Chapter 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I can’t run anymore,” Honor said, collapsing to the ground. Her breathing was labored.

Trevor stopped and looked at Paco, “You stay with Snake. Keep moving. I’ll be right back.”

“Hurry,” Paco replied. “We have no time to waste. Hurry. Head south. Straight up the hill.”

Snake wrapped his arm around Paco and the two men moved on.

Trevor ran back to Honor, “Let’s go. I can carry you.”

“You can’t carry me,” she said. “Not uphill. I’m done. I’m out of breath. All those weeks at the gym and I can’t even run a mile.”

“This is uphill and with rocky terrain,” Trevor said. “Anyone would get tired. You just need a minute.”

“Still,” she replied. “I’m holding you back. Go. Save Snake.”

He squatted at Honor’s side and wrapped his arms around her, “I came here for you. You’re the reason I’m here, the reason all of us are here. I’ll never leave you again. Just rest a moment, sweetheart. Breathe deeply.”

“You can’t wait,” she protested. “If we can’t make it to the chopper before Orfali returns, we’re all dead. I don’t want you to die.”

“We’re not going to die, Honor,” he protested. “I’ve been through tough situations before.”

“But you didn’t have 135 lbs. of dead weight dragging you down,” she said, continuing to gasp for breath.

“Look, we’ll give you a minute or two and then we’ll try again,” Trevor insisted. He used his hand to pull her sweaty hair away from her face. “I thought I’d lost you,” he said. “It won’t end out here, I promise.”

She kissed his hand and began to sob, “I was so scared. Knowing that you would come for me… that you would find me… it was the only thing that kept me going. I love you so much.”

“And I love you,” he said. “Honor, please sweetheart, we need to move. Can you make it to your feet again?”

“I’ll try,” she said.

“C’mon, I’ll help.”

Trevor helped her to her feet and they began to move again. Trevor looked at this watch. Paco and Snake were three minutes ahead of them.

Honor ran slowly but managed to keep moving. Seven minutes later, Trevor saw the clearing ahead. The light of the moon illuminated the clear field, but he saw no sign of Snake or Paco.

“Where are they?” Honor asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Something’s wrong. Let’s keep moving. They may be on the other side of the clearing. Just a little more, sweetheart. Let’s move.”

Honor and Trevor made it to the center of the clearing before three sets of vehicle head lights came on, blinding them for a few seconds. The cars had been hidden in the shadows of the trees just beyond the clearing.

Trevor held his hand in the air blocking the light from his eyes. He could see two silhouettes from men on their knees – Paco and Snake. Snake’s head was slumped forward. Trevor wondered how long he could last. Standing around them were seven men, spaced out evenly across twenty or more feet. The men all held automatic weapons. Trevor heard the sounds of weapons cocking. He held his handgun high in the sky with the barrel facing upward to show that he did not intend to fire. If Honor had not been there he may have chosen to take a stand then and there by dropping to the ground, rolling and firing. With Honor there, he was not about to take the chance. He tossed his weapon to the ground, making note that it landed about four feet to his right.

He looked at Honor. His faced was grayed with worry.

“I’m sorry Honor, I failed you,” he said.

She managed a smile and touched his face, “You were up against impossible odds, and yet you came for me.  That’s all that matters.”

“I wanted to save you so badly,” he said.

“At least I got to see your face and kiss you one last time,” she said. She kissed him again.

Trevor could hear handclapping as a dark figure approached, illuminated by the headlights from the rear.

“Congratulations, Mr. SEAL man,” Orfali said, as he approached. “If I had the time, I would love to torture you for information about how you got this far. Tell me one thing. Asu and my four men at the cabin?”

“Dead,” Trevor said.

He nodded, “I thought this might be the case.”

“Just let us go, Orfali,” Trevor said. “I have help on the way. If you leave now and let us live, perhaps I will be slow in telling them which direction you headed.”

Orfali and several of his men began to roar with laughter. “You are going to fight to the end, right? Protect your woman at any cost. You say you have men on the way? I know that is a lie.”

He turned and yelled behind him, “Mr. Barkley, would you join us?”

Barkley stepped forward into the light. Trevor shook his head, “You piece of filth!” he bellowed.

“Hey man!” Barkley scowled. “This is on you, not me. You tied me up and left me.”

“You are a scum bag!” Paco screamed. “I can’t believe I ever trusted you.”

Barkley turned to Paco, “Consider this your termination notice,” he yelled.

Orfali laughed again, “Mr. Barkley has been most helpful. When he freed himself from the bondage you inflicted on him he called me. It was he who told me where you’d be. It was he who told me your man Snake was also a SEAL. The only thing you have coming is a medical helicopter to tend to Mr. Snake’s wounds. I can assure you that won’t be necessary… not for any of you. All they will need is a hearse.”

“Okay Orfali, you win,” Trevor called out. “Let Honor go, now, at least.”

“I don’t think so.” Orfali looked at his watch, “The helicopter will take another ten minutes to arrive,” he continued. “By then, you will all be dead and my men and I will be in the road. By the time the medics from the helicopter arrive and call the authorities, we will be nothing more than a distant memory.”

“My father is not with you,” Honor yelled. “You failed, Orfali.”

“Oh, thank you Miss Carpenter, I almost forgot the very best part,” Orfali replied. “When Mr. Barkley told me that your father wasn’t here, I made a call. I have deployed a team in Seattle. He will be in our hands within the hour.”

“You’re lying!” she cried out.

“I’m afraid not,” Orfali replied. “Mr. Snake holds a fake ledger I am told. Hopefully, your father has the real one in his possession. If not, at least we’ll have him. And the best part is, you will all be dead. When it came down to it, that’s all I really cared about.”

“Bastard!”

“I’d love to sit and chat more, but I’m afraid it’s time for you all to die. Goodbye, Mr. SEAL man. Goodbye Miss Carpenter.”

He turned toward his men, “You may fire at my command!”

Trevor grabbed Honor and turned away from Orfali and his men, shielding Honor with his body as the sounds of gunfire exploding into the night.

“Now!” Screamed Orfali.

The sounds of gunfire were deafening.