Taking Aim (6 page)

Trey shut down the engine and scrambled out of the pilot’s seat. Richard joined him beside Zach and Jacie.

Everyone tugged their headsets off and stared at the downed helicopter.

“What happened?” Richard asked.

“I’d get closer to investigate, but with fuel leaking, it’s best to stay back until we’re sure it won’t create a fire.” Trey sucked in a deep breath and let it out, visibly shaken by the experience. “I’ve never had that happen here.”

“Why did the helicopter shake so hard before it lost the rudder?” Jacie asked.

“We were hit by something, hard in the tail.”

“What? A bird?”

“No, more like a rocket.”

“Who in the hell has rockets out here?” Richard demanded.

Zach’s body grew rigid. “Maybe we shouldn’t stand so close to the helicopter and seek some cover. The cartels have this kind of ammunition. Either provided illegally by the black market or stolen from the Mexican Army. Whatever, we’re in hostile territory and should treat it as such.” He grabbed Jacie’s hand and dragged her toward an outcropping.

The woman dug her heels into the rocky soil. “No. We can’t give up the search now. What about the metal reflection? It could be a vehicle. They could be holding Tracie nearby.” She jerked her hand free and headed back the way they’d come in the chopper. “We have to check it out.”

Zach sighed. She was right. Though he didn’t like the idea of being trapped in a canyon with the possibility of being shot at, he had to either catch up with Jacie or risk her being taken as easily as her sister, or killed like the DEA Agents.

“Will you at least wait over there in the shadows until I get some more firepower?”

She frowned. “You can’t go back to the chopper. It might explode.”

He smiled. “I’d rather risk an explosion than walk off into a desert canyon underarmed.”

She bit her bottom lip for a moment. “Okay, but hurry.”

Zach nodded to Richard. “Get her over there, will ya?”

The Big Elk Ranch owner’s brows furrowed. “Let me get the guns. No use you losing it on my chopper.”

“Please, just make sure she’s under cover.”

“I’m coming with you,” Trey insisted.

Zach rushed back to the chopper, grabbed four weapons hooked over the backs of the seat. He tossed two rifles to Trey and checked the other two. Each was fully loaded, safeties on. With the weapons slung over his shoulder, he and Trey ran back to where Richard and Jacie stood in the shadows of the overhanging cliffs.

Zach handed Jacie a rifle. “Know how to use one?”

She snorted. “You have to ask?”

“She’s a better shot than I am,” Richard admitted, taking the rifle Trey handed him. “Let’s go.”

On the alert for any movement, high or low, Zach took point. If they’d been shot down by a rocket, no telling what other armament the cartel had in their arsenal. He didn’t like being at the bottom of the canyon, basically sitting ducks for anyone standing guard on the rim. They didn’t have much choice if they wanted to get to the point where Jacie had spotted the metal reflection.

“Up ahead,” Jacie called out in a husky whisper. “That’s the lower end of the J-shaped crevice. What I spotted was just on the other side of that curve.” She hurried to catch up with Zach.

His arm shot out and clotheslined her at the chest. He pressed a finger to his lips and waited until she made eye contact with him. “I’ll take lead. No use all of us charging in and getting shot. Let me scout ahead and see what’s up there. I’ll whistle if all’s clear.”

“But—”

Zach held up his hand. “One person can move silently. Four have less of a chance.”

Richard’s hands descended on Jacie’s shoulders. “He’s right. In fact, maybe we should wait and let the FBI or DEA go in. They are better trained and equipped to handle a situation like this.”

“I can do this,” Zach reassured him.

Jacie nodded. “Let him. He knows what he’s doing. I’ll stay until you whistle.”

Zach took off, the rifle slung over his shoulder, his handgun in his right hand, safety off, ready for whatever lay ahead.

He eased through the shadows, careful not to disturb the loose rocks and gravel as he rounded the corner of the rocky escarpment. On the ground beside him, he noted tire tracks. Whoever had come this way had come on what looked like an ATV. One larger than the four-wheeler back at the canyon rim.

Zach stopped several times to listen. Not a single noise reached him or echoed off the walls of the canyon. He moved forward and finally rounded the curve leading back the other way. An all-terrain vehicle with seating for four stood smashed against a rock. Two bodies lay motionless, one slumped over the steering wheel, the other crumpled down in the passenger seat.

Without making a sound. Zach stood so still he could have blended in with the rocks themselves, his gaze panning the immediate vicinity and the rocky ledges above. Nothing moved; nothing made a sound. Several vultures circled high above.

Zach stepped out into the open, crouched low, ready to duck and run if shots rang out. He eased over to the vehicle and checked for a pulse. Both men were dead, their bodies stiff, skin purple and eyes sunken. Rigor mortis had set in. These men had been dead for at least four hours.

Zach climbed halfway up a slope and stared around. As far as he could tell, he was alone.

As he puckered to whistle, a movement caught his eye at the base near the corner he’d just come around.

He reached for the rifle and stopped when he realized it was Jacie, doing as he’d done, easing around the base of the canyon walls, sticking to the shadows.

Zach’s jaw tightened and he slipped quietly down the slope coming up behind Jacie as she worked her way toward the vehicle, her attention on the bodies within, not the world around her.

Zach waited between two rocks until she came within range.

“Bang. You’re dead,” he said.

Chapter Six

Jacie gasped and swung her rifle around.

Before she could point it and pull the trigger, the man hiding in the crevice knocked the weapon from her hands, spun her back around, twisting her arm up between her shoulder blades. He cinched his arm around her neck, limiting her air.

“Let me go.” She bucked against his hold, her body stiff, her feet kicking outward to throw him off balance. “Or I’ll—”

He held her steady, as if she were nothing but a child. “Or you’ll what?” he whispered against her ear. “You’re in no position to threaten or bargain.”

“Zach?” She froze, all the fight left her and she sagged against him. “Damn it, Zach, you scared the crap out of me.”

He turned her in his arms, refusing to release her yet. And frankly Jacie was glad. She hadn’t liked it when he’d walked away and stayed gone for so long she thought he’d fallen over a cliff or had been captured. His strong arms around her brought back that feeling of safety at the same time it spelled danger of a completely different kind.

“I could have been one of the drug runners.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek, pushing a strand of her hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. “You could have been shot and killed or worse—taken in by the same terrorists who have your sister.”

Her breath hitched in her throat, and her blood rushed through her veins like the Rio Grande in flood stages. His body pressed to hers, warm, sexy and overwhelming. “You’ve made your point. I should have stayed put.”

“Yes, you should have.”

“I couldn’t stand waiting, not knowing whether you were all right, or if you’d found Tracie.” She stared up into his eyes.

He kissed her, a brief brush of his lips, and set her at arm’s length. “She’s not here.”

* * *

J
ACIE
’
S
LIPS
TINGLED
and she fought back the urge to cry. Instead she squared her shoulders. “So, what’s all this?” She waved her hand toward the abandoned vehicle and the dead men. “What can we learn from what we found? There has to be a clue as to who took her.” She moved toward the four-by-four, bracing herself for what she’d see. The two dead men last night had been partially cloaked in darkness and still looked fairly normal. These two had been dead longer and were a waxy zombielike purple. “How long do you suppose they’ve been here?” Her gag reflex threatened to choke her.

“At least four hours. Maybe longer.”

“Not long after they took Tracie,” Jacie noted. A shiver shook her from head to toe. She had to remind herself that Tracie might not be here, but at least she wasn’t one of the bodies left behind.

“Holy hell, Jacie, don’t ever do that again.” Richard burst into the open, huffing and puffing, followed by Trey. Behind them Humberto and Bruce emerged.

“We brought reinforcements,” Trey offered.

Bruce stepped forward and studied the two bodies without touching them. “Looks like members of La Familia Diablos.”

Zach stiffened, his face going pale beneath his tan.

Had Jacie not looked at him at that exact moment, she’d have missed his reaction to Bruce’s words.

“How do you know?” Jacie asked.

Bruce pointed to the tattoo on the driver’s right shoulder, the tail of a dragon dipping below his T-shirt sleeve. “The Diablos all have a dragon tattoo on their right arms. If you push the other man’s sleeve up, you’ll likely find one similar to this one.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Jacie had no intention of touching either of the two dead men. Instead she inched toward Zach, taking comfort in his presence. “Why would they kill their own people?”

“Who said they did?” Bruce glanced across the dead man at Jacie. “There are two crime families in this area—Los Lobos and La Familia Diablos. Any chance they get to kill each other off, they’ll take it. My bet is the Diablos took Tracie and the Los Lobos ambushed them. Since Tracie isn’t here among the dead, thank God, they must have her in the Los Lobos camp.”

Humberto stood to the side, his eyes narrowed, his face grim. “The Diablos will avenge their
compadres’
deaths.”

“Will they attack Los Lobos?” Jacie’s hand reached for Zach’s.

“Probably,” Bruce responded. “It’ll be a bloodbath.”

Her fingers tightened around Zach’s. “Then we have to get to Tracie before the Diablos do.”

“It’s not that easy,” Zach said quietly. “I’ve heard they have tightly guarded compounds on the other side of the border. No one gets in or out without running a gauntlet of killer guards.”

“But we can’t give up now.” Jacie stared toward the south as if she could see the camp from where they stood in the canyon. “Tracie’s still alive. I just know it. But for how long...” She turned back to Zach.

His face was set in grim lines and his lips remained tightly shut.

“There’s nothing you can do but let the FBI and DEA handle this.” Bruce touched Jacie’s shoulder. “I’ll get with them and explain my assessment. They’ll decide whether or not to launch an attack and when. But as far as you and the members of the Big Elk Ranch are concerned, you should step back and let the pros handle it from here.”

Zach’s fingers tightened painfully around Jacie’s.

“But—” Jacie couldn’t let it go. She just couldn’t stand back and do nothing.

“Jacie.” Zach tugged her hand and forced her to face him. “He’s right.”

Bruce took charge. “You guys can double up on the four-wheelers to get back to the truck. Humberto and I can stay until two of you can come back to get us.”

Zach raised a hand. “Jacie and I will stay back.”

“I’d rather get her out of the canyon. If there was even a chance either of the gangs is still here, she’d be in danger. It’s bad enough one of the Kosart women is already a captive.” Bruce turned to Humberto. “You’re okay with staying, aren’t you?”

“No,” Richard said. “The men killed last night and Tracie were my responsibility. I should be the one to stay with Mr. Masterson. Besides, Humberto needs to lead the way out of the canyon.”

“I’d rather keep Humberto. No offense, Mr. Giddings. He’s probably faster on his feet.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed. “You might be right about that. I’m not getting any younger.” He turned to Zach and Jacie. “Come on, the sooner we get the two of you out of here, the sooner I can get back down here and retrieve these two gentlemen.”

Jacie wanted to argue, but she didn’t know what else they could do without horses or additional four-wheelers to track the men responsible for kidnapping Tracie. She climbed on one of the ATVs and pressed the start button.

Zach slung his leg over the back and sat behind her, his arms circling her waist, holding on tight.

Without a word, she twisted the throttle and the cycle shot forward.

Zach’s arms tightened, his hard, muscled chest pressing against Jacie’s back. It wasn’t long before they climbed the narrow trail out of the canyon and came to a stop beside the truck and trailer.

Jacie waited for Zach to dismount before she got off.

Richard and Trey topped the rise and pulled up beside them. Trey climbed off.

“I’m going back for Humberto,” Richard said.

“I’m going with you.” Jacie turned the four-wheeler in a tight circle.

When she came to a halt, Zach grabbed her handlebar. “Let Trey.” His stare was intense.

She’d hoped to check out the murder scene one last time before she gave up and called their search a failure. “No, I want to go.”

“Jacie.” Richard pulled up beside her. “Trey can handle this. You stay here.” It wasn’t a request. Her boss meant business.

She got off the bike.

Trey mounted and the two men rode back down into the canyon.

As they disappeared over the ridgeline, Jacie’s vision blurred, and she fought back tears of anger and frustration. “I thought you were supposed to help me.”

“I am.” Zach gripped her arms and turned her to face him. “There’s more to this than either of us can handle on our own.”

“But she’s my sister!” Jacie pounded her fists against his chest. “I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

“We won’t. We can do some work behind the scenes. There has to be people on the ranch or in the town who know what’s going on and can help us find your sister.”

“You think we can learn anything back there?” Jacie waved at the canyon. “Tracie disappeared there.”

“But she knew enough to follow those men into the canyon. She knew something, and we need to find out what it was. It might be the key to who took her and where they might be holding her.” Zach pulled her into his arms. “Hank hired me because he had faith in my abilities as an agent. He trusted me to do the job.” Zach tipped her chin up and stared into her eyes. “I need you to trust me too.”

This man hadn’t shown her much of anything yet. How could she trust him? She knew nothing about him. For a long moment Jacie stared up into Zach’s dark gaze. Something about the way he held her and the sorrow buried deep in his liquid brown eyes made her say, “I trust you.”

For several long seconds, he held her, his gaze unwavering. Then he bent his head and kissed her.

Jacie should have pushed him away, but that rational idea didn’t even enter her head. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him closer, needing the comfort of his arms, the pressure of his mouth on hers, if only to chase away the fear of losing her only sister.

But it was more than that. This man had known suffering. His heart still bore the scars, and despite his apparent effort to hide them, he wore them on his sleeve.

All thoughts melted away as the kiss deepened. Jacie’s tongue pushed past Zach’s teeth and slid along his, thrusting and tasting the hint of coffee and mint.

His fingers dug into her buttocks, smashing her against him, the evidence of her effect on him pressing into her belly.

Jacie didn’t know how long they stood, locked in the embrace. The world around them faded away, leaving them alone, until the sound of a hawk crying out overhead dragged her back to the real world.

She forced her hands between them and pushed against his chest. “What are we doing?”

Zach ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened....”

“Again,” she concluded. “Why can’t I keep my hands off you?” She stared down at the offending digits. “This effort isn’t about you and me. It’s about bringing my sister back alive.”

“And the sooner we get back to civilization, we can work on that.”

A hole the size of Texas opened in Jacie’s heart and she looked across at Zach. “We will get her back, won’t we?”

“We will.” Zach’s gaze bore into hers, his dark brown eyes so intense they appeared black. If anyone would fight to free her sister, Zach would. But he’d do it his way. Not ride off without a plan.

* * *

Z
ACH
SAT
IN
the backseat of the king cab pickup with Jacie beside him. Richard drove, Humberto rode shotgun and Bruce and Trey sat in the truck bed. Since the others had returned, Zach hadn’t spoken a word, his mind churning over what he’d learned and the information he still required to determine the whereabouts of Tracie Kosart.

As Bruce had said, the dead men in the four-by-four had been members of the Diablos. As soon as Zach had seen the tattoos, he’d known. He’d studied the gangs prior to taking the assignment to infiltrate the Diablos gang area in the border town of El Paso. He and Toni had crossed into Juarez as honeymooning tourists. Only someone in the bureau must have leaked the fact that they were undercover agents. Within twenty-four hours, they’d been captured and the rest was the awful history he would never forget.

His hands clenched into fists. If Los Lobos
knew Tracie was FBI, she’d be in for the same treatment as Toni.

Zach’s gut knotted. He vowed to himself to find her before they went too far. He glanced at Jacie. She was better off not knowing what her sister faced. It would only make her more reckless and determined to go to her sister’s rescue. One lone woman against an army of thugs.

She sat quietly staring out the window as if she might see her sister walk out across the dry Texas land. Her forehead was creased with worry lines.

As soon as they got back to the ranch, Zach would start asking questions. If there were cartel members crossing the border nearby, there were cartel members on the U.S. side aiding them.

As soon as the truck pulled up to the Big Elk Lodge, Zach jumped down and rounded the truck to assist Jacie. She’d already slipped from her seat and stood beside the truck. “What next?”

Zach cupped her elbow and turned toward the other men. “If you need us, we’ll be in town.” He gave half a smile. “Seems I left home in such a hurry I forgot a few things I hope to pick up at the local stores.”

“We have shaving cream, razors and toothbrushes in the lodge, if that’s what you’re missing,” Richard offered.

“Thanks, but I’d rather go to town.” Zach winked at the owner of the Big Elk. “Getting away will help keep Jacie occupied while the FBI and DEA do their thing.”

Richard nodded at Jacie. “Don’t worry, darlin’. They’ll get her back.”

Jacie’s lips formed a tight smile. “I know.” Her entire countenance read
failure is not an option
. Zach could have kissed her again. She was strong and tough. The few tears she’d shed had been more out of frustration and real fear for her sister’s life.

“Come on, honeycakes.” He led her away from the group toward the tiny cabin where she lived. “We’ll take my truck. It’s not as well known around town.”

“Where are we going?”

“To Wild Oak Canyon.”

She let him open her door as she turned to face him. “Why are we really going to town?”

“Your sister came to visit, and from what it looks and sounds like, she had an idea that something was going to go down last night, or she wouldn’t have insisted on riding out with you and the two DEA agents.”

“So what does that have to do with going to town?”

“How did she find out about who and what might be happening?”

“Through her contacts at the FBI?”

“It might have started there, but she wasn’t the only one around here who knew something was going to happen. Those DEA agents wouldn’t have gone down into that canyon without backup if they’d thought they were in danger.”