me, Cari. Watch the cave sides, that limestone is sharp and it will cut into you.”
Nodding, she remained close. The outer chamber of the cave was small, about seven feet high, the whiteness reflecting the light, making it easy to see. The cave turned into a three-foot-wide tunnel, the incline growing steeper as they went farther into the gloom. It was almost pitch-black when she saw a milky, low light up ahead. “Where are we going?”
“Second floor of this cave,” he said, keeping his voice low. “We’re almost there . . .”
Cari suddenly found herself in nearly a perfect circle of a second chamber, a quarter of its roof caved in, limestone rubble on one side of the room. The sand was soft beneath her feet and felt good to her aching joints. Looking up, she said, “Where are we?”
Chase led her over to near the avalanche, where part of the roof had fallen in a long time ago. “I wanted to find a cave that had entrance/exit points. You never go into a cave that has only one way out.”
“Especially if drug runners decide to use the cave we chose?” she asked, studying the blue sky and sunlight above from the hole that was large enough for a truck to drive through.
He gave her a look of praise. “Smart woman,” he said, releasing her hand. “If something happens? Then we have this as an escape route. When I found this earlier, I followed it up and out over there.” He pointed to the right. “It comes out on the side of this hill, far away from the original entrance. If someone does come in here? We quietly climb up there, leave, and we’re out of harm’s way.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never looked at caves this way . . .”
“This is a dry one. Come on, let’s set up camp over there, opposite this exit hole. We’ve got plenty of water on us now, and we need to eat. We have to keep up our strength.”
“Good idea,” she agreed, looking around. The light from above showed smooth limestone walls where Chase had chosen to set up. He took the space blankets out and opened them up, setting them across the sand floor. In no time, he had a bottle of water and several protein bars laid out for them.
“You ready to sit down and rest?” he said, gesturing for her to come to the blankets.
Groaning, she sat down. “My joints ache like fire.”
“We’ll put some arnica cream on them after we eat,” he said.
She took a protein bar from him. “Is this how you lived in Afghanistan?”
“Pretty much. Makes me feel like I’m back in the Sandbox, not here, stateside,” he said mirthfully, opening the wrapper on his protein bar.
“Does it bother you?”
“Yes and no. Now? I’m grateful for the experience since we’re in this mess. I know what to do to keep us safe, so we can make a run for that raptor facility at dawn.”
“I would never have guessed these caves were here,” she uttered, shaking her head, appreciating the protein bar, her stomach growling and hungry. Frowning, she changed topics. “Chase? In my head, I keep thinking that somehow, Dirk is a part of this, but I don’t know how.”
Becoming serious, his voice low, he said, “Remember, Bannock’s drug network is in Southern California. I’m sure he uses the cartel in this area, their drug runners, to get the goods he’s ordered across this border. “
“But”—she hesitated, frowning—“is he behind this attack on us?”
“I don’t know. He could be,” Chase said, giving her a sympathetic look because she looked stressed and emotional, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “We won’t know, Cari. Bannock has a large enough gang that it could be possible.”
“But,” she choked, finishing off the bar, “how could he know we were coming out here?”
“Maybe he or that gang figured out you were at Three Bars.”
“But he didn’t recognize me in the restaurant,” she whispered in a strained tone.
Chase put the empty wrappers back into his go-bag and zipped it shut. He pulled her into his arms, resting his back against the knobby wall of limestone. She came easily, wanting his arms around her. Cari snuggled into his embrace, resting her cheek on his shoulder, looking up at him.
“What if he did recognize me, Chase? What if he pretended otherwise?”
He moved his hand in a soothing motion down her arm, well aware of all her cuts and gouges. “Anything’s possible, Cari. The only