Athena Force: Books 1-6

by Justine Davis, Amy J. Fetzer, Katherine Garbera, Meredith Fletcher, Catherine Mann

  Ben took her elbow and pulled her deeper into the brush. Tom moved in front of Ben and led the way. She ran through the bush, vines scraping against her face and tearing at her clothing until Ben stopped. She slammed into his back. He grabbed her and steadied her.

  Then Tom nodded and they moved out again at a run. Tory’s lungs were burning, her thighs hurt and she wished she’d left her backpack at the hotel in Paraiso. But she didn’t complain. The chopper was quartering the area over them. And she knew that they needed to get as far from the path that Ben had cut to ease their way through the jungle. From the air it probably looked like a big old X marking the spot.

  Tory kept Ben in her sights and didn’t think of anything other than following him. The ground beneath her inclined and she realized they were slowly making their way up one of the foothills of the mountains that lined the interior of the island.

  Ben stopped again. Tory tried to control her breathing but couldn’t help drawing in deep breaths. “It sounds like they’ve landed.”

  Tom lead the way farther into the bush, taking them up the side of the mountain. There was an outcropping and an opening that was partially concealed by the overgrown vegetation. And Tory, who had always been a sunshine girl, wasn’t sure she could go in. But she had no choice.

  “Please tell me we aren’t going in there.”

  “What, no story on spelunking in your past?”

  “I’ll consider this research,” she said and followed both men into the darkness.

  Chapter 9

  The cave was damp and dank. And Tory was reluctant to go inside. “Are there animals in here?”

  “Let’s hope not,” Ben said with one of his half grins. “Stick with Tom. I’m going to do a little recon and cover our tracks.”

  Fatigue lined his face, but he was alert as he scanned the dense growth behind her. “Okay. Be careful.”

  “Is that caring?” he asked, running one finger down the side of her face.

  “I’m only thinking of Alex and the fact that I don’t want to have to drag your body out of here.”

  “I promise you that won’t happen.” He used his knuckle under her chin to tip her head back and steal a quick kiss.

  Why did he keep doing that? She rubbed her lips as he walked away, reminding herself that they weren’t going to be sharing any more kisses and the next time she was alone with Ben Forsythe she was going to set him straight.

  She turned toward Tom. “What are we going to do?”

  Tom was standing just inside the mouth of the cave, eyes closed and hands clenched. Sweat ran down the side of his face. There was a breeze where they were, so she suspected it wasn’t the weather that was making him perspire. She hadn’t considered what being back in the dark would do to him.

  “Come on. We’ll grab Ben and find somewhere else to hide out,” Tory said, taking his wrist in her hand.

  “No.” He refused to budge. Though he was under his fighting weight, he held his ground.

  Tory slipped her fingers through his. She led him a little way into the cave. She removed the submachine gun from his shoulders and set it on the floor between them. She did the same with her weapon, but laid it across her lap in case she needed to use it.

  She held his hand with hers and started talking. It was what her mom had always done when Tory was little and scared. And one time when Tory had been crying because it seemed her brother and his friends were never scared of anything, her mom had told her that they were just as scared but didn’t know how to show it.

  “Tell me about your family, Tom. You said you wanted to kiss your wife. What’s her name?” she asked. She’d done little research on the King family. But she wanted to hear about them through Tom’s words. And she sensed that Tom needed to talk. To have something other than a closed-off dark space to think about. She knew from their interview how important his family was to him.

  “Ellen. She’s an attorney.” His voice was thin and raspy. Lifeless and flat and it hurt Tory to hear it.

  “How’d you meet?” she asked, sitting a little closer to him so he’d know he wasn’t alone.

  “In Hawaii on leave. I turned around in a bar and spilled my drink down the front of her dress.”

  “Not the best first impression. How’d you work it out?”

  “She’s a softy despite being one of the toughest lawyers in Virginia. She can’t resist a charming man.”

  “One in particular, right? Do you have any children?”

  “Just a son,” he said. “Tyler. He was fourteen when I left. Damn. I’ve missed so much.”

  “I’m sorry. I know that’s not enough, but I am. Is your son like you?”

  “In what way?” Tom asked. His eyes still closed.

  “Looks?”

  “He’s got Ellen’s eyes and features but my hair coloring and build. He plays baseball and damned if he’s not good at it.”

  “What do you two do together?” she asked. Tory was prepared to keep the questions coming all night if she had to. But she hoped that Ben returned soon. Tom’s grip on her hand was solid and strong—borderline painful.

  “Build things. We made a fort in the backyard when he was eight. We made Ellen a gazebo for Christmas.”

  “I can’t build anything. I bought a kit to make a dollhouse for my niece and finally I tossed the wood in the fireplace and bought her one that was already assembled.”

  He was quiet for a minute and she noticed his breathing was starting to even out. His grip on her hand loosened. But Tory didn’t let go. Not yet. She wanted to make sure he was okay.

  “I’m fine now.”

  “You always were, Tom.”

  He opened his eyes. They narrowed as he surveyed the interior of the cave. “We’re too close to the entrance.”

  “I wasn’t sure what to do,” Tory said, trying not to apologize. She was out of her element and she knew it.

  “You did good, girl.”

  Tom stood and she knew he was operating on sheer guts and force of will at the moment. He led her deeper into the cave, where total darkness surrounded them. “Can we use our glow sticks?”

  Tom snapped his on and they found a smooth area of stone where they set up camp. Tom took rations from his pack and Tory ate mechanically. The entire time she kept her eyes on Tom, ready to offer him comfort again if he needed it.

  He ate quickly then stood and checked his handgun and slipped the submachine gun back over his shoulders. “I’m going to find Ben and relieve him.”

  Tory watched him leave and sat there in the dark, wondering if she was going to get off the island alive. There was something dangerous at work against them.

  The new government was supposed to be friendly with the United States. Why, then, were they being hunted?

  Tory dug her notepad from her backpack and jotted down some things that were bothering her. The glow stick provided adequate light to write. Someone was going to a lot of trouble to stop them from leaving the island. Why?

  She had two theories. The first was that American hostages were gold, especially one who was on network television and fairly well-known. She operated under the theory that they didn’t know Ben was a Forsythe, but if they did, then that raised the stakes. He had a certain celebrity in the media so he might be recognized. Maybe she shouldn’t rule him out.

  The second was tied to King’s mission. There were too many things that didn’t add up there. The ambush for one thing—SEAL missions were extremely secretive. Almost no one knew where the platoons were going until they got there.

  She heard a rustling noise at the front of the cave. She picked up the submachine gun and held it loosely in her arms. Then she put the gun down. It was probably Ben or Tom returning.

  She had no real skill with that weapon and didn’t want to accidentally harm either man. And if the person was a real threat to her, the knife worked better in situations where silence was called for. She took it from the sheath and tried to block the image of the man she’d killed that afternoon
.

  As soundlessly as possible she made her way toward the noise and felt someone pass right in front of her. She aimed a side kick at the back of his knees and sensed where he fell. But he made no noise. No cursing or anything. It was eerie in the dark.

  A hand grabbed her ankle and tugged her off balance. Her assailant controlled her fall, rolling until she was pressed full length underneath him on the cold rock floor of the cave.

  She inhaled deeply. The scent of his skin was familiar, and she knew it was Ben.

  “Ben Forsythe. It’s childish to sneak up on someone.”

  “Tom said you were in the back of the cave. What are you doing up here?”

  “Making sure you weren’t a rodent.”

  He chuckled and got to his feet. He pulled her up beside him. “Lead us back to the area where you and Tom set up camp.”

  “Is Tom on watch?”

  “Yeah. I’ll relieve him in a couple of hours.”

  “No, you won’t. I will.”

  “Tory…”

  “What? Don’t give me any of that outdated macho crap. I think I proved today that I know what I’m doing.”

  “It’s not macho crap. It’s just that you haven’t had the kind of specialized training that Tom and I have had.”

  “I think I can manage.”

  “We can argue later. I’m hungry.”

  They came to a stop at the small camp that Tory had set up when Tom had left. Tory snapped on another glow stick and sat down.

  She picked up her notepad and settled down on her backpack. The floor of the cave was damp and uncomfortable. Ben took off his khaki shirt and folded it as padding before he sat down.

  The T-shirt he wore fit like a second skin, and she forced her gaze away from him as he rummaged around for food and ate. She handed him a water bottle and watched as he took long swallows from it.

  “I’d kill for a beer,” he said at last.

  “Me, too,” she said. Anything to give this entire episode some normal tone. This was the kind of adventure that came along once in a lifetime. It was so different from her everyday life.

  “Come sit by me. What are you working on?” he asked.

  She tilted her head back. “Figuring out why someone keeps trying to kill us.”

  “Come to any conclusions?” he asked.

  “I’ve got two theories but I need your help,” she said.

  Ben roughly shoved his hands through his hair and tipped his head back. His eyes were tightly closed and after a few deep breaths, he turned that electric gaze of his on her.

  This mission had probably turned into more than he’d planned on, as well. And she was certain that that brief kiss earlier had been more than just some odd salute to his playboy image. Was Ben affected by her nearness?

  “Okay, shoot.”

  She glanced down at her notes, and suddenly Perry filled her mind. She missed him. He was always a good sounding board and was adept at playing devil’s advocate and showing her new patterns that she hadn’t seen before. She missed the quiet way that he was always there for her.

  At the same time, sitting here next to Ben, she realized it wasn’t Perry whose arms she wanted around her. It wasn’t Perry whom she wanted to comfort her.

  “First, it’s possible that someone recognized you or me and assumes we’d make good hostages. Second, Shannon Conner, from the ABS network has been following me and trying to steal my story. She may have tipped off the local law enforcement with a bogus story about me being a drug runner. Third, Juan Perez may have decided to get serious about proving he’d changed his mind about letting me interview Tom.”

  “That first one has merit, at least for you. I took care not to be seen on the island.”

  “Yeah, right. I saw you three or four times.”

  “By sticking your nose in where it didn’t belong.”

  “Are you saying the press doesn’t have a right to go where the story is?”

  “Are you looking for a fight?” He tipped her face toward his.

  “Maybe.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “It distracts me from remembering that guy I killed. And from the fact that we might not make it off the island.” She didn’t want to feel things. Emotions had always scared her because she couldn’t control them.

  “The second one is viable, as well. But Shannon Conner really didn’t have time to set up a trap. And Perez wasn’t in Paraiso last night.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes. He left for the U.S. on an afternoon commercial flight, which doesn’t mean that he didn’t leave orders for you to be kept away from Tom.”

  He’d given her more information than she’d realized he had. She stared at him, trying to unravel everything in her tired mind.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” She wasn’t going to tell him that she liked the kind intelligence she saw in his eyes.

  “Any other theories?” Ben asked.

  “Tom’s original mission. I might be wrong, but aren’t those things usually pretty secretive?”

  “You’re not wrong. They are highly secretive,” he said. He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  She wondered how he was able to keep going. She was tired beyond belief and would kill for a cup of tea and a back rub.

  “How could the platoon be ambushed? Am I just buying into propaganda when I believe that our guys are elite and almost unstoppable?” she asked.

  “No, it’s not just advertising. The SEALs are highly trained and they know how to get in and out with a very high success rate. But someone could have noticed them when they came on the island and set up the ambush then.”

  “Would the drug runners and Santiago’s government have had time to set up their own men as the hostages?” she asked.

  He pulled his legs up and leaned his arms on them. He was studying her so intently, it was impossible for her not to be very aware of him. She carefully looked away.

  “I’m not sure. What other questions do you have?” he asked.

  She pretended she was sitting across from him in the UBC studios doing an in-depth interview. No time for sexual awareness. “Would it be possible for someone to have slipped up and revealed where the platoon was going?”

  “Not likely,” he said. “That kind of slipup doesn’t really happen. But King’s mission seems to be the root of whatever’s going on here. I wonder what they are trying to hide and who’s trying to hide it.”

  Those were questions she’d like to have asked Perez. But she knew he wasn’t going to return any calls from her for a while. She suspected the CIA had been involved in setting up Del Torro’s new government. But had they been involved in overthrowing Santiago? And where did King fit into that mess?

  Del Torro’s government had firmly insisted that all coca-leaf ranchers cease farming and eradicate the plant. She suspected Del Torro was having a hard time enforcing the new policy. It went against centuries of beliefs and practices. She’d seen similar governments go down in flames when the locals fought back against U.S. policy.

  “The new government has been playing nice with the U.S., so it doesn’t make sense that they’d send their militia after us,” Ben said.

  “Which leaves the drug runners or coca-leaf ranchers. Do they have choppers?” she asked. She suspected they had planes and probably a good supply of submachine guns like the ones they’d taken from the bandits that had confronted them when they’d left the hotel. But choppers were harder to come by.

  “They might. The ranchers are wealthy men. Tom would know better.”

  “Did you have a chance to speak to Perez or Del Torro?” Tory asked him.

  “No. Officially I’m not even on the island.”

  “What if you die here?”

  He shrugged.

  “Seriously, Ben. What would Alex and your grandfather be told if you didn’t make it back?” Ben and Alex’s grandfather Charles Forsythe had once run the CIA. He’d also helped found Athena Academy.

  “Nothing.
A fatal accident would be staged in Miami. That’s where I’m supposed to be.”

  “Wouldn’t you want them to know that you weren’t just a playboy?”

  He shrugged, but she sensed that he’d made his peace with that type of fate. “What good would it do? I’m not doing this for glory.”

  She didn’t like the thought of his dying somewhere with no one being the wiser. It seemed wrong. “If you die, I’m telling Alex.”

  He tipped her chin up and gave her a steady look that was steely in its determination. “No, you’re not. There’s a reason why I’m covert.”

  “It doesn’t seem right. I don’t understand—”

  He put his fingers over her lips. “I’ll explain more later.”

  She forced her thoughts away from the Forsythe family and back to the problem at hand.

  “How long are we staying here?” she asked.

  She stuffed her pad and paper away. It was chilly tonight and she rubbed her arms, wrapping them around her waist. She wasn’t really good at sitting around and waiting.

  “Until the chopper leaves or midnight—whichever comes first,” Ben said. He stood and shook out his shirt, tossing it to her. She slid her arms into it. His scent clung to the shirt as did his warmth, and she struggled against closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

  “Do you have a plane waiting at the airstrip?” she asked when she saw him gazing at her.

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s hope it’s in better shape than your vehicle was.”

  “Let’s hope,” he said with a grin. He gathered the guns and started checking the safeties and ammunition. Methodically he worked through their small arsenal. When he was finished, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

  “Are you going to sleep?” she asked when she realized he wasn’t going to move any more.

  “Might as well. Since you don’t seem interested in passing the time any other way.”

  “What a guy thing to say.”

  “I am a guy.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  “I’ve noticed you noticing.”

  Once they got back to civilization he’d probably not even look twice at her. And she still had a commitment to Perry that she wasn’t ready to end. “Did you like it?”