But she couldn't let him.
"No!" she cried, struggling against the man who held her arm.
"Aw, looks like she doesn't love you back, partner," Stevens mocked.
"That's not what--" Dani began, an indignant look on her delicate features, but the short man interrupted her protests.
"Enough!" Masterson yelled. "It doesn't matter. You know too much, and I can't count on either of you to keep your mouths shut. I've got better things to do than hang around here. I just came by to make sure the shipments are on time this week. You won't be too distracted by our little problem to get them out, will you?"
"No sir," Stevens said, with a predatory look. "And I assume you don't care what happens to these two?"
"Make sure it looks like an accident," Masterson ordered before he turned back towards the entrance and motioned for his bodyguard to follow. "And don't fuck up again. Or you'll be the next one to have an accident."
With that the short man left, his bodyguard exiting behind him. Their shadows disappeared around the corner and out of the cave, and Stevens began to rub his hands together greedily.
"Did you hear that boys?" he said, his tone excited. "Who's ready to have some fun?"
* * * * *
"Tie him up," the big man said, pointing at Caleb. They'd returned to the smaller chamber where they had been kept earlier. The guard was once again awake, and as he bent down to take Caleb's wrists into his hands to bind them, he aimed a well-placed kick into his kidney.
Caleb felt the air whoosh out of him while a stab of pain cut through his side.
"No!" he heard Dani scream. "Leave him alone!"
"You should be more worried about what we're going to do to you, young lady," Stevens said, licking his thick lips.
"I call dibs," Martinez said, rubbing at the growing bulge in the crotch of his cargo pants.
"No way." The Chief shook his shaggy head.
"Come on," Martinez began to whine. "She broke my damn nose. I should get to go first."
"Fuck you, Martinez," Stevens replied with a laugh. "You can have sloppy seconds."
"Fine." The darker man scowled. "Then you better leave something after you go. Not like last time. I'm not into fucking corpses."
"Yeah," his partner Roberts agreed. "Make sure there's enough left to go around."
"Oh, there will be." The Chief's tone was menacing. "She's a feisty little one. She might even like it."
"Shut up!" Dani screamed.
The three men laughed, and Caleb wanted nothing more than to rip their hearts out and show them to the men before they died. Instead, he sat helplessly while the guard behind him pulled the zip tie tight around his wrists.
He had to find a way to save her, to stop these men. He couldn't let this happen, especially not in front of him, not while he watched.
Stevens began to unbutton his pants, and Caleb saw panic enter Dani's wide, dark eyes. "Take off your shirt," he ordered.
"No," Dani replied. "Not a chance in hell!"
Stevens laughed, exposing big white teeth. "Martinez, take her shirt off." The man with the bandaged nose set down his gun and walked over to Dani where she stood near the cave wall. He pulled down the zipper on her jacket, slapping away her hands when she tried to prevent him.
He then bent down to tug the shirt off of her, but she wouldn't hold still for it. Dani balled up her fist and swung it, smashing it into the bridge of his already injured nose.
"Fuck!" Martinez screamed, falling to his knees in pain. "She fuckin' hit me again."
"Enough!" the big man shouted. He moved towards Dani and yanked her closer to him by her ponytail.
She cried out in pain and Caleb felt as if his heart was being crushed. Anger flared inside him, turning his insides molten until he felt capable of breathing smoke.
He took in the scene around him in a split second. Martinez was down, his gun lying by his side. His partner Roberts was bent over him, carefully poking at his injured nose, his gun a hunting rifle that was slung over his shoulder and was hanging ignored down his back.
The big man's attention was entirely focused on Dani. He was standing in front of her, struggling to get her shirt off. And behind him stood the quiet guard. Caleb knew he had the shotgun, but he didn't feel it pressed against his back.
He had to take a chance. There was no way he could sit here and watch his beloved professor being brutally assaulted by this gang of thugs.
It was time for action.
Without hesitation, he threw his entire weight backwards while pressing off with his knees and then with his feet. He tumbled back against the guard, catching him unawares, and the man fell underneath him.
Caleb rolled over, crushing the guard's arm before he could bring his gun up. Taking a look into the man's wide eyes, he drew back his head and slammed it into the guard's forehead. The force of the blow, coupled with the head wound from earlier caused the other man to lose consciousness.
"Stop him, you idiots," Stevens said with a growl, slapping Dani hard across the mouth when she scratched his face.
Caleb rolled off the guard and struggled onto his feet while the two men were trying to determine just what was happening. In a flash he was across the room, kicking Martinez's gun out of the way before barreling into Roberts at full speed. The surprised man fell beneath the force of Caleb's push, and the ranger brought his knee down over the man's throat.
Roberts gurgled in pain, but before Caleb could repeat the blow, he felt Martinez grab his bound hands and twist. Without delay he swung around, standing up and kicking a leg out, sweeping the legs from under the man with the bloody nose. Martinez fell on his face and let out an agonized scream as his nose was injured for the third time.
Caleb turned back to Roberts who had recovered enough to try for his gun. It had unfortunately become caught on his belt, and he couldn't bring it around in time. Caleb stomped on his chest, causing him to cry out in pain and forget the gun at his side. Another stomp and the man stopped moving.
"Stop!" Stevens yelled, pushing Dani to the ground and straightening back up. "I thought it would be amusing to make you watch, but you're just too big a pain in the ass," he said, grabbing Caleb in a headlock. "Looks like I'm going to have to take care of you first."
Caleb twisted in his grasp, wedging a leg behind the big man's thigh and jerking it forward, causing the man to stumble and lose his grip. The ranger took the opportunity to aim a kick at the man's chest, but the Chief was too fast. He grabbed Caleb's leg from the air and pushed it, causing him to fall over backwards.
Caleb sat down hard, cursing a blue streak. The big man smiled cruelly and then put his boot on the ranger's face.
Caleb saw stars as agony rearranged his features. He licked his lips and tasted blood.
The Chief had moved back to Dani and pulled her up, putting a big arm around her chest and pulling up her chin with his other hand. "Stop your struggling," he said to Caleb. "I could easily snap her neck."
"Where's the fun in that?" Caleb growled, pushing himself to his feet yet again. He didn't advance, however. He had to take the big man at his word for now. The sight of Dani, vulnerable, scared, trembling in the grips of the foul psychopath, caused his world to turn red with the haze of bloodlust.
This man would pay, and pay heavily.
"You're right," the Chief replied, moving the arm across her chest down to take a breast in his hand. "Mmm..." he moaned, "doesn't that feel good."
* * * * *
Dani tried to reign in her fear as she was held in the clutches of her captor. He grabbed her breast and squeezed it painfully, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Unable to restrain them any longer, tears began falling from her wide eyes.
The Chief pinched her nipple, twisting it cruelly, and she did cry out then. The man bent down to whisper horrible words into her ears before running his wet tongue up and down her neck.
"You little slut, you love it, don't you? Let's put on a show for your man. He's gonna lov
e watching me fuck you. I'll show him how to do it right."
The man's rough hand slid lower, wedging itself between the waistband of her jeans and her fluttering stomach. She felt him skim the top of her panties and she began to feel physically sick.
Dani avoided looking at Caleb. She didn't want to see her pain mirrored in his eyes. Stevens's arm was crushing her, making it impossible to struggle, while his other hand brushed the apex of her thighs. She closed her eyes, tears rolling down cheeks that burned with shame.
Dani prayed that it would be quick and that Caleb would close his eyes.
* * * * *
Caleb had always known that a powerful rage dwelt inside him. He'd felt its edges, and it had always scared him. So he'd buried it, deep, and moved to the woods, away from anything that might incite the demon rage inside him.
But now, watching this asshole paw the woman he loved, the demon refused to stay buried any longer.
The rage boiled up inside him, filling him with energy, making him tremble. He watched Stevens nuzzle Dani's neck, watched him lick her soft skin with his repulsive tongue, watched her face as tears made their way down her cheeks.
With all of his strength, he pulled against his restraints. The plastic cut into his wrists, making them bleed, but he continued to pull, flexing his strong arms until he finally heard a satisfying snap.
His arms were free, just like the demon inside him.
The Chief heard the snap of the zip tie and realized that his men were out of commission. "I'll hurt her," he warned, but Caleb continued advancing.
Dani resumed her struggling, now that she saw the ranger was free, and the big man cursed when she bit his hand.
"You fucking bitch," he spit out, punching her in the face with his huge fist. She fell back, slamming into the hard rock floor, and did not move.
Caleb roared, incensed, out of his mind, and jumped on the larger man in front of him. Caleb punched him repeatedly, connecting with his gut, with his shoulder, and finally with his face.
Stevens was no easy target, however. He brought an elbow into Caleb's sternum, knocking the wind out of him. Caleb tackled him, forcing him to the floor beneath him. The Chief tried to get his hands around the ranger's neck, but Caleb fought him off.
He grabbed the man's beefy shoulders and brought them up, only to savagely smash his head back down into the cave floor.
The big man's eyes took on a dazed look as Caleb repeated this action. Again and again, he brought the man's head down against the floor with stunning force. He realized he was smiling, but he didn't care, and he slammed the big man's head into the floor several more times.
"Ranger! Stop, Ranger!" Caleb thought he heard a voice, but it was like the buzzing of a small insect. He mustn't let it interfere with his task.
Again he brought the head down with another satisfyingly wet sound. Blood sprayed the floor around him.
"Caleb, stop!" the voice shouted, louder, but he continued to ignore it. Finally, a hand touched his shoulder, and he whirled around, ready to attack.
"Caleb, buddy, it's me!" Brice Masterson stood there, a barely-repressed look of horror on his cultured face.
Caleb shook his head to clear the red fog that had taken over his mind. He looked around, finally noticing all the policemen and rangers scattered around them. Dani had done it. She'd gotten help, and reinforcements had finally arrived.
At the thought of his little professor, Caleb scrambled off of the unmoving thug and rushed over to her. She wasn't moving, and he could see a small pool of blood around her head. He gasped and reached out for her, but Brice grabbed his arm.
"Don't touch her. We can't move her if she's got a spinal injury. Let the paramedics take a look."
Several trained medical personnel were on the scene, some looking over the injuries of their captors. Brice called a couple of men over, and they began to inspect Dani's wounds.
Masterson patted Caleb's back, whistling through his teeth. "Remind me never to fuck with you," he said as he surveyed the damage around them.
Caleb shook his head, "Never fuck with her," he said, his voice sad.
Brice looked into his friend's eyes and saw the strong emotion in them. "How about we let the medics look at you?"
Caleb nodded and stood still while some men in white shirts poked at him. After a few moments, he pushed them away and knelt down beside Dani.
"Is she going to be all right?" he asked, fear choking his voice.
He didn't like the look he saw in the paramedic's eyes when he replied. "We'll see."
Chapter 15
Dani's universe consisted of a dark ache that radiated from her head and seemed to paralyze her. She tried to open her eyes, but the brightness of the outside world only increased the hurt. Gasping, she closed her eyelids, returning to the safety of the dark ache.
She felt something warm touch her, felt it gradually penetrate the miasma of pain. A soft touch brushed back her bangs from her forehead, and she heard a gentle voice whisper soothing sounds.
"Shh..." the voice said. "You're going to be okay. Just rest now."
Dani recognized the voice and wished she could open her eyes to see its owner. Caleb had told their captors that he loved her and she had never heard sweeter words.
Dani felt a gentle rocking sensation that calmed her. A stray thought -- We must be on a boat -- slid across her consciousness like the peaceful sound of surf against the shore, but it did not permeate her dark ache. Caring hands continued to stroke her, to comfort her, and she allowed the touch and the rocking of the waves to lull her back into unconsciousness.
Dani woke, reality rocketing back at light speed. The pain was almost gone, and all that remained was a dull ache at the back of her head. She scanned her surroundings, quickly recognizing the pale green walls and standard furnishings of hospital rooms around the world.
Dani sat up, nearly upending the contents of the narrow table that had been placed across her lap. She quickly fell backwards onto the bed again when her head spun. A machine at her bedside began beeping, and in seconds a wide-hipped nurse pulled back the curtain sheltering her bed and charged in, pushing a few buttons on the machine and turning to her patient.
"And how are we feeling?" she asked, strapping a blood pressure cuff around Dani's arm and starting to pump it full of constricting pressure.
Dani grimaced. "Dizzy."
"That will be the pain medication."
The cuff had reached a nearly unbearable pressure when the nurse finally released it. She checked Dani's IV, then clipped a monitor on her index finger. "Well, your blood pressure looks good."
The nurse gave Dani a smile that exposed front teeth large enough to fit a horse's mouth. "How about some lunch?"
Lunch consisted of a tasteless turkey sandwich slathered in mayonnaise. Dani hated mayonnaise. She picked at the dry meat, ignoring the accompanying boiled potatoes and the obligatory cup of orange Jello. Her mind was on other things.
The events of the day before were foggy, and she wanted desperately to bring them into focus. She remembered her capture, the hours spent in the cave, their daring escape, and recovery of Caleb's cell phone. She remembered making it to the entrance and pressing "Send" on the cell phone. After that, things started getting blurry.
Dani sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the hospital bed. After carefully maneuvering her various tubes and wires out of the way she was able to stand, and then to pace. They'd been recaptured, and Caleb had been beaten and bound. The ringleader of the illegal mining operation had arrived, and Caleb told him that he loved her. Dani's steps faltered, and she froze at the memory.
He'd said that he loved her and that he'd do anything to keep her safe. Dani was overwhelmed by the rush of happiness that flooded her body at the thought of the ranger loving her.
The handsome, sexy ranger who made her feel things she'd never felt before. His kiss ignited her skin and inflamed her heart. She burned for him, and it was frightening.
Da
ni resumed her pacing. He'd said that he loved her, but how did she feel about him?
I love him too, she thought without hesitation. I have for some time now.
It was strange to acknowledge that, to realize that she'd given him her heart shortly after she'd accepted him into her body. I love him more than I've ever loved anyone or anything.
And it terrifies me.
But why? Why was she so frightened? Could it be because she feared him distracting her from her work, from her carefully constructed life plan? It was plausible, but Dani felt like that wasn't really the reason, just the excuse. Caleb would encourage her in her work, not stand in its way. So what could be the reason?
Dani thought back to that night in the hunting shack, when she'd mentioned Only Child Syndrome and started him down the path of revealing his deepest family secrets. She'd told him she'd been lonely, and that she'd thrown herself into science to find solace. That was true.
But she'd also said that once she got to college, she'd gone out and made friends. This was only partially true. She'd made a few friends in some of her classes. People to study with, to play Scrabble with on drunken evenings. But had she really let them in? Or had she kept them at a distance?
Her sophomore year she'd told herself that she would join a sorority. Here she would find the close friendships she'd been lacking her whole life. After a few weeks she'd quit, insisting that mani-pedi parties and gossip about frat boys hadn't been her cup of tea, but really, she'd never even given it a try.
Why?
Because she was afraid to let down the walls she'd built around herself. After living in the ivory tower of her books and her hobbies for so long, she'd forgotten how to let anyone in, to let anyone near her heart. Just as Caleb had hidden himself in the forest of Oregon, she'd hidden herself away in a metaphorical forest, one whose tall, dark trees were so forbidding, no one would dare attempt to enter.
Doctor Feelgood: (A Bad Boy Doctor Novel) Page 43