Zane realized he didn’t have a clue which direction to start looking. Worry sliced his gut. If I don’t get to her soon who knows what will happen to her. His insides twisted thinking about the numerous ways she could die in the hostile environment.
“You’re wondering which way to go,” Haan said. “I can see it on your face. I’d take the west border. I don’t have any fences there because the land is considered protected. So if she went that way, she’d be in the worst danger. At least my property line in front keeps out most of the more aggressive creatures.”
Reluctant gratitude made Zane say, “Thank you.”
“Storm clouds are coming,” Haan said as he looked toward the horizon and the darkening shape of the plateau. “You must find her before nightfall.”
Night would bring out the predators. The thought sat in the air between them, unspoken yet understood.
Zane nodded without a word and started into the rainforest.
* * * * *
Keira resisted two things as she sat on a rock near the water’s edge. First, a desire to take a dip in the deep blue water. Second, a need to keep wandering, to lose herself in the majesty of this place and discover a new wonder around every corner. She stayed put, resisting the nagging pull that landed her in this hairy predicament in the first place. She must be ten times a fool to consider wandering away from the house.
“And on the first day I get to the place.” She spat the words in self-recrimination, uttering a curse she almost never used. Who cared? The jungle didn’t. So she said it again. “You are damned stupid, you know that?”
More than being an idiot, she must be unbalanced. It made no psychological sense that she couldn’t remember how she’d arrived here. She looked down at the ring Haan had given her. When she glanced into the depths of the stone, she felt the world revolve on its axis. Tingling raced through her hand and she felt so lightheaded she had to grasp the side of the rock to keep from falling off. Panic threatened. Could she be physically ill and this is why she experienced these strange feelings?
Her world went mad, turning without allowing her to jump off the merry-go-round. Dizziness assaulted her senses, and she put her other hand over the ring in defense. Tears of angry frustration stung her eyes. She hated feeling helpless.
“Damn it, I’m not helpless.”
She stood, staggered, then righted herself. She tried to take a step, then one, then two.
Thunder rumbled in the distance and she looked toward the mountains. Above the plateau clouds climbed high, their puffy heads reaching thousands of feet into the sky to form thunderheads. She moved back toward the lake slowly, wondering where she might find shelter. She didn’t relish the idea of going into the jungle on either side of the clearing. Only God knew what would fall out of the trees if the rain came. Not that the huge trees climbing stories into the sky would keep her dry. No, when the storm came she’d get drenched no matter what she did.
She walked back to the rock, convinced staying put would bring Zane to her aid. Despite the disagreement they’d had, she didn’t believe he would leave her out here to die. But not knowing how far she’d wandered or how long it would take for him to locate her, relying on her own strength would have to do. Although nagging fear always rested in the back of her mind, she’d never been one to give up. No, surrendering was not an option and neither was dying.
Again the ring called, this time with a powerful pull that drew her eyes down to her hands. Down, down. Unmercifully, irrevocably. She would obey. Her gaze locked on the gloomy stone and her legs lost all power. She sagged, stumbled, tried to stay upright. She tripped on a stone, gasped, and cried out as she flailed her arms for balance. Instead she went straight into the water with a shriek of indignation. Water closed over her head.
A thousand images of what could be in the water threatened to undermine her calm. While she didn’t know what parasites or insects or deadly water snakes existed in this water, the mere thought assured quick raging anger as she held her breath. No, damn it. She wouldn’t, couldn’t die like this. She would show Haan and people like Zane Spinella that she could survive. Kicking, she forced her way through the water, her eyes stinging, her lungs burning for air. As she broke the surface she gasped. She kicked again, bringing herself closer to the bank. She struggled, never a fantastic swimmer to begin with, to reach the edge of the lake. Finally she climbed out and crawled away from the edge.
As she sat there shivering, a new threat emerged, this one from the menacing clouds overhead. Lightning crackled. While she didn’t fear storms extraordinarily, she knew standing near a large body of water while electricity flickered overhead didn’t qualify as intelligent. She moved away from the lake, her body dripping with water and beginning to turn cold even with the heat. Standing under an individual tree would be foolish, too, so she took the plunge and moved into the jungle near the standing stones to wait. No sooner had she stepped into the thick greenery than the rain came down. Torrents pounded the canopy overhead. She braced her feet, unsure what would come next, but certain it wouldn’t be pleasant.
Lightning struck overhead with a vicious reverberation as rain poured down. Like a bucket of water dumped over her head, the additional moisture flooded Keira with icicle intensity. Pinpricks hit her flesh and she shuddered. In the back of her mind primitive uncertainties arose. What would fall out of the sky next?
She heard a funny rustling sound behind her and whirled around in surprise and fright, a gasp leaving her throat.
A man stood near the clearing between the jungle and the path. He wore a torn, dirty khaki shirt. His pants, an olive drab green, were so filthy they looked as if they could walk on their own. His storm-dark eyes went cold. On his head sat a green hat with a wide brim. His thin, cadaverous face held a sneer, his eyes contemptuous. A wild thought ran through her head because of his sudden appearance. Maybe he was a corpse, a ghost from Haan’s doomed expedition.
As he walked toward her, she flinched. What did he plan to do? Did he know the way out of here, and if he did, would he tell her? Primitive fear stiffened her muscles as she readied for any outcome.
When he came closer she put her hand out. “Stop right there. Who are you?”
She didn’t dare edge into the thick brush any further. She spied a long, thick stick about two feet long near her feet. I’ve got to take the chance. It may be the only one I have. Squatting down and keeping her gaze pinned first on the man, she picked up the stick.
As the man continued to move closer, her mind spun frantically for a solution. “Stay back! Don’t come any closer.”
A moment later a snarl came from behind her and she stiffened in absolute horror. It sounded like a big cat. A very big feline with hungry intentions. All of today’s challenges ran through her mind, and incredulously she wondered what she’d done in life to deserve one preposterous adventure after another. Did the gods inhabiting this archaic forest decide she should be punished for venturing into sanctified space? Whatever the reasons, she must take action now before it was too late. She couldn’t run or the cat might attack. She could maybe outrun the man, but it was doubtful she could escape the animal.
Okay, Keira, how do you plan to get out of this one?
Chapter Eight
Adrenaline zipped up Keira’s spine as she decided the cat posed a bigger threat than the man. Tightening her grip on the stick, she eased to the side, turning so she could see both problems at once. Any second she expected teeth and claws to slash into her body.
The animal stalked her, the long, lean body belonging to a jaguar. The animal’s attention switched to the man. He’d stopped about twenty yards away. He no longer looked aggressive, his stance frozen and his eyes wide as he stared at the cat. The story of the werejaguar came to her mind.
“Step back,” she said to the man, hoping her voice didn’t incite the feline’s attack. “It’s the werejaguar.”
A shot rang out.
She started, her heart jumping into her throat. What
now?
The sleek cat leapt away, diving into the thick brush and disappearing. Her heart pounded as one threat left. When she glanced over at the man he, too, sprinted out of sight.
“Keira!”
Zane’s voice, edged with desperate worry, filled her with relief. Body still poised for action, she held the stick out in front of her as a weapon. Maybe she’d imagined Zane’s voice, maybe this whole damn thing was a dream and she’d wake up—
Oh please, please let me wake up.
“Keira!”
“Zane?” Her voice croaked. She cleared her throat and tried again, hoping against hope. “Zane!”
A crashing in the bushes ahead of her made her stiffen, ready for attack from the unknown. As Zane appeared, all the fight drained from her. A hat and poncho sheltered him from some of the rain. He pointed a vicious-looking automatic weapon at the ground. Three impressions hit her at once.
He looked pissed.
He looked worried as hell.
He looked so good she wanted to run to into his arms. Instead she couldn’t move, her body frozen with shock.
Over the pounding rainfall and intermittent thunder, he said, “Keira, put down the stick. It’s all right now.”
Angry tears rose in her eyes and she threw down the stick. She didn’t know what to say, what explanation to give for the stupidity that led her into the jungle in the first place. She hated that he had to rescue her, yet relief at seeing him made her knees quaver with sudden weakness. He walked toward her with deliberation, each quick step made as if he feared she would run.
When he reached her, he slung the automatic weapon over his shoulder and cupped her face with both hands. Eyes narrowed, he searched her face. “Are you hurt?”
His voice sounded hoarse and his dark eyes held deep concern, though the racket from the storm made it a little hard to hear.
“No-no, I…” Her legs trembled with adrenaline letdown. “Zane, I’m sorry—I don’t know…”
“Shhh.” He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. She didn’t expect what he did next. He slipped one arm around her and brought her up against his chest, his grip tight. “Damn it, Keira, you scared the hell out of me.”
She drew warmth and comfort from his big body, a momentary respite as cold rivulets ran down her face. Burrowing her face into his shoulder, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. All too soon, he drew back and peered into her eyes. He slipped his weapon off his shoulder and laid it on the ground, then pulled off his hat and poncho.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Put these on.”
“I’m already wet.”
“You’re shaking like crazy. This will help.”
“But what about you?”
“I’ve been in worse, believe me.”
Deciding now was not the time to argue, she slipped on the extra clothing and absorbed the wonderful body heat remaining within the hat and poncho. “God, that feels better.”
He shouldered his weapon. “Come on. This storm doesn’t look like the type that’s going to give up soon and we need shelter. We’re not going to make it back before nightfall.”
“Where are we going to get shelter around here?”
“My backpack is on the trail. It has a makeshift tent we can put up and get out of this mess.”
Disjointed words popped out of her mouth. “Something really strange is happening to me. I can’t explain it.”
“Explanations can wait. I’m just glad I found you before nightfall.”
He started back toward the trail and located his backpack. When they reached the standing stones, he said, “What the hell are these?”
“Primitive standing stones. I’ve been studying them since I arrived here.”
His quizzical gaze said he meant to ask serious questions about how she got here, but not before they put up shelter. “We’ll put the tent between the standing stones.”
They made quick work of erecting the tent. Heavy cloud cover kept the area gloomy and it wouldn’t be long before night closed in.
“Hurry, get in,” Zane said as they crawled inside the shelter and zipped up the opening.
Inside the interior they could barely stand and sitting or crawling made a more viable option. They had just enough room to put their arms out on either side, or to lie flat and stretch out. Another plus was the waterproof flooring protecting them against the damp earth and insects. Ignoring the cramped quarters, she enjoyed having Zane near and shelter against the rain. She quivered; the poncho couldn’t stop uncontrollable shivering.
“I brought sweats.” He rummaged through the big backpack, and she realized the weight of it must have been a significant burden on him. “You’d better get out of those clothes and into the sleeping bag to warm up.”
“Undress?” She heard herself ask, but she felt detached from her body, as if she wasn’t talking.
He snatched the cap off her head and tossed it aside. “I’ll roll out the bag. You need to change clothing and then get inside.” When she hesitated, he frowned. “I’m going outside while you undress, so you don’t need to worry about your modesty.”
She almost laughed, relief at her new situation making her giddy. She drew off the poncho and placed it near the hat. “No—I mean, you can just turn around. Don’t go out in that weather again.”
Reaching for the poncho, he drew it over his head. “I’m going outside to make sure that man isn’t around.”
“What about the jaguar?”
“I doubt it’ll be back.”
After smashing the hat onto his head, he unzipped the tent and went out. Her numbed mind didn’t allow her to do a thing at first. Then she realized he’d be back soon and if she didn’t hurry he’d catch her half dressed. Her underwear, damp and clammy, would have to go. Shuddering as her naked skin was exposed, she removed her flats, then slipped the dress over her head. After removing her bra, she wriggled into the huge sweat suit. The navy fleece-lined material felt wonderful. By the time she’d burrowed into the sleeping bag, the shock of adventure started to wear off. Humiliation returned. She sighed, closed her eyes and tried to relax. A difficult thing to do when the world outside remained a dangerous place. When the zipper opened on the tent, she instinctively reached for the heavy club-like flashlight resting next to her.
Zane appeared at the opening and she let out a pent-up breath. “You scared me.”
Crouched in the opening, automatic weapon slung over his shoulder, he looked like a ready-to-kick-ass soldier. His gaze held hers, a blazing intensity burning inside them that suspended her breath. With water running down his neck and a grim expression tightening his lips, he represented hard, uncompromising male. The sight of him with lethal firepower gave her a feral, feminine thrill that pulsed through her stomach in an entirely sexual response. You’re losing it. Yes, she must be ready for the loony bin if the sight of a man packing a weapon could turn her on in this situation.
“Sorry, I should have called out.” He zipped the tent against the rain. He put the automatic weapon aside and started taking off the hat and poncho. “No sign of the man. I don’t think he’ll be back.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I can’t.” Clipped, his response said anger coursed through him. He patted the weapon. “This will go a long way to keeping us safe.”
When she didn’t answer he leaned over her and cupped her face. “Shit, you’re cold as ice.” He looked deep into her eyes. “You’re not getting hypothermia, are you?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“What’s your name and where are you?”
She smiled, understanding why he asked the questions. “My name is Keira Jessop and I’m in some godforsaken jungle in Puerto Azul.”
“Good.”
With a nonchalance she found disconcerting, he removed his boots and socks quickly, then stripped off his shirt. He situated the wet clothing in one corner of the tent so it might have a chance to dry. S
he should have been immune to the sight of his broad, muscular chest and powerful arms, but she wasn’t. He’d unbuckled his belt and started working on the zipper before she could think of a thing to say.
Finally she found the words. “Um…what are you doing? There isn’t another set of clothes, right?”
“Nope.” When he caught her staring at him, a tentative smile slipped over his lips. “You’ve got two choices right now. You can either watch or close your eyes, but I’m getting naked and into that sleeping bag with you right now. I’m freezing my ass off.”
“Naked?”
“Naked.”
She closed her eyes as he started to work his way out of his jeans. This man was going to slip into the sleeping bag with her in the buff. Nude. Without apparel. Oh God. She could protest, but how could she deny him the same warmth she sought in the sleeping bag?
“There’s another sleeping bag, isn’t there?” She almost groaned at her own lame plea.
“No.”
She felt the zipper go down on the sleeping bag and she tightened up. Within a heartbeat he slid into the bag and closed it. The sound of the zipper going up made her muscles constrict even more.
“Come on, I’m not going to bite. You can open your eyes now.”
All the good bits would be covered. She’d just have to watch where her hands went. Of course, as soon as Keira shifted, her hand brushed against his long, hard, naked thigh. With a gasp, she jerked her hand back.
His laugh came out as a soft rumble, and he squeezed her arm gently. “Easy. You’re as skittish as a horse.”
Tears wetted her eyes. Her mind whirling with everything that had happened, she said, “Wouldn’t you be if a naked man had just slipped into your sleeping bag?”
He laughed again, this time harder. “Uh, yeah. But you can be damned sure a naked man is never getting into a sleeping bag with me.”
Cringing when she realized what she’d said, she sighed and opened her eyes. The flashlight offered a little illumination. She turned her head to look at him. Gentle amusement in his eyes and on his face removed the ire that started to bubble up inside her at his teasing. Luckily the sleeping bag was long enough to come up over his shoulders. He turned toward her and propped up on one elbow so he could look down at her.
Special Investigations Agency: Primordial Page 14