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

Working as fast as they possibly could, they searched the crumbling camp, but Liam wasn’t there.

Rachel couldn’t have been more discouraged. “This can’t be the camp Liam mentioned.”

Alex touched her cheek. “We can’t give up. You said yourself there are several other camps up here. We just need to find the right one.”

She nodded. Alex was right. She had to keep fighting for Liam. She struggled to recall the particular layout on this side of the mountain. “The next one should be a little ways up the mountain from here.”

“Good. Let’s keep going. Perhaps, if those guys come this way, they’ll think we kept heading downhill. How are you holding up?” Alex asked when she stumbled slightly.

“Tired, but I’m okay. Don’t worry, I can keep up.” She wished she felt more confident. She wasn’t used to this kind of pace.

“Let’s stop and rest for a moment.” He pointed to a fallen tree and she sat down. Alex took out one of the water bottles and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She took it gratefully and drank deeply.

Alex looked around the desolate area. “It doesn’t look as if anyone’s been up here in a long time.”

He was probably right. The camp they’d just left was overgrown; the woods had reclaimed most of its remaining buildings.

“Liam said that’s why his friend wanted to buy the camp he did. It hadn’t been used in years, so he got a good price. He wanted to make the camp a working lumber mill again.”

She handed Alex the water and he took a drink, then put the bottle back in his backpack.

“There’s certainly enough timber up here to run several mills, especially if it’s been years since the area has been harvested.” He blew out a sigh. “As much as I hate to say it, we need to move on. We don’t know if they’ve found their way across the creek yet.”

As they headed deeper into the woods, getting into the higher altitude forced them to slow their steps down tremendously.

Rachel found herself listening to every little noise around them. She’d been in the woods since she was a kid, but this was different. She’d never been chased by people intent on taking her life.

As she had so many times since Liam’s disappearance, Rachel thought about her brother’s last visit. Liam had alluded to the fact that someone from the CIA might be involved with the terrorist threat he’d been chasing. His comment on the map he left seemed to indicate he believed it, and now there were presumed CIA agents combing the area looking for Liam. All things pointed to the same conclusion Liam had come to.

What if these men were somehow working for the same terrorist that Liam had been chasing? She voiced her concerns aloud. “If Liam discovered the connection, he could pose a threat to any further attacks.”

Alex’s expression was grim. “What are they doing here in the US? There’s no way they’d travel all this way just to track down Liam because of something he knows. They’d risk blowing their cover. There’s something more going on.”

A disturbing thought dawned on her. “Unless Liam has something they want.”

Alex stopped and stared at her. “What would be worth coming out of hiding and risking their lives for?”

Rachel shook her head. “I don’t know. Whatever it is, it must be big.”

“Let’s just hope we find Liam at the next camp. We need answers, Rachel, before this thing escalates any further.”

It felt as if they’d been hiking for hours and they still hadn’t come across the camp. So far, there was no sign of the men, but she didn’t doubt they would have found a way to cross the creek. They weren’t about to give up, especially if what she suspected were true and Liam had taken something important from them.

As she walked, she kept going back over what had happened. One thing bothered her. “Did you see Michelle or Peter back there?” Where were they?

Alex shook his head. “No. I have no idea where they are. Right now, you’re the only connection they have with Liam, so why not put every man available into capturing us?”

“Unless they’re searching for something else... Maybe whatever Liam took.”

He stopped dead in his tracks. The dawning of what she’d just said registered an alarm. “You think?”

“Somewhere here in the US could be their next target. What if they planned to attack someplace here and Liam discovered it? Liam tracked them here, found whatever they brought in to do the attack with, and hid it somewhere up here. They would be desperate to get it back. They have nothing to lose.”

If what Rachel said were true, then this thing was much bigger than either of them had originally believed. They needed help.

“Rachel, we’re in way over our heads. Let me reach out to my commander for backup.” When she didn’t answer he pressed. “We’re outnumbered and certainly outgunned. Our ammo supply won’t last past another confrontation. We have no idea how many more men these guys have up here searching for Liam and whatever else they’re looking for. We could die.” He hated pointing out the obvious, but the truth had to be faced.

He could see from her mutinous expression that she wasn’t ready to give in. “We can’t. You said yourself these men are CIA. We don’t know how deep their connections go. Even if your people aren’t involved, they could still inadvertently tip off someone who is. We can’t risk it now. Liam’s life is on the line.”

Her answer didn’t surprise him and he certainly couldn’t blame her, but he had a feeling at some point they’d have no other choice but to reach out to Jase and the Scorpion team for help. He just hoped he could convince her to do so before it was too late.

Rachel took out the binoculars and activated the night-vision function, homing in on something off in the distance.

“Do you see something?” he asked.

“Yes, just