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That’s when she let the tears come. Kate wasn’t strong enough for anything else.
    The deathly quiet outside the van was broken. Angry voices merged with the rumble of engines. The vans lurched forward and picked up speed. They were on the move—and in the hands of brutal killers.
    When she heard police sirens behind them, she let herself hope that they would be rescued, but her hopes quickly shattered when the sirens became too loud…and far too close. A jolt and a jarring crash sent the hostages hurtling to the front of the van. The police hadbashed their bumper to force them off the road. The van sped up and careened out of control.
    “My God, please no…” she yelled and grabbed for the crying children. Her desperate plea for help was lost in the screams of the others.
    Outside, she heard the bumpers break free and the shrill sounds of grating metal sent shivers down her spine. Her heart pounded her rib cage, and fear tightened her throat as the van veered onto the shoulder of the road. Amidst all the chaos, a series of thunderous explosions erupted.
    Kate gasped. No! This can’t be happening!
    Bullets slammed hard against the van with a deafening thud. One punched through metal. And the frantic screaming inside the van intensified with an ear-piercing force. Bodies lurched against her, and panic took hold. Kate felt the crush of weight on her chest. She couldn’t breathe. And the children were pulled away from her grasp.
    The police were firing at them. The police!

CHAPTER 4
    His lungs burned. And a wailing siren edged his lifting fog. Kinkaid’s mind cleared enough for him to find his back in the dirt. And over his head, the shadow of a masked man eclipsed the moon. He felt a hand on his wrist, the one that still held the gun. An elbow was jammed hard to his windpipe. And his side hurt like a mother.
    It took him a second to figure out what had happened. At the sound of the police sirens, his attacker had looked over his shoulder and loosened his grip—enough to allow him a breath. The bastard had made the same mistake.
    The distraction would cost him.
    With the man focused on strangling him, Kinkaid took a chance and fumbled in the dark for anything to use as a weapon. The fingers of his free hand searched the ground as he strained to maintain the grip he had on his gun. He bucked and arched his back to keep the man off-balance and kept his hand moving untilhe found a jagged rock. And with all his strength, he slammed the stone into the man’s head.
    Once. Twice.
    On the third blow, his assailant lurched forward and released his grip. Kinkaid could breathe again. And with his momentum, he used the man’s weight against him. He shoved him hard. The larger man toppled, but he was still conscious and dangerous. The guy recovered too fast and lunged for him again. Kinkaid had enough. Without hesitation, he raised his weapon and shot him in the chest, point-blank. The man grunted, and his body jerked. With his last breath, he collapsed and lay still.
    It was over. And he knew he’d come close to dying. Too close.
    He gasped for air with eyes watering as he knelt near the dead man. No matter how justified, killing always came at a price. And now wasn’t the time for a soul-searching tally. Kate needed him.
    With police sirens blaring, the sound of his gunshot would not stand out, and he had no need to tread softly. After holstering his gun, he searched the dead man’s pockets for ID or a cell phone, anything that might serve as a lead, but came up empty. He grabbed the AK-47 left by the masked man and raced down the slope, heading for the road. Lunging over obstacles, he ignored the growing agony that burned his side. And through the brush he spotted red taillights fading in the distance. He had no doubt Kate was inside one of those vehicles.
    Spiraling police lights swept eerie color onto the trees and cast long shadows between the shanties. He ran across a terraced ridge to make up time. When the vehicles