Army of Two Read Online Free PDF Page B

hands. Mitch’s burst of violence had shaken her almost as much as their sudden freedom. “But you have his gun. Can’t we do something?”
    “Not alone. Without a coordinated assault there’s too much risk to the hostages.” He gave her a nudge to start her moving. “We need to get reinforcements.”
    After one last glance at the Aerie—and a quick prayer for the people left inside—she plunged through a gap in the trees.
    Mitch stayed right behind her. They weren’t hampered by the need for stealth this time. In less than a minute they reached the three-sided drive shed where the vehicles were kept.
    Chantal wrenched open the door of her four-wheel-drive pickup truck and slid behind the wheel. As usual, the keys were in the ignition. The need for convenience had always outweighed the need for security here at the Aerie. She’d never dreamed her habit would prove an advantage when she was fleeing for her life.
    She dropped the walkie-talkie on the floor, fastened her seat belt and cranked the engine.
    A gunshot cracked through the shed.
    She cringed reflexively, then whipped her head around to look for Mitch.
    Thank God, he was the only one doing the shooting. He was jogging past the other vehicles, firing methodically at the tires. Within seconds the Pearsons’ SUV, Rhonda and Tommy’s Jeep and the resort’s four all-terrain vehicles were settling onto the rims of their wheels.
    She barely had time to absorb the destruction when the passenger door flew open and Mitch jumped inside. “Go!” he yelled.
    Chantal gripped the wheel and aimed for the track that led down the hill. She took the first bend too fast and slid sideways. Spruce boughs screeched along the fender before she regained control.
    Mitch propped the gun between his feet. “Who’s your nearest neighbor?”
    He sounded so calm. As if he did this kind of thing all the time. Then again, he probably did. She swallowed hard and tried to match his tone. “Waterfalls Resort. It’s an outfitter’s camp at the north end of the lake. They’re closed for the season, but the owner would still be there.”
    “I assume they would have a radio?”
    “Yes.”
    “We’ll have to head there.”
    “That’s what I’m doing.”
    “How far is it?”
    “At this rate, maybe an hour.”
    “You told me the lake was only sixteen miles long.”
    “As the crow flies. With the twists of the road, it’s more than double that. I need to head west before I can take the fork to the north, but it’s still faster than driving to Bethel Corners.”
    He retrieved the gun, pulled out the magazine to check the ammunition, then snapped it back into place.
    “You were trying to give us a head start,” she said. “That’s why you shot out those tires.”
    “Right. Hopefully, Knox and his gang will waste some time before they figure out they can’t follow by land.”
    “Knox? Did you recognize those men?”
    “No. That’s the name the guy who caught us said into his walkie-talkie. It’s probably their leader.” He twisted to look behind them. “It’s going to take them several minutes to get their chopper back in the air. We need to be as far away as we can by then.”
    “I understand that.”
    “You’re going to need to go faster.”
    “Not if I don’t want to roll us.”
    “Pull over. I’ll drive.”
    “No.”
    “Chantal—”
    “I know this road. I know this truck. You don’t.” She steered around an exposed boulder and gunned the engine at the top of a small rise. They went airborne for a second, splashed through a puddle and accelerated out of the next turn.
    Mitch braced one hand on the dashboard to help steady himself. “You’re not a bad driver.”
    “You’d better not say, ‘for a woman.’”
    “I wouldn’t dream of it. I was thinking you’re good for a civilian.”
    “Gee, thanks.”
    “Where’s the walkie-talkie I liberated?” he asked.
    “On the floor at my feet.”
    He leaned over her lap. “I see it,” he muttered,