Holiday Defenders: Mission: Christmas Rescue / Special Ops Christmas / Homefront Holiday Hero. Debby Giusti

quickly covered their tracks from the cabin to the car. Perhaps someone on high was watching out for them, after all.

      He glanced at Liz as she patted the children to sleep. Her faith was strong. She’d probably prayed for the Lord’s help. No doubt, God had listened.

      If only Nick could be sure God could ever care for someone like him. The chaplain in his unit had laid the foundation for his coming to faith, but Jeff’s death had made him doubt again. Reconnecting with Lizzie had made him reconsider.

      She shifted in the backseat and emitted a low groan. From the rearview mirror, he could see her staring out the passenger’s-side window at the drop-off that disappeared into a dark abyss.

      “Tell me you’ve driven up the side of this mountain before,” she said, her voice tight.

      “Buckle your seat belt, Lizzie. Let me worry about the road.”

      “Or lack thereof. It’s too narrow.”

      “Your car has good tires, which works to our advantage. Besides, I’ve been traveling this path since I was a kid.”

      “But not in a four-door SUV.”

      “Trust me, Lizzie. Okay?”

      She shook her head, all the while biting her lip, her eyes wide.

      “We don’t have far,” he said, hoping to offer a bit of reassurance.

      She glanced out the back window. “Are they following us?”

      Nick shook his head. “More than likely, they’re searching my cabin.” And destroying so much of what he’d built over the years. He flicked his gaze to the front passenger’s seat, relieved he’d been able to grab Zack’s laptop on their way out the door.

      He was also glad he wore a loaded Glock on his hip. Not that the children would notice it under his jacket, but it added another layer of protection they needed.

      Snow fell faster than the wipers could clear it away. Nick gripped the steering wheel and inched the car up the steep incline. His hands cramped from the strain. Thankfully, the moon had broken through the clouds and provided enough light for him to drive without headlights, which would have given away their whereabouts.

      “We’re almost there,” he said. If only the snow didn’t get too deep or the road too slick. As if in response to his thought, the wheels shifted on the icy undercoat. He turned into the skid, relieved when the car righted its direction.

      Tension tightened his shoulders, and a dull ache climbed his neck and wove along his scalp. Blink, he reminded himself as he tried to see through the pelting snow.

      Every so often, he glanced down the mountain. All he could see was the black night and the white snow. A winter wonderland that would be breathtaking under different circumstances. Tonight it only compounded an already-difficult situation.

      A gunshot sounded in the night. Then a second and a third.

      Nick pursed his lips and gripped the wheel even more tightly.

      Lizzie startled at the sound, her eyes wide. “What was that?”

      “Gunfire.”

      “Was it Burl?”

      “I don’t know. I told him not to take any chances.”

      “From what I’ve seen of Burl, I doubt he backs down from danger.”

      Nick almost smiled. She had Burl pegged. “I’ll call him when we stop. Hopefully, he’ll clue us in on what happened.”

      Inching the car around the last bend in the road, Nick sighed with relief when he saw the entrance to the cave. The road widened and led to a level plateau. He parked and opened the driver’s door.

      “Let’s get the children inside, out of the wind and snow. The cave maintains an even temperature. With sleeping bags and blankets, we should be fine.”

      She eyed the dark opening to the mountain cave. “What about bats?”

      He had to smile. They were on the run with at least four killers on their tail, and Lizzie was worried about small critters that were relatively harmless. “They’ve never caused a problem in the past. I’ve seen a few of them, but there’s nothing to worry about.”

      “I don’t like bats.”

      “If we leave them alone, they’ll do the same for us.”

      He unbuckled Mary Grace and lifted the sleeping child from the seat. Rounding the car, he met up with Lizzie, carrying Joey in her arms.

      Nick opened the rear hatch and gathered up the sleeping bags, holding the carrying straps in his left hand. “After we get the kids settled, I’ll unload the rest of the supplies and hide your car.”

      He handed her a Maglite and grabbed a battery-powered lantern. “Wait until we’re in the cave and around the first bend in the rock before you turn on the light.”

      She nodded but said nothing as she reached for one of the sleeping bags.

      “It’ll be over soon, Lizzie.”

      “How can you say that, Nick?”

      Because he didn’t want her or the children to worry.

      “I’ve got a feeling everything is coming to a head.” Whether that meant a happy ending, he wasn’t sure.

      “I’ll lead the way.” Nick stepped into the cave, inhaling the earthy scent that reminded him of the times he’d camped out in his youth. Too often, he’d needed someplace to hole up when his dad was on a tirade. The cave had been his refuge. If only it would be for Lizzie and the children, as well.

      Once inside the entrance tunnel, he flipped on the lantern and aimed the light on the ceiling. “See? No bats.”

      Lizzie smiled halfheartedly. “Something in our favor.”

      “There’s a large internal chamber just ahead. We can make camp and bed down there.”

      The area was expansive, probably twenty feet high and just as wide. Working together, they opened the sleeping bags and nestled the children into the thick down.

      “Body heat will warm them up,” Nick assured her.

      Joey held on to Lamb, and Lizzie tucked Mary Grace’s Nativity set into the bedding beside her.

      “Are you okay?” Nick asked once both little ones were settled and asleep.

      “I’m okay.”

      “Stay with the children while I haul in the supplies.” He stared into her blue eyes. “You’re safe, Lizzie. They won’t find us here.”

      At least not until the storm passes, and they think about climbing the mountain. He decided not to mention that.

      Nick hustled back to the car and hauled in the other items he’d packed in case they needed the mountain refuge. Now he was glad he’d been proactive.

      On the last trip into the cave, he almost chuckled, seeing how Lizzie had arranged the supplies neatly along the wall. She had even placed a couple of the sturdier boxes together to be used as seats near the light.

      “I need to move the car.” He pointed to another tunnel in the rock that ran in the opposite direction from the entrance. “That avenue heads to an opening on the far side of the mountain. It’s a natural escape route. I’ll park near the exit. If anything happens, you can take the children and head down the mountain. A dirt road turns to gravel not far below. The trail is easy to follow, even with the snow, and leads to Cambridge.”

      “Where you purchased your building supplies. Don’t tell me you used the narrow mountain pass to get there?”

      He smiled. “Usually I drove around the mountain, but the road is navigable, and the town isn’t far.”

      “Let’s go there now, Nick.”