by Zoe Dawson
“Right, he was apprehended about ten years ago and died in prison. Both her brothers were killed in two separate DEA raids.”
“That’s correct. You did your homework.”
“When it comes to you, Neve, I’m thorough.”
She stilled, and he heard how that came out, husky and suggestive. The way she jacked him up at the waterfall, he was still semi-hard, and keeping his composure was getting hard. No pun intended.
“What about your dead guide?”
She shook her head. “Bray knew, but I don’t think he had a chance to say anything before the EDL executed him for poaching kidnap victims on their turf.”
“Saved me a bullet,” he said without inflection.
She looked away, and he was sure she was remembering what it was like to be helplessly bound and blindfolded. That thought made anger stir. His first instinct was to wrap his arms around her.
They spent the rest of the wet, miserable day under cover of the tent, sharing guard duty, and were ready for more trekking at first light.
This area wasn’t for the faint of heart, and he was sure that she’d had no idea what she was getting herself into when she’d made the decision to go after Set. But she was a trooper, especially coming off a ten-week recuperation for a broken collarbone.
“How you holding up?” he asked as she shouldered her pack.
“Physically or mentally?” she queried, giving him a smile.
“Both.”
“I’m still determined and I’m doing fine. I was in very good shape when I got injured and had a couple weeks in the pool and gym to strengthen my upper body. That’s the only weakness right now.”
She went to take a step, and he pressed his hand against her shoulder. “Neve. I can get you out of here now. Just a call away. I know people…I’ve been here before and made friends. No questions asked and you’re back in Panama City. Then I can take care of this problem myself.”
Her mouth tightened and her eyes went moist. Damn, he hadn’t wanted to make her cry; he just wanted her safe.
“I can’t do that, Russell. This is my problem, and if I hadn’t been so sensitive to what I perceived as a gender issue during that rescue and trying to prove that I wasn’t a woman in a male-dominated job with everyone always scrutinizing what I was doing, I might have saved those people. My injury and their deaths, regardless of what the reports say, were my own bias. I’m not going to let you bail me out. That isn’t something I do, so I’m seeing this all the way through, no matter what happens. I won’t have my family suffer for my actions.”
She was stubborn and dedicated, he had to give her that. “The Coast Guard would have cut you loose if their findings had been against you, Neve. Stop beating yourself up over the deaths of Set’s family members. That storm was nasty, and the fact that you even deployed from that chopper in those winds was miraculous and freaking brave,” he growled before letting her go and turning away toward the jungle as tenderness filled her eyes and that moist sheen intensified.
“Are you being nice to me, Russell? Wow, the warrior has a heart.”
It was clear she was adding levity to an intense moment, but little did she know how much of his heart was tied up with her. “Women,” he groused as he pulled out his machete and started to hack.
“Boy Scouts,” she muttered behind him, but it was nothing but bluster. The inflection in her voice told him she was damn glad he was here. Didn’t make him forgive her and didn’t make him drop his guard. It rankled that he still felt he couldn’t trust her.
A half mile later they traversed a ridge that had a river yards below them, a huge waterfall in the distance. There was a crude cattle path cut into the trees. It would be easier to walk along it, but Rock had the feeling that it was a route used by more than just cattle.
Sure enough, as he took a few more steps, they heard voices, the sound of a jeep. He ducked and made for the cover of the trees as three men buzzed past them and disappeared down the trail, the back of their vehicle laden with rounded kilos of what was most likely cocaine wrapped in plastic and packed tightly together. Drug smugglers.
They would be killed on sight.
He put his finger to his lips and Neve nodded. They would need to skirt them. But that proved difficult with the sheer drop on one side and the other crawling with cartel members. He was going to have to do some silent mayhem and pray they got through before the men he eliminated were missed.
He shrugged off his pack and turned to her, got close. “I’m going to clear us a path through.” His breath was warm, and she suddenly clutched at his shirt. If anything happened to him… He covered her fingers. “Buck up, Neve,” he whispered. “I’m bulletproof, babe. Nothing beats Rock.”
She gave him a wan smile and he growled, “Stay put. Use the weapon with the suppressor and we should be fine.” He leaned back. “Wait for me. But if we get separated…” He pointed in the distance. “See that outcropping, the one that looks like eggs at the base?” She gave him a nod. “Head there and we’ll rendezvous. Clear?”
“Roger that.”
He often heard that from Marines, and it struck him as odd coming from her. He stared at her as she crouched near a tree teeming with orange butterflies fluttering their wings. She wasn’t a Marine, he reminded himself, she was a rescue swimmer who was out of her element. A damn brave one, and while she’d proved herself a tough cookie, she was still not as intensely trained as he was for this type of situation.
He pulled out a compact and painted his face in camo stripes while Neve watched. Then, still crouching, he surveyed the jungle in front of him, his senses tingling. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he said over his shoulder, and she rolled her eyes.
“I’ll give it my best shot, sir.” She saluted, and it was his turn to roll his eyes.
He ghosted from their position, his eyes constantly scanning, a sweet adrenaline rush. No pack. No M16, no team. Alone, he worked faster, worried about his own back. Way out here, the security was lax. These guys didn’t exactly expect trouble, but they had no idea trouble was in the form of a six-foot-five juggernaut who had every intention of making sure there was a safe path for Neve through this roadblock.
The first man went down easily, and the second. He moved along the ridge, their best bet of getting past this position and farther into the Darién. He estimated they were on the right trajectory to finding Set’s compound, then it was lights out for the gunrunner and time to bug out of this death trap.
The sniper who had been tracking them watched what was going on below him. Hell of a situation. He took several deep breaths, sick of being wet and hot. He wanted a beer and a cool place to sleep off his combat fatigue. He could see Michaels higher up on the mountainside, and he shouldered the rifle, then peered into the scope. He took careful aim with her between the crosshairs, smiling.
Showtime.
The shot echoed through the valley, and Rock stiffened as the man he was just about to grab and choke turned and saw him. He drew a breath to yell and brought up his rifle, but it was much too late as Rock leaped and drove his KA-BAR into the drug runner’s neck, effectively changing the shout to a barely perceptible gurgle.
As soon as the guy was down, Rock sprinted back along the path he’d just cleared, his heart in his throat. Neve!
He ran right into her, and she clasped him. “They found me,” she said, “but someone…” She gestured back toward where she’d been crouching. Bodies littered the ground.
A narco guerrilla rushed out of the trees and another shot rang out. The man dropped, blood flowing around him. Rock looked up to the hillside. Sniper. Their shadow.
Looked like he was one of the good guys.
He grabbed her hand, headed back to his pack, snatched it up, then sprinted for a jeep. He paused when he heard crashing and shouting, and all hell breaking loose.
A young girl burst out of the jungle, then turned and streaked across the opening, jumping over forest debris and shifting left and right, headin
g directly for their escape vehicle, men hot on her tail. She couldn’t be more than sixteen, black hair flying behind her, her body willowy, her feet bare, brown shorts and a T-shirt covering her. The girl would never outrun full-grown men. It was clear they didn’t want to hurt her…they were going to…do much more. Oh, hell, no.
He raced to intercept. It was as easy as calculating the trajectory of a bullet, leading his target. He heard the whip of leaves against flesh and quickened his pace. Then he ducked in behind a tree, he and Neve using the mass as a shield. Rock didn’t have time for the rules of engagement and remained hidden, listening to the approaching footsteps. Louder, closer…the girl ran past, and he stepped out and grabbed her, snatched her right off the path, covering her mouth and giving her the kind of look he reserved for terrorists. “Not a word.”
Her eyes widened, and he passed her to Neve.
Then more footsteps… He rolled around and punched the man in the throat. The guy dropped to his back, choking. Rock grabbed him by the shirt and delivered a blow to his nose. A gunshot went off, zinged past his ear and killed the man behind him.
That was damn close.
When he turned, a man was aiming at Neve. He jumped, and the bullet gouged his upper arm in white-hot pain. Neve brought up her weapon and shot the assailant.
“The jeep,” the girl said. “It’s our only chance!” Her English sounded impeccable. All three of them made a beeline for the vehicle.
Luckily, the keys were in the ignition and, bleeding profusely from the wound, Rock turned over the engine and put it in gear.
“Go straight!” she shouted.
Rock looked in front of him, then back at her.
“It’s our only chance! Do it!”
He put the jeep into gear and gunned it, heading for the sheer drop-off.
The engine made a whirring, grinding noise when it went airborne, and his stomach fell out from under him as the bundles of cocaine ejected into the air and they plunged to the foaming river below.
Chapter Nine
NCIS Special Agent Derrick Gunn pulled the rifle from his shoulder, unable to believe what he’d just seen through the scope.
He’d never met Russell but had talked to him briefly on the phone when his brother, Navy SEAL Dexter Kaczewski, and Senator Piper Jones had gone missing in Afghanistan about three months ago.
Russell Kaczewski was evidence that courageous DNA ran rampant in that family. He was one crazy son of a gun.
Shaking off the shock, and with lightning quick speed, Derrick shouldered the rifle, glancing to the jungle below him. He’d downed plenty of the drug runners with suppressed fire, but Neve Michaels had been cornered, and she’d used her weapon with deadly consequences.
Now there was a large mass of pissed off pendejos gathering, some looking over the cliff, others running to vehicles. They were in hot pursuit.
And who in hell was the indigenous teenage girl?
Derrick was completely black, off the radar in an unsanctioned mission that was purely personal. Special Agent Amber Dalton had told him what was happening, worried her soon-to-be sister-in-law wasn’t going to sit still as she was directed.
Special Agent Austin Beck and CGIS Special Agent Davis Nishida were busy building a case against Ammon Set, but as Neve had predicted, she and her whole family, including Amber, would be in that bastard’s sights.
He’d been watching her ever since she’d left the NCIS offices. He’d taken leave and called in more than one favor. His shadowy past had come in handy in this instance.
With his heart pounding, he went down the hillside as fast as he could, picking his way through heavy undergrowth, then farther down to the water’s edge.
But as the jeep sunk, there was no sign of the three people who had gone in with it. He inched back as several men jumped into the water and started to retrieve the floating cocaine. Not even bothering to look for survivors.
Freaking bastards.
He stashed his pack and the rifle into the thick overgrowth, pulled out his side weapon and chambered a round, melting into the forest. He wasn’t going to let Amber down. He’d vowed that a while ago.
He’d find them or die trying.
After the initial impact and shock of hitting the water, Neve’s training kicked in the minute she started to sink. She searched for the girl and saw that she was submerged and gesturing wildly, but when she looked for Russell, she didn’t immediately see him. She staved off the panic, using her training to sustain her. She dived and caught sight of him sinking, too. The panic broke through her barrier of calm; she was afraid he would drown, and she couldn’t get him to the bank for fear they would be shot.
Russell might rule on land, but this was her domain. She long-stroked for him and as she reached him, she saw the blood trail from a gash on his temple. As she grabbed him, he opened his eyes groggily. The girl touched her shoulder and motioned again. She slipped her arms under Russell’s armpit and followed.
Soon, they reached the opening of a submerged cave, and Neve got nervous. It didn’t look big enough for Russell to fit. The girl gestured and Neve knew they had no choice. She vowed she wasn’t leaving Russell behind. She maneuvered her body through, then with Russell’s help, got him through as well, his big chest and wide back scraping the opening. They emerged in a cave under the falls, and all three of them drew deep, panting breaths. She helped Russell out of the water, and they rested.
“We can’t stay here,” the girl whispered. “We must go.”
“Russell?”
She grabbed Neve’s arm. “We can’t go back. We must go.”
“Where?”
“Back underwater. There’s another cave. We have to swim. Once we come out the other side, we will be safe. They don’t know about either cave.”
“Russell. Can you hold your breath? Are you okay to swim?”
He looked up at her and grimaced, nodding. “Can do.”
“Are you sure?” She knew they didn’t really have a choice, but he looked like he was in no condition to hold his breath, let alone swim.
He pushed up to his knees and stood, a bit wobbly. She caught him against her, and the girl motioned them to the back of the cave. Voices echoed close by, and she gave Neve a fearful, wide-eyed look.
“Come,” she whispered. “They’re outside. Keep quiet or they might hear us.”
At the lip of the pool, they lowered themselves into the water with as little noise as possible. “Take three deep breaths and on the last one hold it,” Neve instructed.
She kicked hard and dived, swimming after the girl with strong strokes. She felt the pressure immediately and the rush of water around her as she pressed hard.
The underwater cavern expanded, the blue-white illumination growing bright and crisp as she neared. She looked up at the jagged edge of the pool and swam hard, breaking the surface, then turning instantly to look for Russell.
Her heart froze in her chest. The water stayed level and there was no sign of him. “Russell?” The rush of alarm was so intense that for an instant she thought her heart would stop.
She turned to look at the girl, who had pulled herself up on solid ground. She covered her mouth, worry and concern evident as she, too, searched the water. It was nothing to the fear that sliced through Neve. She took a deep breath and dived back into the water, swimming hard, searching everywhere. Then she saw him floating, her heart suddenly jammed against her ribs, hammering frantically as dread churned through her. Instinct and training taking over, she kicked like crazy. When she reached Russell, she grabbed him and pulled him into the same wrapping hold.
Then she started back the way she’d come. It seemed like an eternity before she broke the surface. The girl reached out for Russell the moment Neve got him to the edge. She pushed up as the girl pulled him hard onto the ground.
Using her hands on the lip, Neve catapulted herself out of the water.
“Oh, God. No.” She bent her head and listened for a heartbeat. It was weak, but ther
e.
He wasn’t breathing. She tipped his head back and opened his mouth.
Please, Russell. Don’t die. Please. God. Please, Russell! She thought, breathing for him. Her heart pounded hard against her breastbone, and she’d never felt this scared.
Of course, he said he could make it. He knew she wouldn’t leave him, and they’d be caught and killed, but he had hit his head and he was woozy.
She focused on counting and giving him rescue breaths and kept it up when she wanted to shout, “Don’t die. Don’t leave me.” How much time had passed? “Russell, come back to me. You’re a Marine. Don’t give up! Breathe, damn you!”
He coughed, his body convulsing hard, and she pushed him onto his side as a small amount of water dribbled out of his mouth. He started to shake, and she gathered him in her arms, rubbing his skin. It was several minutes before he did anything more than breathe, and Neve closed her eyes, so grateful. She didn’t even try to excuse away her feelings. She didn’t need this threat to make her see the truth, damn it.
“Neve—” His lids lifted, and his eyes were so blue, so deep with concern. She curled her hand around his jaw and squeezed, holding him tight with her other hand. “Breathe deep. Don’t talk right now.” Fear still throbbing through her, she closed her eyes tightly as she rested her head against his. Determined not to let fear overwhelm her, she made herself concentrate on taking deep, steadying breaths, making her muscles relax.
He coughed again, giving her an almost smile at her tone. “Yes, ma’am,” he murmured huskily.
She let her hand linger for a few more minutes, then she looked at the girl. Her panic, her fear, her relief at having him conscious and breathing on his own, came dangerously close to the surface, and Neve held on to her composure by a thread, her voice breaking badly. “I need to get him somewhere safe and tend to his wounds. How far is your village?” She took a breath, feeling like she was going to shatter, realizing she couldn’t. She had to be strong and get Russell medical attention. The drug runners’ threat was neutralized, and they had escaped. She forced herself to pull it together even as Russell watched her solemnly.