Ryder rested a hand on his arm and cast him a warning look. The men were close, too close, and although their vehicles still rumbled, Isbet and the guys were outnumbered. They couldn’t lose any advantage.
With Ryder slowed by injury and Andrew just an angry rancher, the only two at full strength were Isbet and Carson. Against six really horrible examples of humanity.
They would not hesitate to kill.
She waited anther long moment in case anyone else showed. For a meadow in the middle of the High Sierras, the traffic was pretty rush hour. Finally, she nodded to Ryder and slipped away to the downhill edge of the meadow. She hoped the brothers could handle their part. Andrew’s was critical, and he was most at risk in a situation he couldn’t have been prepared for. But he’d revealed a skill they couldn’t ignore.
And Ryder. He’d looked pale when she left him behind, but she couldn’t let that distract her. Not if she was going to keep him alive.
She set her pack on the ground and peered around the thick trunk of a pine. A flash of reflected light caught her eye, and she pulled out the kit Carson put together for her the night before, holding it over her head. A second flash, a third, and she threw it as hard as she could away from her just as Carson did the same with his—hopefully. Three, two, one.
Kaboom!
The two explosions went off.
As they’d hoped, the two locations of danger produced confusion and, instead of climbing back in the plane and escaping as they’d known was possible, the armed men ran toward the spots where they believed the enemies lay. The man in the suit ran back toward his ATV, but he dropped like a stone a few feet away.
The woman remained by the plane, but she stared away from the boulders and, like a shot, Andrew and Ryder raced at her. Before she could get out more than a muffled curse, they had her on the ground and handcuffed. Isbet took a fraction of a second to be glad that at least they hadn’t played with the cuffs before looping a coil of rope over her shoulder and lifting the tranquilizer gun. Cattle ranches had so many interesting tools to work with. She pointed at the first of the men racing past her and squeezed the trigger.
She didn’t get an A in sniper school for nothing.
Carson had gotten an A plus.
Fifteen minutes later, they had the criminals bound and piled on the floor of the plane.
They had a moment of concern regarding the number of people and the weight in the craft, but they didn’t have far to go, and, with Carson riding shotgun, literally, Andrew flew the plane toward a small airport outside of Reno. His pilot’s license, acquired in the hope that one day he’d be able to afford his own plane, came in handy.
Grey and Athena would ensure ATF, as well as a few other organizations, met the guys and took possession of the pile of bound weapons smugglers, their guns, and the shipment of Viboras. And the plane.
After taking some time to make sure the cattle were no longer panicked by the noise, Isbet and Ryder rode the ATVs off ranch property and returned to their horses to head back to the house.
Isbet made a stirrup out of her fingers for Ryder, but he refused to allow her to help him onto the horse.
“Thanks, but I’m too heavy.” He led the horse over to a handy rock and used it to climb on.
“Ask me what weight I press.” She gathered the reins from the spare mounts and mounted her mare.
He smiled, but his eyes showed all the pain his actions did not. “Later.
She rode past him and paused to kiss his lips. “Later is fine. I want to get you into bed.”
“Great.”
“To rest.”
He sighed and fell in behind her and her trio of horses. “I really do need to lie down for just a little bit. Besides, I’m almost out of toys.”
“I totally hate that those jerks are bound with the rope you used on me, you know—it is the same rope, isn’t it?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. I’ll get you new rope.” His voice held a little more
With Ryder slowed by injury and Andrew just an angry rancher, the only two at full strength were Isbet and Carson. Against six really horrible examples of humanity.
They would not hesitate to kill.
She waited anther long moment in case anyone else showed. For a meadow in the middle of the High Sierras, the traffic was pretty rush hour. Finally, she nodded to Ryder and slipped away to the downhill edge of the meadow. She hoped the brothers could handle their part. Andrew’s was critical, and he was most at risk in a situation he couldn’t have been prepared for. But he’d revealed a skill they couldn’t ignore.
And Ryder. He’d looked pale when she left him behind, but she couldn’t let that distract her. Not if she was going to keep him alive.
She set her pack on the ground and peered around the thick trunk of a pine. A flash of reflected light caught her eye, and she pulled out the kit Carson put together for her the night before, holding it over her head. A second flash, a third, and she threw it as hard as she could away from her just as Carson did the same with his—hopefully. Three, two, one.
Kaboom!
The two explosions went off.
As they’d hoped, the two locations of danger produced confusion and, instead of climbing back in the plane and escaping as they’d known was possible, the armed men ran toward the spots where they believed the enemies lay. The man in the suit ran back toward his ATV, but he dropped like a stone a few feet away.
The woman remained by the plane, but she stared away from the boulders and, like a shot, Andrew and Ryder raced at her. Before she could get out more than a muffled curse, they had her on the ground and handcuffed. Isbet took a fraction of a second to be glad that at least they hadn’t played with the cuffs before looping a coil of rope over her shoulder and lifting the tranquilizer gun. Cattle ranches had so many interesting tools to work with. She pointed at the first of the men racing past her and squeezed the trigger.
She didn’t get an A in sniper school for nothing.
Carson had gotten an A plus.
Fifteen minutes later, they had the criminals bound and piled on the floor of the plane.
They had a moment of concern regarding the number of people and the weight in the craft, but they didn’t have far to go, and, with Carson riding shotgun, literally, Andrew flew the plane toward a small airport outside of Reno. His pilot’s license, acquired in the hope that one day he’d be able to afford his own plane, came in handy.
Grey and Athena would ensure ATF, as well as a few other organizations, met the guys and took possession of the pile of bound weapons smugglers, their guns, and the shipment of Viboras. And the plane.
After taking some time to make sure the cattle were no longer panicked by the noise, Isbet and Ryder rode the ATVs off ranch property and returned to their horses to head back to the house.
Isbet made a stirrup out of her fingers for Ryder, but he refused to allow her to help him onto the horse.
“Thanks, but I’m too heavy.” He led the horse over to a handy rock and used it to climb on.
“Ask me what weight I press.” She gathered the reins from the spare mounts and mounted her mare.
He smiled, but his eyes showed all the pain his actions did not. “Later.
She rode past him and paused to kiss his lips. “Later is fine. I want to get you into bed.”
“Great.”
“To rest.”
He sighed and fell in behind her and her trio of horses. “I really do need to lie down for just a little bit. Besides, I’m almost out of toys.”
“I totally hate that those jerks are bound with the rope you used on me, you know—it is the same rope, isn’t it?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. I’ll get you new rope.” His voice held a little more
Similar Books
