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“Mitch!” Sheba growled.
Cassandra pressed herself tightly against the wall and Mitch.
“She’ll find us if we stay here,” Mitch whispered.
“It doesn’t matter now.”
“Why?”
Cassandra looked at him in the faint glow of the flashlight. “You didn’t see the creatures?”
“No, I was too busy focusing on her.”
Mitch glanced over Cassandra’s shoulder. The emerald green eyes glinted.
“What are they?” he asked.
“Not sure,” she whispered. “But I think they took my daughter.”
“Mitch! I smell you. I’m coming for you.”
The catlike creatures released screeching growls like panthers, stopping Sheba in her tracks. Cassandra glanced back, fearful that she and Mitch were about to be ripped to shreds, but she noted the fear in Sheba’s eyes when she stood before the cat threesome.
Sheba took a step back, and then another. She turned and fled. The three cats darted after her.
“What the hell?” Mitch asked.
Cassandra took a deep breath and released it. “I’m not certain, but that’s twice they’ve saved my life.”
“Really?”
She nodded and told him about the two men that tried to kill her.
“That’s interesting,” he said. “And you think these cats took your daughter?”
“I do.”
“If so, they may be hiding her to protect her from these other people.”
“I’d like to think that, but I still don’t know where Alicia is.”
Mitch patted her shoulder and pulled her close in a gentle hug. “When Kat and Lucian get here, we’ll have better numbers. We’ll find her.”
“What do we do until then?” she asked.
“We hide until morning.”
“Hide?”
“It’s the safest way. Besides, those catlike things didn’t seem interested in harming either of us.”
“Where can we hide?” she asked.
“I say we follow the tunnel out. That’s apparently how the cats got in here. When we reach the end, we can decide. But, for what it’s worth, I believe Alicia is safe.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be more comforted once I have her in my arms.”
“I understand,” he said. “Let’s go.”
***
Lucas drove and glanced at Joe. “That skull is extraterrestrial. Wouldn’t you say?”
Joe nodded. “That’d be my guess.”
“Probably worth millions to the right person, but why would they kill to get it?”
“Perhaps the party doesn’t have that kind of money to offer.”
“No. There’s more to it than just the money. Where did you find it? Anywhere near Desert Labs?”
“It was near the gulch where Desert Labs had been dumping their waste.”
Lucas smiled. “That’s probably the most useful information yet.”
“You think the laboratory owner is behind it?”
“Maybe. Or perhaps someone had been spying on their operation happened to see you find it.”
“That still doesn’t give the reason why they want it.”
“No,” Lucas said, glancing into his side-view mirror. “But the people behind us probably know why.”
Joe looked over his shoulder. The tan camo Jeep sped right to their back bumper and tapped it hard.
“Have your gun ready?” Lucas asked.
Joe slipped his revolver from his belt holster and focused on his side view mirror.
Lucas pushed the accelerator to the floor. They drove over a hill that plummeted downward and around a sharp, winding curve.
“Hang on,” Lucas said.
Lucas hit the brakes and cut the wheel sharp to hug the curve of the road but he was going too fast. The passenger side tires skidded off the highway, slinging sand and loose gravel. The SUV spun into a tailspin. Lucas attempted to straighten out the vehicle, but the Jeep rammed the rear driver side tire and forced Lucas farther off the road. Glancing toward the edge of the road, Lucas noticed the deep gulley. The uneven jagged drop was probably a good fifty yards to the bottom.
He fought to drive the SUV back onto the road but the Jeep driver increased speed to push the SUV off the road.
“Dammit!” Lucas said, pushing the gas pedal to the floor. “There’s no traction.”
The SUV tires spun uselessly to hold the heavy vehicle on the ledge. Gravity soon won the tittering battle and the SUV slowly descended.
Gunfire.
Bullets chinked through the windows, one narrowly missing Lucas’ head. He stood on the accelerator while Joe fired off a couple rounds.
The man backed the Jeep up, shoved it into first, gunned the engine, and crashed into the SUV’s midsection, tilting the vehicle on two wheels.
“Hang on,” Lucas seethed through his gritted teeth.
The SUV flipped over onto its side, dropped ten feet down the rocky gulley, and rolled over twice, stopping upside down.
Glass shattered and showered around them. Metal crumpled. Everything was one quick blur. Lucas’ head hit the side glass. The window burst and his forehead struck the steering wheel. He didn’t move. Limp and lifeless he hung upside down, suspended by his seat belt.
“You okay?” Joe asked.
Lucas didn’t answer.
“Luke?” Joe shook Lucas’ shoulder.
Silence.
Blood trickled from a cut on Lucas’ brow and his nose.
The Jeep doors slammed shut. Joe peered through the windshield. The men headed down the slope with their guns raised. The way the men approached detailed their tactical training. Mercenaries determined to carry out their assignment.
Joe looked for his gun but couldn’t find it. After the SUV flipped twice he wasn’t certain where the gun went. He and Lucas hung upside down fastened in by their seatbelts.
The men hurried down the hillside. Wind kicked up loose sand in little white clouds around their boots.
Joe unfastened his seatbelt and dropped to the ceiling. He positioned himself beneath Lucas, unsnapped his seatbelt, and caught Lucas across the shoulders and positioned him behind the seat. He checked for a pulse. Lucas’ heart beat steadily, but he remained unconscious.
Bullets struck the windshield.
Joe dove over Lucas to protect him from the gunfire and in doing so, he found Lucas’ gun. He clicked off the safety, loaded a round into the chamber, and fired several rounds through the windshield.
The men stopped their approach and crouched down, making themselves smaller targets.
Joe aimed carefully and shot at the man closest to the front of the SUV. The bullet flicked sand into the air less than a foot away from the man. His adversary rolled to the side. Joe fired another round.
Although he didn’t like guns, he was in a situation where he favored having one.
Joe might hold these men off for a while, but he didn’t have that kind of time. Lucas wasn’t moving and possibly needed medical attention. Blood streamed down his face from his scalp. It looked like he was losing a lot of blood.
“There’s no good way out for you!” one of the men said.
“What do you want?” Joe asked.
“The skull.”
“Kill me and you’ll never find it,” Joe replied.
Joe ripped a long band of cloth from his shirt and wrapped it around the laceration on Lucas’ scalp. He whispered a brief blessing while tying the cloth. It would be enough to stop the bleeding. Other than the cut, Lucas seemed to be breathing regularly but still hadn’t gained consciousness. He didn’t believe Lucas was in a coma, but with the sun setting, sidewinder rattlesnakes would seek warmth after the heat evaporated from the rocks. A human’s body temperature was perfect to attract such reptiles. He didn’t want Lucas’s outcome to be what Misty’s had been.
Something buzzed and caught Joe’s attention. Lucas’ cellphone.
Joe grabbed the phone but didn’t answer it.
“All we want is the skull,” the man said outside. His voice was closer. “That’s it.”
“It’s not with us.”
“Take us to it and we’ll consider letting your friend live.”
The fact that they knew Lucas was hurt informed Joe that they were watching them with through a scope that was probably attached to a high-powered rifle. They could have already shot and killed Joe and Lucas, which meant they really wanted that skull.
The phone stopped buzzing.
“My friend needs to be taken to a hospital,” Joe said loudly. “He’s unconscious and bleeding badly.”
Joe dialed his brother’s number and let it ring.
“You take us to the skull and we’ll get an ambulance out here for him.”
“I don’t trust you,” Joe said.
The man laughed. “I believe you’ll have to take our word.”
Joe’s brother answered the phone. “Hello?”
Joe whispered into the phone and explained their situation, where the SUV had gone over the gully, and that armed men were threatening to kill them.
“Lucas needs help,” Joe told his brother.
With a firm solemn tone, Owl-hunter replied, “We’re on our way. Don’t hang up. Keep this line open so we can hear what’s going on while we track it.”
“I will, but I don’t think I can do anything else but leave with them.”
“We’re coming, brother. Be safe.”
Joe didn’t end the call, but he took the phone and tucked it overhead between the rear seats.
“Toss out your gun and keep your hands where we can see them. Otherwise we open fire. Skull or no skull.”
Joe looked at Lucas and shook his head. “Sorry, bro. Got to leave you.”
He squeezed Lucas’ shoulder and crawled to the passenger side door. He tossed the gun through the shattered side window. Stone crunched beneath the man’s approaching boots.
Joe put both hands out the side window with his fingers spread wide.
Each man gripped one of his wrists and pulled him through the open window. The men wore bulletproof vests and dark sunglasses, even though sunset was less than an hour away. Both were muscular, clean-shaven, with burr cuts. Their hardened countenance let him know immediately that Calvin was nothing like these men. He was an actual hobbyist. These men dealt death. Joe sensed it in their aura.
One man took a pair of plastic tie handcuffs and secured Joe’s wrists.
“You going to leave him?” Joe asked.
“Help will come, provided you cooperate.”
Joe knew help would come, but it would be his brothers, not medics. All Joe needed to do was leave with the men and let them believe he’d lead them to the alien artifact. But that wasn’t going to happen. Joe wasn’t going to tell them. Not until he knew Lucas was safe.
***
Joe sat in the back seat of the Jeep on the passenger side. He rested his tied hands on his lap. The driver was tanned with a solid muscular jaw. His huge muscled hands held the steering wheel tightly. The man’s 9mm lay across his legs.
The man that sat shotgun turned where he could keep an eye on Joe. He held his gun with the safety off.
Joe sat passively. His eyes showed little interest in what they were doing, and he had no look of fear or worry on his face. He remained solemn and solid as a rock.
“What is your name?” the driver asked.
“Joe.”
“How do we get to the skull? You want to give the directions the easy way?” he asked.
“Or the hard way,” Shotgun rider asked with a wide cackle and bizarre smile. He waved the gun and pointed it at Joe’s face.
Joe didn’t flinch. “It’s not too far from here.”
“Doesn’t quite narrow it down,” the driver said.
“I wasn’t finished speaking,” Joe said firmly.
The man in the passenger seat swung the butt of the gun at Joe. Joe’s tied hands rose quickly and blocked the blow.
“Dammit, Reggie! Stop it!” the driver said.
“You heard his defiant tone, Curt. I’m not about to take that.”
“Reg, we need the skull. Understand? Knock him unconscious or accidentally kill him, and we ain’t going to get it. That won’t go over well with our superior, now will it?”
“No.” Reggie gritted his teeth and bore a hateful stare at Joe.
Joe grinned.
Reggie turned away.
“You have to excuse his behavior, Joe,” Curt said. “We kind of thought we could find the skull at your house last night, but well, it wasn’t there.”
Joe’s gazed at the driver with narrowed eyes. Curt never bothered to glance in Joe’s direction. “You placed the rattlers in my house?”
“Yeah,” Reggie said with a wide grin. He chattered his strange laugh again. “Damn things should have killed you this morning.”
“One did kill Misty,” Joe said.
“Sorry about your girlfriend,” Curt said. “But, it’s good that you lived. Otherwise, we’d never find the skull. Now, we need directions.”
“Drive about two more miles straight ahead,” Joe said. “Then take a right.”
The sun was fading behind the mountain ridges. Darkness was coming.
Joe stared straight ahead. His eyes seemed frozen. His spirit stepped into the Otherworld.
When Curt turned right, he asked, “Now where?”
Joe didn’t answer. His eyes were focused, and he never blinked.
“Hey,” Reggie said, shaking Joe’s shoulder. “Dammit, Curt, he’s like a zombie or something.”
Curt slowed the Jeep and pulled to the edge of the road. After he shut off the engine, he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned in his seat to face Joe.
“Navaho,” Curt said. “Wake up! We need directions.”
Joe blinked slowly and seemed to suddenly take to life. He shook his head. “I’m sorry? What?”
Curt cleared his throat. “We made the turn. Now where do we go?”
“Help me out of the Jeep, and I’ll walk you there,” Joe replied.
Reggie looked at Curt. Curt nodded. “Do it, but keep his hands tied.”
Reggie helped Joe out of the Jeep.
“That path,” Joe said, nodding ahead. “We must take that path.”
Joe stepped ahead of them and started down the winding gulch path.
“You try to make a break for it and I’ll shoot you in the back.”
Joe didn’t reply. In his head, he continued chanting while he took slow, methodical steps forward. Darkness settled around them the farther down the path they walked. They took a sharp turn and headed upward. The natural bridge stood ahead.
“How much further?” Curt asked.
“We’re almost there,” Joe said.
Night birds chirped. Insects buzzed. Joe chanted. Something rustled and breathed in the brush ahead.
“What the hell is that?” Reggie asked, aiming his gun.
“I don’t see anything,” Curt replied.
“But you heard it, didn’t you?”
“Birds, probably.”
From behind them a piercing squall made them turn. A large owl plunged downward and its talons caught Reggie’s shoulder, slicing to the bone. He cried out in pain and dropped his gun. The owl fluttered and flogged at Reggie’s eyes.
Reggie dropped to the ground, covering his face. Joe stooped and grabbed the gun.
“Put it down, Joe.” Curt aimed the gun at the owl. He fired three shots. The owl vaporized into a puff of smoke.
Stunned, Curt looked from the air where the owl had been over to Joe. Joe’s right hand rose. A large cougar rushed from the brush behind him and charged Curt. Its hard sharp claws sliced into his flesh and wrestled Curt to the ground. Curt dropped his gun.
Joe took the butt of the gun and struck Reggie hard enough to knock him unconscious. Curt screamed in agony. The large cat pinned him down on the rocky terrain. The cougar hissed and spat at him. Once Joe retrieved Curt’s gun, the cougar sprang over the man and disappeared down the trail.
Joe pointed the gun at Curt’s face. The anger in Curt’s eyes turned to fear when he looked at Joe’s face. Light illuminated for a few moments around Joe’s head and disappeared like the owl had.
“How? What was that?”
Joe didn’t answer.
“Did . . . did you make the owl and mountain lion appear?”
Joe ignored the question.
“Normally, I’m not a violent man,” Joe said calmly and without anger. “But knowing that you’re responsible for Misty’s death angers me with a rage I’ve never known before. Because of you two, my friend was injured and probably needs medical attention, but you left him behind. So, you’re going to give me some answers. We can do it the easy way.”
Curt closed his eyes tightly, shedding tears.
Joe released the safety and pressed the gun to Curt’s forehead. “Or we can do it this way. Your choice.”
Curt swallowed hard. His face was haunted and his eyes hollow. Slowly he raised his hands, never taking his eyes off Joe.
“Why do you want the skull?” Joe asked.
“That’s what he’s paying us to get. He never told us why he wants it. He just does. Apparently bad enough to hire us to kill you.”
“Who?”
Sweat beaded on Curt’s brow. “Don’t know his real name. He goes by Alpha.”
“Where can I find him?”
“I don’t know.”
Joe moved the gun a few inches to the side of Curt’s head and fired. The blast echoed and bellowed through the gulch and along the ridges. Curt dropped face first and placed his hands over his ears. His body quaked. For a hired mercenary, the man exhibited more fear than Joe expected.
“I don’t know where he is. He used to oversee Desert Labs.”
“I know,” Joe said. “But where is he now?”
“I swear I don’t know.”
Joe shook his head. “He has to pay you somehow.”
“Direct deposits into our bank accounts. That’s it. We never meet him face to face. Ever. If we saw his face, I’m certain he’d probably kill us.”
“Why?”
“He doesn’t want anyone to know who he is.”
“That seems reasonable enough.” Joe grabbed Curt’s cellphone and dialed Owl-hunter’s number.
Curt dared a peek up. “You should go ahead and kill us. He will once he discovers our failure.”
“What I have planned for you is worse than death,” Joe replied.