Secret Mountain Hideout. Terri Reed

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      Chase’s hands gripped and re-gripped the steering wheel as he took the corners at a breakneck speed. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, giving him a lead foot.

      “Whoa,” Daniel said, bracing his hands on the dashboard as the vehicle careened around a curve on the forestry road on the backside of Eagle Crest Mountain. “It’s not going to do Jane any good if we drive off the side of the mountain.”

      Heeding Daniel’s words, Chase eased up a fraction. They had to find Jane. He’d already betrayed her trust by letting her go off with an assassin and failed his repeated vow to protect her. The heavy weight of responsibility descended on his shoulders. He couldn’t let her die.

      The black SUV came into view and Chase hit the brakes, skidding to a halt in front of the vehicle. There was no sign of Jane or the fake detective.

      “Radio the sheriff our location.” Chase jumped out of the car and ran to the SUV. A quick peek inside confirmed it was empty. He turned around, desperate to figure out where they’d gone. The ground was marred with footsteps and drag marks in the gravel.

      His stomach clenched with dread as he followed the trail to the guardrail. Peering over the side of the cliff, horror filled his veins. On an outcropping stood Peters with Jane clutching his legs for dear life as he tried to pry her from him. His objective was clear. He was going to throw her over the cliff.

      Chase vaulted over the guardrail and drew his weapon. He slipped and slid down the hill. “Stop! Put your hands in the air.”

      Peters twisted toward Chase with a 9mm Glock fitted with a noise suppressor aimed at him.

      Chase dove to the side as bullets whizzed past him, so close the air heated. Staying in motion, he rolled to one knee, sighted down the barrel of his weapon and fired. The loud retort echoed over the mountain and battered against his eardrum.

      The bullet hit its mark.

      For a moment, the assassin’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open as red bloomed across his white shirt. Then he stumbled back a step, taking Jane with him. The heel of his shoe dislodged a landslide of loose dirt falling to the bottom of the ravine.

      Fear choked Chase. Jane was about to go over the cliff with her assailant. “Let go of him!”

      Immediately, she responded to his command and released her hold on Peters’s legs, scrambling backward seconds before the man took a nosedive down the side of the cliff, disappearing from sight.

      Sending a quick praise to God for Jane’s safety and asking forgiveness for taking a life, Chase hurried to Jane’s side and gathered her in his arms. She clung to him, her body shaking. Through the ringing in his ears, he heard her racking sobs. Her tears soaked the front of his uniform. Chase’s heart beat in his throat. He thought he might be sick.

      A landslide of rocks sounding from above jolted through him. He jerked his gaze up to the cliff as he tucked Jane behind him.

      Daniel slid down the rocky hill much the way Chase had done. Chase let out a compressed breath of relief.

      “Wow,” Daniel said as he skidded to a halt. “Clean shot. I saw the whole thing. You good?”

      His ears still ringing from discharging his weapon, Chase made out the gist of what Daniel said, though his voice sounded muffled. Chase nodded as he sucked in air, working to calm his racing pulse. Later, he’d deal with the aftermath of taking a life.

      Daniel stepped past Chase and peered over the edge of the cliff. He whistled and turned to stare at Chase. “That’s a long way down.” He moved away from the ledge. “I better call the sheriff and tell him we need a recovery team. You okay to get her up the hill?”

      “We’ll manage.” Chase helped Jane to her feet. He met her terrified gaze. “Take it slow and steady.”

      He wrapped an arm around her waist and they made the arduous climb up the incline. They ended up having to crawl on hands and knees to keep their center of gravity low, until they reached the guardrail. Chase lifted Jane over the metal rungs and set her on the gravel of the turnout. Then he climbed over, grateful for the stable ground.

      Jane wrapped her arms around her middle; her lips trembled and tears streaked down her face. “Are you okay?”

      “I am.” His hearing was returning and his heart rate had slowed. “You? Did he hurt you?”

      “I’ll have some bruises.” She stared at him, her eyes wide. “You saved my life.”

      The wonder in her tone scored him to the quick. “If I had been better at my job, you wouldn’t have been in the situation in the first place.”

      “This is not your fault.” There was compassion in her tone. “He was a police officer, too.”

      Chase shook his head. “No. He was an imposter.”

      Her eyes widened in shock. She let out a shuddering breath. “If you hadn’t come along...”

      “But I did.” And he was thankful for that small favor from God. He gestured toward his vehicle. “Let’s get you inside my car where you can feel safe.”

      He hustled her to the back of the Sheriff’s Department vehicle and opened the door for her. She hesitated, most likely remembering the last time somebody told her to get into an SUV.

      “Trust me,” he murmured.

      She glanced over her shoulder at him, her pretty eyes intense. “I want to.” There was doubt in her voice, but she climbed inside the vehicle without further comment.

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