Page 42 of Risk Everything

“How did you know?”

“Found something similar on ours. Some sort of puncture mechanism on a timer. I don’t know if it malfunctioned or if they only ever planned on taking down one raft.”

Tanner muttered a curse.

“We would’ve gotten here a lot sooner,” Noah continued, “but they took out not only the first bridge but the next two also.”

“You must’ve been hauling ass the whole day to have gotten here by now.”

Noah shrugged and turned to Marilyn. “It’s Jared.”

Even in the darkness Tanner could see the tension bolt through the woman. “He’s here?”

“He’s not here himself,” Tanner said. “But I know for sure one of the men tracking us is Oscar Stobbart. The other guy’s name was Paul. I’m assuming that’s Paul Wyn.”

Marilyn seemed to shrink inside herself. “I—I...”

Noah pulled her up against his chest. “Concentrate on what you know that might be able to help us right now. Leave the rest for another time. What do we need to know about these guys?”

She sucked in a couple of deep breaths. “They’ll do anything for one another. I think Jared might’ve had something to do with Paul’s wife’s death, but I could never prove it.”

Tanner barely refrained from rolling his eyes. “They’re obviously used to working together.”

“Where are the kids? Are they hurt? Scared? I just want to get to them.”

“They’re hidden with Bree. Sleeping. They’re not hurt and have been absolute troupers today. They’re hidden pretty well right now, but I don’t want to leave them any longer than necessary. I was going to try to take out our hunters, but that was when I thought I was taking on two.”

“We need a plan,” Noah said.

Tanner nodded. “Let’s get back to Bree. I know she’s worried sick. And then, yeah, a plan. Which probably involves us splitting up.”

Noah gave him a nod. Neither of them liked the thought of splitting their defenses, but the most important thing right now was making sure to get those kids back safe. Out of Jared Ellis’s clutches.

Chapter Fifteen

Every noise made by an animal, the break of a twig or even the leaves shifting in the wind sounded like desperate danger to Bree. She had long since placed herself in the mouth of their little overhang, determined to be a buffer between menace and these kids.

Whoever was hunting them might find them here, but they damn well weren’t going to touch Eva and Sam without Bree getting a few good bashes in.

She refused to even think about Tanner not coming back, even when minute after minute marched closer to dawn and he still didn’t return. Tanner was a hero; it was what he did by trade. But she didn’t want him to be a hero tonight. She wanted him to come back and hide with her and find a way out of this by sneaking off in the dark, rather than facing the enemy head-on.

A silent tear ran down her cheek before she could stop it. Tanner’s propensity for facing the enemy head-on was one of the reasons she’d fallen in love with him. But now she just wanted him back safe in her arms.

With every second she willed him closer until finally he was there right in front of her, crawling into the cave.

The branch shook in her hand and she swallowed a sob.

“I’m okay, freckles.” His lips were on hers in a brief, hard kiss, then he scooted closer in next to her.

Two more people climbed in behind him. Bree couldn’t believe it when she saw Marilyn and Noah.

Marilyn barely paid any attention to her, just crawled frantically past her to see the kids. The soft sobs coming from the woman were nothing less than heartbreaking. Quiet kissing noises filled the small space.

“Mommy?” Eva’s sleepy voice said.

“Shh. I’m here. Go back to sleep.”

“We played hide-and-seek. Soldier style.”