Nick Chambers followed, maintaining pace with her, although part of him was slightly concerned at how quickly and sure-footed the girl moved. What the hell have you landed yourself in the middle of, Zack? Whatever it was, it didn’t sound good, although he was confident that his brother could handle it, at least until he arrived as a force multiplier.

He carried the silenced Glock in his right hand and the dead man’s handheld radio in the other. Neither spoke, as both understood that the closer they moved toward Hidden Refuge, the greater the chance they’d be detected.

As they ran, Nick formulated their options, and one kept pushing its way to the front of the idea line. The guard at the gate. He’s the way in.

“Hold up a second,” Nick said in a subdued voice, not a whisper, which actually carried farther than talking quietly.

The pair stopped, the only sounds were that of their breathing and the wind in the woods. Nick stared into the trees to his right, but he couldn’t see any sign of the subdivision. “How far are we? Better yet, where are we in relation to the main gate? I have an idea.”

Sam considered how far they’d run, and said, “It’s probably a half mile in that direction. There’s a path that intersects this one and spills out about a hundred yards before the gate.”

“How far are we from that path?” Nick asked immediately.

“Honestly, I don’t know, but we haven’t passed it, which means it’s close. What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to neutralize the gate guard, take his SUV, and drive right on into the neighborhood,” Nick said calmly.

It was the calmness that disturbed her more than anything else. “Are you insane? Are you trying to get killed?”

Nick actually laughed softly in response. “Not at all. In fact, unless something goes horribly wrong, this will work, and then I’ll be able to get inside the neighborhood to help my brother, and we’ll have transportation.”

Sam’s mind raced to catch up to the decision that he’d already made, and she realized two things—that there was no point in arguing with him and that he was likely right. She was desperate to get back inside, regardless of the risk, to somehow help Ben, although she knew there wasn’t much more she could do. Without the Chambers brothers, she’d be another hostage or dead.

“Fine. Let’s keep moving and get back as quickly as possible so you can spring your master plan,” Sam said with more sarcasm than she intended. “By the way, you still haven’t told me what you do for a living, although I can take several guesses that might be close.”