Page 65 of The Hero She Loves

He pointed.

She saw a mound of leaves. They looked dry and didn’t look disturbed.

“Cover me,” he said.

She pulled out her gun and lifted it. Turning in a half circle, she looked for any movement.

He cautiously moved into the clearing and knelt beside the leaves. He nudged them aside carefully.

She saw the explosive device.

Shit. Olson was still planting traps for them.

That’s when she heard a repetitivethump, thump, thumpin the sky. She smiled. “Owen is almost here.”

Park carefully moved along the edge of the clearing, pausing to study the ground. “Olson went this way.”

They moved into a jog. Park was on high alert, and she knew he was still keeping an eye out for more traps.

The trees thinned out and Jenna slowed. Olson could be waiting for them, and she didn’t want to be caught with no cover. He’d pick them off easily.

“Any sign of him?” Park said.

She shook her head.

“I’m going to climb up a tree and take a look. Stay in cover.” He gripped a branch, then pulled himself up in an easy display of strength. He climbed up the branches and disappeared from view.

She pulled out her satellite phone and hit the button. “Owen.”

“We’re close,” Owen replied.

“We can hear the helo. We’re at the bottom of the mountainside, where the trees thin out.” She gave him the coordinates. “Olson’s close.”

“Have you got eyes on him?”

“Negative. Parker is in a tree, trying to spot him.”

“Okay. We’ll do a sweep of the area. See if we can get a bead on him.”

“Acknowledged.”

A moment later, Park dropped out of the tree. She almost jolted. He hadn’t made a sound. There was a fierce frown on his face. “No sign of him.”

Her heart dropped. “He’s rabbited. I was sure he’d stay and fight.”

Park’s frown deepened. “I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right.”

Her chest tightened and she scanned the trees again.Where the hell are you, Olson?

A moment later, a blue-and-white helicopter came into view, sweeping in over the trees.

“They’re looking for him,” she said.

Parker nodded.

Crack.

In the air, the helicopter jolted and moved quickly to one side.