Phoebe humphed. “Well, his injuries were serious.”
“Perhaps males aren’t as resilient as females, My Queen,” Mari suggested. “He may need a bit more time than one of us to recover.”
The queen nodded as if this made perfect sense.
Elizabeth cleared her throat. She rose and took a step away from Logan’s bed. Time to at least try to open Queen Phoebe’s eyes to Logan’s humanity and intelligence. “Your Majesty, may I introduce Professor Logan Spencer. Professor Spencer, Her Royal Highness Phoebe, Queen of the Amazons.”
Logan made a huge production out of swinging his leg over the side of the cot and hauling his body to a sitting position. He used both hands to push to a standing position, then he added a slight sway once fully upright. Elizabeth nearly rolled her eyes. Logan never had any difficulty with drama. Playing along, she reached for his arm, but he stopped her with a stoically raised hand. He bowed deeply at the waist. “The honor is mine, Your Majesty.”
As he straightened, the queen drew back. Her eyes widened with surprise. None of the women had seen Logan standing up. Even for a woman accustomed to men, he was impressive. For the Amazons, he must look like King Kong. Six-foot-four, muscular limbs, broad shoulders, narrow waist, drool-worthy bare chest. Elizabeth was sure Phoebe, the tallest warrior among the Amazons, wasn’t accustomed to looking up at anyone. Logan’s lineman’s shoulders dwarfed even the royal guards, who were thicker of stature than most of the other tribeswomen.
Logan must’ve picked up on the queen’s unease. His huge body trembled slightly. His knees buckled and dropped onto his bunk. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I seem unable to pay you proper respect.”
Queen Phoebe’s frown deepened. For the first time since Elizabeth arrived in the valley, the Amazon leader looked unsure. Uncertainty equaled instability.
Mari intervened. “Perhaps he requires sustenance.”
The monarch’s head tipped in a single affirmation. “Provide him with sufficient repast.” Her gaze scanned him from head to foot then back up again. Again, doubt crossed her regal features. “He must require vast quantities of nourishment.”
Was she afraid of Logan? That didn’t make sense. Mari said they’d kept men in the past. But the only pants they’d had on hand were well above Logan’s ankles. Maybe it was his size that was intimidating Phoebe. Whatever the reason, Elizabeth sensed something was off with the queen. Her attitude was sending the hair on Elizabeth’s nape into a paranoid frenzy.
“I will arrange it.” Mari bowed to the queen, then cast a glance at Logan’s naked chest. “I’ll have our seamstresses prepare some larger clothing as well.”
Elizabeth sent up a silent prayer that Phoebe didn’t decide Logan was too large or too strong to manage. The Amazons would slaughter him in a second. Logan was strong and fit, and Elizabeth had no doubt he’d fight, but he was no match for dozens of armed Amazons. The tribe’s warriors were seasoned soldiers, practiced in killing and possessing a Spartan-like pragmatism when it came to preserving their race.
“Thank you for caring for him, Dr. Elizabeth,” Phoebe said. “You take great risk for your patient.”
“I feel no threat, Your Majesty,” Elizabeth assured her. “Professor Spencer has been a complete gentleman. We’ve had a lovely conversation. In his country, he is a teacher and a scientist.”
The queen turned to leave, suspicion and alarm hovering in her eyes. Apparently Phoebe was not convinced of Logan’s agreeable temperament or intelligence. “I will leave my guards for your protection, Doctor. You are too valuable to the tribe and I’d hate to have to destroy such a prime specimen.” She gave Logan one final hard look. “If you need any assistance, just call out.”
Elizabeth kicked herself for pushing too hard. Still she had to take the shot and attempt to make Phoebe see Logan as more than a prized stud.
Elizabeth and Logan exchanged stares. No more privacy. She hated to leave him, but they’d accomplish nothing more while the queen had eyes and ears on them. “You get some rest. I’ll go see about your meal, Professor.” Elizabeth squeezed his shoulder, hoping to offer some reassurance.
“Goodbye then. Thank you for everything, Doctor.”
As Elizabeth left the cell she glanced over her shoulder. Logan, ever strong and resilient, gave her a reassuring wink, but she couldn’t dispel her core-deep worry and disappointment. Their reunion, which should have been joyous, had taken a desperate and sad turn.
Elizabeth hurried out of the room, but her heart ached. She watched the guard close the door, locking Logan securely behind them. As the bars slid securely into place Elizabeth caught just a hint of despair in his eyes, but he quickly masked it. She’d only seen that look once before on Logan’s face. The day she’d broken his heart.
Elizabeth walked into their apartment, the letter with her grant approval tucked in her briefcase. Her dreams were about to come true. She was finally going to the Amazon to study medicinal plants. A pang of sadness marred her excitement. She wasn’t in time to save her mother or sister from cancer, but if Elizabeth could prevent future women from suffering as they had, dedicating her life to science would be worth it.
She had to pack. Her presence on the team was a last-minute addition and they shipped out in the morning.
“Elizabeth.” Logan’s voice pulled her out of her plans. He emerged from the bedroom, jamming something into his pocket. The glow radiating from him matched the way she felt. “You’re early.”
Her knuckles tightened on the leather handle of her briefcase. The dining area was draped in candles and flowers. “What’s going on?”
Logan took her briefcase. “Come in. Have a glass of wine. Tonight is a very special night.”
Had she forgotten an anniversary or something? Elizabeth’s gaze followed the case as Logan set it against the wall. “Oh, Logan. It’s all beautiful and I hate to spoil it, but I’ve got so much to do tonight it’s not funny.”
He tugged her closer, pulling her against his own huge frame. His hands splayed hot across her back. Rock-hard arms caged her hips. “God, you smell good.” He nuzzled the side of her neck. “Good thing dinner can simmer awhile.”
Although tempted to make love with him one last time before she broke his heart, she resisted and pushed against his chest. “What’s all this about?”
“I was going to wait until tonight, but…” He took her hand, dropped to one knee and reached into his pocket. “Liz, I love you. Will you marry me?” He opened a black velvet box and revealed a perfect diamond ring.
Elizabeth’s heart squeezed as she stared at the gleaming gem. Why tonight?
“Liz? What’s wrong?” Logan frowned and the pressure on her chest clamped down harder. She stepped to her briefcase. A weak hand retrieved the letter.
Logan’s face remained expressionless as he read the message. “You’re leaving.”
“I can’t pass this up. Think of all the cures waiting to be discovered. Come with me. I’m sure I can talk Dr. Bennet into one more anthropologist.”
He stood and turned to the window, his mouth tightened. “Dr. Bennet already has an anthropologist for this project. I’d be a waste of resources. And I’ve already committed to teaching next semester. You know that.” His eyes turned accusatory.
“Logan, I…”
“I can’t compete with the ghosts of your mother and sister.” Logan turned away, his posture stiff with anger. “Just go, Liz.”
Her heart squeezed as the memory faded. It had taken two long, lonely years in this village for her to finally come to terms with why she’d really walked out that door.
Yes, Logan was practically Indiana Jones, going on amazing expeditions, having unbelievable adventures. Yes, she was concerned about being overshadowed by him. But it was more that. She’d lost too many people she’d loved too soon. She hadn’t been ready to open herself up, to let Logan become more of her world, to fill more of her heart.
To risk having it broken again.
But now, after all
this time and everything she’d been through, she knew she had to take the chance. She couldn’t survive losing him now that she’d found him again.
As she left, she glanced into the chamber across from Logan’s cell, the one with the miniature lab, the sturdy table—and the shackles.
Chapter Seven
“Dr. Elizabeth, I came to warn you.” Mari rushed into Elizabeth’s lab, panic in her eyes.
“Warn me? About what? What’s wrong?” Elizabeth scrambled to collect the papers that she’d spread across her lab table and whirled to face her.
“I was bringing the male—”
“His name is Logan.” Elizabeth wanted to embed his name in their minds. If she could make them see him as human maybe they’d rethink killing him. Unlikely, but if her plan didn’t pan out, she wanted to give him every shot at life she could.
Mari nodded. “I was bringing Logan his meal, and I overheard the queen and Areta in the hallway. They are moving him to the collection room soon. They are concerned about his size, particularly if the healing waters increased his strength as typically happens when an Amazon is submerged.”
“That’s why they’re afraid of him.” Elizabeth’s pulse skipped. She hadn’t imagined the fear in the queen’s eyes. Phoebe was worried the Amazons wouldn’t be able to control Logan. “Do you know what their plan is?”
“They are going to begin collections tonight, as soon as they are finished preparing Areta and one other warrior for reception of his seed. They want to get what they need from him and then get rid of him before he gets too strong.”
“Dammit. Mari, where is the collection room?” Elizabeth was afraid she already knew.
“It’s across from his cell.”
She’d been right. The chamber of horrors.
The room wavered for a moment. It felt like all the blood drained from her head. Strong. She had to stay strong. Elizabeth took a deep breath, but her hands trembled and the pages she clutched fluttered to the floor. Mari bent and retrieved a paper that landed at her feet. She scanned Elizabeth’s incomplete diagram of the valley.
“You’re trying to escape? You want to leave the tribe?” Mari glanced up at Elizabeth with an unreadable look in her eyes.
Momentarily frozen with indecision, Elizabeth returned her stare. After a few heartbeats, she straightened and went with honesty. “I don’t belong here, Mari, and I won’t allow Logan to die.” I love him with all my heart. I never should have left him.
Mari remained silent a moment longer. She stepped to the doorway and placed her hand against the wall. The opening filled with rock, sealing them in. Once the room was secure, Mari spoke. “I will help you on the condition that you take me with you.”
Elizabeth goggled. “What?”
“I know there is more than this valley. I’m not like the others. I want to learn, see the world. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life here.” Mari crossed her arms. “Besides, you’ll never get out of the valley without me. Only an Amazon can open the portal.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Long ago I tried to sneak out of the valley without permission. I didn’t want to leave. I just wanted to see.” Mari looked at the floor. “My action could have put the tribe’s very existence at risk. It will never be forgiven. Working with you has shown me that I can be more than a servant. If you leave, I’ll be a true slave again. I could not bear that. I’d rather die.”
For the first time since the Amazons carried Logan in on that stretcher, hope filled Elizabeth. With Mari’s help, they had a chance. “It’s a deal.”
Mari helped gather the rest of the papers. She spread them out on the table again, selected a map and picked up a pencil. “This is the trail that leads out of the valley. Getting to it won’t be easy, and we only have a few hours.”
“Logan?” Elizabeth shook his still body and whispered, “Logan, wake up.”
Logan stirred. His eyes shot open. He struggled against the metal bands over his wrists and ankles that shackled him to the table as if the restraints were human assailants.
“Get away from me. Stay back,” he growled, still straining against the cuffs. His powerful body arched, but the metal straps held as if by magic.
“Logan. It’s me. It’s Liz. Come on, wake up. Stop fighting and look at me.”
Recognition finally kicked in and he went still. He blinked and focused on her, staring deep into her eyes. Anger ebbed into relief. “Liz?”
“Yes.” She smiled down at Logan.
A scraping sound behind her made her glance over her shoulder. Mari was dragging the guard into the cell. A tranquilizer dart protruded from the guard’s neck.
“Mari?”
Her assistant glanced up. “I stole these this morning. No one pays much attention to a servant.”
Once the guard was out of sight of the hallway, Elizabeth gestured for Mari to release Logan. Mari approached the table and touched the edge. A soft glow shone from beneath her palm and the restraints slid smoothly back into the table.
“What the hell?” Logan rubbed his wrist as he rose.
“Are you okay?” Elizabeth asked.
“I’m fine. A team of them showed up at my ‘room.’ All of them giving me the once-over like I was a side of beef and they hadn’t had meat in a long time. Well, they weren’t taking me without a fight. Liz, the power and strength that surged through me, it was intense. I felt immortal. That I could take on all comers and win. Just as I thought I was getting the upper hand, one of those oversized—” he glanced at Mari before he continued, “—shot me with a tranq dart. Last thing I remember was the angry one saying, ‘I knew he would be too much to handle. We need to be done with him fast.’”
“Any idea where the warriors are now?” Elizabeth asked Mari.
“The queen said that it would take several hours to prepare the Amazons for breeding. We have already used up much of that time. The tranquilizer normally lasts much longer on humans.” Mari nodded at Logan. “Perhaps your new strength helped your body recover faster.”
“Are you okay to walk?” Elizabeth asked. “We need to get out of here now. Before they come back.”
“I’m fine,” he replied, rubbing his wrist. “What’s she doing here?” he asked nodding toward Mari.
“She’s coming with us.”
“Can we trust her?”
Elizabeth shot a glance at the unconscious guard. “Yes.”
“Okay.” Logan slid off the table and glanced down. He wore nothing but the soft glow of light emitted from the wall sconces.
“Where the hell are my pants?”
Mari stepped forward and offered him a pair. Logan accepted the soft pants and shoved his legs into them. “Did they…?” He glanced at the table, then down at himself. His body went rigid, his face red.
Elizabeth cupped his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. “We need to get out of here. Right now.”
Logan resumed tying the drawstring, but she could see his jaw muscles clenching. “Did you get the maps?”
“Yes.” Elizabeth stepped back. “Mari knows the way, so it may be moot to have them.”
“They may come in handy. You never know.”
Mari nodded. “We must be swift and silent as we move through the village. The barracks is located close to one of the lesser used paths out of the valley, but we must cross through some open areas where we can easily be spotted before we can slip into the cover of the jungle.”
“Weapons?” Logan asked. “Supplies for two days of travel?”
“Our next stop is the weapons room,” Mari said. “The Amazons may excel at bow hunting, but we’ve also confiscated modern weaponry. As you requested, Doctor, I’ve procured backpacks, food and water.”
Elizabeth stepped to the entrance to the room and scanned the hallway. “It’s clear. Let’s go. We’ve no time to waste. They could come at any moment.” She waved for them to follow.
They moved through winding corridors clearly designed to trap and confuse
those attempting to escape. Mari unlocked any doors that would have barred their path as they crept through the barracks.
Logan hitched the heavy pack higher on to his back. The semiautomatic pistol was tucked securely in the waistband of his pants. Liz had a handgun, as well. Mari was more comfortable with a bow and spear. He kept Elizabeth behind him and let the assistant bring up the rear. His senses buzzed as he listened for any sound that indicated they’d been discovered.
When they’d made it to the barracks exit, they slid out the door, hugging walls and hiding in shadows as they moved along the village paths.
Something isn’t right. The hair on his neck quivered.
They came to the corner of the final building. Fifty yards of open ground stood between them and the trees. Too easy. It was way too easy. Logan scanned the area. His night vision seemed more acute than normal. His hearing, as well. He concentrated, and his senses sharpened even more. The sound of quiet breathing came from the distance. Someone was out there.
Elizabeth touched his arm. “What are we waiting for?”
Before he could answer, ultra-bright flashlights flooded the area, blinding him.
“I knew you’d try something like this, Dr. DeMarco.” An angry voice came out of the darkness. “But, Mari, you surprise me.” Areta stepped into the light. “Kill the man. Take Mari and the doctor into custody. The queen will want to deal with them personally.”
The warriors approached. Logan reached into the backpack. “Cover your ears.” He pulled the pin and lobbed the hand grenade.
The explosion shook the ground.
“Run!” he shouted over the chaos. He grabbed Liz’s hand and sprinted for the tree line. They plunged into the thick vegetation of the jungle.
At his side, Elizabeth wheezed. Logan moved behind her to shield her with his body. The explosion gave them a distraction, but the Amazons wouldn’t be far behind. Logan sensed rather than heard stealthy bodies moving through the forest. “Dammit, they’re right behind us.”
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