Iris Johansen - Dead Aim

The helicopter was landing in a snow-covered field a half mile from them. Jesus, it seemed like a hundred to Alex. "Are we going to make it?"

"We'll make it, but with all their firepower the takeoff may be pretty chancy." Ken s helicopter. Exploding. Flaming. Splintering.

"Or maybe not…" Galen murmured, his gaze on the rearview mirror. "I believe Judd may be doing his thing." "What?" She looked over her shoulder in time to see the lead car swerve violently and then crash into a tree. The second car's front tire blew and the driver frantically tried to right the car, but it spun sideways and the third car piled into it. "One more, Judd," Galen said as he parked the car beside the helicopter. "One more." The fourth car's front tire blew, but the driver managed to stop before he piled into the other two cars. "Bull's-eye." Galen jumped out of the car and ran toward the helicopter. "Let's get out of here." She was right behind him. "What about Morgan? Are we just going to leave him?" "He said he'd contact us later." He opened the door of the helicopter and lifted her inside. "I don't think we have to worry. He seems to have the situation in hand." "He's on foot and he's just shot the tires out of four FBI cars. I don't call that having the situation in hand. They're going to go after him." "He'll have a head start." He waved at the pilot to take off.

"That's all he needs."

"He's on foot. They'll catch him."

"He was on foot in Afghanistan after he took out a warlord who was sheltering Al Qaeda terrorists. He had to travel seventy miles through unfriendly territory before he was able to arrange a pickup."

"He told you that?"

Galen shook his head. "Judd doesn't talk much. But he's something of a legend to the Rangers."

She gazed out the window at the wreckage on the hillside as the helicopter rose from the ground. A man had gotten out of the car that crashed into the tree and was striding toward the pileup. He was holding his arm and there was blood on his cheek. There was something familiar about him, but his head was down and she couldn't identify him. But she could identify the rage and tension that characterized the man's every movement.

And that anger would be directed at Judd Morgan, who had stayed behind so that they could escape. "Call him," she told Galen. "Set up a meeting place near here. We're not leaving him." "He said to get you to somewhere safe. They may have already radioed for helicopters and reinforcements. Besides, he's probably nowhere near that pileup. He took his shots and got out of there."

"Call him."

He smiled. "Whatever you say." He pulled out his phone and dialed. A moment later he shook his head. "He's got his phone turned off. Makes sense. He sure as hell wouldn't want it to go off at a sensitive moment. Now, may we get the hell out of here?"

"I guess we can't do anything else." She gazed down at the scene below. More agents were getting out of the cars. They were talking on phones, and the first man who'd gotten out of the car was standing and staring up at the helicopter.

"My God, it's Jurgens."

"Why are you surprised? He's the one who put that allpoints bulletin out on you."

"I know… it's just… I guess what you told me about him never really hit home until I saw him down there." Her lips twisted sardonically. "And he told me he wanted to set me up in a safe house."

Galen's gaze shifted to the burning lodge. "Then I'd say you were smart to turn down his offer."

Her glance followed Galen's. No safety, only death there. No safety anywhere.

Morgan didn't call Galen until the helicopter had landed at a small airport north of Denver. "I'm on my way. I picked up a rental car at Colorado

Springs. Where am I going?" "The airport at Fort Collins. I just let Dave out here and I'm flying the helicopter for the rest of the trip. We'll set down and pick you up."

"Not smart. Just tell me the final destination."

"I have a mutiny on my hands. Alex is feeling guilty about leaving you. I told her that the world would be better off with out you, but she won't listen." "Really? Amazing. Okay, I should be at Fort Collins in about two hours."

Galen turned to Alex as he hung up. "He's on his way."

Alex nodded. "You lied. I don't feel guilty. It's just that right is right."

"Refreshing."

"Where are we going after we pick him up?"

"A ranch near Sibley. It's a small town near Jackson Hole,

Wyoming."

"Why are we going there?"

"It's the closest place I have contacts where you and Judd can go to ground. The heat's going to be very hot and heavy on you. We have to get you out of sight quick." She shook her head dazedly. "I don't understand any of this. It's a nightmare." "Yep. And the only way you can get away from a nightmare is to wake up." He met her gaze. "What happened at the lodge was ugly. Until then I thought there might be the smallest chance you were right about this all being a big mistake." "Morgan didn't."

"Morgan isn't prone to think any government agency is clean since he's in hot water himself with them."

"And how could a so-called legend get himself in trouble?"

"Patriotism and trust. I believe at one time Judd must have been as idealistic as you are." "No way."

"It's always the most devout who become the greatest cyn ics when they're disillusioned."

She shook her head.

"I can't say I blame you for not thinking well of him, con sidering he kidnapped you." "How understanding," she said dryly. "You're not my man of the moment either. Nothing that's happened has changed that."

"Maybe we'll grow on you."

"I doubt it."

"It would be better for you if we did since we appear to be the only ones in your corner. Unless you count Sarah Logan, and I don't think you want to involve her in this mess." "Certainly not. Though John Logan is another matter en tirely." "Sometimes things become clearer if you take them apart and put them back together. Think about it. Who knows? You may decide Judd is the best thing that's happened to you since Nader's death." "Bull."

"Just a suggestion." He changed the subject. "How's your shoulder?"

"Okay."

"Which means it probably hurts. Why don't you try to nap until we get to Fort Collins?" Nap? She knew damn well if she closed her eyes all she'd see would be that lodge in flames. She still felt her stomach clench whenever she remembered that first moment of shock.

"That's a lousy idea."

Galen nodded as he studied her face. "Then try to relax. We moved fast enough so that we're probably ahead of the game." He smiled. "Though if you see any F-15s trailing us, forget everything I said."

"That's right, I'm a big-time threat, aren't I?" She shook her head and whispered, "Crazy. The entire thing's crazy."

Morgan was standing on the runway, waiting, as the helicopter set down.

He was looking up at them and was still carrying the rifle.

Alex again had that odd feeling that the weapon was part of him. The cold wind from the rotors was tearing at his hair and pressing his jacket to his body.

Warrior. The word immediately jumped into her mind. Why not? Galen had just been talking about Morgan's experiences in the Rangers.

No, it was more than that. She could sense

"Let's go." Morgan opened the door and jumped into the helicopter. "This is pretty dumb. You should have let me make my own way."

"Talk to Alex." Galen lifted off. "I couldn't convince her.

She said right is right." "And dead is dead," Morgan said. "You don't sacrifice a mission for one man."

"And you don't leave behind someone who's helped you,"

Alex said. "So shut up with all that military garbage." He blinked, and then a slow smile lit his face. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bore you. I lived with that 'garbage' for a number of years. It's second nature to me." "Galen told me." She looked away from him. "But this isn't