Page 32 of Shadow of Hope
Colin sloshed down the ramp in his rubber boots and attached the cable for the trailer winch to the boat. He soon had the motorized winch humming, and the boat moved forward. Micha ignored the movement and kept his gaze roving over the area. No sign of another person. No one at all for as far as the eye could see, which Micha put at a football-field-sized area before the shoreline curved south.
Cabins were few and far between on this lake as most of them had been built in the fifties on large plots and had stayed with the original families who didn’t give up their land. He didn’t know how Reid’s parents had scored their property when they did in the nineties, but they must’ve paid a pretty penny for it.
The boat slid onto the trailer, and he jumped down but stayed near Ava so he could come to her aid if needed.
Colin secured the boat and came alongside Micha. “Ready for us to get on the road, Ava?”
“Ready,” her soft voice came from under the tarp.
“Stay put unless one of us clears you to move,” Micha added.
“Of course.”
“Then let’s hit the road.” Micha gave Colin a pointed look, warning him to take care too.
He locked gazes with Micha. “I got this, bro.”
“I probably should’ve asked if you were a good driver before I agreed to this.” Ava chuckled.
“Better than the bozo riding shotgun.” Colin socked Micha in the arm.
“Let’s roll,” Micha said, ignoring the humor and heading to the vehicle to climb in. He secured his door, then checked his side mirror to keep an eye on Ava as he clicked on his seatbelt.
Colin got the SUV climbing from the ramp and onto the road. They’d all visited Reid’s friend with him at one time or another, and Colin knew where they were headed without directions.
Micha wished he could report not being nervous, but his heart was thumping. Maybe he’d been out of action for too long. Or maybe the stakes were higher than he imagined. Not the actual danger but the stakes brought on by these unwanted feelings for Ava.
Had he fallen for this woman in less than two days? Was that even possible, when he knew now was not the right time to get involved with anyone? If so, he better watch himself. He didn’t want to give her the wrong impression. Didn’t want her to think he hoped to start something with her. Not when that was the last thing he needed. Right?
They reached the driveway, and Colin backed the trailer into location. Micha opened his door, birds chirping above the only sound.
“I’ll grab my rifle and set up a perimeter,” Micha said. Though he would like to be the one to free Ava from the tarp, he was the better marksman, and they had to play to their strengths to ensure her safety. “You unhook the boat and move Ava into the vehicle.”
“Got it.” Colin slid out.
Micha went to the boat. “We’re at the transfer location, and Colin is unhooking the boat. I’m going to grab my rifle now.”
“That wasn’t such a bad trip,” she said. “Remind me to praise Colin for his driving skills.”
Micha ran his fingers under the tarp to locate his rifle, and her hand came over his and gently squeezed. Her fingers were cold. He wished it wasn’t so, but he loved the gentle touch that went right to his heart.
He squeezed her hand, then promptly ignored the way the simple touch brought all the wrong kinds of thoughts to his brain. “Colin will be back for you as soon as he unloads the boat and changes the license plates.”
He lifted his weapon and found the most strategic location under a tall maple tree where he could see in all directions and keep an eye on Ava at the same time.
Colin worked fast to crank the trailer jack stand down into place, then pull the vehicle forward to free the SUV and turn the plates. Back at the boat, he hefted his body over the side and flung off the tarp. He took Ava’s arm, and she jumped down, then stretched her arms overhead.
Micha joined them. “Straight to the vehicle. Get down on the floor until we’re on the main road, and we’re sure we aren’t followed.”
She moved quickly to the back seat and slid in. Colin closed the door and ran around the front to the driver’s seat. He pulled the SUV forward to Micha, who backed inside. “Move. Move. Move.”
Colin peeled out of the driveway and onto the narrow road. They had about a mile to go to reach the main highway, and Micha wouldn’t relax until they were cruising down the road without a tail.
Who was he kidding? He wouldn’t relax even then. Not until Ava was one hundred percent safe.
Ava had counted down the time until they reached their destination, and she eagerly scanned ahead through a jungle of plants and trees to see Buck’s house hidden on the far side of an open space ringed with tall evergreens. If you could call the dilapidated structure a house. It was more like a makeshift shack that could fall down with the slightest wind.
Colin shifted into park. “His place doesn’t exactly serve as an advertisement for off-grid living.”
