Free Silent Deceit by Kallie Lane Page B

lost his
father during a cave-in. The trauma of that had hit hard and was a mountain of
bad juju to overcome when entering a freaking mineshaft. For damn sure, he
never imagined becoming a mine rat would end up as part
of his RCMP job description. But, if Natasha could do
her job, knowing she might find her brother's dead body, the least he could do
was stand by her.
      "Blue's here." Natasha elbowed
him in the ribs. "There's the SUV."
      After it rolled to a stop, they helped
Max unload equipment while Blue handed the keys and Natasha's Colt .380 to
Gordo. "This is as far as you go. Take the SUV back to your place and wait
for my call. And Gordo, keep the gun by your bed tonight in case there's
trouble."
      "No worries." Gordo stepped
into the vehicle and keyed the engine, rolling down the window. "I've got
a couple of ex-army buddies bunking in with me tonight for insurance."
      Blue's voice rumbled through Skip's
headset as they watched the SUV disappear into the night. "You're taking
lead, Big Dog. Time to go."
      Skip led with his Glock with the
flashlight mount, easing into the jaws of his personal nightmare. His soles
crunched beneath him, bits of coal and rotting wood littering the ground. The
stench of rancid air and feces hit him like a freight train, bat guano heaped
in front of him on the path. He didn't raise his light to the black shapes
hanging above him. Better not disturb the animals. He
fought back his fear, focusing instead on dripping rock walls and black slimy
crevices. But, not a sign of human life. If he didn't know better he'd swear no
one had used the tunnel in a millennium.
      Following the rock face, he rounded
several bends in the passage before his light caught the outline of an
elevator. Crudely built, it looked like it hadn't worked in years until he approached
it. Replacement boards lined the floor. New cables were
bolted to the support beams, and the small electrical box looked shiny and new.
He moved into the enclosure and shut the gate, nodding to the others. "I'm
taking this baby for a safety check. See you at the bottom."
      Before anyone could stop him, he hit the
button on the panel and a generator kicked on. A motor whirred, and he
descended into hell, the mineshaft closing in around him. Dark. Suffocating.
Sweat broke out on his skin. Fear gripped his balls like talons. His airway
shut down, his heart slamming into overdrive.  Squeezing his eyes shut, he
conjured up Natasha's lush scent. How she had pleasured him a few hours ago.
How much he loved her. And the steel band circling his chest miraculously
loosened, allowing him to suck in air as the lift shuddered to a stop at the bottom of the shaft. He stepped out and sent it topside
again, sweeping the beam of his flashlight in a wide arc to
see his surroundings.
      One glance was all it took to get the lay
of the land. Deuce Kingman was one dangerous motherfucker. "Black Hawke,
this is Big Dog. You're not going to believe this."
    ––––––––
      N atasha couldn't believe her eyes. Two
converted golf carts squatted on a railway track with keys in the ignitions.
Six souped up motorcycles stood in a row off to the side, covered in tarps. A
built in gun rack loaded with everything for the discriminate killer took up
the far wall; the glass cabinet hermetically sealed to
prevent dust and rust pollution. Metal crates stood next to the cabinet,
EXPLOSIVES stamped in big red letters across the fronts.
      Blue dialed the sat phone to contact the
Emergency Response team waiting to move in at Trailblazer's. "Damn,
there's no signal. I'll try again when we get to higher ground. Mount up."
      Natasha trailed a finger over one of the
golf carts. "Looks like we're riding in style, Skip."
      "You drive. I'll ride shotgun."
He piled into the passenger seat, taking her rifle with him. She started the
engine, hit the lights, and eased her foot on the gas
pedal.
      Falcone and Max took the other cart, her
CO's voice coming