Survival Mission - Chapter 10
“You okay, Val?” Toni’s concern matched her alarm. Had one of the bad guys tracked her out here? Had they heard her call in her report, ask Toni for help?
“Yeah, it was just two birds making the most of a beautiful day in the Cascade Mountains.” She tried to sound unworried, calm. But she wasn’t a trained agent like many of the CC employees. She was a researcher, had a degree in library science, not hand-to-hand combat.
“Did this Trevor give you a last name?” Toni’s query was followed by rapid keyboard clicks. Valerie assumed her boss was searching their in-house private database, looking to see if any of the CC security agents were assigned to a LE case involving drug trafficking.
“No, no last name.” The skin on her nape prickled and she massaged it with her free hand. Probably just a bug. But her fingers found no tiny critter crawling across her neck. “Look, Toni, I’ve got to go. I want to break down camp and head out before that two o’clock meetup I told you about.”
“Hang on, wait until I see what our files show. I’ll call this into DEA immediately, of course.”
“DEA, yes, of course.”
Valerie kept the phone to her ear as she turned and began retracing her steps. She had the urge to run, to get the hell out of here. Her inner alarms were out of control.
“Toni, I’m starting my hike back now. If we lose contact—”
A hand grasped her wrist and wrenched her phone free, sending it to the ground with a thud before a large, booted foot stomped on it. She tried to free herself of the strong hold, and came face-to-face with a man whose sneer shot bolts of fear through her center.
“Who the hell are you and who were you talking to, bitch?” Ziggy’s voice was unmistakable. She’d been caught.
***
Trevor sprang into action as Ziggy emerged from the brush on the other side of the cliff’s clearing and assaulted Valerie. Without hesitation, he leaped from his hiding spot behind a boulder, drew his weapon and placed the barrel of his Glock 19 against the narco-trafficker’s temple.
“Let go of her and back away.”
Ziggy hesitated, his fingers deep into Valerie’s wrist, turning her hand blue. Trevor’s vision tunneled, his focus became razor sharp. Keeping the barrel against the loser’s skin, Trevor released the safety.
“Now.”