Untraceable. Elizabeth Goddard

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СКАЧАТЬ his head, Zach studied her, considering her words.

      The way Isaiah slightly shook his head, as though he was ready to die for them right here and now was too much for Heidi. She couldn’t allow that. Cade could not get his weapon out in time to do anything for them. Isaiah had to know that.

      “Do as he says, Cade.” Heidi took off her own coat and arctic cold swirled around her. She shivered.

      Wind rippled over the small fire and almost snuffed it out, but Heidi knew the darkness wouldn’t help them.

      “You should listen to her,” Zach said.

      Cade quickly stripped from his jacket, revealing his shoulder holster and the weapon inside. He handed it over to Jason.

      “Radios and SAT phones, cell phones, everything.”

      Cade’s expression turned dark and menacing as he handed over everything that would connect him to their brother David, who was monitoring this rescue mission from the command center at the base of the mountain. Adam, Cade and Heidi’s other brother, had been called out on a separate search and rescue. The Warren siblings were spread out tonight.

      “Is that everything?”

      “We came here to help you,” Isaiah said. “A storm is approaching, so we don’t have time for this. Why are you threatening us, pointing those guns at us?”

      “If you don’t want our help, we’ll just be on our way,” Cade said.

      “I like to hear that, because that’s exactly what’s going to happen. We’re going to be on our way. All of us. You’re going to lead, and we’re going to follow you out.”

      Isaiah looked at the cliff face they’d just scaled. “We’re not equipped to help you back up that cliff, not in the dark. Not with a storm closing in. There’s a reason we brought supplies to make it through the night and longer, depending on the weather.”

      “Why did you call us? Why do you need us?” Heidi asked the question, but she thought she already knew the answer.

      “The supplies you brought, and we need you to guide us out,” Jason said.

      Finally, someone besides Zach spoke up. Maybe if they could somehow take him out, the rest of them could be overcome.

      “Our small plane crash-landed up there.” Jason pointed behind them. “Two people didn’t survive, the pilot died. Another guy, too. The rest of us...we made it this far, but knew we needed to call for help or die in the mountains.”

      But why the guns? Obviously, there was much more to this than they were being told. They were desperate to get out tonight, which was also a risk. So desperate that they would hold a search and rescue team at gunpoint. Why were they in such a hurry? What were they running from?

      Fear gripped Heidi at her next thought.

      Were they fugitives?

      She didn’t watch the news enough to know anything.

      Heidi wanted to ask, but her brother gave a slight shake of his head. Knowing too much about this group in need of help could be deadly. But sooner or later the SAR team would learn the truth, and Heidi feared that truth, when it came, would cost their lives.

      * * *

      “Look, I don’t know why you think you need to hold us at gunpoint. This whole thing is some sort of crazy.” Isaiah regretted the words as soon as he said them. “You asked for help and you got it. That’s what we’re here to do, but you have to trust us. And believe me when I say we can’t guide you out of this saddle tonight.”

      Isaiah’s heart battered his insides. He thought he’d already seen enough trouble to last him a lifetime. But he needed to try to talk their way out of this.

      Zach didn’t appear to like to be challenged, especially in front of his friends. He stepped toward Isaiah, waving his weapons around, his thick gloves raising the threat of him accidentally putting too much pressure on a trigger guard. Isaiah didn’t think Zach had the safety locked on either weapon.

      An image of a woman covered in blood suffused his mind. He shook the memory. A vise gripped Isaiah’s chest. He wanted to grab the guns and stop this insanity.

      “Didn’t I already warn you that if you slow me down, I’ll get rid of you?” Zach aimed both guns at Isaiah, point-blank.

      “No!” Heidi screamed.

      Zach made a mistake, standing too close. Isaiah could grab him, disarm him, but with Cade and Heidi so near and Jason holding the other weapon, that would gain Isaiah nothing. He couldn’t risk someone else’s life, but then again, if he didn’t take the chance now he was risking all their lives.

      To Isaiah’s regret, Heidi put herself in the line of fire and pulled on Zach’s arm. “Please, don’t.”

      “Get back, Heidi.” Isaiah skewered her with his gaze. He didn’t need her risking her life for him.

      “To get out of these mountains, you need all three of us,” she said again.

      Zach’s gaze slid to Heidi. It was all Isaiah could do to keep from wiping that leer off his face. But he didn’t have to worry about it for long. Zach slammed his weapon into the side of Isaiah’s head, just under his helmet. He fell back into the snow, dizziness engulfing him.

      “Isaiah!” Heidi’s scream sounded as if it was coming from the other end of a tunnel.

      She appeared by his side. “Isaiah,” she whispered. “Talk to me.”

      He tugged off the helmet and grabbed his head. “These things don’t protect against raving lunatics.”

      What had he expected from Zach, anyway?

      “Heidi’s right,” Cade said to Zach. “We can help you climb out tonight, but it’s going to take all three of us.”

      Ignoring his pounding head, Isaiah focused his vision. He had to stay with it. Heidi scrambled over to the medical kit a few feet away.

      “I’m not convinced,” Rhea said. She looked at Heidi.

      What? That woman expected Zach to do away with Heidi?

      Cade’s tension was palpable. “In addition to our equipment and expertise, you’ll need us to physically assist you down. There are four of you. You need all of us.”

      Something ran down Isaiah’s neck. He pressed his gloved hand against the side of his head where he felt a knot and drew it back. Blood. Zach had given him a gash.

      This was an absolute nightmare.

      “That settles it, then,” Zach said. “Now that we’re all in agreement, let’s get this stuff put away and get geared up.”

      Heidi dropped next to Isaiah. She examined his head and swabbed it, then looked him in the eyes. He wished she wouldn’t do that. Give him that look that showed him how much she cared, and yet how much she couldn’t care. How much he’d hurt her, on top of everything СКАЧАТЬ