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CALLIE SMILED WITH relief as she pulled into the parking lot at the trailhead. Her little Mini Cooper had bumped along the dirt road leading there, and she’d second-guessed her choice to come. Wyatt had a big SUV and was used to driving the smaller roads in certain parts of Oahu. She’d grabbed her backpack and rushed over here without thinking about the possibility that her tiny car couldn’t make it. She looked up at the sky. At least the sun was shining. If it rained, she wasn’t sure she’d make it back down the dirt road. Last time, the entire stretch of it had turned into a pit of mud.
Visiting the hidden waterfall wasn’t the same without Wyatt, but she was excited to make a reel for her social media stories of their favorite spot. She’d been careful not to reveal too much about the location. A shot of the street leading to the dirt road had been her followers first clue. She climbed out of her vehicle, her hiking boots hitting the ground, then grabbed her backpack. There were a few other cars parked here at least. She wasn’t entirely alone.
Callie walked toward the trail, taking a picture of the sign. Her lips quirked. Wyatt had sworn this was a secret among locals, but there was an actual sign for it. How secret could it really be? She uploaded that photo to her social medial channels as well. Once she got into the woods, she wouldn’t get any cell reception. The rest of her stories would have to be posted later, after she’d been to the waterfall and lagoon.
She was happy her newest blog was already getting some traction. Alexa claimed that Callie was a whiz at social media. While Callie wouldn’t go that far, she did know how to get engagement and new followers. She saved highlights from her stories to her profile to show off the best beaches, best bites, and other tidbits about Oahu. The location of the secret waterfall would disappear after twenty-four hours, only being featured in her main stories. She’d briefly tried to explain it to Wyatt but didn’t think he totally got the gist of it. The men weren’t on social media due to their jobs, but he had downloaded the apps to see her posts, which made her heart do a funny little flip. Their worlds were different in many ways, but she loved that he understood her need to explore and wander.
She began walking again, filming her first few steps on the wooded trail. Callie pressed a button, uploading that as well, then stashed her phone in the zippered front pocket of her backpack. The woods weren’t as exciting as the waterfall, and she’d take more photos and videos once she was there. She slung her backpack onto her shoulders, remembering how Wyatt had carried hers along with his own. He was chivalrous, always looking out for her. While it made her pulse pound to see his muscles and strength, it made her heart soften at how he watched out for her. He was protective, and she loved that. Being with him felt as natural as breathing. She grinned to herself, thinking of how he’d be coming over later. She’d missed him this morning. Callie had grown accustomed to waking up in his arms. She knew he’d be gone on future deployments, other missions, but she loved that dedicated and brave part of him.
And when he was here with her?
She shivered, just thinking about his big body moving over her own.
Callie walked silently along the trail for nearly an hour. She was taking her time, enjoying the quiet day. A couple had come from the opposite direction, but she hadn’t seen anyone else. Aside from a brief ‘hello,’ they’d continued on their way, heading back toward the trailhead and parking lot. She’d kept walking toward her destination, finally making it to the amazing view of the waterfall. Callie swung her backpack around, wincing slightly, then pulled her phone free. Someday her arm wouldn’t give her trouble. She just needed to be careful. Callie took some footage of the waterfall, glancing over to the area where she and Wyatt had picnicked. She’d packed a snack but not lunch. Besides, it wouldn’t be fun to picnic here without Wyatt. She headed down the final descent toward the lagoon.
The sound of the waterfall soothed her, both peaceful and powerful. She set her backpack on the ground, letting out a happy sigh. Hawaii was so beautiful. She loved exploring all the wonders of Oahu and had several more islands on her list with various places to visit. Wyatt was busy with his career as a Navy SEAL, but she hoped he could take leave and hop a quick flight with her one weekend. Just thinking about him made her happy.
She was lost in thought, enjoying the day, when she heard low voices. Callie stilled as she saw two men come out from the other side of the lagoon, staring at her, and then her heart dropped as she saw another man with red scars covering half of his face. She froze in place. In her moment of panic, she faltered, trying to decide if she should run and hide or scream. Who would hear her though? She’d come alone. The hikers she’d passed were long gone. She was alone with three men she instinctively knew were there to hurt her.
Callie turned, ready to sprint away, when a gunshot sounded, the bullet whizzing by her head. She flew to the ground, grunting as she hit the hard Earth, wondering if they’d missed intentionally or not.
“Stop!” the man roared. “Don’t you dare move!”
She stayed crouched on the ground, her heart thundering in her chest, and hastened a glance at them. The guy with the scars—what had Wyatt’s team called him? The Red Flame? He and the men he was with would shoot her if she ran. She knew it. They’d kill her right here if she didn’t do what they wanted, and she’d never see Wyatt or any of her friends or family ever again. Tears smarted her eyes as she lay there on the ground. Would Wyatt check her social media tonight when he couldn’t find her? He was planning to come to her apartment after work. When she didn’t answer his call, would he show up at her place anyway?
Alexa.
She’d told Alexa where she was going.
Her friend wouldn’t be expecting her back for hours though, Callie thought dejectedly. She wouldn’t think anything of not seeing Callie this afternoon. Wyatt would no doubt check with Alexa at some point when he couldn’t find Callie.... Icy cold dread snaked down her spine. It’d be too late. He’d come looking for her, and she’d already be dead. She’d have to try and fight these bastards now or die trying.
Callie heard their footsteps getting closer, and then rough hands yanked her up. One of the men picked up her backpack, rifling through it. Her stomach twisted. Those were her things. Her personal belongings. They had no right to touch them, and she couldn’t stop them even if she wanted to. The man holding her yanked her closer, and she stood perfectly still. Luckily, he’d grabbed her good arm, so she wasn’t in any pain—yet. She’d act complacent, finding out what they wanted, and then run the first chance she got.
The man gripping her arm turned her, and the man with the scarred face stalked closer. Anger crossed over his features. Even with his disfigurement, she could see the hate in his expression—in his glare. “I’ve been looking for you, Callie Spencer. You were quite a difficult woman to find. I always love a good challenge.” She tried not to whimper, determined to remain strong, and the grip holding her arm tightened.
“What do you want with me?” she asked, hating how her voice wobbled.
The Red Flame’s gaze moved over her, calculating. He licked his lips in a way that made her stomach churn. “You’re the only one who could identify me. Those idiots who dragged you to the cockpit should never have let you see my face. They should have killed you then. My plans are not going to be thwarted by a silly American woman.”
“How did you find me?”
He huffed out a laugh, dark and sinister. “That hardly matters, because I’m here now. I can’t stay in Manila forever. New plans are in place.”
“So you flew all the way to Hawaii?” she asked in shock.
“A little detour,” he sneered, his eyes raking over her once again. “I can see why my men liked you. Small tits, but a slim body. Womanly curves. You’re going to come with me before I kill you. After all the trouble you’ve caused, I’m going to enjoy using you first.”
The man holding her shoved her forward, and she gasped, stumbling. Callie had to stall him—distract him—anything. She didn’t want him anywhere near her, but with the two other men here as well, she didn’t think she could run. She was outnumbered. Outgunned. Which one of them had fired a shot anyway? She was too scared to look around but sensed the man who’d grabbed her walking away. They were leaving her here with the mastermind of it all.
“Where were you going?” she asked, her voice shaking. “If Hawaii was a detour, where were you flying next?”
“LAX,” he said, his eyes hard. “Those idiots who took over your airplane didn’t handle the situation with enough finesse. I’ve got new people in place,” he said with a wicked grin. “Simultaneous explosions at multiple airports. Manila, Tokyo....”
“And LA,” she finished. “That’s why your men—the hijackers—were there to begin with.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You saw them?”
“The other passengers did,” she said, lifting her chin. “They were arguing even then, drawing attention to themselves.”
“And they got themselves killed with their incompetence. They’re not my problem anymore, but you are,” he said, his voice hard as he moved closer. “Take off your top, pretty girl. I want to see those tits while you wrap your lips around my dick.”
“No,” she said, her voice shaking. Beads of sweat broke out across her forehead, and she wished she didn’t have on skimpy shorts and a tank top. Not that any form of clothing was exactly armor to protect her from this crazed man. She was going to die here. She knew it. Callie was all alone. Tears smarted her eyes as she thought about how she’d never get to see Wyatt again. What would he think when he found out that she’d been killed? He’d saved her once, but he wasn’t here this time. She would die alone at their waterfall, her body discarded after they had no more use for her.
“Take it off,” the man snapped, stalking closer. “That flimsy fabric won’t keep you from me. You’re the only one on that plane who can identify me, tie me to the hijacking, and I’m going to enjoy using you before I end you once and for all.”
Callie screamed as he launched himself at her, and then they were on the sand as she pushed at him, trying to fight him off. His hands were reaching for her top, moving over her stomach as he readied to yank the material up, and then a single gunshot sounded.
***
WYATT CLUTCHED HIS rifle as the men jogged on the trail. He hadn’t thought to grab any weapons as he’d rushed out of the bullpen, but thank God Sawyer had. Wyatt’s Glock was locked in his safe at home, and he wasn’t about to waste time stopping there either—not when Callie’s life was at stake. The men were trained to kill with their bare hands, and not having a weapon at the ready wouldn’t have slowed him down much at all.
Fortunately, the rest of the team had caught up to them, Sawyer and Hudson sliding rifles into their hands. It wasn’t exactly following standard operating procedures to leave base for an unauthorized mission with military weapons, but the hell if he cared. If Wyatt lost his career over this, so be it. Callie’s life was at stake. And this fucker had masterminded the hijacking of her airplane. She’d already suffered at his hands, and he’d be damned if it happened again.
While their CO had gotten on the phone with the local authorities, alerting them to the situation, Wyatt and his teammates had rushed off to find Callie. The Honolulu PD was on their way, as well as various other local and Federal agencies. That fact that Callie had come here didn’t mean much in and of itself, but when Alexa had told them about the suspicious person in the parking lot of their apartment complex? Austin had gotten the plate number from the police. It matched a vehicle parked at the trailhead, and Wyatt’s blood had run cold.
He picked up the pace, careful to watch his footing on the dirt trail. It was another perfect Hawaiian day, the birds chirping, the sun shining, and his entire world was about to be shattered in an instant if anything happened to Callie.
Hudson’s gaze swung over to Wyatt’s. “The CO called in for some EMTs to stand by in the parking lot.” Wyatt’s stomach dropped. There was no telling what condition they’d find Callie in. It made sense to stage emergency crews, but he hated to even think of that possibility. As soon as Wyatt had learned that Hasnawi had landed here in Oahu, rage had burned through him. He’d managed to keep a level head until now, but just barely. This was Callie, the woman he loved. She’d come to mean everything to him, and he’d get to her no matter what.
“We’re almost there,” Wyatt told the others. “Less than ten minutes. I’ve never jogged this trail before, but we’re making good time. Hopefully those mofos moved slower than us, and we’re not too late. Maybe they haven’t found her yet.”
It was wishful thinking. They’d landed in Hawaii that morning and gotten a head start. While Wyatt hated that Callie was out here alone, he was thankful she hadn’t been at her apartment complex. Wyatt didn’t even know how they’d found out where she lived. Callie was subletting. Even if Hasnawi’s men had somehow hacked into multiple databases for apartments and hotels on the island, her name wouldn’t be there. It must’ve been some data she’d unknowingly shared with posting her photos and videos that led them right to her place.
“I haven’t been to this waterfall in months,” Aaron said, keeping pace beside Wyatt. “I nearly forgot about it.”
“I wish I had,” Wyatt ground out. “If I hadn’t shown it to Callie, she wouldn’t have come here alone.”
“Don’t think like that,” Austin told him. “Not a single part of this is your fault. She deserves to live her life. No one would’ve expected Hasnawi to fly off the hinges over a single passenger on that airplane.”
“He was that set on hiding his identity,” Wyatt said. “No one had seen his face. I wonder what the fuck he’s doing here with all of his men though? The latest intel was that airports in Tokyo, Seoul, and Manila were the targets.”
“Maybe this was just a stopover,” Sawyer said. “Honolulu might not have been a target, but the West Coast could be.”
“Jesus. Simultaneous attacks?” Hudson muttered.
Wyatt slowed his pace, lifting a hand up for his men to stay behind him. They’d nearly crested the top of the trail, and the waterfall and lagoon would soon be in view down below. He swung his gaze around, looking at his teammates. “If they’re down at the lagoon, they’ll see us up here. We’ll have to stay low to the ground so they don’t spot us.”
“Let’s spread out,” Sawyer said. “Some of us can stay up here, with an eagle’s eye view of everything. This is the way back anyway, so we’ll be able to stop anyone returning to the parking lot.”
“I’m hiking down to the lagoon,” Wyatt said. “Callie’s down there. I know it.”
The men eased forward quietly, listening. The last thing they needed was to charge in blind. Austin flanked Wyatt to the right, with Hudson behind them. Sawyer was already crouched down at the tree line, hustling in the other direction to watch from above. No hikers were around. None of Hasnawi’s men were in sight. It was almost too quiet.
“The trail down is right there,” Wyatt said, pointing. An odd stillness seemed to fill the air at that moment, even over the sound of the waterfall. He hesitated, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. His instincts had served him well in the field, and in that split second, he knew something was about to happen. A distant gunshot reverberated through the air, Wyatt and his teammates instantly hitting the ground.
“Stop!” a man shouted, his voice coming from down by the lagoon. “Don’t you dare move!”
“They found her,” Wyatt ground out, shock washing over him. A heartbeat later, and he was jumping up, running, his pulse pounding in his ears, his muscles tense. Wyatt raced down the second trail, skidding in the dirt before regaining his footing. His could see three men down by the lagoon, but it was the sight of a blonde woman lying on the ground that made it feel like his heart was being ripped out of his chest.
Callie.
The world seemed to stop, a feeling like he’d been sucker-punched preventing any air from entering his lungs. “Wyatt—” Austin’s hand clamped down on his shoulder, and Wyatt realized he’d come to a dead halt on the trail.
Just as his knees were about to give out, Callie shifted on the ground, looking toward Hasnawi. Wyatt nearly cried out in thanks. The air filling his lungs was a sweet relief. She might be injured, but he was no longer choking on his breath, fearing that she’d already been killed. They began moving again, Wyatt’s gaze tracking over her, searching for any injuries or blood. She was cowering in fear, and one of the men went over and yanked her to her feet. Wyatt wanted to roar in anger. Another man grabbed her backpack, and he watched him yank out her cell phone and smash it. The terrorists still hadn’t seen Wyatt or his teammates, and it killed him to stay silent until they got closer. He watched in horror as one of the men shoved Callie forward, closer to Hasnawi.
Time seemed to stand still, the entire scene like it was happening in slow motion. “Sawyer has a shot,” Hudson said in a low voice from behind him. “You deal with Hasnawi. He’ll take out the other two men.”
“Roger,” Wyatt said, not even concerned that he and Austin didn’t have their comms units like his teammates. They’d rushed to get here first, and the men had trained together so long, they could practically predict one another’s movements anyway.
Callie was holding her hands up, trying to ward off Hasnawi, as Wyatt, Austin, and Hudson hid at the bottom of the trail. Wyatt lifted his rifle, ready to take a shot, a sense of calm finally washing over him. His finger caressed the trigger, his eye on the scope. “The angle is wrong,” he said in a low voice. “Almost there. Come on, asshole. Turn.”
“Once he’s taken out, Sawyer has the other two,” Hudson said smoothly.
“They’re retreating,” Austin said quietly. “They’re leaving him alone with her.”
Suddenly, Callie screamed as Hasnawi launched himself at her. They rolled on the sand, Callie trying to fight him off. As Hasnawi pushed himself up to a sitting position, tugging at Callie’s clothing, Wyatt fired the kill shot. Hasnawi slumped over as Callie’s terrified screams filled the air. Wyatt was on his feet and running before he even realized he’d stood. His friends would cover him if the other terrorists still lived. He just needed to get to his girl.
Two more gunshots sounded, and he knew it was finally over. Somewhere above them, Sawyer, Aaron, and Ryan kept watch. Wyatt dropped to the ground beside Callie as his friends yanked Hasnawi’s body off her. Wyatt pulled her into his arms, and Callie clung to him, crying hysterically.
“I’ve got you,” he soothed, his hands running over her, making sure she was really okay. “You’re safe. You’re okay now. Hasnawi is dead, and you won’t ever have to worry about him again.”
“How did you find me?” Callie asked, her voice shaking. “I was afraid you wouldn’t even realize I was gone until tonight, until it was too late.” Fresh tears began to fall, and he tightened his arms, his lips pressing against her temple. Wyatt let out his own shaky breath. “I’ll tell you everything later on. Are you hurt? I want to shoot him all over again for touching you.”
“No. I was terrified, but I’m not hurt. You saved me,” she said, finally looking up and meeting his gaze.
“I’ll always come for you, Callie,” he promised, searching her eyes. He could see the fear and love mixed in them, and he felt competing emotions warring in his own chest. He’d almost lost her, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her close, safe in his arms. “The other guys will wait here for the police and brief our CO. They’ll deal with the aftermath. I’m going to take you home.”
