his features. He licked his lips and tasted blood.

The Chief had moved back to Dani and pulled her up, putting a big arm around her chest and pulling up her chin with his other hand. "Stop your struggling," he said to Caleb. "I could easily snap her neck."
"Where's the fun in that?" Caleb growled, pushing himself to his feet yet again. He didn't advance, however. He had to take the big man at his word for now. The sight of Dani, vulnerable, scared, trembling in the grips of the foul psychopath, caused his world to turn red with the haze of bloodlust.

This man would pay, and pay heavily.

"You're right," the Chief replied, moving the arm across her chest down to take a breast in his hand. "Mmm..." he moaned, "doesn't that feel good."

 

* * * * *

 

Dani tried to reign in her fear as she was held in the clutches of her captor. He grabbed her breast and squeezed it painfully, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Unable to restrain them any longer, tears began falling from her wide eyes.

The Chief pinched her nipple, twisting it cruelly, and she did cry out then. The man bent down to whisper horrible words into her ears before running his wet tongue up and down her neck.

"You little slut, you love it, don't you? Let's put on a show for your man. He's gonna love watching me fuck you. I'll show him how to do it right."

The man's rough hand slid lower, wedging itself between the waistband of her jeans and her fluttering stomach. She felt him skim the top of her panties and she began to feel physically sick.

Dani avoided looking at Caleb. She didn't want to see her pain mirrored in his eyes. Stevens's arm was crushing her, making it impossible to struggle, while his other hand brushed the apex of her thighs. She closed her eyes, tears rolling down cheeks that burned with shame.

Dani prayed that it would be quick and that Caleb would close his eyes.

 

* * * * *

 

Caleb had always known that a powerful rage dwelt inside him. He'd felt its edges, and it had always scared him. So he'd buried it, deep, and moved to the woods, away from anything that might incite the demon rage inside him.

But now, watching this asshole paw the woman he loved, the demon refused to stay buried any longer.

The rage boiled up inside him, filling him with energy, making him tremble. He watched Stevens nuzzle Dani's neck, watched him lick her soft skin with his repulsive tongue, watched her face as tears made their way down her cheeks.

With all of his strength, he pulled against his restraints. The plastic cut into his wrists, making them bleed, but he continued to pull, flexing his strong arms until he finally heard a satisfying snap.

His arms were free, just like the demon inside him.

The Chief heard the snap of the zip tie and realized that his men were out of commission. "I'll hurt her," he warned, but Caleb continued advancing.

Dani resumed her struggling, now that she saw the ranger was free, and the big man cursed when she bit his hand.

"You fucking bitch," he spit out, punching her in the face with his huge fist. She fell back, slamming into the hard rock floor, and did not move.

Caleb roared, incensed, out of his mind, and jumped on the larger man in front of him. Caleb punched him repeatedly, connecting with his gut, with his shoulder, and finally with his face.

Stevens was no easy target, however. He brought an elbow into Caleb's sternum, knocking the wind out of him. Caleb tackled him, forcing him to the floor beneath him. The Chief tried to get his hands around the ranger's neck, but Caleb fought him off.

He grabbed the man's beefy shoulders and brought them up, only to savagely smash his head back down into the cave floor.

The big man's eyes took on a dazed look as Caleb repeated this action. Again and again, he brought the man's head down against the floor with stunning force. He realized he was smiling, but he didn't care, and he slammed the big man's head into the floor several more times.

"Ranger! Stop, Ranger!" Caleb thought he heard a voice, but it was like the buzzing of a small insect. He mustn't let it interfere with his task.

Again he brought the head down with another satisfyingly wet sound. Blood sprayed the floor around him.

"Caleb, stop!" the voice shouted, louder, but he continued to ignore it. Finally, a hand touched his shoulder, and he whirled around, ready to attack.

"Caleb, buddy, it's me!" Brice Masterson stood there, a barely-repressed look of horror on his cultured face.

Caleb shook his head to clear the red fog that had taken over his mind. He looked around, finally noticing all the policemen and rangers scattered around them. Dani had done it. She'd gotten help, and reinforcements had finally arrived.

At the thought of his little professor, Caleb scrambled off of the unmoving thug and rushed over to her. She wasn't moving, and he could see a small pool of blood around her head. He gasped and reached out for her, but Brice grabbed his arm.

"Don't touch her. We can't move her if she's got a spinal injury. Let the paramedics take a look."

Several trained medical personnel were on the scene, some looking over the injuries of their captors. Brice called a couple of men over, and they began to inspect Dani's wounds.

Masterson patted Caleb's back, whistling through his teeth. "Remind me never to fuck with you," he said as he surveyed the damage around them.

Caleb shook his head, "Never fuck with her," he said, his voice sad.

Brice looked into his friend's eyes and saw the strong emotion in them. "How about we let the medics look at you?"

Caleb nodded and stood still while some men in white shirts poked at him. After a few moments, he pushed them away and knelt down beside Dani.

"Is she going to be all right?" he asked, fear choking his voice.

He didn't like the look he saw in the paramedic's eyes when he replied. "We'll see."