Outrunning Danger, page 3
“You know, you have God. You don’t really need a superhero,” she murmured.
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I think God picks and chooses who He helps.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’ve dealt with some pretty harsh things. I’ve never felt God abandoned me—”
“Tucker.” Cade’s voice filled the cabin of the vehicle. “That old pickup has moved in closer. No threatening moves but he’s creeping up.”
“Got it,” Tucker responded. “Stay frosty. It may be nothing. Maybe grandpa has a lead foot,” he joked, trying to ease the strain that covered Tara like a blanket. He glanced at his passenger, who gave him a weak smile. He’d take it.
“Tucker.” Chief Seever’s voice boomed over the radio. “Backup is on the way. Given your location, you should see them in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thanks, Chief. So far so good, but they can’t arrive soon enough.”
“They’ll escort you through the back entrance once you arrive at headquarters—”
“Tucker, I’m under attack!” Cade shouted through the radio. Tucker glanced in the rearview mirror long enough to see the rusty old truck weaving alongside Cade’s vehicle, attempting to ram it from the side. The crack of gunfire sounded through the radio, and the SUV plowed off the road into the ditch. Tucker’s heart stopped. He needed to turn around and check on Cade but that could be leading Tara right into a trap with the driver of the pickup. He glanced in the rearview mirror. There was no sign of Cade emerging from his vehicle.
“You can’t just leave him back there!” Tara exclaimed.
“We have to.” Sweat flashed over his body and his stomach rolled. Everything in him rebelled at leaving his fellow officer and friend behind. “My orders are to get you to headquarters. Cade’s an excellent officer. He’ll be fine until backup gets there.” Tucker believed those words, but these were unpredictable circumstances. He couldn’t let Tara know the extent of his concerns.
“Tucker, update.” Marcus’s voice sounded through the radio.
“The pickup truck behind Cade opened fire,” Tucker reported, working to keep his voice neutral despite the acid churning in his stomach. “Cade’s SUV went into a ditch. I lost sight of the pickup. Per orders, I’m continuing to headquarters with Ms. Piper.”
A heavy sigh greeted them before the chief responded. “We have the location of his SUV. I’ll notify the local police and have a chopper standing by. Keep going, don’t stop for anything. Law enforcement should rendezvous soon.” The chief disconnected.
“The cavalry’s on the way,” Tucker said with a glance in her direction. She nodded, her gaze lingering on his briefly before looking away. He’d make sure she got back in one piece.
Tara’s arm shot out, her nails digging into his flesh. “In front of us!” she shrieked.
Tucker jerked his head around to see a semitruck about a half mile in the distance, heading straight toward them in their lane. His blood froze. There were no other approaching vehicles, so he jerked into the oncoming lane, sucking in a horrified breath as the truck mirrored his move. It was going to run them off the road! Tucker glanced at Tara. Her eyes were closed, and her lips were moving silently.
Tucker swerved back into his lane. The eighteen-wheeler did the same. They were in trouble. If he ran off the road into the ditch, they could be seriously injured. And they’d be sitting ducks. He had seconds to make a decision, and he hoped it was the right one. The truck barreled down on them and the massive grille filled the windshield, blinding in the slanting rays of the afternoon sun.
“Hang on!” he shouted, and yanked the wheel to the left. The SUV veered sharply back into the oncoming lane. As if anticipating their move, the driver jerked the cab toward them as the huge truck roared past, clipping the rear quarter panel of the police car and sending them into a spin.
Time jolted to a stop, as if he was back at the controls of his chopper and every second was life and death. The moment crystalized in his memory. The blur of green trees, Scout’s yip from his kennel, Tara’s terrified scream—all converged into laser-sharp focus. The steering wheel vibrated and jerked as they barreled off the highway and he tightened his grip, fighting for control of the vehicle as it moved with a mind of its own. Tucker didn’t believe God paid attention to him, but as they plowed with a vengeance through a guardrail and crashed through brush and bushes, everything in him hoped God had listened to Tara’s prayers.
Three
The sky and trees blurred together as the SUV spun in stomach-churning circles. Tara’s clutch tightened on Tucker’s arm and she pushed back into her seat, bracing herself. She risked a brief glimpse at him. His face was a mask of concentration, and he had a white-knuckle grip on the wheel as he tried to control the vehicle. She squeezed her eyes shut. A startled bark erupted from the back seat. Scout!
The squeal of tires and the burning smell of rubber assaulted her as they swerved across the highway and bumped violently over the brush and ruts along the edge of the road. Branches screeched along the side of the vehicle as it skidded. With a jarring thud, the SUV tipped onto the passenger side and slid to a halt. Tara’s side airbag deployed, and pain ricocheted down her neck and arm as her head jerked sideways. She felt groggy and dragged her eyes open. Had she passed out? Her head throbbed, and she thought she might be sick.
Strong fingers grabbed for her, and she gave a shocked scream. “Tara, it’s me, Tucker. We have to get moving.” She felt his weight as he leaned across and unfastened her seat belt. “Scout, speak,” he commanded. The reassuring bark of the German shepherd filled the interior of the vehicle.
Tucker grabbed the key and maneuvered through the opening to the back seat and into Scout’s kennel, then reached for her as she crawled through the narrow passageway. Her head swam and she pitched forward into the opening. Tucker grabbed her and pulled her close. His arms tightened around her. “I’ve got you,” he murmured. It felt safe in his embrace, and she allowed herself to stay there for just a moment before she remembered he was an undercover officer and pulled back. Tension tightened the edge of his jaw, and the eyes that scanned her face were intense.
“We’re going to get out of here,” he said. She nodded and Scout nudged her shoulder, seeming to echo his partner.
“The driver probably thinks we’re incapacitated. I’m going to take him by surprise before he can get to us.” His brow furrowed. “I wish I had an extra weapon. Do you know how to fire a gun?”
She nodded. “It’s been a while though.”
“Maybe it’s just as well then,” he said with a wink.
She opened her mouth to reply, but Tucker had already brushed past her. With a gentle nudge he cracked the door open and peered out. Tara half expected a bullet to come zipping through the narrow opening. Everything was eerily quiet. “Just wait here with Scout. I’ll be right back.” He rubbed the thick fur behind the dog’s head. “Scout, protect.”
Tucker pushed a button on the K9 remote and the door sprang open. With a grunt, he scrambled up, eyes darting to his left and right. He glanced back at her and their gazes locked and held for a moment, then he jumped over the side. Tara heard the thud of his feet hitting the ground and a rustle as he moved through the brush to the back of the vehicle.
The silence was heavy, and the sudden loss of Tucker’s presence made her feel off-balance. She hadn’t realized how comforting it had been to have him there. Tara frowned. There was no point in getting attached to Tucker Dawson. He was an undercover officer. Not to be trusted. After a few short hours, she wouldn’t see him again. The thought squeezed at her heart and she brushed it aside.
Tara crouched next to Scout and stared into the dog’s golden-brown eyes. “We’re going to get out of here,” she whispered. “But I can’t just sit here doing nothing.” A quick glance around Scout’s spacious kennel showed little to use as a weapon. She stuffed her hand into the pocket on the back of the seat and her fingers circled around something brick hard. It was a heavy red rubber dog toy. This could work. Tara stood up too fast, wobbling with pain that rocketed through her head and sent white lights dancing in front of her eyes. She grabbed at the back of the seat to steady herself, feeling disoriented from trying to stand up in a vehicle on its side.
A growl started low in Scout’s throat, and panic shot through her like wildfire. “What is it, Scout?” she whispered, holding her breath and straining to hear anything. The screech of a bird sounded in the woods, but otherwise everything was quiet. Maybe the dog was imagining things. Then, as soft as a whisper it reached her ears—the slight brush of something against the side of the car.
Her heart hammered against her ribs. Scout sprang to his feet, his fur standing on end. Tara twisted to look up and a man with a bent nose and slits for eyes sneered at her over the top of the door. She opened her mouth to scream as his hand snaked into the car, grabbed her hair and yanked. She shrieked as another hand grabbed under her arm. Tara’s mind struggled to grasp what was happening even as she was lifted up, feet dangling in the air. She could feel the edge of the door cutting into her back as the man struggled to pull her out of the car. She grasped at the frame, trying to hang on as he fought to get her over the side.
A thunderous bark erupted from the confines of the SUV, and Scout was a blur as he leaped up and tried to sink his teeth into the man’s arm. The attacker cursed and jerked his arm away before Scout could get a hold of it and fell backward, pulling Tara with him. He landed hard on his back, his breath erupting in her face and sending a wave of nausea through her. The man’s grip loosened for a fraction of a second and Tara rolled to twist off him, but his arm tightened around her neck and squeezed. Tara fought, clawing at his arm and kicking, trying to suck in oxygen. From somewhere a gun materialized in his hand. He was going to kill her. She couldn’t give in. There would never be justice for Michael if she gave in. She fought harder, kicking and scratching, feeling dampness on the back of his hand where she’d drawn blood.
“Stop it,” he growled. The pressure tightened around her neck. Her arms were lead weights and her vision began to blur. Blackness creeped around the edges, and she finally succumbed to the darkness.
* * *
Tucker held his gun in a tight grip and crept through the brush and grass, inching closer to the eighteen-wheeler. The truck was stopped along the side of the road, the massive engine idling. He hadn’t seen the driver emerge from the cab. He must still be inside. Tucker circled around the semi, staying far enough away to avoid being seen in the driver’s side mirrors. Anxiety surged through him. He didn’t like leaving Tara alone for too long, even though Scout was with her. But if he could bring this perp in, they may be able to get valuable information from him that could help keep Tara safe. Like who had sent these thugs after her.
Tucker moved in closer, brambles tearing at his pants and scratching his arms. There was still nothing stirring around the truck. No flash of movement in the cab. Alarm bells started to ring. How could the driver have evaded him? His heart began to pound. He had to get back to his vehicle.
He turned, and the hair on the back of his neck rose. The unmistakable sensation someone was watching crawled over him. He darted for cover behind a tree and crouched, peering around the trunk, looking for any spot someone could be hiding. Waning sunlight filtered through the trees, casting shadows everywhere. Nothing moved. Above him he heard the rustle of a squirrel as it raced across the tree branches, but otherwise the only sound was the rumble of the semi.
Without warning something hard struck him across the back of the head. Lights flashed in his eyes and he stumbled forward, landing hard on his hands and knees. His gun flew from his grip into the tall grass. A flash of movement snaked through the brush, and the hard toe of a boot kicked searing blows against his side. Tucker grunted and rolled, grabbing his attacker’s leg and yanking hard. The perp fell backward and landed with a thud.
Adrenaline spiked as Tucker pushed himself up and staggered back, scanning for a weapon. The assailant rolled over, reached into his jacket, and spun around. The afternoon sun gleamed along the sharp edge of a hunting knife clenched in his hand. The man wore a camo T-shirt covering muscles on muscles, and the gleam in his eyes was sinister and chilled Tucker’s blood.
The goon lunged, the point of the knife aimed straight for Tucker’s stomach. Tucker sprang to the side—he was more agile than the perp—and he’d use that to his advantage. The man lifted his arm and sliced the air, missing Tucker’s cheek by inches. The K9 officer grabbed a limb off the ground and flung it at the man’s head. He ducked, and Tucker sprinted in the direction his gun landed. His assailant cut him off, and his arm snaked out again, brandishing the knife. Tucker bolted to the side and grabbed the man’s elbow, twisting it in a way it wasn’t designed to move. The man cried out, dropped the knife and hunched on the ground, cradling his arm and moaning.
Tucker dove for the knife, then scanned the grass for his gun, spying it lying next to a broken bottle. He snatched it up and turned toward his SUV, then stopped midstride. The key. He ran to the semi, jerked the driver’s door open and climbed inside, turning the engine off and pocketing the key. Over the sudden deafening stillness that followed, the unmistakable sound of Scout’s urgent barking blasted through the air. Tara!
Whirling, Tucker broke into a sprint, skidding on gravel and leaping over brambles. He should never have left Tara alone.
The roar of a man yelling reached Tucker’s ears, and he burst into the clearing next to his vehicle. About thirty feet away Scout was jerking his head back and forth, his sharp teeth attached like a vise to the assailant’s arm. The man was flat on his back, his gun just out of reach. The attacker twisted, trying to wrench his arm out of Scout’s grasp and keep a hold on Tara with his other arm tight around her neck. She hung limply, eyes closed and lips parted. No, no, no! He pointed his gun at the perp. “Police, let her go!” The man turned mean eyes on him and didn’t yield an inch. Tucker advanced closer, aiming the barrel at the man’s head. His lips twisted in anger, and he loosened his hold. Tara rolled off him onto the ground, unmoving. Sirens sounded in the distance, and the glow of red and blue lights shone through the trees. Finally!
“Get this beast off me,” the assailant growled, trying to pull his arm out of Scout’s jaws.
“He’s fine where he is,” Tucker said, moving forward to check on Tara. With his gun still aimed at the attacker, he cradled her with one arm and pulled her to a safe distance. He placed his fingers on her wrist, feeling for a pulse. It was faint but steady, and relief surged through him.
Officers from Houston PD and several EMT trucks pulled off the road next to them. “Scout, release,” Tucker said as officers rushed over and surrounded the assailant. Scout let go of the man’s arm and trotted over to Tara, giving her hand a gentle lick. Her eyes fluttered and she moaned as a couple of medics began checking her vitals. Tucker moved back so they could do their jobs but kept his eyes on her.
A police officer hurried over. “I’m glad to see you,” Tucker said. “One of our K9 officers was run off the road about a mile back, and there’s an injured man over at the semi. I need an officer and medic truck over there ASAP.”
“Sir, here comes the K9 officer now,” one of the medics shouted.
Tucker darted a look over his shoulder to see Cade’s tall form weaving through the crowd of police officers, and he couldn’t help but grin. Maybe Tara’s prayers had worked after all.
One of the medics helped Tara sit up, and she rubbed tentative fingers over her throat. Tears rolled down the side of Tara’s face. Anger thrummed under Tucker’s skin, and he vowed he wouldn’t stop until the person responsible for these attacks was behind bars. What had he been thinking, leaving her alone in the car? She could have been killed.
He squatted next to her and she turned to him, her eyes filled with fear and shock. With a gentle hand he brushed the hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. “I’ll be right back. I’m not going far.” She gave him a thumbs-up before an EMT grabbed her arm and fastened a blood pressure cuff around it.
Tucker jogged over to Cade who limped toward him. Shiloh trotted at his side. “You’re a sight for sore eyes!” Tucker exclaimed. “What happened?”
“I got a little banged up,” Cade replied, glancing at his knee, “but Shiloh and I managed to get out of the SUV after it went in the ditch. The old guy in the pickup U-turned to check on the damage, and I fired at his windshield. He took off like a rocket. Shiloh and I hoofed it from there. I can’t believe you took on a semi,” he said with a shake of his head.
“These people who are after Tara mean business,” Tucker said, frowning.
A medic approached, signaling Cade to follow her. “We need to check out that knee, sir. I saw you limping.”
Cade shrugged. “I’m sure it’s fine,” he muttered.
“See you back at headquarters,” Tucker said, giving Cade a brief nod and hurrying back to Tara. She was standing and talking with Stella McNair, one of his fellow K9 officers. When Tara saw him coming, she smiled, and against his will, warmth zipped through him.
“Glad to see you and Scout in one piece,” Stella said as he approached. “I’ve just been speaking to Ms. Piper. She said she’s never seen this guy before.” She nodded her head toward the perp, who glowered at them from the back seat of the police car. “His name is Stuart Martin and he’s your garden variety thug. Easy to hire and not real smart. I’ll stay here while the police question him and see if we can find out whose payroll he’s on.” She glanced at the yellow Lab next to her. “Clove and I will sniff around that eighteen-wheeler, see what we can come up with.”
He turned to Tara and found her staring at him. Even in the shadows of dusk he could see a soft pink creep into her cheeks as he closed the gap to stand next to her. “That’s the last time I ride anywhere with you,” she whispered hoarsely.
