Novah held her breath.
Pao now had his gun in his hand, preparing himself.
Brushwood crunched under heavy footsteps as the eerie sound grew closer. She and Pao were hidden but if the hunter got any closer, he’d see them and then what would happen? Would Pao shoot him?
The light from a flashlight skimmed above them, only inches above their heads. Time seemed to stand still. Novah’s heartbeat so fast she feared the man could hear it.
Then the footsteps passed as the man started for the tunnel. She could see his silhouette then. His gun was aimed at the sky as he took careful steps into the hole.
Thank God they’d made it out just in time.
“Stay low and quiet,” Pao whispered.
They left their hiding spot and used the shadows of the tree to disappear from the area. Once they were at a safe distance, Pao stopped and shoved his gun into the holder at his side.
“That was so close. What about Egan? What if he tries to come out through the tunnel?” Tears filled her eyes.
Pao didn’t answer but waved for her to follow him. “Stay close. We’ll be walking for a few miles.”
She carefully stepped over fallen trees, brush, foliage, keeping up with him. Her breaths came in pants and she was sweating, but Pao didn’t seem the least bit tired. They’d been walking a long time and she finally asked, “I don’t want to sound like a cliché but how much longer do we have?” She was exhausted and didn’t want to complain, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could go and keep up with his pace.
“Just a while longer.”
Finally he stopped in front of a heap of foliage. She wasn’t sure what they were doing until he started pulling away the cover, exposing a black SUV that had been hidden. “I’m guessing we didn’t find this vehicle by luck.”
“A person can never have too many bases covered.” Pao clicked a button on a key fob and opened the driver’s door. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Aren’t we waiting on Egan?”
“That’s not part of the plan,” Pao said gruffly.
“But…we can’t leave him. What if he needs help?” She looked back toward the tunnel. She didn’t want to retrace her steps, but she would if necessary.
With an agitated sigh, Pao rubbed his forehead. “Egan is experienced and skilled. If he couldn’t handle the situation, he would have let me know by now. He has his radio on him and can contact us. The best thing we can do is get you to safety. He’ll be close behind. In fact, he’s probably already out of the resort.”
She couldn’t tell by looking at Pao if he was only saying that to appease her or he honestly believed his own words.
Again, she reminded herself that she’d promised Egan she would do what Pao needed her to do. To some extent, she realized Egan was trained in missions, those that were far more dangerous she assumed.
Reluctantly, she climbed into the passenger seat of the Tahoe and wrapped her arms over her stomach.
Pao started the engine but he didn’t turn on the headlights. They pulled out of the brush and drove onto the quiet backroad. He must have sensed her worry and for the first time he showed a sliver of compassion. “He’ll make it out. Don’t worry.”
She pulled her gaze from the mirror and onto Pao’s profile, seeing the grit in his jaw. “This is like a nightmare.”
He flipped on the headlights and sped up. The engine roared alive. “You’re his ex-wife, right?”
“You know about me? Us?”
“Fighting across the pond can make any man vulnerable, fear what lurks around every corner and bend. Egan and I had been in a few messy situations, wondering if we’d make it out. In those moments we’d talk.” Pao had coal black hair with a few silver threads at his temples. His strong chiseled jaw and pensive eyes made him appear older—more distinguished. He was quite handsome if one could get beyond the scowl. Maybe it was situational. “He’s a good guy.”
“Yes, he is.” She tried to focus on the clear night sky to gain control over her emotions. Her adrenaline had been spiked and as she calmed some, she felt the heaviness of what had just transpired. This felt like a scene from a movie, but this was real life.
She took out her phone and wasn’t sure who she’d call, but Pao warned her, “Don’t make any calls. Not until we get clearance from Egan.”
Her heart sunk, although it was probably best. She shouldn’t wake her Mom.
“How will we know that he made it out?” she asked as she dropped her phone back into her shoulder purse.
“We won’t, not until he makes contact.”
“Okay.” She laid her head back on the headrest.
Silence grew between them. Pao seemed like a man of a few words and she didn’t feel much up for socializing. She was happy to allow her thoughts to focus on what she and Egan had shared at the resort before all hell broke loose.
How would she ever move on when her heart still belonged to him? She could try and lie to herself and say she no longer loved him, but eventually the emotions would all come back and she’d have to face them. She’d never stopped loving him—never stopped
