Grizz pulled up next to the helicopter and took in a fresh breath of air. “Our rescue has arrived, Dani. We’re going to get you out of here with that evidence.”
She jumped off the bike and patted her jeans pocket. “I’ll be glad to get rid of this and let the authorities take over.”
Recognizable faces emerged from the helicopter. Sanchez, Kane, and Saxon jumped from the opened door and ran like they were being chased by a bear. The speed of their approach shot daggers of ice through Grizz’s veins.
What had them so spooked?
“We’ve got company.” Kane slowed down long enough to point to a spot on a hill, overlooking the river. He passed a radio to Grizz and took off running into a copse of trees.
Grizz saw the glint of metal from the RPG launcher on a camouflaged man’s shoulder. “Dani, hop back. We’ve got to get out of here.”
A deafening boom rang through his ears. The helo exploded into an orange-and-red fireball.
SIX
Dani’s deathgrip around Grizz’s waist strained every muscle in her arms, but she refused to let go. He tore through the woods on the four-wheeler while his teammates scattered on foot.
These men were after her, and they’d just taken out her source of rescue.
She dared to glance over her shoulder and saw the skeletal remains of their escape vehicle, now an empty hull filled with flames and black smoke.
“What are we going to do?” She yelled in Grizz’s ear to be heard over the whipping wind and roar of the motor.
“I’m heading to the cabin. We should be safe in the outhouse while we regroup. At least we have a radio now. I can let the others know.”
Dani prayed these men didn’t follow them. Grizz remained on high alert, looking for trouble. The bumpy ride took less than ten minutes to return Grizz’s property. He pulled the ATV into the garage and shut the door.
“I didn’t see anyone following us.” Grizz held out his hand to assist Dani off the vehicle. “But they’ll be back. They know we don’t have a lot of options for a place to hide.”
Grizz radioed his location to the others and contacted base camp to give them an update. “My commander is going to find Rio and let him know what’s going on. They’re going to send help, but the winds are picking up, so we may have to wait it out.”
Dani grasped her hands to keep them from trembling. “This mess is all my fault. Those men are after me. I know too much.”
Grizz walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. His solid frame enveloped her and gave her a brief respite from the storm.
“I’m going to make sure you get off this mountain, Dani. We’ll get that evidence to the FBI. We have a radio and can get in touch with Rio. We’ll make a plan when the others arrive.”
He let go, and a chill washed over her. She missed his warmth.
“I can help with food.” Dani busied herself in the kitchen area. She found some of Grizz’s famous venison stew in the freezer and began to heat it on the two-burner stove.
Grizz’s radio clicked twice. “They’re here.” He headed up the stairs to the outhouse door, unbolted it, and let the two men and one woman in. They were covered in dirt and soot, but at least they’d made it out of that explosion in time.
“Dani, let me introduce you to the crew.”
Oh, she remembered thiscrew. The snickers and stares came back to her from their first encounter. Would they still give her the cold shoulder now that her information had been proven true?
Grizz turned to the woman in the hotshot-logoed T-shirt and dirt-covered jeans. “This is Sanchez. And these two stragglers are Kane and Saxon.”
Dani nodded. “It’s nice to officially meet you all.”
Saxon looked at the floor. The man appeared to be in his early thirties, his long, dark hair tied in a man bun, his face sporting an even darker beard. “Yeah, about that. I’m sorry we weren’t very hospitable on our first meeting. I’m glad Grizz found you.”
Kane also apologized while Sanchez watched but said nothing. What was it like to be a female hotshot? Dani had experience being a lone female in a male-dominated career.
She stowed her emotional baggage into the recesses of her heart and accepted the sincere apologies. She hadn’t been the nicest either when she’d demanded that they take her into the woods on a hunch. “I just appreciate your rescue attempt. You put your life on the line coming to our aid. How did you know we were in trouble?”
Saxon shrugged. “Grizz never returned with you. And with the cell phones down, Skye was worried and sent us looking.”
