by Susan Stoker
He had no idea, but he was going to go with the flow for now. Get to know her as they made their way to Dili. Maybe after a few days on the trail, with no showers and being hot and tired, he would come to his senses regarding his sudden and intense feelings for Piper Johnson.
Chapter Four
After catching up with the others at the next checkpoint, just as Ace said they would, they’d walked another two hours. They didn’t have any more encounters with the rebels, but they did hear gunshots sporadically.
While it seemed as if they were heading away from the worst of the skirmishes, the SEALs weren’t willing to trust that they were safe from the rebels.
Piper was more than aware that if she’d tried to walk to Dili without the help of the SEALs, she wouldn’t have gotten very far. They were professionals who could not only read the land and know when they needed to go off trail to avoid running into anyone, they could quite easily tell how far away the gunshots were coming from.
Rani, Sinta, and Kemala had been troopers as well, but when Rani or Sinta got tired, one of the men carried them. Piper couldn’t have done that, either. They were making good time, but she had no idea how much farther they had to go.
After they’d stopped for another break, Rocco informed them that they’d be looking for a place to camp for the night.
Piper wasn’t thrilled with the thought of spending the night out in the open in the jungle, but it wasn’t as if there was a nice fancy hotel right around the next tree they could check into.
Gumby and Rocco had gone ahead of them after the break to scout out places they might safely spend the night and within an hour had returned and led them to what they’d determined was the perfect spot.
Piper had held out hope they’d find a shack, a hut…even a darn teepee they could use so they’d at least be under shelter. But when she’d voiced her hopes, Ace had explained that they wouldn’t use any kind of structure, since it would be a beacon for anyone else who was out and about in the jungle as well. Including the rebels.
It made sense, but that didn’t mean Piper had to like it.
She was an indoor kind of girl. She liked her blankets. Had lots and lots of them, and she loved curling up under them on her couch. Riverton didn’t get all that cold, but she much preferred to have her apartment be a little cooler and to snuggle under a blanket, than to be too warm.
The perfect place to spend the night turned out to be a heavily wooded section of the forest with many big, leafy trees with low-hanging branches. There were about a dozen fallen trees in the area, as well, and Ace explained they could all lie down next to the huge tree trunks, much as the two of them had done when they were hiding from the peeing rebel.
Despite the practicality, Piper had imagined a nice clearing where they could make a fire and look up at the stars. It was stupid. she knew that. But she couldn’t help shuddering when she thought about the number of creepy-crawlies she’d soon be snuggling up with.
“You all right?” Ace asked as he sidled closer to her.
The other SEALs were moving around, getting sleeping pallets prepared and scoping out the area. Rex, Rocco, and Gumby had each taken one of the girls under their wings, and were keeping them busy and occupied.
“Not really,” Piper responded honestly.
“What can I do to make you all right?” Ace asked.
“Call for Chinese take-out, find me a nice soft mattress, a feather pillow, and a long hot shower…and not in that order,” she joked.
Without smiling, Ace said, “When we get to Dili, I’ll do my best to get you all of it.”
Sighing, Piper offered a slight smile. “It’s okay. I know I’m lucky to be alive. This is just all so out of my comfort zone.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’ve been amazing.”
“Thanks. But we both know that’s not true.”
Ace put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “You have. And I should know, since I’ve rescued more than my fair share of damsels in distress.”
Piper stared at him thoughtfully. She was curious about the man in front of her, and she couldn’t deny it. Growing up and living in Riverton, she’d met her fair share of navy men, and had formed her own stereotypes about them, but she hadn’t really thought much about SEALs—and what it was they did—until they’d literally plucked her out of the middle of the jungle and saved her life.
But Ace didn’t act like she’d thought a special forces soldier might. None of the men currently prowling around the jungle with her did…well, maybe except Phantom. He was surly and grumpy and she couldn’t read him at all. That was what she’d expected all the men to act like. But Gumby was currently playing a game of tag with Rani, Rex was patiently explaining to Sinta every little thing he was doing, and Rocco was showing Kemala how to use the water purifier he carried.
None of the men had gotten impatient with any of them when they’d needed to take breaks or when they fell behind. They hadn’t freaked out when Rani fell and skinned her knees. All-in-all, Piper almost felt as if they were a group of friends on an adventure, rather than a bunch of strangers fleeing for their lives through a jungle in a foreign country.
“How many people have you rescued?” Piper asked Ace. He was still standing in front of her, hands on her shoulders, waiting patiently for her to stop daydreaming and talk to him.
Ace shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. But it’s been a lot. Some people—not just women, but men too—completely panic, and we’ve even had to knock a few of them out in order to extract them. Other people have literally been frozen with fear, and we had to carry them out of the danger zone. Some have been so out of shape that they physically couldn’t walk more than a hundred yards without stopping. And a few have been so concerned about their own well-being, they had absolutely no empathy for anyone else. We were even in a situation where one of us had been injured, and our target literally said if we didn’t hurry up and get him out of there, he’d sue us.”
Piper gasped. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. So believe me, you’re doing great.”
She swallowed hard, took a deep breath—and the words simply exploded out of her.
“I’m scared to death. I’m sore as hell too. I’m not sure I’ll even be able to walk tomorrow. I’m not really a workout kind of girl, and this is definitely going above and beyond what I’m used to. I’m devastated about Kalee and the other girls who were killed, and I’m pissed that the rebels thought it was necessary to murder defenseless women and children. I can’t stop thinking about Mr. Solberg and how he’s going to react when he hears about his daughter. I’m worried about what will become of Rani, Sinta, and Kemala when we get to Dili. I don’t like that Phantom is obviously pissed because he couldn’t complete the mission you guys were sent here to do—namely, rescue Kalee. And I feel disgusting because I haven’t showered in days. I stink, I’m tired, and I’m thirsty. And the last thing I want to do is lie on the ground, in the dirt, and worry about bugs and possibly snakes crawling over me all night. I just want to be home.”
Without comment, Ace moved his hands. One went to her nape, the other to her waist. He pulled her toward him and rested his forehead against hers.
Piper wanted to cry, but she was too wrung out and dehydrated to produce even one tear. She grabbed ahold of Ace’s shirt at his waist and held on. Standing like this should’ve felt awkward, she’d just met the man, but after everything that had happened, holding on to him and being in his personal space like this simply felt comforting and right.
“I’d be worried if you didn’t feel all of that,” Ace told her quietly after a few moments. “This entire situation is so far outside your comfort zone, it isn’t funny. You thought you were going on vacation to see your friend and the worst thing that might happen is that you’d get a few bug bites. But instead you found yourself in the middle of a rebel uprising. You’re being too hard on yourself. Despite everything you’re feeling, you hadn’t uttered a word of complaint.
I’m going to get you home, Piper. To that fluffy bed and feather pillow you want so badly.”
Piper closed her eyes and clutched at the man in front of her even harder.
“The fact that you’re worried about the girls, Kalee’s dad, and Phantom is pretty darn remarkable. Most people in your situation would only be worried about themselves. I’d like to tell you to stop. To worry about yourself and no one else, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t do any good, would it?”
She shook her head slowly.
Ace stared into her eyes, and Piper had the fleeting thought that his brown gaze reminded her of the hot chocolate she sometimes liked to drink. Dark, but swirling with lighter browns as she added a bit of milk into the drink. His lips were full and framed by his beard, and she suddenly wanted him to rub it against her neck as he’d done to Rani.
“I can’t do anything about you being sore or about the shower right this moment. But if it’s okay with you, I’ll be happy to sleep by your side tonight and do my best to keep the bugs away.”
He smiled down at her and, surprisingly, Piper felt a little better. Hearing his praise had been nice. He might’ve been lying simply to keep her morale up, but she didn’t care. She needed to hear someone tell her she was doing well, because she didn’t feel as if she was.
“I’d like that,” she said solemnly.
Then she had the sudden, mad urge to go up on tiptoes and touch her lips to his.
For a second, his eyes dropped to her mouth, and goose bumps broke out on her arms. She wanted this. Wanted his lips on hers. Wanted to feel his beard against her face.
“Ace, where do you— Oh, sorry.”
Piper knew she was blushing, but hoped her pink cheeks would be mistaken for sunburn. She took a step away from Ace and looked over at Bubba.
“It’s okay. I was just telling Piper how well she’s done so far,” Ace said.
Bubba immediately nodded. “He’s right. I’m happier than I can say that you didn’t freak and we didn’t have to knock you out and carry you down the mountain.”
Piper looked over at Ace with a wry glance.
“I wasn’t lying,” he told her with a small smile.
Piper felt herself grinning. “I guess not.”
“Anyway, I was asking where you wanted to bed down. I talked with Rocco, and he, Gumby, Rex, and Phantom are going to take the four corners of the area. We thought the girls could take the middle, where those two big tree trunks are.”
Ace nodded. “Sounds good. I promised Piper I’d try to run interference with the local creepy-crawlies.”
Bubba grinned. “Ah, not a bug lover?” he asked her.
She shivered and said succinctly, “No.”
Bubba’s grin faded and he stepped toward her. He didn’t stand quite as close to her as Ace had, but he definitely entered her personal space. “You’re doing great, Piper. I know Ace already told you that, but he wasn’t kidding. The best thing you could have done was keep yourself safe and alive. You and those girls. And you haven’t panicked. We’ve seen so many people who have died in situations much like yours, simply because they couldn’t keep themselves calm. So thank you. Thank you for letting us find you alive. All of us will do whatever it takes to keep you that way.”
Then he nodded at both her and Ace, and turned to walk back toward the others.
Piper glanced at Ace in confusion. “He was thanking me for being alive?”
Ace nodded. “We’ve had our fair share of missions where we weren’t successful in getting the targets home alive.”
“Like Kalee.”
“Like Kalee,” Ace confirmed.
“Is that the only reason Phantom’s so upset?” she asked.
Ace shrugged. “I think so, yes. The thought of leaving someone behind, even if they aren’t alive, is abhorrent to us. Kalee’s not a SEAL, but she’s an American. And…” His voice trailed off.
“And?” Piper asked, putting her hand on Ace’s sleeve.
“And Phantom doesn’t like to fail. He’s extremely hard on himself, probably because his dad expected perfection from him when he was growing up.”
“Oh. Yeah, I can imagine how frustrating it would be to not be able to do the job you were assigned.”
Ace’s finger went under her chin, and he brought her eyes back up to his own. “Phantom doesn’t hate you, Piper. He’s just frustrated. He knows as well as the rest of us that it’s more important to get you and the girls to safety than to bring Kalee’s body back to the States.”
“It’s not fair,” Piper said quietly.
“It’s not,” Ace agreed.
Licking her dry lips, Piper said, “We should probably help get things set up for the night.”
“Nah, the guys have things under control.”
Piper gave him a small smile. “Still. It’s not a good example to show the girls.”
“True,” Ace agreed.
Then he did something that completely flustered Piper. He ran a hand over her filthy, mussed hair and murmured, “Beautiful. Even covered in dirt, tired, and out of your element, you’re beautiful.” He dropped his hand slowly, and then turned to gesture to the group. “After you.”
Knowing she was probably blushing again, Piper walked ahead of him toward the others.
* * *
Two hours later, the sun had fallen below the horizon and the jungle around them was pitch dark. Piper and the girls had crawled into a space between two large tree trunks to try to get some sleep before they got started toward the capital again in the morning. The SEALs all huddled together nearby for about fifteen minutes or so, leaving Piper to talk to the girls.
“Rani, are you okay?” she asked.
The little girl nodded. She was curled up against Piper’s side and had her head resting on her shoulder.
“Sinta?”
“I’m okay,” the seven-year-old told her. She was on the other side of Rani, curled up in the dirt as if it was just another night for her. Piper didn’t like that the girls were way more comfortable sleeping out in the open jungle on the ground than she felt they should be.
Turning her head, Piper said, “Kemala? Are you good?”
A faint mumble was the only answer to her question.
Sighing, Piper said, “I know this isn’t what you expected when you crawled under the floor with me. I’m sorry Kalee’s not here and it’s me instead. I’m doing my best to keep you all safe…and I know you’re upset with me for some reason. Talk to me, Kemala. I’ll do whatever I can to make you feel better.”
In response, she felt the teenager turn over, giving Piper her back.
Frustrated and depressed, she sighed again. “I don’t mind that you won’t talk to me. I’m still going to do whatever I can to make sure you’re safe,” she told Kemala.
A small light came toward them, and Piper turned her attention to the men approaching.
“It’s us,” Ace said softly. “Me and Bubba.”
“Hi,” Piper said inanely.
She knew it would be the two of them because after they’d eaten dinner—more MREs—Ace had informed her of the sleeping arrangements and how the men would be taking shifts, staying awake to make sure no one was able to sneak up on them in the middle of the night. It made her feel better knowing they wouldn’t be ambushed.
He’d told her that he and Bubba would be sleeping near her and the girls, just as an extra layer of protection. It had hit her in that moment how the SEALs were truly putting their lives in danger to make sure they got to the capital safe and sound. It humbled and awed her. Piper wasn’t sure she was worth the effort they were putting into her rescue, but the little girls certainly were. They hadn’t had a chance to live yet, and nothing that had happened had been their fault. They were all caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Scoot over, Piper,” Ace said as he carefully stepped closer.
She did as he asked, and moved herself and Rani to the right. Sinta scooted as well, until her back was up against the tree
on one side of them. Kemala had turned over and was watching Ace closely.
He sat next to Piper and immediately lay down. He reached over and effortlessly pulled Piper up and over his body, until she was lying full length on top of him. Then he held out an arm and gestured to Rani. “Come here, little one.” Rani immediately snuggled up against his side. Sinta curled up behind Rani again, one arm around the little girl, her hand touching Ace’s side.
Then Ace turned to Kemala and put his other arm out. “You too, Kemala. I know you’re too old to need snuggles, but it’s been a long time since I’ve slept in the jungle, and I could use some reassurance.”
Piper had no idea if Kemala understood all of what Ace had said, but surprisingly, she giggled slightly and moved closer to him.
Piper pushed her chest up and off Ace, propping herself up on her hands, and whispered, “What are you doing?”
“I promised to try to keep the creepies away from you,” Ace said matter-of-factly.
She simply stared at him. She could only see the outline of his head, and not much else because of the darkness, but she was stunned. “I’m okay,” she told him.
“I know you are. Now come down here and relax,” he ordered.
Slowly, Piper lowered herself onto his chest and put her cheek over his heart. Ace as a makeshift bed wasn’t exactly comfortable, as the hard armor and the lumps and bumps from whatever he had in all the pockets on his uniform poked into her, but she’d choose to sleep on top of him any day of the week if it meant she wasn’t on the jungle floor.
“Ace okay?” Sinta whispered.
“I’m good,” Ace said immediately. “How are you?”
“Good,” Sinta told him.
“Kemala? Are you comfortable?” Ace asked.
“Yes,” the teenager whispered back.
“Rani?” he asked.
A slight snore was the only response.
Ace’s chuckle reverberated through Piper’s body, and she squeezed her eyes shut. At that second, she understood how lucky she was. She didn’t think she was lucky when she’d been trapped under the floor in the orphanage and scared out of her mind, but lying here on top of Ace, a fierce Navy SEAL willing to do whatever it took to get her home, hearing Rani snore, and knowing Sinta and Kemala were safe and healthy, she understood how wrong she’d been.