Ruthless Game

by Christine Feehan

  The guard muttered something and sank back on his heels, fishing for his cigarettes. The automatic rifle lay loosely in his lap as he lit a match. Kane was on him instantly, rising up, locking his arm around the sentry's neck, one hand on the back of his head. He applied pressure, snapping the neck with his enormous strength in one motion. Almost gently, he lowered the guard to the rooftop, crushing out the lit cigarette. He'd had plenty of time while inching his way across the roof to ensure the sentry was alone.

  Rose. Kane called her to his side. Let's get out of here.

  She remained silent, coming to him without hesitation. He caught her wrist. We're going to have to climb down. Once we're on the ground, stay in the shadows and head for that truck at the end of the street. It isn't the best plan, but it's all we've got. You take lead. She was less noticeable than he was. They wouldn't be looking for a woman.

  There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to be captured--or killed. But he could get Rose to safety if she just did what he said.

  Rose stepped past him to peer down into the street. Crowds of people were milling around, some crying, others silent, most clutching one another in fear.

  You aren't sacrificing yourself for me.

  We aren't going to argue about this, Rose. That's our child you're carrying. Do you have any idea what will happen to you if they capture you? Start down and get to the damn truck. I know you can hotwire a car.

  She stepped in front of him, forcing him to look down at her, to meet her glittering gaze. I can change our images. It won't last long, but it will be enough to get both of us through the street to the truck.

  Too risky. He dismissed her offer immediately. Get moving.

  She didn't blink. She continued staring up at him with her wide, dark eyes, her expression the same.

  Damn it, Rose. This is no time to start acting like a woman. Get your ass down to the street and do what I say. Obviously, yelling didn't come across as well using telepathy. Intimidation and absolute command just didn't have the same ring, he could tell by her total lack of reasoning.

  Sadly for you, you have no authority over me. Get your own ass down to the street. I'm not trading your life for mine when I know we both can make it out of here. Just because you have to turn control over to me for a few minutes, you can't take the chance, and that's just stupid.

  Kane scowled at her--his blackest, most fierce scowl. Every man he knew backed up when he gave them that look, but she just stood there, barely coming up to his sternum, looking like a little doll. He swore under his breath. We don't have time for this.

  No, we don't. I suggest you get moving.

  She was going to be the biggest pain in his ass. They really didn't have time to argue, and it was evident by the stubborn look on her face that she would stand there until hell froze over. One of them had to be reasonable.

  Cursing, Kane went over the side of the building, keeping to the darkest areas, slamming the stars deep so she could have an easier climb. With every crack he found for his fingers and toes, he swore--and there were a lot of cracks in the old building. There was a reason men didn't go into combat with women. Rose was a prime example. Stubborn as hell. Illogical. Completely illogical. This was the last time she was going to refuse to listen to him. And it sure as hell was the last time she was going into a combat situation.

  He made it to the ground and turned back to catch her around the waist. At once he realized how pregnant she was. For some reason, she just didn't seem that big until he touched her. Then he had the feeling she had a beach ball under her shirt. He set her down gently and swept her beneath his shoulder, holding her close just for a moment. He didn't know if she needed the comfort or if he did, but she didn't move, her arm slipping around his waist, her head resting on his chest.

  We'll make it, Rose, he reassured. Do your thing, and let's get out of here.

  Rose straightened with a brief nod of her head. I'll need you to stoop a little. Slump down so you're a little shorter and stay very close to me. Just follow my lead. I'll get us through the crowd.

  Kane swallowed his protest. He'd asked her to put her faith in him more than once. Why was it so damned hard to turn over control to a woman? Hell. He'd gotten her pregnant in a place where she had no choice, knowing Whitney would take her baby from her and use it for his experiments in his quest to make the perfect supersoldier. She'd given him her trust when he didn't deserve it. He owed her. Taking a breath, he nodded and slouched, moving very close to her, one arm around her waist.

  They stepped out onto the street, into the mass of people. Rose walked hesitantly, as if each step was difficult. He tried not to notice the stains on her clothes, but even in the dark he could spot the blood spatter. Lighting was poor, but if anyone examined her, they couldn't fail to see the spots. Families clung to one another, fear on their faces as men with guns searched their homes. He and Rose moved with infinite slowness through the throng. His heart pounded, and he avoided eyes.

  Halfway to the truck, Rose stopped abruptly, hunched over with both hands on her obviously swollen belly, panting. If he hadn't known she was acting, he would have panicked. An older woman murmured to her in Spanish, asking questions. Rose replied in a gasping voice that she was too early, and the labor was intense.

  The older woman marched up to one of the cartel sentries and whispered to him. It was evident she knew him. The man looked annoyed and shook his head twice, but the older woman persisted.

  You deliberately stopped in front of her, Kane guessed.

  That's her son. She's been providing information to him about the movements of the police and soldiers. I made certain I was extra nice to her, bringing her groceries and helping her out just in case I needed an ally.

  He had to hand it to her, she planned for every contingency. She was casting an illusion even he had to believe. She looked Mexican, her hair longer and thicker, and he supposed he did as well. She also looked ragged and very, very pregnant. Each step was labored. She panted. She looked as if she might give birth any moment.

  The guard gave in with a dark scowl and motioned them forward. The older woman handed her keys and pointed out a battered sedan, telling her to be careful.

  You should get in the car and begin sliding across the seat on the driver's side. The moment we're apart, the illusion will dissolve, and if anyone is looking, they'll know something isn't right. Start the car. I'll drive because I know the back roads and a place we can hole up for a short while. If we get away clean, we can use the car and then ditch it as soon as we're in the clear. If they see us, we'll have to ditch the car sooner, and I'm not in good enough shape to walk far.

  Kane nodded and pulled open the driver side door, bending with her as if handing her inside, keeping contact in an effort to preserve the illusion as long as possible. He inserted the key and turned it to start the engine. For a heart-stopping moment the engine stalled, and then it turned over. He jumped into the seat and scooted over as fast as a big man could in the small space.

  CHAPTER 3

  "Go!" Kane commanded as he settled into the passenger seat, pulling his gun from beneath his shoulder.

  Rose slammed her foot on the gas and took off as fast as possible in the old sedan. The doors and windows rattled as the battered vehicle shuddered its way onto the street. She didn't glance in the rearview mirror to see if they were drawing attention. She wanted to get off the streets as fast as possible and onto the trail leading into the desert. To do that, she had to outrun anyone chasing them.

  The sedan belched smoke and shuddered as she whipped around a corner and took a second one sliding. "Are they following?"

  "Keep going," he instructed, the grimness in his voice the only answer he was giving her. He crawled over the seat and smashed out the back window.

  Rose took another turn and then a fourth. She glanced in the rearview mirror. "Are you certain?"

  "They're trying to catch up." And they had better and faster cars. Kane kept that to himself. Their only ad
vantage was that whoever was pursuing them was uncertain if the occupants of the sedan were racing to a hospital as had been reported, or if they'd really seen something suspicious.

  "We'll ditch the car if I can get some space," she said. "I planned an escape when I first moved here. Of course, I thought I'd have a better vehicle choice."

  "If I forget to tell you later on, Rose, you're one hell of a woman."

  She laughed softly. "You might hold that thought until we actually get away clean." She jerked the wheel again. "Can you see anyone?"

  "Just glimpses. They aren't on us."

  "I've been running without lights. I don't think they'll see us take this trail, but if they backtrack, they'll find the tire tracks."

  Before Kane could ask what she was talking about--he didn't see any trail--she'd spun the wheel again, throwing him across the backseat. The car slid in a wide arc, fish-tailed, and spit sand into the air. She didn't let up on the gas but drove even faster. Kane cautiously lifted his head to peer out the back window. The woman was going to lose him if she kept it up. He'd nearly gone flying.

  "Climb back up here. We're going to have to jump."

  She stated it so calmly he almost didn't comprehend. His head snapped around. "Are you out of your fucking mind, Rose? You're pregnant. You can't jump out of a moving car."

  "Well, it's that or go with it into the ravine. I prefer the sand. Move it, soldier. You've got about fifteen seconds."

  She wasn't kidding. The woman was insane, already opening the driver's door and bailing before he could stop her. Kane kicked open the backseat passenger door and dove. He hit hard and rolled, his lungs burning for air. The sand clogged his mouth and he spit, staring up at the night sky, wondering what the hell had just happened.

  The sedan continued forward, shooting off the cliff to fall into the deep ravine carved from hundreds of years of flash floods. He heard the crash as it bounced off rocks and scrub trees, but strangely, the sound was somewhat muffled. He rolled over and came up on his knees, looking frantically around for Rose. She lay thirty feet from him in a fetal position, knees drawn up to her chest, her hands locked around them. His heart jolted hard.

  He ran to her and crouched down beside her. "Rose?"

  He swore he could hear each separate beat of his heart. She groaned softly, and he let out his breath. She slowly turned onto her back. Blood smeared her face from the sand burning it as she hit the ground. She'd obviously covered her belly instead of her face. Her breathing was loud and ragged as she fought for air.

  "Don't move, Rose." His voice sounded strangled. Without the enhancements of her illusions, she looked like a broken doll, smashed on the sand. His first instinct was to gather her in his arms and just cradle her against him where she'd be safe, but it was too late for that.

  "Give me a minute," she gasped.

  Pain didn't show on her face, but it was there in her eyes. And fear. She was very frightened. He smoothed back her hair. "Don't be afraid, Rose. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or the baby."

  She swallowed hard and let out her breath. "I'm counting on that."

  He could feel the tension ebbing out of her. Grateful that she was beginning to trust him a little, he swept his arm around her shoulders to help ease her into a sitting position.

  She managed a small smile. "I think I should have thought that particular part of the plan through a little better." She looked around her. "We've got to get moving. I'm hoping we can disturb the sand enough to cover our tracks, and they'll think we went into the ravine with the car."

  Kane looked around him. Sand stretched out for miles. "This could be bad, Rose. The farther we get away from the city, the more chances are we'll get caught out in the open."

  "Not if you know where you're going."

  He sighed and reached down to help her to her feet. She swayed unsteadily and clung to him. That small show of fragility shook him. Rose was such a mixture both ultra-feminine and ultrasoldier. She didn't flinch from combat, yet she leaned into him, so soft and vulnerable, his heart ached.

  "Enlighten me." He sounded gruff, but she'd twisted his insides up, and he wasn't certain how to react to her. He damn well wasn't going to force himself on her ever again, but just being close to her made him feel different inside.

  She moved, a soft, subtle, very feminine retreat. He felt something hard press against his chest, right over his heart, and he stiffened, glancing down at the barrel of the gun and the absolute steadiness in her small hand. His gaze jumped to hers. Her eyes stared without blinking, no hesitation. The woman meant business. So much for soft and feminine. Fury burst through him, but he didn't move, didn't show her anything at all.

  "Throw it away, Kane. You're either with me or against me. If you're with me, throw the tracker into the ravine."

  There was nothing sweet about her voice. He considered wrapping his long fingers around her neck and strangling her right there.

  "If I throw the tracker into the ravine, we have no resources--no backup. They'll come get us in a few days. We just have to lay low."

  She still didn't blink. "This child is never going to fall into Whitney's hands. Not ever. I need help, Kane, and I'm willing to trust you, but only you. You have to make a decision."

  Fury knotted the muscles in his belly. Anyone who knew him would have been alarmed by his calm demeanor and the cool, flat look in his eyes. "What are you going to do, Rose? Shoot me?" His voice dropped lower than ever, softer, even more deceptive. "You're going to shoot the father of your child?"

  She blinked. He slapped the gun away, turning sideways to present a smaller target. His fingers closed in a brutal grip around her wrist and he twisted, dropping her to her knees, extracting the gun from her fist and holding her locked in position. With one hand he engaged the safety and shoved the gun into his belt.

  "You ever point a gun at me again, Rose, pull the fucking trigger. Do we understand each other?" He chose not to look at the pain on her face or the tears swimming, turning those dark eyes to soft, melting chocolate. He didn't let up on the pressure on her wrist. If she moved, it would break. They both knew it. "You don't know me, Rose. You just think you do. I'm not the sweet, malleable man you took me for. You aren't going to manipulate me."

  She swallowed and blinked rapidly in an effort to dispel the tears. "Let me up."

  "Are you going to try to stick a knife in me next?"

  "If you don't let go, I'll most likely consider it."

  He eased the pressure on her wrist, allowing her to get to her feet, but he was much more careful, not trusting her now. She pulled away from him and put both hands protectively on her swollen belly. She was trembling, but her eyes met his steadily, even defiantly. They stared at one another.

  "We don't have all night," he reminded.

  "No, we don't. But I'm not moving until you throw away the tracker. I'm more scared of Whitney getting my baby than I am of a drug cartel. I'll go down fighting, Kane."

  He clenched his teeth. Damn, she was stubborn. He could tell by the set of her jaw, her raised chin, and the flash of fire in her eyes that she wasn't bluffing. She planned on staying right where she was..

  "You are aware these people like to chop off heads." That should make any woman reasonable, let alone a pregnant one.

  "I've seen them do it. It's not a pretty sight," she answered, her chin raising a notch.

  Okay. Maybe pregnant women weren't reasonable. It wasn't like he'd ever been around a woman about to give birth. It could be they were all nuts. And every good sense he had was flying out the window. He should have put her over his knee and taught her a lesson, especially after she had the audacity to pull a gun on him, but instead, he wanted to kiss that little chin.

  "Rose." He used his most logical and sensible tone. "If I toss the tracker, and something goes wrong, we aren't going to have a ride out of here."

  "I'm used to relying on myself. Don't worry, if you're afraid, I can take care of both of us. I know you surround your
self with that big, bad team ..."

  She broke off when he took a step toward her, the taunting laughter fading from her eyes. He noted one hand had slipped inside her jacket, fingers curling around the hilt of her knife.

  "Don't piss me off any more than you already have," he snapped and ripped the tracker out of the lining of his shirt. He threw his lifeline into the ravine. "Let's get the hell out of here."

  "There's none inside your body?"

  He gave her his blackest scowl, and this time, he really was on the edge of losing his temper. "You'll just have to trust me."

  She had the grace to look ashamed. Rose turned and walked out into the night, head up, body confident. They were walking away from any road he could see. He followed without comment until he reached the top of the first rolling dune. Turning back, he raised his hand to the sky. It was incredibly difficult to move air when there was little breeze to "push," but he'd done it a time or two. Rose had remembered from their conversations in her small prison room.

  The wind tugged at the grains of sand, filling in their footsteps and the places where they'd both landed and rolled. He took his time, making a thorough job of it. The tire tracks were smudged in places, but it certainly would look to the world as if they'd gone into the ravine with the sedan. If anyone went to recover the bodies--and he was certain they would--their ruse would be discovered, but it would be too late.

  He turned his head to look at the woman carrying his baby. She had continued walking, trusting him to get the job done. There was some satisfaction in that. She didn't want him, but she needed him. He stretched his legs a little to catch up, but her shorter strides made it easy. Every now and then he sent the air skimming over their tracks, just to ensure their safety.

  Rose walked briskly at first, her spine stiff, but after the first mile, she eased the pace, glancing back at him. "I'm sorry about the gun, Kane. I didn't know what else to do."