Kade: Armed and Dangerous (30 page)

“What?” Kade shouted, the sound of his own voice splitting his head. “Never mind.”
His hand shook as he hung up and dialed her cell phone. Went straight to voice mail.
Then he called the ranch and let the phone ring at least twenty times.

No answer.

“Don called the paramedics,” Sal said when Kade slammed down the receiver. “They should
be here any minute.”

“No time.” Kade headed toward the door. “I’m going to the ranch. I think Kelsey’s
still there and I’ve got to make sure these bastards aren’t after her. Call the Sheriff’s
Department and call for backup.”

He didn’t wait for Sal’s reply as he ran into the thunderstorm. Sirens approached
as he jumped over water flowing in the gutter and stumbled into his truck. Gritting
his teeth against the throbbing pain in his head, he started the vehicle and swung
into traffic. His reflexes were off, causing him to drive erratically, and horns blared
as he weaved on the road.

Cursing the distance to the ranch, he fought to maintain focus and control of the
vehicle. He discovered his cell phone wasn’t in the truck, and he had no way to call
Kelsey to see if she was still at the house. Even the pouring rain mocked him, the
washes already running with water from the downpour, forcing him to slow down as he
crossed them so he wouldn’t flood his engine.

When he finally arrived at the ranch, he took a back road and parked behind a clump
of mesquite bushes, hoping the dark truck blended in well enough and couldn’t be seen
in the rain. He grabbed his field glasses out of the glove compartment, pulled out
his Glock, and hurried out of the truck, careful not to slam the door.

Rain poured and thunder rumbled as he waded through flood- waters and crawled to the
top of the muddy dam. He prayed that he was wrong. That Kelsey wasn’t in danger.

But as soon as he looked through the binoculars, he saw the un-familiar car in the
driveway—and Sadie’s SUV still parked there.

He swung the glasses to the house and glimpsed a man through a window.

Rage seared him and he had to force himself to think calmly. Two men stepped outside
the house, and he recognized the first—Jose Hernandez, aka Gordo. The other was the
man who’d knocked him cold. The bastard gestured to the yard.

Kelsey must be hiding somewhere. Where would she hide? Not the barn. Her sneezes would
bring attention to her immediately. Possibly the garden, but not enough cover. Certainly
not the plane. She was terrified of it. If it was Trent, he would know to go to the
playhouse.

The playhouse. It dawned on Kade that Trent had told Kelsey about his dad’s instructions.
Would she remember?

Gordo started searching around the outside of the house and the other man headed to
the barn. Kade scrambled over the dam, slipping in the mud and sliding to the bottom
of the incline. He fought another wave of nausea from the concussion, then crouched
low and ran to the windbreak. The playhouse came into view. He raced toward it, then
paused at the door. If Kelsey was in there, she might scream, thinking him one of
the men hunting for her.

Lightning struck, close enough that the clap of thunder was unbearably loud to his
pounding head. He pushed open the playhouse door and saw Kelsey on her knees, her
back to him, her face in her hands. He eased into the doorway, and as she raised her
head he clapped his hand over her mouth and pulled her close to him.

Terror ripped through Kelsey and she struggled against the hands that held her.

“It’s me,” Kade said, and released her.

Her limbs went slack with relief. She turned and threw her arms around him, pressing
herself against his wet and muddy body. “Thank God you’re here.”

He kissed her forehead, but when he pulled away, his face was grim. “You were supposed
to be in Bisbee by now.”

“I overslept.” She gasped when she noticed the wound on his head. “What happened?
You’re hurt.”

Kade eased by her, mud covering the floor of the playhouse behind him. He picked up
the binoculars and looked out the window. “Damn. They’ve spotted my truck.” He dropped
the glasses and took her hand. “Keep low.” He pulled her through the doorway of the
playhouse and into the storm.

While she crawled out, Kelsey wiped rain from her eyes and started to ask Kade how
they would escape.

Her heart stopped as a figure stepped in front of them. She sighed with relief when
she saw that it was Sal.

“Sal.” Kade put his arm out to block Kelsey from walking forward. “What the hell are
you doing?”

It was then that she saw the gun.

Kelsey’s heart pounded as her gaze snapped from the weapon to Sal’s face, his expression
ruthless in the pouring rain.

“You couldn’t mind your own fucking business, could you,
compadre?”
Water dripped from the brim of Sal’s hat as he narrowed his gaze. “I convinced El
Torero and Gordo to give you a warning. A chance to walk away.” Sal spit on the ground
but kept his eyes on Kade.

Kade pushed Kelsey partially behind him. “Just walk away from Kelsey.” His voice was
as hard and cold as steel. “You and I will deal with this.”

“Too late. The man wants the both of you taken to him.” Sal pulled Kade’s cell phone
out of his back pocket. “You’re going to visit El Torero now.”

Kelsey’s gaze darted from Sal to Kade and back, her heart pounding. What could she
do to help Kade? To help them both?

“Drop your weapon, then hands up, palms facing me.” Sal stepped closer. Pressed his
handgun against Kade’s temple.

Kade’s Glock dropped from his fingers and spattered the mud at their feet. Slowly
Kade raised his hands as Sal kicked the weapon aside, hard enough that it landed at
least ten feet away.

“Don’t move while I make this call, or you’re dead.” His cold gaze cut to Kelsey.
“You run off and I’ll shoot him.”

Raw terror filled Kelsey while Sal punched buttons on the weatherproof phone, the
electronic sound surreal in the pouring rain. In the distance, somewhere behind them,
men shouted in Spanish.

She struggled to calm the fear raging within. How were they going to get out of this?
If only Kade had his handgun.

His second handgun.

Slowly Kelsey raised her left hand that was hidden behind Kade’s back. He stiffened
as her hand moved under his overshirt. She kept her eyes focused on Sal. The man spoke
rapid-fire Spanish into the phone, but it was so low and unintelligible that she wondered
if even Kade could make out the words.

Her fingers eased over the rough texture of his denim jeans and then met cold metal
above the waistband. She withdrew the weapon, afraid that Sal would hear the sound
of the gun moving across cloth. But with the rain pouring down she knew she really
didn’t have anything to worry about.

She kept her eyes focused on Sal’s, using every bit of her journalism skills to school
her expression.

Her hand shook as she pushed up her baggy T-shirt and slid the handgun into her left
front pocket. She prayed her shirt was loose enough that Sal wouldn’t notice the bulge,
especially with the rain making her T-shirt cling to her skin.

The front of her shirt dropped down just as Sal punched off the phone. “Let’s go.
But first I’ve got to pat you down,
compadre.”

Kelsey froze.

“I don’t have anything else.” Kade’s tone was so calm and natural, not betraying any
kind of concern. “Lost my backup when I slid down the dam.”

“Bullshit.” Sal gestured for Kade to turn around. “Keep your hands up. I’ll shoot
your woman. You know I will, Owen.”

“You can see I’m covered in mud from when I fell.” Kade turned in a slow movement.

As Sal patted him down, Kade stared at Kelsey, asking her with his eyes what she’d
done with his handgun. She glanced at her pocket and he gave her a grim smile.

“Not even a knife.” Sal stared at Kade when he turned around and met Sal’s gaze. “I’ll
follow you to your truck and you’ll drive. I’m parked by you.”

“Tell me why you’re doing this.” Kade turned and lowered his hands.

“Don’t fuck with me, Owen. Keep your hands up.” Sal aimed his handgun at Kelsey’s
forehead and she swallowed. “Money. What else? Shit, man, I’ll never get rich working
for the government. I’ve already made more cash in the past few months than I could
in an entire year as an agent.”

“You’ve been tipping off the bastards.” Kade raised his hands again. “You gave them
the names of my contacts. My family. Kelsey.” Sal’s dark eyes flashed and he nodded
toward the dam. “Let’s go.”

“You’d be one of the last people I’d ever think would turn.” Kade worked his jaw as
he stepped forward.

“That’s your biggest weakness.” Sal grinned. “You’re too damn trusting.”

Before Kelsey could even grasp what was happening, Kade swung his right leg around
and kicked the handgun out of Sal’s grasp. The man howled and cradled his hand. Kade
caught his balance on his left foot and then shot his right foot toward Sal, plowing
his boot squarely into the man’s midsection.

Air whooshed from Sal’s lungs. He doubled over and dropped to his knees. Kade swung
his foot again, connecting with Sal’s head. The man fell to his side and lay still.

Kelsey dove for Sal’s handgun where it had landed on a patch of wet grass. Her hands
shook as she scooped it up and handed it to Kade.

Men’s voices were approaching.

Holding Sal’s weapon in one hand, Kade grabbed Kelsey’s hand and pulled her through
the windbreak with him.

“Damn,” Kade muttered. “There’s only one way we can get out of here now.”

“How?” But even as she asked, horror slammed into Kelsey and she started to shake.
She tried to stop running, but Kade pulled her forward until they burst through the
trees, straight toward his plane.

“There’s no way. I can’t.” Every part of her quivered as Kade yanked open the cockpit
door. Flashes of flames and her sister’s dead face filled her head.

Shouts erupted from behind them. She didn’t have a choice.

It took everything she had to force herself to climb into the plane, knowing that
this time they would be flying, not making love.

Kade helped her up and then dropped Sal’s handgun between the seats. “Everything’ll
be okay.”

Somehow she managed to get into the copilot’s seat and buckled in. She shook so hard
her teeth chattered. Clenching her eyes shut, she tried to fight the horrific images
in her mind.

The engine roared to life, and she felt the movement of the plane as Kade guided it
down the muddy runway.

OhGodohGodohGodohGod.
Naya’s voice rang in Kelsey’s mind and she gripped her seat cushion so tightly her
hands ached. Flashes of the plane crash erupted in her mind, and she could barely
keep from screaming in terror.

“Keep your head low.” Kade’s voice was tight. “They’re at the end of the runway.”

She forced herself to open her eyes and saw his clenched jaw, his hands taut on the
steering column. His normally tan skin was pale, the wound to his forehead vivid red.
Mud and water dripped from his clothing onto his seat and the floor.

Kelsey looked out the window and choked back a cry as the men came into view and the
plane began to lift from the ground. Both men aimed guns at the cockpit.

Glass cracked as a bullet hit the windshield. She screamed as another zinged by her
ear. She heard the ping of more bullets against metal as the plane rose higher. Then
nothing but the sound of the engine and blood roaring in her ears.

“We’re okay.” Kade reached over and squeezed her hand. Then he glanced at the gauges
and cursed, his features growing tighter, more concerned than even before.

“What’s wrong?” Kelsey’s voice was barely a croak.

He gave her a sharp look. “We’ll be fine. It just means that we need to head to the
closest airport.”

More panic gripped Kelsey. “What happened?”

Kade blew out a harsh breath. “They put a bullet in the gas tank. Rather than chance
going over the mountains to Bisbee, we’ll land at the airport outside of Douglas,
by the prison.”

Rivulets of water streamed down Kelsey’s face and her wet clothes clung to her body.
His handgun dug into her hip, but she couldn’t pry her fingers from the seat cushion
to take it out of her pocket. He radioed ahead and she berated herself for putting
him in such danger by not getting away from the ranch as she’d promised.

When he approached the field by the prison, an air traffic controller informed him
that for security reasons they wouldn’t be allowed to land and would have to go to
the airport in Douglas. Kade argued that it was an emergency, but the controller insisted
he take the plane to the next airport and that it would be prepared for the landing.

“What the hell?” he muttered. He cut a look to Kelsey and managed a small smile. “It’s
a slow leak. We’ll make it.”

She tore her gaze from Kade’s and closed her eyes.

And prayed.

Lightning flashed and the plane bounced with the turbulence. Kelsey gasped and Kade
looked at her again. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her face ashen. He thought about
the day he’d met the woman at his side. And now he wanted to spend the rest of his
life with her.

He could only hope that would be longer than it took to get the plane landed.

“It’s all right,” he said. “We’ll be there in just a few minutes.”

She didn’t answer, and he wished he could take her in his arms and hold her tight.

Head pounding, he struggled to concentrate and control his clumsy hands. That bang
on the head must have banged up his coordination, too. He forced himself to focus
on the air traffic controller’s voice and the approaching landing strip. The blue
runway lights blurred in the rain.

“I’m taking us down now. It might be a bit bumpy.” Kade tried to keep his voice calm
and soothing. His hands were a little shaky from the concussion, but he wasn’t going
to worry Kelsey with that. “We’ll be fine, honey.”