They checked out ten minutes later and left the store, pushing the loaded cart to the truck and unloading the bags into the back of the pickup.
“I don’t see our escort.” Grant turned back to Elias. “What do you think that means?”
“They could have concluded that we weren’t doing anything interesting and returned to the clubhouse.”
“Or?”
“They’re setting up an ambush on the way back to the cabin.”
“What are the odds?”
“About 50-50.”
“We’d better go. If this is an ambush, I’d rather face it in daylight than in darkness.”
The operatives climbed into the cab of the truck with Grant behind the wheel. He drove away from the parking lot and headed out of Red Rock.
Halfway to the cabin, Elias looked up the incline of a mountain to their right and saw sunlight glinting off metal. Adrenaline poured into his veins. “Gun!”
CHAPTER TWELVE
ELIAS’ HAND CUPPEDIona’s nape and pushed her upper body down toward her knees. A split second later, the crack of a rifle being fired was followed by her window spiderwebbing. If the shooter kept firing at the window, the bullet-resistant glass would shatter, making all the operatives vulnerable to bullets.
“Do you see him?” Grant asked.
Elias shook his head. “I can’t see anything.”
“Got him,” Rayne said. “Want me to fire back?”
The rifle shots continued. “No. Let’s see if we can outrun the ambush. Right now, it’s just one shooter. Unless he has friends somewhere, we’ll be out of range in a few seconds.”
Ten seconds later, the gunshots sounded like firecrackers in the distance, but no more bullets hit their truck.
Iona reached up and tapped his hand. “Let me up.”
Elias released her. “Sorry.”
She gave him The Look. “No, you aren’t. While I appreciate you looking out for me, a simple ‘duck’ would have accomplished the same thing.”
“I’ll remember that next time.” Maybe.
“Grant, you and Rayne are okay?”
Rayne glanced over her shoulder. “We’re fine. So, who shot at us? Blackthorn Riders or someone else?”
Grant scowled. “If someone else pulled the trigger, who told them we were out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Good questions with no answers right now.” And that worried him. The possibility that the Reckoners were behind this attack hadn’t escaped him. Elias had no proof, just a gut feeling.
“Monitor our surroundings.” Grant adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. “I’m not planning to stop until we reach the cabin.”
“Fine with me.” Rayne twisted in her seat to watch out the right-side window. “What are we wearing to this dinner with the President of the Blackthorn Riders?”
“A clean shirt, jeans, a leather jacket or cuts, and tactical boots.”
“Really?” She sounded disappointed.
“Were you expecting to wear a ball gown to this dinner?” Grant teased.
