by J Theron
“That would be a first,” Ryan snorted.
“I’m waiting,” Gabrielle interjected.
Carlos turned his head so that the gun was pointing at his forehead. He sat forward and said, “The only reason I’m telling you this, is because I’m tired, and I know how persistent you are. I don’t feel like snapping your neck to silence you, so listen carefully. I’m only going to say this once and then the subject is closed forever. Do you understand?”
Gabrielle pushed the gun flush to his forehead and said, “Talk.”
“I hated my father and loved my mother. I wanted to get away from him, so I left for the States when I turned eighteen. In my mind it was a permanent move, but I never told my father that. He wanted me to take over the family business when I was old enough and he would never have allowed my move to America if he suspected I wasn’t planning on coming back to Colombia. I was recruited into the DEA while I was at MIT. By then I was a US citizen. When my mother was gunned down in the streets of Bogotá because of what my father did to one of his business associates, everything changed. I became the man on the inside. I vowed to bring the entire cartel down to avenge my mother.”
Gabrielle was speechless. She dropped the gun and stood back.
“That doesn’t explain why you’re here now,” Ryan said. “This wasn’t what we discussed when I contacted you. You promised to keep Gabrielle safe until I could get her out. Your last words were don’t fuck up my cover, Evans!”
“Ryan, just because we’ve worked together in the past, doesn’t mean you can be rude,” Carlos said mockingly.
“So you’ve actually worked together?” Gabrielle asked.
“Unfortunately,” Ryan replied.
Carlos rolled his eyes. “I’m going to call your boss and tell him how disrespectful you are, Ryan.”
Ryan started to lose his patience. “I’ve had enough of your shit. Explain why you’re here, or get the hell out!”
Carlos sighed. “My last trip to Bogotá has finally given me enough evidence to bring the entire cartel down. It’s time to get out. You’re my ticket out of here. Some of my associates are watching me. They’re suspicious.”
Ryan did not look happy. “You can’t travel with us. Everybody knows you. It’s too dangerous. My mission is to get Gabrielle home, not transport you over the border.”
“There’s no other way. I suspect my associates have been watching the airports. My cover might have been compromised by an insider in the DEA.
“What will happen to Maria?” Gabrielle asked.
“She left for Germany yesterday to visit our elderly grandmother. She won’t be coming back, although she doesn’t know it yet.”
Gabrielle looked at the gun in her hand and then at Carlos. “If I find out you’re lying and playing both sides of the fence, I will shoot you. And I want to remind you that I’m a surgeon. I know exactly where to shoot you so that it will hurt the most and cause the most agony before you die.”
“I expect nothing less, love,” Carlos replied.
Gabrielle handed the gun back to Ryan and turned around to finish getting dressed. She could not process all of this. First Ryan appeared from nowhere to rescue her from the most notorious drug cartel in Colombia and now Carlos, a man she had believed to be the worst sort of criminal, turns out to be an agent for the DEA. She cleared her mind and shut the two men out. It was something she learned while doing triage in a war scenario. Focus on the problem at hand and deal with the rest later. The problem was, she did not know what later had in store.
CHAPTER 7
Afghanistan, 3 years ago.
Ryan entered the field hospital with a feeling of apprehension mixed with excitement. He was discharged two weeks ago and today he had to see Doctor Durand for his twice weekly check-up. He still had a slight limp, but he could walk much easier and the exercises had helped a great deal.
He was going out of his mind just sitting around. He burned to join his unit and get back out there. They were finally making headway and the Taliban was close to being defeated in the region. He was not used to being incapacitated and it drove him crazy. Maybe his inactivity was the cause of his ever worsening infatuation with the good doctor.
Never before had he felt like this about any woman. He was more of a loner and did not want to be bothered with the complications of a relationship. That is probably why he had never really considered himself to be in love, apart from his high school sweetheart, who turned out to be the biggest bitch in school. He had relationships over the years, but it never progressed to anything other than the casual hook-up. As soon as the woman became too infatuated he would end it. He decided that he had to get it together. He was becoming ridiculous. It was time for action.
He entered the area at the back of the hospital which served as an office for the doctors. Gabrielle had her own little room where she did consultations. He sat on the chair in front of her door and waited. He immediately shot out of his chair when she appeared in the entrance of her office and he had to take a deep breath to suppress the rush of adrenaline at the sight of her.
“Good afternoon, Captain Evans. Please come in.”
Ryan entered her office and sat down in the chair in front of the desk. “Thank you, Captain Durand,” he replied, trying desperately to act normal and not like an oversexed schoolboy who wanted to jump her bones.
She sat down behind her desk and interlaced her fingers under her chin. “How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Better, thank you. I can almost walk normally. Running is a problem.”
She nodded. “Be patient. It will come.”
“I’ve been doing the exercises,” he added. She smiled and he was momentarily speechless.
“Good.” She was quiet for a few seconds. She was studying his face and he had to concentrate to sit still under her assessing gaze.
“Are you sleeping okay?” she finally asked.
“Like a log,” he replied quickly, too quickly.
“I don’t believe you, Captain Evans.”
“Then don’t,” he replied, before realizing that he must sound like a petulant child.
“You promised to trust me. I can’t help you if you lie to me.”
He slapped his fist on the desk. “What do you want me to say? That I still wake up most nights in a cold sweat, smelling blood and guts, so much so that I want to vomit!”
She reached over the table and gently placed her hand over his clenched fist. Her touch calmed him immediately. “Yes. I want you to tell me all of that. I’m your doctor. I’m not a psychiatrist but I’m the closest thing to a therapist you have. I’m here to look after your leg, but I’m also here to support you. I know from experience that denial is always a bad thing. If you don’t talk about it, it will most definitely get worse. You do know that whatever you say to me will never be repeated, right?”
He looked at her hand on his and she withdrew it immediately. He knew that it was an innocent gesture, but any touch from her scorched his skin and he wanted to snatch her hand back. He brushed his hand over his short hair instead and clamped his hands behind his head to prevent him from doing something stupid. “I know. I’ll try.”
She nodded. “I’ll take that for now.” She got up, walked to the narrow examination bed and patted on the surface whilst looking at him. “I need to examine your leg. Would you mind removing your pants and covering your lower body with the sheet. Tell me when you’re ready.”
She turned her back to him and moved away from the bed. Ryan was no stranger to female attention and never in his life was he this nervous when a woman told him to remove his pants. He quickly dropped his pants and got onto the bed. He pulled the sheet over his body and cursed silently because it was made of such thin material. He prayed that certain parts of his anatomy would behave.
“I’m done,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse.
She turned around and approached the bed, and he hoped that she did not see his discomfort. She lifted the sheet and started
to examine his leg and the wound. He watched her face, which was completely devoid of any expression. Her hands were soft and each touch was blissful torture. Next she examined his arterial pulses and she frowned. O shit! He thought.
“Would you mind sitting up? I would like to do a quick cardiac exam,” she said.
He sat up and was careful to keep the sheet over his lower body as he turned to swing his legs off the bed. She fetched her stethoscope from the desk and returned to stand in front of him. She lifted his shirt and placed the stethoscope on his naked chest. Her face was only inches away, her gaze averted, and she was listening intently to his heart.
“Take a deep breath, please?” she asked after a few seconds.
Her proximity was completely assaulting his senses and he could feel the hammering of his heart in his chest. He could smell her perfume and he could feel the heat of her skin as he leaned forward. He took a deep breath and expelled it, but it seemed as if his heart was going to explode.
Gabrielle removed the stethoscope from his chest and then her ears. “You have quite a tachycardia. Are you feeling feverish again?”
She had a frown between her beautiful eyes and she was looking at him searchingly. Ryan could no longer control himself. He leaned forward and placed both his hands on her cheeks before kissing her firmly on the mouth. Her lips were soft and he ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, seeking entry into her mouth. She was completely stunned for a few seconds and opened her mouth to allow his tongue entry into the wet heat of her mouth. His tongue tentatively touched the tip of hers and all blood rushed from his head to his cock as he grabbed her tightly, kissing her as if his life depended on it. He wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her between his legs.
He was painfully aroused and he placed one hand on her lower body to press his erection against the part of her body he wanted to claim with an overpowering, almost obsessive need. He could hear the clanging as she dropped the stethoscope to wrap her arms around his neck. Her fingers grabbed his short hair in an almost painful grip and she surged against him. It seemed as if all rational thought left his mind as he pushed his hand under her shirt to pull her bra down.
He cupped her full breast and smoothed his palm over her hard nipple. Her skin was as soft as silk and her nipple a rock hard pebble underneath his palm. She gasped in his mouth and the touch of his palm on her breast suddenly brought her to her senses.
She pushed him away and stood back from the examination bed as she pulled her bra up and her shirt down. He had to fight the urge to grab her and throw her down on the examination bed. The power of his arousal scared him and he came to his senses as he watched her struggling to regain her own self-control. Her chest was heaving and she placed her hand on her mouth as if she wanted to wipe his kiss away.
“What are you doing, Captain Evans? This is completely inappropriate.”
Ryan sat back. “I apologise. I shouldn’t have done it.”
“You don’t look sorry,” she murmured.
“Because I’m not. I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time and I know you want me too. I can feel it in the marrow of my bones and I can see it in the way you look at me. You wouldn’t have kissed me like that if you didn’t want it.”
Gabrielle looked utterly stricken and took a few steps back. “How dare you! I have never been anything but completely professional and for you to imply otherwise is the ultimate insult. Never in a million years will I consider becoming involved with a patient. I could lose my licence to practice, not to mention how utterly unethical it is to even consider something like that. You can’t be my patient anymore. I will transfer you into the care of Captain Smith.”
He frowned and shook his head vehemently. “No. No! I refuse. I refuse absolutely. I don’t want anything to do with that man. ”
“You leave me no choice. I’m sorry, but this is how it will be. I’ll schedule your appointment and let you know. I can’t be your doctor anymore and still consider our situation ethical. Good day, Captain Evans.”
“Please don’t do this, Gabrielle?” he asked softly.
“You will not address me by my first name. It’s not proper. It only confirms that what I’m doing is the right decision,” she replied.
Ryan got up and grabbed his pants. He didn’t care that the sheet fell to the floor and that he was standing there in his underwear, revealing his rock hard erection. Gabrielle turned away and waited patiently while he pulled up his pants. He was angry and his actions were jerky. He walked through the door and stopped just outside. He turned back and was surprised to see her standing in the centre of the room, completely frozen.
“Good day, Doctor Durand,” he said. “Just remember, next time you’re alone with me, you won’t be my doctor anymore.” He spun around and walked away. He didn’t bother to wait for her answer. It didn’t matter what she had to say because he wanted her and he always got what he wanted.
CHAPTER 8
Colombia, present day.
Gabrielle did not sleep well. She woke the morning after the unexpected arrival of Carlos and was relieved to find the cabin empty. She was already mentally exhausted from having to deal with Ryan, and Carlos only added to her anxiety. She did not have the strength to interact with them, but she knew she had no choice.
She fell asleep in the early hours of the morning while listening to Ryan discussing the escape plan with Carlos. The pilot of the airplane was to land the next evening just before dusk. They had another two days to clear the mud and rocks from the landing strip.
At least they were three instead of two and it was making it easier. Ryan explained that the airplane was to take them to Riohacha on the Colombian coast and then they would take a boat to cover the 700 miles to Charlotte Amalie, on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
She had just finished taking a shower and eating an unappetising breakfast consisting of canned sweetcorn when the door opened and Carlos stepped in. She was still sitting at the table, drinking the last bit of coffee in her mug. He was dirty and full of mud and had clearly been busy trying to clear the airfield.
“Good morning, love! What have you made for breakfast?” he asked as he shrugged out of his dirty jacket and mud caked boots.
Gabrielle gaped at him. “Go to hell. And stop calling me love. I’m not your anything, least of all your love!”
Carlos grinned and sat down at the table. “You know, you’ve made a habit of telling me to go to hell. I’m starting to think you might actually mean it, love.”
“I’m not here to cook for you,” she replied.
“But you’re a woman. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?” he asked with a perplexed look on his face.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re trying to piss me off, aren’t you?”
He winked at her. “Is it working?”
She bit on her lower lip and then could not help but smile. “Where’s Ryan?”
“He’s still at the airfield. He asked me to come and fetch you. He said, and I quote ‘Tell her to get out of bed and make herself useful’. He doesn’t like you very much, does he?”
“Well, the feeling is mutual,” she replied.
“You hardly know him. Why the intense dislike?”
She shrugged. “We were stationed together in Afghanistan.”
He watched her closely and then a look of realization crossed his face. “You’ve slept with him.”
“That’s none of your business.”
He sat back in his chair. “Well isn’t this interesting.”
She sighed. “And why is that?”
“You’ve always had this keep your hands off me aura around you. Is it because of what happened with Ryan?”
Gabrielle frowned. “What is this? Are you Doctor Phil all of a sudden?”
“Who’s Doctor Phil?” he asked with an amused expression on his face.
“Never mind. I’m done talking about this. It was a long time ago and it’s over.”
He sat forward in the chair
and looked straight at her. “I’m glad.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m glad it’s over. Now it’s my turn.”
Gabrielle jumped up and the chair she had been sitting on almost toppled over. “What does that mean?”
Carlos leaned back and watched her with casual nonchalance. “Exactly what I said. I’ve been attracted to you from the first moment I saw you. I could never do anything about it because it would’ve been too complicated. I’m leaving all of this behind and going back to the States. I think you’re attracted to me too, but you probably tried to deny it because you thought I was a criminal.”
She was completely taken aback. She was momentarily speechless before she regained her composure and said, “It’s not going to happen. I’m sorry. You have it all wrong. I don’t feel anything for you except a feeling of unease because I don’t trust you.”
He pushed back his chair and stood up very slowly. He was watching her closely as he walked around the table. She backed away, never taking her eyes off his face, and came to a halt when her back was against the porcelain sink of the kitchen. He stopped when he was inches away and looked down at her. He did not touch her, but he towered over her and she could feel her heart hammering in her chest.
“Kiss me,” he whispered, so close she could feel the heat from his body.
“I don’t want to kiss you,” she replied breathlessly.
He watched her closely and then backed away slowly. “We’ll see about that,” he replied and then turned around to walk to the door. “We need to get going. Put on your boots and a warm jacket. Ryan is waiting.”
Gabrielle tried not to look at the two men as she picked up rock after rock from the airfield and carried it to the side where it was out of the way. It was the third day at the cabin and they had been working non-stop to clear the airfield before the plane landed. Fortunately only a smallish area of the landing strip was still affected. She looked up at the sky. It was overcast and it looked as if it was going to rain again soon. She did not know how an aircraft could possibly land on this narrow strip between the mountains. One small mistake and it would be over. The strip was in a small basin and the mountains towered around them, creating a small amphitheatre.