“But never when it would hurt you…” Then he just lay quietly, holding her close for the next few minutes and stroking her hair.
Peace, safety, utter contentment…
He sighed, then lifted himself and bent over and kissed her. “Time to go.” He kissed her again. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be glad to think that one of us is getting a little snooze time.” Then he was rolling away from her and getting up. “And in case you start worrying, I’ll have an entire team down at the bridge to watch my back.”
“But I’d do it better,” she whispered. “I have more at stake.”
He chuckled. The next minute, he’d turned and left the camp.
Celine wasn’t about to try to go back to sleep. She wanted desperately to follow Dominic, but he was right about her not being any real help to the men rebuilding that bridge and trail. So, try to think… There had to be something of value she could offer besides just trying to comfort and watch over Quinn. Particularly since the Quinn with whom she had become familiar on this hellish trek was hard as nails and just as much on edge as Dominic had described.
“I saw Dominic leaving when I was coming up the trail.”
She looked up to see it was Quinn himself coming across the campground toward her, his voice and general appearance just as lethal and on edge as Celine had expected. He appeared positively haggard. “I suppose he told you about Caldwell’s latest disaster?” His lips tightened. “I can’t let this one happen. I need you to help stop it.”
“That’s easy to say,” she said ruefully. “You know that I’ll do anything I can. But Dominic has just pointed out how useless I’d be helping with the construction.”
“I got a similar response,” Joe said. “And I can see his reasoning. But that just means that we have to go and do what we can in our own way. I can’t let those sons of bitches kill Eve and Michael while I’m waiting around for that bridge to be repaired.”
She shuddered. “I can see that. But is it too much to ask what you believe is our way?”
He held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. “Walk with me and I’ll tell you, where there’s not all of these eager ears ready to listen. Dominic would probably break my neck if he knew I was going to ask you to leave the team for even the short time I’m planning.”
She stiffened. “Is that what you’re doing? Why?”
“Because a good friend of yours took the trouble to come to see me before we left the falls. Kontara didn’t like the idea of you going off to that village with our forces. She thought you might get yourself killed. Particularly if we ran into any of Zakira’s troops in the jungle. But she also didn’t like the idea of Eve and Michael being in danger. So she said she was going to keep on searching for a way to the village herself and let us know if she found one. She wasn’t sure she’dbe successful, but she said she’d try.” His lips twisted. “And now I’m desperate and don’t have a choice. She told me to keep you from doing anything stupid and to call her if we needed her.”
“That sounds like her.” Celine was shaking her head. “Even though she was terrified of going back to that village, she was still trying to protect me.”
“Very laudable,” Joe said quietly. “But Dominic would gather an army to protect you. It’s not you who is in danger right now. I even tried to discourage Kontara from being reckless, but everything has changed now since we need to know if she’s discovered any other way to get to Shafira. Preferably one that we could use to move an army—or if not, one that I could use to slip into the village and at least get Michael out. I need you to contact her for me.”
Celine frowned as she suddenly realized something. “Eve?”
“I’ll probably have to go back for her,” he said haltingly. “We’ve agreed our son is in more danger right now.”
And it was obviously killing him to have made that decision, Celine thought. She could see the pain he was trying to hide, and she wanted desperately to help him. She smiled gently and started to reach for her phone. “Then let’s see if Kontara got lucky and found what you need.” She quickly looked through her phone’s directory for Kontara’s satellite phone. “And hope that she didn’t change her mind about trying to do it after she talked to you the night we left.”
The phone rang several times but Kontara finally answered. “Celine?” Her voice was tense. “What’s wrong? Are you having problems?”
“You might say that. We’re having trouble following thattrail leading to Shafira and wondered if you’d managed to find an alternative.”
Kontara was cursing softly. “I was afraid of that. I thought it might be either a trap or an ambush. It was too easy, and Zakira never makes anything easy. Take it from someone who knows. Which one was it?”
“Neither. Caldwell just saw fit to dynamite a bridge and practically the entire forest around it. It’s probably going to take us too long to repair it; we need to move fast right now. You didn’t answer me. Alternative?”
“I found a couple,” Kontara said. “And I guarantee neither one is easy. It’s the kind of escape exit I used when I was a prisoner there. Which makes it a nightmare. A waterfall and some of thickest maze shrubbery I’ve ever seen. You’d have a hard time getting through it.”
“I don’t doubt it, but it’s Quinn who asked me to call you and ask you these questions.”
“Quinn?” A pause. Then she said, “Of course, Eve and her son. Quinn could probably manage to use the maze exit. He was a SEAL. But I’m not sure about the others.”
“I’m positive he’d make sure his son made it.” Celine hesitated. “At present Eve Duncan’s removal may have to be put on hold.”
“Shit.”
“I agree,” Joe said hoarsely. “Where are you, Kontara? And would you be willing to help me get to Shafira to save my son? Celine told me that you were terrified of dealing with those people again. I promise I won’t ask you to help with the actual rescue. You’ll only have to tell me where it is or take me there.After I find a way to get him out, maybe you could meet me somewhere and help us find our way back here.”
Silence.
