Page 43 of Colombian Chemistry

Always keeping her in my sights.

Just seeing her in the hands of another man had my blood boiling hotter than a volcano. All the primal, animalistic instincts inside of me screamed at me to roar into her rescue and tear apart the men who dared to take her from me. Screamed to rip her from their arms and take her back into mine... where she belonged. Unknown to me until I’d seen her being taken away, somewhere deep inside, I’d claimed her as my own. And no alpha male would let another take away his woman without a fight.

But I had one bullet left, and there were too many of them grouped together to go hand-to-hand. I was strong and fast, highly trained, but even I couldn’t take out seven heavily armed men without risk of losing. Death didn’t mean a damn thing to me. I’d come to terms with that long ago, but if I failed... if I died... it meant they would take Irene to whatever fate awaited her. No, I had to stay alive. Bide my time. Wait for the right moment.

“Load her up,” one of them said when they reached their Jeeps.

That unfamiliar panic started inside me again when they pushed her into the back seat. Where were they taking her? I had no idea. And with no vehicle of my own to follow, if I lost sight of them, I may never find her again. Or at least maybe not in time to stop them from hurting her.

I ran through my options and finally settled on the one I liked least. But it was also the only one that ensured I wouldn’t lose sight of her. I’d figure out the rest later.

I stepped out of the shadows and lifted my hands high. The men saw me coming and pointed their guns, shouting at me to get down. I clasped my hands behind my head and lowered myself to my knees.

“Marcus!” Irene called as she struggled to get free, but they pushed her back in her seat.

The leader of the group strode up to me, then circled me like a shark. “What do we have here?” he asked.

“I’m turning myself in.”

“And what makes you think we want you? It was her we were after. I should just put a bullet in you right now for the trouble you’ve caused us.”

He pointed his gun at me, but I didn’t flinch. “You could, but then you’d be losing out on the information I have for your boss. Information he’ll reward you handsomely for if you bring me to him.”

He sneered. “And what information is that?”

I looked up at him and lifted my lip in a smirk. “I’m not stupid. If I tell you now, you have no reason to keep me alive. Bring me with you, and I’ll tell El Jefe. That’s the deal.”

He twisted his lips while he contemplated my words, then jutted his chin to the man at his left. “Check him for weapons, then restrain him and throw him in the other Jeep.”

Relieved my plan was working, I didn’t resist while they patted me down and wrapped my wrists in duct tape. I gave Irene a steadying stare as I passed her in the Jeep that held her. Her teary eyes nearly broke me to pieces, but I knew the best way to save her, in the long run, was to stay alive and stay with her. Lose the battle to win the war.

***

They may have placed a bag over my head, but that didn’t stop me from piecing together we were in Bogotá. I recognized the sounds and smells as we bumped down the streets. I grinned underneath my hood, grateful I had several places here where we could hide once I got Irene free. There were safe houses all over the world for people like me, and there was one right here in Bogotá... or at least there was a few years ago. I may not be an official spy anymore, but there was a code among all of us that was for life. If the safehouse was still here, Hector would help me.

The Jeep ground to a stop and the voices of our captors grew loud with cheers. I heard more voices joining them in the shouts now echoing off stone walls. From the sounds of it, we’d been taken into an alley of some kind. Someone grabbed my arm and yanked me from the Jeep. I didn’t resist and followed along, listening closely to my surroundings.

Listening for Irene.

“Let me go, you barbarian!” she argued.

I smiled at the sound of her voice. Since we’d been taken in separate Jeeps, it had been five hours since I’d heard it. She was alive and still feisty. Good.

Hang on, Irene. I’m coming for you.

Her arguing grew quieter as they took her away from me, and my lip curled in anger that I could no longer hear her.

Soon, I reminded myself. I just needed to get my bearings, and then I intended to break out and rescue her. At least she was here in Bogotá with me. That was the most important part of my plan.

The man holding my bound wrists led me inside, and I could tell from the echoes of his footfalls that we walked down a narrow stone corridor. I counted my paces and paid attention to the way the sounds bounced off the walls. We’d all been taught echolocation in our training, using clicks from our mouths to navigate even when in the pitch black, but that was impossible with my hood. But even without the proper clicking technique to assess my surroundings, it still worked just listening to the echo of our footsteps. I could tell from the way the echoes of our footsteps changed momentarily that we passed three open doorways on our way to the room where he then shoved me down into a chair.

I didn’t speak or argue as they bound my hands and feet to the chair. I waited patiently until they pulled the hood from my head. When they did, I blinked quickly to adapt to the light. It wasn’t very bright in this dark, dank stone room, so it didn’t take long for my eyes to adjust.

“You.” The leader of the men I recognized from my fight the second time I’d saved Irene narrowed his eyes.

I smiled, narrowing my eyes in return. “Good to see you again. How’s the neck?”

He snarled as he touched the black bruises around his throat. “I should kill you.”