Accidental Bounty (Inter-Galactic Bounty Hunter Book 4) Page 12

  “I’m on it.” Jinx quickly opened the door to the van and jumped out. Her heart raced as she jogged toward the construction site across the street. She slowed down and walked by a couple of workers. She didn’t see anything that would produce enough of a frequency that it could interfere with Isaac’s complicated computer tech.

  The construction crew had a hover truck parked a few feet from where they were jack hammering. She walked by the hover truck and glanced inside. Nothing.

  “Jinx, get that shit turned off!” Isaac growled through the earpiece.

  “I’m trying!” Jinx took a deep breath in and out to keep herself calm. She couldn’t let anything bad happen. How the hell do I shut it down? Then she saw it, a power box that the construction equipment was using for all of the equipment.

  She couldn’t find the thing producing the frequency, so she would stop all the power. Glancing around to make sure that no one saw her, she walked over to the power box. Damn it! There wasn’t a clear switch to turn it off. She looked around desperately, Jinx trying to find the solution. Stopping suddenly, she knew what she had to do.

  After running over to the hover truck, she found a crowbar from the back and turned the hover truck on. She wedged the crowbar thing between the lip of the seat and the gas pedal. She made sure the hover truck was aimed right for the power box. She put it into gear and jumped out, stumbling to the ground. Jinx had to roll to keep from getting caught under the tires. The scratches and bruises hurt like hell, but if it worked…

  Getting up she ran to the other side of the building to get out of view. She peeked back around the corner and watched as the van hit the power box. An explosion lit up the road, then everything went black. All the power on that block went down. Holy shit!

  “What the hell just happened?” Isaac demanded in her ear.

  “Is the interference gone?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  “Then don’t ask about the rest.”

  “Get back to the van.”

  “I have to go around the other side of this building and make my way back to you the long way so as not to draw attention to myself.”

  “Hurry up. Your camera isn’t working for some reason, so I can’t look out for any danger coming your way.”

  “I’ll be careful.” Jinx ended the communications and began making her way around the building. It was huge. Two shadowy figures moved from the side of the building and went to an old fashioned truck with balding tires in the back. As she moved closer, she identified one of the brothers that they were hunting.

  She hit her communications device. “Isaac, the perps are here on the other side of the opposite building.”

  “Get back here now!” Isaac demanded.

  “They’re going to take off. We’ll lose them. I’m going to climb in the back of the truck while they’re distracted. You can track me.”

  “Damn it Jinx!”

  “Can you track me?”

  “Yes but—”

  “I have to go right now. Track me.” She moved low behind the back of the truck. The two men were arguing; they didn’t notice her climbing up and over then lying flat. The truck took off at a rapid speed. She could just barely make out their voices.

  “The bounty hunters or the authorities were there. We have to get off the planet as soon as possible.”

  “I called my contacts and they said that the authority has closed down all incoming and outgoing planetary travel.”

  “Damn it! We have to find a way out of here. I’m not going back to jail.”

  “Me either brother.”

  “Make sure the guns are loaded and ready to go.”

  “Already done. Any bounty hunters or authorities that come after us will be wishing they hadn’t.”

  Jinx closed her eyes. These two men were seriously dangerous. She kept quiet as the truck flew down the road, hoping the rest of her team was tracking her.

  Chapter 19

  “She did what?” Drake demanded as he piled into the van behind the other bounty hunters. Isaac had called the team back and told them the news.

  “I couldn’t monitor everything—there was interference. Jinx went to shut down it down, which she did, but on her way back she caught sight of the perps getting ready to take off in a truck. She asked me to track her and snuck into the back of the truck.”

  “Why didn’t she wait for us?” Vic asked.

  “I told her to, but she said that there was no time and she was afraid they would get away.”

  Drake glared at him. “Can you track her?”

  “Of course I can. I already am.”

  Vic took the driver’s seat, while Kalen was in the passenger’s seat. Asia and Shy sat in the second row; Drake and Isaac sat in the back where Isaac’s equipment was located. Drake felt his breath leave him at the thought that Jinx was in danger and all alone. “Can you speak with her?”

  Isaac hit the communications. “Jinx, can you hear me?” Everyone remained silent. “Jinx?”

  “I can hear you. You’re a little fuzzy.”

  “We’re coming Jinx. Make sure you stay unseen.”

  Drake had to ask her, “Are you okay?”

  “Fine, if I can survive this bumpy ass truck that is,” she responded.

  Hearing her voice and knowing that she was okay eased his tension. Drake could breathe again. Hell, how was he going to handle her constantly being in danger? This was her dream job. If he couldn’t deal with her working this job, they might not have a future. She broke up with a guy she had dated for years over her taking this job. He had to trust that she would be smart and rely on her training.

  “Be careful Jinx,” Drake told her, not caring if the others heard him.

  “I will. I’m calm and in control. I can do this,” Jinx reassured him.

  He closed his eyes and for the first time in a long time, prayed. Please keep her safe. I can’t lose her now.

  *****

  Jinx felt every bump in the road—twice. Once when they hit the bump and the second time when her body rose up and crashed back down against the bed of the truck. She wouldn’t be surprised if her whole body was covered in one massive bruise.

  Sitting there trying to be as still as possible, he thought about Drake and the time they had shared. Jinx had begun to fall for him, and it scared her. Especially when she found herself wanting him almost as much as she wanted to prove herself ready for this job.

  All she thought about for years was coming here and working with Vic and Jagger. It had become an obsession. She worried that she had built it up in her head, that she would be disappointed once she actually did it, but Jinx wasn’t disappointed at all. Even the humdrum paperwork was worth it. The thrill of the chase and the importance of what she was doing gave her purpose. She had to make sure these two perps didn’t hurt anyone. They were too dangerous to be allowed to run free.

  This was what she had trained to do, what she had worked so hard for. She just needed to stay calm, keep her mind sharp, not alert the perps to her presence, and give her team time to reach her. She could maybe take one of the perps but not both of them.

  Feeling the need to do something, she rolled over to her stomach so that she could crawl to her knees. She peeked up to determine which direction they were heading. It was dark outside. They were driving pretty fast, and she wished she had better eyesight. She had a hard time reading the signs. They were slowing down, but there wasn’t a highway or main road that they were turning into.

  “Isaac, we’re turning off the main road, but there are no signs.”

  “We’re...you”

  She frowned at the crack in the connection. There must not be service out this way. Damn, she hoped Isaac could still track her. If not, she might need a plan B or even a plan C.

  The truck rumbled a good five miles down some dirt road through a wooded area. When it finally slowed down, she knew they were getting ready to stop. Jinx had to decide if she should remain in the bed of the truck, or jump out? There were seve
ral bags back there with her; they would be looking for them. She had to make a jump for it. It would be better to do it while the truck was still in motion.

  Waiting for just the right moment, Jinx grabbed hold of the side of the truck and leaped as far as she could. Jinx hit the tree first, then fell to the ground. She stayed where she was, partly because she didn’t want them to see her moving, and partly because she hurt too much to move. She hit that tree hard. Jinx was still sore after her last hand-to-hand encounter. Maybe it had been too soon to come back to work.

  She lay there listening to the sound of the truck stopping, the two doors opening and slamming shut. Then the footsteps got farther and farther away. Rolling to her stomach, she looked up and watched the men’s shadowy figures approach a log cabin. They were probably holding out here until the authority manned checkpoints at all transportation stations was lifted. That would take forty-eight hours. These guys had everything needed to hide out for two days. Then they could make a run for it. Something had to be done.

  She hit the communications link still in her ear. “Isaac? Are you there?”

  Static was her only answer. She had to do something. Getting to her feet, Jinx made her way to the truck. She crawled under the truck she looked for the oil plug and pulled. Then she took the knife in her boot and stabbed the four tires. They wouldn’t be able to use the truck but that didn’t mean they couldn’t call a friend to help them. Hopefully, before the rest of her team would arrive.

  *****

  “Isaac, do you have her location?” Vic demanded.

  “Her signal cut off five miles ahead. Before that happened, she said they were turning off the main road.”

  Drake sat, clenching his fists and releasing them over and over. He had to believe that Jinx would be careful. She had to know she was no match for the two perps together. Not these two, they were bad news. The older brother had a record of abusing females. Why he had been allowed bail was beyond Drake. Vic and Jagger were going to have to tighten up on things.

  He looked up toward where Vic was driving. Shy was looking at him strangely. “What?”

  “She’ll be okay. We’ve practiced hand to hand and she’s good, really good. She’s also smart. Jinx knows she’ll need to wait for backup.”

  Drake knew all that, but bad things seemed to happen around her and he wasn’t there to help her. It ate at him. What was the last thing he said to her? He wasn’t sure, but he wished he had those moments back to tell her that he was falling for her. That he wanted to work on building a future for them.

  “Slow down!” Isaac yelled out.

  Drake sat up straight, one hand clutching the seat in front of him and the other hand on his gun. He glanced over at the monitors that Isaac was looking at. “I’m picking up a signal to the right.”

  Vic drove the van slowly, then turned onto a dirt road that was barely visible in the dark. Good thing Vic had such good eyesight. Drake’s throat was dry, but he cleared it. “Can you get her on her communications link?”

  Isaac turned on the link, “Jinx? Are you there?”

  No answer. Isaac shook his head. “She must be farther in the woods. The closer we get the less interference there will be.”

  Chapter 20

  Jinx moved closer to the cabin, watching the windows in the front. The two men were moving around; their voices were raised. They must have been having an argument. Then the brothers moved to a back room she couldn’t see.

  Jinx moved around the cabin, trying to find another window. So far the other rooms were dark. She jumped at the sound of doors opening and closing. It could be closet or bathroom…

  Feeling unsure, she began to move backwards keeping her eyes on the front door. A sound in her ear had her crunching down too hard with her boots on twigs. A hand grabbed her arm hard and jerked her around. She gasped.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  Oh my God! It was the oldest brother, the really mean one. “I...uh...broke down and was hoping to get help.”

  His black eyes narrowed. “Where’s your phone?”

  Think Jinx think. “No signal.”

  “If you needed help then why were you backing away from the cabin?”

  “I was a little worried. I started up, but heard yelling. I didn’t want disturb you.” She tried to give him a reassuring smile.

  “Well, come on then.” He motioned for her to walk in front of him toward the cabin.

  When he wasn’t looking at her, she pulled the earpiece out. Jinx let it fall to the ground as she made her next step so he wouldn’t hear it. She had to appear to be a helpless female.

  The younger brother came out of the cabin front door and frowned. “Who’s this?”

  “She said that her hover car broke down on the highway,” the older brother said behind her.

  She smiled, “Hi, I’m Jane. I hate to bother you, but could I use your phone? My hover car broke down and I can’t get any service out here.” Fear rose up as she noticed the looks between the brothers. If she went into that cabin, she might not make it out alive. Glancing around, she hoped to find a way to escape them.

  Jinx shifted from foot to foot. “First, is there a bathroom? I really have to go.”

  The brother on the porch frowned, but motioned to the cabin. “It’s the first door on the right.”

  “Thanks.” She quickly went up the stairs and to the bathroom. She could hear the brothers talking in hushed tones.

  Jinx couldn’t lock the bathroom door but was relieved to see a window. She eased it up then pulled herself up over the edge. One foot first then the other and she lowered herself as slowly and quietly as possible. She walked bracing herself against the cabin in the shadows. She could hear the brothers better now.

  “What the hell were you thinking bringing her here?”

  “I found her skulking around the cabin. I don’t know if I believe her about her hover car or not but we can’t let her go. She knows we’re here and could notify the authority.”

  “What do we do with her?”

  “She won’t be talking to anyone—ever again.”

  That ominous feeling came over her again. Yeah, they planned to kill her. Jinx peered around the corner and waited for them to go into the cabin. It wouldn’t take them long to find out she wasn’t in the bathroom; she had to find a place to hide and quick. The trees were her only option.

  She made a mad dash to the woods, trying to stay in the dark shadows and keep her steps light. She could hear sounds of someone pounding on a door inside the cabin. Oh shit! Finding a tree with low limbs Jinx started to climb, going as high as she could. She hoped that the branches were as sturdy as they felt.

  Then all hell broke loose as the two men came barreling out of the cabin yelling. One ran to the back of the cabin, while the other checked the truck.

  “What the fuck!” The younger brother kicked the tire. “That bitch cut our tires, all of them!”

  The older brother cussed. “Find her and don’t dawdle—kill her.” The two brothers started searching the wooded area around the cabin. She watched and held her breath when one of the brothers got too close to the tree where she was hiding. She clung to the branches, hoping that she would blend in. Jinx’s luck had finally run out.

  “Get down here bitch!”

  She cringed at the violence in his voice. “I think I’ll stay where I’m at.”

  Looking down, she saw him trying to get a clear shot at her. Jinx scrambled when he fired, grateful that it missed her head. She moved up higher, but the new branch was weaker. Uh oh.

  Gunshots and yelling caught her attention—mainly because she wasn’t the one being fired at. She tried to get a better view, but all she could see were dark figures moving on the outskirts, closing in. That’s when she heard someone shout out a command—it was Vic.

  “Give up now and no one has to get hurt!”

  Relief flooded her when she realized her team had arrived. Thank God! All Jinx had to do was stay up here out of the way. That
was when the branch she was holding on to decided her weight was too much. She came crashing down, hitting almost every branch below. But she didn’t hit the ground as she expected. Instead she landed on the brother who had been shooting at her.

  “Umph!” Shards of pain rushed through her body. She couldn’t move, but the man she landed on was recovering much faster. He shoved her off of him and got to his knees. Where the hell did he find the strength?

  Footsteps approached. She couldn’t let this guy get away. Taking a deep breath, Jinx willed herself up to her knees and grabbed for his legs, jerking him down. She forgot about the gun; he must have dropped it when she landed on him. He saw it at the same time she did, and they both scrambled toward it.

  He punched at her. Jinx kicked at his head and moved forward scraping her hands against the rocks and branches. She got to the gun first and didn’t hesitate. She swung down, hitting the man in the head. The perp fell down unconscious half on her legs.

  Jinx lay on her back on the dirt, exhausted and in agony. Man, she wanted to get an IV of pain meds and sleep for days in Drake’s arms. Drake...where was he?

  *****

  Jinx! Drake felt like his heart was crashing down to his stomach when he saw something fall out of a tree. He knew without a doubt it was her. He wanted to rush to her, but he was backing up Vic as his boss took down one of the perps. He had to concentrate on disarming this asshole first.

  “Watch out Vic.” He shoved his boss out of the way when the male discharged his weapon. Drake felt a scrape of the bullet as it sliced over his shoulder. Asia ran past them and did her flips and tumbles, surprising the male, and kicking his gun out of his hand. She punched him in the gut hard. The perp went down to his knees. Vic moved at the same time as Drake and together they took the male’s arms behind his back, secured the electric cuffs. That would keep him immobile until they were ready to move him.

  Drake turned toward where Jinx had fallen, relieved that Shy and Kalen were already by her side. He turned to Vic, who waved him to go for Jinx.