Protecting His Own

by Lindsay McKenna

  Oh, she knew there were marine guards about, but Sam was betting that, under the circumstances, most of them were pulling duty over at the distribution center, where the food and water was kept.

  She stumbled several more times as she left the dimly illuminated tent city behind. Finding the street they’d taken earlier, Sam started along. She didn’t have a flashlight, and three miles in pitch darkness was going to be rough. Accordingly, she’d climbed into her Levi’s, put on her leather hiking boots and thrown on a heavy wool sweater instead of her uniform.

  Breathing through her mouth, she ran haphazardly, stumbling often. As the night closed around her, she halted, looking back. The small landing zone looked like a bright, welcoming haven in the blackness. Heart squeezing, Sam turned.

  Abruptly, a scream lodged in her throat as a shape, silent and large, appeared out of the night and in front of her. Sam pressed her hand to her mouth, her eyes huge for a moment, and then her shock turned to surprise.

  “Roc! What are you doing out here?”

  “I could ask the same of you, good doctor.”

  He looked at the illuminated dials on his thick, hairy wrist. “It’s 0030. You’re supposed to be in bed.” He looked down at her. Pushing his night vision goggles up on his helmet, he managed a thin smile. Sam’s hair beneath the cap was in disarray, the collar of her jacket drawn up over the Kevlar vest she wore beneath it and kept in place with a dark blue muffler. She was beautiful in her own special way, and despite the situation, his heart picked up its pace.

  “Well…” Sam hedged, running her fingers nervously through her unruly hair, “I wasn’t tired….”

  “Let me guess,” Roc said, scratching his jaw, which was in dire need of a shave. “You were worried about Ani. She was the worst of the seven kids you worked on. And now you’re going back to check on her?”

  “For a marine, you’re pretty smart, Captain.” Sam wondered if he’d allow her to pass. He stood there, rifle in hand and a slight, sour smile on his shadowed face.

  “Marines come that way, Doctor.”

  “Oh, please…look, I need to go there. Now. We’ve got to check out that next area tomorrow morning and—”

  “And you were going to spend an hour tramping out to see Ani, and then what? Walk back?”

  “Well—yes. Have you got a better plan?”

  He grinned slightly. “Doctor, you’re like an errant child, given to the whim of the moment.” His smile disappeared when he saw in Sam’s eyes her burning desire to get to the child.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. Fair enough?” Sam felt a sense of urgency and moved restlessly from side to side. But Roc was a large, well-built man, even more imposing in his night gear and helmet.

  “You know Diablo’s out here, don’t you?” he demanded in a low tone.

  “Is that what you were doing? Nosing around?”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “I figured the members of Diablo would be like most everyone else—in bed, asleep. They have to sleep sometime.”

  “So do you, and look what you’re doing. You don’t think that gang doesn’t have scouts out at night, checking into things? We’d be stupid to think they were all in bed sleeping.”

  Sam’s nostrils flared. “Let me by, Roc. I’m going to see that little girl. I’ve got seven more IVs in my pack. All those kids are going to need another round of fluids to snap them out of it. That’s the least we can do for them.”

  Shaking his head, Roc muttered, “I don’t know whether to drag you kicking and screaming back to your tent or let you pass.”

  “You’d better choose the latter, because I will not go quietly. I’ll wake up everyone. They’ll blame you for it.”

  Lips twisting, Roc turned and looked down the dark street in front of them. Without night vision goggles, it would be nearly impossible to get anywhere without a lot of stumbling and tripping. “Okay, I’ll take you. This one time,” he warned her, shoving his face into hers, until their noses were only inches apart. He saw she wasn’t the least intimidated. Her jaw was set, her eyes hard with determination to do exactly what she wanted to do.

  “Thanks…that’s nice of you.” And it was. She watched as Roc settled the goggles back over his eyes. The instrument looked almost like a pair of binoculars, but she knew it gave him the distinct ability to see clearly in the darkness. When she felt his left hand curl around her right arm and bring her alongside him, relief flooded through her.

  “It’s going to be rough going,” he warned as they began to walk. “I can see where to place my feet, you can’t. Put your arm around my waist and hold on. That way, if you stumble, you’re less likely to fall. I can’t have our only E.R. doctor with a dislocated knee or broken ankle, can I?”

  Sam laughed a little breathlessly. Roc was purposely cutting his long-legged stride down to match hers. “No, you can’t. And thanks for doing this.”

  “You owe me, Doctor. Big time. And I intend to collect when the time’s right.”

  A warm sensation moved through her heart as Roc turned and spoke those words in a low, husky tone near her ear. She felt the moistness of his breath as she slid her arm around his narrow waist. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. Ordinarily, Sam would have balked at such an intimate move. Under the circumstances, she realized that Roc was doing the most sensible thing in dangerous night conditions.

  “You’re turning out to be more of a hero, Captain.”

  “In your eyes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is this like winning the blue ribbon at the county fair?”

  Squelching a laugh, Sam stumbled and tripped. Her boot had struck a fair-size chunk of asphalt she hadn’t seen. In a heartbeat, she felt Roc’s arm tighten around her shoulders. As she started to fall, he lifted her off her feet and then set her back down on smoother ground in one easy, effortless motion. Amazed at his strength, she gasped, clinging to him for support.

  “Remind me to get some of those night goggles next time I think about doing this.”

  Roc liked the closeness the unexpected situation put them in. “Remind me to hog-tie you to your cot tomorrow night so we can both get a decent night’s sleep, because we sure as hell aren’t going to get one tonight.”

  Laughing breathlessly, Sam fell into step with him again. “I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry, Roc.”

  “Yeah, I know you aren’t, and I’m not asking for an apology.”

  “You know why I’m doing this. You’re a paramedic. You know how much difference an IV of fluids can make. Especially for a child.”

  “Samantha Andrews, you’ve got the biggest heart and the smallest brain of anyone I’ve ever met.”

  She heard the humor in his growl. “Brainless under the circumstances? Going out in the middle of the night in a dangerous place alone and without escort? That kind of brainless?”

  Chuckling, he nodded. “Bingo.”

  “Do you really think Diablo’s around?”

  “Yes, I do. It’s just a question of where. Quinn got a late-evening report of looting along the area 5 and 6 boundary. I think they’re a good four miles to the south of us. Tonight, anyway. If we’re lucky. That doesn’t mean some members aren’t around here. We really don’t have any idea of the size of their force.”

  “So, what were you doing so far away from our tent city, when you ran into me?”

  “Reconnoitering. Doing what I do best.” He liked the way Sam fit against him. She was a trooper; he’d give her that. And he couldn’t really blame her for wanting to see those seven kids again. If the truth be known, he’d wondered about them off and on all day. And he knew Ani, the little blond-haired girl, was in need of more medical care than just one infusion of fluids.

  “Aren’t you tired? Your men are all snoring next door to me.”

  Chuckling, Roc kept his hand firmly on her shoulder. “Yeah, but I’m in charge of security, so I was checking out the area.”

  A few drops of rain began to fall. Sam g
roaned. “Darn. I didn’t bring any rain gear.”

  “We’re halfway there,” Roc stated. “Let’s pick up the pace?”

  Sam nodded. “Let’s go for it. It’s chilly out. I’m not real happy about being cold and wet….”

  For the next mile and a half, Sam trotted awkwardly at his side. She was soaked to the skin by the time they made it to Barbara’s house. It was easy to find the place, because a campfire next door acted as a beacon, despite the rain. The fire had been built under the sheltering eaves of the neighboring house, where a jutting corner of the fallen roof could protect it from the elements, and people huddled around it.

  Roc guided her to the dry area, out of the drumming rain. He explained why they were there to the man whose duty it was to keep the fire going all night. The man, who introduced himself as Al, quickly went next door and woke up Barbara. She appeared within minutes, her eyes swollen with sleep, her hair uncombed.

  Sam smiled and gripped her outstretched hands.

  “Oh, I’m so glad you came back!” Barbara cried.

  “How’s Ani?” Sam asked at once, urgency in her tone. Her hair was damp, with droplets of rain dripping off the ends. Wiping her face, she blinked her eyes to clear them.

  “Better…much better. The other kids are really coming around. The antibiotics are helping so much, Dr. Andrews. Do you want to see them?”

  “Yes, can we? I know it’s late, but it’s the only time I could spare from my other duties.”

  Smiling with gratitude, Barbara motioned for them to follow her. “I’ll have Al make you some hot tea. You’re soaked. Bless you for coming….”

  February 5: 0245

  Roc had put the finishing touches on his small, one-man tent when he heard Sam and Barbara speaking outside the door of the house. The rain was splattering down and he knew it would be a cold, damp night. Moving toward the house, he could see the two women standing at the door, talking. Sam had her arms wrapped around her body. She was shivering.

  As he approached, Roc nodded to Barbara. “We’re going to make camp here tonight,” he told the women. “We’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”

  Sam’s eyes widened. “Camp?”

  Barbara waved good-night to them. “I wish we could be of help, Captain, but we all sleep in one room, and it’s crowded with fifteen people in it. It’s the only room in our house that can stand the aftershocks.”

  “We understand,” Roc said. “Good night.” He reached out, wrapped his fingers around Sam’s arm and gently drew her forward. They were alone now except for Al, who stood guard next door, tending the fire.

  “Come on,” Roc told her, leading her down a stretch of slippery yellow Bermuda grass toward the tent. “You need to get out of those wet clothes and into some dry ones.”

  Gasping, Sam pulled out of his grip. “You want me to spend the night in that tent? With you?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s…so small, Roc….” And she began to panic. It had never entered Sam’s mind that he might have a tent. Or that she’d be sharing it with him.

  It was beginning to rain in earnest, and Roc wasn’t about to stand out here arguing with her. Leaning down, he unzipped the flap and opened it. “Climb in, Sam. We’ll argue inside where it’s dry, okay?”

  Gulping, she looked back at the house. The rain was splattering coldly across her face. Chilled to the bone, she got down on her hands and knees and quickly crawled into the cozy space. Inside, she could barely turn around. Her damp hands met the dry warmth of a wool blanket Roc had spread out on the floor.

  “Move to one side,” he ordered, “I’m coming in….”

  Crouching in the corner on her knees, her arms around herself, Sam watched him enter and zip the door behind him. Roc’s bulk filled up the tent completely. Unsure what to do, Sam simply sat there, her teeth chattering.

  “Give me a second,” he told her as he took off his helmet and laid it in one corner. Moving his M-16 to the side where he intended to sleep, and making sure it was locked and loaded, Roc shrugged out of his heavy, wet jacket and stuffed it into another corner. Beneath the coat, he was dry and warm.

  “Okay, come here.” He reached in Sam’s general direction. His hand connected with her left shoulder and a tangle of damp hair. He removed her cap.

  “Let’s undress you, shall we? I’ve zipped two goose-down sleeping bags together. Once we get you out of your wet gear, I want you to snuggle down into them. Understand?”

  Sam nodded. Turning, she tried to unzip her soaked jacket. Her fingers wouldn’t work, but Roc’s did, with ruthless, swift efficiency.

  “How’re the kids?” he asked as he stripped her out of the jacket. He coaxed the Kevlar vest off her.

  “F-fine.”

  “Ani?” He pushed the jacket and vest into the corner of the tent with his. Running his hands across her shoulders, he found that her sweater was damp, as well. “This has to go, too.”

  “Ani needed a second IV, but she was the only one. She’s much better.” Sam hesitated, but knowing Roc was right, she pulled the sweater over her head. All she was wearing beneath it was a thin, white silk camisole. It, at least, was dry. The cold air hit her. Moaning, Sam quickly sat down, unlaced her hiking boots and pushed them off. Next she tackled her damp Levi’s, which came off stubbornly. Roc’s hands were warm and dry as he finally guided her into the sleeping bag.

  “I’m glad she’s okay,” he said. Making sure Sam was snuggled into the dry bag, he took off his own boots and pants. Dressed only in his green T-shirt and boxer shorts, Roc eased himself down into the bag next to her.

  “Cold?” he asked.

  “Yeah, freezing, as a matter of fact. This bag feels so good.” Sam didn’t care how intimate they would have to be. She needed something to take the chill out of her. Roc’s body was massive, warm and strong. Automatically, she moved those scant inches, to press the front of her body to his.

  “I’m so c-cold….” Sam chattered, burying her head against his neck, beneath his jaw. When his arms went around her shoulders and drew her tightly against him, she sighed. “You’re so warm!”

  “I was wearing rain gear,” he said. “I came prepared. You didn’t check the latest weather conditions before you left. That’s why I packed two sleeping bags. I figured you might want one, too.” Rolling her against him, he pulled the sleeping bag over her shoulder and tucked it in so no cold air could enter. Sam was shaking. “Lie flat against me,” he said. “I’ll try and warm you up.” With one hand, he began to rub her shoulders, back and hips to create more circulation. Her flesh was cold to the touch.

  Tiredness stole over Sam as she lay there, trusting and limp, in his arms. Roc was solid, just as his name implied. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body. She tangled her legs with his. Even her feet were cold. His were like warm heaters in comparison.

  The dampness of her hair against his shoulder, the lilac scent of it, drifted up to Roc’s nostrils as he lay on his right side with Sam pressed against him. Her arm was wrapped around his waist, and he smiled to himself. He liked having her against him. In fact, he was having one helluva time keeping his mind above his waist. She was soft and firm in all the right places. Wishing they had some light so he could see her face, Roc peered into the darkness. Still, she was warm and in his arms, something he’d been thinking a lot about today.

  “Better?” he whispered against her ear. Strands of her drying hair tickled his nose.

  “Umm…this is wonderful. You’re wonderful…. You should get a medal for going above and beyond the call of duty….”

  Chuckling, Roc continued to run his hand across her hip and firm, long thigh to warm her up. Little by little, Sam was relaxing, her teeth chattering less. “Don’t let it be said that marines haven’t, yet again, saved the navy’s butt.”

  Exhaustion pulled at Sam. She closed her eyes. “I surrender to the obvious power of the Marine Corps. I’m waving a white flag of truce. You know what, Roc?” Her words were slurring.


  Easing his hand back up her long spine, across the soft silk of her camisole, he whispered, “What?”

  “You’re one of a kind….”

  “Thanks, I think…”

  “I’m so tired. I’m really warming up now, thanks to you….”

  “Good.” Her voice was becoming wispy and faint. Roc knew how tired she was. So was he. Feeling how warm her flesh was becoming, he stopped his ministrations and laid his head on the makeshift pillow of clothing he’d created earlier, near Sam’s. She had snuggled deeply into his arms.

  The splatter of raindrops on the tent continued unabated. Lucky for them, the bottom of the tent was waterproof, or they’d be lying in puddles.

  As he closed his eyes, his arms wrapped tenderly around Sam, Roc sighed. It was a sigh of contentment, he realized as the feeling washed through him—something he’d rarely felt in the last couple of years. But, as Roc felt Sam drift off to sleep, her body releasing the last of the tension it had carried, he felt strong and good.

  The sudden desire to kiss Sam was nearly his undoing. That lilac fragrance coupled with her special womanly scent had made him hard. Roc was alarmed at his reaction and wondered if Sam was aware of his arousal. Barely breathing, he waited. No, she was asleep. Dead to the world, judging by her soft, slow breath against his neck. Good. He’d dodged the bullet on this one. It would have been embarrassing to her and to him. Roc wasn’t at all sure Sam even liked him. Oh, she tolerated him for many reasons. But that was a far cry from wanting intimacy.

  As he lay there, his eyes closed, the rain music to his ears and the feel of Sam’s heart beating gently against his hairy chest, a balm to his soul, the world felt more right to him than Roc could ever recall. What was it about Sam Andrews that drew him? She was the diametric opposite of all other females he’d been involved with in the past. Roc could count the ways she was different. For one thing, she had the crazy bravery to go out in the dead of night in an area that was like Dodge City before law and order had tamed it. She obviously cared deeply about children. Even to the point of risking her own neck.