The Only Way Out. Susan Mallery

his breath.

      “Mommy, that man said a really bad word.”

      “I know, honey.”

      Jeff ignored them both and slipped off his backpack. He pulled out his powerful binoculars. There was a clearing a few feet to the left. He walked to it, then looked out toward the ocean.

      Sunlight sparkled off the clear water. Rocks jutted out to meet the sea, while waves crashed over the uneven formation. He waited patiently. In less than a minute, he saw that he’d guessed correctly.

      “You’re about to find out if your theory is true,” he said, holding the binoculars out to Andie.

      “What do you mean?”

      “Look.”

      She took them and stared out at the ocean. “So?”

      “See that boat? The one that’s followed the coast of the island and is making a wide turn and heading back in the other direction?”

      “Yes.”

      “Does it look familiar to you?”

      She adjusted the focus, then gasped. “Oh, God. Kray.”

      “They’re heading back here in a hurry,” Jeff said, then glanced over his shoulder at Bobby. “Looks like somebody figured out you took his kid. It’ll take them about forty minutes to get back to the house. So if I’m with Kray, this is where I make my move.”

      Chapter 3

      The man leaned casually against the front fender of her rented Jeep, watching her. Waiting for his words to sink in. Waiting for her to crack. Andie swallowed the fear, wondering if she would ever be able to forget the bitter taste of it or let go of the memories.

      She’d been nervous before in her life; she’d even been afraid. When she’d been eighteen and had been in the back seat of the car with her parents when an oncoming car had crossed into their lane, she’d been terrified. Not just in those brief seconds before the collision, but in the months afterward. She’d walked away, physically unhurt while her parents had died, leaving her alone in the world. Later, she’d been afraid when she’d married Kray, only to find he wasn’t the suave businessman she’d imagined, but was instead a cold-blooded killer.

      But none of those experiences, none of those fears, prepared her for the heart-pounding terror that had gripped her ever since her ex-husband had stolen her son. She’d lived with the fear, had even grown used to the sweaty palms and jumpy nerves. Until today. Until she’d come so close to escaping with Bobby, only to be captured by a stranger who looked at her as if he hated her.

      So if I’m with Kray, this is where I make my move.

      Andie still clutched the binoculars in her hand. She lowered them to her waist, prepared to throw them at him if he made a move. Not that being hit by them would slow him down much. As he’d already pointed out, he was bigger, stronger and armed. He also moved through the jungle with the casual competence of someone who had been through this before.

      Was he with Kray, or someone else? She didn’t know. He hadn’t killed her. Yet. She took a step back toward Bobby. Her son was her only concern. He had to get away from Kray. If he stayed with his father—She shook her head. She couldn’t think about that.

      Jeff didn’t budge from where he leaned against her rental. She moved back again, then held out her hand. Bobby slipped his palm against hers as his fingers closed around hers trustingly. They would run, she decided, trying to pick a direction without actually looking around them. She would have to count on adrenaline to give her speed.

      Jeff pushed off the vehicle and placed his hands on his hips. He didn’t tower over her, so he couldn’t be more than six foot one or two. His hat shaded his face, hiding his eyes and concealing his expression. He wore a camouflage-colored shirt and pants, heavy boots and a holster. There were several compartments attached to his leather belt. She studied them to avoid looking at the pistol.

      “Once they dock, it’ll take them about two minutes to get mobilized,” Jeff said, his low voice calm, as if he were discussing the weather. “He’ll call for reinforcements from around the island. They’ll be looking for a woman and a child traveling alone. Within the hour he’ll know about the rental car charge on your credit card, and by nightfall he’ll figure out you flew from the States into San Juan.”

      “Who are you?” she asked.

      “Someone who’s willing to help.”

      Andie wanted to believe him. She’d spent the past six years looking over her shoulder, always afraid that Kray would show up to take her child away from her, or maybe even drag her back. She hadn’t dared get close to anyone because she couldn’t explain about her past. One mistake, she thought for the thousandth time. How long was she going to have to pay for one mistake?

      “Are you with the U.S. military?” she asked, hoping he would say yes.

      He shook his head.

      “Let me guess. You’re some sort of spy.”

      His posture didn’t change, nor did the straight line of his mouth. I can’t do this anymore, she thought, clinging desperately to her fragile grip on reality. It was too much. She was so far out of her element; she didn’t know the rules anymore.

      “How were you planning to get off the island?” he asked again.

      If he was with Kray, he would already be taking her back to the house, she told herself. If he was with Kray, she wasn’t getting off the island anyway, so what did it matter if he knew her plan? And if he wasn’t, well, she could use a little expert assistance.

      “I still don’t trust you,” she said.

      “Good. You don’t have to trust me. Just pay attention to my instructions and we’ll all get out of this alive.”

      That’s all she wanted. To get Bobby and herself out of here alive. Once they were back on American soil, she could disappear.

      “I’ve hired a private plane to fly us to San Juan. There are several flights from there to Florida tonight.”

      “How do you know you can trust this guy?”

      “I don’t trust him, but I’m paying enough.”

      “What if Kray pays more?”

      She didn’t have an answer for that. She couldn’t bear to think about it.

      “What time are you supposed to meet the pilot?” he asked.

      “One o’clock.”

      He glanced up at the sky as if he could use the sun to tell time. “Then we’d better get going.” He bent down, picked up his backpack and flung it into the back seat. When she didn’t move, he glanced at her. “You driving or do you want me to?”

      “Where are we going?” Now that she’d thrown in with him, she was nervous about getting into the Jeep. What if he had been toying with her?

      “We need to get out of here. My Jeep is about two miles down the road. It isn’t a rental, so it can’t be traced. We’ll leave yours there and then—”

      “I can’t just leave this at the side of the road.”

      “Why not?” he asked as he sat in the passenger seat.

      “The rental company will assume I stole it. I don’t need them looking for me as well as Kray.”

      “If you’re worried about that, you can call the car rental company when you get to Florida. Tell them that you’ve returned home unexpectedly and that they should come and collect the car. We’ll leave the key under the seat mat.”

      She couldn’t think of any more excuses, so she led Bobby over to the Jeep and opened the driver’s door. The boy scrambled in to the back seat. Andie then slid in and inserted the key into the ignition.

      “Drive