She looked back, not able to see anything in the darkness.
“Kim!” the voice said again, and it was deep and assertive.
Her heart pounded as she looked around. She couldn’t see him. She couldn’t see anything. Before she could flee again, he was right in front of her. He gripped her bicep firmly as he towered above her, preventing her from running again. “Kim,” he said urgently. “I’m a U.S. Navy SEAL. Don’t run. We’re here to rescue you.”
She let out a choked sob and then collapsed to the ground in shock, relief coursing through her.
“Kimberly, are you okay?” he asked, crouching down in front of her. He glanced back, cursing. “Hell, we need to move. I’ll explain everything in a moment. Let’s head behind the tree line. I know you can’t see in the dark, but there are two guys after us.”
She gasped as the sound of gunfire pierced the air, and then the man was pulling her to her feet and talking in a low voice into his headset. “I’ve got the package, repeat, I’ve got the package. We’re being followed by two tangoes. Heading east toward the trees. A new group is headed north toward you. Over.”
He hustled her along, holding her arm firmly as she stumbled. “Wait here,” he said gruffly. She dropped to the ground as he turned, waiting for the men to get closer. They heard the low murmur of voices, and then two shots rang out.
“Let’s move,” he said.
Kimberly stood, and they hurried further away as the new group of men she’d heard moved up the mountain. The guy spoke into his headset again, and she wondered how many men he’d come with. Was it just a SEAL team? Had the Army sent in soldiers, too?
They hurried farther from the fighting and then ducked down behind some rocks. “I think we can stop here for a moment. Let me free your wrists,” he said gruffly. “Are you all right?”
“Why didn’t you say anything at the camp?” she asked.
He crouched down and held her wrists in his hand. Then after pulling his knife free, he carefully cut the rope, slicing upwards so he didn’t nick her skin. “What do you mean?” he asked, concentrating on the rope.
“You covered my mouth and didn’t say who you were. I thought you were one of the men who’d kidnapped me.”
The guy sliced her wrists free and then lightly rubbed them with his gloved hand. It was strangely intimate, and she wondered why he seemed so worried. Her wrists hurt but weren’t broken. They were the very least of her concerns.
“You didn’t give me a chance,” he said. He sheathed his knife and sank down beside her. “I was going to identify myself, but you were already fighting me and trying to pull away. I was trying to quiet you so we could sneak out.”
“I thought you were going to rape me!” she said angrily.
The man stilled. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’d never hurt a woman. Never. We were trying to get you out of there without alerting the others.”
She nodded but shifted slightly away from him.
“Seriously, I’m sorry. I should’ve realized you’d be terrified if I didn’t immediately identify myself. I thought you were asleep and didn’t expect you to fight me. My name is Ethan Flannigan. My SEAL team was sent here to rescue you.”
“How’d you find me?” she asked in shock.
“An informant gave us your location. We didn’t have solid intel for months, but believe me the military has been looking for you. We should’ve gotten to you sooner.”
“They kept moving me around,” she admitted. She looked around in the darkness, but it was quiet in the area where they’d stopped.
“We’re going to lie low here for a few minutes and then regroup with my teammates. We’ll all head down the mountain together and call in the helos for extraction.” He spoke into his headset again. “Yes, roger that. Over and out.”
The sounds of gunfire pierced the air, and she jumped.
“Easy,” he murmured. “Are you hurt? You never answered me before.”
“No, nothing serious. Mostly just hungry.”
“Shit. I’ve got some MREs and protein bars. Give me a minute to make sure we don’t need to run again, and then I’ll get you something.”
“Okay.”
She tensed as if expecting someone to spring up and attack them, but they were well-hidden. They could hear shouts in the distance, but for the moment at least, they were safe. She didn’t doubt Ethan would kill anyone else who got near them. She couldn’t bemoan the loss of life. They’d kidnapped and hurt her. They’d murdered the blonde woman. Anyone who came after them tonight deserved whatever fate befell them.
“Is the rest of your team up at the camp?” she asked.
“Affirmative. I chased after you when you ran.”
She nodded, shock still coursing through her. Everything had happened so fast, she barely had time to register it. One moment she was sleeping, and the next, the camp was being stormed by a team of SEALs.
“We were there two months ago when your building was bombed at Bagram Airfield,” Ethan said.
Kimberly gasped.
“We were. My team was on an op and was in the chow hall when the suicide bomber blew themself up at the gate. And there’s more to the story. Your friend Hailey—”
“You know Hailey?” she asked, reaching out and grabbing onto his arm.
She sensed rather than saw him nod in the darkness. He didn’t comment on the way she clutched onto him. “I do. She told me about you as a matter of fact.”
Relief washed over her. If Hailey had talked about her, that meant she was still alive. “How do you know her? Wait—are you the guy who walked her to the door after the first explosion?”
“No,” he said, sounding amused. “That was Ghost. Grayson. We were all in the mess hall, and he walked her back to your housing while the rest of the team and I headed to the front gate to help. They’ve actually been dating the past few months. Hailey moved in with him.”
Kimberly blinked, stunned. She released Ethan’s arm and sank back to the ground. “Wow. I really have been gone a long time.”
“She was worried sick about you,” Ethan said softly. “It’s a long story, which I’m sure she’ll tell you when we’re home. She’s had a tough time—not anything like what you’ve been through, but I know it hasn’t been easy for her.”
“Wait—where does she live?”
“San Diego.”
“So she took the job. Damn. We would’ve been back in Virginia at the same time if our building hadn’t been blown up. She was supposed to finish her assignment and be home for a couple of weeks before moving.”
“Yeah, she was briefly there recovering.”
Kim froze. “Recovering. She was hurt?”
“Yeah. When your building was on fire, Ghost went in there and rescued her. She was in the hospital and sent to Landstuhl. Eventually she went back to Virginia for a few weeks and then moved.”
“God. Wow. Is she okay?”
“She is,” Ethan assured her.
“I ran out the front door when the bomb went off. I was outside and completely disoriented. My ears were ringing, and people were running in all directions. I was standing there looking at the burning building, sort of in shock, I guess. The next thing I knew, someone grabbed me. They knocked me out, and I woke up in a tent in the desert, tied up.”
“Shit,” Ethan muttered. “Did they—were you—”
She stared at her hands, knowing what he was trying to ask. She couldn’t see him in the darkness, but she felt him looking at her. No doubt he had on night-vision goggles with how easily he’d been able to find her.
Kim nodded. “The first night. A man—hurt me. It was only that one night. I think he was one of the leaders because I didn’t see him much afterward. There was another woman that was captured, too. I don’t even know her name, but she had long, blonde hair. She cried and fought them. They basically left me alone after that because they liked hearing her screams.”
“Bastards. I’m so sorry you had to go through any
of that.”
She didn’t say anything. It wasn’t his fault. And nothing he said would change what had happened. It felt like a million years ago now, like it had happened to someone else. In another lifetime. She was terrified of the man missing part of his ear, but for the most part, the other assholes had left her alone.
She didn’t want to remember that night. She wanted to forget everything she’d been through.
Suddenly, Ethan was speaking into his microphone again. “Roger that. We’ll head down and meet up with you.” He looked toward her. “Kimberly, are you able to hike down the mountain with me?”
“Yeah. What happened?”
“The team split because the group of insurgents was large. They’ve diverted them away from us, but Raptor’s worried they’ll loop back around near here. Let’s move farther away from this spot before I get you some food. We need to clear out. Now.”
“More men might be coming.”
“What do you know?”
She shrugged. “Not much. But I was held in a large camp for most of the time. There had to be at least a hundred men. I don’t know where the others went. Yesterday and today, I’ve been with a small group. I just mean there are others that are probably somewhere nearby.”
“And we want to avoid running into them,” Ethan said. “Let’s move out. The rest of the team might be able to catch up with us when you stop to eat.”
“Okay,” she said shakily. Suddenly, she felt utterly exhausted. She’d been woken up in the middle of the night. She was tired, and her muscles were sore from the long walk yesterday. She’d do anything to get off this mountain though. She’d walk however long it took to get away from her kidnappers.
Ethan rose to his feet, and he steadied her as she stood up and wobbled slightly. “I don’t like how weak you are,” he commented.
“I’ll be okay. Let’s go somewhere safer.”
The voices in the distance were growing farther away, and she wondered where his teammates had led them. But Ethan had just said they were worried the men would circle back. It didn’t matter. She had no doubt that a SEAL team could handle themselves. She just needed to get away from here.
She and Ethan began walking carefully down the mountain, with him gripping her arm. She didn’t protest. She couldn’t see in the dark, and she was exhausted. And even though she was a trained soldier, she didn’t have any weapons. Ethan was decked out and prepared for anything. It was safer to stay right at his side.
After ten minutes, they came to a small boulder near some bushes. “Let’s stop here for a bit,” Ethan said. “I’ll get some food in you before we move again.”
She sank to the ground, leaning against the large rock. Ethan rustled around in his rucksack, pulling out a protein bar and a canteen of water. “Here you go,” he said, handing them both over. “I’ve got MREs, too, but we should probably start with something small.”
She gratefully took the protein bar, tearing the plastic wrapper. She ate slowly, not wanting to upset her stomach. She’d barely eaten recently and knew that consuming too much too soon wouldn’t end well. She’d throw it right back up.
“Sorry I can’t turn on a flashlight,” he said. “I don’t want them to spot us.”
“It’s fine. I don’t want them to find us either.”
Kim took another bite of her protein bar and then stifled a yawn.
“You’re tired,” he said quietly. Somehow the low rumble of his voice soothed her. She didn’t even know the guy, but she’d be forever grateful that he was the one to whisk her to safety. Maybe he’d scared her at first, but right now, she felt a calm she hadn’t in months. She hadn’t been eating or sleeping well, so it was no wonder her body was exhausted. But most of the relief she felt was simply because she wasn’t alone anymore. She’d been by herself for so damn long, she couldn’t begin to say how happy she was to talk to another person. To trust someone for a change. Ethan would help her get off this mountain. Those crazy men who’d kidnapped her wouldn’t ever hurt her again.
“I can keep up,” she assured him. “I might not be a Navy SEAL, but I have been trained by the Army.”
“No doubt. But I don’t want to push you too hard. You’ve been in captivity for two months. We’re safe to rest here for a bit. Eat the protein bar and close your eyes. I’ll keep watch and wait for my team to update us. We’ll move when I get word they’re heading our way.”
She looked over at him in the darkness. She couldn’t see Ethan but knew he was watching her. “Is that safe?”
“I’ll keep you safe, Kimberly.”
She wanted to argue. She wanted to insist they keep moving, but she was even more tired now that she’d eaten. It was as if the adrenaline rush from earlier had worn off. She had a bit of food in her stomach, it was the middle of the night, and she had a Navy SEAL watching over her. She’d slept restlessly at the camp, even when she’d been secluded in a cave. “Maybe I’ll rest for a little while.”
“Yep,” he agreed. He dug around in his rucksack and pulled out a sweatshirt. “Use this for a pillow.”
She took it from him, nodding, as tears smarted her eyes. The assholes who’d taken her didn’t care if she slept on the hard ground. Hell, the first night the one guy had raped her. They hadn’t given her a choice in anything. They’d kidnapped her. Beaten her after she ran. Ethan was offering her what little he had. Promising to protect her.
Although she wasn’t the type of woman who needed a man, at the moment, she was grateful. She tucked the sweatshirt under her head, inhaling the slightly masculine scent.
“Here, I’ve got a blanket, too,” he said, handing her the reflective, thin blanket.
She gratefully took it from him, covering herself up. Even out here in the open, with a man she didn’t know, she felt safer than she had in months. “Sleep,” he said again, and she knew he was watching her.
She closed her eyes. Sniffled slightly in the darkness.
Of course, Ethan noticed. He didn’t move closer or reach out to touch her, but his voice comforted her all the same. “I’ll get you out of here, sweetheart,” he said in a low voice. “I swear that I will.”
Chapter 7
Ethan sat there for two hours before he got word that he’d need to wake Kimberly. It wasn’t nearly long enough for her to get the rest he knew that she needed, but the sun would be up in another hour or so, and they needed to move. His teammates had ended up hunkering down for a couple of hours as well. The large group of insurgents had canvassed the area, and there were just too many to easily fight off.
They’d remained hidden, waiting to move when the men gave up or fell asleep. Now he heard his team leader’s voice over the headset. “We’re about thirty minutes north of the camp where we found Kimberly. No tangoes in sight, so we’re headed down.”
“Shit. You went further up the mountain?”
“Roger that. We didn’t have a choice.”
“All right. Kimberly’s still asleep, but I’ll get her up soon.”
“We’ll head back your way and skirt around the camp. We should be able to meet up and descend the mountain together, then catch our ride out of here.”
“Roger that. I’ll send you my coordinates.”
He adjusted his night-vision goggles and then took a swig of water from his canteen. He hated that he’d have to wake Kimberly when she’d been sleeping so peacefully, but they needed to get moving before sunrise. No doubt the insurgents would come running when they heard the helos. The Army Rangers would probably be back to provide cover for them again. They were taking no risks on getting her the hell out of here.
Clenching his jaw, he glanced over at the woman only a few feet away. He’d never gotten a good look at her given that it was completely dark, but he already felt protective toward her. She only came up to his shoulder, and although she was an Army Reservist, he was Special Forces. He trained with an elite team of men daily. No doubt she worked hard, but it wasn’t a fair comparison. Regular military didn’t have t
he same training as men on the teams, and she wasn’t even regular military.
Her long, dark hair lay spread out on his sweatshirt, and she was curled up as she slept. Something tugged at his chest as he looked over at her. She didn’t know him but had trusted him enough to sleep at his side.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d watched a woman sleep. Had he ever? Normally he’d date someone briefly, take her to bed, and they’d go their separate ways. He clearly had no intention of sleeping with her. But it was his job to watch over her right now. The fact that it made his chest clench to look at her didn’t mean anything. Not at all.
“This is Raptor,” Blake said over the headset a little while later. “There’s no movement in the area. We’ll be there in ten.”
“Roger.”
Sighing, he edged closer to Kimberly. He didn’t want to freak her the hell out, but he needed to wake her up. He doubted she’d appreciate waking to a group of men standing around staring at her. He rested his gloved hand on her boot, lightly jostling it. “Kim,” he said in a low voice. “Kimberly.”
She startled, sitting up quickly as the reflective blanket fell to the ground.
“Easy, sweetheart, it’s Ethan.”
“Ethan.” She blinked.
“Yep. You slept a couple of hours, but the guys are almost here. It’s time for us to go. The sun will be up in another hour or so, and we need to move before daylight.”
“Okay,” she said groggily. “I’m ready.”
He chuckled quietly. She was half-asleep, not ready to rush down a mountain. He had to give her credit though—the woman was tough as nails. She’d been through hell and was willing to do whatever was necessary to get out of here.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “We’ve got ten minutes before the guys get here.”
“A little bit,” she admitted.
“Have another protein bar,” he said, pulling one out and handing it over to her.
“Did anyone come near us while I was asleep?”
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