“Our?”
“Me and my brother. He’s a few years younger than me and still in the Navy. Speaking of, it wasn’t until the Navy that I swore. It was expected.”
“But it’s—excessive.”
“And affronts your delicate nature? For a Jane like you, I’m surprised.”
“What does that mean? A Jane like me.”
“Sorry. It’s a reference to Tarzan’s Jane.” His eyes pinch as he looks at me. “You know? Tarzan of the jungle and his girl, Jane?”
When I return a blank stare, he laughs softly. “On account of your mad jungle skills?” He gestures toward the forest.
“Oh.” For some weird reason, my cheeks heat.
“Hey…” He grips my shoulder, making me jump.
There’s something about his touch that does strange things to me. Like makes my heart race and my belly flutter. It’s silly. Not to mention stupid, and I try to limit any outward signs of my unease.
“I’ll try to cut down on the cussin’, but I can’t make it a promise. I keep the promises I make, and I’m pretty damn sure I’m going to break this one.”
“You just did.”
“Did what?” When a giggle escapes me, he places the tip of his thumb under my chin and tilts my face until he’s looking down at me.
It happens again. That heart-racing fluttery feeling. I blink to clear my thoughts and focus on what he’s saying.
“Swear.”
“Did not.”
“You said damn.”
“And now you have too. Is that one not allowed as well?”
“Maybe we shouldn’t stand here all night talking about swearing and wander over to the tree and see if we can shelter there for the night.”
“Looks like a pretty good place to rest.”
“Yeah, but we have to check it out first.”
“Meaning?”
“You know—look for any plants that might cause our skin to blister and burn, or insects that might bite and sting us while we sleep. If there’s any sign of army ants, we can’t stay.”
“Not afraid of a few ants.”
“A few are bad enough, but I’m talking about a colony out on the hunt. Millions of ants. Have you ever seen that?”
“I know ants…”
“Army ants take down small mammals on the jungle floor. They basically overwhelm the poor thing with millions and millions of them. They’re ferocious creatures that use their numbers to kill, and they advance in a swath a couple of feet wide.”
“You mean inches.”
“I mean feet. They encircle an entire tree, swarming up its trunk in search of food, denuding it in the process. You don’t want to be anywhere near that. Not to mention a bite from the warriors feels like your bone’s snapping in two. Any sign of ants and we move on.”
“Honestly, I haven’t been concerned about insects until now. Been more worried about falling.”
“Are you afraid of heights?”
“No, luv. I’m a thrill seeker at heart. Heights don’t bother me. Creepy crawlies don’t bother me either, but I’m reconsidering that after what you said about those ants.”
Moving along the limb, I make it to the trunk and scan for any evidence of army ants, recent or past. I told Hayes about their bite feeling like a bone breaking but left off the part about the pain lasting hours and the blisters a bite creates.
Hayes joins me in inspecting the tree, which is difficult in the darkness. I practically have to place my nose up against the tree to make out any detail, but there’s no evidence of army ants on this tree. If they were going to be here, they would’ve climbed up at dusk.
To be honest, the lack of light hinders my ability to see, but I take it on faith this space is safe. I hope that’s not a huge mistake. There’s also no scat, or other evidence of animal droppings.
As I settle in, the hoots of a distant troupe of monkeys call out into the night.
“Hope you don’t mind getting close.” He wedges himself in. “There’s not much space.”
“Don’t mind.” There it is again. The heart racing, chest palpitation thing, is back.
Placing my finger at my neck, I mean to feel my pulse. The last thing I need is palpitations. Instead, my dirty fingers trace over the skin-deep cut along my throat. With a grimace, I debate abandoning the hollow to hunt for the herbs I’ll need to make a poultice for the cut.
In the jungle, cuts and other injuries can be far more dangerous than any of the denizens of the jungle. Infection is a real risk, and it’s a killer.
While I feel at my throat, Hayes unslings his weapon and wedges himself into the small space beside me. If I thought he was big before, he’s absolutely overwhelming sitting beside me.
And he is beside me.
Shoulders, arms, hips, and legs, we’re squished together into the small space. Despite the close quarters, the depression formed by the branches securely holds us in place. It’s a great place to sleep without fear of accidentally falling out of the tree.
My lids bounce and I snap my eyes open. I’m tired, but there’s resting and then there’s sleeping. I may be comfortable in the jungle, but I know better than to fall asleep. A yawn escapes me and I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting off exhaustion. Another bounce of my eyes and this is going to be a fight I don’t win.
Before I fall asleep, I say my nightly prayers. It’s a litany of names, the names of women Maximus Angelo trafficked over the years, along with those horrible numbers assigned to each woman that hung over their cells. It’s a sacred task I’ve taken on to remember them. After I’m done, fatigue slams into me. It’s impossible to stay awake.
“Do you mind if I catch some shuteye?” I glance up at my Guardian and lean back.
Even sitting, he’s head and shoulders over me.
“Not at all, luv.” He shifts in his seat, finding a more comfortable position, then twists toward me. “Lean forward for a second.”
“Why?” I ask while doing exactly that, then bite my lower lip when he wraps an arm around my shoulder. Tugging me in close, he shifts again. “That’s better. Close your eyes, luv. I’ll watch over you. First thing in the morning, we’ll move out.”
With the warmth of his words calming my nerves, I let my eyes close for just a second.
EIGHT
Hayes
Rosalie sleeps like a delicate flower. Poor thing’s been through hell and back. Many people, men and women both, don’t have the inner fortitude this woman shows. There was no need to stretch the truth when I told her she was amazing.
Now, all I have to do is figure a way out of this jungle and get her to a safe place. We totally blew through first and secondary exfil. By now, Sam will have made the call to take off.
Leaving me to get creative.
My assumption is the rest of the mission went off without a hitch. I imagine Rafe’s reunited with Carmen. Charlie team freed the captive women held in the basement. And, finally, that Maximus Angelo and his men have been rounded up and are stewing in jail while charges of human trafficking are slammed down on them with all the fury of hellfire.