by C. R. Hill
Grabbing their bag, she scrambled out of the car. Jake was at her side instantly. He took the back pack from her and they ran.
The sound of the chopper stayed above them, but they’d entered a thick canopy of tree branches. The chopper couldn’t see them. That didn’t mean that the guys in the SUV couldn’t catch them if they didn’t move fast enough.
Sierra was very aware of her side. It throbbed with each jar of her footfalls and her head wasn’t much better. She was dizzy and slightly nauseous.
She focused on Jake’s back and made her legs move fast enough to keep up. Jake wouldn’t leave her and she wouldn’t be the reason he got killed.
They came to a small incline. Jake slowed enough to grab her hand and haul her up behind him. Good thing. Even as determined as she was, she didn’t think she could make it up the hill on her own.
Jake didn’t release her hand when they made it to the top. Instead, he held on as they basically slid down the other side on their butts.
“There’s a small stream up ahead. We can follow it a ways. If Diaz’s men come after us they won’t be able to follow our tracks.”
Sierra nodded, too winded to vocalize anything. Like how the heck he knew this place so well?
Sierra could hear the water running now that he said that. Jake pushed through a small thicket of bushes. The branches scratched her arms, the little stings actually reviving her a little.
The water came up to their knees, slowing them a bit, but Sierra knew the importance of covering their tracks. Her labored breathing covered any sounds their pursuers might be making, yet the noise of the chopper was still evident in the distance. She risked a quick glance over her shoulder.
Jake jerked her hand. “There’s no one back there. But we need to put more distance between us and them, just in case.”
Again all Sierra could do was nod.
She was pretty sure they covered five miles or more before Jake halted them. Sierra went to her knees, her side aching, her head about to explode. The green vegetation blurred.
“Sierra?” Jake knelt beside her and touched her cheek.
She turned away from him and puked up what little food she’d eaten before they’d left the cottage until only dry heaves were left. Great, just what she needed to do to instill confidence. Using the bottom of her butt ugly shirt, she wiped her mouth, then sucked in several deep breaths of the warm, moist air before she could talk. “I just need a moment.”
Jake shook his head and plopped down, his breathing heavy as he leaned against a sturdy tree trunk. “Come here.” He took her hand and tugged her against him. Sierra couldn’t resist. She was in too much pain and too dizzy. She settled her head against his chest, not even minding its quick rise and fall and closed her eyes. Just a few minutes was all she needed…
“You did good, sweetheart. Just rest,” Jake said softly. At least Sierra thought that’s what he said as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
Jake stroked Sierra’s cheek, then removed her hat and touched her hair as she essentially passed out. He marveled at her strength. He was also worried. Her cheeks were flushed, and even with the exertion of their trek, she was warmer than normal.
Earlier in the car, when she’d fallen asleep, he’d known then she was feverish.
Damn it! She needed rest and antibiotics, neither of which he could give her. He didn’t think her temperature was that high, so he could only hope it was caused by the trauma of the gunshot and she wouldn’t end up with a life threatening infection. Being in the jungle wouldn’t help though. If she was going to pick up an infection this was the place to get it.
He’d let her sleep a little while, then they’d have to move again. They needed to make ground before nightfall. There was a good chance Diaz’s men were calling in reinforcements to flush them out of the trees.
He looked down at the stubborn woman in his arms. She refused to give up. He’d seen bad-ass Special Forces soldiers collapse under less strain.
Her breathing had calmed, though it was still heavier than normal. One thing she needed was water. Shifting enough to remove his backpack from his shoulder, he pulled out a canteen. He’d prepared for the worst, hoping not to have to resort to running through the countryside, yet knowing it was a possibility. Diaz wielded too much power in this part of the world.
Fishing a bottle of aspirin from a side pocket, he shook out a couple pills, then unscrewed the top to the water. “Sierra, honey,” he said gently and moved his legs to jostle her.
She moaned and snuggled against him. Her hand slipped to his crotch. Damn. Sierra was sick as a dog and he was getting a hard-on from an innocent embrace.
“Sierra. You have to wake up.” He raised his voice and bounced his leg again.
Her eyes blinked open. Confusion, then recognition fluttered in her chocolate brown gaze. She lifted her head and immediately squeezed her eyes shut.
Jake pushed the canteen to her lips. “Drink a little water and take some aspirin. It’ll help.”
She looked at him again and did as instructed. After she’d swallowed the little white pills he’d pushed onto her tongue, she spoke. “We should activate my compact. Headquarters will be able to track us and with any luck be waiting for us on the other side of these trees.”
Jake nodded. “I think that’s a good idea, but I’d feel better if we could actually communicate with Trent and tell him what they’re getting into.”
“Trent’s smart enough to come in prepared.”
Jake dug her compact out of the backpack and handed it to her. She flipped it over, pushed down on the bottom and slid it out of place. Beneath that was a small button. She pushed it and put the bottom back in place.
She handed it back to Jake to put in the backpack. “They’ll be able to lock onto it no matter where we go from here. We need to get going. I’m ready.”
Jake tightened his grip on her and held her back against him. “Slow down, Super Woman.”
She looked at him like he’d grown two heads.
“We don’t have to go quite yet. Rest a few more minutes. Let the aspirin kick in.”
Sierra relaxed marginally, but she didn’t lay her head against him. “Since when are you mister nice guy? I won’t slow you down.”
Jake grinned. “I’m tired, too, so I have ulterior motives.” He gave a little tug and her elbow slipped, landing her head against his chest. “Indulge me.”
He rubbed her back. Her muscles were still tense, but she didn’t try to rise away from him.
“I won’t have you feeling sorry for me, Harding.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I’m not as capable as you.”
“Sierra, I don’t doubt your abilities because you’re a woman.”
“Then why? Why do you make me feel like you don’t trust me to watch your back?”
“It’s not that simple and it’s not you I don’t trust,” Jake said the words, then regretted them. Sierra would never let that slide and he wasn’t sure he really wanted to dig up the past.
“Then what?” she prodded.
Jake sighed. He wasn’t going to be able to dodge her forever. “It’s me.”
Sierra stiffened. Jake held onto her to keep her from straightening.
Sierra was too weak to fight him. She relaxed in his arms and waited.
“I had a partner when I worked for the FBI.” His voice was low.
She kept quiet, afraid that if she interrupted he’d change his mind about telling her.
“She was a good agent.”
Something in his tone told her that she had been more than just his partner in work. They’d had a relationship. Jealousy surged through her before she could stop it.
Jake continued. “We were working a case in Los Angeles. Dealing with a group we suspected of racketeering.”
At his words, Sierra had flashes of recollection of news stories about the event. She clenched her teeth. She knew w
hat came next.
“Katherine got a tip that a certain Senator was involved and while I was meeting with some of the local authorities, she decided to confront him. He was more desperate than she thought.”
Jake tensed beneath her cheek. “We never did know all the details since the Senator was killed by the very people he was working with before we found out, but Katherine perished in a warehouse fire. I tried…” His voice broke.
Sierra pulled free of his hold and sat up. She needed to see his face. “You tried what, Jake?”
“I tried to save her. She’d called me on the way to meet the Senator to tell me where she was going. I was furious she’d left without me. I told her to hold tight until I got there.” He shook his head. “She didn’t of course. She was sure she could handle him. He happened to be meeting with one of the unsavory criminals he was doing business with.”
“Jake you don’t have to tell me anymore,” she said and touched his cheek.
A sad smile curved the side of his mouth. “I’ve come this far, you might as well hear it all. Hear how I failed her.”
“Jake…”
“By the time I got to the Senator’s house, all I had was a distraught housekeeper’s ramblings about them taking her away. We’d found a warehouse in the Senator’s name, so I took a chance and headed there. It was blazing.” He took a deep breath. “I tried to get her.”
“It was too late,” Sierra finished for him. She’d wanted to know all this, yet now she almost wished she hadn’t pushed him to reveal it. The pain in his eyes pulled at her. “How can you think that you failed her, though, Jake? She did it to herself.”
He chuckled humorlessly. “We had a fight the night before. She accused me of being so driven I was ignoring her and our relationship.”
Sierra licked her dry lips. “You and she…you were lovers.” She’d intended to let that go. Chalk it up to her fever, but her walls weren’t as firmly in place as they normally were.
Jake’s blue eyes locked on her face and he nodded. “She was the only woman who’d made me think about something long term.”
Sierra tried not to show any reaction to his words. They shouldn’t have bothered her at all. She and Jake were a chemistry thing. Otherwise, they rubbed each other completely the wrong way.
“Anyway, we fought. I accused her of being impulsive and of not thinking about the case the way she should have been. She accused me of being so focused I didn’t give a damn about her or anything else except the mission.”
Sierra remembered her words to him two nights ago. No wonder he’d snapped.
Jake ran a hand over his face. “Our involvement clouded both of our judgments. I should have known what she would do, trying to prove something to me.” Jake touched her cheek with his finger. “You remind me a lot of her.”
For some reason that statement didn’t sit well. She frowned. “Oh, in what way?”
“She had something to prove and so do you. And she could be reckless sometimes.”
Sierra bristled at that. “I am not reckless.”
Jake arched an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that you had your plans fully thought out before you got Diaz to invite you back to his home?”
She shrugged. “Maybe not completely, but I knew you were here. I knew you would watch my back.”
Jake shook his head. “Except I didn’t.” He looked toward her side. “You’re hurt.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“I swore I wouldn’t be responsible for another partner.”
“Or another woman,” Sierra said quietly.
The blue in his eyes deepened. “Especially another woman I’m involved with.”
“But I’m not your ex, Harding.”
“You’re right. You are better trained, quicker thinking.” Jake pulled her into his arms. “You think you’re so good at hiding your feelings, Sierra. And you are. But I’m learning your expressions.” He gazed into her eyes and Sierra’s heart pounded a bit harder. “Katherine never got under my skin the way you do.” His thumb rubbed over her cheek. “You make me half crazy. Which is even worse.”
When his lips touched hers, Sierra felt a jolt all the way to her toes. This kiss was different than any of the ones they’d shared so far. A mix of gentleness and hunger. Sierra wrapped her arms around his neck, not sure what to make of all the jumbled emotions churning inside her chest. This was new territory for her.
Now was not the time for mushy sentiments. Especially, when she wasn’t in top form. The fever was the cause of all this sappiness.
She pulled away from Jake’s kiss. “Shouldn’t we be going now?”
Jake stared at her for another few seconds, then nodded. “Yeah. Diaz will have people on the move soon, if not already.” He reached into his pack and pulled out one of his black tee shirts. “You should put this on so you won’t be so noticeable.” Jake stood. “I’ll be waiting for you past that tree.”
~***~
Sierra plopped down on the soft ground, too tired to walk another step. Thank goodness Jake had decided to make camp for the night. She’d be damned if she’d ask him to stop.
Jake pulled something from his duffel bag and dropped it in her lap. “Drink some water and take some more aspirin,” Jake said.
“What are you going to do?”
“Lay some booby traps, then find us a place to sleep.” She realized he had infra red goggles.
Sierra attempted a smile. “Don’t suppose you need any help.”
Jake arched an eyebrow. “I have it covered. Just sit and rest a while.”
Nightfall wasn’t far off and a gray-green light hung in the forest. Jake slipped off and was out of sight within seconds.
Sierra sighed, dug out water and medicine, swallowed a couple pills, and dropped everything back inside the bag. She spotted a protein bar. The very thought of food made her grimace. Yet, she wouldn’t get her strength back without food.
She rummaged around a bit more through several pairs of underwear and tee shirts. She found at least a dozen of the bars, packets of water purifier and a small flashlight. Jake had been prepared for this. He’d probably suspected that getting off the island wouldn’t be as easy as catching a flight.
And somehow, Sierra admitted, she’d known he would be prepared. He was just that kind of man, so she hadn’t really made a contingency plan. Jake had been her contingency plan.
Grabbing the flashlight and a bar, she broke off half and folded the rest back in the wrapper. It tasted like sawdust. She’d always hated the things, but it was better than eating bugs from the forest.
She stiffened at something rustling beside her. Hopefully, it was just Jake returning, but the light had faded to the point she couldn’t see much past her nose.
“Jake,” she whispered.
Nothing.
Then a thought more chilling than one of Diaz’s men sneaking up popped into her head.
Snake.
This place was more than likely teeming with the sneaky buggers.
“Jake?” she whispered again and struggled to her feet. Fighting off a wave of dizziness, she turned on the flashlight and pointed the light at the ground.
The light reflected off a pair of beady little eyes. “Shit.” Sierra really wasn’t up for this. Already her heart rate had sped up and her palms were slick with perspiration.
A twig snapped. “Sierra, it’s just me.”
She swallowed, knowing what she was going to have to do. “Jake? There’s…a snake.”
“Where?” The sound of his voice eased some of her anxiety. Something that should have alarmed her. At the moment she was too focused on the snake.
“Right in front of me in the flashlight beam.”
Jake came up behind her, his chest touching her back. He leaned down and picked up a stick. She swallowed as he used the stick to lift the snake and toss it to the side.
“Couldn’t you have killed it?” she asked as he turned back toward her.
Jake threw the stick on the
ground. “It wasn’t poisonous. There aren’t any in the Dominican Republic.”
Sierra shivered. She didn’t care whether it was poisonous.
“Are you finally going to admit you’re scared of snakes?” he asked, his voice teasing.
She closed her eyes. Her defenses were too shattered to keep them in place. “I’m terrified of them. Happy?” she asked and shined the tiny beam of the flashlight on the ground around her feet, just to be sure nothing else had slithered up.
Jake took two steps and pulled her into his arms. His warm embrace felt so comforting, so unlike anything she’d ever experienced, tears actually pricked her eyes. God, what was happening to her?
“No, I’m not happy,” he whispered. “But you don’t have to be super-human all the time.”
She pulled back from him only enough to see his face, though all she could really see was the shadow of his features. “Did you have a family, Jake?”
He was silent a moment, she supposed a bit shocked by her question. “My parents were high school sweethearts. My dad was a Marine and my mom a teacher.”
“Were you happy growing up?”
“I suppose.” She thought he shrugged. “Dad was gone long stretches, but mom did a good job. I have a younger brother, so he and I did a lot together.”
“Are you still close with them?”
“My parents are dead. They were killed in a car accident twelve years ago.” His voice was flat and she heard the pain he still carried. “My brother’s an Air Force pilot. He’s stationed in Afghanistan at the moment.” He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “Why the questions?”
“I grew up moving from foster home to foster home and finally just living in an orphanage in Chicago. My fear of snakes is something I’ve always had. When I was eight, I made the mistake of letting one of the kids in the foster home know I was terrified of them. He put one in my bed one night. I woke up with it draped across me. Not only did I wet the bed, but I broke my arm and ended up with a concussion when I fell down a flight of stairs trying to get away from it.”