She released a massive breath as she sat. She wasn’t used to this rush of adrenaline. And that’s why people like Shane trained non-stop. So this internal freak-out didn’t screw with their critical thinking skills. In order to function calmly in extreme circumstances—and still hit a target with a bullet when they needed to.

She’d read somewhere that the accuracy of shooting a moving target was around 4%. Unfortunately, she’d seen what 4% with an automatic rifle could do.

Shane crouched down in front of her and she drew her knees together and leaned forward to hear what he had to say. She didn’t plan to screw this up. The thought she might have some part to play in finding this guy who everyone else thought was in North Carolina made her clench her jaw with determination. They hadn’t caught him yet, she reminded herself.

“What do we do next?” she whispered.

Shane was so close she could smell his skin over the earthy scent of mud and rotting leaves. He pulled out his cell. “Damn, no reception.”

She checked her cell and scanned the area. “I expect we’d get a signal at the top of the ridge.”

Shane stared toward the cabin.

“You don’t want to go back in case he escapes,” she realized out loud.

“We don’t actually know he’s in there yet. I don’t want to call for backup until I have positive confirmation.”

Yael shivered. She’d been enjoying walking in the hills until the hunch they were chasing had become a dangerous reality. Hunting him through the ether of the internet was one thing. It was quite another to stumble over tripwires on the bad guy’s rural hideaway on a frigid January afternoon.

“I’m going to move closer and see if his truck is outside. You stay here.”

Panic gripped her. “I’m coming with you.”

“It’d be safer if you sit tight here,” he said patiently.

She shook her head. “Except I won’t know if you’re okay or not. I will be stuck here not knowing if the next person I see will be you or a bad guy wanting to blow me away.” Her words were low and he looked slightly taken aback at her vehemence. But she’d lived that experience and refused to do it again unless there was absolutely no alternative.

“I promised I wouldn’t put you in danger,” he reminded her.

“I will stay hidden behind a tree or a rock as long as I know what’s going on.” She bit her lip. “Sloan told you reconnaissance only, remember.”

He looked away from her and huffed out a breath. “You promise to do exactly what I tell you?”

She nodded rapidly.

“Then stay here.”