by J. C. Cliff
“Stand up,” he roughly commands. Both men struggle to their feet as they grunt in pain. I’m not so sure the older man can stand up after what Quinn did to him, but somehow, he manages.
Kimber growls and haunches down on her hind legs, her hackles standing straight on end, vibrating with the need to attack again. She’s virtually dying to finish the job she started. I didn’t know she had it in her. She’s been nothing but a gentle teddy bear with me.
Each man stands, hunched over and holding their wounded extremities, gasping for air. “What the fuck is going on?!” Quinn barks angrily at them. Both men exchange a glance, trying to silently communicate with each other, but Quinn isn't allowing it. “I’ve got a nice new silencer on this pistol…been wanting to try it out. Trust me, with my background and training, I won’t hesitate to use it.” His tone is dark and dangerous, and his broad stance and demeanor of self-confidence has these men frozen in fear, believing his every word. Hell, I believe his every word.
“We were sent to track Alexis,” the younger guy quickly blurts out, coming clean. The older man glances at the squealer, looking seriously pissed off about his buddy’s confession.
Quinn tilts his head to the side in question. “Mind telling me how the hell you tracked her?”
The older man shuffles his feet, looking nervous. I know the games these men play, and I can see the very look on his face as he debates how much information he can spill and yet still protect his valuable life. My dad had always sheltered me from these scenarios, but I’ve seen Vince in action one too many times to know how they play.
Quinn lifts his gun, aiming it at the older man, and he quickly throws up his arms in surrender. “There’s a tracker in her backpack somewhere. I don’t know where it is. I didn’t put it there.”
“What do you want with her?” Quinn harshly interrogates.
“We only wanted to talk,” the man says nervously. Which is a lie, because Vince sent them to retrieve me. I guess Quinn missed that little part. I don't know what I'd been thinking, running off to these trails. There is no way I will be able to ever escape Vince’s clutches. If it weren't for Quinn and Kimber, I would've been taken hostage by now. An ominous shiver rolls through me. I realize I need them...I need them to help me make it to the safe house in one piece.
“Bullshit,” Quinn growls, poking the steel barrel into the man’s chest with force. “Guns were drawn, and I heard the word ambush. That does not equal a nice chat in the woods.”
The younger man is less experienced. I can tell because he looks as if he wants to cry. I’m right, because he’s the first to spill the rest of the beans. “She’s wanted back home. She’s considered dangerous.” Oh, boy.
“Is that right?” Quinn asks, turning his attention to the nark while arching a brow.
“Please, don’t kill us. I swear this was all we were told. We don’t even know her. We made an anonymous phone deal, and our only job was to retrieve her.”
Quinn processes their information in silence for a minute before he barks out a command, “Strip.”
The men’s eyes bug out as they both say, “What?” in unison.
“You can keep your shoes and your underwear, but your pants and shirts are mine.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Oh…I’m deadly serious. Would you like my dog to help you?” Quinn threatens.
The men begin to strip down, and the look in their eyes is one of worry and nervousness. I watch Quinn as he takes their firearms and throws them out of reach and onto our sleeping bags. When the men are half naked, Quinn takes their garments and tosses them into the embers of the fire.
Turning to face them, his tone is wickedly ominous. “You go back and tell whoever wants her, it will be over my dead body.”
As much as I didn’t want to, I believed those men. I don’t think they knew any more than their assigned task, which was to grab Alexis and take her God knows where. They didn’t look mafia-related, but they sure as hell were criminal material. Judging by their demeanor and drawn guns, they had every intention to shoot and slay whoever got in their way, and it was obvious they were going to take her by force.
I don’t know who’s after her, but they made it quite clear they were not messing around. They wanted her bad, real bad. Thankfully for Lexi, there has never been a time when I’m not on high alert. Even at home, I’m constantly aware of my surroundings. Due to my background and the undercover jobs I’ve had over the years, I’ve trained myself to always sleep with one eye open, and live with my guard up around the clock. Kimber goes without saying; she can always sense danger. However, when Lexi made that phone call, talking about her location, I knew from that moment on I needed to stay on my toes.
I don’t care what Moretti says or does from this point on. I’m going fucking rogue. This shit just got very real. The tables have turned, and the plans have changed. Those men would’ve killed me without hesitation to get to her. I’m sure of it. I don’t know who the hell I’ve got on my tail now, but it’s not safe, and it’s certainly not safe to hand her over to her father. Knowing what I know about the danger following her, he’d want me to keep her out of harm's way. So much for her father's diplomacy and the enemy putting down arms in the name of Alexis Moretti.
I reward Kimber with multiple pats on the head and give her verbal praise. She saved our lives, and I have no words for that. I can only imagine the heroic things she did in the military while serving her country with unreserved passion. This is why dogs are fucking awesome.
Alexis comes up behind me and touches my shoulder, startling me. I spin around and grab her by the shoulders, shaking her more roughly than I mean to. “Did you know those men?” Accusation lines my voice because I’m desperate for answers.
She adamantly shakes her head, “No, I swear.”
“Do you have something to tell me, Sunshine?” I bite out angrily, my chest still rising and falling in quick succession from the adrenaline rush.
“Quinn, I don’t understand. You’re scaring me. Why do I feel like you’re accusing me of something I didn’t do?” Her eyes scream innocence, but my former military training has already kicked in, and I’m in asshole mode.
I think of the murder her dad told me about, and I have to consider if it’s actually true. Did she kill someone? Are those family members after her now? I’m ready for answers. I’m done playing Mr. Nice Guy. She’s going to need to come clean.
I do know this; if two men had been sent after her and failed, someone is going to be extra pissed. I know once this person gets the news of those men turning up empty-handed, quadruple the men will be sent after her, and that simply can’t happen, not on my watch.
I look around the campsite and spot her backpack. I roughly let her go and stalk over to where it’s lying on the ground, underneath the tarp. Alexis is on my heels, worry and confusion evident in her voice. “What are you doing? Where are you going?”
I ignore her questions as I reach down and begin emptying out the contents of her backpack. I search everything that comes out of it with an eagle eye.
“Quinn! That’s my stuff! I can do that!”
I pay no heed to her as I continue my task, creating a pile on the ground of her personal items. “What the fuck?” I drawl out my words, bewildered. My entire hand is vibrating. I pull the questionable item out of the bag and hold the device up in the air in front of me. Briefly confused, my forehead wrinkles for a moment as I try to figure out what the hell I'm holding. As Lexi freaks out, enlightenment comes over me, and then it registers what this purple thing is. I arch a brow and look at her in complete astonishment. Red-hot heat flushes her face.
“Really? Just…really, Lexi?” I ask with agitation. I try to turn the damn thing off, but I can’t figure out how. I grow frustrated with the fucker, and I'm about to chuck it out into the woods, but she steps forward, snatching the vibrator from my hands.
“I said I’d go through my own bag,” she hisses. “Serves you right.”
>
I shake my head at her, dismissing the whole thing, and get back to the task at hand. I'm on a mission. By the time I get to the bottom of the bag, I'm still empty-handed. “Well, fuck me sideways,” I mumble. I turn it upside down and shake it. When nothing else comes out, I run my fingers along every seam and every corner. At the very bottom of the bag, between two layers of nylon, I feel a small piece of hard plastic.
Quickly, I whip out my pocketknife and slice open a portion of the fabric’s seam. I grab a hold of the matchbook-sized device and hold it up for her to see. Her eyes open wide as she backs up a step with trepidation. “What is that?” she whispers.
“A GPS satellite tracker, Alexis,” I growl, over-pronouncing her name. “You want to tell me what the fuck is going on now? What kind of trouble you’re really in?”
She gasps, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes swirling with confusion, panic, and fear. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
I look around for a large rock to smash the device. My entire body is vibrating with unused adrenaline and anger. Once I bust apart the tracker, I look over my shoulder at her. She’s still standing in the same spot in shock. She doesn't know what to do or say.
“Snap out of it, Alexis,” I bark at her. I get up and quickly start repacking all her items, throwing stuff in haphazardly, without a care as to where it goes. After I’ve stuffed the last item in her pack, I toss it to her feet and order, “Get this on…now.” I don’t wait to see if she’s going to do it; I don’t have time. I quickly disassemble the tarp hanging by rope between a set of trees, and then roll up our sleeping bags. The entire camp has been broken down and packed up in record time, all while Lexi stands unmoving and lost in space. That's fine, I tell myself. She'd only slow me down, especially since I have my own method for packing things up in a certain order.
I turn around, find Kimber’s pack, and call her over to me. “Kimber, heel.” She’s been on my heels every step of the way, except now she's sitting beside Lexi. Kimber comes to me on command, heeling at my left side. I bend down, and as I strap her gear on, I glance back at Alexis, who still hasn't moved an inch. The only thing she's managed to do is put on her hiking boots. “Put your goddamn pack on,” my angered voice startles her, and then she slowly begins to move. She’s a ball of nerves as she fumbles to get her gear on. “We have some serious hiking ahead of us,” I warn her.
I quickly kick some dirt on the glowing embers. I’m an efficient machine, moving swiftly with each task. I gather the last few items, shoving them into my pack before I hoist it up, and then slip my arms through the straps.
“Let's roll out,” I snap. I need to make sure she’s functional and won’t fall behind, so I roughly bark out orders. “I want you in front of me, and I want you to move like you’ve got a thousand pit vipers on your ass.”
I glance down and notice her hands are trembling...profusely. I take a second to assess her entire appearance. I think the reality and seriousness of the situation is just now kicking in for her. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, telling myself I can’t go all military on her. Some people shut down when orders are harshly barked out, whereas others thrive off it; she’s the former.
I step over to her and carefully take her trembling hands in mine. Trying to control my high level of adrenaline-fueled ire, I force myself to soften my tone. “Alexis,” I slowly say her name, getting her to come around and focus on me. “There will be more men coming, and they’re not going to want to have a picnic. I’m not going to leave you, but if we’re going to get through this alive, we have to move out now.”
She takes in a deep, shaky breath and nods her head, still wearing a vacant expression. I don’t know what she comprehends right now, so I repeat my words, “I will protect you with my life, but you need to listen to me, okay?”
She manages to get out one croaky word, “Yeah.”
“All right.” I gently tug on her hand to get her moving forward, and she takes a small step. “Just keep one foot moving in front of the other, Sweetheart.”
She starts walking with me hand-in-hand, and about fifty yards forward, she’s finally got the rhythm down. I lean over and kiss her cheek, and then let go of her hand. “You’re doing great,” I encourage. “Now I need you to kick it up a notch and move ahead of me. Can you do that?”
“Okay,” she breathes out nervously. I’m thinking I might’ve let go of her hand too soon, because she’s still moving at the same snail's pace.
“C’mon, Angel,” I whisper. I turn to Kimber, and with a jerk of my chin and a snap of my fingers, I order her, “Kimber, go help her out.” Kimber forges forward, nudging her nose underneath Lexi's hand, and then barks. I’m both amazed and fucking speechless. I didn’t think she’d understand.
Lexi then begins to pick up her pace, following after Kimber, who turns around every now and then and barks at her. I look up to the sky and thank God for Kimber and for Lexi snapping to. From behind her, I bark out directions as to which way to go and which way to turn. The hike is going to be arduous, to say the least, but I've got unused energy to burn.
As we go off trail, we cut through all kinds of shrubbery and brush, and on occasion we cross over other trails. There is no way in hell I'm going to follow the main trails right now. We both stay silent as we conserve our energy for the hike. Every now and then, I yell out an order for her to go off the side trails and cut through thick bushes. I know snakes are on her mind, but she doesn’t say anything; she just moves. Because I’m right on her heels, I hear her heavy panting. I think half of her labored breathing is from fear and anxiety.
She’s in my t-shirt from last night, and shorts, and I wish I would’ve noticed that little fact when we left camp, but I was in a different frame of mind at the time. The skin on her arms and legs has been nicked and scraped to pieces, and I feel bad for her. She’s focused on her hiking and speed now, and I'm hesitant to stop and have her change. I fear if I do she’ll think about what happened and shut down in shock, and then we'll lose valuable time. Time that we don't have to spare.
Having crossed over the mountaintop about an hour back, we’ve now been on the decline for almost two hours. We’ve been descending at an angle, which is why we haven’t hit the base of the mountain yet. Just when I think we’re never going to hit bottom, the river comes into view between the thick trees.
This is exactly where I’ve been guiding us to. A half hour later, we’ve made it to the river's edge. “Lexi,” I call out in front of me. She stops and turns around. Poor angel, she’s drenched in sweat like me. I’m proud of her, though. Once she started moving with speed and diligence, she never stopped. “We’re good here. Take off your pack and rest.” We both remove our heavy burdens at the same time. Kimber makes her way to the water and drinks her fill.
I look down at my watch, which acts as a GPS, and figure out my coordinates. We hiked fast and furious, because it looks as if we’ve made at least seven miles in just under three hours. I look at Lexi, who’s now on her knees in front of the water, splashing its coolness on her face and rinsing off the back of her neck. I know she’s not used to this type of workout, but she didn’t complain once. I can tell she’s wiped out both mentally and physically.
I walk over to her and squat down beside the water's edge, looking out across the river. “How are you holding up?” I gruffly ask.
“I’m okay,” she quietly replies. She’s still scared, and she’s acting demure. I know I’ve been tough on her, cold and callous actually, but when I get taken by surprise and thrown into dangerous situations, I go into military mode and stay there. I'm still wired. I clench my fists, willing myself to calm down and soften up for her sake. “I’m sorry for some of the things I said earlier.”
Despondent, she shrugs her shoulders while wearing a frown as she stares down into the rippling water. I take a deep breath, and then slowly let it out. “I shouldn’t have accused or treated you like that.” Movement on her legs catches my eye. I lean closer to get a better l
ook and curse under my breath, “Aww, dammit to hell.”
Curious, she turns her head to look at me. “What?”
“You’ve got seed ticks crawling all over you.” She looks down at her not-so-bare legs to confirm she’s covered in them. She jumps back, falling on her ass, and lets out a scream.
“Get them off, get them off!” she cries in panic. She looks like she’s been dipped in chocolate sprinkles; she’s absolutely coated in them. She stands up and tries to brush them off erratically, but I know better. There is no way those are going to come off easily. Each one of them has to be hand-picked off, and jumping into the water isn’t going to do it either.
“Calm down,” I reason. She doesn’t stop trying to brush them off as she looks up from her legs to glare at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
“Calm down? Are you crazy?! They’re freaking crawling all over me! Fricken-frickers!” she squeals out in a high-pitched rant. She’s panic-stricken as she frantically tries to get them off, and when she notices she can’t, she begins to dance and flap her arms around like an ostrich on crack. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from bursting out with laugher. “Quinn, oh, my God! Do something!”
I sit here as I try to think of the best method to get them off her, but apparently I’m not moving fast enough for her. “Quinn!” She stammers, “N-now!”
“All right, all right, I’m on it.” I see the light bulb go off in her head the second she turns around and looks at the water. She quickly removes her boots and socks, and then hastily heads toward the river, but I get up and stop her. I grab her by the elbow and pull her back a step. “Those won’t wash off in the water. We have to take them off, one-by-one.”
“Oh, geez.” She winces while wearing a pained expression on her face, clearly distressed.
“Hang tight. I’ve got an idea.” I head over to my backpack, searching for my can of Deet and a small cloth. “Come over here.” I nod in my direction as I find what I’m looking for, and then spray the Deet into the cloth, fully saturating it. She crinkles her nose at the smell of the spray and waves her hand in front of her face, but she doesn’t fuss about it. I’m sure she’d walk through fire right now in order to get those bloodsuckers off.