Taylor’s wet face was pressed to Will’s; theirbreath warmed each other’s faces. “It could have been worse.”
“I’ll say.”
“It could have been my car we left on thatmountain.”
Will gave a half laugh. They moved apart enough tostudy each other.
The night was fading. It was too early to be calleddawn yet, but Taylor could just make out the outline of Will’sweary, unshaven face. His deep blue eyes were the only color in thegray world of rain and shadows.
Will leaned in, and his mouth covered Taylor’s,rough but sweet, his tongue seeking Taylor’s. Taylor openedwillingly to that kiss, forgetting for a second his scratched,scraped hands and the rain running down the back of his neck. Theykissed a lot these days, especially for men who had never been muchfor kissing. Taylor had become expert in all Will’s kisses, fromthe hungry, lustful kisses that always made his own cock rise sofast it hurt, to the tender, almost cherishing kisses that Willgenerally saved for when he thought Taylor was sleeping. That dawnkiss beneath the pine trees rippled through him like an electricshock, a reminder that, tired, wet, and lost as they might be, solong as they were together, they were all right.
Better than all right. Much better.
Chapter Five
They partedreluctantly.
“Now what?” Taylor asked.
“Now we try to find someone with a workingphone.”
“Well, that shouldn’t take long. Ranger Rick isprobably on his way to pick us up right this minute.”
Will recognized that little sarcastic note as a suresign Taylor’s nerves were fraying fast. Not that he blamed him.Taylor didn’t like the great outdoors when everything was goingbeautifully.
Things were not going beautifully.
“There are homes and campsites sprinkled all throughthese mountains,” he reassured Taylor. “We’ll find someone.Worst-case scenario, we wait till we run into the emergencyvehicles and rescue teams that’ll be combing the area beforelong.”
Taylor shivered. “There were pieces of broken housesin that flood.”
“I know. It channeled right through the canyon,though. And a lot of those structures are vacation homes, notpermanent residences. It could have been a lot worse. Especially ata different time of night.”
“Do you think Nemov got caught in that?” It was apointless question since Will had no more way of knowing the answerto that than did Taylor. But he understood Taylor’s anxiety. Theknowledge that Kelila Hedwig and her unborn child might have diedas an indirect result of their failure to report her whereaboutsthe minute they discovered where she was holed up…
That was something Will didn’t want tocontemplate.
He said quietly, “I don’t know. We don’t know forsure they even came this way.”
“True.”
Will gazed up through the tree branches at the grayflannel skies. He looked back at Taylor, who was chewing at aragged thumbnail and scowling. Will smiled faintly. For all hispale weariness, the little lines of stress and worry, Taylor aliveand in one piece was still the most beautiful thing Will had everseen.
“Good news,” Will told him.
Taylor directed a skeptical look his way.
“It’s stopped raining.”
* * * * *
According to Taylor’s watch, it was after six in themorning by the time they started down the far side of the mountainand found the black SUV mired in mud up to its custom rims.
By then the rain had stopped and the water hadreceded considerably. The canyon road was a knee-high swamp ofdebris and water, but the danger was past.
“It could be anyone’s vehicle,” Will called asTaylor splashed through the water to peer through the tinted sidewindows.
“Sure,” Taylor said. “Who doesn’t go on vacationwithout taking their leg irons?”
Will joined him in the water-filled ruts at the sideof the road, making a frame for his face and trying to see inside.“Are you sure?” He could just make out a baseball bat, what lookedlike a military utility bag, and, yes, metallic links that appearedto be leg shackles. “Hmm. You just might be right.”
“I guess someone could have kinky tastes.”
“You ought to know.”
Taylor grimaced.
“Which is one of the things I like best about you,”Will added.
“Just a born diplomat, aren’t you? No wonder you’reclimbing through the ranks.”
Will had no reply to that. They sloshed through thewater and clambered back to the relatively dry area of thehillside.
A flash of blue caught Will’s eye. A blue jay landedon the branch of a pine tree and greeted the morning with its harshsong. The sun was rising, and it was already growing warm. Thereceding floodwater had a dank, unhealthy smell to it.
Taylor wiped his forehead. “Which way do you thinkthey went?”
“Assuming they aren’t lost or didn’t get swept away,they’ll be heading the same direction we are. They need food,water, and shelter, the same as us.”
“Hedwig couldn’t climb these mountains. Couldshe?”
Will shrugged. “I guess if she had to, she would.I’ve seen pregnant weight lifters. In magazines.”
“She didn’t look like the athletic type to me.”
“Maybe Nemov carried her. He looked like hecould.”
“He looked like he could carry his SUV. I don’t knowwhy he didn’t.” Taylor had his BlackBerry out and was clicking awayand frowning at the results. Or lack of same.
“You’re not going to get any reception downhere.”
Taylor muttered something uncomplimentary, thoughwhether to the national forest or Will was unclear.
They began to walk, continuing at a brisk pace untilthe sun appeared over the trees. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.Pine needles glistened and sparkled in the pure sunlight.
“You have to admit this is beautiful country,” Willsaid, shading his eyes and gazing up at the distant snowcappedmountains.
Taylor opened his mouth — though it was unlikely hewas going to admit anything of the kind — when something big,mottled brown and gray burst out of the brush and took wing,gobbling in fright.
He jumped a foot and gazed openmouthed at Will.“Jesus. What was that?”
Will dropped against a tree trunk and tried not tolaugh. He didn’t really have the breath to spare, but Taylor’shalf-alarmed, half-offended expression struck him as hystericallyfunny.
“Wild turkey. A hen, I think. You should see thesize of the toms.”
“No thanks. I prefer my turkeys on a Thanksgivingplatter.”
Again, Will had to struggle not to laugh.
They resumed their hike, having found what lookedlike an old track. Possibly a former stagecoach
