* * * *
Zack let the stillness of the night wrap around him as the sky began to lighten signaling a new day. Something wasn’t right, and he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. The night was too silent, especially considering he was sitting in the middle of a jungle. He turned when he heard movement behind him.
“What is it?” asked Aurelia.
“You feel it, too?”
“Someone’s coming.”
Zack growled softly. “Get dressed. We’re getting out of here.” She disappeared behind the curtain and came out a minute later zipping up her jeans.
“Do you have a gun?” asked Zack.
Aurelia shook her head. “No, I was a lousy shot, and Ernesto was always afraid I’d shoot him if he showed up unannounced.”
Zack nodded. “Let’s get out of the cabin. I don’t wanna be caught with only one window for escape. Let’s move down the path a ways and see if we can spot anybody.”
* * * *
Aurelia led the way down the path that narrowed to a trail where deer and other animals followed the curve of the mountain to their main water source. She slowly drew air into her lungs as they hurried down the hillside, shivering with each rasping breath.
Zack touched her arm. “Stop here,” he whispered. “Get behind some cover.”
She nodded and dropped behind a pair of dead tree trunks. Aurelia tensed as she watched the trail in front of them. After a few moments, an armed man came out of the dense forest foliage. She gasped when a knife flew by her head and stuck in the stranger’s arm, just above his elbow. His finger slipped on the trigger as he tried to pull the knife out, discharging the weapon harmlessly into the ground. The sound was loud, startling birds and other animals into scrambling for shelter.
Before Aurelia could ask about the knife, another shot rang out, bringing the man to his knees. She watched as he fell over to his side, his lifeless eyes turned toward the sky. Her eyes closed briefly as she swallowed the sickness threatening to rise up her throat. She froze when another figure moved out into the open. Zack’s arm closed over her shoulder, causing her to let out a scream.
“Relax, love. It’s just me. We’ve been saved by your family.”
She looked up and saw Tio Jorge leaning over, checking the body while Ernesto and Alvara kept watch on the trail. Zack pulled her out onto the path. “Nice timing, guys. Anybody wanna tell me who he is?”
Alvara cursed. “He and his buddy are after Aurelia.”
“What buddy?” asked Zack.
“They were asking about the little one in Medellin,” said Jorge. “They asked the wrong person, and I got a phone call. We were waiting when they made their way up the mountain. We caught one of them, but this one managed to get away.”
Alvara sighed. “Jorge questioned him, Zack. I’m so sorry, but they followed me down here. I guess they never really believed that I didn’t know where she was and they’ve been watching me all this time.”
Zack groaned. “And when we teamed up it must have seemed like fate.”
“You will have to take her away from here now,” said Jorge. “She can’t stay. It would not be safe.”
“You can’t take the bus back to Cartagena, either,” said Ernesto. “We don’t really know how many of them there are, so it wouldn’t be safe. Your only chance is to get on that plane and have some protection meeting you in Miami.”
Jorge nodded. “You can take the south trail down the mountain. I’ll arrange for you to pick up a car in Killente. With a map, you’ll make it back to Cartagena fine.”
Alvara said, “There are several flights to Miami daily. That should give you plenty of time to drive there, barring any trouble.”
“You’re not coming with us?” asked Zack.
Alvara shook his head. “I’m gonna try a little disinformation. I’ll make sure I’m seen all over Medellin and book some flights for all of us at the end of the week. With any luck, they’ll stick around here chasing their tails as they trail after me.” He pulled the backpack off his shoulders. “I brought you some firepower to tide you over. You’ll have to ditch it in Cartagena before you get to the airport, but there’s a note in the bag telling you where you can leave it safely.” He pulled out a couple of handguns and a rifle, and passed them to Zack. “There’s plenty of ammo here.” He handed over the backpack. “Stay off the main road and you should be okay.”
Jorge pulled out a map and laid it over a large rock. “This is the route you should take.”
Aurelia peered over Zack’s shoulder and bit back a curse. She knew the area they were suggesting.
“That’s a pretty bad trail you’ve sent them on,” said Ernesto. “It takes them through the middle of drug-smuggling central, not to mention the local guerillas are still fighting one another.”
“It’ll be fine,” Zack said. “As long as I’ve got firepower, we’ll do okay.”
Ernesto looked at Aurelia. “I don’t want you to go.”
She walked over to him and slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him close to her body. “I’ll always be thankful you got me out of that prison they’d locked me up in. I’d never have made it out of the country if it hadn’t been for you. But, now it’s time for me to move on and start living my life, Ernesto. I’ll always love you like a brother, but it’s time I met my destiny now.”
Ernesto moved back, not bothering to hide the tears in his eyes. He smiled at her tenderly, put a kiss on her cheek, and then turned and walked away.
Jorge patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, little one. He’ll be fine. I’ll watch over him. Now, you go and be happy.”
Zack shook Alvara’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough.”
Alvara nodded toward Aurelia. “She accepted you, everything about you?”
Zack glanced at Jorge who frowned. “She accepted everything, but we’re taking things slowly as we get to know one another.”
Alvara pulled him into a hug. “Then I’m truly happy for you, my friend. Maybe someday I’ll come and visit you on your mountain in Wyoming and see these wondrous things myself.”
“You’ll always be welcome, my friend.” Zack glanced at the dead body and then looked at Jorge. “I don’t know your laws here. Will you be in trouble for killing him? Do I need to make some kind of formal statement?”
Jorge shrugged. “No one will ever know about him. He’ll disappear like all the other hombres in the area that are up to no good. The two of you need to hurry. It will take several hours for you to hike down to the village.” He handed Zack a second backpack. “This is some supplies, along with food. Aurelia has canteens in the cabin so you should be set. Vaya con Dios.”
Aurelia gave Jorge a quick hug and rushed back to the cabin to get her canteens and a change of clothing. She stuffed them into the bag her uncle gave her and then hurried to the stream to fill the canteens. When she came around the cabin, only Zack remained in the clearing.
“They took off. Jorge wants to make sure Alvara is seen today, and they’ve got to find a place to put the other guy away until we’re safely to our destination.”
“What happens when we get there, Zack? If they’re still after me, we could lead trouble right to your front door.”
Zack smoothed a hand over her hair. “Let’s take one worry at a time. I’ll get in touch with my brothers and see if they have any ideas, and make sure they’re on hand to meet the plane when it lands.” He placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Jorge said to tell you he’ll be back to feed the animals and he’s taking Lightning back to his ranch.” He smiled at Aurelia. “If you want, we could see what it would take to bring Lightning back to the states.”
Aurelia looked toward the cabin and shook her head. “Lightning is happy here. I’m not gonna take that away from her.” She sighed deeply. “Let’s get going.” She headed off down the path, listening to the sound of Zack’s footsteps behind her.
Chapter 4
Zack watched as Aurelia took a long drink of water from the canteen she carried, a
nd imagined how good the air conditioning of his apartment would feel after the steam-bath hike they’d taken. It was hard to imagine they’d needed a fire in the cabin during the night. Glancing around, all he could see were trees, low-growing foliage, and more trees. The trip so far had been hot and sweaty, but not dangerous. He hoped their luck continued to hold.
She handed him the canteen. “It’s not far now. Maybe another half hour.”
He nodded, took a drink, and then followed his mate down the trail. After about twenty minutes, he rounded the rocky bend and saw three small huts woven out of palm leaves, and one larger, sturdier building made primarily of wood.
Aurelia motioned toward the larger building. “We can get something hot to eat in there.”
Zack looked around. “Where do you think the car is?”
“On the other side of the village near the main road.” She smiled. “Don’t worry. I know this area pretty well.”
He followed her into the building and stopped short. The place looked like something out of a book. Small tables lined the room covered with red and white checkered cloths. A woman looked up as they came in. She had a plain, middle-aged face with smile lines at the corner of her eyes.
“Sentarse en cualquier lugar.”
When Zack shrugged, Aurelia grinned. “She says to sit anywhere.”
Zack led her to a back table that allowed him to keep watch on all the visible doors and windows. He watched as the woman approached their table. “Habla Ingles?” he asked.
“Si, senor. I speak English. What can I get for you today? We have some nice fish tacos with rice and beans.”
Aurelia looked at Jack. “Do you trust me?”
He grinned. “Go for it.”
She smiled up at the waitress. “My friend is not familiar with our foods. I’d like to give him a sampling.”
The woman nodded. “I understand. You tell me what you want and I’ll make a platter for you.”
“That’s great. Give us some beef empanadas with aji. Maybe some ajiaco in a mantecada, and a few natilla buenelos.”
The woman smiled. “I’ll get right on this. My name is Rosa if you need anything else. I’ll bring you a couple of beers in a moment.”
Zack leaned close. “What did you order?”
Aurelia giggled. “Nothing bad. I got us some beef empanadas with some hot sauce on the side, a little chicken and potato soup in a home-made bun, and some fried cheese puffs. Trust me! You’ll love it.”
Zack peered out the window and frowned. The village was small, with only a one-pump gas station, small restaurant, and what looked to be a bus station that consisted of one bench.
Aurelia traced the pattern on the tablecloth with her finger. “Once we get the car it should be clear sailing. Tell me more about this mating. Is there a ceremony that binds us together?”
“It’s kind of like a ceremony.” He rubbed his fingers over the skin where her neck met her shoulders. “I’ll bite you here, and it’ll leave a scar that tells other shifters that you’re spoken for.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Will it hurt?”
“Maybe a little, at first, but I’ll bite you while we’re making love, and I’m told it enhances the pleasure. I’ve never bitten anyone, so I don’t know for sure.”
She worried her lip with her teeth and studied the checkered pattern even closer. “Will your bite turn me into one of you, like in the movies?”
Zack took her chin with his fingers and raised her face so he could gaze into her eyes. “No, you can’t be turned into a shifter. You have to have some of the DNA already in your system, like from an ancestor, before anything like that could happen.”
“What will your family think about you wanting to mate someone with freakish abilities like me?”
Before he could answer her, the sound of automatic gunfire sounded from behind the building. Zack grabbed Aurelia’s arm and pulled her to the floor. Angry shouts from outside told him that whoever was shooting was probably still there. Then, several shots hit the front of the building, sailing through the flimsy wood with no effort at all. A wild shot hit the wall above their heads, showering them with pieces of plaster. Then, Rosa fell, a red blanket spreading over her right shoulder.
* * * *
Aurelia gasped when Rosa fell to the ground. Squirming out of Zack’s hold, she made her way to the fallen woman and touched her back. Rosa was lying in a fetal position, surrounded by an increasing puddle of blood. The pounding of her own heart seemed to shake her body as she searched for the woman’s pulse. When she found a steady beat, she grabbed a napkin from the nearest table and wiped the blood away from the wound. The blood had soaked through her shirt, dripped down her arm, and covered her fingers. There was an entrance and an exit wound, so the bullet had gone all the way through. With no other problems, she could still save Rosa.
Zack grabbed Aurelia’s arm. “We have to get out of here.”
She shook off his hand. “Not until I heal her.” She scooted until she was no longer touching Zack and placed both of her hands over the bloody wound on Rosa’s shoulder. “Don’t touch me until I let go of Rosa first,” she told Zack. Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes and concentrated on Rosa’s pain.
* * * *
Zack cursed under his breath and watched as Aurelia went into a type of trance. Her fingers twitched and then began to softly glow orange. As he watched, Aurelia swayed back and forth, making it hard for him to obey her wishes to not be touched. He kept his gun handy, listening to the shouting from outside. When the sounds quieted, he tensed, keeping an eye on the door while keeping watch over his mate. His coyote was scratching at his insides, wanting out to protect their mate.
After a few minutes, he noticed the blood flow from the wound was slowing down dramatically. He looked closer and was amazed to see the skin begin to knit itself back together. He’d never seen anything like it. The closest he’d ever known was the ability of his people to heal after a shift. And that wasn’t always successful. It depended on the severity of the injury. When Rosa began to groan, he looked over in time to see Aurelia move back and nearly fall on her face. Zack put his arm around her and pulled her close.
She smiled, the dark purple circles under her eyes standing out against her pale skin. “She’ll be okay, now,” Aurelia whispered.
“Can you stand? We need to get out of here.”
“With a little help, I can.” Aurelia raised a hand and caressed his cheek. “Don’t worry, Zack. By tomorrow, I’ll be good as new.”
“Senor?”
Zack turned, his gun in his hand, at the sound of the timid voice behind him.
The man squeaked and held up both his hands. “Please, senor, do not shoot me. I am grateful you have saved my Rosa.” He nodded at Aurelia. “Your woman needs rest, no?”
Zack glanced at Aurelia. How the hell are we gonna keep going with you in this condition? “She needs rest, si.”
“I have a small cabin down by the river, senor. It is not being used now. If you leave your automobile here, no one will know you are there. I use it on weekends for fishing. If they see smoke from the chimney, they will assume it is me and they leave me alone when I’m there. They know it is my personal time.”
Zack nodded. “I’m grateful. We haven’t picked up our car yet. Can you show me the way to the cabin?”
“Si, my name is Miguel, and I’d be happy to take you and your woman. Wait a moment and I will pack up the food your lady ordered. It was not hurt in the fight.”
“What the hell was the fight about?”
Miguel’s cheeks reddened. “The young ones, they want to relive the danger of the past. Our drug wars are long over, but sometimes they forget. They were young boys, school age, choosing guns to settle an argument.
Zack shook his head. “Unbelievable.” He watched as Miguel hurried into what was probably the kitchen, and then bent to scoop Aurelia up into his arms.
She squirmed. “I can walk, you know. I’m just tired. I’m not an
invalid.”
Zack kissed the top of her head. “Hush, and relax. Let me take care of you.”
When Miguel came back, he was carrying two bags in one hand and a set of keys in the other. “My truck is out back. Put your woman in the back and cover her with the blanket you will find there. We can be at the cabin in less than fifteen minutes. It is secluded, and very private.” Zack nodded and moved toward the door.
He glanced back and saw Miguel press a kiss against Rosa’s cheek. “I’ll be back soon, love. Stay safe.”
Sighing, Zack headed out the door to find the truck. They’d need to get an early start if they were going to make their plane in two days. He couldn’t begin to imagine why Miguel wasn’t asking a million questions about what he’d seen Aurelia do. He wanted to get his mate home, to the States, where he could keep her safe.
* * * *
Bright sunlight lit the clearing around Miguel’s small cabin. The twisting tree roots and dense undergrowth around it made a formidable barrier. The shrieks of monkeys and the calls of tropical birds echoed through the trees. The stuffy, warm air felt thick on Zack’s tongue, while his feet felt hot and damp inside his boots.
“There is firewood inside, senor,” said Miguel.
“It’s too hot for a fire, and we don’t need to cook anything. I’ve got supplies in my bags. We’re only gonna be here for one night.”
“The rain is coming, senor. It will be hard and cool. You will want the fire tonight to keep warm and dry.”
Zack set Aurelia on her feet and turned to Miguel. “We really appreciate this, man. I’m happy to pay you for the use of your cabin.”
Miguel handed him the bags of food. “No, en absoluto. Your woman helped my esposa and that is thanks enough. Vaya con Dios, senor.” He hurried to his truck, slid behind the wheel, and took off down the dirt road.
Zack shook his head. “I don’t think he saw what you actually did for his wife.”
“Wouldn’t matter if he did or not. I couldn’t just stand by and let her suffer. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve used my gifts in these parts. The locals are pretty protective of my secret.”
The Touch of Her Hands [The Wind River Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 6