She nodded frantically.
“Answer me,” he demanded.
“Yes, Axel.”
He let out a sound that was a cross between a sigh and a curse. “Follow me.”
They stepped out from behind the stone facing. Instantly, sun beat directly on them. Intense heat shimmered up from the hard-baked ground. Mystery didn’t bother wishing she had sunglasses or a hat, but she blessed Axel for insisting they cover as much ground as possible at night.
“Any idea where they are now?” she murmured.
“Nope. One will probably head in our direction but climb that northern ridge to get above us for a better shot.” He pointed. “The other will probably stay by the helicopter. He’s likely the pilot. They’ll have some comm device going between them to keep tabs on us. We have to stay alert for surprises. Ready?”
No. “Yes, Axel.”
He grabbed her hand. “Go!”
They set off across the dusty, brush-dotted landscape at a full run. Mystery gazed frantically between the rocks littering the ground beneath her feet and the endless desert in front of her, shielding the men likely trying to kill them. Her breath rushed out of her chest. Terror crowded every part of her body. And she clung to Axel, knowing he was the only way she’d possibly survive this.
As they ran, time had no meaning. A few seconds? A few minutes? Then a shot rang out, skipping the dirt directly in front of Axel. She yelped.
He jerked on her arm and sent them running in a random zigzag pattern. Not a single hill, tree, bush, or rock to shield them in this low, brush-scrubbed valley. A few hundred yards in any direction would take them to some sort of shelter, but that might as well have been a million miles. As another shot rang out and kicked up the soil less than a foot from her, she wondered if there was any chance they’d make it to safety alive.
“Keep running!” he called over his shoulder.
It was either that or die. “I’m with you.”
More shots echoed through the canyon, sounding as if they came from above and to their left. Mystery tried not to scream. Axel didn’t let up, just kept charging toward the ridge in the distance. He dragged her to an angle slightly right but still toward the rise in the distance—their only chance at freedom.
As another bullet dive-bombed the ground just behind them, she kept chugging, one foot in front of the other, the impact of each step booming through her body. The watery mirage of the landscape in front of her began to come into sharper focus. A stitch ticced in her side. Her lungs felt ready to burst. But she didn’t stop, wouldn’t drag Axel down.
They sprinted closer to the ridge, still taking a slight angle to the right. The shots behind them sounded farther away, missed them by a wider margin.
“Almost there,” he shouted.
Mystery hoped she made it that long. And that no violent gunmen awaited her.
Finally, they reached the base of the hills flanking the valley on the right, and he dragged her into shadow. He slowed their pace to a jog. She had a thousand questions, but now wasn’t the time. Besides, she was panting too hard to talk.
He took a path between two hills, rounded behind one, then began ascending, staying out of sight of anyone in the valley.
“We’re going to use the cover of these ridges to creep closer to the chopper. Stay right behind me.”
Compared to her, he didn’t sound winded at all, but like he’d simply been taking a leisurely stroll. If she made it out of this, she would get in better shape and learn to use a freaking gun. And she’d thank Axel profusely.
The ascent up the hill wasn’t necessarily easier than the sprint across the valley. Her thighs ached and her lungs burned by the time they reached the last hill. The pilot sat in the chopper, walkie-talkie in hand, looking around nervously.
Axel knelt on the uneven ground and tried to get a steady stance as he lifted his rifle and aimed, but not toward the pilot. Mystery looked in the direction Axel pointed his barrel—and caught sight of the man who’d been shooting at them earlier. Or rather, she saw the business end of his rifle. He’d set up behind a rock, his weapon peeking over the top as he waited for them to come into view so he could pick them off.
“Stay here,” he demanded. “I’m going up.”
He’d be visible and vulnerable on top of the next rise. Mystery hated that she had no idea how to help him. “Be careful.”
“If something happens to me, you know what to do and where to go.” Then he grabbed his weapon, shirked his pack, checked the ammo in his pockets. Then he was gone.
In less than a minute, she heard multiple shots ring out. The reverberation of some were really close. Axel’s rifle, she supposed. Others echoed around the valley.
The two exchanged gunfire for tense minutes. Worry gripped her. What was going on?
Mystery crept up the hill just a bit, enough to see the bottom of Axel’s boots, toes down.
“I hear you.” He didn’t sound pleased.
“I’m worried about you.”
“I do my job better when I’m not worried about you. Get back down.”
Mystery crouched, staying where she could just see the heels of his boots. The air around them went still. As far as she could tell, Axel didn’t move. She tensed. The waiting was killing her.
Suddenly, more gunfire erupted, a rapid tat-tat-tat of bullets. The sound came from a different angle, one higher up.
Axel scrambled off the hill and came barreling down, wrapping an arm around her. “Let’s go.”
She didn’t have the chance to ask where, just picked up their packs and did her best to run beside him as he shuttled her down the hill and around the back, still closer to the helicopter.
Once it came into view, she saw the pilot sitting inside, still on the walkie-talkie as he scanned his surroundings. They were a bit behind him and to his left. He hadn’t seen them yet, but it wouldn’t be long.
Axel grabbed her arm and brought her up short. “We’re going to make a run for it. When we get close to the chopper, hurry around the back, to the other side. Dive in. Keep your head down. Wait for me. Got it?”
“Yes, Axel.” She wouldn’t let him down.
“Go!” he urged in her ear.
Together, they ran, his big body on her left, blocking her from the last known position of the gunman, his arm around her protectively, keeping her crouched low.
Mystery saw the moment the pilot spotted them. His eyes widened. Thankfully, he didn’t appear to have a gun. But he spoke animatedly into the little handheld communication device.
When he noticed the rifle in Axel’s hand, he scrambled from the vehicle, shaking hands held in the air. He looked close to fifty, dark hair slicked back, showing off his clearly Italian genes. “I’m just a hired pilot. I don’t want anyone else hurt.”
Axel gave her a little nudge toward the back of the helicopter. She took that as her cue to dart to the far side of the flying contraption, like he’d instructed.
She glanced inside the cockpit for anything that obviously resembled a radio, but saw so many buttons, dials, levers, and switches. She had no idea if any of them would allow her to communicate with the outside world.
Quickly, she flung herself and the packs inside, then leaned forward and stared out the window. Axel was bearing down on the pilot, who backed away. That wasn’t happening. Axel grabbed the pilot by his arm and—
Another round of shots ricocheted around them. Axel slammed the pilot to the dirt. A bullet struck the helicopter. Mystery heard the metallic ping of the impact. Feeling like a sitting duck, she scrambled out and onto the hard ground.
Another shot struck the vehicle. Then another. She heard a thump, a grunt, then . . .
“You okay?” Axel called.
“I don’t know,” she called back.
Tears stabbed her eyes. Damn it, now wasn’t the time to fall apart. Later, when she was safe—or dead—she could freak out. Right now, she had to pull her shit together.