She searched the night sky until she located the North Star. She did a few quick calculations in her mind of the time she’d need to reach the river. She paused just long enough to get her bearings. Once she started, she wouldn’t be able to stop. She’d figure out how to cross once she got there.
Ready, set—go.
Rachel took off running as fast as she could. Vines and undergrowth snarled at her feet, but didn’t slow her pace. She snapped branches and crushed ferns, running as hard as she could, always with one ear listening to see if someone followed. Her breathing was ragged and her legs burned, but she pushed on.
After fifteen minutes of hard running, she slowed to a clipped jog. She’d lost sight of the North Star and had no idea what direction she was heading. Rachel prayed she wasn’t running in circles and that the river would appear in a few hours. If she got really lucky she’d run into the Professor.
And then she’d kill him.
Right after she enjoyed the shock on his face at seeing her return from the dead. Rachel knew she was talking nonsense. She couldn’t kill anything, but it made her feel better to think that she could. The best she could hope for was stumbling across her pack and retrieving Jac’s present or getting the jump on one of the smaller guides and taking his gun from him. Both were extreme long shots. She knew she had a better chance of stumbling across a Four Seasons resort.
Two and a half hours later, out of breath and out of steam, Rachel walked until she couldn’t take another step.
What was she going to do? She still hadn’t found a sign of water or her pack. She dropped to her knees next to a large tree that had partially eroded away. The arc shaped nook would provide adequate shelter for the night, and hopefully a hiding place if Eros came looking. Rachel rested her back against the bark and closed her eyes. She’d done it. She’d escaped. Unfortunately, the thought did not bring her any solace.
* * * * *
Eros fought the urge to swoop down and retrieve his woman. She’d led him on a merry chase through the jungle tonight. He’d needed Ares’ help to keep track of her. The warrior had dropped her pack off nearby in case she needed it tonight and left. He’d found it when he’d tracked the red-haired demon. Ares hadn’t said a word, but Eros could see the amusement in his eyes. He didn’t understand why Eros hadn’t collected her immediately. Eros couldn’t explain his actions to his friend. The emotions ran too deep.
He glanced down at Rachel curled against the trunk of the tree. The pain of her rejection tore at his insides. He blew out a heavy breath. In time she’d learn to love him as much as he already loved her and if not, well he’d learn to live with it.
For now he’d have to be content in the tree above her, watching her sleep. His chest contracted, as if he’d received a physical blow. Tonight he’d let her feel a small moment of victory. Tomorrow he’d collect her and return her to the village.
In the end, she would not win. Could not. For his sake, and for the sake of his people.
A bitter hollow victory for him since the decision would not be of her choosing.
He was about to nod off when a crunching sound followed by movement caught his attention. Several members of Rachel’s expedition were making their way through the jungle, heading straight toward Rachel’s hiding place.
Eros unsheathed his knife. There were many, but he’d kill every last one of the men before he’d let them take his woman.
* * * * *
Rachel woke with a start. She’d heard something, but in her dreamlike state she wasn’t sure what. She listened.
There it was again.
Someone was coming.
Panic struck. She pushed her body against the tree and stilled her breathing. She hadn’t come this far, only to have freedom ripped away from her. The noise drew nearer. Rachel recognized a couple of the voices. It was the expedition. Torn by fear and indecision, she stayed in place.
What would the men do once they discovered she was alive? Kill her?
She could stay rooted against the tree or take the chance that they’d be too scared to do anything other than, very worse case scenario, return her to the Professor. Hopefully in the time it took to get to Donald, she’d be able to acquire a weapon. Rachel decided to take her chances with her first captors, even though her heart sank at the thought of leaving her giant behind.
For a moment she pictured Eros, his beautiful body all lean and strong, standing proud in the doorway of his hut. His gaze burning with fire as he lovingly caressed her. Rachel took a ragged breath. She’d miss her giant. Would she ever see his handsome face again, or taste his passionate kisses? Would he forgive her for leaving him if she did return one day? Rachel doubted he’d welcome her back with open arms, his pride would not allow it. And she didn’t think he’d appreciate her bringing strangers into his encampment.
Rachel jumped out of the crevice, knowing there would be no happily ever after for them. She listened for the men, then followed their footsteps like a bloodhound. She was about to round the next tree when she tripped. Rachel felt around on the ground trying to figure out what the obstruction was when her hands encountered a pack. It wouldn’t be, could it? She hadn’t traveled that for, had she? Her heart leapt for joy as her fingers dove to the bottom, encountering Jac’s little present. Relief flooded her as she rose to her feet, tucked the Glock against the small of her back and raced forward to catch up with the group. She came upon the men in less than five minutes.
Rachel let out a bloodcurdling scream followed by a loud, “Boo!”
The guides were swinging the beams of their flashlights wildly about, making the jungle look like a rave party. Their eyes were wide with fear and surprise. She didn’t see Jaro, but did recognize the other men. There was a lot of pushing and shoving along with frantic shouts about her being a ghost. The scene was utter chaos.
Afraid of angering the dead, not a single man reached for his gun. She had to hide a giggle at that, considering how frightened she was of them. Let the men think she’d returned from the dead. It would serve them right for what they’d done to her. The fear could actually work to her advantage.
Rachel raised her arms above her head, waggling her fingers menacingly. “Take me to the Professor or I will snatch your souls while you sleep,” she shouted in their native tongue.
Wild eyes looked from her to the jungle and back again. Some of the men were praying to their gods, while others begged her forgiveness. Rachel just leered and pointed at each man as if determining which one to take. The men quivered and shook. Several guides jumped up and ran off, disappearing in the thick undergrowth.
Donald pushed his way through the crowd and appeared at the front of the group. His expression went from confusion to twisted fury the moment he saw Rachel. “What are you doing here, Dr. Evans? You’re supposed to be dead.”
“I didn’t like being dead.” She shrugged. “So I came back.” Rachel’s heart pounded as she fought to control the fear racing through her veins. The Professor would jump on any sign of weakness.
He opened his mouth to speak.
“Wait.” Rachel held up her hands, silencing whatever he’d been about to say. “I don’t want to fight, Professor. I’ll forget this whole crazy mess if you just lend me a guide to take me back to our original basecamp. I’m tired and I want to go home.”
His brown gaze sparked from the glow of his flashlight. He watched her like a mongoose eyeing a cobra. “Just like that?” He snapped his fingers. “You’re going to forget everything that’s happened?”
Rachel swallowed hard, forcing her voice to remain calm. “Like I said, I just want to go home. Lend me a guide and I’ll be on my way.”
“Why don’t I believe, Dr. Evans?” His tone was deceptively cool, but his body tensed, ready to spring.
He wasn’t as dumb as he looked, Rachel thought. “What do you want me to say, Professor?”
He snorted. “The truth would be nice.”
“Fine.” Rachel crossed her arms over her chest
. She knew no matter what she said he wasn’t going to willingly let her leave here. “I need to go back so that I can get the asshole that left me here to die in the jungle fired, and with any luck, arrested for attempted murder.”
Donald’s cheek twitched. “That’s more like it,” he said. “I’m not a fool like these idiots.” He spat on the ground and shook his fist at the guides. “You’re not dead yet, but you will be soon.”
Rachel tittered and took a step back. She couldn’t shoot them all. There were too many of them. ”Professor, I think the heat has gotten to you. You’re not thinking clearly.”
The flashlight Donald held gave him a freakish yellow overtone. His knuckles were white from the pressure he applied to the handle. He clenched his jaw, gnashing his teeth together like a rabid dog. His eyes burned with unchecked fury. “Don’t patronize me, Dr. Evans.”
Rachel stared at him. “I’m not.”
Donald features went flat until there was no emotion visible. Rachel knew better, but her anger made her continue to goad the Professor anyhow. She no longer owed him anything. He would never influence her actions again. His gaze zeroed in on her, pinning her in place. The hatred she saw in those depths frightened her, but she refused to back down, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to run. Rachel gulped and fumbled for the gun at her back. Her palms were sweating. The heat and nerves made it difficult to breathe.
In a flash, Dr. Rumsinger drew his weapon from its holster. Rachel found herself staring down the barrel of a pistol in disbelief. Her own pistol, the one the Professor had found down by the water. Donald shouted to the men to vacate the area, and in seconds she and the Professor were alone.
The air rushed from her lungs, muscles in her chest constricted so tight she feared they’d stop her heart from beating. Rachel took another step back. Donald meant to kill her without witnesses. She raised her hands as if to surrender, praying that the Professor would get distracted long enough for her to be able to reach and pull the gun from the small of her back. She’d played quick draw as a kid, but that had been years ago. This time her life depended on it.
“All I want to do is get back home to New York,” she said, her voice wavering under the stress. “Can’t we work something out?” Rachel knew the Professor was beyond negotiating, but talking might distract him long enough for her to reach her gun.
“It’s too late for that, Dr. Evans.”
Rachel’s fingers trembled as she pointed to the pistol in his hand. “There’s time, as long as you don’t pull that trigger.”
His aim was steady as if this wasn’t the first time he’d pulled a gun on a person. “I have no plans to go to jail,” he said.
“What about the men?”
Rumsinger looked at her as if he didn’t understand the question, then said nonchalantly, “They will have to meet with a tragic demise. Accidents occur everyday in the jungle. Such is life.” He waved the gun in the air. “Perhaps I’ll tell the authorities you went crazy and shot the guides.”
“They’ll never believe it. There’s no way you can kill them all.” Rachel shook her head in denial.
“You underestimate me,” he said.
“You’re mad.” Rachel put one hand in front of her, as if that would block the oncoming bullet and slid the other to her side.
“Maybe so, but you’re still going to die. The beauty of it is, and I’m sure you’ll agree, I will use your gun.” Donald licked his chapped lips as if salivating at the prospect of killing her.
“But I…I’ve made an incredible discovery. One that will change the history of mankind.” Rachel dropped her hand to the pocket that held the piercing instrument.
Rumsinger’s brow arched. “What kind of discovery?” His gaze followed her movements, giving Rachel no opportunity to reach her weapon.
She rubbed her palms along her pants, trying to wipe away some of the nervous perspiration. “Like the leaf, but better. This one will make us famous.”
“I thought I told you that there was no us.”
“I think you’ll change your mind once you see what I’ve discovered,” she said.
“You better not be jerking me around, Dr. Evans. I have no patience for those who waste my time.” Donald kept the pistol pointed at her, but Rachel could see curiosity replacing some of the anger. He was weighing her words, trying to figure out if she was bluffing. Finally he lowered his weapon.
She should just take the instrument out and show him. It’s your only chance of making it out of here alive.
“What have you discovered?” The gun was still in his hand; he hadn’t bothered returning it to its holster, but at least it was no longer pointed at her chest. “This better be good, Doctor. Your life depends on it.” He gestured for her to continue.
Rachel stomach turned. She wondered what would become of Eros if the Professor reached the village. She didn’t want Donald destroying her discovery, but at the same time, this was the only card left she could play. Hopefully Eros would understand. Rachel knew her giant wouldn’t stand idly by and let the Professor destroy his people. He’d go down fighting.
She swallowed hard, trying to breathe past the lump in her throat. She blinked back tears as she imagined the Professor standing over Eros’s lifeless body. It didn’t bear thinking about. She couldn’t go through with this. Rachel couldn’t do that to Eros...not even to save her own life.
She loved him. The realization was both astonishing and bittersweet. Rachel thought of the dreams she’d had while in New York. Maybe she always had loved him and didn’t know it until this moment. With that revelation came a deeper understanding of herself. Rachel had never been the bravest person in love or in life. At the first sign of conflict, she ran the other way, but not this time. She would never willingly give up Eros’s people. She’d die first.
Fear threatened to choke her, but Rachel knew what she had to do. “I found nothing,” she snarled. “I was lying to you. I just wanted to see the look on your face, when you realized that you’d been had.” She moved her hands away from her pockets, edging toward the gun.
“Nothing?” he raged.
“That’s right, nada,” she ground out with a fierce determination she hadn’t known existed within her.
“And you call me insane. You dumb bitch!” Donald raised the gun and leveled the sites. Rachel closed her eyes, not wanting to see the bullet coming. She heard the Professor chuckle, amused by her cowardice. The night quieted, stifled by the tension crackling between them.
“Get it over with.” Defiant, Rachel opened her eyes and focused on the Professor. Bile rose in her throat, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She knew he would be the last sight she’d see before meeting her death. She couldn’t bear the thought, so she closed her eyes again and pictured Eros in all his golden glory.
Donald cocked the .38 and fired. The kaboom sound seemed far away in Rachel’s mind, like a distant crack of thunder heralding a storm. She braced, waiting for the bullet’s impact, waiting for the pain, but felt nothing. Had he missed? Rachel opened her eyes. She wasn’t going to wait to find out. Her hand automatically reached for the Glock. With trembling fingers she pulled it free and aimed at the Professor. One minute Donald stood before her, the next he was rolling on the ground holding his head. Had she fired? She didn’t remember pulling the trigger, but Glocks were twitchy. Maybe she had and didn’t even know it. Her limbs were trembling so badly she wasn’t sure.
In the next instant, the gun was wrenched from her hands and the jungle floor was gone. Rachel found herself swooped up and flying through the air, wrapped in a pair of strong arms, against a warm muscled body.
Eros…
Rachel looked down in time to see the Professor stumble to his feet and scramble for his gun. He fired off a couple of shots, which shattered the bark of the trees next to them. His eyes were round with shock as he watched Eros whisk them away. The ground blurred. Her stomach bucked. Rachel squeezed her lids shut.
Look at me. The request
came as a calm whisper inside her mind amidst the turmoil.
She dared to open her eyes. Eros looked into her face, his fear for her plainly written across his chiseled features. Tears sprang to her eyes. He squeezed her tighter. He smelled woodsy and fresh, so incredibly alive.
“Will he die?” she asked, torn between hope and terror.
Eros’s jaw clenched. “No. The blow I sent him was only enough to keep him from killing you. It happened too fast for my aim to be lethal.” His arm tightened around her. “The next time I will not miss.”
Rachel shuddered. She hadn’t meant to frighten him. She just wanted to go home. At least she thought that was what she wanted, when Eros wasn’t holding her. It seemed logical. That’s what she should want, but when he touched her confusion reigned.
Why did it have to feel so right being in his arms?
She held him tight around his waist as he caught lianas vine after vine. The speed at which they were moving was blinding. They reached the village in record time. He swung up in front of his hut door, his feet making no sound as he landed on the tree limb. He pushed aside the hide and stepped over the threshold without releasing her.
Eros walked over to the furs on the floor and carefully laid Rachel upon them. With trembling fingers, he brushed back her hair, his touch gentle as he examined her. His face glowed with a warmth and tenderness that made Rachel’s heart ache.
He loved her, too.
The stunning realization scared Rachel spitless. It was one thing to love him. It was quite another to have those feelings returned.
What was she going to do? She couldn’t stay here, could she?
No, no definitely not. She had an apartment back in New York.
You’ve got one room, the little voice said.
She had her job.
Not when the Professor gets done with his smear campaign. Hell, that’s if he let her live long enough to see the museum again.
Atlantean's Quest Volume 1 Page 12