Unwitting Alliances - Hunter Blake Series

Chapter Twenty

  Samantha stretched then moaned as she woke from a nap. “Oh, my back,” she groaned.

  “It’s about time you woke up, sleepyhead,” Hamilton said from the dinette. “Hungry for some supper?”

  “Supper?” she asked as she struggled with the zipper of her sleeping bag.

  Hamilton came to her rescue. “How about if we sit outside?” he said. “It’s pretty nice right now.”

  “Outside.” Samantha peered out the window and the still sunny landscape. “What time is it?” she asked.

  “A little after three.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me up?” She stretched again and yawned. “A few more hours and it’ll be bedtime again. How much longer do we have to stay here anyway?”

  “Not sure,” he said. “I didn’t wake you because you still need to rest after your ordeal. Put on your socks and booties and go sit outside. I’ll be out in a few minutes with some food.”

  “Food.” She offered half a smile. “So what’s it going to be today?” A nice grilled steak and baked potato? A garlic and chicken pizza with Alfredo sauce? Or a nice big dinner salad with all kinds of greens and other vegetables, garnished with slices of hard cooked eggs and a few nuts and dried cranberries topped with a light vinaigrette dressing. Or a luscious omelet filled with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, sautéed onions, oozing with creamy jack cheese.”

  He looked over his shoulder with a grin. “Or... how about... canned ham spread on saltine crackers and freeze dried strawberry ice cream on the side?”

  She made a face.

  “I never claimed to be a chef, you know. Besides, out here food is food.”

  “In your opinion.”

  He laughed aloud. “Yes... in my opinion, which at the moment is pretty much the only opinion that counts. So go have a seat.”

  Stepping outside, Samantha breathed in deeply then sat down in her folding chair and waited until Hamilton brought her meal. She stared at her paper plate with its meager items for a long minute and sighed. “Where’s yours?”

  “I ate already. You gonna do your thing?” he asked.

  “Yes, if you don’t mind, and I’m going to pray for a miracle while I’m at it.”

  “Go right ahead.”

  Samantha offered a blessing on the food then reluctantly began to eat. “I am so looking forward to someday enjoying a real meal again.”

  “I’m crushed.” Hamilton pretended to pout. “I labored over this meal, worked my fingers to the bone... all for you.” He smiled at her. “All for you.”

  “Will you stop doing... that?”

  “Doing what?”

  “That nicey-nice talk.”

  “Nicey-nice?” He chuckled. “I just want to keep my woman happy.”

  “I am not your woman. I am your...” She stopped herself. “Detainee.”

  “Well I guess that’s a little better than saying prisoner. Doesn’t sound as harsh.”

  “It may not sound as harsh, but I still feel the same. I feel like I’m being held against my will. I feel trapped. I mean, why did we have to come here in the first place and not to a police station or something? And why does it seem like getting me home, now that you know where I live, is taking so long to figure out?”

  He didn’t answer.

  Samantha looked out at their harsh surroundings and the miles and miles of bleak landscape. Native plants cast irregular shadows as the sun performed its daily ritual, gradually descending behind nearby rocky outcroppings. A slight breeze tossed her hair as she took a bite of food.

  “If things go well,” Hamilton began, “we should be able to leave here later tonight.”

  Samantha stopped eating and looked at him. “Seriously? Or are you just saying that to make me feel better?”

  “I’m serious. We’ll see, though. Anyway, I have some things to do.” He got up and stepped inside the trailer, leaving Samantha alone to pick at her food.

  “What things do you have to do?” she called after him. “You keep saying that. You always have something to do but I never see you do much other than look at your map and make a few notes in the little book of yours.”

  He stepped back outside with a backpack and began loading items into it.

  “Now what are you doing?” she asked. “Is it time to leave?”

  He kept putting things together without responding.

  “Brad! Will you please answer my questions?”

  Without warning, Hamilton whipped around and grabbed Samantha’s face with both hands and kissed her hard on the lips. He let go and returned to his task.

  She sat speechless.

  He chuckled. “I knew there had to be a way.”

  She stared straight ahead.

  “That’s my woman,” he said.

  Samantha glared at him. “I am not your woman!”

  He reached over and put his arm around her.

  “Please don’t,” she said trying to push him away.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” he replied. “You’re not still afraid of me, are you?”

  “Yes. Yes I am afraid of you. I’ve never stopped being afraid of you, and this place, and those other people.” She tried to hold back tears. “I’m afraid of everything, but right now especially you. I don’t know who you are. I don’t know why anyone would have taken me in the first place and stuck me in that...whatever it was. And I don’t know why you rescued me, or whatever you want to call it, and what you plan to do with me.” Her voice had become a whisper. “So, yes, I’m very afraid.” A couple of tears trickled down her face.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “It won’t be long before you’ll be back with people you know and trust. And you won’t have to put up with me any longer.” He got back to work. “Should be something to look forward to.”

  Hamilton zipped up his pack and looked up into the sky. “I have to take care of some things.” He patted himself down checking for essentials then picked up the bag and walked to the makeshift gate.

  “Stay here. Don’t wander off,” he ordered. “There really are rattlesnakes out here and scorpions. But you should be safe if you stay inside the fencing. Understand?” His tone had changed. The cavalier attitude was gone and he was all business. “Understand!” he repeated more firmly.

  “Yes, but...”

  “Stay here!”

  “You’re not leaving me are you? You can’t leave me. Please don’t leave me here alone!” she pleaded and stood up. “Please. Brad! Let me go with you!”

  “I’ll be back.” With that he let himself out of their enclosed campsite and took the same route back in the direction they had come three days earlier.

  “Brad...please!” she cried out, rushing toward the small gate. Tears cascaded down her face.

  “Stay put!” he called back to her and disappeared around an outcropping of rock.

  In a panic, Samantha looked all around then hurried inside the trailer and locked the door. Her tears led to sobs and she finally lay down on the bed shaking and convulsing. “Don’t leave me,” she repeated softly between heaving sobs. “Don’t leave me. I don’t want to die here alone.”

  Hurrying along the route, he and Samantha had taken previously, Hamilton made good time getting back to the helicopter now shrouded beneath netting. He’d come back late the first night, to check on the aircraft, while Samantha slept under the influence of the mild sedative he’d given her.

  Easing underneath the netting, he opened the door of the cockpit and climbed in, taking time to examine everything. He was especially interested in doing a thorough visual check to determine if there had been any other obvious modifications to the aircraft that were not factory installed.

  “Don’t want any unexpected surprises,” he said.

  Satisfied with what he could see, he ran the unit through an electronic self-check. After several beeps he was satisfied and shut it down.

  Climbing out, he walking ar
ound and performed an exterior preflight inspection of the entire aircraft to ensure everything was in order and ready for their departure. “Good to go,” he said then stowed the bag in a compartment and made sure all was secure.

  It was nearly two hours later, by the time he returned to the trailer. All was quiet and for a moment he worried that Samantha might have decided to leave in spite of his warning. Quietly unlocking the door to the trailer, he stepped in and saw her curled up on the bed asleep, her face stained and puffy from crying.

  He touched her arm. She was startled awake and looked up in a panic. Focusing, she saw it was Brad. In an instant she was on her feet and clung to him. He responded by putting his arms around her and held her tightly as she began to cry.

  He caressed her hair and rubbed her back. “I told you I’d come back,” he whispered in her ear. “I won’t abandon you. I really am trying to help.”

  “I believe you,” she said. “I believe you. I’m sorry I’ve been so terrible. I’m sorry I ask too many questions.”

  He pulled back and smiled at her. “You can ask all the questions you want,” he said looking into her teary eyes. Their gaze locked for a moment, but he released her.

  “Please don’t leave me again.”

  “I won’t,” he said. “Not until I have you safely back home.” He took her hand and led her outside. “We need to get ready.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Back to the chopper. We’re going to fly out of here but we need to make use of what’s left of the daylight to hike back.”

  Samantha glanced at her feet. “I’m not looking forward to hiking back in these ridiculous socks.”

  “I know. I wish I had something better for you to wear.”

  He quickly cleaned up the campsite, putting away chairs, the small table, and lantern. The air had become cooler and breezier than the previous night and Samantha shivered involuntarily, rubbing her arms.

  Hamilton dug around in another compartment and pulled out a worn jacket. “It isn’t much,” he said slapping the dust off, “but it might feel good.” He examined the sleeves and pockets and any other likely hiding places for creepy crawly things then handed it to her.

  With some hesitation, she put it on. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.” He hopped back inside the trailer. Samantha could hear him banging cabinet doors and closing windows before he stepped back outside holding two more small backpacks. He handed one to her.

  “What’s in here?” she asked taking a peek. “Oh. Emories.”

  He chuckled. “We might get in the mood for a snack. You never know. I’ll carry the extra bottles of water in this one. All set?”

  She nodded as he helped her put on the backpack.

  Hamilton locked the trailer door and lowered the metal awning over the front window. “We don’t have a lot of time, so let’s get going,” he said. “I want to reach the helicopter before it gets too dark.”

  He pulled on his backpack, grabbed a long stick leaning against the side of the trailer and led her out the wire gate. After securing it, and discreetly pressing a button on his small black device, they began their trek back to the waiting helicopter.

  “Stay close to me,” he said. “We’re more apt to see a snake or two at this time of day.”

  “Why?” she asked looking around nervously.

  “It’s a good time to hunt. Smaller animals like to come out when the temperature is cooler and therefore so do the snakes.”

  “Oh,” she said.

  “So keep your eyes and ears open.

  “I will.”

  They’d been walking for about thirty minutes when they finally made their way to the top of the narrow, rocky path leading down to the bottom of the gully. Samantha grabbed hold of Hamilton’s backpack and fell in step behind him. Concentrating on not getting out of step, she collided with him when he suddenly stopped.

  “Why did we stop?” she asked.

  “Don’t move,” he whispered. “Don’t talk.”

  She did as she was told.

  “I want you to carefully look behind us,” he said. “Just turn your head with as little movement as possible and look. Let me know if you see anything.”

  Although frightened, she managed to do so looking back up the narrow trail then froze. “I see a snake. No! I see two of them,” she whispered. “They’re coming this way!”

  “I was afraid of that,” he said. “We walked right into a den. They hibernate in groups, you know.”

  Still watching behind, Samantha pressed into Hamilton.

  “Try to stay calm,” he said. “Unfortunately springtime is when they are most active. Once they come out of hibernation, they’re hungry and looking for mates, so they’re a little cranky and tend to be aggressive.”

  “Just our luck,” Samantha whispered.

  “Stay still but keep watching. Let me know how close they’re getting.”

  “Okay. Do you see any?” she asked.

  “Just one. It’s about five or six feet ahead and moving away, but taking its own sweet time.”

  “Does it see us?”

  “If it did, it decided to head down the trail and away from us. As soon as it moves off our path we’ll continue,” he said. “How’s it look behind us?”

  “They stopped.”

  “Coiled up?”

  “No.”

  “That’s good. Okay. It looks like the one in front is easing off the path. Just stay right behind me.”

  Hamilton took two steps, with Samantha on his heels. Suddenly, they heard a distinctive rattle and both stopped.

  “Didn’t see that one,” he said. “In the late afternoon light he blended right in. He’s coiled though and ready to strike. I need you to remain perfectly still, Sam.”

  “I will,” she whispered. She could feel him moving one arm ever so slightly.

  “Stay still,” he said again. A split second later she let out a scream at the sound of a gunshot echoing off the sides of the narrow rock gorge. “Got him! How’s it look behind us?”

  “They’re moving off the trail.”

  “Let’s go. Stay close.” Hamilton carefully stepped forward, actively scanning the area around them with his walking stick in one hand and the gun still drawn as they made their way down the trail.

  Samantha glanced behind but didn’t see anything. “They disappeared,” she said.

  “That’s good,” he said. “Stay with me. We’re almost there.” He deliberately moved slower as they continued on.

  “Why didn’t we see snakes when we went through here the first time?” Samantha asked.

  “Like I said, it was earlier and a lot warmer. They’d rather sunbathe or rest in cooler rocky areas waiting for a better time of day to hunt, like now.”

  “Oh.”

  “Speaking of seeing,” he said. “Our ride is just ahead and we’re almost to the wider part of the gully. It’ll be safer there.”

  Soon they were hurrying through the flat and graveled gully in the deepening darkness of the shallow canyon. Reaching the helicopter, Hamilton tossed up one part of some netting to help Samantha get onboard. “You’re safe now.”

  “Where did the netting come from?” she asked as she settled into her seat, her heart still pounding.

  “I came back two nights ago while you were sleeping,” he said, then hurried to remove the netting completely, stowing it in a compartment. He climbed into the cockpit. “I’m ready to go. How about you?”

  “Yes. What time is it?” she asked.

  “Nearly seven. Put your headset on.” He began the startup sequence and watched the unit run through its self-check. “I really don’t like killing the snakes,” he said. “They do serve a good purpose, but that one fella was too close for comfort.”

  Samantha nodded vigorously.

  The distinctive whine of the engine continued to escalate as they waited for the rotors to reach o
ptimal speed.

  “Why are you helping me?” she asked.

  “I thought I already explained all of that,” he replied.

  “Not really. Nothing makes any sense to me. I’m just a middle-aged divorcee who ran away from home to start a new life in a new state. I’ve made new friends and started a new job... which I lost when my boss closed her office...” she sighed.

  He laughed. “And you tried to convince me your boss would be worried about you.”

  “Yes, well... I was scared, and I still am. I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why anyone would be interested in abducting me. I have absolutely nothing of value. No one I know can afford a huge ransom... I don’t know any deep government secrets, I’m not a terrorist. I’m just me. Simply me.”

  “You do know someone of interest.”

  “Who?”

  “An actor.”

  Samantha stared at Hamilton. “How would you know that?”

  “It’s my job to know things.”

  “Now I’m worried all the more. Why would you need to know that?” She shook her head. “I only met him a couple of times,” she said. “He was nice... and polite. We talked about nothing in particular. That’s it. I don’t really know him. I talked to him twice. That’s all. Nothing more.”

  “I see,” Hamilton said with a slight smile. “Well, I guess we’d better get going.” He deftly lifted off, and carefully made his way up and out of the canyon. Once in open airspace they took advantage of the last of the lingering daylight to fly away.

  “Is it okay if I ask where we’re going?” Samantha asked.

  “Sure, you can ask.”

  “But will you tell me?”

  He smiled, and reached for her hand. “You’ll see soon enough.”