But she had to admit that he was good—good enough to take out a four-man squad with only the most minor of injuries. She put her hands on his vest in the center of his back. Time to heal that nasty burn from the gun. He sat still, scanning the forest, almost oblivious to her.
Where was the laughing, joking man of earlier? The man who didn’t have twenty layers of steel over his heart? Where was that beautiful smile of his? Now his eyes burned almost black, his brows dark as he considered their situation. This was no man; it was someone who had turned himself into a fighting machine. Survival was his only goal. And she was only holding him back.
“Lon, maybe I should stay here,” she told him quietly. He turned and regarded her with a neutral gaze. “This seems safe enough. There’s already been a patrol past, so they know this area’s clean.”
“No.”
“But you can move a lot quicker without me. You can find some way to signal the Network, and then when they arrive you can come back to pick me up.”
“I said no. That’s final. Don’t argue.” He kept looking around, pausing as he must have spotted soldiers how far away? Lina rummaged through their bag, now a lot lighter than it had been, and drew out the can of insect repellent. “Thanks,” he said as she handed it to him.
“Have you been inoculated for malaria?” it occurred to her to ask.
He stopped at that. “Malaria?”
“Mosquitoes, the tropics... malaria,” she said.
“Non.” He spritzed the stuff on himself, wrinkling his nose and waving the spray off as he forgot to protect his face. “My powers will come back and all my immunities with them. No problem.”
She nodded and he handed the can back to her. As their hands met, the ground trembled. They both reached out for a tree to steady themselves.
“Oh!”
“Did the earth move for you just then?” Lon asked. Branches swayed as if a stiff, circular breeze blew. A few coconuts fell to earth.
“They said at the hotel that earthquake activity was increasing. There’s a dormant volcano on the island, you know.”
“Jeee-zus. Non, I didn’t know. I saw a couple of mountains...”
“Volcano. My guidebook said that this island gets hundreds of micro-quakes every day.”
“That wasn’t micro. Just what we need added to all this. Anything else your guidebook warned you about?”
“Um. This is still the rainy season, the end of it...”
“I wish. Does this seem overly hot to you, or is it just me?” Lon wiped the sweat from his forehead. Damn it, being a norm reeked.
“It ain’t the heat, it’s the humidity,” she told him and he smiled a little for her sake. “Yes, it’s very uncomfortable. The book said the farther inland you went, the worse it got. The ocean breezes...”
“Mm.” There wasn’t a hint of a breeze now, just a ton and a half of hot, wet atmosphere trying to drown him in air.
“And there was something about a purple-veined leaf that’s like poison ivy, but I’ve been looking and I still haven’t seen it.”
“Those snakes that we saw...”
“There’s only one kind of poisonous snake, and the book said that you practically had to stick your finger in its mouth to get it to bite you. Wild pigs, lots of rats, poisonous fish like lionfish, sharks... That’s all I remember as warnings. Plus you have to ask before you go into villages, and dress up not down outside of St. Catherine. People will think you’re being suggestive.”
“These people? I’ve seen how they dress.”
“And they know how Westerners dress. Wear jeans and tee shirts, the book said. No swimsuits unless you’re in tourist territory.”
Lon nodded. “We’ll just keep you away from any natives, then.”
“If we can find any. Are you sure—?”
“There’s no one. No one except all these mercenaries, Lie.”
Lina frowned. “You don’t think that there was a warning about the volcano, do you? That they might have evacuated the island?”
“Don’t even think that.” Still, he clenched his jaw at the thought. “We’ve got enough trouble as it is.”
Nodding, she adjusted the packing on their sack. “Earth says that it’s waking up, but it’s still at a half-doze. It shouldn’t blow for a while yet—maybe a couple years.”
“Earth says.”
“Yes.”
Lon tried not to roll his eyes and didn’t succeed. He grunted and slung the rifle onto his back. “We’ll have to circle around a half-dozen squads,” he reported, pointing at what Lina could only see as more forest. “It’s going to take some rough climbing. Do you think you can do it?”
Silence. Londo looked back at her and saw how subdued she was. “I can’t make it if I have to carry you over my shoulder,” he told her.
“It would be so much better for us both if I weren’t such a burden. I’ll be fine here.”
“Come on, Lina. Get that round butt of yours in gear and let’s move.” He stood up and then grasped her arm to pull her up with him. She let him. “I know you’re tired. I’m tired. And this next part isn’t going to be easy. I need your cooperation.”
“I can handle it,” she said with a sigh.
“Good girl.”
“Arf.”
They set off through very dense forest before starting up a butte of basalt, rough volcanic rock that looked like it had been torn in creation. Ancient roots the width of Lon’s arm clung to the rock, occasionally producing thin bushes that they used to hide behind whenever possible.
Lon glanced back at Lina. She was obviously exhausted, her hair tied back in a long braid with tendrils sticking to her sweaty face. She’d taken off his shirt in the heat, but used it as a sling for their pack.
He tried not to notice how much her sweat-soaked dress clung to her as she moved up the rock, how her breasts swung when she moved. Now and then she cursed softly and sucked her palm as the rock cut her, the same as it had been cutting him.
Blood and dirt covered his arms and chest. He had to wipe the sweat out of his eyes every few minutes. How could normal humans take this pain all the time? Londo had never realized that his isolation was also a gift of sorts. He’d never had to go through any of the agony he’d experienced so far today—well, not for some years. He tried to forget that time as best he could.
He gave her a wan version of an encouraging smile. The afternoon’s humidity sucked at his energy. If only it would rain and clear things out! **Penny for your thoughts.**
**They’re unprintable,** she responded, and resumed her slow ascent.
**So think of something better. Like what you’re going to do when this is all over.**
**What am I going to do?** Her mind paused although she kept climbing. **I’m going home and buy a dozen really big bottles of hand cream, and I’m going to dump it all on me and wrap myself in a sheet. And then I’m just going to soak in it until all these nasty cuts and bruises and chapped places go away. And then I’ll—**
He imagined Lina in that sheet. Lina in bed, wrapped in a sheet, those leaf-green eyes of hers gazing into his as he entered the room. He’d strip slowly and she’d watch every move. And then he’d sit on the side of the bed and lift one corner of the sheet and unwrap her.
In his mind the sheet became a long strip of silk sliding across her skin, baring parts of her and leaving others still tantalizingly covered, like a sexy mummy. Her hair would be splayed out around her on his pillows and curling over her bare shoulders. The strips of silk immobilized her as he uncovered her breasts, then revealed her thighs as he paused to rub her. He could hear her sighs of pleasure at that, her soft croon as he entered her, as she wrapped her now-naked arms and legs around him...
His indestructible pants were much too tight.
**And a glass of iced tea with some kind of robot or something that would keep ‘em coming,** she was telling him. **Oh yeah—one of those automatic massage recliner chairs. I’d get one of those and damn the cost. Instant shia
tsu.**
**Not a masseur.**
**I have a little phobia...**
Londo helped pull her up to the ledge where he had stopped. She sat down with a groan. After a moment she wrestled with the sling and produced the last water bottle. She handed it to Londo. He took a few swigs and passed it back.
“I’ll go over there and take a look around.” He pointed vaguely into the distance.
“What’s the matter with right here?” she asked before taking a drink herself.
He looked at her, her thin gown plastered against her, her bare legs moist with sweat. Her breasts rose and fell as she caught her breath after the hard climb.
“I’ll be over there,” Londo said again.
“Oh hell, Lon, even I can see that you’ll be out in the open. There’s no cover. People will be able to see you for miles.” She took in the view, seeing not the green bounty of the land below but only hiding places for terrorists who might look up at this next level of the island.
“There are times, Lina, when a man can’t be trusted with a lady.”
She regarded him without sympathy. “So you’re an animal and not a person? You can’t control yourself?”
“This is an unusual day for me. Pardon me if I can’t take some things in stride. Being side by side with a beautiful girl whom I tried to rape a couple hours ago... Non, Lina, I’ll just—”
“Try to commit suicide as some kind of penance,” she bit out. “No, Londo Rand, you are going to remain here, under cover. And you’re going to be just fine. I apologize for being female, okay? Sor-ree. The story of my life, the sin of double-X chromosomes. I’m just one of the boys here. You want me to burp... or maybe fart? Hey, how about them Packers in the big game last Sunday?”
“Football season’s over. Besides, I don’t follow football. Much.” He hesitated, then settled back down beside her.
“Well, that’s ten points in your favor. It’s a violent sport.”
“My game’s hockey.”
“Shoo, talk about violent.”
“I like it. The Canadiens; I’ve got season tickets. They’re winning again, you know.”
She considered that. “I suppose you don’t have to worry about being hit by a runaway whassis.”
“Puck. Non, I don’t. Just overenthusiastic fans trying to get in my box.”
She nodded. “Autograph hounds? Paparazzi.”
“And more. The one thing I can say about this place is that it’s quiet,” he said as he stretched in the heat. He picked up the bag and peered inside. “What are you hungry for?”
“Mm. Corn on the cob, dripping in butter. Potato salad. Cole slaw and fresh, perfect tomatoes, maybe with a few cold cukes on the side...”
“Steak just off the grill.” Lon settled into a lazy smile. “Home fries with cheese. Beer in frosted mugs.”
“Tea,” Lina countered. “Heavy on the ice.”
“D’accord, I’ll have the beer and you can have the tea. I’ll even refill your glass for you.”
“Very nice.” She shared his fantasy as he handed her the last apple, taking a couple of carrots for himself. Neither of the selections was very crisp, but they sat in silence feasting on their dream meal as they ate.
Lon reached for the water bottle again. “We’ll refill this when we get back down,” he told her. “Shall we?” He began to get up.
Lina reached out and almost touched his arm. “Please,” she said. “Just a few more minutes. My muscles are like jelly.”
He nodded and sat back down.
“I can tell you’re still Valiant, despite everything,” she told him. “I’m jealous of your stamina. It’s not quite at norm levels.”
He shrugged. “Then why is the heat getting to me so much?”
“Maybe it’s those leather pants. I don’t see how you can stand them. Aren’t you steam-cooked yet?”
“Faux leather. I’m told it breathes.” He smiled crookedly. “I never appreciated the difference until now. If it were real, I suppose I would be running around like you to keep cool. Then we both would have to stay out of the locals’ way.”
She chuckled and they both gazed at the vista before them for some time. “What’s the scenario down there?” she finally asked.
“What you’d expect. They’re thick over there—” he pointed.
“Direction?”
“South.”
“Ah. Good. Send ‘em all thataway, angels! Go south, young mercenaries, go south!”
“Fine with me.”
“There was no way the Network could have traced the call?” she softly asked.
Londo shook his head. “Not in that amount of time. No chance.” He checked his rifle, made sure it was functioning smoothly, and double-checked that he had extra ammunition easily available in the pockets of his vest.
“Those men back there are dead now,” Lina said. He didn’t respond. “I’ve never thought of you that way.”
“As a murderer?”
“As someone whose job sometimes requires them to kill. You’ve killed before this.”
“Entire populations have been at stake. When there’s been no other way out—yes, I’ve killed people. Down there it was either them or us. You saw.”
She nodded. “I saw. Intellectually I understand. I’d much rather be the one still alive now than them. But how do you deal with it?”
“It’s part of my training.”
“Just training? No follow-up?”
“And my therapist handles a lot of it. I have a very good therapist.”
Lina nodded at that. “Good. Are we going to get out of here?”
He turned to look her straight in the face. “Of course we are,” he said, and she knew that he truly believed it. The confidence of the man was unbelievable! “Don’t let me catch you thinking differently. We’re going to get you home and safe!”
She caught a thought behind that: a picture of a strange bed, and her in it.
He knew she’d seen it. “Well,” he admitted, “maybe a little detour first.” He gave her a small smile. “Now you know I’ll get us rescued. There’s no way I’m going to miss that.”
He leaned toward her desperately, his mood change swift and terrible. “God, Lina, say you forgive me. I don’t know what came over me. I vow to you, it won’t happen again. I’d never hurt you, never in a million years!”
She didn’t look at him. “I know. This has been as strange a day for you as it has for me. People do things sometimes... Sometimes events trigger buttons that people never even knew they had.”
“It’ll never happen again. Never ever.”
“I know, I know. It’s all right. You just scared me, that’s all.”
“I’m so sorry.” He reached for her hand and she drew it back automatically. “And damn, we’re back at square one.”
“No we aren’t.” She set her jaw, her lips forming a hard line of determination. “A phobia is just a conditioned response to a situation. I’ve learned a way to react to other people that suits me. And today, for a little while, I saw another way to react. I’ve just got to remember how I was thinking when that happened.”
“You were more scared of the helicopters than you were of me,” Londo said. “All we have to do is find something to scare the crap out of you, and we’ve got it made.”
Lina nodded glumly. “Doesn’t this island have anybody else on it?” She rubbed her tired eyes. “I know about all the nature preserves, and the Sherridan estate takes up a lot of space, but supposedly there are still a few villages left and one fair-sized town. Where the hell is everyone?”
“How should I know? Maybe Terry gave them all twenty dollars and sent them off to see a movie. Maybe she killed them all. Maybe she’s got them all rounded up somewhere behind barbed wire. So now you’re thinking about fixing me up with a nice girl?”
“The thought had entered my mind.”
“I like the girl I’m with.”
“How about Terry?” Lina asked. “Is that why you’re not to
be harmed? Maybe she’s had an intimate luau she’s been trying to keep warm for you all day. A poor little roast pig with an apple in his mouth. Maybe some of that beer you mentioned. And a candlelit table for two with a big ol’ bed in the next room.”
Londo gave a grunt. “I don’t think she’d send out two hundred men with invitations for that. Maybe a few years ago, she’d have pulled something like this for that, peut-être.”
“Nuts about you?”
“Just plain nuts. And I was crazy enough not to notice. Or maybe I just pretended not to notice. We came so close once...”
“You did? How?”
Londo opened his mouth to reply and then stopped, looking at Lina. “Are you jealous?” he asked.
She blinked at that. “Of course not. I’m just curious. I suppose it’s your business.”
“I suppose.”
Lina stared into space. “She’s older than you.”
“Eh. Oui. I was practically still a kid when we first met, and she was the glamorous older woman. Maybe fifteen years difference. She told me she could teach me a few things.” He gave a pained laugh. “Well, she did at that. But not really what she wanted.”
“So she resorted to a bazooka thing today. How Freudian. I hope she realizes that.”
“It was about twenty times bigger than a bazooka, and plugged into the world’s biggest portable electric generator, but yes, it was a bazooka thing.” He let out the merest humph of a chuckle. “I’ll remind her of the symbolism next time I see her.”
“And she’s gotten rid of everyone besides the mercenary conventioneers...”
“And you.”
“And me.” Lina tried to figure it out. “It makes my head hurt,” she finally decided. “This whole thing makes my head hurt. I’ve never had to keep my antenna up for so long before. I feel like my mind’s been blown open.”
“How many fingers?” He held four up and saw her blink, try to focus.
“Four,” she said after a beat.
“And how much of that was cheating with those guides of yours?”
“I’ve got a headache, all right? Sometimes headaches make your eyesight fuzzy. I am not concussing on you.”
Lon checked the back of her head again, as if that could help, and finally reached into his vest to draw out a plastic pouch. “First aid supplies from our friends out there. I see some aspirin inside.”
Touch of Danger (Three Worlds) Page 10