Mojave Rescue

COMPROMISED SECURITY

Electronics engineer Drina Gallagher has created a powerful weapon that will protect soldiers’ lives—and it’s put her own at risk. Kidnapped and locked in a desert shack, she’s desperate to stop her plans from getting into enemy hands, but whom can she trust? Especially when even the security expert who rescues her isn’t who he seems. Forced to blow his cover after spending two years infiltrating a black-market ring, CIA agent Cal Norwood blames Drina’s recklessness, though he admires her courage. And while his mountain cabin offers temporary refuge, protecting Drina means outwitting—and defeating—a relentless foe determined to seize the weapon plans at any cost.

“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

The quad spun around next to her, kicking dust in the air. Norwood extended his hand.

The half smile floating over those oh-so-perfect lips gave her the reassuring charge of energy she needed. She gripped his hand. He pulled her up and she climbed onto the back.

“Hang on tight. It’s going to get bumpy.”

Norwood gave the quad gas. Dirt and gravel spun out behind the big wheels as he headed toward the road. Drina had to loosen her hold slightly, but not too much, as they hit bumps. Even though she and Norwood were almost strangers and he might be a traitor to their country, his strong, sturdy body seemed the only solid, stable thing in an exploding world. She clung to him with all her might.

The ATV reached the dirt road leading back to town. They dipped down into the culvert and started to climb the other side. Drina glanced back at the shed and the pile of equipment behind it. Still no sign of Carter. They were safe, really safe.

But for how long?

TANYA STOWE is a Christian fiction author with an unexpected edge. She is married to the love of her life, her high school sweetheart. They have four children and twenty-one grandchildren, a true adventure. She fills her books with the unusual—mysteries and exotic travel, even a murder or two. No matter where Tanya takes you—on a trip to foreign lands or a suspenseful journey packed with danger—be prepared for the extraordinary.

Mojave Rescue

Tanya Stowe

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

—Proverbs 3:5–6

For Delia Latham because this and many other books would not be possible without you. Thank you, my friend.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

One

“Bill, I did it!” Drina Gallagher almost dropped her cell phone in her excitement.

“Did what?” Bill Carlisle’s sleepy voice rolled across her senses, setting off a faint thread of regret for waking her boss in the middle of the night. Excitement quickly overrode the flash of remorse.

“I did it, Bill. I fixed the problem.”

“Drina? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

She didn’t. Secluded in a small office at the desert test facility, her focus had been completely fixed on the data that had turned up in today’s field test. Not only had she lost track of time, but Drina was at Edwards Air Force Base on the West Coast for the test. Bill was at the company headquarters on the East Coast...where it was three in the morning.

“I’m sorry. I forgot the time again. But I knew you’d want to hear this now.”

“Wait...did you say problem? Is there a problem with the program?”

“No...well, yes, there was. I set up today’s work based on the parameters you and I discussed yesterday and everything went haywire. The numbers didn’t make sense.”

Drina’s company had been awarded a military contract to develop a nonlethal energy-directed weapon that would protect soldiers against supersonic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Their energy-directed weapon needed to impact machines only, destroying the electronics of missiles and UAVs, rendering them useless against ground troops. But the weapon needed to be rechargeable to full power in a short time and, above all, small enough for transport on a ground vehicle. So far, Drina and her company had failed to meet those parameters.

Until today. Today faulty tests led Drina to an epiphany. The answer came to her in an amazing eye-opening moment, followed by hours of furious number crunching that proved her theory possible.

“The numbers from the test were off so I created an equation using new figures and...it worked. I solved the problem.” Drina repeated the news for the third time, just to hear the words out loud again.

Succeeding meant everything to her. Creating a nonlethal energy-directed weapon would secure her company’s position and create jobs. It would solidify Drina’s place in her parents’ exclusive scientific community, but most important, it would fulfill her deepest desire to protect American soldiers. Riddled by guilt, Drina was determined to create a weapon that would help protect America’s military personnel.

No one knew the secret that pushed Drina to work long hours, to forget to eat and sometimes even to sleep. Not even Bill, the mentor who had hired her straight out of MIT four years ago, knew what drove her. It was her secret alone to nurse, obsess about and feel guilt over.

Sometimes Drina wondered if even God knew.

“Bill, I reworked the equation five different ways and it worked every time. We’ll be able to recharge the weapon to full power in less than three minutes.”

“Full power?” For the first time, Bill’s voice sounded awake and alert.

“Full. Power. And I think we’ll be able to reduce the weight. We might even be able to go small enough for it to be carried on a soldier’s back. We just need—”

“Stop, Drina! Don’t say another word. This is my home phone. It’s not a secure line.”

Drina’s breath caught in her throat. As an electronic warfare engineer, she thought in numbers, not words. Most of the constant security hype sounded like Hollywood fiction to her and she paid little heed. No matter how hard Bill tried, his emphasis on protocol and top secret measures usually went right over her head.

But not tonight. Tonight his words sent a wave of cold washing through her.

Perhaps the recent briefing by the base’s head of security had impacted her more than she’d realized. He’d definitely made an impression, but it was more along the lines of his all-American good looks.

Tall, dark hair, more handsome than he had a right to be. Blue-gray eyes. Even a cute little dimple when he smiled. He had those strong, masculine, next-door-neighbor looks that most women Drina’s age called cheesy but secretly adored. The kind of look that said, “Let me take care of you. I can carry the weight of the world.”

Drina might have fallen for that look years ago. In fact, she did fall for it. John had that same aura about him. Now he was dead and Drina was saddled with guilt. She wouldn’t forget that lesson.

No one was that capable, and movies were just moving pictures with pretty people. Cal Norwood could have walked straight out of one of those Hollywood plots Drina abhorred. That was probably why she hadn’t paid much attention to his talk about eyes and ears everywhere. Now she wished she’d listened.

Even as her breath caught in her throat, a click echoed over her connection with Bill. Someone else was listening on their line.

Yep. Definitely should have paid attention.

“Drina...” Bill’s voice was low and taut. “Where are you? No. Don’t answer. Don’t give that info out over the line.”

Her stomach flip-flopped.

“Where is your work?” Bill’s tone was as tense as Drina felt.

“Most of it’s on my computer.”

“All right. You know the protocols. Email it to me using our secure server then contact Norwood. He’ll know what to do.”

“Okay.”

Bill hung up. Drina heard the distinct double click of another line disconnecting from his landline. Someone had been listening.

Everything around her was dark except for the single light spilling onto her desk. All the other workers had left hours ago. She was alone, miles away from the main base in a secluded section of the rocket site.

Drina’s heart threatened to pound out of her chest. But she couldn’t move. Couldn’t lower the phone from her ear.

Protocols. Bill said follow the protocols. She dropped her cell phone. Scratch sheets of equations covered the top of her desk. She scooped them into her arms and fed them twenty at a time into the shredder. The teeth jammed on the thick pile. Drina had to pull it loose and start again, running only ten at a time through the machine.

All the while, a small part of Norwood’s two-hour lecture on security flashed through her mind. She didn’t know why she remembered that particular portion word for word, but the memory of his firm, modulated voice kept her on task and calm.

Be mindful of those around you. Janitors. Cooks in the lunch cafeteria. Your coworker in the next cubicle. Eyes and ears are all around us. You never know who might be listening, gathering information.

The last of the scratch paper disappeared into the shredder. Drina sighed with relief. Grabbing her laptop, she saved the file with her own personal code, then linked with her company’s secure internet connection.

Linking took precious seconds. Drina’s fingers drummed on the desk with increasing rapidity. Finally, the site came up. She keyed in her password, attached the file and was about to hit Send when more of Norwood’s words came back to her.

We believe the project has been compromised. We’re certain someone in the network has been leaking information, so we’re cautioning all of you to be extra careful.

Extra careful. A leak in the network.

Someone within her company could be giving away information. Drina shuddered. If her equations were correct and they slipped into the wrong hands, a weapon of phenomenal force could be developed. A pulse of that magnitude used on men instead of machines could destroy hearing and vision, not to mention what it might do to a human heart. Finger poised over the send button, Drina held her breath.

She would not—could not—let her work fall into the wrong hands. Thousands of lives would be lost and Drina had made it her life’s goal to save lives. It was the least she could do to atone for the death for which she felt responsible.

But could she trust her own network? Was the breach here, with someone on the base or within her own company?

Drina didn’t know. Couldn’t know. But someone did. Grabbing her cell phone, she looked up the number Norwood had given her in the briefing and dialed. The phone rang and rang. Finally, Norwood’s clear, strong voice came over the line.

“You’ve reached Cal Norwood. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”

Drina squeezed her eyes shut. Of course. It was past midnight. Like all normal human beings, the man was in bed...asleep. She didn’t want to repeat the mistake she made with Bill by revealing info over the phone so she left a message for Norwood to call her, then hung up.

She looked around at the shadows just beyond the feeble desk lamp. They felt almost alive, lurking, watching.

No way was she waiting for Norwood to call back. Deleting the email to Bill, she saved the attached file with a pass code and shut down her laptop. After grabbing her jacket off the back of the chair, she slid the laptop into her backpack, pulled out her keys and headed for the door of the small office.

The desk light stayed on. She couldn’t face the dark right now. Outside the small office, a long, empty corridor led to the front. That stretch of blackness would be more than enough to cross.

She opened the door and stood in the portal, light pouring into the black hall, and stared down the long, inky stretch of about forty feet. The main doors were just around the corner. Still, the corridor seemed endless.

She fumbled in her jacket pocket for her cell phone, grateful it had a flashlight app. Just as she swiped her phone menu up, the desk lamp behind her switched off. Sudden darkness blanketed the room, and she heard the slow whirring of machines shutting down.

The power had been cut off.

Fingers trembling, she fumbled with her cell phone. She needed light. Now.

The main door clicked open. The soft tread of someone walking down the hall echoed in the Stygian darkness.

The light on her cell phone flashed on, illuminating the corridor like a spotlight. Drina pressed the off button, stuffed the phone in her pocket, turned and ran in the opposite direction.

Even with her heart pounding in her ears she could hear her tennis shoes squeaking on the linoleum floor. Whoever was behind her surely heard her clamoring down the hall. An emergency exit waited just around the corner. If she could get out the door and around the building, she might reach her car ahead of whoever was behind her. She’d lock the doors and speed straight to the closest military police station.

The red exit sign above the door was a welcoming beacon. She raced to it, slammed into the security bar and skidded out onto the raised entrance.

A blast of cold Mojave Desert wind slapped at her face, nearly robbing her of breath. Drina had only been to this test facility a few times but she’d already developed an intense dislike of the wind. Its cold touch made her shiver even more. Thankfully, she’d cut her dark hair into a short bob just before coming here. No long strands blocked her view as she gripped the handrail with both hands and slid under. She landed on her feet and took off at a run even before she had her balance.

She stumbled and almost fell, only stopping herself by pushing against the side of the building. Arms pumping, she ran toward the front, fearful she might trip again without moonlight to guide her. But she dared not slow down.

Reaching the corner of the building, she came to a skidding halt. A man in dark clothing stood near her car, the lone vehicle in the parking lot. Was that a gun in his hand? Drina caught her breath and held it, not daring to make a sound. Her gaze darted to the side.

Joshua trees with their unique thick branches and straggly coatings marked the edge of the hill and were silhouetted against the night sky. The road back to the main portion of the rocket site looped around this building on the hilltop. The paved road was just below the trees. If she could get down the hill without tumbling and hurting herself, she could follow the road back to the cluster of buildings and find help.

Drina spun back around and banged hard against the bulky form of another man dressed in all dark clothing. She would have fallen to the ground if he hadn’t grasped her, clutching her to his chest with one arm. He loomed over her, a faceless silhouette, and held on tight as she silently struggled to break free. The stars overhead outlined his raised fist...just before it crashed against the side of her jaw and everything went black.

* * *

Cal Norwood pushed the visor of his car up as he reached the shadows of the mountains. Edwards Air Force Base was located on the far eastern edge of a three-sided valley that spilled into the vast Mojave Desert. He’d been driving west, straight into the setting sun for forty minutes. From the moment he’d locked his office door on the base and headed to the meeting place, his senses had snapped like broken electric wires.

He eased off the asphalt to the dirt service road and slowed to a halt. Gripping the steering wheel, he scanned the countryside for a car then the air for a helicopter...anything that would give him a hint of what waited for him just over the hill.

Nothing. Not a sign, nor a sound. Not even tire tracks of the car he knew was there.

Please, Lord. Don’t let it be true. Don’t let her be in that shack. I won’t give up...not now when I’m so close. Buddy deserves justice.

Earlier this morning he’d listened to Drina Gallagher’s message and was filled with dread. He’d dressed and rushed to the complex, only to find her empty rented car in the parking lot, signs of a struggle in the dirt and her car keys on the ground. He believed her disappearance had something to do with the text he’d received the evening before from his secret contact.

You got your wish. Be at the shack at 5 p.m. tomorrow. You’re meeting the boss.

Two years ago Cal’s best friend died at the hands of a black market gang. Andrew Sterling, Buddy to his friends, had been Cal’s friend most of their lives. They grew up in a quaint older housing tract perched on the hills of San Diego, overlooking the bay. Together they’d watched the big navy ships sail in and out and promised each other that one day, they’d do their part. Buddy had joined the NCIS. Cal had joined the CIA.

After Buddy was killed, the Department of Defense and the CIA created a joint task force to infiltrate and uncover the gang stealing weapon plans from all the military forces. Cal called in a few favors and wrangled an undercover position on the force. His assignment had turned into two long years of leaks, dead ends and betrayals. Driven, he was determined one way or another to stop these men from killing more people. He ate, slept and lived for the moment when he could finally bring the gang down and serve up justice for Buddy and countless others.

Then last night the text had come through. He was finally going to meet the devious leader of a group who had infiltrated the highest echelons of government security and still managed to escape detection. The end was so close Cal could taste it...until he’d heard Drina’s message. The taste of victory turned sour in his mouth.

An already-dangerous situation had been made even more complicated by the disappearance of one dark-haired scientist.

Drina Gallagher was brilliant—and prettier than he’d anticipated. He’d heard so much praise about her work, he’d expected an older, more staid woman to walk into his briefing room, not a perky, petite beauty who created an immediate internal reaction he didn’t want or expect.

Drina hid behind some overlarge black-rimmed spectacles, but that was where the scientist stereotype ended. Behind those glasses was a pert nose, a pair of hazel-colored eyes that seemed to change color with her mood and a tiny, fragile-looking body. Capped by a head of short, shiny black hair that wanted to curl, she looked more like a hyperbubbly nerd than a world-renowned scientist...a nerd that had somehow ignited feelings Cal had buried deep with his true identity.

She sparked sweet thoughts of laughter and fun, which was ridiculous because her out-of-sync look hid a snarky attitude. Some of the men on his team in Washington believed she might be the spy. But Cal had recognized her I’m-checking-out look as soon as he began his briefing on security. Drina Gallagher wasn’t the leak. She was just as driven as he. Focused on her work and nothing else. He doubted she’d heard a word of his briefing or even cared about being cautious.

Maybe if she’d paid attention she wouldn’t be missing right now, and two long, desperate years of Cal’s work wouldn’t be on the line.

As he’d alerted her superiors and his, he wondered if the man behind the text was “the boss.” Was his contact the mastermind who had eluded detection for so long? Was Cal being played...and lured into a trap?

He didn’t know the answers and until he did, until he met and could identify the traitor, he couldn’t take any chances or trust anyone—not the military, not Drina’s company, not even the security detail he worked with on the base. What was more, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a direct link between his scheduled meeting with the boss and Drina Gallagher’s disappearance.

During the long day his on-base security team had contacted Drina’s coworkers and family, searching for a reason she might have chosen to disappear. They dusted for fingerprints—even tried to match shoe patterns in the dirt beside the place where Drina’s keys were found. They found no evidence, no clues as to who might have snatched her. That fact alone convinced Cal that the boss and his gang were involved. They never made mistakes and Cal’s team had no idea what had happened to the petite engineer.

But Cal had a sinking feeling in his gut. The text about his meeting with the boss had come too close to Drina’s kidnapping to be a coincidence. It felt more like a step-by-step process...like they were leading Cal to something.

All day long his mind went over scenarios and possibilities—some path, any avenue he could take to salvage his undercover identity and still save the girl because there was no doubt in his mind she was in that shack. Once he drove over that hill, both their lives would be in deadly danger.

* * *

Whir. Whir. Whir.

The soft spinning sound matched the throbbing in Drina’s cheek. She opened her eyes bit by bit, hoping to pinpoint the source of the noise. Instead, everything began to spin so badly, she thought she might throw up. She gagged and, for the first time, felt the tape across her mouth.

Panic surged through her. She tried to reach for the tape but her hands were tied at her back. The sharp plastic edge of a zip tie cut into her wrists.

Panic swept over her and her gag reflex kicked in again.

Calm down, Drina! Close your eyes. Breathe slow and deep.

Inhaling through her nose eased the roiling in her stomach. Slowly but surely, she calmed her breathing. Awareness returned. She lay on the ground, on her side. Dirty grit bit into her cheek. The soft whirring remained in the background—steady, consistent, like the beat of a drum or...a wind turbine.

Giant wind turbines dotted the hills surrounding the mountain passes into the valley. Those turbines turned the ever-present gusts coming through the passes into energy. Drina had taken a tour of one of the wind farms on her first trip out west. Now she recognized the sound of the massive blades swooping through the air.

She braced herself, then opened her eyes bit by bit. Vertigo didn’t overwhelm her this time but it took a moment to focus. She lay facing a door. Sunlight streamed in beneath it. She wasn’t on the ground after all, but on a rough-textured slab of cement. Wind gusted and the metal walls and roof rattled. Shovels and picks hanging along the wall began a precarious shimmy that threatened to send them tumbling to the floor.

She had to be in one of the small service shacks beneath the turbine fields. She wasn’t sure where, but she knew the base had no tall turbines that would interfere with air traffic. The base and any kind of military police or help was far, far away.

What time was it? How long had she been unconscious? Where were the men who’d kidnapped her?

My backpack. Where’s my backpack?

She rolled over, her gaze scouring the shed. Her backpack and computer were nowhere to be seen. She sagged against the floor. Those men, whoever they were, had all her information. Had they fled and left her here? How long would it be before someone found her stranded in this little-used shed? Or, worse yet, would her captors return?

A thousand questions marched through Drina’s mind...all soundless...all unanswered. She lay for what seemed like hours until the steady pounding in the side of her head faded and she drifted back to sleep.

She woke to the sound of a car. Instantly, Drina tensed. Could it be the service people...or had her captors returned?

Her gaze darted to the door. The sunlight beneath was dimmer; it was later in the day.

The car stopped. Doors opened. Gravel crunched as someone stepped out.

“He’s late.”

Drina didn’t recognize the voice, but it sent a shiver up her spine. Deep, hard...and cold as arctic ice.

“What do you expect?” Another voice. “With the girl missing, the base is on high alert. They’ve had him on the spot all day.”

The man they were waiting for was someone who worked at the base? Could he be the leak Norwood had talked about?

“All I can say is, it’s about time he earned his pay.” The first man spoke again, his voice tinged with disgust. “Frankly, I don’t think he’s worth the money the boss pays him.”

“Not our business, Whitson. Besides, the inside info he’s passed on has helped.”

Drina caught her breath. The man they waited for was the informant.

“It better help. I’m getting itchy and when I’m itchy, trouble’s on the way. I want to get out of here before it hits.”

“Relax. The boss knows what he’s doing.”

“I’m not so sure. Not this time. I’m telling you, Carter, kidnapping that girl was a mistake.”

“You won’t say that after the boss sells that weapon of hers. It’s gonna give you a nice tidy fortune.”

These men were black market munitions sellers. They’d offer her plans to the highest bidder. Sagging against the gritty floor, she trembled. Everything she feared was coming to pass and she could do nothing to stop it.

“There’s his car.”

Drina listened, every muscle in her body tense. Another car engine came closer and stopped. A door opened, setting off a loud beep, clearly audible inside the shed. Given its persistence, the driver must have left the door open and the keys in the ignition.

“About time you got here. The helicopter is on its way.” Whitson spoke first. Drina barely heard his growled words over the insistent chirp of the alarm.

“It can’t land here with all these wind turbines.” The annoying alarm made it hard to hear, but she knew that voice from somewhere...

“Our rendezvous point is just over the hill in an open space.” Carter sounded calm.

“Yeah, and you almost missed it.” Whitson butted in. He seemed determined to take his frustration out on the newcomer.

“What did you expect? You left me with a mess. I had eyes and ears all around me.”

Eyes and ears. The words and the voice coalesced. Drina knew where she’d heard both, and her blood turned cold.

Cal Norwood, head of program security. The man she was supposed to trust had betrayed her.

Panic assaulted her senses. Her breath came in rapid gulps. Nausea rose again. But Norwood’s next words stopped the rising fear like a brick wall.

“What happened to the girl?”

“She’s in the shed.”

“Here? You brought her here? What were you thinking?”

Even Drina could hear the threat in his tone.

“Relax, Norwood. The boss ordered it. Did you bring the money?”

“Yeah, but I don’t like it. Twenty thousand dollars is a lot of money just to be carrying around.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll get it back. And then some. Hand it over.”

Their actions came to Drina like muddled rustlings. She had no idea what was going on. Until Norwood spoke again.

“That’s the girl’s backpack.”

“Yep. We’re going to put the money in her bag and leave it behind.”

A long pause followed. “You want to make it look like she sold us the plans.”

“Finally, the bright boy catches on.” Drina was beginning to hate Whitson’s nasty attitude.

“We need suspicion thrown off you.” Carter’s tone acted like a balm on the tension between Norwood and Whitson. “We’ll leave your car here, door open, keys in. Eventually the gas will run out and it’ll look like you stumbled onto our exchange, caught us in the act and the girl got hurt in the resulting conflict.”

“You mean killed.”

Norwood’s words made Drina’s blood drain.

“What’s the matter? Squeamish now that the real work’s starting?”

Whitson seemed determined to start a fight with Norwood. But the traitor kept his cool, not responding to the other man’s insulting baits.

“Shut up, Whitson.” Carter took the lead. Drina heard a thud of something tossed. “Plant the money and finish this. I’ll check with the guys in the helicopter to see how far out they are.”

Finish this. He means finish me.

Desperate, Drina rolled to her back again. Her gaze swept the shed for an escape or a weapon...something. Maybe if she could get to that shovel...

The door opened before she could move. Norwood filled the portal. He looked taller. Still handsome in his black leather jacket and jeans. Like a dark messenger bringing death.

He held her backpack in his hands. Crossing the room, he knelt and laid it beside her. He was close enough for her to see the gray tint of his blue eyes and the taut tension lines along the side of his mouth. Suddenly, he winked.

Drina’s eyes widened. What in the world...?

“Open the backpack and pull some of the money out on the floor.” Whitson had followed Norwood in. “Make it look like we had a fight.”

The man looked the way he sounded. Short. Shaved head. Solid...like a bodybuilder. And he had a gun clamped in one meaty fist.