CHAPTER TWELVE
Max drew small, shallow breaths, straining to hear every sound over his pounding heart as he followed Chase down the narrow tunnel deep into the side of the cliff. The infrared function on his glasses automatically came on the moment they stepped into the darkness.
“I’m going to race ahead and see what’s shaking,” Chase whispered before his green image blurred and stretched into a streak of lime-colored light that reminded Max of a tail of a comet.
The soft fall of Max’s boots treading over the rocky terrain followed at a slower pace, much to his chagrin. But he made use of the delay by committing every twist and turn to memory with the intent of returning in the near future. With a pissed-off brunette waiting to cuss him out and the unknown lying ahead, who knew how much time he’d have to investigate.
Crystal’s ire over being left on the safer side of the fence was unavoidable, and something he felt zero remorse over. Where he was going was far too dangerous for her skill set, and watching out for her would be a distraction of epic proportions.
Despite her determination to hold him at arm’s length, her unfailing optimism and full lips drew him in like a tractor beam, making him hunger to experience that passion in other areas of their relationship. If he had his way, he’d sweep her away to a place where tragedy never touched her. And she’d fight him like a hellcat if he dared make the suggestion.
Goodness and right ruled her actions, and she truly believed she could make a difference in the world. But he saw how it crushed her that they had been too late to save the boy. By no means did he think her compassion made her weak, but she had to realize they weren’t going to save everyone.
Crystal was a tough cookie, but if she didn’t learn to distance her emotions from the mission, she was going to fall into a well of depression and guilt so deep she’d never crawl out of. To see that light in her spirit diminish whenever they came up short cut him to the quick.
But just because he was able to move on didn’t mean he was immune to the horror they had stumbled upon. Disgust and rage twisted in his stomach over his father having a hand, although indirectly, in ending another life. Monroe was just a poor kid who had thought the worst thing in his life was a cheating girlfriend. And now he was another in a string of innocents Madden would destroy if he wasn’t put down soon. Every day that man was allowed to do business was a day that Max failed.
Over the past month, to the world at large, Madden had presented himself as a model citizen and an angelic benefactor, courting Capitol Hill with plans to pull the economy out of the toilet. His “generous” offer to bail out several cities’ infrastructures landed his pompous photo on the cover of major magazines around the world, calling him America’s savior. Didn’t those fools realize that Madden now had his finger in every energy-producing industry across the country? With the billions he stole from the same citizens he was helping, he was only a few strategic steps from controlling how the entire country functioned.
That was why this potential glimpse of Madden’s operation was so important. A week prior, this stretch of mountain had come alive in a flurry of activity. Satellite photos showed movement too heavy to be an average group of hikers climbing the trails. But intel from the photos had been inconsistent, with blank spaces appearing in the images, probably from the interference of that wall of energy they passed.
Crystal could bitch at him all she wanted, but there was no way he was passing up this opportunity to investigate.
Chase’s voice buzzed in Max’s ear. “Hey, boss. Up ahead there’s a fork in the tunnel. On the left, looks like barracks, enough for about twenty people. On the right is where it gets interesting. I’m in the shadows, just before the archway at the end.”
As Max rounded a corner, a light glowed at the end of the tunnel. With each step, the scent of sweat and diesel exhaust grew stronger. He crept closer and nodded at Chase as he neared. With his hand hovering over the .45 at his side, he carefully peered around the doorway.
A ramp, carved from rock, curved around and down to an area that had been dug out to create a giant warehouse. Soaring high above, floodlights illuminated the area that covered a good fifty yards and was filled with men, crates, and forklifts.
About ten men were down below, all dressed like Max’s own team in black winter gear. Bullet-resistant vests covered their torsos, and each had either a HK submachine gun or pistol strapped to their side. A helmet outfitted with a visor and headset obscured their faces. They worked with minimal communication as they catalogued and stacked crates and equipment.
A truck pulling a horse trailer entered from a tunnel opposite Max and Chase. Two men stepped out. The men might have been dressed as ranchers, but they moved like military, sweeping their gaze around the room while keeping motion to a minimum. One lowered the lift gate, exposing more crates inside.
A door near the ramp opened, and another man emerged. He wore a dark blue Helly Hansen coat and ski goggles. A knit cap covered his hair.
What was up with all the thermal wear? It wasn’t that cold outside. How in the hell was he supposed to see people’s faces if they were covered from head to nuts?
The newcomer motioned to one of the men who lifted out a crate and set it on the ground. A crowbar popped off the lid marked saddles with a loud crack as the man in blue knelt closer to inspect the contents.
“Network, zoom in,” Max whispered.
The camera in his glasses narrowed in on the brand-new Heckler & Koch XM25 semi-automatic grenade launcher being pulled from its foam casing.
Max rocked back, his breath whooshing out in a gasp. These guys were armed for something the size of a genetically mutated oversized bear. Oh yeah, something huge was going to go down. The only questions now were where and when.
The man in blue nodded and motioned for the box to be added to the others.
Chase tapped Max on the arm and gestured to the unknown man. “Your father?” he mouthed.
Max shook his head. He didn’t know who the man was, but it definitely wasn’t Madden. For one thing, Max’s father would never cover his eyes. He used his stare as a weapon of intimidation.
So who was this man in charge? Someone from Madden Financial or an unknown from Madden’s more illegal ventures?
Reaching into his inner coat pocket, Max pulled out several small disks that resembled a thick magnet. He levitated the tiny cameras and microphones off his gloved palm and sent them soaring through the air to attach to the rock walls and under the forklifts.
“Recording now,” Addison announced once the devices were in place.
“Monsieur.” A soldier rushed in from the tunnel. His French accent was thick. “Radar is picking up an approaching helicopter.”
Shit. Lancaster’s ride.
“It probably has to do with that hiker 1032 killed. Monitor the progression and keep me informed,” Mr. Blue barked out. His voice echoed oddly in Max’s earpiece due to the cavernous space.
Max grabbed Chase by the sleeve and jerked him back into the tunnel to hightail their asses out of there. If those men went out into the forest, Crystal was in danger of being discovered.
And if she was discovered, Lord help them all if she came to any harm.
* * *
“Crystal, we’re coming up on you hot and heavy,” Max’s voice crackled in her earpiece with a level of panic that made the air freeze in her lungs.
She poked her head around the tree trunk and saw Max and Chase running in her direction as if the hounds of hell were on their asses. After bearing witness through the video feed on their glasses as to what lay hidden in that mountain, she was more than ready to leave the area before one of those soldiers came along and did to her what they had done to Jeremy Monroe.
Max flew over the top of the electric fence as if he had been born to fly, and Chase hurdled the obstacle like the track star he was. He didn’t even break stride as he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Goddammit, Intrepid. I can run,” she grunted as she bounced painfully into his shoulder.
“Another time, baby doll. We have a copter to catch.”
She latched on to the back of his pants and hung on like a cat hanging from the curtains. Being carted around like a sack of potatoes was beyond embarrassing. How could she show her worth to the team if she wasn’t even allowed to run on her own?
“It’s about time damn time,” Doc hollered when they appeared at the cliff’s edge.
Crystal slapped Chase on his muscular butt until he dropped her on her feet. She wobbled to a stand and pointed a finger in his face. “No more snatching without permission.”
His dimples winked at her. “I make no promises in times of desperation.”
She curled her lip in a snarl then turned to look down the valley as the sound of a whirling helicopter blade reached her ears.
Just then, a horrifying whumpf came from above. She whipped her head around in time to see snow and ice charge down the mountain in a crashing wave headed straight for them.
“Prism. Prism,” Max shouted, his hands hard on her shoulders as he shook her. “What is it?”
Future and present swirled in a kaleidoscope of crazy as she struggled to return from her vision. Biting cold hit the back of her throat as she sucked in a harsh breath that sent her into a coughing fit.
“Avalanche,” she managed to wheeze and pointed above them.
“When?”
Thwap, thwap, thwap, thwap
She looked over her shoulder and saw a sleek black helicopter rocketing through the valley. A second later, the sound of a million shattering ice cubes drowned out the swish of the copter’s blades.
“Now.”
“Incoming!” Max shouted as he pushed her behind him.
He threw his hands into the air as if to catch the massive wave of snow and rock barreling down on them like a giant baseball. Under their feet the earth trembled with the force, trees toppled in the wake of snow like matchsticks in the crush of white. With each foot of ground consumed, the tighter Crystal’s lungs constricted, until she nearly passed out from lack of air.
Max groaned, his body quaking as slowly, ever so slowly, the current of white split up the middle. An invisible umbrella curled over them as the snow rumbled past them on either side and down into the ravine.
She wrapped her arms around his middle as he began to sway, and locked her knees to keep them upright. Ripley leaned against her, supporting her behind her legs. Just a little more time was all they needed.
The cacophonous din in her ears continued long after the last of the snow settled. Not even the roar of the chopper registered in her brain.
Max turned in her arms and hugged her close. His chest rose and fell in rapid succession and he trembled in her embrace.
“Are you okay?” he rasped, caressing her back.
“Yeah.” She swallowed hard. “You?”
“A little shaky. That was a lot of moving molecules.” He chuckled weakly. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
“I just wish it came sooner.” The heat of his body tempted her to snuggle closer.
“At least it was a warning. Whoa.” His knees buckled, but Chase was there to catch him from behind as he continued to cling tight to Crystal.
“Easy, boss. Man, that was awesome,” Chase said, laughing with giddy delight.
“Are you guys okay up there?” Doc’s voice buzzed in her earpiece.
“We’re okay. How about you?” Crystal answered.
“All right, although I can officially say I never want to experience that again.”
The radio on Max’s belt clicked. His hand still held a fine tremor as he answered.
“Garan.”
“Hey,” Lancaster barked over the line. “Is everyone all right? I heard there was an avalanche in your location.”
“We’re good, Sheriff. It slid past us. Barely. Nerves are a little shaky, but we’re fine. Looks like the medics are coming in now.”
“Good. Get back to base and report in.”
“Will do.”
Now that the danger was averted, there was no need to continue to plaster herself to Max like a second skin. Although his arms around her did feel nice. Really nice. Too nice.
Yep, it was totally time to put some distance between them.
Apparently, he didn’t feel the same, for his hold tightened as she tried to pull away. “Seriously, Max. I’m okay. I’m not going to fall. I’m more worried about you.”
“I know.” He tightened his arms and guided her away from the cliff’s edge, his gaze remained on the helicopter hovering above Doc and the body.
They watched as a skiff and a medic lowered to the ground like an awkwardly shaped spider. Monroe was packaged and settled into position, then hoisted back into the chopper. After he was secured inside, the medic clipped himself to the line and was pulled up next. The pilot nodded at them from behind the windshield before he turned and lifted off. Bits of dirt and rock hit Crystal in the face from the wake of the jet wash.
Once the helicopter was out of sight, Chase raced down to scoop Doc up in his arms and zipped them up the side of the cliff.
She wobbled when he set her down. “I really would like more notice the next time someone sweeps me off my feet.”
“I thought you older chicks dug being swept off their feet.” When icy silence met his comment, he held up his hands. “What?”
Max shook his head. “Dude. No,” he said, drawing out the word as Ripley barked in agreement and took off back toward base.
Doc hooked her arm through Crystal’s. “Come on. Let’s get back to where the real men are.”
“Speak for yourself. I’m done with the entire male species.” She matched Doc’s long-legged strides the best she could and left the boys with a spectacular view of her swishing backside.
What a complete and utter fuckfest of a day. How were they going to take down a slick, evil mastermind like Madden if they couldn’t get through one search and rescue mission without having issues?
Until the males in their group got it through their heads that this was not some complex war game, but real life-and-death situations, she was going to have to work that much harder to make them a success.
It was time to sharpen the nails, lace up the boots, and kick some ass.