Shadow Men – 13 – Rafe and Steele

An hour later they were well into the mountains that surrounded the city. The road had narrowed from four lanes to two as it twisted and turned on its ascent. Rafe looked at the message then leaned over to check the odometer and told Steele to drive two more miles. When they had, Steele pulled onto the narrow shoulder. Three minutes later a dark sedan came around the curve, saw the car and veered off to park behind it. A redheaded man got out and came over to greet Rafe when he exited the car.

"I wouldn't have recognized you if Antonio hadn't told me what you look like at the moment," the man said.

Rafe chuckled then introduced him to Steele as Bran Warren.

"You ready?"

"Let's get rid of the car first," Steele replied. He handed Rafe their backpacks then opened the trunk, took out the tire iron, got back into the car and, after starting it again, he drove a few yards forward. With the car now at a forty-five degree angle to the road he inched his way out while he kept his right foot on the brake. Then he braced the tire iron between the accelerator and the seat with enough pressure that the engine roared. He leapt back and the car swerved slightly as it sped across the road and through the guardrail. For an instant it seemed to take flight before it hurled downward. The sound as it crashed into the rocks far below was followed by a loud explosion.

Rafe crossed to look over the edge then gave Steele a thumbs-up. "That should do the job," he said as he returned and he and Steele got into Bran's car. Soon they were at the top of the mountain road and on their way down the other side. Bran took a left turn onto an almost invisible side road that wound down a long steep gorge. It widened after a few miles to open onto a tiny valley. At the far end was a rough-hewn log cabin. Bran parked to one side of it and got out. Rafe and Steele joined Bran then followed him inside.

"It's been a long time," Bran said. "Why do we only meet when you're in trouble?"

"Because you're my go-to man for that?" Rafe replied with a laugh before he sobered. "You're dead certain this place is off any radar?"

"Absolutely," Bran replied while he knelt to light the gas in the fireplace.

Steele watched him and felt a twinge of doubt although he couldn't quite put his finger on why. Just something about the set of Bran's shoulders and the way he had made certain his back was to Rafe when he answered him. Given what we just went through I'm probably being paranoid. But that didn't make him feel any better about the man.

Once the fire was lit Bran stood and turned to ask, "Is there anything the two of you need? There's food in the fridge, the generator and the fireplace run on propane, the tank's in back. The whole place is pretty much self-contained."

"Sounds good to me," Rafe replied as he set his backpack on the floor in the corner beside the sofa. Then he sat with a groan that had Steele beside him seconds later to ask if his wound was still bothering him. "Not too badly, all things considered. I think I'm just tired so it's acting up."

"Next time you go off with someone to meet a contact make sure they're trustworthy," Bran commented as he went to the fridge, took out three beers and opened them.

Steele felt Rafe tense and looked at him in question. Rafe gave a minute shake of his head just as Bran came back to hand a bottle to each of them.