Latvis Security Services

by Lexie Ray

  “So what?” she snapped. “They have snowmobiles.”

  “There are people with more pressing needs that they have to help,” Cheyanne said.

  Mads lifted his hand to interrupt Gwen’s growing snarls and, despite her spike of fear, she found her words trailing off.

  “Gawain has found a cave in the cliff face. He and his companions have settled in and are prepared to wait out the storm as best they can.”

  “They won’t make it without proper supplies. When is the storm supposed to hit?”

  “It is believed that the brunt of the storm will arrive later this evening. Perhaps in the early morning,” Mads said. Before Gwen could ask, he continued, “It’s due to dissipate in a day or two.”

  “They won’t last,” Gwen said, her stomach churning like barbed wire was wrapping around her insides.

  “Are there any snowmobiles around here that we can use?” Jamie asked.

  “No,” Mads said. “I employed Cheyanne’s connections in the search, but there seems to be no one in town that has one that we can use. I have arranged to have some brought in but, given the possible conditions of the road, they may not arrive until tomorrow evening.”

  Gwen pulled her gloved hands through her hair, her skin sparking with the need to do something. Anything. There had to be a way to get out there despite the coming storm.

  “Sled dogs.” The words were out of her mouth the moment that the idea hit her mind. “Perkins has a hardy set. They can make it. It’ll take all night, but they’ll get there.”

  “That’s suicide,” Cheyanne said.

  “Do you have this Perkins’ number?” Mads cut in before she could say anything else.

  “Yes.”

  “Please fetch it. Jamie, how are you with dogs?”

  “I’ve used them a couple of times.” He nodded.

  Gwen turned to him. “I’m the one going.”

  “I’ve been trained for this.”

  “You were in the navy.”

  “SEALs,” he corrected. “I was deployed more than once in winter conditions.”

  “I was trained for those conditions as well,” Gwen snapped.

  “Not as extensively,” Mads cut in.

  Her anger halted for a moment. “How do you know that?”

  “I would not offer a position to someone I had not thoroughly investigated.”

  “My files are sealed.”

  “For some,” Mads dismissed. “Jamie has more experience in this climate.”

  “I have more experience on that hill!”

  Her outburst didn’t so much as raise his eyebrows. “Which is why I am suggesting a joint operation. Jamie accompanies you with supplies that will last the climbers. You get them to a safer location and, if necessary, bring the injured party down. The rest of the team and I will collect the others when conditions become favorable enough.”

  “Let’s do this,” Jamie said as he backed toward the truck. Before he entered, he clapped his hands and Mads tossed him his wallet. “You arrange the dogs, we’ll get the supplies and pick them up on our way back. Any cap?”

  “Whatever is necessary,” Mads said, before turning on his heel and walking back inside.

  Gwen pulled herself into the driver’s seat and slammed the door behind her. “Cap?”

  “It means all expenses are on the company dime,” Jamie said.

  “Everything will be closed. This might take a while.”

  “You’ll be surprised at what money and two very deadly people can accomplish.”

  Gwen looked at him as she turned the truck over. “Thank you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Between Gwen’s friendships, Mads’ resources, and Jamie’s ability to flirt with any living thing, it took surprisingly little time to have everything prepared. They hauled everything to the furthest point they could reach with a car. By then, the snow was falling in thick sheets, creating a layer over anything that remained still for more than a few moments.

  Dwayne followed Gwen with a portable floodlight, allowing her to check and recheck the harnesses around the dogs. Jamie ensured that the supplies were secured to the sled as Mads and the others reviewed the map on which Gwen had traced their intended path. It would be a hard night’s push, but they needed to get through the Devil’s Run before the storm hit.

  A narrow channel cut through the surrounding mountain, creating a crosswind that could be brutal at the best of times, and risked hypothermia at the worst. Already, the wind was starting to pick up. It turned the snow into pellets and snuck the chill under the layers of her parka.

  “Squared away,” Jamie called over the howling wind and yapping dogs.

  She gave one final tug at the reins of the sled dogs, straightened, and repeated the call. They hadn’t talked about who would mush first. She had just assumed she would. It was possible to see the exact moment when Jamie realized it, too. He came around the already thickening snow and cupped a hand around the back of Gwen’s head.

  It was impossible to feel the warmth of his touch through the wind chill and layers of cloth separating them. She found herself already yearning for the warmth as he pulled her closer. Bringing his mouth to her ear, Jamie spoke just loud enough for her to hear.

  “He’s your brother. Your judgement could be compromised.”

  Anger spiked through her at the words, and she tried to yank back and glare at him, but his fingers tightened against her neck to hold her in place.

  “If you tell me you can do this, you’re in charge. If you can’t, let me take point.”

  She spared a moment and gave real consideration to the question. This was too important to allow her ego to get in the way. The risks were too high to mess it up.

  “You take point. But I maintain the right to challenge any decision.”

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  He gave her a firm pat on the shoulder, just strong enough for Gwen to feel it and the reassurance he offered. It was a gesture she appreciated. It gave her the whisper of hope that all of this was just an exercise. Nothing that could end in heartache. She tried to hold onto the sensation as Jamie pulled her down once more.

  “You going to mush, sir?”

  “Damn straight.”

  “Kiss for luck?”

  She rolled her eyes and gave him a slight shove. Instead of taking offense, he seemed to accept the gesture as the reassurance of his own. The weight of his fingers peeled off her neck, and she instantly missed their presence.

  A trickle of confidence flushed through Gwen and, throwing caution to the wind, she grabbed the back of his head in a gesture similar to his own. She yanked him closer, swiftly kissed his cold lips, and instantly pulled back like nothing had happened.

  “For luck!” she insisted in the face of his brilliant, delighted smile.

  “Whatever you want, baby.”

  “I prefer ma’am.”

  Even as his shoulders shook with laughter, the sound stolen by the wind and leaping dogs, Jamie still managed to jump into the sleigh with a fluid motion. He pulled the furs around himself as he settled down, ready for the long ride ahead. Mads gave him the map, and Dwayne quickly handed over the portable light.

  With the storm blocking out the sky, it would soon by the only light that they would have to guide them. For most of the way, Jamie and Gwen would have to rely on the dogs’ ingrained fear of running off a cliff.

  As she settled her feet onto the long slabs of wood that served as the rider’s post, Gwen caught sight of Cheyanne’s sour expression. Mads came forward from the swirling mass of white and placed a strong hand on her shoulder.

  “Stay in radio contact. We’ll follow as soon as we can.”

  She nodded and was presented with a small, cylindrical slip of metal. After staring at it for a moment, she finally placed where she had seen one before.

  “A tracking device?”

  “No harm in having have a Plan B.” Mads passed one to Jamie.

  Jamie took it with th
e casual ease that only came from a task repeated many times. Without even looking at it, he zipped it into one of the outer pockets of his heavy snow coat.

  Gwen, however, couldn’t really let it go without asking, “Why did you bring two tracking devices on a weekend getaway?”

  Mads smirked and shook his head. “Spend some more time with my men, and you will understand.”

  He reached down to offer a comforting squeeze to Jamie’s shoulder. Jamie took the offer with a smile and a reassuring nod. Then Mads stepped away, and there was nothing left to do but set the dogs running, dragging them into the consuming darkness and impenetrable cold.

  ***

  The light barely penetrated the night around them. It glistened off the falling snow like tiny flames. The storm was moving in faster than expected, and already, Jamie’s skin felt ripped raw. In the suffocating darkness, it was hard to judge where they were with any accuracy. Despite the lack of sight, there was no mistaking their approach to Devil’s Run. Gwen had told him about it, but the noise wasn’t something you could ever really be ready for.

  The wind rushed through the narrow pass, screeching as it did, filling the sky with a haunting wail that clawed down Jamie’s spine. In the dim light, he watched as each pair of dogs left the shelter of the mountain’s wall. The gale winds knocked them a few feet off to the side. They yelped in surprise before resuming their pace with renewed conviction.

  They entered the opening, and the wind hit them like a runaway train. It rocked them to the side, threatening to toss the sled over. It took the combined weight of both Gwen and Jamie to force it back onto the ground. Showing an impressive amount of skill, she shifted her weight and rode the ripples of wind, making it work for them as much as possible.

  The wind whistled past Jamie, the layers of his winter gear unable to withstand the assault. It clawed over his skin like talons made of ice, robbing him of his breath and the remaining traces of warmth. The snow whipped up until it was a complete whiteout. Isolated from the world around them, they had no choice but to keep going.

  It didn’t take long for Jamie to lose track of the dogs. Still, they lurched forward, constantly moving. For a moment, he was concerned that the dogs wouldn’t make it. If they faltered, then he doubted that he and Gwen could go any further on their own.

  His heart hammered against his ribs and dread became an unmovable lump in the pit of his stomach. Time stretched out. The cold smothered him until it was nearly impossible to pull in a proper breath. It felt like being submerged in a frozen lake, and Jamie fought back the knee-jerk reaction to claw toward the surface. And all of it would be worse for Gwen, left exposed to the elements from her perch.

  Each time he twisted back to check on her, his concern grew. It was impossible to keep the thought of her toppling off into the abyss from his mind. Still, he kept it at bay, pushed aside by his conviction that she knew her own limits. He had to trust that, just as she trusted him.

  Memories of BUDs training flooded his mind. Nights spent on his back, enduring a constant onslaught of freezing waves, until his bone marrow itself seemed to ice over. He had taken that. He could take this. The frigid air stripped across Jamie’s skin like a cheese grater. His lips cracked, and droplets of blood hit the tip of his tongue.

  A massive weight was lifted from shoulders as they emerged on the other side of the pass. The mountain rose up once more to protect them, and Jamie drew in a strangled gasp of air. It filtered through the warmth of his scarf but still ravaged his lungs. The dogs continued on, leaping and bounding through the deepening storm. Jamie’s moment of warming relief shattered when Gwen reached forward to squeeze his shoulder.

  He looked back to see her wavering. Even in the dim light, it was possible to see her trembling beyond control. They needed to make camp. Now.

  Chapter Thirteen

  This was bad. Gwen knew that she was in trouble. The ice had settled too deep into her bones, but she couldn’t think of what to do. And, as the hypothermia took hold, she was quickly losing the will to care. She felt how weak she had become as she fought against Jamie when he maneuvered her into the sleigh. The fur blankets would have been warmed by his body, but she couldn’t feel any of it.

  Time seemed to blur, and her eyelids drooped. The sounds of the dogs settling in for a rest mixed with the lonesome howl of the wind whipping through the pass. It was only as the sounds merged and rolled around her head that a singular thought made its way through the static in Gwen’s head.

  Why aren’t we moving?

  Jamie was suddenly before her, his fingers shaking as they worked against her jacket. It brought another revelation. She wasn’t outside anymore. A small electric lamp lit up the bright orange material of the tent, turning the air into shadows and buttery light. The scent of hot chocolate filled the space.

  “It has to come off, Gwen,” Jamie muttered. “The outside’s encrusted with ice. It’ll melt in the sleeping bag.”

  “We need to keep going.” Each word was a struggle, and she slumped forward after the exertion.

  “We will. After you get warmed up.”

  Her body twisted as Jamie peeled her fingers off of the coat. When had she started to hold onto it?

  “I can get warm in the sled.”

  “No, you can’t. That’s the hypothermia talking.”

  “We have to keep going.”

  “Gwen.” Jamie’s gloved hands cupped her chin and forced her gaze to meet his. “You just made it through gale-force winds. You are showing the first signs of frostbite. If we do not do this now, you’re not going to make it to your brother. The dogs need the rest. You need to get warm. Stop fighting me.”

  He voice was firm but gentle, and pulled at her like a warming tide. There was no way to stand against it, and she weakly nodded. Her jacket was stripped from her. She instantly missed the loss, but was rewarded for the sacrifice with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a command to only sip at it.

  Her mind fluttered in and out of awareness, catching up again only when Jamie was pulling her thermal undershirt over her head. Embarrassment flushed through her, grounding her in the moment when she most wanted to fade away. He unfastened her bra rapidly and added it to a pile of clothes warming in the bottom of the sleeping bag.

  Jamie took the mug from her as he urged her to lay down. The material was soft against Gwen’s bare skin, but it seemed to keep in the cold rather than offering her any heat. As the hot chocolate settled in the pit of her stomach and heated her veins, her head began to clear just in time to fully appreciate the fact that Jamie was getting naked.

  The tent was far too small for anyone to stand up. Forced onto his knees, he stripped himself down, exposing more and more flesh with expert precision. Even shivering and half frozen, he still commanded attention. Gwen tried to look away as his hands moved to his thermal underwear. Her mind screamed at her to, but none of it mattered. His body held her eyes with an unbreakable force.

  Panic simmered under her skin when he suddenly turned and caught her watching, but the anticipated rebuke never came. Instead, he turned to her with a soft smile, teasing her with his eyes as he put himself on full display. Still on his knees, he moved toward her.

  “Shove over.”

  “What are you doing?” Gwen snapped.

  “Freezing my ass off. Now budge.”

  Frigid air rushed into the sleeping bag as he slid inside. It took a little arranging, but he managed to shuffle in and zip the bag up behind him without elbowing her in the face. Gwen pushed as far back in the double bag as she could, tight enough to feel the cold pressing down against her back. Her eyes remained fixed on Jamie as he shuffled around to face her.

  “You’re going to have to get a bit closer, Gwen.”

  “You’re naked.”

  “So are you. First Aid 101. Treat hypothermia with skin-to-skin contact.”

  Logically, she knew he was right. But the lingering fog in her head made it harder for reason to sway her into action. Jamie’s
fingers were cold but unfrozen as they curled around her wrist. Touch helped her understand a little better. It also made a fresh wave of lust flood through her. It scorched her from the inside, a flame that had nowhere to go consumed her from within.

  “Come on,” Jamie whispered over the soft howl of the wind. “Do you really think I’m low enough to take advantage of a hypothermic woman?”

  “What if a hypothermic woman tries to take advantage of you?”

  It took a few moments for what she had just said to hit her. Fire lapped at her cheeks as Jamie chuckled and urged her closer.

  “Well, I would say that the man would be all for a little advantage taking, after the woman’s feeling better and we finish our errand.”

  “Saving my brother.”

  “It’s less saving him and more picking him up,” Jamie insisted, and she knew it was for her benefit. “But yes, after that, this man you speak of will be all for letting you do whatever you want.”

  Too weak to laugh, Gwen closed her eyes and surrendered to the warmth of his completely perfect body. She melted against him with a contented sigh, too comfortable to feel self-conscious as his arms looped around her waist and pulled her closer. Still, she couldn’t keep her mind silent any more than she could keep the words from toppling out of her mouth.

  “I’m not like Cheyanne.”

  She felt his chuckle all the way down her front.

  “I know.”

  “So why do you like me?”

  He was quiet for a moment as he let his hands roam along her spine, tracking patterns against her skin.

  “I met Cheyanne when I was pretty young. She had this way about her – I guess she still does – like she’s a princess in some high, untouchable tower. I liked the idea of being her knight. The idea that, if I could just scale those walls, we’d have our own happily-ever-after.” He chuckled. “I never realized that I wasn’t the only knight storming her castle.”

  Gwen’s stomach twisted up as she listened. Why had she asked? She was never going to hear something she wanted.