Page 32 of Raven's Claw
She settled in behind him.“You just drive this baby like you stole it and let me worry about the rest.”
Kash tugged Jordan in closer, rolled on the throttle then leapt ahead.Tires spinning.Engine growling.The bike bounced up the trail, cutting through the mud and brush.Bare branches whipped against their shoulders, threatening to drag them off as he followed the path through the forest.
Jordan held on, the grips of the twin guns pressing against his ribs.He wasn’t sure what she thought they’d be facing.Nothing good, he supposed.Like the men who’d just infiltrated the cabin.Only they’d be in trucks or on bikes like theirs.
He hit a slightly larger track and opened the throttle, mentally mapping out where they were going.Their best bet was to double back and head into town — rendezvous with his team.Find a place to hunker down until Jordan came clean, and they could make a plan.
Branches cracked behind them, a few smaller trees crashing over as a couple SUVs swerved onto the trail, engines roaring.The massive machines eating up the distance.A guy leaned out of the closest one — took a few shots.
Kash bore left, turning onto what was little more than a goat path, ferns covering most of the ground.They bumped over a few rocks, ducking beneath an overhanging branch then shot onto a gravel road.
He picked up speed, two bikes joining the chase a minute later.Weaving through the underbrush then skidding onto the road behind them.Pushing them farther from town.He wasn’t sure exactly where the road ended, but he had a pretty good idea they’d eventually hit the ocean.Probably pop out near that abandoned air strip.
Which meant, they needed backup.
“Call, Beck.”
The unit in his ear hummed, Foster’s cell ringing shortly after.
“Kash?This can’t be good.”
“We’ve got serious resistance on our asses.Heading southwest.We’re gonna need air support and some overwatch.”He took the next right fork, bullets eating up the mud off to their left — Jordan countering with a few trigger pulls whenever she got a chance.The engine noise faded behind them, the other cycles seemingly vanishing.
“Was that gunfire?”
Kash sighed.“You should be able to follow us through our shared location.It’s gonna be close because I have a bad feeling we’re gonna run out of real estate pretty quickly.”
Foster breathed into the phone.“Mac.Call Atticus.Get him to push out the other chopper.We’re on our way.Keep moving and don’t fucking die on me.”
Foster ended the call, the accompanying silence like a deadly premonition.Kash kept up the speed, still mapping it out in his head when those bikes shot out of another path in front, spinning toward them.
He hit the brakes, standing the machine up on its front wheel.Holding it all together as the bike roared to a halt, rear tire spinning.Smoke pouring out from the wheels.He kicked the back end to the right, hit the throttle as they bounced down, and tore off through the mud.
Jordan hung on, tapping his shoulder, pointing left as they popped out onto another road.He fishtailed it over, one of the SUVs barreling up behind them.A burst of gunfire echoed through the forest, mud spraying up from the impact.
That got Jordan moving.Swinging her leg over his hip — sliding in front of him.Her cheek next to his, her ass hugging the tank.She lifted both arms — put down more cover fire.Casings shot out the sides, the reports ringing through the trees.She dropped the spent mags, popped in some new ones then fired again.Finally doing enough damage the lead vehicle swerved off the road — bumping out of sight down an incline.
The other roared ahead, an identical creep leaning out the window.She pocketed the guns and grabbed the frag off his vest — the one he’d hoped was overkill — pulling the pin then tossing it before swinging back behind him a moment before it exploded.
It either took out a tree or the vehicle, the resulting crash sounding behind them.Kash veered down the next ghost of a trail off to the left, soaring over a log, then following the winding path as it paralleled the river.The water rushed past, nearly cresting the banks from all the rain — carrying branches and other debris downstream.Those bikes jumped into view on their six, bobbing and weaving through the brush.
The trail opened up in front, looking like more of a proper road until a massive Hummer roared to a halt, blocking out the light.
No time to think.Kash just popped the front tire up and over a large rock, then took off along a downed tree hanging above the river.He wove the handlebars through the stabbing branches, tires slipping on the wet bark as a few stubby knots nearly sent them over the side.
A spray of bullets shot up chunks of wood, a couple hitting the rear cowling — taking it dangerously close to the edge before Kash manhandled it back.The entire tree rocked, a rough vibration rumbling up through the tires.Jordan wrapped her right arm higher on his chest then twisted.Three pops followed by one of those bikes revving louder for a few moments before water splashed off the right side.All the other noises cutting out.
They made it to the other side without dying, crashing their own path through a short section of mostly trees until they found a rough road.He headed right, then left, bouncing down an offshoot.A loud growl echoed behind them, blending in with the crunching gravel.
Hummer.
Had to be.
All the more reason to keep off the main tracks.
Until the bike sputtered, a couple gauges edging into the red.Smoke poured out from beneath the cowling, the entire machine finally chugging out its last breath.
“Damn it.”Kash kicked out the stand, bending to give it a quick once-over.“A few rounds punched right through.The engine’s toast.”
