Page 30 (1/2)

This was no local hunter He was the real thing

Noelle stood fro as she pointed it toward him She didn't want to shoot anyone, but she would if she had to "Get on the ground Facedown Tell your buddy to co as if to lie down, but said nothing He wasto stall for ti twisted Noelle's stomach His easy surrender was a trick

Noelle moved to flee, but it was too late Before she could even turn, she was lifted off her feet and the gun renched away frorasp She tried to scream, but a hard hand covered her s by a thick ar her hands at her sides

Panic seared her nerve endings, giving her strength She thrashed and kicked, landing a couple of solid blows to the runts of pain froe his hand enough to bite it, but his grip was too firm

Beneath the thick band of his arernails into his hard thigh, but it did no good No et away

"Hold still," he coravelly voice "I won't hurt you"

Noelle felt the o completely still a second before she heard David, his voice an icy cold thread of sound "That's right You won't hurt her, at least not while I've got this gun to your head"

"Easy," said the o, David Don't shoot It's Caleb"

The second his grip eased, Noelle scras were barely able to hold her up and her head spun fro too hard, too fast

"Caleb?" asked David as he jerked the big man around to look at hi with his head toward the seconddirt"

Grant pulled his lean body off the ground and brushed the dust off his legs "I only played along so Caleb could have tiet over there and disar stupid and shoot one of us"

David looked Noelle over froain "You okay?"

She nodded, her breathing starting to slow Reliefstuuys?"

"Yeah You sure you're okay?" He lifted a hand as if to stroke her mussed hair but stopped himself short and let his hand drop

"I'll be fine They just scared enerous way to put it She wasn't sure whether she wanted to hug the ten years off her life

"Sorry about that, uy, Caleb "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Her fingers were a little sore fro at him, but she didn't see the need to mention it "No"

Caleb's dark eyes went to her sore fingers as if he knew she was lying

"Did I hurt you?" she asked

"Just enough toyou up My shins will never be the saher than you look"

"And sunshot was a good way to call David"

"No kidding I don't think I've ever run faster in my life," said David

Noelle felt like a fool She wasn't sure how she was supposed to have known these were David's friends, but she still felt silly to have ht you were the bad guys Guess I've been a little ju, Noelle," said David "I thought about telling you they h"

"It got through fine," said Caleb

David pulled Caleb to hi "Thank God"

Caleb was a few inches taller than David and had at least fifty pounds of muscle on him David was built, but he could pass for normal in street clothes Caleb, however, wouldn't have been able to do anything to disguise his muscular bulk

Grant, on the other hand was leaner than both -distance runners His movements were fluid and easy as if each one had been carefully choreographed and planned weeks in advance He had gold eyes that glittered with hus as if it were no hts of being safe behind the log pile

Grant hugged David, sh to raise dust "You sound surprised that we'd get the e"

"We told you when you left the Army that all you had to do was call, and we'd come," said Caleb "You called We caood A lot can happen in two years," said David

"Not so much that ouldn't be here for you," said Grant "How many times did you save our asses? We couldn't leave a debt like that hanging"

David eyed Grant, his rin "And if Monroe asks if I've seen you?"

Caleb's face was a stonynone of the humor David and Grant shared "It'd be awfully hard for you to see us, considering we're stationed in an unnamed desert thousands of"As much as I'm relieved to have you here, I don't want either of you screwing up your careers because of me"