Target on the Mountain by Elizabeth Goddard (the chimp paradox .txt) 📕

remembered the time. “You’re right. Liam was distracted back then. Actually, for a while. At first, I wasn’t so worried. You know how Liam throws himself into his mission to the point of being consumed by it. But his behavior became increasingly more withdrawn as the weeks went by. Then he showed up at my house...and you know the rest.” She shrugged. “I think Iraq was just a staging location, though. He was heading behind enemy lines.”

“It makes sense. The fewer people who know about where an agent is going, the better chance they have of surviving. The last time we talked, he told me a little of the same things he told you. About this new player coming onto his radar. He seemed really worried and alluded to the fact that if they couldn’t find out his identity soon, it could have deadly consequences.”

Rachel shivered at the implication. Had Liam tracked the identity of the person and found out it was one of his own people?

As they rode along, a tree branch snapped close to the edge of the trail, immediately drawing Rachel’s attention back to the moment. Was it just an innocent animal roaming the woods nearby? Or had an enemy found them and was closing in quickly?

Alex reined in his mare and listened carefully. Nothing but silence followed. The sound had come from just up ahead. Slowly, he dismounted and drew his weapon. Rachel did the same.

Close by, the dog growled and headed for the woods in the direction of the sound, sniffing the air.

“Stay, Callie,” Rachel ordered and stopped the dog with that verbal command. Callie sat back on her haunches, her guard up.

“Stay behind me,” Alex said and then eased into the treed area. Once inside, he stopped for a second to take stock. At one time, he had known these woods like the back of his hand. He and Liam had hunted just about everything the forest provided since they were kids. Alex could recognize the different sounds made by animals that roamed the mountains, and the noise he’d just heard earlier didn’t belong to any of those animals.

To the right, another twig snapped, riveting both their attentions that way. A mule deer stood frozen in place not far from the spot, staring at them. Rachel let go of a breath, relieved. Yet Alex couldn’t share in it, because he was positive the previous sound hadn’t come from the deer.

Rachel turned to look at him and saw the truth in his eyes. He barely had time to shake his head before something charged from the bushes nearby and right for them.

A man dressed completely in black, with a ski mask covering his face, hit Alex full force before he had time to react.

The momentum of the man broadsiding him sent both of them sprawling across the rocky ground. Alex’s weapon flew from his hand. The man had slung an assault rifle behind his back.

As Alex struggled for control, his attacker temporarily gained the upper hand, and they wrestled back and forth. In the hand-to-hand combat that ensued, the man’s assault rifle slipped off his arm. They were now both unarmed. Alex was relying on physical strength alone.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Rachel struggling to get a clear shot off. With them grappling back and forth, there was no opportunity.

Alex managed to free one hand and he slugged his attacker hard. The man’s head spun sideways and he yelped in pain. The fury in his eyes was pure evil as he clutched Alex around the throat, trying to strangle him. Alex fought free and punched the man hard once more. This time, he slumped to the side, stunned by the blow. It was enough for Alex to get away. Jumping to his feet, he searched the ground for his Glock. He recalled the general direction it had landed, but it was nowhere in sight.

Rachel fired off a warning shot as Alex’s attacker regained his senses. “Stay where you are,” she ordered. The man didn’t listen.

Before Alex located the weapon, the man lunged for him once more. This time Alex was prepared. He set his feet and grabbed hold of the man’s arms.

His assailant was yelling at the top of his lungs. It wouldn’t be long before his buddies zeroed in on the direction of the noise and came to his aid.

Before Alex could slug the man again, Rachel slammed the stock of her gun hard against the man’s temple. He didn’t have time to register what had happened before he slumped to the ground at Alex’s feet.

It took a second for Alex to gather his breath and then he knelt next to the man. Yanking the mask off, he recoiled when he got a good look at him. He recognized the man from somewhere.

“Do you know him?” Rachel asked in amazement, seeing his reaction.

“I’m not sure.” A quick search of his pockets produced a driver’s license with the man’s name on it. Alex wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. Certainly not that something about the man’s face would be familiar. The name, on the other hand, was elusive. He stared down at the man, racking his brain to come up with how he might know him, but he just couldn’t place it.

Alex handed the ID to Rachel. “It says his name is Victor McNamara. Does it ring a bell to you?”

She studied the photo for a second, then shook her head and handed it back to Alex. He shoved it in his pocket and then slung the assault rifle over his shoulder.

“Let’s go. The way he was carrying on, everyone within a two-mile radius will have heard him.”

They hurried past the waiting dog, who leaped to her feet. Once they were both back in the saddle, Rachel nudged the mare forward, and Alex followed.

While the horses made their way across the uneven countryside, Alex tried to make sense of what had just taken place. Why did this man look familiar?