Soldier's Pregnancy Protocol. Beth Cornelison

the vehicle in sight. He kept pace with the SUV until it turned onto the main street leading to the interstate.

      Time for wheels.

      A pickup truck stopped at the intersection, and Alec snatched open the door. “Police! Follow that white SUV. Don’t lose them!”

      The college-aged driver scowled his doubt. “Let’s see some I.D., bud.”

      Alec pulled his SIG-Sauer from his shoulder holster. “Move it!”

      The young man paled and raised his palms. “Easy, bro. I’m going!”

      Alec pointed. “There! They just got on the interstate. Hurry!”

      His driver punched the gas, wove through traffic like an expert, and merged onto the interstate doing close to eighty.

      Alec spotted the SUV several cars ahead and calculated his best attack. He didn’t want Erin’s captors to see him and risk a car chase that put innocent lives at risk. An eighteen-wheeler occupied the next lane, and Alec sized up his options. Doable.

      “Pull as close to the back of that truck as you can and hold it steady. Got it?”

      The college kid looked at him and nodded. “Check.”

      While his chauffeur aligned his pickup with the larger truck, Alec rolled down the passenger window and secured his SIG-Sauer in his holster.

      “Thanks for the lift,” Alec said as he wedged his body through the window and hoisted himself out. While they rocketed down the interstate, Alec climbed into the pickup’s bed. Braced against the air current. Focused on his task, his mission.

      The pickup moved beside the rear of the eighteen-wheeler, and Alec eyed the bar ladder on the back end of the truck. He prepared. Calculated. Jumped.

      His foot slipped as the truck bounced over a pothole. Adrenaline spiking, he groped for a rung of the bar-ladder. The jolt as he caught himself tugged viciously on his shoulder. Pain slithered down his arm, but he held on, found a foothold.

      Over the whoosh of air and rumble of engines, he heard the pickup’s driver whoop. He nodded to the young man as the pickup eased back into the correct lane.

      “Kids, don’t try this at home.” Alec scaled the rungs on the back of the eighteen-wheeler and levered himself to the roof. The truck rocked and shimmied as it barreled down the road. The slipstream pushed and pulled at him as Alec found his footing. Like surfing in a hurricane.

      Keeping his center of balance low, he edged along the roof of the truck’s trailer. Scanning the road in front of him, he spotted the SUV. The luggage rack on its roof. Target located.

      The eighteen-wheeler changed lanes, easing forward. That’s it. A little further.

      A passing car honked, and a passenger gestured wildly at the driver of the eighteen-wheeler.

      Alec gritted his teeth. Damn it, he didn’t want attention drawn to him! But, realistically, he had to accept that his highway gymnastics would cause spectator concern. The sooner he acted, the better.

      Alec edged into position. The SUV was still almost a car length away, but he couldn’t wait much longer, couldn’t risk Erin’s captors seeing him. He braced himself and judged the distance to the roof of the SUV.

      A challenge. But doable.

      What could she do? Erin squeezed the door handle and weighed her options. Jumping out of the car at highway speed would be suicide. But when they left the interstate, if they stopped for a traffic light …

      She rubbed her palm on the leg of her jeans, over her belly. She had to be careful. Couldn’t take unnecessary risks.

      But she refused to let these men harm her, kidnap her without even a token resistance. She wouldn’t go down without a fight.

      She thought of Alec Kincaid, the selfish bastard, walking out on her, leaving her to fend for her life. Alone. She was in this mess because of his stupid letter! She worked up a good mad and funneled the energy toward planning her escape. They had to get off the interstate sometime. And when they did …

      A car behind them honked, and she absently turned her attention to the passenger-side mirror. An idea niggled. Maybe she could signal someone in another car….

      She glanced sideways to the knife-wielding maniac who rode beside her and nixed that thought. She couldn’t tip her hand. When she acted, she had to catch the men totally off guard.

      She returned her gaze to the side mirror with a wistful glance. If only—

      Erin sat straighter in the seat and narrowed her gazed in disbelief. A man was on top of the eighteen-wheeler behind them!

      What kind of idiot—?

      Her breath caught, and she blinked to make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.

      No trick. It was Alec.

      Her heart, responding to Alec’s daring with a drumroll, rose to her throat. She stifled the gasp that threatened, determined not to give Alec’s presence away to Mr. Knife and his buddy. Her gaze riveted to the SUV’s side mirror. Her fingernails cut into her palms.

      Horrified, she watched Alec inch along the roof of the truck’s trailer. He crouched low, adjusted his arms for balance.

       Dear God! What was he planning?

      An image of Bradley’s broken body flashed in Erin’s mind, and her stomach rolled. Alec was coming to help her. Like Bradley had been. Putting himself in danger. Risking his life. Taking foolish chances. For her.

      The bitter taste of fear filled her mouth, and Erin swallowed a moan. Not again.

      “You say something, sweetheart?”

      Erin jerked her head around to face Knife. “N-no.”

      “Take it easy, darlin’,” Knife said with a sadistic leer. “Soon as we get that letter back from Kincaid, you’ll be free to go.”

      The man driving grunted. “For a swim with the fishies maybe.”

      Knife laughed and gave Erin a salacious wink. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll take care of ya.”

      A shudder raced down her spine. She worked to form enough spit to swallow the knot in her throat as she swung her gaze back to the mirror. The truck was closer. Alec perched on the edge of the trailer, crouching. Springing.

      Erin gasped, but the sound was lost as Alec landed with a thump on the roof of the SUV.

      “What the hell was that?” the driver barked.

      Trembling all over, Erin held her breath.

      Knife angled his head, looking up. “Something hit the roof.”

      Suddenly the window beside Knife shattered. Erin jolted as glass shards blasted across the seat.

      “What the—!” The SUV swerved as the startled driver twisted toward the smashed window.

      “It’s Kincaid!” Knife brushed broken glass off his shirt and surged forward to shout to his cohort. “He’s on the roof! Shake him!”

      Erin gripped the edge of the seat as their driver snatched the steering wheel hard to the left then right again. Alec’s legs slid off the passenger side of the roof, scrambling to find purchase.

      Panic roiled inside her. “No!”

      The driver yanked the steering wheel again. Alec slipped farther down the side of the SUV. He needed help. Her help.

      Snatching off her seat belt, Erin lunged for the front seat, the driver, the steering wheel.

      “Hey, get back here!” Knife grabbed the back of her shirt. She fought like a wildcat to grab the wheel, steady the SUV.

      Erin heard a thump, a smack. When Knife’s hold on her suddenly fell away, she darted a glance