An Unlikely Hero (1) by Tierney James Read Free Book Online

commanded him to intervene for this athletic looking daredevil who nearly ran over the cliff.
    “Where are they?” Chase never stopped as he ran past the trucker to the edge of road.
    The trucker pointed with his gun then returned it to his shoulder.
    Tessa hurried to Chase’s side in time to see him slide down the hillside toward the upside down van that appeared to be smoldering. “Get over here and help him!” she snapped at the truck driver.
    He complied with a snarl as he opened the cab door and carefully placed the shotgun back inside. This time it took both his hands to pull up his sagging jeans just before he cautiously edged down the hillside to join Chase. The scent of sweat and greasy onion rings clung to his clothes as he lumbered down toward the van. With relief, the trucker halted when Chase raised a hand for him to turn around.
    Tessa pushed pass the trucker and awkwardly side stepped down the embankment.
    Chase circled the crushed van cautiously. Unaware of her presence, he pulled out a Beretta from the back waistband of his jeans. Quickly, he knelt down to look through the shattered windows. One arm dangled out through the windshield.
    Visible, as Tessa drew near, was the driver pinned underneath the front of the van. The sight of so much blood and exposed bone caused Tessa to suddenly wretch. As she slid her ripped shirt sleeve across her mouth, Tessa watched the captain check for a pulse on each man, all the while keeping his weapon pointed with intent. Even from where she stood, the moan of yet another person came from the rear of the van.
    Chase quickly ran to the back of the van with gun aimed for deadly contact if necessary. The rear door had been ripped off during the crash. The back end, although badly damaged, tilted upward having landed on a large flat rock. Just inside the twisted van lay the fourth terrorist that had invaded the Scott home. He reached toward Chase with pleading eyes. Blood streaked his face where glass had torn at his brown skin. A gash above his right eye gushed over an already bruised cheekbone. Half of one ear lay open and bleeding down his neck.
    “Help me,” he cried weakly. Tessa noticed the Middle Eastern accent. It was Jamaal, the man who had threatened her in her own home.
    Chase did not lower his weapon. “Who are you with? Essid?”
    “Please,” he moaned.
    “Where’s the bomb?” Chase growled the demand.
    “I donno,” he coughed a blood splatter that landed back on his face. “Please!” he cried. “Help me.”
    Chase reached inside the van. Grabbing the man’s collar he roughly dragged him out across broken glass and twisted metal. The scream of pain punctured the silence around them.
    Tessa gasped at the cruelty in which the captain threw the injured man on the ground. The man screamed again when Chase jerked him to his feet like a rag doll. He shoved him forward where his friends lay trapped in the van.
    “I need answers,” Chase yelled in the man’s ear.
    The man cowered as he felt the butt of the pistol hit him upside the head. “Now.”
    Tessa tried to turn her legs around but was frozen at the scene before her. Never had she witnessed such brute force.
    Chase stepped away from the injured man and lowered his gun to inside the van. “Where’s the bomb?”
    Nothing.
    Chase fired three rounds into the man inside the van. With callousness, Chase shoved his prisoner against the van. “Your buddy on the hood isn’t going to make it without medical help. Give me what I want or …”
    “I do not know!” he wept.
    “Fine!” Without looking, Chase extended his arm and unloaded his gun into the man on the hood. “Their blood is on your hands! You’re next unless you start talking!”
    “Yes! Yes! Whatever you want!” Tears burst from his eyes like a punctured dam. “I-I need medical help.”
    Chase jerked him around then shoved him toward the embankment. Suddenly his eyes fell on Tessa. The horror in those pretty blue eyes troubled him.