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“Such a fierce little jaguar warrior you are.”
Lauren felt her anger dissolving beneath his warm teasing. The look in Alex’s eyes was for her alone. “You would NEVER turn on me. I KNOW that.”
Raising his brow, Alex wanted to say,the only way I want one of us to turn is you, into my arms. Where you belong. Where you can stay the rest of your life.But he said nothing, paying attention to cleaning his rifle. Around them, the tropical birds sang their different melodies. The humidity was heavy and wet. In the distance, Alex heard a thunderstorm booming and rumbling. It rained every day in the jungle. Thunderstorms were frequent and long. He absorbed Lauren’s face. Tendrils of red hair curled in the humidity at her temples. Recalling how elegant she’d looked in her gray pantsuit walking through the door of the Shield lobby, he smiled to himself. She was complex. He delighted in each layer he discovered within her. Now, she was a ferocious advocate on his behalf. Alex would have given anything to have been somewhere within earshot to eavesdrop on her conversation with Killmer. Lauren took no prisoners.
Near dusk, Merrillreturned, wet, muddy and exhausted-looking. He walked into the camp, rifle over his right shoulder. Lauren was studying the rain-resistant maps that Killmer had given her. She was sitting on a log near the fire pit when Merrill came back into the clearing. He went straight to Killmer who had his ruck spread out in front of his hut. Frowning, Lauren wondered what was going on. It were as if Killmer were keeping her in the dark. Why? Because he didn’t want Alex to know anything? Or as little as possible? Bristling inwardly, Lauren didn’t like the situation at all. Killmer was being damned cagey and she felt as if he were trying to protect her from Alex. That was crazy! But the sergeant was a mature operator and, she was sure, probably had at least a decade of experience under his belt. He was a man who made up his mind and no one was going to change it. She gritted her teeth, unable to hear the conversation going on between Merrill and Killmer.
Killmer rose after Merrill finished with his report. He walked over to where Lauren was and sat down next to her.
“My man tells me that Petrov has arrived. He’s at an Indian village in the highlands, about four clicks from where we met you this morning: Tinti Kaballu. That’s Quechua for ‘dragonfly’. They got a lot of ’em up in that area. Don’t know why, but they have ’em.” He opened his hands and gave her a measured look. “We know this team on sight, have their names, ranks and backgrounds committed to memory. Merrill was saying that Volkov, the second-in-command, was limping badly. Saw a tight wrap around his knee. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, ma’am?”
“So, he came with them,” Lauren muttered darkly. She told the sergeant about running into Volkov in Aguas Calientes. His chiseled mouth drew into a tight grin as she finished her story.
“So, you took out their CQC expert?” He gave her a respectful look. “Not bad, ma’am.” And then he added wryly, “Remind me not to piss you off in a fight.”
Lauren wanted to like the sergeant. He had a dry sense of humor. And with her, he was forthcoming, which was absolutely essential to this op being successful. “I don’t think Volkov knew I’d been trained in Krav Maga,” she said, shrugging off his compliment.
“Oh? You know that Israeli style of fighting?”
She heard the admiration increase in Killmer’s voice. The surprise. Giving him a bored look, Lauren growled, “I’m an instructor of it. You know something, Sergeant? Men, for whatever reason, just tend to take us women for granted. They think that we’re the poor, helpless females who always needs protection. That we can’t stand up and fight for ourselves.”
Killmer rubbed his hand through his beard in thought for a moment. “You’re right,” he finally acknowledged. “It’s a generational thing. We know Secretary of Defense Panetta threw open the doors to all women in the military who wanted to volunteer for combat duty. I just find that hard to accept, is all.”
“At least you’re honest,” Lauren growled, giving him a hard look. She saw him give her a feral grin.
“Ma’am, as much as I think about you as a poor, helpless female in one sense, don’t think I don’t respect your skills. It’s my problem. If I want to be a little overprotective about you, that’s on me.”
“Well,” Lauren snapped, “I have enough to contend with right now. I don’t need four men thinking I’m incapable of protecting MYSELF.”
He chuckled a little. “I’ve observed the same in your partner. He’s a lot like me in that regard.”
Heat nettled Lauren’s cheeks. She wished she would stop blushing! Killmer’s gray eyes danced with amusement. “He’s a good man, Sergeant.” She rose. “And you’re going to find that out soon enough. I’ve chosen some potential sniper sites. I need to sit down with you and Alex to discuss the pros and cons of each of them.” And Lauren made sure her voice was authoritative and that the Army sergeant didn’tbeginto evenstartto protest about Alex being a part of this strategy session.Not even.
CHAPTER 11
“I’m whipped,” Laurenmuttered as she pushed off her combat boots within the hut. Night had fallen, the sound of insects singing in the jungle surrounded them. Another thunderstorm was rolling in across the sky, the sound like drums reverberating throughout the area as it approached. Although the huts looked ugly and piecemeal, she’d found they were at least dry, and that was a godsend for the both of them and their equipment. Special Forces teams knew how to survive off the land where few others ever would. She was grateful for their wealth of experience as she laid down on one of her two silver-foil blankets. They reflected heat back into her body.
Alex kept his boots on as he also lay down to sleep. Although Killmer had sent Cunningham a mile up the trail that led into this meadow to keep watch, Alex knew that anything could happen. His MP-445 pistol lay near his head, unsafed, a bullet in the chamber. Just in case they were compromised by Petrov’s team. “It has been a stressful day,” he agreed. The hut was so small that they had to lay within a foot of one another. Their equipment took up most of the rest of the space, leaving them little available room left over. He worried that Lauren might feel awkward by his nearness. Alex certainly liked her close, but he wasn’t about to tell her that.
Lauren laid down, facing him. It was utterly dark. Only brief flashes of lightning would illuminate the hut for a moment and then she could see him stretched out on his side, his gaze on her. She didn’t feel threatened. Rather, she could sense his concern. “I’m just tired.”
“And your headache?”
“Gone. The Ibuprofen did the trick this morning. My hip is feeling much better, too.”
Alex closed his eyes, one arm beneath the blanket that was his pillow. He had his reflective cover beneath him as well. Although this was the jungle, it could drop to fifty degrees at night. With the high, constant humidity, it was cold. He worried that Lauren would get chilled. She’d brought along her alpaca poncho and had pulled it on over her uniform. That made him feel good. He would never forget the memory of her eyes turning suddenly emotional when he’d stopped at that shop in Aguas Calientes and insisted she buy something to keep her warm.
The hut became silent and Alex listened to the rising wind flowing through the jungle, ahead of the storm coming their way. He could smell the fresh fragrance of Lauren’s skin even though they’d had no place to wash up. Stopping himself from reaching out to caress her cheek, a new flash of lightning revealed that she had closed her eyes. She had pulled the poncho hood up over her head, knowing that most of the body’s heat was lost there. Her hands were tucked beneath her cheek. She looked like an angel to him: innocent. Beautiful.Untouchable.
Alex closed his eyes, absorbing Lauren’s nearness. His mind rat-trapped over everything that had happened today. The fact that Sergeant Killmer didn’t trust him had placed an extra weight upon her shoulders. Lauren was the head of this op. And that was enough responsibility, even without this side issue. He’d known something like this would probably occur. He had to prove himself trustworthy to this Special Forces team. When he’d volunteered earlier to take a four-hour sentry watch to help them spell one another so they could all get some more sleep, Killmer had nixed the idea. It stung that the sergeant thought he might turn against them. Against Lauren. But there was nothing he could do about it.
He listened to Lauren’s softened breathing. It became shallow and slow. He knew she had spiraled deeply into what, he hoped, was a healing sleep for her. This whole mission rested on her shoulders. He smiled a little, thinking about Volkov limping along with Petrov’s team. When Lauren had shared that intel with him, he had felt nothing but pride for her. She was right: she could take care of herself. She had many years in the Marine Corps under her belt, working with black ops teams, and she’d emerged alive, unwounded and unscathed. He wondered if Volkov had told Petrov the truth about his injury. If he had, then the whole team would know that Lauren was an operator. If Volkov’s pride hadn’t allowed him to tell them, then only he knew. That could mean a difference. An important one. And soon, Alex drifted off, the lull of wind and rolling thunder headed their way providing nature’s music to fall asleep to.
The nightmare beganinsidiously, as always, for Lauren. The door to her bedroom would creak open sometime after midnight. She’d wake up scared and paralyzed, her heart beating wildly with fear in her chest. Her foster father’s body would be illuminated and outlined by the light behind him in the hallway. She’d whimper, scoot down beneath her covers, pulling the blanket over her head. If she lay still enough, he might not think she was there in the bed. Drawing her thin legs up toward her body, her cotton nightgown tangling between them, she barely breathed. His footsteps were soft, almost silent. But she could hear him coming. Her heartbeat thudded so loud in her head that she could barely hear him approaching her bed.
Lauren froze as the sound stopped. She knew he was looking down. Looking at her. She began to shake in earnest, unable to remain absolutely still.
“Lauren… sweetie… it’s Daddy…”
