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

The leader stepped forward, inches from Rachel’s face. With his arms crossed, he stared her down. “Well, we finally caught you two. I’ll admit you gave us a good run. Just not good enough.” His smile held no humor in it. Right away, Rachel recognized him. It was the former CIA agent Victor McNamara.

“Why were you trying to kill us?” Rachel demanded.

McNamara smirked. “If we were trying to kill you two, you’d be dead by now.” McNamara’s words seemed to confirm what Alex said earlier. These men had no idea where Liam was.

One of the men handed McNamara Alex’s driver’s license. He stared at it and then Alex while Rachel held on to her breath. If he recognized Alex as a CIA agent, no matter what he’d claimed earlier, he’d kill him.

“How do you fit into this?” McNamara demanded, but Alex kept silent. McNamara motioned to one of his thugs, who grabbed Alex and slugged him hard once more.

“Stop,” Rachel cried out as Alex doubled over in pain. She tried to come to his aid, but someone grabbed her arms, holding her in place.

“I’ll ask you again. How do you fit into Agent Carlson’s crimes?”

Agent Carlson’s crimes... The words settled over her.

“What are you talking about?” Rachel demanded. She wasn’t about to let them sully Liam’s name. “My brother hasn’t committed any crimes.”

McNamara turned his full attention on her. “Ah, the sister,” he sneered. “You clearly have no idea who your brother really is.” She had to struggle not to take the bait. “Your brother, along with Deacon Broderick, has stolen some very deadly weapons. My team and I have been searching for them for quite some time. We had them surrounded up on the mountain, but they both managed to give us the slip. Not without being wounded first, I might add. They won’t get far on their own. I believe you know where your brother might be hiding. Why else would you be up here? For his own well-being, I suggest you tell me where, so that we can find him alive.”

McNamara was talking as if he were still an agent. He had no idea they knew the truth.

“Tie them both up.” He barked the order to one of his men, who grabbed Alex. Forcing his arms together, he wrapped the rope tight around his wrists. Another man did the same to Rachel, and she winced in pain.

“Who are you? Why should I tell you anything?” Rachel tried to hold on to her composure when McNamara stepped to within inches of her face.

“I’m the only person who can keep your brother from facing the death sentence for treason.”

Treason. “How can you charge Liam with treason?” she exclaimed, astonished. She had to hear him say who he was.

“Because I’m working for the CIA and I’ve been trying to bring down a terrorist known as the Chemist for a long time. Turns out, your brother knew him all along. They’ve been smuggling large amounts of sarin gas into the States together. Who knows to what deadly purpose?”

She couldn’t afford to give anything away. “That’s a lie. My brother did nothing of the sort.”

McNamara’s smile sent a shiver down her back. “You really don’t know how deeply involved in this thing your brother really is.” She raised her chin, refusing to give in to his bluff.

With a shake of his head, McNamara went back over to his men. He said something to them that she couldn’t discern. She had the impression that they were waiting on something...or someone.

Rachel eased closer to where Alex was restrained. Just being close to him helped to steady her frayed nerves. She turned slightly and he did the same. As she glanced at him, so many raw emotions surged through her. She’d spent so long trying to deny what she felt for Alex. The anger and bitterness in her heart didn’t cover up the truth. Alex was important to her. Her entire past was mingled with his. How could she just write him out of her life simply because things hadn’t worked out between them? She smiled up at him and for a second, it was just the two of them. And she was sure that she saw the same feelings she felt for him reflected on his face.

The look in her eyes warmed his heart. So many feelings had been left unsaid by them. He believed she still cared for him, no matter how ugly he had let things end between them. Was there still a chance? He was going to do everything in his power to find out. He wasn’t about to let these men take that chance away, or lay the blame for their crimes on Liam. He’d die first.

So far, McNamara had no idea Alex was CIA, and he planned to keep it that way. He glanced briefly at the bed covering Deacon. So far, Deacon hadn’t made a sound. Alex wasn’t sure if that was good news or bad.

Hurry, Jase.

He wondered where Peter—aka Blake Temple—and the woman called Michelle were. McNamara was acting as if he was the boss, yet Alex didn’t believe Temple would allow that to go on for long. From what Jase had told him about Temple, he wasn’t the type to let someone steal his glory.

“We ran into two of your people in the woods earlier. Peter and Michelle. They were easy to capture.” Alex hoped to get some reaction out of McNamara.

Something slipped briefly on McNamara’s face, assuring Alex he knew Peter and the woman.

“I don’t know who you are talking about. We don’t know anyone by those names. Maybe they’re working for Carlson.”

McNamara motioned to several of his men and they went outside, leaving two more to stand guard. What were they doing?

He noticed Rachel’s attention kept going to the bed where Deacon was hiding. “We have to help him,” she mouthed.

So far, the two men guarding them didn’t appear interested in what they were doing. As Alex’s