Only then did she open the door and peek out. Clear. She slipped out and headed the opposite way she’d come. She couldn’t go the other way. Though she really wanted to go check on Jack. He’d be upset if she did. He wanted her to run and that’s what she’d do.
She hurried down the hall and turned the corner. Darci gasped when she recognized her surroundings and her heart started racing with excitement. The courtyard where they’d arrived. Yes.
Making a run for it, she slid into the night and let the cool air envelope her like a comforting embrace, and inhaled the scent of tropical flowers and rich rainforest.
Now what? Darci glanced around and to her dismay realized that the path leading to the boat was no longer lit. Which way had they come from when they’d arrived?
The kidnappers had probably turned off the lights so the authorities wouldn’t know anyone stayed on the island. This group would cover all the bases and wouldn’t make a simple mistake like leaving torches to light the way.
There weren’t many options. She could go back into the house, try her luck in the jungle or stay put. None of them sounded promising. If she went back into the house she’d be caught for sure. If she went into the jungle she’d be lost and never found. And if she stayed here she’d be found.
The canopy of trees overhead filtered the moonlight so that once she stepped out of the light she would be in total darkness. Darci didn’t know the first thing about the jungle or surviving in one.
She needed Jack. He’d know what to do. Lights were turning on inside the house all over the place. They would soon take the search outside.
Heading for the jungle, Darci tripped over uneven ground and had only gone a few feet before it swallowed her up and the light disappeared.
She dropped down to the ground, her gaze aimed toward the shouts coming out of the courtyard.
A sharp, female voice said, “She’s out here. Find her and bring her to me.” Darci would recognize that voice anywhere and it gave her the chills every time she heard it. The next voice terrified her.
“You have who you want. She’s mine.”
“You had your chance, little brother, and you let her escape. Now my prisoner is missing and we don’t get paid until we find her. What you want is no longer important.”
“Dammit, Eva, I screwed up. It won’t happen again,” Heath snarled.
“You’re right it won’t, because I’m not going to give you the chance. Time’s running out. We have to find the woman and get that necklace.”
A muttered curse followed by the sound of a door slamming. Eva gave the order to search and her guards obeyed. Darci could see their flashlights bouncing through the trees in front of them. She ducked down. It would be light in few hours. She’d wait it out until then.
As the flashing beams grew closer, Darci squeezed her eyes shut and hoped for the best.
Chapter Five
Someone grabbed a handful of Darci’s hair.
She cried out in protest and pain. “Hey. Let go of me.”
He didn’t, of course. Instead his grip tightened as he pulled her roughly to her feet. In the dim glow of his flashlight she could see his face. The same guard who’d backhanded her earlier.
Struggling against his grip, Darci tried to wrench free, but the oaf jerked her back and tightened his hold.
“Okay, okay,” she muttered, going still beneath his grip.
Lights bounced through the trees surrounding them as the jerk holding her shouted their location. Darci tried to think of something to get free, but came up empty. Tired and sore and scared, she wanted nothing more than to be off this godforsaken island. She longed for her own bed and a bubble bath. Preferably with Jack naked beside her.
Whoa. Where had that come from? She voted for fantasies, but now? How could she be fantasizing about Jack with danger staring her in the face, unsure whether he was alive or dead? She was losing it.
She could hear the others crashing through the brush now. It wouldn’t be long before they were back in the house, locked up where she’d started. Things just kept going in circles.
When the others arrived, boy, the Amazon woman fumed. Darci saw the murderous look in her eyes and figured she’d be better off taking her chances with Heath.
They led her to the courtyard and forced her to stand before the blond woman as she slowly circled her. Darci felt like a lamb led to slaughter and waited for the ax to fall. The Amazon stopped in front of her. Darci had to look up in order to meet her eyes.
“You have proved to be very resourceful,” she said.
Darci didn’t answer.
“You almost cost me a great deal of money. I don’t like to be crossed. I’m going to show you how much.”
Fear swept up Darci’s spine. She didn’t want to be here. Sadistic and painful didn’t sound like fun. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
Eva leaned down to peer in Darci’s face. The scent of her sweet perfume almost gagged Darci, but she managed to keep it down. Behind her, Heath chuckled.
“My brother carelessly trusted you. I won’t make that mistake. Tell me, have you ever had screws pushed under your fingernails?”
Darci’s eyes widened. No, she hadn’t ever experienced that.
“Tell me where the necklace is. Now.”
She couldn’t give up her most treasured heirloom. Wouldn’t die for it either. Grammy wouldn’t want that. A shout from one of the guards inside the house stopped her from telling them it was in Jack’s hands and they would never get it.
“The other guy’s gone! And he’s got Hank’s weapons!”
To Darci’s surprise Eva and Heath began arguing, throwing insults toward each other, temporarily forgetting the necklace. The guards ran off in search of Jack.
She searched frantically for a way to escape.
****
Jack crouched low behind Darci, knife in hand. The twins were arguing over who was more incompetent and Jack seized the opportunity. He pressed against Darci’s back and slid a hand over her mouth before she could scream. His other arm slipped around her waist and he melted into the jungle with her before the guard knew what had happened.
When she started struggling, he put his lips near her ear and whispered to her. She immediately went limp in his arms. He removed his hand from her mouth. She spun around and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck.
“Oh, Jack, thank God.” By the way her voice wavered, she tried not to cry.
“It’s me, sweetheart, but we can’t stay here. We have to keep moving.”
The angry shouts behind them confirmed that, and when Jack heard the order given to find them he moved, dragging Darci with him.
He headed toward the ocean. If they could get to the boat, they could escape. He put his arm up to keep leaves and branches from hitting Darci, but in the darkness it proved difficult. He heard her gasp a couple times and stumble once.
Men crashed through the trees behind them and flashlights bobbed. Even if they made it to the boat they wouldn’t get far. He needed another plan, another place to hide until the search moved to another part of the jungle.
Coming to a stop, he scanned the jungle around them. Darci panted at his side.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Follow me.” He grabbed her hand and led her to a tall, gnarled tree a few feet ahead.
He stopped at the large base and turned to Darci. “Okay, up you go. Ever climbed a tree before?”
“Yeah, but not in a very long time.” She looked up. “You want me to climb that?”
Dawn approached; it wouldn’t be long before the sun would be up. Jack wanted to be off the island by that time.
“You can do it. Come on, darling, up you go.”
“I don’t know about this.” She placed a foot on the trunk. “It’s been awhile.”
“You’ll do fine. I’ll be right behind you.”
She reached up, grabbed a branch and hoisted herself up. “To catch me when I fall or to look up
my skirt?”
Jack grinned as he followed her up.
“Both.” He nudged her along. She climbed carefully and Jack tried not to look up her skirt. When he heard shouts below them he urged her along until they found a branch big enough to sit on.
He nudged her far enough out that he could move into position behind her. Once he settled on the limb, with his gun propped beside him and knife beneath his thigh, he reached for Darci and pulled her back against him. She came willingly and settled between his thighs, her head resting on his chest.
Below them men crashed through the brush, still searching. He felt Darci stiffen when one of them stopped directly below to light a cigarette. Jack tightened his arm around her waist, silently telling her to be still. The guy would never know they were there if they didn’t make any noise.
He could feel the tension in her muscles, her hands squeezing his legs. One wrong move could give away their location and they’d be back where they started.
The guy below them leaned against the trunk smoking and taking his time. If Eva were to find him like this she’d kill him for sure.
Darci’s breath came in quick, shallow pants so Jack carefully wrapped his other arm around her and lowered his lips to her ear. “Relax,” he murmured in a voice barely above a whisper.
He moved a hand up to her chest and pressed gently, forcing her to slow her breathing to match his. She didn’t fight him, simply laid her trust in his hands and let him help her. Soon she leaned against him, relaxed. The guy below them finished his cigarette and moved on.
“Is he gone?” Darci tried to peer down.
Jack did a visual scan of the area. “Yeah, and I don’t see any more flashlights.”
“Is it safe to get down now?”
He wanted to say yes, they could move, but something told him to stay put for a few more minutes. Eva wouldn’t give up easily. It wouldn’t surprise him if her men turned off the flashlights and waited for them to move.
“Soon, but not yet.”
“You think they’re up to something?” Her voice sounded tired.
Jack kissed the top of her head. “Use the time to rest for a few minutes. I’ll let you know when it’s time to go.”
Her head moved up and down and she went limp against him. She had been through hell the past few hours. He knew from experience what that could do to a body. There were parts of this night he knew nothing about. Like what had happened after Heath carried her off and how she’d managed to escape.
“Don’t let go of me.”
Jack tightened his arms around her, knowing she had drifted asleep. “Never.” Why did it sound so permanent? Why didn’t he mind?
****
“Where’s the boat?”
Jack wondered the same thing. They stood on the sandy beach with the sun just starting to rise, staring at an empty dock. Waves lapped gently against the sand. A peaceful morning, but Jack felt anything but serene.
“They left us here.” Darci put her hands on her hips.
“They didn’t leave us, honey, they just hid the boat somewhere else.”
Darci turned to him. In the morning light he could see dark circles under her eyes, stress lines around her mouth and the paleness of her skin. He’d allowed her to rest for a half hour before they were on the move again. The stress of their situation was catching up to her. The sadness in her eyes weakened him.
“We aren’t leaving?”
Jack cupped her shoulders. “We’ll be leaving soon, I promise. We’re going to make it off this island. I promised you a dinner and I never break my promises.”
That earned him a smile. “Looking forward to it. What do we do now?” Fire sparked in her eyes. Much better.
“We search the island for a boat.”
****
Darci opened her eyes. Why she was lying on the ground? She had the headache of all headaches. Maybe she’d just lie there for a minute. As she looked around, she saw someone had used large leaves and sticks to make a shelter. It bowed over her head and completely covered her, protecting her from the hot sun.
Jack.
Fully awake now, Darci sat up and looked around the empty space. How long had she been out?
Swallowing her unease, she searched for a doorway. It took her a minute to find where the leaves were slightly parted. She moved them aside and looked out. Ocean in front of her. Camouflaged in the jungle bordering the beach. She bet that if she climbed out of her nifty little hideaway she’d never find it again. It blended perfectly with the vegetation around her, which she suspected was the intention.
Once again, Jack had surprised her with his Navy SEAL skills.
Ducking her head in, she replaced the leaves and scooted back until she sat in the middle of the hut. Enough light came through the leaves that she could see just fine, with a nice cross-breeze blowing off the ocean and the taste of salt in the air. All in all it, pretty comfortable.
All of that was just peachy except for one thing; no Jack. She didn’t know where he’d gone, what he was doing, if he’d been captured. He’d taken the time to make sure she’d be safe, but what about him?
Darci ground her teeth together. He’d made the shelter for her when her migraine came on. Dehydration, stress, he’d said. He told her she needed rest and she’d only slow him down, so he built this hidesite and told her to stay until he returned.
Letting out a short breath, she looked around her, undecided what she should do. If she went looking for Jack she might get lost, then she’d never find him. But what if he needed her? If she stayed here, she’d never know. What if he didn’t come back?
She didn’t want to think about that. He would come back. He had to. How else would she get off this island?
With a sigh, Darci stretched out on the sandy ground and closed her eyes. She could sleep for a week, but she too wired. Too worried. She wanted Jack here. Safe. He hadn’t slept either and he was in worse shape than her. She only had a couple of bruises. He was covered in them and he had an open wound that had probably started bleeding again.
Darn it, Jack, where are you?
****
Darci sat on her knees inside her stick house, afraid to breathe. She had been waiting here for what seemed an eternity and still no sign of Jack. Was it Jack outside? She couldn’t be sure and she knew better than to look out in case it wasn’t. He didn’t usually make noise when he walked. The person outside rustled through the leaves as if searching for something. Or someone. She listened closely. More than one? She couldn’t tell.
Wringing her hands together in her lap, she waited and listened. She trusted Jack had done a good job hiding her, but that didn’t ease her fears. What if they found her? They would take her back to that house.
Oh, God, come back Jack! They were right outside the door now. She sat still as stone, trying to see through the gaps in the leaves without avail. She couldn’t see a thing. Maybe they couldn’t see her either.
Pressing a fist to her mouth, Darci listened to the footsteps shuffling dangerously close. One more step and they would trip over her. She needed a weapon. But had none.
“Find anything?” an unfamiliar male voice asked from somewhere on the beach, making her jump.
“No, but there’s something…” another voice answered from above her.
“Is there something there or not? It’s hot and I’m hungry. I say let them scour the beaches. We’ve been all over this island.” He sounded irritated and short.
“Yeah, I’d like to see you tell them that. Give me a minute while I check this out.”
“Check what out? All I see are leaves.”
“Yeah, I know, it’s just—”
“Oh, for Christssake, come on. I’m outta here. We’ll tell them we didn’t find anything.”
The man above her hesitated. Darci knew he’d found her. Her heart beat so hard she thought it would beat right out of her chest. Sweat trickled down her back.
The leaves covering her head rustled and she stifled a scream.
He’d found her. Any minute now he would pull off her cover and grab her. Despite her fear, she knew she could fight back. She knew enough to defend herself, but with two of them...
“I’m going back. You can stay here and dig through leaves by yourself.”
She heard his voice trail away, and stared at the roof of her shelter, waiting for it to slowly be lifted. One of the leaves moved, parting slightly.
“All right, all right, I’m coming, but you’re telling her.”
Darci’s breath escaped in a rush.
“Oh, God.” She doubled over and clutched her stomach, feeling sick. If Jack didn’t show up soon she was going to lose it. A woman could only take so much.
“Come back, Jack,” she moaned.
****
A boat. She could hear the whine of the motor in the distance.
Darci rose to her knees and reached for the leaves making up the doorway, then paused. Heath or his murdering sister? What if it wasn’t? She didn’t want to miss her chance to flag down a passing boat. This might be their way off the island and she didn’t want to blow it.
The boat drew closer and louder. The motor revved up like it ran at top speed.
She heard it approaching the beach in front of where she hid. What if the two guys from earlier had come back to investigate further? This time they would find her for sure.
A cold finger slid down her spine. Not again. She couldn’t do it.
She heard the boat power down. Close enough to be right on the beach.
Darci sat, frozen in place. They knew. They’d found her.
The leaves blocking the door were tossed aside and a tall figure ducked through the opening.
“Hi, honey, I’m ho—”
Darci screamed and threw a handful of sand at him. It hit him in the eyes and he reared back. She took the opportunity to escape and shoved him backward. Blinded by the sand in his eyes, he didn’t see it coming as she scrambled over him, desperate to escape. She wasn’t going back to that house.
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