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gravel here.
    Up close, he could see no sign of anyone in the front. He made his way around to the back of the house studying the rooms from each angle. At a kitchen window he could see the boss sitting at the table. A table loaded with guns and ammunition. He was making more.
    This guy was well-armed for bear. Markus didn’t know what he was up to, but it wasn’t going to be good for anyone around here.
    He needed to get in and surprise him. Take him out before the man dug in for a siege.
    From the corner of his eye he caught sight of Hawk and Shadow.
    The men slipped up beside him, took one look at the interior of the house and their faces closed down.
    “Where are the women?”
    He motioned to the corner of the kitchen that was hidden. “And then there is the one who ran into the woods.” He hated he hadn’t gone after her.
    Hawk studied him, reading his face correctly. “Go after her. I’ll follow as soon as we get this set up. We can handle the one guy. You go after her.”
    Markus frowned. Hawk was the better tracker with Shadow being the next, but he was no slouch in that department either. On the other hand, he’d been chafing at the bit to go after her from the first moment he’d seen her run for her freedom. Gutsy. He liked that.
    Shadow gave him a push. “Go. We’ll follow soon. She might need you now.”
    With one last look, Markus took off in the direction he’d seen her disappear.

Chapter 6

    N ow where the hell was she?
    Damn it. She swore she was going to stay in one spot. And somehow that good intention was shot to shit when a loud bird had cried out overhead sending her running. It didn’t matter what direction or where she’d gone because she was already lost.
    And thirsty. She could barely swallow. She remembered too late that she’d thought she’d heard water close by while she’d been in the house. She should have run in that direction. But she’d been so damn glad to be free she’d bolted without considering what direction to go.
    Of course a rescue topped all her wants. But only by the good guys. She wasn’t ready to throw in the towel and let one of those assholes get her again. Although she might be warm and fed if she did. But the alternative was so much worse. Still there was hope. She’d caught a glimpse of Mary’s father out there, and he had more bush smarts than anyone. All it took was one person to help get those men and have the women tell the rescuers where she’d gone.
    The irony hit her.
    Her justification for running had been to get help for the others. But apparently circumstances had turned that on its tail. She needed a rescue herself.
    If she wasn’t in so much danger she’d laugh. She knew the women would tease her when they saw her again. But in the meantime…she might have done something monumentally stupid even if it was also understandable. Maybe the kidnappers had planned to shoot her after they ate her damn baking.
    She sat down at the base of a tree and closed her eyes.
    Why the hell had she left?
    She was just nodding off to sleep, the cold seeping into her bones like only Mother Nature could when she heard something crackle on the left.
    Hunkering lower, holding her breath, she waited. There were few trees here to climb, but if it was a four-legged predator she’d pick out one in a heartbeat. Although if it was a bear, chances were good the tree would be no protection at all. Depended on the bear. Too many damn grizzlies out here to count on that.
    A branch crackled.
    Shit. She closed her eyes and shuddered.
    “Want some company or are you happy to just sit here and enjoy the evening.”
    The voice was so gentle, so understanding, she figured it had to be from her imagination. She opened her eyes slowly to see a soldier crouched down studying her. Thank God. But was he friend or foe? She felt that gaze assess and determine in a flash if she was hurt or in need. When he pulled a canteen out from a strap and opened it for her, she knew he had seen