Renegade: Special Tactical Units Devision (STUD) Book 3

by Sandra Marton

  “Yes. You will.” A tiny pause before Black spoke again. “Right now, we need to get you evacuated. We’ve been trying to raise you—we had some kind of satellite failure… Hang on, Sanchez. We’re picking up your coordinates.”

  “Good to hear, sir. We need to get out ASAP.”

  “I’ll contact you again in three minutes.”

  The line went dead. Dec glanced at his watch as he shut off the phone. Annie squeezed his hand.

  “What did he say?”

  “They’re figuring out exactly where we are and where to extract us.”

  “Oh.”

  It was a very subdued oh. Dec put his thumb under her chin and gently tilted her face up to his.

  “Anoushka. We’re going to be fine.”

  She gave him a little smile. “I’m glad we’re going to get out of here. The thing is, I know this is going to sound crazy, but—”

  “These last days have been wonderful.”

  She nodded. “Yes. Despite everything, they’ve been—they’ve been the best days of my life.”

  Dec leaned in and kissed her. “This is only the beginning, honey. We have years and years ahead of us.”

  “Yes.”

  The word was barely a whisper. Dec drew Annie close.

  “We do, sweetheart. You’ll see. I know we have a lot to work out.” Man, talk about understatements… “But we’ll do it. I know we will.”

  She nodded again. “Just don’t let them send me back, Declan. They can’t do that… Can they?”

  “No. Not once I tell them…” The phone buzzed. Dec pushed a button and put it to his ear. “Sanchez,” he said crisply.

  “Lieutenant. Do you have your GPS?”

  “No sir. It’s gone.”

  “But you have a map.”

  “Yessir.”

  “Okay, then,” Black said. “Here’s the deal.”

  The CO rattled off time, map coordinates, the name and location of a mountain to cross. There was a stretch of empty beach on the other side of that mountain where they’d be picked up.

  “Yessir,” Dec said. “One more mountain, then a beach, then extraction.”

  “Yeah. I wish we could get you out without sending you up that mountain, but you’re on disputed turf. Bad enough, but sending in a couple of heavily armed birds—Washington says no.”

  “Understood.”

  “Also, the weatherman says you’re in for high winds later today. Maintain a steady pace, you should be over the mountain by then.”

  “Aye aye, sir.”

  “Sanchez. You have an interesting assortment of motherfuckers who’d like to get their hands on you.”

  “Yessir.”

  “Intel says you’ve done a good job of losing most of them.”

  “Good to hear.”

  “Altair Amjad’s the one you’ll have to watch out for. He’s smart, he’s hot on your trail, and he wants what you have.”

  Damn right he did. He wanted Annie.

  “In other words, he’s pissed off, Sanchez. You are not his favorite person.”

  Dec knew exactly what that meant. No way could the terrorist survive the humiliation of being outfoxed by one STUD operative, especially when it had cost him his very special prize.

  “Sir,” Declan said. “About the princess…”

  “Yes?”

  “I have information you don’t have.”

  “It can wait.”

  “Captain. You should hear this now, sir.”

  “Sanchez. There’s no way of knowing what the enemy might be picking up. And if you want to make it to the extraction point on time…”

  “Yessir. I understand. But at least you need to know that the princess does not want to return to Qaram.” Annie took his hand and squeezed it. “She must not return to Qaram, sir. The situation there is not what we were led to believe.” Annie squeezed his hand again. “Captain. She can’t be sent back.”

  “Understood.”

  “Sir. I’m just trying to clarify—”

  “Clarify getting your ass out of there immediately,” Black said brusquely.

  Dec swallowed hard. “Aye aye, sir.”

  “Remember your duty, Lieutenant.”

  The satphone went silent. Dec thought about Black’s last comment. What the hell was that all about? When had he ever not remembered his duty?

  “Declan?”

  “Yeah.” Dec frowned. Annie looked pale. “Sweetheart? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. It’s just this headache…”

  “I want you to take some ibuprofen.”

  “If I need it, I’ll let you know.”

  “Stubborn woman,” Dec said, smiling. He reached for her hand. “The headache’s my fault. You needed to rest and I haven’t given you time to do that.”

  She brought their joined hands to her lips. “You’ve given me exactly what I needed,” she said softly. “You.”

  “Soon,” he said, leaning in for a quick kiss, “we’ll have all the time in the world for each other.”

  She nodded. Hesitated. Sank her teeth lightly into her bottom lip.

  “Declan? That was your commanding officer, right?”

  “Uh huh. Jim Black. He’s getting us out of here. A few more hours and this will all be history.”

  Annie smiled again, but this time the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “And he won’t send me back to Qaram.”

  “Honey. You heard what I told him. No. He won’t send you back.”

  “Sorry. I’m being foolish.”

  “You’re being cautious. And who could blame you for that?” Dec caught a strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Anoushka. I let you go once and I’m never going to make that mistake again. You’re mine, and I’m yours, and nothing can change that.”

  She went into his arms. They kissed and held each other tight.

  “You’re right,” she said softly. “I’m yours—and no matter what happens, that will never change.”

  * * *

  They cleaned up whatever they’d disturbed in the sheepherder’s cottage. When they were done, Dec took some bills from his pocket and put them on the table.

  “Local currency?” Annie said in surprise.

  “Carrying some is standard Special Ops practice. You never know what you might need if things go wrong.” He saw the sudden darkness in Annie’s eyes. “But nothing’s going to go wrong for us,” he said quickly. “We’re too close to the end.”

  The truth was, a dozen things could go wrong straight up to the last second, but why borrow trouble ahead of time?

  “Okay,” he said briskly. “Time to go. Too bad the guy who owns this place isn’t here. I’d probably kiss him.”

  Annie laughed.

  That was good.

  He’d wanted to make her laugh. There was still a hint of darkness in her eyes, as if she were looking ahead and seeing something she didn’t want to see.

  Okay. He’d replace that something with a better image.

  “Know what I’m thinking of?” he said, drawing her into his arms.

  She leaned back in his embrace and smiled up at him. “A hot shower? A porterhouse steak? A king size bed?”

  He grinned. “Sounds excellent. And in exactly that order—but that’s not what I was thinking.”

  “No?”

  “No.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’m thinking about what you’re going to be wearing tomorrow. Well, okay. The day after tomorrow, when we’re sitting on the beach in Santa Barbara.”

  “The day after tomorrow.” She smiled. “And you’re thinking about bathing suits?”

  “Of course. It’s a logical progression.”

  Another laugh, soft and sweet. “What kind would you like me to wear?”

  “Well, I’ve always been a bikini man, but that black one piece number you wore a lot was actually kinda sexy.”

  “A black swimsuit it is.” She touched her finger to his jaw. “Or I’ll buy a bikini. My very first. Your choice.”


  Dec sucked her finger into the warmth of his mouth. “How about nothing?”

  “Nothing, what?” It took a couple of seconds. “You mean, no suit at all?”

  “Just you,” he said. “Naked. All silky skin and nothing else.”

  His words, the huskiness in his voice, sent a wave of liquid longing straight through her.

  “Mmm.” She rose on her toes, her palms flat against his chest, and brushed her lips over his. “You’re a creative man, Lieutenant.”

  “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” he said, and kissed her.

  But when the kiss ended, so did the teasing. Dec cupped Annie’s face and looked straight into her eyes.

  “We’re going to be fine,” he said. “We’re going to get out of here. And then we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Dec checked his map.

  The walk to the rendezvous point wasn’t going to be easy.

  They’d have to leave the dirt road, angle across the increasingly arid plateau, and then scale the mountain Black had told him about. All that, plus they had a tight deadline to meet, but it was doable.

  All they had to do was get started and keep moving.

  “Okay,” he said. “We have a tough few miles ahead of us, but… Honey?”

  Annie was sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked… She looked wrong.

  “Annie. What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.”

  No way was he buying that. Dec knelt beside her. “The truth,” he said. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m just kind of achy.”

  “Your head?”

  “My head. My neck.” She tried for a smile and didn’t quite make it. “It’s nothing. Really. I’m fine.”

  She didn’t look fine. Her eyes were too bright; her face was flushed. Dec felt her forehead. She didn’t seem to be running a fever, but he couldn’t be positive.

  He rose to his feet and brought her a cup of water. She took it and he saw her hands shake when she lifted it to her lips.

  He got the ibuprofen from his pack and held out three tablets.

  “Really, I’m…” She rolled her eyes at the look on his face. With a sigh of resignation, she took the tablets, swallowed them down with another gulp of water.

  Dec sat down put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him.

  “I don’t want to delay us.”

  “You won’t. Just give the tablets a couple of minutes to do their job. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she said, with a quick smile.

  He smoothed his hand over her hair. He’d factored a lot of things into getting her to safety. Time was quickly becoming the most important one. If she was sick, if he couldn’t get her to the extraction site…

  No. He wasn’t going to think that way.

  She was tired. Her muscles were protesting all the walking and climbing and riding. All the sex. The ibuprofen would kick in and she’d be fine. He just had to help her keep it together until he got her to the extraction point.

  Minutes slipped past.

  Annie showed no sign of moving. Dec checked his watch. Unless they got started soon, they’d be late for the pickup.

  “Honey? We have some travelling ahead of us. We can rest after that.”

  “Of course.” She stood up. “See? I’m good. The ibuprofen did the trick.”

  He didn’t think so. She was wobbly and she still didn’t look right, but what choice did they have?

  He mounted the horse, got Annie up behind him.

  “Any time you need to stop, just let me know.”

  She wrapped her arms around his middle. “Stop worrying about me. Really. I feel much better.”

  It was a good line, but Dec didn’t believe it.

  No question, something was really wrong because within minutes, she was leaning against him. Her body seemed almost boneless. And she felt warm. Too warm.

  His heartbeat stuttered.

  She couldn’t be ill. Not now. Not when he had yet to get her home.

  * * *

  He took three-minute breaks every half hour, seating Annie in whatever shade he could find on this increasingly arid stretch of land, each time urging her to drink some water.

  The fifth time she took a mouthful, she gagged and vomited it up.

  “Sorry,” she whispered. “So sorry.”

  “Hush.” Dec shook his head and gently wiped her mouth with the bandana. “It’s the weather,” he said, trying to convince himself as much as her. “Going from cold to warm, and now the wind picking up…”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure? We can take another couple of minutes.”

  “I’m fine. And I know we have to keep moving.”

  She was right, of course, and they both knew it.

  At noon, he spotted something on the horizon. Figures moving towards them. They had not seen another person since the dozing old guy they’d passed on their way to the sheepherder’s hut.

  Dec eased his Glock from its holster, but kept it hidden behind the pommel of the saddle. There was no place to run. Besides, he knew they’d already been spotted.

  The figures drew closer. Two men and a boy, one man riding a mule, the other man and the boy walking alongside.

  Dec greeted them with a smile. They responded. It was all brief and polite, but it made him uneasy. If they were surprised to see a man and woman in camos riding a single horse, they didn’t show it. Well, the boy did. Just a little. His eyes widened; he looked up at the man striding along next to him, but the man didn’t acknowledge the child.

  When they’d put a few yards between them, Dec glanced back. The men and the boy were staring after him and Annie.

  Dec’s gut tightened. The smart thing was to eliminate them, but to kill a child…

  “What?” Annie said.

  Dec forced a smile, raised his hand in salute. The strangers did the same, turned and kept going.

  “Nothing,” Dec said. “Can you go a little longer until we take another break?”

  Annie said that she could and he pushed on for almost an hour before stopping.

  She looked terribly sick. Her eyes were glassy. Her skin was dry and hot.

  He sat her under the branches of a puny tree. It offered at least some shade, though not much. Then he tore a T-shirt almost in half lengthwise, poured water over what was now a long strip of black cotton, and tied it around her head. She touched her fingers to the cloth and gave him a wobbly smile.

  “The newes’ fashion.”

  Her words were slurred. He was sure she was running a high fever. He dug into his gear, came up with a small packet of antibiotic capsules, tore the packet open and brought a capsule to her lips.

  “What’s that?”

  “An antibiotic. It’ll make you feel better.”

  Dutifully, she opened her mouth and let him put the capsule on her tongue. Dec held the water bag to her lips.

  “Just a tiny sip, honey.”

  That was all she took. A tiny sip. But she couldn’t keep it down. Not the water. Not the antibiotic.

  “Sorry,” she gasped.

  “Shhh, Anoushka. There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Gently, Dec cleaned her face. Then he wrapped his arms around her and drew her onto his lap. “You have some kind of bug, that’s all.”

  “Rotten timing,” she whispered.

  He couldn’t argue with that.

  And what could he do to help her?

  He’d taken intensive first aid courses. He knew how to stop heavy bleeding, how to splint broken bones, even how to stitch a wound, but what did you do when the woman you loved was getting sicker by the minute and you were in the fucking middle of nowhere?

  She needed fluids and meds. He had water, ibuprofen and an antibiotic, but they were all useless if she couldn’t keep them down.

  And they were running out of time.

  They had to get to the extraction point. At most, there’d be a five to ten minu
te window for pickup. If Altair Amjad found them before then, there might not even be that much.

  “Annie,” Dec said softly. “Honey, we have to keep going.”

  She nodded. He got to his feet and drew her up with him. As soon as they were mounted, she put her arms around him and all but collapsed against his back.

  Shit. Could she fall off?

  Absolutely, she could.

  He drew back on the reins, lifted his leg over the horse’s head—not the safest way to dismount, but he was afraid to let Annie dismount by herself—and lifted her down. Then he remounted the horse, this time with Annie in his arms.

  Riding double wasn’t great in the best of circumstances. Riding double with her in front of him was even less efficient, but this way he could cradle her in his arms and keep her from falling.

  Her head fell back against his chest.

  He pressed his lips to her hair, told her that he loved her, and tapped his heels against the horse’s flanks. His instinct was to urge the animal into a gallop, but he suspected the rough up-and-down motion might be bad for Annie.

  He didn’t want to risk her vomiting again.

  It would only dehydrate her further.

  He felt her weight against him increase, felt her breathing slow. Good. She was asleep. Rest might help her get through whatever illness had claimed her.

  Hours went by.

  The mountain they were going to cross loomed on the horizon, never seeming any closer. It didn’t look terribly high. If it wasn’t, if he could see an immediate, easy way up, they might still get out of this without confrontation.

  Normally, Dec would have welcomed the chance to face the enemy, but his first, his only priority was getting Annie over the mountain, to the coast—and home.

  At last, the view began to change.

  They were still riding through sparse vegetation, but now the landscape was also home to big boulders. A giant’s chessboard, Dec thought as he looked around him. The view ahead was changing as well; he could see the mountain with greater clarity.

  Shit.

  It wasn’t a promising sight.

  They’d climbed a forested mountain a couple of days ago. It had made for doable if slow going.

  What lay ahead was what could only be described as a slab of granite. A monolith, if you wanted to get fancy. A giant tombstone, if you didn’t. No trees grew on it unless you counted a handful of skinny things that looked as if somebody had decided to create tortured bonsai.