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“I think Shark thinks I am all of the above.”
“Oh, fuck him. He doesn’t know you. Other people’s opinions don’t really matter. It’s what you think that matters.” He cupped her cheek. “It takes courage to look at yourself honestly and to be able to recognize the parts of you that might need a little work.”
“I bet you don’t know a thing about that?” she said, her voice filled with sarcasm.
He chuckled. “According to my instructors, I had plenty to learn. Except I get to hold you in my arms instead of sending you off to surf torture, or log PT or…” He shivered. “...the O course.”
“Can you still do that stuff?” she asked a little breathlessly. She ran her finger over his biceps.
“Yeah, but other than the O Course, would I choose to?”
“I’m guessing not. Log PT? Surf torture? What are those? They sound awful.”
“Come on. I’ll tell you in the truck how spending hours in cold surf or lugging around a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound log builds teamwork. We better get back on the road. We’re a little ahead of schedule, but I don’t want to miss our exfil.” He rose with her in his arms. “You’re much lighter than a log, and much prettier.”
“Oh, geez, try to tamp down those compliments, Prince Charming.”
* * *
Shark jumpeddown off the troop truck. Ever since they left Caracas, it had been a brutal ride, hard seats, barely a backrest, dealing with the sweltering heat and heavy humidity. But Shark had been born to do this shit; endurance was his middle name and he’d handle it as he had so many times in his life. Easy was out there being hunted and with a woman Shark didn’t trust. His pal had a soft spot for hostages, and it wasn’t hard to see the beauty beneath all that grime and dirt. Shark had to admit the woman did have some backbone. She hadn’t had an easy time of it as was clear from her bloody face and nose, and those bruises. Anger tripped in him at that brutality to an innocent, hard-working woman. What hardship she must have endured…maybe he could cut her some slack on the obsession with her shoes.
He glanced over at Ramos again. He was on the phone and Shark would have given his left nut to find out what he seemed so eager about. The Mayhem twins, Garcia and Tovar stood like twin towers next to him. Neither one of them looked that friendly. SEBIN, those soulless, sanctioned killers wouldn’t get anywhere near his buddy or their HVT. Shark had them painted with his own personal laser.
He was officially out of range from Tex and the team, and he needed a cell phone. As he came around the truck after relieving himself, he ran right into a familiar face.
For a moment, both of them froze.
Juan, the guard who had helped him, first because of the money, then afterward out of the blue when Shark had been in a hairy situation because…Shark wasn’t exactly sure why. There hadn’t been any time for him to ask. Juan saved his bacon.
“Oh, mierda, tú no otra vez. ¿Eres el centavo proverbial, amigo mío?” which translated to “Oh, shit, not you again. Are you the proverbial penny, my friend?Juan’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you and me cool,amigo?” Shark asked, ready with his tactical knife if Juan looked at all squirrelly.
“Sí, amigo. We’re tight. How stupid would I be to turn in the guy who greased my palms so that brave littlechicacould get rescued.” He looked over his shoulder at Ramos. “She did what a lot of guards couldn’t do—stand up to that bastard. He would torture me until I begged for death.”
“Do you know what’s going on?”
“He’s had men going door to door at the barrio. Some old guy was spotted with a shiny new watch and no old truck. After being pressed, and we both know what that means, the old man spilled. Some man and a terrified, filthy woman traded the watch for the truck. That truck was spotted in Trujillo at a motel. He’s calling for a chopper to search the roads.”
“Fuck,” Shark said and there was no way to get in touch with either Easy or Tex. “Do you have a cell phone on you?”
“Sure.” Juan delved into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Shark wasted no time in calling HQ, and they patched him to Tex. He came on the line.
“Shark?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve some bad news. Ramos knows that Easy traded his watch for an old pickup truck. He’s calling in a chopper—"
“Armedchopper,” Juan said, giving Ramos a nasty look. Damn if that didn’t attract the attention of one of those butchers…Garcia. Shark suspected one of them or both killed Cole. Shark felt the freshness of his own grief again and the deep sympathy for Dagger, but Shark collected himself quickly. One mistake in the field and he’d be visiting Cole.
“Armed, LT, to track them down.” The man’s cold, empty eyes flashed over Juan, then dismissed him, but then those eyes landed on Shark. A pair of the coldest eyes Shark had ever seen, and he’d encountered some heartless mass-murderinghombres. He tried not to look hostile, even though every predatory instinct in him told him to headshot all three of them and make a break for it. But obviously his hey-I’m-cool-dude look didn’t seem to satisfy Garcia, his eyes narrowed. That kind of sadistic killer knew a threat when he saw one and Shark was a threat. “Have you heard from Easy?”
“No. Not since the motel. He was going to check in at his next destination. He procured a cell phone, and I can call him. He’s ditching the truck nearEncontrados. That town has access to the Catatumbo River. We’re picking them up in the park and you already have the coordinates. Make sure you get your ass there on time, too, Shark.”
“I’m not worried about exfiling out of this country. They’re not looking for me, so if I don’t make it, take off without me.” Garcia started walking toward them, fingering the knives on his belt.Don’t try it, amigo,Shark thought.I’ll make you eat those shiny toys.He wanted to see how Garcia fared with an unbound, armed SEAL. “I’ll be in touch again.” Garcia was almost within earshot. “I’ve got to go, Tex. Hopefully, you can get word to Easy.”
“Problem?” Tex asked, reacting to the tension in Shark’s voice.
“Not anything I can’t handle. See you soon I hope.”
