Zack chuckled. “Don’t think I’ve seen that one before, Hunt.”
Hunter choked up, but disguised it by puckering his lips and blowing Ky a kiss instead. “We made it, buddy. Just like you said. Gawddamnit, we made it.”
“I told you he’d show up.” Ky sounded so damned bad, his lips cracked and peeling, his voice so ragged it hurt listening to him. How he’d gotten sunburned made no sense until Lee started smearing some kind of gel over Hunter’s forehead and cheeks.
“You two look like a blowtorch worked you over. Or one of those sandstorms in Iraq.”
“River,” Hunter croaked. “Sand. Rocks. River.” It made sense before he said it.
“There’s a river running underground?” Zack asked. “You fell in it?”
Hunt could only nod. “Long ways... down.”
Lee’s big palm landed square in the center of Hunter’s chest. “Take it easy. The chopper’s on its way to pick us up. Alex is going to kick your ass. You two guys cost him a fortune.”
“Alex... here?” Hunter asked.
“Hell, yeah,” Zack said. “How’d you guys survive this long?”
You call this surviving? “How long?” Hunter had to know.
“Two weeks,” Lee replied.
Hunter closed his eyes. Meredith. God, he missed her.
“I need you to calm down,” Lee said sternly.
“I am... calm,” Hunter insisted, the pounding in his heart a little on the loud side, but nothing he hadn’t heard before.
Lee shook his head grimly. “No, you’re not. You guys are both in rough shape, but your heart’s beating like crazy. Relax, Hunt. Come on, guy. Think of something peaceful for a change, okay? You’re going to make it. Promise.”
Hunter closed his eyes and willed the tender feeling of Meredith’s lovely body into his arms. Even he could hear his heart pounding a thousand hoof-beats a minute on its race to some imaginary finish line. He needed to calm himself before…
Jesus Christ. Not this again.
Lee muttered something Hunter couldn’t understand, right before Lee bellowed, “Son-of-a-bitch. I’m losing him!”
The darkness of the cave slithered out of the jagged cleft, and Hunter fell a thousand miles into—nothing.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“Mama! Look at me!”
Meredith looked up from her beach chair to her son’s squeal for attention. The day was sunny and warm. Comfortable in jeans and a periwinkle blue sweater top, she’d opted to let Eddy have what he’d declared he’d wanted most: time with Courtney. Unfortunately, that meant father and son now stood at the bow of Eddy’s grand sailboat, serenely anchored off the private dock of what Eddy called his cabin.
With historic Thomas Shoal Point Light Station just down the bay, the location couldn’t have been more perfect—or exclusive. Interestingly, Eddy had no neighbors. He owned this entire stretch of beachfront property.
Courtney had worn his favorite Elmo T-shirt. Jeans kept his legs warm and kid-sized boots protected his feet. Eddy cut a dashing figure in navy blue slacks, a white Henley with nautical red and blue stripes across his chest. She’d had no idea he’d taken up sailing, but it fit him. He seemed a natural.
The only reason she’d allowed Eddy this private time with Courtney was the happy smile splitting her son’s face. She couldn’t deny it. He deserved a relationship with his father, and as long as Eddy doted on him, Meredith could endure a few supervised visits.
But if Eddy’s house was a cabin, she was the pope.
She’d had the tour. With floor to ceiling paned-glass windows at the front, and an open deck at every level, his three-story, very elegant home faced the South River, one of the Chesapeake’s many tributaries. Built of dark gray granite rock and golden cedar, the home was stunningly offset by a charcoal slate roof. Set back in the pines, the house had a cozy feel, although the dramatic security lighting when they’d first arrived had made it impossible to miss.
Talk about pricey. Luxurious bedroom suites comprised the entire second level; a gaming center complete with billiards, an enormous home theatre, and a soundproof reading room/library occupied the third. But it was the widow’s walk at the highest peak of the roof that gave her pause.
Romantic folklore held it as the watch point where many a lovesick woman stalked while waiting for her seafaring man to return. It seemed an odd feature for a man Meredith knew for a fact didn’t have a romantic bone in his body. Yet, it was perfectly functional, its access acquired by a charming spiral staircase from the third level. An expensive old-fashioned, brass telescope stood in one corner, an outdoor rocking chair in the other.
Despite Eddy’s rambling about high seas danger and swashbucklers during the tour, Meredith didn’t linger at the widow’s walk. She wasn’t there for romance.
The only thing his cabin lacked was cell-phone coverage. Not enough towers, Eddy had said. Hmm. How about that? Not even a billionaire could buy everything.
But being out of range made her edgy. It had been two weeks since she’d come home, and she was on the verge of calling Seth or Lee. Hunter hadn’t been found and Eric hadn’t woken. Something had to give.
Drawing her knees beneath her, she waved back to her son. Courtney seemed totally smitten by his father’s attention. Eddy did have a way with people. But that sailboat was another thing altogether. It looked more like a fifty-feet long yacht. To think she could’ve had all this once upon a time. Yeah, right.
Meredith waved one last time and made herself comfortable. She’d brought a good book to read, but she couldn’t concentrate. Hunter kept showing up in the middle of every page. She only had to close her eyes, and she could see every last detail of him. That sexy wink. The way he shrugged when he didn’t want to answer a direct question. The taste of his lips. Strangely, this day at the beach reminded her more of him than Eddy.
“Bye, Mama!”
Her head jerked up at that delighted announcement. Courtney stood at the bow of the boat, barely able to see over the side, but waving like the little trooper he was.
Meredith jumped to her feet. “Where are you going?” she called, her hands cupped to her mouth. Eddy didn’t give any indication he’d heard as the boat headed out to sea.
“I goin’ with Daddy!” Courtney waved happily as if his mother wasn’t panicking.
Oh, no you’re not! She ran to the dock. “Eddy! What are you doing?”
Not once did he look her way, but sweet Courtney kept waving. A bright yellow lifejacket covered Elmo, but worry still battled with logic. Eddy had promised no boating, yet there he went, turning that elegant craft toward the big beautiful bay that emptied into the unforgiving gray Atlantic.
She couldn’t breathe. He’s got my son. He’s taking Courtney.
Her heart skipped across the waves to her reason to live. Eddy had deliberately gone against her wishes. He’d deliberately baited her son with the adventure of a ride in that fancy boat. She craned her neck to keep sight of that barely visible hint of bright yellow.
He’d better take care of my baby. He’d better make it a short ride. He’d better never do this to me again!
When the sailboat paralleled the shore, its prow pointed north, she lost sight of Courtney. Up came a billowing sail, then another much larger sail behind the first. When they caught the wind, the boat soared away, and Meredith’s heart sank. Sheer panic took over. Oh, God, what have I done?
She ran into the house and pounded up the stairs to the widow’s walk, needing to know everything taking place on that boat. Still talking herself out of a full-blown panic attack, she pivoted that telescope to the sea and adjusted the focus.
At last, the boat came into view, Courtney’s little body too. Eddy had him locked in his arms, pointing at something high overhead. The little guy twisted to look at his father’s face. She could clearly see his bright smile, and okay, that helped. Her heart stopped beating so hard. She could breathe. Why she’d gotten nearly hysterical over a little boat ride amazed her,
but Eddy hadn’t always been this thoughtful, and he’d thrown away his chance to be this—fatherly.
As she steadied the telescope, Eddy and Courtney turned at the same time. Eddy pointed directly at her. They waved like a normal father and son would do. Both grinning. Both happy.
Meredith swallowed her panic. She had no reason to suspect this new version of Eddy of anything other than wanting to be part of his son’s life. He’d already declared Courtney his only legal heir. He wanted to give his boy everything.
It just seemed too good to be true.
When the sailboat sidled along the dock, Eddy lowered the sails. Her heartbeat resumed an almost normal rhythm. She angled the telescope for one last look at her handsome little boy on what would be his first and last sailboat ride. There he stood with the biggest grin splitting his cute face.
“I should’ve taken a picture,” she scolded out loud. “He’d like that. It was an important event in his life.” She would have if she hadn’t panicked. But that was what happened to women who survived abuse. They always suspected the worst.
Calmer now, she spied her son at the bow, the sunshine on his face. It took so little to make him happy. But what was that black thing flying up high on the mast? Meredith peered through the telescope for a closer look. At last a gust of wind ripped the wrinkles out of the pennant, revealing a white skull and crossbones.
A pirate flag?
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Hunter peeled one eye open. He would’ve told Lee in no uncertain terms what he could do with that order—if he hadn’t just discovered he had an oxygen mask taped over his mouth. If he hadn’t been flat on his back in a hospital—in Brazil—where everyone around him was speaking Portuguese.
Lee sat perched beside him on a stool, his arms folded over his chest. It annoyed Hunter to be helpless, but he was too weak to care, much less do anything about it. Grunting, he let Lee think he’d won this round.
“You’re lucky we got to you when we did. I didn’t know you had a stent.”
Hunter held up two fingers.
“No kidding. Two stents?” Lee pursed his lips. “Well, now you’ve got three, you dumbass. Why is that not in your personnel file? You had no business taking this assignment.”
Hunter shrugged. A lot of things weren’t in his personnel file, like the reason behind his disability discharge. He’d learned to love the Corps, but it seemed the Corps didn’t love the heart condition he hadn’t known he’d inherited from his father’s side of the family. After his first aortic aneurysm, which came out of nowhere one day at Bagram, he’d persuaded his CO it was a fluke. Chances were it’d never happen again.
Hunter got the green light to go back to active duty. He was young. Otherwise healthy. He certainly had the right killer attitude. But five months later, he failed his physical. Another aneurysm. Another stent. That one tanked his career. The Corps would’ve kept him—at a desk job. Stateside. Hunter bailed.
“Meredith,” he mumbled, fogging up the mask. Just tell me where she is and if she’s safe.
“That’s why you left the Corps, isn’t it? Your heart condition?”
There seemed no end to the questioning, but now was not the time. Hunter tried again, but only succeeded in mumbling, “‘Mehmip.”
Lee leaned in a little too close, his brows furrowed like a son-of-a-bitch. Lee could look damned mean when he wanted to. “And still you smoke?” he hissed. “How dumb are you, Hunt? Are you trying to kill yourself?”
Hunter looked past Lee to the drapes that ruffled whenever someone on the other side hurried by. That was the real question of the day, wasn’t it? Had he deliberately put himself in harm’s way three years ago because he’d lost Meredith?
Yes and no. The dumb kid he was then had no way of knowing he’d end up in the Two/Four, one of the toughest regiments in the Corps. Yet it had served his purpose. Turning into a battle-hardened Marine had certainly changed his outlook on life and his moral compass. Hell, it changed everything that had made him the pathetic man he’d believed Meredith had tossed aside for Fast Eddy Welch.
Hunter had thrown his heart and soul into that noble mindset: The few. The proud. The Marines. He’d taken every tough assignment that came his way, and he was a fast learner because he wasn’t afraid to die. At least that was what he’d thought… then.
Or was it the other way around? Had that abrupt about face in his life been a coward’s way out? Would a smarter Hunter have humbled himself and sought Meredith out to learn what really happened? Would he have given her a second chance? Was he afraid to live? Was that why he’d run?
Pressing back into his pillow, he dragged one weak hand up to his face and jerked the oxygen mask off. Self-enlightenment could wait. “Not now, Lee. Where the hell’s... Meredith?”
Lee’s green eyes narrowed as he stuck a pointed finger in Hunter’s face. “This discussion’s not over. You and me are getting to the bottom of this bullshit death wish of yours. Count on it.” Folding his arms over his chest again, he tipped back onto the stool. “As for Meredith, Alex sent her home. I’m not sure if he told her that we’d found you yet, not after the scare you gave us. He might want you to break the bad news yourself.”
“She’s in... danger,” Hunter wheezed. “Roger Teach. Brinkman EX. Tell Alex. Hurry.”
“Take it easy, he knows. He’s got Mother and Ember looking into Teach and Burdette’s holdings.”
That helped.
“You would’ve been okay if you’d treated that knife wound, you know. It was infected. You had a first-aid kit. Jesus, Hunt, why didn’t you?”
Meredith would get a kick out of this conversation. Hunter could almost see her chewing his butt like she did when he’d told her he’d taken a swim in the river.
He pushed the thought of her away. “Where’s... Ky?”
Lee rolled his eyes. “Damn you’re a hard-headed ass. Ky’s on his way back to the States with everyone else.”
“Everyone?”
Lee nodded. “Everyone except Alex. You know how he is. He won’t leave until you’re ready to travel.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow, if your oxygen sat level improves, which is why you were on the respirator until this morning.”
That explained the sore throat. “Why?”
“Because you had a damned heart attack in the middle of the jungle,” Lee muttered. “Holy hell, Hunt. We’ve spent weeks tearing that fenced-in plot of land apart trying to find you and Ky, but the minute we do, you scare the shit out of us by going into cardiac arrest. I’ve never seen a man flash into hyper-medic-mode as fast as Zack did. Are your ribs sore?”
Hunter nodded. Hell, yeah. All of him felt pretty damned sore.
“Good! They ought to be broken. Zack pounded on you hard enough. Guess he lost a guy in the middle of chest compressions a few years back. He wasn’t about to let you die.”
Hunter made a mental note. Zack. Lee. Damned good friends.
“How’d you… find us?” His throat burned with every word.
“Blame that on the boss. He brought in a team of experts who map tombs like the ones over in Egypt and that crystal cave in Mexico. Those guys are good.”
It was easier to let Lee talk. It wasn’t often he had this much to say.
“They used geo-electric mapping to scan the underground terrain. You should’ve seen them. I’ve never worked with men so excited about what they were doing. They’re the ones who found the chute you or Ky dropped into. Sucking quicksand nearly bought Jordan the farm, but finding that one shaft was the break we needed. They’re the ones who went underground after you and Ky.”
“What’s geo—” Hunter waved his hand, “—whatever?”
“Geo-electric mapping.” Lee shrugged both big shoulders. Calmer now, he looked laid back in his customary western shirt and jeans. “It takes three-dimensional images of whatever’s underground. Oil and gas companies use it. Explorers. Environmentalists.”
This rescue still fel
t more like a blessed miracle than practical science. “But there had to be hundreds of trails and ledges down there…”
Lee nodded, but his eyes shifted to the monitor. “There was. Like I said, those guys were good. We almost lost Eric though. This has been one hell of an easy operation.”
God, not Eric. All the good news turned to gray. “What happened?”
Lee rolled both those broad shoulders at whatever he was reading on Hunter’s monitor. Worry creased the corners of his eyes. “Take it easy, Hunt. Your blood pressure’s spiking.”
“Then tell me!”
After a slow, deliberate breath, Lee spilled. “Masters knifed him, then Seth shot Masters and we had to exfil out of there. Eric’s in a hospital back in the States. He’s in a coma, but he’s holding his own.”
Why did Hunter get the feeling Lee was holding back? “Did Seth kill Masters?” He better have!
Lee nodded. “Oh, yeah. One shot to the throat.”
“Good.” Hunter forced himself to calm. “I should’ve done that, but I needed answers and I… I…” I wanted to be more than a cold-blooded killer. For Merry.
The intensity in Lee’s eyes softened. He always did see through Hunter. “You like Meredith, huh?”
“Yes,” Hunter admitted, his pulse steady. “How was she when you last saw her?”
Lee rolled his eyes. “I’m not sure she’s mentally sound. That woman thinks you’re a lover not a fighter.”
Great. What had Meredith said?
“Ky told me.” Hunter changed the direction of this conversation, “’bout you and Tess and Nizari.”
Lee arched a brow. “Is that right?”
“I had no idea.”
“That was another bad night,” Lee hissed softly. “I honestly didn’t think we’d get out of there alive.”
“Tess is amazing.”
A thoughtful smile tweaked one corner of Lee’s mouth. “She is. There’s never a dull moment in my life.”
“Guess we don’t always know each other’s stories, do we?”
Hunter (In the Company of Snipers Book 14) Page 30