Out of the Shadows (Falcon) (10 page)

“Wake up,” the guard shou
ted. The same two men who’d delivered their food earlier came into view. “It is dinner time. When you finish your meal, the fireworks will begin.”

Watching throu
gh narrowed eyes as Oscar’s men made their way toward the center of the basement, Kate remained still. The one with the water carried a lantern to guide their way.

As the key turned on the cell door, A.J. said, “I think there’s something wrong with the senorita.”

“What?”

“She hasn’t moved in hours. I think she’s dead.”

The panicked look on the guard’s face told Kate they didn’t want to be the ones delivering that news to Oscar.

The
taller guard quickly moved inside the cell and stared down at her. Reluctantly, the other sentry joined him. Kate waited. First he nudged her with the tip of his boot. Seconds later he leaned down and tapped her on the shoulder with his gun.

Kate uncoiled, grabbed the gun from the unsuspecting guard then bounced onto the balls of her feet. The adrenalin flowing, she ignored the pain in her head and back.

“Get down on your knees.” When they didn’t comply fast enough, she shouted. “On the floor, now.”

They both dropped
onto their bellies, nose to the dirt, and held their hands out. She quickly rid the other guard of his weapon and took the keys. Still holding the prisoners at gun point, Kate unlocked A.J.’s cell and gave him the extra weapon.

“Keep the gun on them. If they move, shoot.”

“Please do something stupid so I can put a hole in your head,” A.J. pleaded.

S
he went back into the cell and demanded the men undress. They reluctantly removed their clothes and tossed their garments at her feet. Kate quickly slipped on one guard’s pants. They were a little snug, but better than just her panties. She quickly ripped up their dark green shirts to use for ties and gags.

“Now what?” A.J. asked
, leaning against the sod wall. “How do we get past everyone upstairs?”

“Follow me,” she replied. “I know this place like the back of my hand.”

After locking the guards in her cell, she threw their remaining clothes on the ground. She and A.J. softly treaded up the wooden staircase.

At the top
, Kate cracked open the door leading to the kitchen. She checked the room before nodding for A.J. to follow. No one occupied the large room.

Loud voices and the sound of splashing water come from the pool area.
No other sounds were heard from the rest of the house. The clean scent of lemon and lime smelled wonderful.

A.J. set the lantern
on the top steps and followed her. Taking the chance no one would see or hear them, Kate darted across the small hall and into the pantry.

When A.J
. entered the tiny space, Kate closed the door. In the dark, the smells of cinnamon and cloves surrounded her and stirred memories of her mother’s kitchen.

Kate’s mouth watered.
She’d hardly had anything to eat in the last twenty-four hours besides the prison food.

Stretching,
she reached the top shelf with her fingertips. Tracing along the ledge, she touched the metal latch. One slip and the pantry wall cracked open.

“There is a passage behind this
wall, but I’ll need some help moving everything aside.”

A.J. stuffed
the gun in his pocket, and together they pushed. After a moment, the wall slowly turned, exposing a dugout.

“Go,” Kate said, after they reclosed the opening.
“Put your hands out and follow the path until you come to the exit. It’s only wide enough for one person at a time. I’m right behind you.”

Kate and A.J.
plunged into the ominous darkness. Kate hoped Oscar hadn’t sealed off the exit, or blown it up. It was their only hope.

“How long is this tunnel?”
A.J. asked.

“A good fifty yards
. And if they find the guards, this is the first place Oscar will look.”

“I’m moving as fast as I can.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll make it.”

Getting out might not be the only pr
oblem they had. While the shaft took them outside the wall of the La Hacienda, they would be open targets to the guards overhead.

The smell of damp earth
hung in the air. She fought against the claustrophobia that squeezed her chest and mind like a sinister monster. Kate inhaled a big gulp of air and kept her eyes focused on the tiny light in the distance.

Soon
another scent filled the tunnel. It wasn’t foul. The odor smelled more like an industrial chemical. Kate tried to identify the odor, but couldn’t.

“Up ahead
the tunnel narrows. So we’ll have to turn sideways to fit. Later, near the end, we’ll be crawling because it goes up and there’s no room to stand.”

“Anything beats be
ing locked up in that damn cell,” A.J. said. “I’ll gladly crawl the whole distance if I can breathe some free air.”

“Lucky you,” she replied.

“If you’re claustrophobic, don’t be. These walls can’t hurt you, and there’s plenty of oxygen.”

“Keep talking. I’m already tempted to run back and surrender.”

A.J. stopped, and she plowed into his chest. In the pitch black he took her arms. “Listen, Kate, we’re safer here than we were in those cells. And it sounds like Chavez has something special lined up for you. I’m betting it’s not a good thing, so just stay focused on the outcome and don’t worry about how we get there.”

“
You’re right. Thanks, A.J.”

They moved rapidly through
the passageway. It surprised her how A.J. managed to control his pain while making his way along the dark path. At times they moved to a slow but steady trot. Those instances were rare.

Soon they w
ere on their hands and knees with twenty more yards before the exit. Kate hoped they’d reach the exit, but she worried about what would happen to them once they cleared the tunnel.

Just as the shaft narrowed, a hiss vibrated through the tunnel.
Kate halted and looked back. Seconds later the smell of smoke slapped her in the face. Again, she tried to identify the odor. With a deep sniff, she recognized the acrid stench as some kind of fire accelerant. They were going to either burn alive or die from smoke inhalation.

“A.J.
, the floor is covered with some kind of fuel.”

“I knew that the minute we stepped inside
, but I didn’t want to scare you. Cover your nose and let’s make a run for it.”

Kate did as A.J. said. The heat from the fire made a fast approach.
As sweat dotted her skin, Kate wanted to scream. She fought against the fear of being burned alive.

Between coughing and panting, A.J. moved faster
. The narrow passage allowed them only so much maneuvering. With the end closed, the smoke and fire had nowhere to go.

Kate realized they were covered with the flame igniter. Even if they managed
to reach the end, they’d be burned alive.

Desperately
, she crawled as fast as she could. Her knees and palms screamed from the scrapes and the burn of the accelerant. “Hurry, A.J., the fire is right behind me.”

A.J. coughed. “I know. The smoke is blinding me. Good thing I don’t need my eyes right now.”

“Whatever you do, don’t rub them since we don’t know what chemical’s on the ground.”

Kate looked behind her and saw the red and blue flames rushing toward her. The fire licked the bottoms of her feet
. She pushed against A.J.

“Hurry!”

A.J. bumped against something solid. “Have they sealed the exit?”

“Oh
Christ. Only a thin piece of plywood covered it before. Try to kick it out.”

A.J. did. He kicked furiously yet nothing budged.

Smoke and fire filled the burrow as they frantically tried to escape. The tunnel grew hotter, and Kate couldn’t breathe. The fire moved so close she knew they only had moments left.

“Keep close to the ground.”
A.J. coughed and Kate feared he’d never stop. Even her breathing grew harsh and difficult. They didn’t have long.

Kate managed to crawl over A.J. Sitting with her hands braced on the fl
oor she kicked both feet against the metal gate. Pain from the impact shot up her legs and vibrated through her body. Only tiny streams of light filtered into the dark, deadly tomb.

Again she
struck the door with her flip-flop covered feet. It refused to budge. Kate feared they wouldn’t get out alive. Oscar knew she had memorized the layout of the house. He knew she had knowledge about the secret tunnel.

He
had gambled, and it paid off. She and A.J. would die here in a dark tomb. The sound of A.J. coughing brought tears to her eyes. She looked back and saw A.J.’s shirt had caught on fire.

She rose as high as she could
and beat his back with her hands until they were blistered, but she extinguished the fire.

Suddenly a loud sound echoed through the tunnel and
Kate felt a freight train race overhead. The roar muffled everything. She closed her eyes and hugged A.J.

Light streamed in
. A pair of strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her from the tunnel. The next thing she knew, she was outside breathing fresh air.

Then Brody walked toward her
, helping a coughing A.J.

His smile sent
her heart skyward. She laughed as she jumped up, hugged his neck and pressed her lips against his for a quick kiss. Once A.J. could breathe normally, they all embraced.

Brody stepped back
and said to A.J., “I told you I’d be back.”

“You’re a damn, hot-headed fool.”

“Maybe,” Brody replied. “Let’s argue the point later. Right now we have to get to the tree line.”

She darted across the empty space
for fear bullets would be chasing them. Brody stayed behind and helped A.J.

Soo
n they were all huddled beneath scrub trees. Kate breathed deeply, thinking she’d never realized how wonderful clean air could feel. Brody looked so handsome. Her body tingled and her lips curled into a natural smile. He was battered and bloody, too, but she thought no man had ever looked so attractive.

A.J. appeared pale in the dim
ming light, but the relief on his face showed how happy and proud he felt to have a friend of Brody’s caliber.

She took the canteen Brody offer
ed her. After a couple of sips, she passed it to A.J.

“First” she said. “How did you know we were in there?”

“I didn’t,” Brody admitted, brushing dirt off her cheek. “I was on the other side of the compound wiring a load of C4 to blow up the south wall. I thought that would distract them enough for me to get inside. But when I crawled back for my gear, I heard a noise.”

“A noise, huh?” A.J. asked.

“I had no idea it was you two until I heard you hacking and coughing. Then I rigged the door to blast outward and I synced it to explode at the same time as the south wall.”

“You cut it a little close, didn’t you?”

“I knew what I was doing. Remember, Mac taught me everything I know about explosives.”

Kate shook her head. “How did you get here from the village? It’s a good ten or fifteen miles.”

Brody pointed back, deeper into the woods. There, hidden behind heavy brush, stood a horse. Kate nearly fainted, and then she laughed. “You stole a horse?”

“Hell no, I didn’t steal a man’s horse. The padre offered me the use of the
animal. I promised to return her.”

Brody
had never felt as good as he did at that moment. He’d gotten both of them to safety. A.J. would need tending to, and Kate looked banged up, but they were alive.

He reached over and hugged A.J. “I’m glad to see you.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“This
reunion is so sweet,” Kate said. “But what do we do now?”

“Right now Chavez
’s men are busy trying to figure out who blew the hell out of their wall. But it won’t be long until someone investigates the tunnel.”

“We walked right into a trap,
” Kate said. “There was accelerant on the floor, and we couldn’t get out.”

“That gate is a new addition. I think Chavez was hoping you two would die like rats down there.”

Kate rubbed her
hands on the sleeve of her shirt, and blew on her palms. Already blisters appeared, and he feared they’d grow worse.

“
Did the fire reach you?”

“My shirt caught on fire. She put it out with her bare hands. I imagi
ne she’s sporting a few burns.”

“Let me see.” Brody took her hands in his and
squinted for a better look. Her hands were soft and smooth, but angry red welts covered her palms. An ache shot through his heart. She was the last person he wanted to see hurt. He looked into her eyes and smiled at the knowledge that in a weird and unfamiliar way he and Kate shared something special. How special would have to wait