Forte lay low under the cover of the underbrush as their attackers continued to circle the cabin, searching the flames for signs of him or Sophie inside or around the building. Haydn remained next to him, steady and watchful. The big dog was alert, tense, ready for action.
Shit. Fuck. Damn.
They had to find him and Sophie sometime. He’d already figured it’d only be a matter of time. But they’d managed the worst possible moment. He needed to get Sophie through this alive and then, maybe, he’d manage to repair the trust he’d broken.
Despite the current threat, Forte kept an eye out for Tesseract. There’d been several windows broken when he’d detonated his small charges around the outer walls of the cabin, and the cat had had time to escape before Forte had set off the charge in the fireplace. He’d hated to destroy the cabin, but Sophie’s belongings were replaceable. Her cat wasn’t.
There hadn’t been time to make sure the cat cleared the building, though; not when giving Sophie time to get clear had been the priority. It was another reason for Sophie to hate him for the rest of their lives.
He’d worry about it once he made sure she had a life to live.
Two of their attackers broke off the search around the cabin and headed into the trees in the general direction Sophie had taken. Hard to say if those two had found her trail yet based on where they entered the forest. He needed to leave his position and get ahead of them before they found her.
It’d leave them vulnerable to the remaining men, but Forte was on his own for a minimum of five more minutes. Sa and his team would be providing backup, if he and Sophie could survive that long.
Forte eased backward on his belly, watching the two figures backlit against the flames consuming the cabin. Both of them had their backs to him. One was turned away from the flames, searching the area around the now abandoned rented SUV. The other had a compact radio in his hand.
Possibly in contact with another fire team. Or, more likely, communicating with the two men who’d gone into the trees in pursuit of Sophie.
He inched back, withdrawing from his vantage point down into the shallow ditch created by the dry creek bed. Haydn followed, the dog’s black fur rendering him almost invisible in the dusk. Forte stood slowly and then remained still for a moment near the base of a tree that kept his profile from silhouetting in the fading light.
Blinking deliberately several times to help his eyes adjust to the darkness a touch faster, he quieted his breathing and strained his hearing. A patch of his eyesight was burned out from staring at the bright flames. It took precious moments for his vision to resolve. Once he could see through the failing light, he advanced on a parallel course from the path he’d seen the other men take.
He’d scouted the area thoroughly since they’d arrived. Their attackers were intent on finding Sophie. He had the advantage of knowing the terrain and being focused on eliminating them. As long as Sophie had gone where he’d told her to, there was a chance he’d be able to take them out before they reached her position.
Despite the urgency, he moved on light feet, careful to make as little noise as possible. Slow was smooth, smooth was fast, and in a forest like this smooth was quietest.
Haydn moved along at his side, the prosthetic leg rendering the dog somewhat less than silent, but not enough of a disturbance to outweigh his value as a partner. Forte needed the help.
Confusing shadows danced in the forest dusk. Fading natural light was tricky enough to navigate by, but the licking flames of the burning cabin added an entirely new level of complexity to seeing through the dark spaces in the deep woods. Small, unruly gusts of wind kicked up as the fire grew, making the flames behind him swirl. Which made the shadows dance.
Hadyn bumped his leg, and Forte froze with his knees bent, listening. Hadyn moved away from his side by a half step, waiting. Forte shuffled to him and reached out an arm. He’d nearly face-planted into a huge old green-ash tree. Smiling, he palmed the top of Haydn’s head in thanks.
Refocusing, Forte began to move more quickly. If that was the same tree he recalled from his other walks, they were already halfway to where Sophie should be waiting. He would have to sacrifice some elements of stealth. He’d be damned if he’d allow those men to reach her first.
Never.
Haydn moved with him toward the rain-eroded path at the bottom of the hill. The flatter ground, with less undergrowth to avoid, allowed them to break into a trot. His night vision sharpened with the distance from the fire, and he broke into a flat-out run.
Hadyn ranged out in front of him by several yards but slowed and glanced over his good shoulder. A part of the dog’s training was to check to ensure his handler remained close. Especially in these conditions, it’d be hard to keep line of sight on Haydn because his coloring allowed him to disappear into the night.
But Forte wasn’t moving fast enough. His gut twisted as he worried about Sophie. No. One of them was going to need to get to her at speed.