Read Danger at the Border for Free Online

prayed aloud.
    “Amen to that,” he said.
    The bear dropped back to all fours, his nose going to the ground. No doubt sniffing their trail, looking for his next meal.
    Tension balled in Jeff’s gut. “Do you have any snack bars left?”
    “A few of them,” Tessa said. “What are you thinking?”
    “A distraction.”
    “You shouldn’t feed the bear. He could get sick from human food.”
    “Would you rather he got sick off this human food?” He bumped his fist against his chest. She shook her head vehemently, her eyes wide with fear. “Do you have a better idea?”
    She grabbed four bars from her pack. “Here.”
    “Trade places with me.” Jeff stepped back to allow Tessa to slip in front of him. “Hold the spray. If he moves any closer, use it.”
    She nodded, her red curls bobbing softly. She’d lost her hat somewhere along the way. The elastic band holding back her hair had slipped almost all the way off. Hugging the tree, she gripped the can with one hand.
    Quietly, he slit open the top of the bars, then chucked them to the right behind the bear. The food crashed through the bushes. The bear swung around with a growl. He pawed the ground. Waited a moment, then cantered off in the direction of Tessa’s snacks.
    Jeff snatched up Tessa’s bag, grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the tree. They hustled in the opposite direction of the grizzly, moving quickly yet trying hard not to make much noise.
    Every broken twig, every crunch of dried leaves beneath their feet rang out like the discordant notes of a gong calling the grizzly to his dinner feast. They continued onward, keeping parallel to the toxic runoff, but staying where the trees and bushes provided some cover.
    Twenty minutes later, Tessa tugged her hand free from Jeff’s. “I don’t think he followed us.”
    Jeff drew to a halt and listened. The noises of the forest whispered over him. A bird flapping its wings in the trees. The rustle of branches in the early-evening breeze. And an out-of-place humming sound.
    “Do you hear that?” Jeff asked Tessa.
    “The buzzing? What is it? Bees?”
    “I don’t think so.” He strained to listen. “It’s more electrical-sounding.”
    “Like a generator,” Tessa stated. “Does the Customs and Border Patrol use generators for the equipment you have out here?”
    “Some are powered by generators and some use solar energy.”
    “Then one of the video cameras could be close by.” Excitement lit her eyes. “We could find it and signal for help.”
    “Brilliant idea.”
    She gazed at him with an eager, expectant look in her gold-flecked eyes. “So, where are they?”
    He laughed. “Like I have every location memorized?”
    She made a face and brushed her hair back. “One could hope.”
    Jeff flexed his fingers to keep from reaching over to wrap a corkscrew curl around his finger. He’d always found ringlets appealing.
    He gave himself a mental slap on the back of the head. They were here to do a job, not to explore the attraction arcing between them. Oh, yeah, he’d noticed the appreciative flicker in her eyes when she’d been sizing him up when they met. And she’d blushed so prettily when he’d acknowledged what she was doing. He’d like to see her blush again.
    His gaze dropped to her lush lips. He wondered what she’d do if he kissed her.
    Whoa! Back up. That wasn’t going to happen. They were in the middle of the woods, running from gunmen and a bear. This was no place to be thinking about kisses.
    “Let’s keep moving,” he said as much to himself as to her. “Hopefully, we’re far enough away from the grizzly to avoid drawing his attention back to us. But we need to make some noise to keep from startling any other predators that might be in the area.”
    “I can’t hold a tune, so singing’s out,” Tessa said as she fell into step with him.
    Liking her pluck, he chuckled. “Good to know. Talking will suffice. Did you grow up in Chicago?”
    She flashed him a rueful