On the Move

by Aislinn Kearns

  Betrayal rose up, choking her. Her mother? Mike? Had they conspired without her?

  Now wasn’t the time to think about it, even if it overwhelmed her thoughts. Her hurt now was nothing to what might happen to her at General Moreno’s hands. She still didn’t know what he wanted from her, and that made her nerves ratchet to breaking point.

  “If you don’t think I know anything, why am I here?” she bit out. She needed time to think, to sort through these new accusations and possibilities. She wanted to trust Mike, but her mother was a different matter. She’d been burned by that woman more than once.

  But with Moreno in the room, Jessica didn’t dare let her concentration slip.

  “I know perfectly well your lover here would never break under torture. It’s a sure way to get bad information, anyway.”

  At the word “torture”, Jessica’s stomach sank to her toes. Her lungs squeezed. Surely he didn’t mean…

  “However, he obviously has a fondness for you. And I’m willing to see if he breaks when it is you being hurt.”

  Jessica rocked back on her heels as if she’d been struck. All the blood drained out of her head and the room spun. He planned to torture her? So blatantly?

  Was that what the apology in Mike’s eyes had been about? Surely not. This wasn’t his doing.

  “Don’t do this, Moreno.” It was Mike, pulling at the ropes binding him to the chair. “I already told you I’m only here to rescue her. Your fantasy about me being a spy is just that: your imagination.”

  “We’ll see,” Moreno said. He glanced over Jessica’s shoulder. “Tie her down.”

  “Wait,” she said, voice ringing through the room. Even Moreno stopped at her command. “Don’t you need to give some kind of proof of life to my parents? Record a video like you did last time?”

  Moreno eyed her speculatively. “As you said, we already have one.”

  “Yes, but my parents must know Mike rescued me. You’ll need to convince them you have me all over again.”

  Moreno pursed his lips. “I suppose. But we can always do that later.”

  “You think they’ll pay if I’m beaten and bloody? No way. And what if I can’t handle the torture?” she asked, stumbling over the last word. She couldn’t let herself picture the reality of what that word meant for her. “What if I die, before you record the video? Then you really won’t get your money.”

  A muscle in Moreno’s jaw ticked. She held his gaze, not backing down. This was a stay of execution, nothing more. But if she could delay as long as possible it would give her—and Mike—more chance to escape.

  “Fine,” he spat eventually. “It’s getting late, anyway. We’ll record the video tomorrow morning, and begin our…interrogation in the afternoon.” He paused. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to wait. Make you imagine all the things we might do to you. All the hurt we’ll cause.”

  Jessica tried not to look too pleased that the general wasn’t planning to torture her right away. Moreno strode behind her to whisper something to the guard inside the door.

  While they conversed, she chanced a glance at Mike. Pride shone in his eyes. She sent him a small smile. Even if he had done all the things Moreno had accused him of, for now, they were in this mess together. If he had betrayed her, she could allow herself to feel the sting of that only when they were safe.

  They had to escape. And soon.

  While Jessica had his attention, she waved her bound hands slightly so his gaze would drop lower. As soon as his eyes were on his hands, she indicated a square as best she could and gave him the sign for one. Then, she put her thumb and forefinger an inch apart, and drew them out to signify the corridor, and then the symbol for two. Finally, she turned her hands and made the corridor sign again, this time at a different angle. She pointed at herself, and indicated the two guards stationed there. She pointed right, and he glanced up at her face in confusion at the last part.

  “Maybe exit,” she mouthed. At least, she hoped that’s what it was. His expression cleared, and he grinned at her.

  Moreno whirled around and paced behind Mike’s chair. “Take her back to her cell to wait.”

  One of the guards roughly grabbed Jessica’s arm and dragged her out of the room. Her last sight was of Mike’s face, eyes riveted on hers like he was memorizing her.

  Their plan—such as it was—had to work. It had to.

  Chapter 15

  Mike liked having back up plans and options. He liked to recon areas before he went charging in. Going in blind—and, in his case, deaf—was a sure way to get himself and other people killed.

  But right now he didn’t have many options. He sure as shit wouldn’t let Jessica get tortured, so he had to get her out of here tonight. Luckily, he was a master of thinking on his feet.

  It was still dark outside the window, and Mike had no idea how much time had passed. It must after midnight, maybe even close to dawn. He hadn’t seen anyone move past the window, telling him the compound was well and truly settled for the night.

  First, he needed to get out of this room. Then, he’d find Jessica, and get them both the hell out of this place. Beyond that, he had no plan.

  But the other options were far worse.

  Mike paced the room. There wasn’t a lot of space, but he needed to think. The walls were solid concrete, so not much chance of getting through those. He’d already concluded that the window was too small, so that left the door.

  It was too solid to break through. He tried the hinges, but they were stuck fast. Without a tool, he didn’t have much hope of dismantling them and opening the door that way. Moreno hadn’t even left the chair in the room, for him to break apart and use as a weapon. He glanced up at the light fitting, currently bathing him in the harsh artificial glare of fluorescent bulbs. Maybe there was something he could do with that?

  Movement in the corner of his eye stopped his thoughts. He spun in time to see a hand opening a little hatch at the bottom. The hand disappeared, and then returned, pushing a tray of food in Mike’s direction.

  Mike didn’t glance at the food, didn’t think. He dived forward, landing heavily on the concrete floor. He caught the wrist before the hatch closed, holding on with all his might.

  The arm tugged, but Mike didn’t let go, arm muscles straining to keep his grip. A face appeared in the hatch, wide-eyed with panic. Mike didn’t let himself have a moment of sympathy or hesitation. He gave the man the slightest bit of slack—enough for him to pull away from the door—and then he tightened his grip and yanked.

  The door shuddered as the man’s head plowed into it. The arm in Mike’s grip slackened and the man’s unconscious body fell into view.

  Mike grinned to himself, but didn’t allow himself to stop and celebrate. Someone could be along any minute and raise the alarm. Hell, there might already be someone out there yelling, and he’d never know.

  He used both hands to maneuver the unconscious body until he could reach the man’s pocket. He dug inside one, and then the other, finally producing a key that might open his door.

  He stood and unlocked it, peering out. A scared face came into his field of vision. It was a young man, barely older than a teen, sweaty with terror, hands unsteady where he held the assault rifle in Mike’s direction.

  Mike didn’t pause. He stepped forward and disarmed the kid before he hurt someone—himself included. The kid was too afraid to even get one shot off, for which Mike was grateful.

  He gave the young man an apologetic smile and then whacked him over the head with the butt of the rifle, sending him sprawling next to his friend.

  Mike glanced up and down the corridor, but he couldn’t see anyone else. He shouldered the gun and headed right, in the direction Jessica had indicated. His feet were bare against the cold concrete. Shit, he hoped he’d interpreted Jessica’s signs correctly. She was clever, his Jessica. She’d known he’d want recon, and she’d given him what she could.

  Pride and affection welled up within him. It was too soon for him to
call this feeling love, but it was so close as to be barely indistinguishable from the whole thing. And Christ wasn’t that a fuck up. The white trash ex-military man head over heels for a senator’s daughter and the wealthiest heiress in the country.

  He had to find her, make her understand all the shit Moreno said wasn’t true. He’d seen the spark of betrayal in her eyes and it cut him deep that she’d believe it of him. But Moreno was so sure his little fantasy was true he no doubt sounded very convincing. Mike couldn’t let Jessica keep thinking that.

  Not if he wanted her in his life.

  And he did, damn it all to hell. He shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help himself. He had no idea if she’d have him, but once they were home and safe, he’d have to ask. Because he had no intention of letting her go.

  He moved forward until he reached the t-junction. He glanced left, first. As Jessica had indicated, two guards stood outside a closed door. Jessica’s cell?

  Mike ducked back into the corridor, but the guards hadn’t seen him. They were too busy staring blankly at the wall. Mike shook his head. Untrained, the lot of them.

  He stuck his head out again, looking right this time, noting double doors at the end of the corridor. The possible exit Jessica had mentioned. Mike eyed it. How sure was she that was the way out?

  He turned back to the guards, and they were still stupidly bored. The gun sat heavy in his hands. Should he use it, and risk drawing the attention of everyone in the compound? Jessica would say no. Or she would have, a week ago. He had no idea how she felt about these rebels now that she’d been kidnapped a second time and threatened with torture. Probably not very fondly.

  Mike considered his options, then stuck his head around the corridor again.

  This time, he whistled low, drawing the attention of the two guards, but hopefully not loud enough for anyone else to hear. One caught sight of him, and Mike ducked his head back around the corridor.

  He counted, estimating the steps required to reach him, and then swung out the gun. It struck one guard perfectly between the eyes as he rounded a corner. He slumped the ground. The other guy stared stupidly at Mike for a long moment, giving Mike time to whack the guy between the eyes with the butt of the rifle.

  Mike made a sound of disgust as the man fell. This was too easy. If he had a rebel army, there’s no way he’d let them wander around so untrained. It was embarrassing.

  But he wasn’t planning on looking a gift horse in the mouth, so he crouched and extracted a key ring from the guard’s pocket. There were an assortment of keys on there. A few that were clearly for cars as well as the ones for the cells.

  Mike glanced down the corridor. Empty. He padded lightly along until he reached the door the guards had stood in front of. He inserted a few keys into the lock until he found the right one and swung the door open.

  Light from the corridor poured into the dark room. A figure on the bed sat up, then scrambled to their feet. Before he knew what was happening, Jessica had launched herself at him and he snatched her out of the air, her legs wrapping around his waist. It was fast becoming his favorite position.

  And that made him think of their night together and he hardened immediately. He dropped the gun he’d been holding and cupped her face, kissing her fiercely. All this talk of torture had wrecked him. He hadn’t wanted to imagine her that way—broken and bleeding. And now she was in his arms, healthy and whole. He couldn’t resist kissing her, showing his mind and body that she was alive.

  Jessica didn’t mind. She kissed him back passionately, gripping his hair as her legs tightened around him.

  He could stay like that forever, with her in his arms. A small, rational part of his brain sent a warning clang through his mind. His eyes startled open and he remembered where they were. This had to wait until they were safely out of here.

  He reluctantly pulled his mouth from Jessica’s and looked into her eyes. “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. We should get out of here.” With her sultry, just-kissed gaze, the words were more like a sexy invitation than a plea to get the two of them to safety. His cock reacted, even as his mind focused on the mission once again.

  “Let’s go.”

  She jumped down and Mike picked up the gun he’d dropped. The corridor was still empty, other than the unconscious bodies, and thank God for that. He didn’t want to get caught because of his dick again.

  He took Jessica’s hand. “The double doors were the exit you meant?”

  “I think so. Could be totally wrong. I didn’t have a chance to test them.”

  He shrugged. “It’s as a good a chance as any.”

  They jogged towards the door. Mike glanced at Jessica, and she put her ear to the door, as if she already knew what he’d ask.

  “Empty,” she mouthed.

  He pushed the door open. It didn’t lead to the outside, only to another corridor. Mike sighed. Maybe they should go back the other way? He glanced behind them, only to catch sight of guards rounding the corridor on the other end.

  “Shit,” he muttered, then backed through the door, pushing Jessica behind him. The guards at the other end caught sight of them and raised their guns. Mike didn’t think they’d fire—surely Jessica was still too precious to them—but then the muzzles flashed and bullets embedded in the walls next to them.

  Mike stumbled back and the door swung shut. “Fuck,” he muttered. He’d been hoping their good luck would keep running until they got off the compound. But either the guards were acting independently of Moreno, or he’d finally decided Mike and Jessica were more trouble than they were worth.

  They turned and ran. He hoped like hell this corridor went somewhere. He could only see an empty wall at the end.

  Jessica turned back, and Mike assumed their pursuers had crashed through the door. His heart pounded as he pushed Jessica ahead of him. He couldn’t let a bullet catch her. Concrete sprayed across his face as a bullet hit the wall closest to him. Another corridor broke off from the one they were on and Mike didn’t think. He grabbed Jessica’s hand and dragged her down it.

  Another set of double doors lay at the end. His heart dropped, but they couldn’t stop or change direction. He had to keep moving.

  They reached the doors before the guards fired and Mike crashed through them, stumbling into the fresh air.

  He braked, taking a second to get his bearings. Wire fencing ran on either side. In the distance, a cracked, paved road stretched along the edge of the jungle beyond. They clearly weren’t as remote as the first compound had been. Could they be near a city?

  He had no idea. And he didn’t have time to stop and find out.

  A group of Jeeps were parked outside of the building. Perfect. Mike headed towards one and went around the far side. He was conscious of the guards on their tail. He wouldn’t have long.

  He vaulted into the driver’s seat. “Get in the back and stay down,” he said to Jessica. He waited long enough to see her do as he said and then he focused on the controls in front of him. Keys. He needed keys.

  He dug the key ring he’d pilfered from the guard out of his pocket. Please be the correct keys.

  The door they’d come through burst open again, four men spilling out into the night. Mike jammed a key into the lock and turned. To his surprise, the engine roared to life, rumbling beneath him. He didn’t question it. Throwing the car into reverse, he backed out of the space as the men raised their guns into formation. Mike didn’t hesitate. He slammed the gear shift and flattened his foot on the accelerator.

  The Jeep leaped forward and barreled towards the men. Two brave men pulled the trigger anyway, not taking the time to get out the way of the speeding vehicle. Mike ducked as the bullets came flying towards them. The windshield shattered, spraying glass all over him. Mike ignored the sting of the small pellets of safety glass. Instead, he peered over the dash to see the two remaining soldiers had finally scrambled out of the way.

  Mike swerved towards the road. In the rearview mirror, General Moreno t
hrew open the doors and strode out. He yelled orders, and men scrambled to obey. They’d probably chase them in the remaining cars. Mike wished he’d had the time to disable them, but he’d have to lose them on the road, instead. If at all possible.

  “You okay?” he shouted back to Jessica as he turned onto the road. A thumbs up came into his field of vision and he grinned. She stayed in the back seat, away from the shattered glass, but she was okay.

  “Stay down,” he said, eyeing the rearview mirror. “They’ll be on our tail any minute.”

  How could he lose them? The road was straight, and he couldn’t see any offshoots. The road behind him didn’t look any better.

  He pulled the gun from his shoulders and passed it back to Jessica. “If they get too close, aim the gun in their direction and lay down cover fire. Should get them to back off.”

  She took the gun from his hands and Mike assumed that meant she’d heard the instructions.

  Okay, a plan. He always had a plan.

  A bullet embedded into the windshield frame and Mike sank lower in the seat, heart in his throat. If they fired so indiscriminately, they clearly no longer cared if Jessica lived or died, and that made his life a hell of a lot harder.

  He glanced around the Jeep, seeing if there was anything he could use. Was that a satellite GPS unit?

  He bounced his gaze between the road and the machine as he powered it up. It loaded for a long moment, and impatience made his pulse race. Finally, a red dot on a map flashed. Their location? He squinted to read the coordinates in the dark.

  Wait, that couldn’t be right. If that was their location, then the border into Colombia would be right…

  There.

  Ahead of them, a tollbooth loomed out of the dark. Uniformed soldiers stood to attention outside. Mike pressed the accelerator as hard as it would go and the Jeep lurched forward. If they could only get across, they’d be safe.

  But then the soldiers ahead of him raised their weapons. No wonder. Someone barreling down on a foreign border like this would make any guards nervous. They were so close.