Surviving Love: Saints Protection & Investigations

by Maryann Jordan

  Kendall sighed, wanting nothing more than to sleep, but nodded her agreement. Settling in, the smaller thermal blanket that had not been stolen was placed on the ground as he instructed, “Since we only have one sleeping bag, we’ll lay on the ground with it over us.” He hesitated before adding the next part, hoping she would have no objections. “Kendall,” he began, “we need to sleep together so our combined body heat will keep us warm underneath the shell of the bag.”

  Nodding, she said, “Okay,” hoping her voice did not sound as breathless to him as it did to her. Glad for his presence, she threw up a thankful prayer that they both survived the crash, knowing if she were out on her own, she would probably die this first night. “I’ll do whatever we need to do to stay alive,” she promised.

  Smiling his appreciation, he lay down after making a pillow out of her bag. Opening his arms, she accepted the invitation and lay down next to him. She squeaked as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly into him before covering them with the thermal sleeping bag. She pulled off her glasses and lay them to the side before resting her head on his arm.

  Stiff at first, she began to relax as the warmth settled over her. Exhaustion pulled at her body as she allowed the feel of safety to overtake her. Crashed in the wilds of a Canadian forest and sleeping with a true outdoorsman…never in my wildest nightmares could I have even thought this would happen. But as her eyes began to close, she knew if it had to happen, Marc was the person she would want to be with.

  Marc felt her slip into sleep as her breathing slowed and evened. Thoughts of the enigmatic woman in his arms made sleep difficult. With her glasses off, he had noticed once more the colors in her eyes, making them so much more expressive than just the dark brown he originally saw. The floral scent of her shampoo, mixed with the earthy smells of the forest around them created a memorable perfume. Her body tucked in perfectly to his large frame…

  His mind wandered to the women he had camped with…and slept with…and he knew Kendall was not like any of them. And yet, at this very moment…why does she feel so right? Dismissing it as nothing more than his protective instincts for a woman who needed him, he joined her in sleep.

  Chapter 8

  Kenneth Rhodes stalked along the hall of the NCBRT, his shoes clicking on the tile floor. Karen Moore, Kendall’s research assistant, hustled to keep up, her hands full of papers. Rounding the corner, they ran into Dr. Cliff Wallace.

  “Any news from the police or FBI?” Cliff asked Kenneth.

  Shaking his head, Kenneth said, stifling a yawn after being up all night, “I’ve searched the entire lab and gone over the security tapes with the FBI, but there’s no evidence the labs were breached at all.”

  “So it was just some college kids acting stupid?” Karen asked, smoothing her black hair back from her face as she gazed admiringly at Cliff.

  Ignoring the graduate assistant, Cliff turned his attention to Kenneth. “Does this delay your trip to D.C.? I was hoping you could brief us on the symposium first.”

  “Our plans changed and Kendall was sent to D.C. instead.”

  Cliff’s eyes lit for a second before he hid it behind an impassive expression. “I see,” he stated.

  “And the attempted break-in here?”

  Shrugging, Kenneth stroked his grey goatee as he replied, “The FBI hasn’t told me if they have any suspects as of yet. And we don’t know what their motives were.”

  “Dr. Rhodes!” a voice called from one of the labs down the hall. Dr. Hassem poked his head out from a doorway, signaling to Kenneth. “Can you come review these results before you go home?”

  “Excuse me,” Kenneth said to Cliff and Karen, as he continued toward the lab.

  Karen looked up at Cliff and smiled. “Since Kendall is out of the way, is there anything you could use some help with?”

  Cliff, his scowl now in full force, lifted an eyebrow as he stared at the over-eager graduate assistant. “Out of the way? Interesting way to put her trip to D.C.”

  Blinking rapidly, Karen said, “Oh, I just mean she’s not here right now.” Shrugging slightly, she added, “I know this will give you a chance to work on some tests that were important to you.”

  Before Cliff replied, Dr. Kowtowski came from one of the labs and saw the two talking. “Hey, guys. Any news about the break-in?”

  “Will,” Cliff acknowledged.

  “Dr. Kowtowski,” Karen greeted. “We were just talking to Dr. Rhodes but it seems as though the break-in didn’t affect the NCBRT.”

  Will nodded, “Good, good. So is Kenneth heading to D.C.?”

  Grunting, Cliff said, “I’ve got to get back to the lab,” and turned, heading down the hall.

  “What’s eating him?” Will asked, his attention moving from the retreating back of his co-worker to Karen.

  Leaning forward conspiratorially, she said, “I think Dr. Wallace is irritated that Kendall is being sent to D.C. instead of her dad.”

  “Why should he care?” Will wondered aloud.

  “I heard Kendall say that her dad would be one of the main speakers at the Department of Homeland Security and now she’ll get the honor.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” Will said, looking back down the hall where Cliff disappeared in a huff. “She’s probably more qualified than her father when it comes to certain biological terrorist activities.”

  Karen nodded, her attention now riveted on Will. “Since Kendall is gone, can I help you with anything?”

  Smiling at the pretty graduate student, he said, “Sure! If you’re caught up with Kendall’s work, I could always use your help. I might even be able to persuade you to move to my section.”

  With a grin, she followed him down the hall to another group of labs.

  *

  Marc woke suddenly, his mind instantly alert. Glancing at Kendall, seeing her still sound asleep next to him, he carefully slid his arm from underneath her head. She mumbled, her eyes fluttering, and he whispered, “I’ll be right back.” His words sent her back to sleep as she rolled onto her side.

  Slipping his weapon into his coat pocket, he crawled out of the shelter, the cold wind hitting him in the face. He slipped through the woods toward the sound of a helicopter hovering above in the pre-dawn light. A spotlight from the bird was sweeping the area and he hid behind the thick branches as he observed it circling around. Knowing it was not from Nick or the Saints, he wondered who was looking for them. Canadian government? He had been flying below their radars but knew there was the slight possibility they might have been spotted.

  Placing a quick call, he knew Luke would pick it up immediately, sure that he was spending the night at the compound.

  “Yeah?” Luke answered.

  “Got a bird circling overhead. Who’s searching?”

  “Shit, not us and not anyone from the area,” Luke confirmed.

  “They can’t land here but they’ve probably seen the plane. We can’t stay here. I’m getting Kendall but need you to tell me which direction is best. From what I can see, there’s a town about fifty miles southeast. Too risky?”

  “Start that way and I’ll let you know what we dig up as soon as I can, before the weather wrecks our communication. Gotta tell you that more snow is coming your way and it’s going to make travel for you difficult as well as for us to get to you. Stay safe and we’ll be in touch.”

  Disconnecting, Marc turned and hustled back to the camp, cursing that he didn’t try to camouflage the plane more but, then, maybe the snowstorm coming would do the trick. Releasing a pent up breath, he knew he could easily take out anyone on their tail, but what about Kendall? Fuck, this just keeps getting more complicated!

  Crawling inside the small shelter, he leaned over her sleeping form. Her face in slumber was at ease, her dark lashes resting against her pale cheek. Her mouth was slightly open and he noticed her breath forming a mist as she exhaled.

  Shaking her gently, he said, “Kendall? Kendall? You gotta wake up.”

  Her
eyes immediately shot open as she blinked a couple of times before focusing on him. Sitting up, she blurted, “What? What is it?”

  “We need to get packed up and leave—”

  “They’re here? Our rescuers are here?” she interrupted with a smile.

  “No, I’m sorry, but no. Someone else is out there looking for us and I doubt it’s friendly.”

  Her smile slowly morphed into a confused expression as her brow furrowed. “Not friendly?” With a sudden gasp, she asked, “Like the people who tried to sabotage us to begin with are still after us?”

  Her voice rose with each word and he shushed her with his hand on her mouth. “You have to stay quiet and work with me, okay?” He observed her eyes, wide with fright before they seemed to focus once more as she nodded. Protectiveness shot through him as he recognized her fragile state. Head injury, unused to outdoor-living, much less cloak and dagger, he knew she would have to rely on him completely.

  “What do you need me to do?” she whispered against his palm.

  Nodding appreciatively, he said, “Good girl.” He began to roll the sleeping bag. “I can pack everything into one duffle and it can be carried on my back. I need you to choose only essentials and pack them into your tote. We’ll have to travel as light as possible.”

  He looked down to her shoes and said, “What other shoes do you have?”

  “Um…I have some boots with low heels. They’re not for hiking but they’re comfortable to walk in.”

  “That’ll have to do. Get your boots on and quickly pack everything you can carry. We’ll have to leave your suitcase hidden in here.”

  Swallowing deeply, she nodded, her mind racing to the task at hand. Crawling on her knees, she slid her glasses on her face and began packing.

  Fifteen minutes later, she looked over her shoulder at the small shelter she had slept in, curled up with a lumber-jack of a man, sleeping peacefully after what had been a harrowing day. Sucking in the cold air, she hefted her tote on her shoulders as she turned forward, hustling to keep up with his long legs as he began the trek through the woods.

  After only ten minutes, Kendall was winded. The cold air hurt her lungs and the layers of clothing she wore made her feel like the Stay-Puft-Marshmallow Man attempting to hike. The forest was thick with trees but, being winter, the only greenery was from the evergreens. She was sure Marc was keeping his stride closer to hers but he was still slightly ahead. Wanting to keep up, she wondered how she was ever going to make it for an hour, much less for longer.

  Grateful for the lack of underbrush, she trudged along, dodging low hanging limbs. She smiled as he held back some branches for her to pass through safely. The terrain began to change, becoming rockier with each step. The trees thinned some, but the rough path was difficult to traverse. Tripping several times, she blushed as she saw Marc turn back, his face full of concern as he observed her.

  “I’m fine,” she hurried to say, glad he kept going. I don’t want to be the one to make us stop.

  Coming to the edge of a steep cliff, he waited until she stepped right beside him. The morning sun had risen, throwing a bit of warmth, as well as light, their way. She looked up expectantly, waiting to see what directions he would give.

  He took his time, allowing her to catch her breath, as they viewed the magnificent vista in front of them. The craggy mountains rose in the background with a crystal blue lake at the base.

  “This is beautiful,” she said, her eyes pinned on the scene. “It’s like something out of a picture book of Canada.”

  Nodding appreciatively, Marc agreed. “I wish it were under different circumstances, but yeah…this is beautiful. When I flew into Alaska, I thought about coming back here to hike sometime.”

  Snorting, Kendall looked up, a smile on her lips. “Well, you’re kind of getting your wish, only I’ll bet you hadn’t counted on having to drag a lab-rat along with you!”

  Sharing her smile, he looked down at the woman beside him, wisps of shiny brunette hair slipping from her cap, framing her face. Her cheeks were rosy and eyes bright. “I wouldn’t exactly call you a lab-rat,” he responded. “I’m pretty damn impressed with you so far.” As he looked over the mountains to the west, he saw the dark clouds rolling in. Snow is definitely on its way. “This place is too open and we need to stay near the tree line in case another helicopter comes by.”

  They hurried down the rocky slope, moving to the forest bordering the west of the lake. After another hour of walking, Marc turned and looked at Kendall as she quietly struggled to keep up. Slowing his pace, he allowed her to come alongside of him. “How’re you doing? Your head feel all right?” he asked, searching her face. Her cheeks were red and her chest heaved with each breath.

  Offering a slight nod, she replied, “I’m okay.”

  Stopping, he stared at her, knowing she was lying but was stubborn about letting him know how she really felt. “You need to be honest with me so I’ll know how hard to push us before taking a break.”

  Huffing, she looked away, her mouth pinched in a grimace. Finally looking back up at him, she replied, “I’ve never been much for exercise so I can’t lie and say this is easy. But I’m willing to do whatever we need to do.”

  He held her gaze for a long minute before smiling. “Okay…but you’ve got to tell me when you need a rest break.”

  She stared into his face and saw true concern as she sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “Okay…I promise.”

  “Good,” he smiled. Looking back at his handheld GPS, he said, “In about five more miles, we’ll run into an area that is rockier, but less forested. The problem with that is, while there’s no place to land a plane, a helicopter could land…and could see us.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly, not knowing what response was needed. “Um…you’ll have to tell me what to do.”

  “It’ll be longer, but we’ll stay at the edge of the forest until we absolutely have to cross the open area.”

  “Why do I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?” she asked.

  Rubbing his hand over his face, he said, “The guys I work with…some are ex Special Forces and SEALs. Normally they could just come in and get us, but the forecast is blizzard conditions coming soon. We’re probably going to have to find a place to stay for a couple of days until it passes.”

  “Okay,” she said, her voice less sure.

  “You keep saying ‘okay’,” he stated, unsure how she really felt, but could see the uncertainty turning to concern.

  “I don’t know what else to say. This keeps getting worse and worse, but we’ve just got to do what we have to until we can get rescued.”

  “I know this is hard,” he agreed, his voice warm, “so here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll keep going for a little bit longer and then find a good place to make a camp near the edge of the forest. It’ll be better than what we had last night so we can get prepared to wait out the storm. Once it’s over, I’ll be able to get a signal to my group and they’ll pick us up as soon as possible.”

  With no alternative, Kendall nodded, hoping her expression did not show her dismay. I guess if I have to be wandering in a snowstorm in the wilderness, he’s the best person I could be with! In spite of their dire circumstances, it did not escape her notice that he was also the most virile man she had ever been around. Tall, broad, honed-muscles, capable. And those eyes…they seemed to pierce straight into her.

  “Are you all right?”

  His words jolted her from her thoughts and she quickly said, “Yes!” Clearing her throat, she repeated, “Uh, yes. Sorry.”

  As he patted her shoulder before turning to walk again, she rolled her eyes behind him. I’m such a dork! Hustling to catch up, she followed in step behind him, glad the thick forest floor was easy to walk through. With each step as she crunched along, she longed for a warm bed and hoped their rescue would come soon.

  Chapter 9

  “Jack Bryant?”

  Jack reached
out to take the hand of the woman standing in front of the main building of the NCBRT. She was tall, her dark blonde hair pulled severely back from her face, which he noticed was unsmiling.

  “Estelle Barnaby. Homeland Security liaison here at NCBRT,” she announced, her words clipped as she shook his hand.

  “Ms. Barnaby,” Jack greeted. “This is Patrick Cartwright, one of my team. My security company was originally responsible for transporting Dr. Kendall Rhodes to Washington, D.C.”

  Patrick shook Estelle’s hand, noting the firm grip and steely glint in her eye.

  Sucking in a quick breath, she said, “I assure you the FBI has already been over the security measures with the head of the NCBRT. I can’t imagine what you hope to accomplish here, now that we have determined there is no breach of the lab.”

  Not rising to her bait, Jack said, “Is there somewhere private we can talk?”

  Bristling, she nodded once before turning on her heels and leading them inside, to an office down the hall. Entering, she moved to sit behind the institutional desk, motioning for Jack and Patrick to sit it the available chairs.

  “I’ve been in touch with the agents that were here last night. I was assigned to coordinate Dr. Kenneth Rhodes’ secure transportation to D.C. and without my knowledge a switch was made and he came back here—”

  “I had nothing to do with that decision,” Estelle protested.

  Ignoring her interruption, Jack continued. “We’re here because of new developments and need to speak to Dr. Rhodes, as well as other members of his team who may have information we’re seeking.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she countered, “And what information are you seeking?”