Survival Mission - Chapter 6

Another snap sounded. It was an awfully large branch, if that’s what she’d heard break. It would take an awfully large animal—

“Hold up, Ziggy.” A deep, impatient male voice.

“I’m right here.” A second male voice, Ziggy.

“Where are the others?” The first voice again.

“Calm down, Jim. They’ll be here or they’ll miss out.” Ziggy’s assurance was quickly validated as she heard several sets of footsteps, followed by a series of grunts and “heys.”

Did they know she was here? As the group of men greeted one another in the darkness, Valerie made sure her pants were fastened and began to take silent, tentative steps away from the group. Surefooted, she wasn’t as worried about them hearing her steps but feared her heartbeats would give her away. Fueled by adrenaline, her heart pounded in her ears so loudly she couldn’t make out every word they said. But what she caught terrified her.

“The drop is tomorrow night.”

“Any witnesses are to be eliminated.”

“None of these hikers will be here tomorrow.”

Did they assume she’d be hiking out of the site, then? Or that they’d kill her first? What about Trevor? She hadn’t heard his voice, but was he part of this, some sort of illegal activity?

Caroline had been right. Hiking solo this time was a mistake. She had to get out of here. And they couldn’t discover she’d heard anything. Not one word.

“Hey, did you hear that?” Ziggy’s voice shifted into warning. “Who’s out there?”

Fear clenched at her composure as a sob rushed up from her lungs to her throat to—

A hand clamped over her mouth, hot breath whispered in her ear.

“Shh. Don’t move.”

***

“No one’s out there, man. It’s a deer, or fox.” The man named Jim.

“Bears are hungry, getting ready to hibernate.” A third voice.

“Shut up, all of you.” Ziggy again. “We can’t be too careful. Make sure those other hikers are still in their tents when we finish.”

“What if they’re gone?”

“Then you know the rules.” Ziggy’s words weren’t a threat, but a menacing promise.

Trevor held Valerie, tight, as a shudder ran down her body. He was certain she’d heard the mules, and if so, was in as much danger as he’d be if they were caught out here, nearby the clandestine meeting.

“You’re safe with me.” He risked the whispered words to hopefully calm her, allow her to relax enough that she wouldn’t make a knee-jerk movement that would alert the thugs. And cost them both their lives.

She melted against him and her breathing evened out. When she nodded, he took his hand off her mouth—he’d hated to do that to her—and released her, but kept his hand on her lower back. To steady her, to let her know she wasn’t alone.

And maybe to assure himself she was okay. Because somehow in the space of mere hours he’d formed some kind of emotional connection with a woman who might have nothing to do with the narco-trafficking scheme. A woman whose life was as close to ending as a single peep from either of them.