Petr turned on a flashlight and shined it on them. A gas can dangled from the blonde’s hand. He frowned. There was something odd about the whole thing. The loud talking seemed contrived.
Michal shook his rifle threateningly. “I said, get your hands up!”
“Okay, okay.” The blonde tossed the gas can aside and lifted her hands.
“We’re just here to borrow some gas,” the brunette said. “We saw the gate open and—”
“Shut up!” Michal barked. He marched forward and examined each one, looking for any sign of a weapon.
Petr’s eyes narrowed. Something didn’t smell right. Who would hike all the way up the mountain without knowing what was here? There was a petrol station a mile or so away. Why not hike back to it? As that thought hit home, he felt a surge of adrenaline.
If he needed any more evidence, it came when he saw the bulge in the brunette’s pants pocket. He knew the shape of a pistol when he saw it. She was armed. The whole thing was a setup. It was time to bring the ruse to an end.
Petr opened his mouth, but before he could form the words, he heard the soft pad of feet behind him. He turned, but it was too late.
A hard object came down on his head. His world went dark.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The plan was falling perfectly into place. Carmen and Amanda had retrieved the gas can from the courtyard and were now talking loudly as they approached the two guards. The two men lifted their guns and marched toward them. Zane used the sound of their voice as cover to sprint to the rear of the SUV. Once there, he crept to the front, a few yards from the guards.
Hidden next to the front left wheel well, Zane studied the scene. As he’d expected, one of the guards held the light while the other searched for weapons. Zane crept a few more feet and tensed. When Carmen gave the signal — a cough — they would begin a simultaneous assault. Zane would take out the covering guard with one blow, then Amanda and Carmen would jump the other one, making sure they prevented him from calling out.
Suddenly, the closer guard shone his beam toward Carmen’s pocket. To the trained eye, the bulge of the Beretta was obvious. The guard lifted his rifle and stepped forward. The ruse was up.
With no other options, Zane rushed forward and slammed the grip of his pistol down on the man’s head, dropping him immediately, unconscious before he hit the ground. Unfortunately, his partner heard the noise and pivoted, giving a shout when he saw what was happening.
Realizing what had happened, Carmen jumped the guard from behind. She made sure to grab his rifle when she attacked, turning it away as he squeezed the trigger. The rounds sprayed harmlessly into the air, but the sound echoed loudly across the mountaintop. They might as well have blown a horn. It was only a matter of time before reinforcements came pouring out of the villa.
Zane sprinted forward. Carmen had the man in a tight headlock. As he drew near, she turned the man’s head toward him. Zane lifted his pistol and brought it down on the man’s head. He dropped to the ground, still moving. Zane hit him a second time, this time knocking him out cold.
“They’re coming!” Amanda shouted.
Zane turned. The house was about a hundred yards away, but he saw at least two men coming off the front porch, their gun-mounted lights stabbing through the fog.
“What we discussed earlier,” Zane said. “Go!”
All three knew what to do. They sprinted down the side of the vehicles furthest from the house. Carmen took the lead. Her job was to disable the two vehicles in the rear. Using a rifle she’d just grabbed, she did exactly that, filling the tires with bullets and shooting spider webs into the windshields.
Zane had already seen Emily’s silhouette in the lead SUV, so he told Amanda to get in and remove any restraints. Without hesitating, Amanda slid into the back seat with her flashlight out. Zane hoped the captive was bound with plastic ties or rope. He also hoped he’d find the key.
Gunfire sprayed across all three vehicles.
“Keep us covered!” Zane shouted at Carmen.
While she returned fire, he climbed into the front seat. He took a brief glimpse at Amanda as he settled in. She was already fiddling with Emily’s restraints. Emily groaned in response, a clear indication she was under heavy sedation. If Zane couldn’t get the vehicle started, they’d all be pinned in a metallic grave. At this point, escaping into the woods wasn’t an option.
A shot blew out a portion of the window above the tailgate. Amanda let out a little scream and ducked.
“Stay down,” Zane said.
He placed a hand on the ignition. Nothing. He growled in frustration. The keys had to be somewhere around him. These men had military training, which meant they would’ve left at least one set of keys in each vehicle. It was standard protocol, an insurance policy in case an urgent getaway was needed.
Another shot blasted out the remainder of the glass at the back. This time, Amanda stayed focused on getting Emily free.
Carmen’s voice shouted from somewhere behind them. “I can’t hold them much longer. They’re coming around on our flank.”
Zane glanced in the rearview window, and his blood ran cold. Dark figures slipped out toward the woods. Before long, they’d be encircled by a ring of gunfire. As if to emphasize the point, a shot hit the door just behind him. He prayed it hadn’t gone through.
“Zane.” Amanda’s voice was measured but firm.
“I can’t find the key.”
Emily groaned.
“Did you check the cup holder?”
“Huh?”
“The cup holder. The console. Check between the seats.”
Zane leaned over the center console and saw the glint of metal. A wave of relief swept over him. “Got it.”
“I can’t hold out any longer,” Carmen yelled.
Zane turned his head and shouted through the blown-out rear window. “I’ve got it. Let’s go!”
He faced forward and turned the ignition. Thankfully, the engine roared to life. He looked back at Amanda. “Open the door.”
Amanda turned, grabbed the knob, and pushed the door outward. Zane saw Carmen pull out from between the vehicles and rush forward. As she neared the door, a wave of bullets followed her, shredding metal along the way.
“Go!” Carmen shouted as she dove inside.
Zane floored it before the door closed. He had no choice. If they waited any longer, they’d all be filled with lead.
“I’ve got you,” Amanda grunted.
Zane glanced back as the vehicle took off. The door was still open, and Carmen was only halfway in. Muzzles flashed from all sides, so Zane couldn’t afford to stop. Finally, with one strong tug, Amanda pulled her all the way in. The door slammed shut.
Zane kept the pedal to the floor. The forest rose up ahead. He knew the road would soon wind back and forth, but he kept accelerating.
“Here they come,” Amanda said.
He checked the rearview mirror. Headlights. Gunshots rang out in the distance, one of them finding metal.
“I thought you disabled both vehicles,” Zane said to Carmen.
“I got most of the tires,” she said. “I also fired a bunch of shots through the grill of the third vehicle. It’s not going anywhere. I was about to do that to the second when they started firing.”
The road twisted and turned, forcing Zane to moderate his pace. He needed to maintain speed, but he also knew an accident of any kind would be fatal. He looked in the side mirror. The other driver was throwing caution to the wind, taking turns faster than he should. Even though he was in danger of careening off the road, the gamble was paying off. They were gaining ground.
Zane still couldn’t understand how they were driving on two good tires. He figured they must be self-sealing tires, the kind that would take you several dozen miles even when flat. He doubted they could hold up long after a gunshot, but they might make it a mile or two.