by Rebecca Deel
Slim twisted to the left and reached for a switch on the wall. The ropes holding Veronica slowly lowered until she was kneeling on the floor, arms still stretched above her head.
“Not so smug now, are you?” Another chuckle. “I have a few minutes before I’m supposed to dump water over you, long enough for what I’ve wanted to do since I laid eyes on you the first time.”
He swaggered closer and reached for his belt.
CHAPTER THREE
Adam’s jaw clenched, raw fury exploding in his gut. No way was he allowing this creep to touch Veronica. Slim had just signed his own death warrant.
“After I’m finished, my friends will want a turn.” Another laugh. “Should keep you busy and awake until the boss comes. By that time, you should be good and ready to tell him everything he wants to know.” The man began unzipping his trousers.
Enough. In four steps, Adam came up behind the man and clamped his hard hand across his mouth. He thrust the Ka-Bar into the Slim’s kidney and twisted. Adam dropped the body to the floor, wiped the blade on the dead man’s shirt, and turned to look at the woman watching him. Would she label him a murderer now?
He knelt in front of her. “I’m going to cut the ropes now. The pain in your shoulders will be excruciating, but you can’t make a sound.” When she nodded, Adam sliced the ropes with one swipe of the razor-sharp blade.
Veronica gasped, then clamped her mouth shut. Although she didn’t utter another sound, the tears tracking down her face told the story of the pain she was in.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“Adam,” Nico said. “Clock’s ticking.”
“I have to get you out of here,” he said to the woman now leaning on him for strength. “Can you move under your own steam?”
A nod.
Though Adam wasn’t convinced, he said, “Good. Let’s go. Nico?”
“You’re clear.”
He grasped Veronica’s upper arms and, keeping them aligned with her body to minimize the pain, lifted her to her feet. She sagged a second, then straightened, indicating for him to lead the way.
Adam clasped her hand, figuring that was the only place not likely to have injuries. “Coming out now.”
“Go,” Nico murmured.
Sig in his hand, Adam pulled Veronica into the hall and sped to the storage closet where he’d entered the house. Footsteps echoed on the stairs leading to the basement hallway. “Another tango, Nico.”
“I’ll take care of him. Get your girl to safety.”
He blinked at the comment, discomfited by the term. Brushing that aside, he hustled the agent into the dark room and locked the door. “Window,” he whispered to her. “There’s a bush less than a foot from the wall. Get as close as you can to the roots without attracting attention. I’ll be right behind you. Go.”
She turned, hesitated. “Do you have a backup weapon?” she whispered.
A smile curved his lips. Instead of replying, he grasped the second Sig strapped to his calf and handed the weapon and extra magazine to Veronica without a word.
When Adam shifted closer to lift her to the window, he noticed her shirt was ripped to shreds across her back, the material wet. Water? He drew in a breath and caught the scent of copper. Blood. The light was too dim to make out how bad she was injured. Damage assessment would have to wait until they were on the plane.
Hands at her hips, he boosted her to the window. Once she was through and flat on the ground, Adam hoisted himself up and scrambled through the opening.
Veronica shifted her weight. When she would have risen to run, Adam placed a hand on her shoulder to hold her in place. Right on schedule, the guard came around the corner and walked his path at the front of the house. He talked on his phone, not paying attention to his surroundings.
Through Adam’s ear piece, Ben whispered, “Fifteen seconds.”
Adam counted the seconds in his head, willing the guard to move faster. He had to have Veronica in the forest before Ben’s explosives went off. They needed the chaos for cover.
Finally, the security guard turned the corner of the house. “Go, Veronica,” he whispered. “As fast as you can to that grove of trees to the right. I’m on your six.”
The agent leapt to her feet and raced for cover with Adam on her heels. Three seconds before the clock ran out, he slung an arm around her waist and hustled her behind a cluster of trees at the edge of the forest.
He nudged her back against the largest tree trunk and covered her with his body. A second later, the ground shook as a massive explosion ripped through the night. A fireball from the detached garage turned the sky orange. If they’d been near the house, the fire would have backlit them, making them a prime target.
“Go,” Adam ordered the rest of his team as he gripped Veronica’s hand, tugging her into a run. Shouts and screams behind them spurred him to move faster. He worried she couldn’t keep up the grueling pace for long. He prayed she lasted long enough for them to get her to safety. If not, they’d have a firefight on their hands. From what he and the others had observed, Fortress was outnumbered 3 to 1. Not terrible odds. They had faced worse.
Gunfire peppered the ground on either side of them.
“Under fire,” he said, dragging Veronica into denser cover.
“Copy,” Nico said. “Converging on your location.”
A bullet whacked into the tree by Adam’s head, sending splinters of bark into his cheek. He growled. The shot came too close to his principal.
“There.” Veronica yanked at his hand and pointed to a mound of large rocks. “We can pick them off and protect your team.”
Amazing. Most principals would either be hunkered down or trying to flee in a blind panic. Not the woman at his side. She not only wasn’t running, she was thinking clear enough to consider the safety of his teammates.
“Do you have enough ammunition?” she asked.
“More than enough for the seven of us to take care of business.”
“Fantastic. Let’s go to work.”
As the tangos flooded the forest in search of them, Adam, Veronica, and the Shadow unit targeted the enemy bent on killing them all. Ten minutes later, Nico’s voice came over the comm. “Hold your fire.”
Immediately his unit stopped firing. Adam signaled Veronica to hold her fire. An eerie silence settled over the forest. “Trace, Joe?” Adam scanned the area, waiting for the sniper and spotter’s replies.
“We’re clear.” This from Trace.
“Clear,” Joe agreed.
“Move out.” Adam lifted Veronica to her feet. “We’re on a short clock.” The massive explosion and gunfire would draw unwanted attention to their location within minutes. This part of Mexico was filled with federales and cartels who hated Fortress. If Adam and the others were captured, the province officials would make sure they disappeared. He didn’t want to even think about what would happen to Veronica.
He circled Veronica’s waist with his arm and urged her to move faster. “How are you holding up?”
“Fine.”
Not so fine. She was trembling and, whether she knew it or not, leaning more heavily on him the further they ran. He didn’t think she would make it to the SUV under her own power. He could handle her weight alone, but she would slow him down.
“Nico,” he murmured. “I’ll need cover soon.” He didn’t dare say the word help for fear the DEA agent would run herself into the ground, possibly causing herself more harm.
“Copy. I’m fifty feet to your right.” A moment later, Shadow unit’s leader moved to Veronica’s other side. He nodded at her. “I’m Nico.”
“Veronica. Thank you for getting me out of that torture chamber.”
“Our pleasure, ma’am.”
She turned her head to eye Adam. “Who are you?”
“Adam.”
“I’ll never be able to repay you for saving my life.”
“You already did, Veronica.”
She frowned.
He knew she didn
’t understand. Once they were in the air flying toward U.S. airspace, Adam would tell her what he meant. Everything else would have to wait until she was safe.
At that moment, she stumbled and would have gone down if not for his hold on her. Adam righted her. “Veronica, we need to move faster and you’re weak from blood loss and dehydration. Will you let me carry you?”
When she swayed, he took the decision out of her hands and lifted her into his arms. Veronica hissed, arching her back away from the arm supporting her.
“Wrap your arms around my neck and rest your upper body against my chest.” Adam kept his voice calm and matter-of-fact despite the firestorm raging inside him. What had those creeps done to her? “That position will take the pressure off your back.”
With the adjustment in her position, the agent relaxed her weight against him. “Better. Thanks.”
Her weak voice alarmed him. He needed to get her checked out, pronto. “What happened to your back?” She was silent long enough Adam figured she wouldn’t answer.
Finally, she responded. “The interrogator used a whip.” Her head rested against Adam’s shoulder. “He was angry that I wouldn’t cooperate.”
Nico growled and activated his mic. “Sam, did you catch that?”
“Copy. I’ll be ready.”
“Who is Sam?” Veronica whispered in Adam’s ear.
Goosebumps rose along his skin. He frowned at his reaction. What was wrong with him? She wasn’t trying to attract his attention. He knew from past experience that she was so weak now she couldn’t hold her head up. “A medic. She’ll look at your wounds once we’re in the air, Veronica.”
She sighed. “Call me Vonnie,” she murmured.
“Your friends call you that?”
“Family.”
But he wasn’t family. Was she delirious? “Your co-workers have a nickname for you?”
“Roni or Nica. Hate them both.”
All right, then. Guess he’d call her Vonnie. He and Nico picked up the pace. Adam tried to minimize the jarring, but with the uneven terrain and fast jog, he couldn’t help but hurt her. “You still with me, Vonnie?”
“May I have water?”
“As soon as we reach the SUVs. You’ll have to take it slow, though. No guzzling or you won’t be able to keep down the liquid.”
“Thanks,” she whispered, then went totally limp.
“Vonnie?” No response. Oh, man. Had she fallen asleep or lost consciousness? He couldn’t stop to check her. Emergency sirens split the night’s peace as vehicles sped toward the compound now a quarter mile behind him. They made so much noise, Adam couldn’t hear if anyone was on their trail, a situation which made his skin crawl.
By unspoken common consent, Adam and Nico broke into a run. Ten minutes later, the team assembled at the two SUVs. “Sam, ride with us.”
“I’ll drive.” Nico motioned for Trace and Joe to take the second vehicle. “Ben, you ride shotgun with me.”
While the others tossed their gear into the appropriate vehicle, Adam climbed into the backseat with Vonnie in his arms. Sam got in on the other side. Once Nico drove toward the airfield, the medic asked, “Did Ms. Miles say what kind of injuries she had?”
“No. When I got into the room, her breathing was shallow and labored. Her face is bruised and the back of her shirt is soaked with blood.”
“Cracked or broken ribs. Sounds like her captors beat her with their hands as well as the whip.” Sam touched Vonnie’s forehead. “She doesn’t seem to have a fever. I’ll administer antibiotics in her IV anyway. In this tropical climate, she could develop an infection. When we’re airborne, I’ll clean her wounds.” She hesitated. “The easiest way to clean and disinfect her back is in the shower. I’ll need help if she’s still unconscious.”
The thought of another teammate assisting with Vonnie’s care made Adam’s gut tighten into a knot. “I’ll do it.”
“Good. I was going to ask you to help anyway. She seems comfortable with your touch.”
He frowned. “Why would that….” Adam froze, unable to continue. No. He tightened his hold on the woman in his arms.
“We don’t know what happened to her before we arrived, Adam. It’s not uncommon for women prisoners to be sexually assaulted.”
The operative swallowed hard. He didn’t want that for any woman, but especially this one. She’d risked everything to save his life. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple, praying he’d arrived in time to spare Vonnie from rape.
CHAPTER FOUR
Veronica surfaced from the deep pool of darkness, opened her eyes, and saw nothing but blackness. She stiffened. Had she lost her sight? How would she escape her captors if she couldn’t see?
“You’re safe, Vonnie.”
Vonnie. That voice. She recognized this man’s voice. Black velvet that stroked her, soothed her. “Adam?” she asked, voice raspy.
A slight squeeze from his muscular arms. “We’re two minutes from the plane. Once we’re on board, Sam will treat your wounds.”
She desperately wanted to lift her head and look for this Sam person. Couldn’t. Had she ever been this weak before? She couldn’t remember a time when she had no way to defend herself. She trained ruthlessly, pushing herself so she would never be helpless again. Yet she still had no strength. If Adam weren’t holding her up, she would have slumped into a spineless mound on the vehicle’s seat.
“Hello, Ms. Miles, I’m Sam,” a woman’s voice said from nearby.
Sam was a woman. Thank God. Veronica shuddered in relief. She huddled closer to Adam. She just needed a few minutes to gather her strength, then she’d shift away from the operative and fend for herself. Hopefully.
Adam dipped his head until his lips hovered over her ear. “I’ve got you,” he whispered. “I’ll help you through this, however long it takes.”
Not knowing how to answer him, she remained silent.
The vehicle slowed to a stop. There were no lights. For a second, panic flooded her. Why weren’t there any lights at the airfield? Had she trusted the wrong people? Maybe Adam and his friends weren’t from Fortress.
“This is a private airstrip,” Adam said as though he knew the source of her distress. “Lights would have invited questions we didn’t want to answer. The owner was paid a lot of money to look the other way tonight. He doesn’t know who we are or why we need the airstrip, and frankly doesn’t care. Money speaks louder than words in this part of Mexico. For his sake and that of his family, it’s safer not to know anything.”
She prayed she hadn’t made the biggest mistake of her life. If she didn’t hurt so much, Veronica would have laughed at herself. The biggest mistake she’d ever made was signing on for the latest mission with the DEA. She’d trusted the wrong person and her misplaced trust had cost her big. Would her lapse in judgment cost her life? Only time would tell.
“You’re safe with me,” Adam whispered against her ear.
Was she? She thought so, but her current situation reminded her that she wasn’t as observant as she had assumed. If she was wrong about Adam, she would be dead soon enough.
Adam opened the door and climbed out with her still in his arms.
“I can walk,” she protested although she wasn’t totally sure of that statement. She’d give it a shot, though. Appearing weak went against everything she projected to others.
“Indulge me.”
Sensing he wouldn’t give her the opportunity to try, she lapsed into silence again. Adam carried her straight up the stairs into the cabin of the plane. She glanced around at her dimly lit surroundings. Nice. Really nice. The black ops business must net a good profit.
A moment later, Adam’s teammates streamed into the cabin, loaded down with black bags. All of them were large men with the exception of Sam, the pretty medic.
As soon as the door was secured, Adam sat, still holding her in his arms. He activated the intercom system. “Get this bird off the ground, Craig.” Within seconds, the engine roared to life. They taxied
down the runway and lifted into the air just as a swarm of vehicles with flashing lights poured onto the airfield.
Once the plane was level, Adam stood. “Sam.” He carried Veronica toward the back of the plane.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Sam needs to check you over.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”
“Vonnie, your back is a bloody mess. If she doesn’t treat you, you’ll develop an infection. We’re six hours from medical care we trust. You’ve been through enough trauma without adding an infection to the mix. Let her treat your injuries.”
From the stubborn set of his jaw, he wouldn’t take no for an answer anyway. When she nodded, Adam carried her into a luxuriant bedroom with an attached bathroom.
“Ms. Miles, I need to look at your back.” Sam set a large black bag on the bed. “I have to know what we’re dealing with before I can treat you.”
The operative holding her slowly set Veronica on her feet. Her legs buckled. Adam grasped her arms, keeping her from sinking to the floor of the plane.
“I’ll be quick.” Sam circled behind Veronica, tried to lift the back of her shirt, and couldn’t. “Ms. Miles, the blood has dried, causing the shirt to stick. I’ll hurt you if I don’t wet the material before trying to loosen it.”
“Sit for a minute,” Adam said. He shifted her to the edge of the bed, then sat beside her and bent over.
Veronica’s eyes widened. He was taking off his boots and socks.
“Someone has to hold you up while Sam cleans your back, Vonnie. The easiest place to do that is in the shower.” He glanced at her, his eyes dark with understanding. “I’m leaving my pants and shirt on. You have my word I won’t look.” He straightened after setting aside his footwear and looked at her, waiting for her to either accept his help or reject it.
Veronica weighed her options and realized she didn’t have any. She was too weak to help herself and Sam needed another pair of hands. The idea of one of the other men touching her made her swallow in revulsion.
