He didn’t have to tell her twice. She grabbed the back of his shirt and stayed practically glued to him as they darted across the clearing to the connex door. Her gaze frantically scanned the empty yard, the trees, and the drill for the bad guys waiting to jump out and ambush them. The quiet area felt like a trap.
They tiptoed up the metal stairs to the door, and she cringed with each tap and creak. Davis stood to the handle side of the door and pushed her behind him. Holding her breath while she peeked through the space between him and the building, the handle turned in his hand. She gasped, then covered her mouth.
She guessed it made sense. Why lock doors when your evil lair was in the middle of nowhere?
Davis cracked open the door with a metallic screech, did his military commando scan, then nodded once.
“Clear.”
His low word, like she was actually one of his squad members, made her smile. Her amusement was totally inappropriate. She pressed her lips together to keep from giggling. Had the stress of the situation melted her brain?
He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the building as the unmistakable thump-thump of a fast-approaching helicopter filled the night air. A door slammed in another part of the connex. Davis froze, pulling her up against his back like a shield and pressing her into the wall. She counted, trying to regulate her breaths to the numbers so she wouldn’t hyperventilate. Thirty-seconds later, a shadow crossed outside the window.
The temporary building shuddered as the helicopter landed. Davis threaded her fingers through his and eased down the hall with windows on one side and doors on the other. He opened the first door. His penlight clicked on and scanned, the light grazing over cleaning supplies, then just as quickly clicked off. The next door held food, the following a bathroom.
Boots clanged on the metal stairs leading to the exterior door. Angry voices accompanied the stomping. She darted her gaze back, then forward. The next door was spaced farther away than the previous ones. They wouldn’t make it. Her chest ached from her heart’s battering attempt to escape out of her ribs.
Davis yanked her down the hallway. His silent footsteps were quick and sure compared to her clumsy ones. He reached the door and pushed her in just as the heavy door at the end of the hall screeched open.
Sunny scanned the dark but couldn’t make out anything. Davis set her up against the wall next to the door with him in front of her, once again acting like a shield. She didn’t want him to be their sole protection. Unclipping her bear spray, she slid it out nice and slow, so it didn’t make a noise.
Heavy footsteps pounded down the hall. Please don’t come in here. Please don’t come in here. She willed the men to just keep walking.
“How hard can it be to find two idiot miners?” It was that Zhang guy, and his raging voice exploded into the quiet.
“There’s a lot of wilderness out there, boss,” Justin’s shooter answered.
She clenched her teeth as anger burned hot in her throat.
“You think I don’t know that? It’s why we’re testing here.” Zhang’s angry approach stopped.
“Of course, sir. Sorry.” Shooter stammered. “I just meant they can’t get to help for at least a couple of weeks on foot.We’ll find them.”
“You better.” The threat sent a shiver down her spine.
A throat cleared, but Shooter’s voice still shook. “The pilot should be done filling up. But… well… well, the thing is, sir, he’s exhausted. Seeing double. Says he needs a break before he crashes.”
The pause lasted so long, Sunny wondered if Zhang was making good on his promise to kill the shooter if he failed. She tried not to picture the boss strangling the man, but in the dark, her imagination ran wild. Closing her eyes to listen for struggling didn’t help.
“Fine.” Zhang’s low, menacing answer almost made her knees buckle. “Eight hours. That’s all he gets.”
“Got it.”
Tentative footsteps moved back toward the outside door before they quickened to almost a run. Muttered curses filled the hall as Zhang stomped toward their door. He stopped just outside their hiding spot and roared expletives. She slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming, her heart about to break loose.