I apologize if some of you feel like the story is dragging or that Lucas is missing, please note that this story is about Riley, Lucas and Thor. The scenes between Riley and Thor has to be written to explain their relationship and please trust me that there's a reason for this. I hope that you know by now that I actually don't write LONG multi chapters but I feel like I cannot do a short cut without ruining the story line. Please have a little bit more patience. I promise I will deliver you a good RUCAS story.

PART 31

The sound of a gun shot rang throughout the room.

But Riley had been on her guard, throwing her bodyweight forward. She didn't quite get away from the man, but shifted her position enough so that Pandapatan had missed.

In the next second Thor was there, grabbing her, pushing her to safety as bullets flew around them. Then he had his gun back and returned fire.

Too late. Pandapatan was out the door, Jenny close behind him, running up the staircase.

He went after them taking the stairs two at a time, and could hear Riley follow. Pandapatan and Jenny weren't far ahead of him, just a turn, always a turn, so he couldn't get a good aim.

A door banged open somewhere ahead, then a second later he saw it—the roof.

He came out of the staircase fast, dove straight for the cover of a chimney stack as bullets buzzed by him.

"Stay down," he shouted at Riley as she reached the top of the stairs.

Of course, she didn't listen.

The gunfire stopped. What was Pandapatan planning now?

"Cover me," Riley called, matter-of-factly.

Like hell. "You cover me." Thor pushed away from the chimney before she had time to argue.

Footsteps slammed on metal somewhere.

Thor hesitated as he took in the roof, his vision blocked by other staircase entries, chimneys and vent stacks. "Where is he?"

"Fire escape." Riley was passing him already, running to the side.

He caught up with her, looked over the edge with caution. The bastard was halfway down. He aimed his gun, swore, then lowered it. The sidewalk was full of pedestrians below him. Pandapatan and Jenny were moving fast, skipping steps. If the bullet missed—

He swore again, vaulted over the edge and tore after them. Pandapatan glanced back, pulled his gun from his shirt and squeezed off a couple of rounds. Thor turned and stepped in front of Riley to block. The bastard kept the bullets coming, but thankfully running was throwing off his aim. Man, he was moving fast.

Then he was off the last step and making his way toward the cars. He didn't go all the way to the lot. He leveled the gun at a young woman who slowed her car. A few seconds later, she was sprawled on the pavement as Pandapatan and Jenny peeled out of the parking lot in her vehicle.

Thor just about flew down the stairs, jumped the whole last flight. He ran for Riley's car and slammed behind the wheel; picked her up on the way.

The red car Pandapatan drove was just turning at the end of the boulevard. And then it passed out of sight.

"Damn it. He's getting away." Riley yanked the seatbelt across her chest.

Thor pushed the gas pedal to the floor. "The hell he will. Are you hurt?" He noticed for the first time the patch of blood on her shoulder, and eased off the gas. "Who shot you? How bad?"

"Go! Flesh wound. Don't you dare fuss over me." There was murder in her eyes.

"I don't fuss," he said and ran the red light, swerved around traffic.

He made it to the corner and caught sight of the red car again. Pandapatan was going for the highway, probably trying to get out of city traffic so he could make some real progress.

Thor stepped on the gas harder, honked the horn to warn a group of teenagers who were considering stepping onto the road right in front of him.

Riley's hand shot out to brace herself. "Watch the bus!"

He missed it. Barely.

But the tractor trailer that had prematurely jumped the curb to avoid them didn't. It flipped on its side and blocked the road completely.

The cops took their sweet time to clear the accident, even though nobody got seriously hurt.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Thor looked over at Riley in the passenger seat as they waited to be released from the scene.

Her arm had been patched up, courtesy of the paramedics, while he'd talked to the police. She had refused a trip to the hospital. It was what he would have done, but he still wished she had listened to reason.

She was awfully quiet. He'd had to brake pretty damn hard. He hadn't seen her head come into contact with the dashboard, but his attention had been on Pandapatan. She looked a little red in the face. And she was breathing heavy.

"Did you hit anything?" He glanced at the paramedics who hadn't left yet, and debated calling one over to check her head, too.

"What the hell was that on the roof?" Riley turned to him finally, exploding like a hand grenade. "When I tell you to cover me, you cover me. Understood?" She shoved her way out and slammed the door behind her.

That was why she was acting strange? He got out, came over to her side. "I've had—"

She stabbed his chest with her index finger, fire boiling in her brown eyes. "Let me put it in terms you understand. When you're working with me, I am in command."

She was sexy under all conditions. After several days of around-the-clock surveillance, he'd seen her at less than her best. But man, she was hot when she was mad.

Not that his emotions were under complete control. He was pissed as hell that Pandapatan had gotten away, relieved that Riley was okay. His heart had just about stopped when he'd seen Pandapatan put that gun to her head. Adrenaline still raced through him. Got the better of him. He acted without thought, closing the distance between them with a single stride. And then he kissed her.

This time it was for real.

She was in command? She was going to run into a hail of bullets while he stood by? Oh, hell no.

His muscles tightened in some subconscious anticipation that she would fight him. He half expected a knee in the balls. Instead, she went completely still.

After a good long time, when the haze began to clear and he realized they were in public, he let her go.

"Uh… that…" She closed her mouth, but was avoiding looking at him.

He knew how she felt. He glanced down. "Adrenaline, you know…and all that," he said, his voice rusty.

"Yeah." She leaned against the car. "Not gonna happen again."

"No. Sorry. Absolutely not," he lied.

"You're not taking me seriously. You're not even remotely sorry are you?" she asked crisply.

"No," he replied smoothly after a long, pregnant pause. "Fudo was right, what was I thinking bringing you back in—"

"Now you're agreeing with Fudo? Doesn't matter…we have a job to do. The question is, are you going to let me do my job?" she wanted to know.

With a nod, Thor moved away from her before saying, "Let's go."

….

"I left a message with Fudo to let him know what's going on. Are you sure he came here?" Riley watched the forest around them as the car sped over the rising road.

They were out in the backwoods and hadn't seen a town for the last hundred miles.

"Familiar territory. One of the police officer says these were the militia training grounds. If Pandapatan were to leave the safety of his home, he would have done it early on with the rest of his men. He's sticking around. Might be a pride thing. No government is going to run him out, that kind of stuff."

They came around a bend. Thor slowed the car, came to a stop. "There." He nodded toward the side of the road behind them.

She wouldn't have noticed the half-bent grasses in a million years.

"Someone's gone off the road not too long ago."

She peered into the woods. Pandapatan and Jenny were about two hours ahead of them.

Thor backed up, turned onto the path and let the car roll forward slowly. They came upon the abandoned red car a few hundred yards later and approached it with full caution.

"Might have run out of gas," she guessed.

She had so hoped that they would find Pandapatan somewhere in the city. They were in the middle of the wilderness. Her expertise was in high-speed chases and urban pursuit. She could find just about anyone with the help of a good computer. She was lost in the woods. Thor, on the other hand, seemed right at home. He moved silently, with a purpose.

If there was a trail to follow, she sure didn't see it, but considering his background, it was safer to trust the man to lead.

He stole forward among the trees with fluid ease, alert to everything around them. She tried to imitate him as she followed. When they headed up a rocky incline and her feet slipped, he caught her on reflex, pulled her up level to him. They were inches from each other, standing on a ledge.

"Why don't you go first? Straight up here." He pointed out the next handhold.

He probably meant it only so he could catch her if she slipped again. The higher they got, the more damage she could do to herself if she fell, slow them both down. She moved fast to get ahead of him, too fast, she thought as her feet slipped again. His large hand came up and braced her at the back of her thigh.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you." Didn't breathe until he let go.

What the hell was wrong with her? Now was neither the time nor the place for her to feel awkward or guilty. So what if he kissed her? It was just a kiss. A very gentle, but passion filled kiss by a handsome man who happened to be in love with her. The point is she didn't kiss him back. Even if she did, who cares? Certainly not Lucas. Damn! Do not go there. Stop! Rewind, rewind.

Riley focused on the rocks ahead. Okay, so she was a little attracted to her temporary partner. She was mature enough to admit it. And she was disciplined enough to completely ignore it.

She slipped again, and to her mortification he held her up by having her practically sit in his palms. Was he lingering? She grabbed a root and pulled up.