Wyatt smiled knowingly. “You did it for the babe points, admit it.”
Yeah, maybe at first he’d done it for Harlow. They’d been running for their lives and he was afraid that having the dog to take care of might be too hard. But it’d only taken a short time with Duke to know he’d made the right decision. The little guy was his bud now. It’d be hard when Harlow took him away to New York.
“Who is this?” Grant lifted Duke from the sling.
“Duke.”
“Hey, little guy.” Grant hugged him close and Duke swiped at him with his tongue. Now that he felt safe, Duke was extremely affectionate. Maybe they should’ve named him Velcro. Grant placed him on the ground and he started sniffing at one of the leafy plants before hiking his leg.
“The friend, Carmen,” Grant indicated the woman as she chatted with Harlow, “she can’t walk on her ankle, and we can’t carry her because of the ribs. Wyatt and I will hike out and find transportation, but it might take time. The car we commandeered died on the way here.”
“We need to find a place to bed down for the night, then,” Sawyer decided. “It’s going to get dark soon under all the trees.”
Grant told him about the three unfriendlies they killed. “So there could be more coming to look for them. We need to get as far away from here as her foot will allow.”
“We’re a couple of miles from a road. If you can get close, it’ll make it easier to exfil.”
“Do you need any weapons?” Wyatt asked.
“We’re good. I acquired a few more on the journey. Do you have food and water?”
“We’re set. Tasty MRE’s.”
Sawyer grimaced. He wasn’t a fan of MRE’s and the last thing they were was tasty.
“Send me the coordinates when you bunk down,” Grant told him. “We’ll be back as soon as possible.”
After his coworkers took off, he walked over to the women, Duke trotting along at his feet. His gaze drank Harlow in. He would never tire of looking at her. When she turned her head and smiled at him, his heart thumped in his chest. She motioned him closer.
“Carmen, this is Sawyer.”
He shook the petite redhead’s hand. “Glad you’re safe, Carmen. Harlow has been beside herself with worry.”
“Thank you for keeping her safe and bringing her to me.”
He glanced down at her foot. She held the right one off the ground and most of her weight was shifted to her left side. “How are you to walk?”
“One of the men gave me a walking stick. I can go a little way.”
“We need to find a safe place to bed down for the night.”
As if just realizing they were gone, Harlow glanced around. “Where are Grant and Wyatt?”
“They went in search of transportation.”
“I didn’t get to thank them,” she murmured.
“You can when they return.”
After loading Duke back in the sling, they gathered their backpacks and took off in the direction of the road. He led so he could forge a path and watch out for any threats. Carmen walked in the middle and Harlow brought up the rear.
They’d walked about a half a mile when Carmen said, “What about there?”
She pointed to an outcropping of boulders on the edge of a ravine. He inspected the rocks, finding a narrow crevice where they could hide for the night. The rocks would shield them from two sides and the ravine the other. He could keep watch on the open space in front of them. No roof covering, so hopefully it wouldn’t rain.
“Good find,” he told Harlow’s friend as he checked the space for any critters, finding it empty. He lifted the backpack from Harlow’s shoulders. After placing Duke on the ground, he deposited his pack and took out the small blanket for the two women to rest upon. He didn’t plan on sleeping.
“I need to use the…whatever you call the bathroom in the forest,” Carmen said with an embarrassed smile.
Harlow chuckled. “I’d still call it a bathroom. I’ll go with you.”
“That’s okay. I’m not going far, just over there.”
After she limped away, Harlow threw her arms around him and hugged him.
“What was that for?”
“Saving my friend.”
“I didn’t do anything,” he protested.
“You did. You and your friends. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
She kissed him, a soft and gentle exploration that quickly turned hot and demanding. The sound of someone clearing their throats had them breaking apart.
“So that’s how it is,” Carmen said slyly.
“That’s my cue. I’ll be right back.” He told Duke to stay and the dog plopped his butt down. So smart. He handed Harlow a weapon. He hated to leave her side, even for a moment. But she now had Carmen with her. Besides, he’d only be gone for a minute, two tops. “Keep it close.”
“You know how to shoot?” Carmen asked.
“I live in New York City, of course I can shoot.”
“I can’t.” Carmen shuddered. “Guns scare me.” She looked up at him. “But don’t worry. I trust Harlow to keep me safe.”
“If anything should happen, I want you two to take off.” He held up a hand to halt Harlow’s protest. “No questions asked. Grant and Wyatt will find you.”
He took his gun with him and didn’t venture far to answer nature’s call. He was zipping up when the hair on the back of his neck stood. He listened for sounds, but there was nothing except the accented voice that warned, “Do not even think about it,” as he reached for his pistol.
#
Harlow had an uneasy feeling all day. It was getting stronger, but she didn’t know why. Carmen was safe, Grant and Wyatt were okay and going for a vehicle. Sawyer was safe and hers. She nuzzled Duke’s soft fur.
Carmen reached over and petted him. “Where did you find him?”
“He was hiding beneath a dumpster.”
“He’s adorable. What’s his name?”
“Duke.”
“Cute.” Her smile turned serious. “Thank you again for coming to me.”
“I’m just sorry I left you in the first place.”
“Why did you? Valeria and I came back with food and you were just gone. No word, no note. Harlow, I was so worried. I really thought I might be having a heart attack. I didn’t know what to do, where to look. I thought I should call your grandmother or something.”
Wow, Harlow hadn’t even thought about that possibility. Thank goodness Carmen hadn’t called. “I overheard Andrés saying he was going to kidnap me.”
“You? Why?”
“I have no idea. He kept coming on strong to me, but I didn’t think he was that much of a threat.”
“I guess when he realized you were gone, and not coming back,” Carmen glanced away, “he turned to me.”
Regret was like a knife in Harlow’s gut. She was afraid to know what Carmen had gone through in captivity. Harlow would take all her pain and suffering if she could. She grabbed her hand. “I am so, so sorry. I got you into this mess and then I abandoned you. I should have—”
Voices stopped her mid-sentence. That wasn’t Sawyer’s voice…it was Andrés.
Horror washed over her. Somehow, he’d found her.
She deposited Duke into Carmen’s hands and placed a finger to her lips. Carmen’s eyes widened, but she nodded and hugged the dog close. Harlow palmed the gun, flicked off the safety and inched closer to the rock to peer over the edge. The scene terrified her. Andrés stood in front of Sawyer with a rifle trained on him. Sawyer had his hands in the air.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Andrés asked Sawyer.
“I was just visiting the country and got caught up in the fighting. Fled to the jungle. That’s it.”
“You’ve been seen in the company of a woman.”
Sawyer shook his head slowly. “Nope, just me.”
Andrés tried to peer around him. “Who’s back there?” Harlow ducked out of sight.
“No one.”
“Why are you here?”
“I’m just trying to get home.”
“Yeah? And where is home?”
“Saskatchewan.”
“Where’s that?”
“In central Canada.”
“Ah, so you are Canadian? Don’t suppose you have a passport on you.”
“Sure.”
Harlow chanced a peek to see Sawyer reach into a pocket in his cargo pants and produce a small blue booklet. He handed it to Andrés, who studied Sawyer’s face before looking at the book.
“Mr. Williams, you have a passport for the lady?”
“I told you, it’s just me. There’s no lady.”
“Miss Duquesne, come out now or I will blow his lying head off.”
Harlow inhaled sharply. He knew she was there. She had to go out. She had no doubt Andrés would carry out his threat and kill Sawyer. She couldn’t let that happen.
Sawyer gave a jerk of his head, which she was sure was for her to stay put. “Why do you think there’s a Miss Duquesne with me?”
“Because of this.”
Andrés held up a sheet of 80 pound Strathmore 400 Series cardstock with a medium surface, featuring a perfect reproduction of Sawyer’s face right down to the dimple that winked in his right cheek when he smiled. She should know.
She’d drawn it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sawyer stared at the sketched image and worked hard to keep his expression neutral, though inside, he was reeling. The drawing was spot-on. It was like looking in a black and white mirror.
He shrugged and focused on Andrés again. He had no doubt that was who he was facing right now. The man was exactly as Harlow had described.
Andrés smacked the paper. “That is you.”
Sawyer scoffed and crossed his arms. “That could be anyone. It doesn’t even look like me.”
“It is you and I found this in Liz Schaffer…oh, excuse me, Harlow Duquesne’s hotel room. It is quite a coincidence that she draws this picture of you and here you are standing right in front of me, is it not?”
“Not really.”
Andrés jerked his head and two men appeared from nowhere. One was a giant, at least seven feet. The other was about as wide as he was tall. Laurel and Hardy proceeded to grab him before he could react. They wrenched his arms painfully behind his back. He had no doubt the next few minutes of his life would be painful, but he prayed Harlow heeded his instructions and took off with Carmen. If she showed her face, he was helpless to protect her. If she either stayed hidden or took off, Grant and Wyatt would find her. He’d managed to punch his AID button when Andrés appeared with the rifle. Grant and Wyatt would intercept the agent in distress call and head back as soon as possible. Sawyer might not make it through this, but knowing Harlow was safe was all that mattered.
“I told you, there is no Harlow—”
“Here I am.”
Sawyer dropped his head and groaned. Even knowing she wouldn’t listen, he was still disappointed. How the hell was he supposed to protect her now?
“Ah, Miss Duquesne, you have been very hard to find. We have hunted for you for days.”
“Harlow, run,” Sawyer ground out.
She shook her head and smiled sadly then faced Andrés. “How did you know my name?”
“Ah, that was easy.”
“Why? What do you want with me?”
“Do not flatter yourself. It was a chore to pretend to be attracted to you.”
Sawyer yanked on the arms that held him, intending to plant his fist in Andrés’ face. How dare he insult her. The men held him back and Laurel slammed his rifle into the back of his legs, causing them to buckle. Then they jerked him painfully upright before he hit the ground.
“You are going to make a phone call to your dear grandmother. You are going to tell her to release Raul Escoban. He is being detained in the hell hole you call a prison, Guantanamo Bay.”
“Who is Raul Escoban?”
“He is the leader of our movement.”
She shook her head. “It won’t do any good. The United States doesn’t negotiate with terrorists.”
Andrés smile was sinister. “Then you will tell your grandmother goodbye because I will end you.”
Harlow shuddered at his words.
“I will also release the rest of the Sarin gas. Your country will be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent citizens of Coslos.”
“That’s an empty threat,” Harlow taunted. “The truck holding the gas was intercepted.”
He tsked. “You poor, simple fool. Do you think we would only have one truck?”
Sawyer thought he might be bluffing, but he hoped the international forces had pried information from the two detainees.
“You let him go and I will make the call.”
A slow smile spread across Andrés face, filled with evil malice. “So you will do what I say to save your lover?” His eyes narrowed and his face contorted into a mask of rage. “You do not have any power to bargain. I hold all the power.”
She crossed her arms. “Let him go or I won’t make the call.”
Andrés nodded once and the giant plowed a fist into Sawyer’s gut. He oofed out a breath and doubled over, only to be stopped by the grip the other man had on his arms. The giant swung a meaty paw and slammed it into Sawyer’s face. Stars exploded in his eyes as his head jerked back violently. Sonofabitch, that hurt. Still, he refused to make a sound, even when the next blow landed in his kidney, bending him in half backwards.
“Stop! I’ll make the call.”
Sawyer’s left eye was already swelling shut but he willed Harlow to look at him. It didn’t matter if Raul Escoban was released or not…if she made the call, she was dead either way. She was trembling but she’d steeled her spine and faced Andrés. She was a warrior. Now he wanted her to look at him so he could tell her how much he loved her. And he did. He loved her with every painful breath he took.
“Good. That is what I want.” He motioned to one of the men. “Tie her hands.”
She winced when the man pulled the rope tight, and Sawyer vowed to make him pay for that. Somehow. Then she glanced up at him with tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she mouthed.
“I love you,” he mouthed back.
Her eyes and lips rounded, and more tears flooded her eyes. “I love you, too.”
Hardy gave one last tug on the rope. Harlow faced Andrés. “I am doing what you want, so you’ll let him go?”
“Of course. Come with me.”
“Harlow, no.” If she left with Andrés, there was a very good chance he’d never see her again.
Andrés grabbed her arm and towed her away. Her frantic gaze met his. He kept eye contact, trying to convey the love he felt for her even as Andrés motioned to his men. Harlow gaped in horror as Hardy raised a gun and fired at him at point blank range.
“No!” Harlow’s horrified scream hurt more than the bullet that punched into his chest. The impact threw him backwards and he slammed to the ground. Through his one good eye, he watched as the fat man waddled over, smiled to reveal a mouth full of yellow, rotted teeth, lifted his revolver and fired again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Make sure he is dead,” Andrés ordered the short man who had held Sawyer captive.
“Chest is not moving,” the man relayed. He kicked Sawyer and he didn’t so much as peep. The man looked up at Andrés. “Si, he is dead.”
Blackness swam in front of her eyes and her legs gave out. She crumpled to the ground.
“Get up.” Andrés jerked her roughly to her feet, but she couldn’t muster the energy to resist, so she flailed like a rag doll in his hands. Sawyer was dead. The man she loved. He’d died protecting her and it was all her fault.
She didn’t care what happened to her now. She might call her grandmother, but she wouldn’t ask for the release of the prisoner, as they demanded. She would tell Grandma that she loved her and ask her to tell her family she lov
ed them. Her mom, dad, Zoe. She didn’t have any hope that Andrés would let her live, even if she did make the call.
She’d given Carmen the gun and told her to stay hidden with Duke, that Grant and Wyatt would find her. And they would. She had no doubt about the abilities of the COBRA Securities agents. Her friend might have suffered at this man’s hands, but she would get out of this safely. She would return home and lead a normal life. A small ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark sky.
“I have to thank you for providing the drawings of your boyfriend,” Andrés taunted. “They were spot on. I would not have recognized you otherwise.” He flicked an end of the blond wig. “You did an admirable job of disguising yourself.”
If she didn’t feel bad enough already, he’d just poured salt into her wound. It truly was her fault Sawyer was dead. She choked on a sob. He was more than she’d ever hoped for. She wanted the chance to spend her life with him, grow old with him. Instead, he’d died because she wanted to capture his image on paper.
“Nothing to say? Ah well, I might feel the same if it was my fault my lover lay dead in the loam, the body ripe for the predators who roam the forest. Now get in.”
His words had the desired effect. They gutted her. She hadn’t even noticed as they came upon an Army green SUV parked among the branches and leaves of the jungle. The giant climbed into the driver’s seat. Andrés shoved her roughly inside and then crowded in behind her. She couldn’t stand him being so close, touching her. She started when his hand came down on her knee and he leaned close, his rancid breath brushing against her neck. “This would have been so much easier if you would have just gone out with me. I tried to do this nicely, it was you who resisted.” He slid his hand up her thigh and pressed his lips to hers.
Harlow saw red. She didn’t think, she just reacted, letting out a primal scream as she reared back and swung her bound hands against his face. Bone cracked against bone and caught him off guard, sending his head snapping sideways and a stream of blood spraying from his nose. She was breathing heavily, wanting him to come at her again. She had nothing to lose.
He straightened and with cat-like reflexes, grabbed her chin in a punishing grip. “You’ll regret that, bitch.” Then he backhanded her. The force of the blow slammed her head against the window. Stars swum in her eyes and she tasted the metallic taste of blood.
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