Soldier's Pregnancy Protocol

by Beth Cornelison

  Like a sacrificial lamb.

  Tears burned her eyes. He’d given himself up to cover for her gaffe. Once again, a man she loved would die because of her. A primal cry of agony swelled in her chest, but she gritted her teeth to shove it down. She couldn’t, wouldn’t do anything to make matters worse for Alec.

  She watched the man who’d sacrificed so much to guard her, who’d revived her faith in love and in herself, step into the circle of light where the senator stood.

  “What’s the matter, Senator? Don’t you recognize the man whose execution you ordered? Half of the undercover team you sold out in your bargain with the devil?”

  “Kincaid?”

  Erin’s heart kicked.

  Alec smirked. “The goons you sent to the bayou didn’t do their job.”

  Senator White straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. He flicked an uneasy glance to the man in the trench coat, then back to Alec. “I suppose you heard about your partner’s betrayal. Seems he had an axe to grind with you.”

  Alec shook his head. “Daniel would never betray me.” He jerked his chin toward the gloating man. “Like you did.”

  White scoffed. “You’re sure about that? How do you think I knew you’d faked your death with the plane crash in Colorado? Or the helicopter pickup in the mountains? LeCroix’s been quite helpful in tracking you down in recent weeks.”

  If she hadn’t known Alec so well, Erin would have missed the telltale twitch in his jaw. Did he believe the senator? Did something about the scenario the man painted ring true to Alec?

  “But now that you’re here,” White said in a tone so low and menacing, Erin almost missed it, “I can be done with the both of you.”

  Keeping the gun trained on the senator, Alec narrowed his eyes. “Not if you want to see your daughter again.”

  The senator jerked. “What do you know about Nicole?”

  “I know that you were willing to betray our covert op, your integrity and the United States in order to try to find her, save her.”

  White stiffened.

  “I only recently came to understand that level of feeling,” Alec said. “Love deep enough to make you forsake everything you ever believed about yourself…”

  Erin caught her breath. Warmth expanded in her chest, and tears leaked from her eyes.

  “I understand why you sold out, even if I can’t agree with your methods.”

  The senator puffed out his chest importantly. “My loyalties to the U.S. are not the issue. I don’t take kindly to being called a traitor.”

  “Then perhaps you shouldn’t consort with known drug lords and terrorists or sell secrets concerning national security for personal gain.”

  “You can’t prove anything!” The senator’s voice trembled with rage. “I did what I had to to save Nicole, to get her back alive!”

  “Oh?” Alec paused. “Do you really think Ramirez will bring Nicole tonight? He’s smarter than that. She’s his bargaining chip. Now, tell your boys to back off and put away their weapons, or I won’t share what I know about Nicole.”

  Erin held her breath. What did Alec know about the senator’s daughter?

  Outside the warehouse, a car door slammed.

  “Senator,” one of the bodyguards called as he peered out the glass inset of the door. “We’ve got company.”

  Erin tensed. Watched the door for the new arrival.

  The men below scrambled to take new positions, out of sight.

  “Get him out of the way,” the senator said with a flick of his hand toward Alec. “Don’t kill him until we make the trade, and I know Nicole’s safe.”

  One of the senator’s men advanced on Alec. Erin opened her mouth to scream a warning, just as Alec swung around and landed a high kick that knocked the man’s weapon from his hand. A second man tried to grab Alec from behind, but Alec spun and punched his new opponent in the gut.

  Erin gripped the I-beam, watching helplessly, as Alec neatly handled each man that came at him. Her superhero knocked one guy out, slamming his gun to the back of the poor slob’s head. Then he sent another guy stumbling back with a well-placed elbow to the chest. Alec held his own against the senator’s bodyguards for several seconds. Until the guards organized themselves and ganged up on Alec.

  Erin cringed. Her stomach bunched and rolled as the men brought Alec to his knees with brutal blows to his gut and chin. Duct tape was brought out to secure Alec’s hands behind him.

  Shaking all over, Erin shrank behind the I-beam for cover. She had to do something to help Alec. But what? Even Alec, with all his training and skills, couldn’t overtake all of the senator’s henchmen and their weapons.

  The warehouse door opened with a loud screech of metal.

  Erin’s pulse thundered with dread. Her heart in her throat, she peeked around the steel girder to survey the unfolding scene.

  A half-dozen Hispanic men strode into the warehouse carrying semiautomatic weapons. The senator’s bodyguards visibly gathered themselves after their brawl with Alec and faced the new threat.

  The scene reminded Erin of street gangs squaring off for a rumble. Finally, a Hispanic man garbed in a crisp business suit stepped inside and approached the senator.

  Senator White leveled his shoulders and extended his hand.

  The new arrival ignored the offer to shake hands. “Where is he? Do you have LeCroix?”

  “And good evening to you, too, General Ramirez,” White said, his tone dripping sarcasm. “Where is my daughter?”

  Erin avoided gasping her horror by sheer willpower. Her reactiveness had already put Alec in an untenable position. She glanced to Alec, still crumpled on the ground, his hands bound. He raised his head and sent the Colombian general a dark glare.

  Ramirez stepped closer to Senator White. “Your daughter is safe. For now. But I’m not a patient man. Either I get LeCroix in the next sixty seconds or your daughter dies.”

  Visibly rattled, White lifted a conciliatory hand. “Let’s not be hasty, General. I have something just as good as LeCroix. My men and I managed to root out LeCroix’s partner.” The senator signaled to his men. Alec was yanked to his feet, and his head snatched back by his hair. Erin’s scalp stung with sympathetic pain, and her gut somersaulted.

  She scrunched behind the protection of the I-beam and drew a slow, deep breath for composure. This was no time to lose control. Anger for their mistreatment of Alec fired a slow burn in her stomach. Love and admiration for the man who’d sacrificed himself to keep her safe and hidden swelled inside her until she couldn’t breathe.

  Above all, pain slashed through every other emotion and shredded her heart knowing without a doubt these men meant to kill Alec. The idea of living without him, of never having the chance to tell him she loved him, shattered her. She grieved inside, knowing her child would never know the courageous, honorable, loyal and loving man that had swept into her life, turned her world upside down and shown her what real love meant. An unselfish, undemanding love, unafraid of taking risks for the sake of another.

  Erin felt her heartbeat stagger…slow to a crawl. Unafraid of taking risks…

  Erin’s pulse gathered speed again as a plan took form in her head. She wouldn’t let Alec die without doing everything in her power to save him. He’d sacrificed so much for her and her baby, and she could do no less for him.

  The voices of the men below her fell away as she searched her mind, scanned her surroundings, prayed. She couldn’t rescue Alec alone, but she could get help, get the police. If she could get out of this warehouse undetected. She glanced down at the small army of armed men, a half-dozen or so from each camp, and knew she could never get out the way she came in.

  Which left…

  Heart thumping, Erin craned her neck. Eyed the row of ventilation windows near the ceiling. Be strong. Be brave. Be resourceful.

  For Alec.

  Determined not to admit defeat, Erin moved her gaze to the far end of the catwalk. Rebar rungs arced out from the wall in a crude lad
der toward the ceiling. At the top, she spied a trapdoor, probably used by workmen who needed access to the roof.

  Seeing no other way out, Erin sucked in a deep breath. Inching down the I-beam, she edged toward the ladder, the roof…and escape.

  * * *

  Alec ignored the pain shooting from his arms and his scalp as the senator’s bulldogs yanked him to his feet. A subtle movement near the back of the warehouse snagged Alec’s attention. He angled a wary gaze toward the catwalk while White and Ramirez stood toe to toe, daring the other to be the first to blink.

  “Where’s Nicole?” White demanded of Ramirez.

  In the shadows near the back of the warehouse, a figure moved along the catwalk. A petite figure. Dressed in dark sweats. His breath hung in his lungs.

  Erin inched to the edge of one of the boats suspended near the ceiling and leaped to the front deck. Where the hell was she going? He’d told her to stay out of sight!

  Alec cursed silently, as the yacht swayed and creaked. Bile rose in his throat. If any of these men saw Erin, heard her clambering on the yacht…

  A convulsive shudder raced through him at the thought of Erin being tortured or killed by these scum. He had to ensure that whatever Erin was up to, she wasn’t seen.

  “Don’t be stupid, Senator,” Alec rasped.

  Both men swung their gazes to him. And away from Erin.

  In his peripheral vision, he watched Erin climb out of the yacht and leap smoothly to the catwalk, a rope looped over her shoulder.

  Alec forced training to the forefront, focusing on what he must do to save Erin, despite the swarm of angry bees stinging his gut. “Your daughter’s dead by now. You’ve wasted your time with this little meeting.”

  Ramirez stiffened. The senator turned a pale and stricken stare toward Alec. “What do you know?”

  Ramirez stepped closer to Alec, a vein in his neck bulging.

  His arms still held by the senator’s henchmen, Alec braced for the assault he knew was coming. The rebel Colombian general hadn’t risen to power because of his clemency with traitors.

  “You! You and your partner nearly ruined my operation,” General Ramirez barked.

  Alec gave the man a cocky grin. “Still will, if I have anything to say about it.”

  Ramirez landed a hard slap across Alec’s jaw.

  Ears ringing, Alec used the abuse as an excuse to move his head, flick a glance to check Erin’s progress. She’d paused at the sound of the slap, and Alec’s heart slowed.

  No! Go. Keep moving!

  Ramirez cast a quick glance to White before returning a black beetle-eyed glare to Alec. “He lies. I gave orders that your daughter wasn’t to be touched until I returned.” Snapping his heels together, Ramirez spun back to face the senator. “You cannot believe this gringo!”

  “Then why isn’t she here? I—I was supposed to get her back tonight!” Pain and frustration flooded the senator’s voice.

  Adrenaline pulsed through Alec, and as the two men argued, he monitored Erin’s progress up the ladder, out to the roof. To safety.

  And Erin’s life was all that mattered to him.

  * * *

  Gravel and tar bit Erin’s hands as she awkwardly levered herself up on the roof of the dry dock warehouse. Taking a page from Alec’s book, she’d scavenged the supplies she thought she’d need from one of the suspended yachts. Tossing the coil of rope off her shoulder, she dusted her hands and reached under her shirt for the heavy gloves she’d tucked in the waist of her sweatpants. She loosened the carabiners and web-strap harness still cinched around her legs, hips and waist.

  As she’d ascended the ladder, she’d conjured the dreadful day she’d gone rappelling with Bradley, forcing herself to focus on the hours before her husband’s tragic fall. She recalled the detailed instructions Bradley had given her about how to thread and knot the ropes, how to secure the carabiners, and how the intricate belay system of knots and counter weight worked.

  She didn’t have nearly enough of the proper equipment to truly rappel down. But to save Alec, she’d find a way to use what she had. Erin quashed the swirl of nausea that rose when she thought of the task ahead and steeled herself. She refused to let her fear be responsible for the death another man she loved. Alec had sacrificed so much for her, gone out of his way so many times to accommodate her, to rescue her.

  Because he cared. She’d seen it in every kind gesture and tender moment of their lovemaking, every noble and courageous risk he’d taken on her behalf.

  Even if she had to slide down the rope as she had in gym class years ago, she would get off this roof and get help for Alec. She would face down her anxieties, make this risky climb for him. Not because anyone had pressured or manipulated her, as Bradley had, but because she wanted to. Because she loved Alec more than she feared climbing down that rope.

  Erin found a sturdy pipe in the rooftop air-conditioning system and threaded her rope around it. Tested to see if it would hold her weight.

  Satisfied the pipe was a sufficient anchor, she poked one end of the nylon rope through the carabiner Alec had secured at her waist. Then, arranging the rope around her to suit the task, she donned the gloves and tossed the end of the rope over the roof’s edge. Peering down to the street level, checking what was below, she gathered her composure with a deep breath. Five floors. Approximately sixty feet straight down the concrete-block outer wall of the warehouse.

  Whispering a prayer, Erin gripped both the rope leading to the pipe and the other end that dangled down the side of the building. She squeezed the two ropes with a death grip as she walked backward over the side of the building. Feeding a little rope at a time through the carabiner, she inched down, her feet against the building, the harness around her legs and hips taut and straining. Upper-body strength had never been her forte. Her arms began to ache as she worked her way down. Hand under hand, walking backward. Five feet, ten. Fifteen.

  Her heart thundered. Sweat beaded on her forehead despite the cool night air. She battled the urge to look down, certain she’d freeze if she did.

  One step at a time. Slowly. Another foot. And another.

  Her untrained muscles quivered and screamed from exertion, and her hands throbbed despite the gloves. Down she crept, keeping her focus on just the next step, the next few inches of rope. Twenty-five feet. Thirty. Almost there.

  A car horn blasted in the distance, and she heard someone laugh several streets away.

  No. No distractions. Focus.

  She sucked in a deep breath, grunted in pain and strain as she battled her shaking arms for the last ounce of strength to shimmy down the last few feet.

  Erin gritted her teeth and dug deep in her soul for the will and the determination to hold on despite the burning in her muscles, the white-hot pain that speared her shoulders.

  Alec. You have to do this for Alec.

  One more step…

  Erin’s hand, sore and quivering with fatigue, slipped. She lost her balance and scrambled to find her footing. Her heart pumped a fresh dose of adrenaline. With a renewed spurt of energy, she clenched the rope, caught herself before she fell. But the jerk on her arms tugged a shoulder muscle already strained to capacity. A slicing pain shot up her neck, down her arm.

  Her grip faltered again. Too weak to grab the rope a second time, she felt herself fall.

  Colors blurred. Blood roared in her ears. Erin braced for impact with the concrete below.

  Instead, her back hit a hard chest. Strong arms caught her around the waist. Those same arms supported her when her knees buckled in relief.

  When she tried to turn, tried to see the face of her savior, the cold kiss of steel met her temple.

  The click of a gun cocking reverberated through her skull. “That’s far enough, sweetheart.”

  Chapter 16

  “If you don’t want a bullet in your brain, you’ll put your hands on your head and turn around. Nice and easy,” a deep voice growled.

  Ice seeped to Erin’s marrow.r />
  “Please,” she choked out hoarsely, pivoting slowly.

  Alec. She had to get help for Alec!

  “Don’t shoot. I can explain—”

  The midnight-black eyes and grim slash of the man’s mouth stole Erin’s breath.

  Dressed in a tight black T-shirt and well-worn military fatigues, the man held his gun on her while his free hand skimmed impersonally down her waist and legs.

  “I’m unarmed. I swear.”

  He grunted and continued patting her down.

  “Please! Let me go… .” She struggled for air. “Th-they’ll kill him… . Need help… .”

  The deadly intent the man exuded should have scared her spitless. But something about his efficient movement, his broad shoulders and incisive gaze seemed familiar.

  His hand stopped on her taut, rounded belly, and he lifted his coal-black gaze to hers. He said nothing, but one dark eyebrow lifted as he studied her. The gesture was so like Alec’s, a flutter kicked to life in her chest.

  “Daniel?” she whispered.

  The man tensed. Narrowed his eyes. Retraining his gun on her temple, he grated, “Who are you?”

  Doubt flashed through her. Senator White had said Daniel betrayed Alec. Yet Alec’s faith in his partner hadn’t wavered. Or had it?

  “I-I’m with Alec,” she said, trusting her instincts. “I’m a friend.” A puddle of tears blurred her vision, and she blinked rapidly to clear her view. “Daniel, I need your help. Alec needs you.”

  The gun slipped, and the rigid set of the man’s jaw softened. “You’re with Alec?”

  Erin nodded, warm moisture leaking to her cheeks. “He’s been looking for you, searching everywhere. He got your letter. Actually, I got it, but I gave it to him. He found the map.” Her words spilled out as relief and hope gushed through her. She’d found Daniel!

  “And we found the articles, the notes about Senator White at the house in the bayou. That’s why we’re here. We knew you led us here because you needed help or something. White said you’d set Alec up, set a trap, but Alec didn’t buy it.” She knew she was prattling but couldn’t seem to stop. Her explanation rolled from her tongue, carried by nervous energy. “We know about the deal Senator White made with Ramirez, and how he sold you out. But Alec—” Her breath snared in her throat. “Please, Daniel, you have to help him!”