Serena nodded and stuffed the SAT phone in her backpack.
Xena still hadn’t handed the file in her hand to Ryker, and she didn’t look inclined to do so either.
Ryker was scowling at her again.
“We need to get moving,” Xena announced. She headed toward the door. “I could only secure this location for a short time.” She glanced at Ajax. “You two have a driver two blocks east of here. Black car. Driver has a blue ball cap on. Get in the car without a word. He’ll take you to a helipad. You’re going to need a lift into that region of the country.”
Ajax stood and grabbed his pack as Xena set her hand on the doorknob. She wasn’t wasting any time. He turned toward Ryker whose teeth were gritted. Ajax grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him in for a manly hug, slapping him on the back. “Don’t get dead. I can’t take it a second time.”
“You either, brother. I’m looking forward to slamming back quite a few beers together when this is over. You better fucking be alive.”
“I will.” Ajax turned toward Serena who had her pack on and was ready at the door. “Let’s do this,” he stated. He glanced back one more time at his brother and nodded. Emotion welled up inside him.
They were completely at the mercy of these two women, and there wasn’t a damn thing either of them could do about it but pray they got out of this alive and rescued the rest of their team in the meantime. No other option was acceptable.
Chapter 8
Ajax followed Serena swiftly to the street corner where their ride was waiting. He tossed his pack in the backseat ahead of his body and slid in at the same time Serena did the same on the other side of the car.
The driver took off without a word. After a few minutes of carefully glancing in his rearview mirror, he nodded toward them and spoke in decent English. “It will take about an hour to get there.”
Ajax opened the folder and started reading. He handed each page to Serena as he soaked it all in. It was thorough, and he wanted to memorize as much of it as possible and destroy it. Some parts they would need to hold on to, but they could separate them so that neither of them would be caught with enough helpful information.
A half an hour later, he felt like he was as informed as possible and had a decent understanding of where they were heading and what they would need to do to get there.
He hoped one of their first stops would include acquiring weapons. He glanced at Serena. “You know these towns we’ll be traveling through, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
He nodded slowly. “And the language,” he pointed out rhetorically.
“And these people will trust me,” she added. “They’re leery about the military, no matter what country you’re from.”
“It will help that I don’t have a single thing to indicate I was ever in the US Navy.”
“Not much.” She smiled. “You have that look. It’s impossible to hide.”
He smirked, knowing she was right. He continued to hold her gaze. What a clusterfuck. No part of him wanted to bring this woman along with him. He didn’t care how strong she was, both physically or mentally, she wasn’t meant for this sort of thing.
She’d been raised in a religious household. She might be tough on the outside, but she was still soft on the inside. She didn’t cuss at all, she was undoubtedly a very religious woman, and he doubted she could kill anyone even if her life depended on it, which it might.
On top of that, he was fucking attracted to her. More so with each passing hour. It was absurd because she was definitely not his type. Not even close. She might be sexy and gorgeous on the outside, but he couldn’t picture her writhing beneath him while he held her wrists above her head and made her scream with pleasure.
Or, maybe he could picture that. Yes. He definitely could. That was half his problem. His vision was clear, and he was certain she wasn’t the sort to let her guard down enough to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.
He almost laughed at that last thought. So biblical.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
He sobered. “Nothing. Listen…” He cleared his throat. “I need you to do something for me.”
She eyed him skeptically. “Depends on what it is.”
“Actually, you have to do it no matter what you prefer.”
She narrowed her gaze further. “I don’t really operate like that.”
“Look, I get that you’ve done a lot of work to empower yourself. It makes sense. If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same thing. I also understand that you know this region better than me and many of the towns. But I have seventeen years of intense military training. I need you to follow my orders when it’s necessary to give them.”
She didn’t respond.
He leaned closer to her, his arm resting on the pile of their packs between them. “I need to know that I can tell you to hang back or hide somewhere or lie low and you’ll do that. I need you to trust my instincts on this subject. I won’t have you getting killed in Ethiopia. Do not put me in a position where I’m forced to bring your body back to your mother in a body bag.”
She flinched.
He grabbed her hand, hoping that would help him connect with her. Maybe it was underhanded and inappropriate, but if it worked, he wouldn’t care. “I’ve accepted the fact that we’re in this together and I need your help, but I won’t put you in danger, and you have no combat experience. Please promise me you won’t argue when I tell you to do something.”
“Okay.”
“That’s it? Just okay? You agree?” He wasn’t sure he believed her. This felt too easy.
“Of course. You’re right. I have no military experience. And I’d rather leave here alive.”
“Okay. Good.”
“Also, for the record, my mother has no idea I’m here. Let’s maybe keep it that way.”
“Then we’re agreed. You’re leaving this country alive and in one piece.”
“I’d rather you did too.”
“Me too. I’d like to see my entire team get out of this country alive.”
“Then let’s find them.”
Ajax lifted her hand and rubbed it against his cheek like he’d done last night.
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away.
He should not be touching her intimately like this under any circumstances, but there was no mistaking the look in her eyes as she stared at her hand against his face and curled her fingers around his.
When the car came to a stop, he reluctantly released her and looked around.
They were in a desert area, surrounded by nothing. He should have been paying closer attention. Now the hairs stood up on his neck. He didn’t know this man or any of the people directing this puppet show. He could easily shoot them both in the forehead right now and dump the bodies.
The driver didn’t do that though. He twisted around to meet their gazes. “You’ll need to walk about a quarter of a mile west.” He pointed in that direction. “There’s a path through the brush over there. You’ll find it, but it’s not used often so it’s probably overgrown a bit. You’ll come to a clearing. Stay in the brush until dusk. That’s when the helicopter will pick you up. In and out. If you’re not there, you’ll miss your ride. There isn’t a backup plan.”
“Got it. Thank you.” Ajax grabbed his pack and opened the door.
“One more thing,” the driver said. “I’m going to pop the trunk. Grab the bag. You’re gonna need it.”
Ajax nodded. “Thanks.” He prayed it had weapons.
Serena climbed out her side and met Ajax next to the car after he picked up the extra bag. Definitely weapons. He didn’t open it. He wouldn’t need it right now.
The driver rolled down the passenger window and leaned that way. “There’s a tarp in the bag. You might need it if it rains this afternoon. Food and water too. You still have a few hours to wait.”
Ajax nodded again and followed Serena toward the tall brush. He was impressed by how quickly she found the path and en
tered it. He followed on her heels.
They moved slowly and carefully. There was plenty of time. No reason to get lost, confused, or overheated.
Serena reached out a hand to stop him when they reached the clearing. “Found it.”
He leaned around her shoulder to verify this was definitely a perfect makeshift spot for a helipad. “Good.” He tipped his head back to look at the sun and judged them to have several hours before dusk.
After dropping his pack next to hers, he crouched down to the ground, set the new bag on the dirt, and unzipped it. He pulled out the tarp first.
Serena took it from him, flattened some of the brush at the mouth of the path, and unfolded it so they could sit on one end. She arranged it so that they could also lift the long end of it over their heads if needed. “You suppose that bag is waterproof?” She pointed at the new one.
He nodded. “Looks like it. My pack is too. Yours?”
“Yes. My survival skills far exceed anything most girls learn in girl scouts,” she joked.
“I believe you.” She repeatedly impressed him.
He pulled out six weapons. Two large knives and four guns.
As she dropped down onto her butt, he sat next to her, thighs touching. “I don’t suppose you know how to shoot one of these?” he asked.
She smirked. “Please. Told you I’m not your average girl scout.”
He chuckled. “Impressed again.” He handed her two of the guns and one of the knives.
She put two of them in her pack and set the smaller gun next to her.
He twisted to face her. “Tell me why you know how to use so many weapons.”
She shrugged, looking rather reluctant.
He nudged her with his shoulder. “Come on. We’ve got a lot of time to kill. Tell me about Serena.”
“You gonna tell me about Ajax?”
“Anything you want to know,” he promised.
She stared at her feet and dragged her toe through the dirt. “You’re not half bad for a man in uniform.”
“Ouch.” He clutched at his chest. “Thank God I’m not currently in uniform. Hell, I’ll never be again.”
She glanced at him. “That part really stinks. Did you love the Navy?”
“Yes, and the SEALs were my life.”
“Is that why you’re not married?”
He nodded. Apparently, they were going to start with him. He was okay with that, especially if it relaxed her enough to get her to talk too. “I was married to the military. I never wanted to worry about someone back home waiting on me or risk hurting her by getting killed in action.”
“Very noble of you. But wasn’t it kind of lonely?”
He shrugged. “I had my family back home.”
“Your foster family you mean.”
“Yes. Frank and Nancy Holt. I moved in with them when I was twelve after my mother died. Frank turned me into a man. Nancy taught me how to be a kind one.”
She smiled, and he loved that genuine, relaxed grin. Her nose curled up at the tip just a bit when she was happy. “They must be amazing.”
“They are. I can’t imagine what they went through for the last few months thinking I was dead.”
Serena grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She also leaned into his side and set her head on his shoulder. “I do know what that part is like,” she whispered.
He closed his eyes and winced. He’d forgotten about her father. “How long was your father missing? Before…”
“Three weeks. We can’t be sure how long he was alive though. Who knows when the video was put up for the world to see. It might not have been current.”
Ajax wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “I’m so sorry.” He hurt for the young woman who’d endured that. She’d barely been a woman at the time.
After several minutes, he spoke again, changing the subject. “Tell me about your life here.”
“Mmm.” She lifted her head off his shoulder but didn’t pull away.
He kept his arm around her and held her hand against her thigh.
“I was four when we moved here. I don’t remember anything before that. This was my life. My mother is a social worker. She had the same kind of altruistic aspirations as my father. They wanted to make the world a better place.”
“I’m sure they did.”
“Maybe, but at what expense?” She glanced at him and then back at her lap. She absently stroked the back of his hand with her thumb as she drew in a breath. “My father set up a church and my parents went to work helping the locals for miles around with things like immunizations and clean drinking water. Things that helped them live longer lives.”
He nodded. “It must have been very gratifying. What did you kids do?”
“We were homeschooled, but we went with Mom on house calls all over the area. She would teach the women how to sanitize their kitchens and not to let raw meat touch the counter and things like that. Over the years, the townspeople loved my parents because they knew their lives were improving and they were grateful. It took a long time to earn their trust, but when they did…”
“Wow. That’s amazing, Serena. Few people can say they’ve done as much good for society as your family has.”
“I guess.”
“When did the unrest start? Did all of you take self-defense and learn to use a weapon? I’m struggling to picture your parents with a gun in the house, but what do I know?”
She shook her head. “Goodness no. My parents didn’t believe in guns or anything that involved discord. They believed everyone should live in harmony and the way to achieve that peace was to be kind.”
“That’s more like what I would expect from a missionary family.”
“The story about my training is a long one.”
He pretended to glance at his watch. “I’ve got time.”
She giggled, and he found he loved that sound. It burrowed under his skin and warmed him in far too many places. The way she was touching his hand didn’t help either.
This was not the time or place for him to fall for a woman, but he feared it might be too late to realize that.
“There was always a military presence in the area. Sometimes they would stay for a few hours, other times for a few days.”
“Local military?”
“Both. Any. Sometimes local. Ethiopian mostly, but other times any country. We lived so close to Djibouti, and several countries have a post there. US, Chinese, Italian, you name it.”
“Ah, right.”
“To me, they were all the same. If they were Ethiopian or English or American I could understand them, but I was pretty young when I realized I didn’t need to understand their words. The tone told me what I needed to know.” She shuddered.
“What do you mean?”
She met his gaze. “Don’t take this the wrong way because I don’t know anything about you, but for the most part, men in uniform are disrespectful and arrogant boneheads.”
He gave a short chuckle. “Probably true. Though I assume you mean assholes in the place of boneheads.”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever cussed?”
“No. I express myself just fine without foul language.”
“Indeed you do,” he agreed. “Go on. What happened?”
“When I was little, the uniforms—as I called them—mostly ignored me, but as I grew older, the catcalls and harassment started.”
He winced. He knew she told the truth. She was undoubtedly a looker by the time she hit puberty. All this long black hair, pale skin. He’d bet she was tall and skinny for her age.
“Anyway, it sounds kinda silly now, but when I was twelve, I was walking home one evening just before sundown, hurrying really because I wasn’t permitted outside after dark, and I passed this group of American uniforms and they decided I was a good target for the evening. There were like six of them. Early twenties. They were across the street from me, and they tried to engage me.”
She hesitated, drawing in a breath and
holding it. Ajax stiffened, every nerve in his body on alert.
“I ignored them as I always did, but they approached. Came across the street, surrounded me, firing questions at me. How old was I? What was a pretty girl like me doing in Ethiopia? Did I want to go out with a real man?
“And then they got crude. When I tried to get by them, they closed ranks, locking me in. I was scared out of my mind. My heart was racing in my chest. How many men had I…the f-word? Did my…uh…privates get wet when they were near me? Stuff like that.”
She was talking faster now, spilling it all out, and Ajax hurt for her. Deep in his soul. He knew she wasn’t exaggerating. He’d known men like that. Men who thought the world was theirs for the taking. Men who thought that since they were in a uniform every woman and girl should want them.
“I tried not to let them get to me, but I was so frightened that I started crying. They started touching me. Stroking my arms and my hair and my face. I had my bookbag and I squeezed it tight to my chest and hugged it against me, trying to keep them from touching me there.
“When one of them grabbed me by the arm, I screamed. It just happened. I couldn’t stop it. It startled them and he released me and they all jumped back a few inches. They switched from what they must have thought was sexy sweet-talk to defensiveness. What was wrong with me? They were just having a little fun. That kind of thing. Finally, they backed off and left me standing there.”
Ajax slid his hand from her shoulder to her head, threaded his fingers in her hair, and pulled her against his chest. He held her tight. There was no way to take away the pain of what happened to her that night, but he could hold her now and try to ease some of the sting. There were no words. It would sound trite to say he was sorry.
He planted his face on top of her head, inhaled her scent, and kissed her there. He wasn’t sure she even knew it. “What happened next, Serena?” Somehow he knew this was the important part.
Shadow in the Desert (Shadow SEALs) Page 6
