He stopped, cocking his head to hear more and headed toward the noise. He’d been sent through the ringer tonight but he was always up for another fight.
20
Jamshid, Azbakastan
Shea pulled the colorful scarf further over her face, using it to hide her pale skin and green eyes. She had slipped a long robe over her clothes that would blend in with local dress. Alsu had lent her the items so they were authentic. Not Western fashion made to look local.
Kell’s stubble had grown into a beard that shadowed his strong jawline. Making him appear less American and more like a resident. Alsu had packed traditional Azbak clothing for him, too. A skull cap type hat and long robe that effectively hid his jeans.
They had parked around the side of the outpost, between two less conspicuous vehicles. It also served to hide them from sight of the checkpoint. The guards wouldn’t be concerned with people coming and going from the general store because there was only one road leading into and out of the mountains.
She and Alsu had hand-woven bags stuffed with their clothes and supplies that Alsu had bought inside the store while she and Kell waited outside. Anything that looked American was left behind. Except for the duffle bags with the weapons. Those, Kell slung over his shoulder because a man carrying black bags wouldn’t gander as much attention as a woman.
“Ready?” Kell asked, glancing around to make sure no-one was around.
They nodded and started walking toward the back of the building. The plan was to appear as a man with his wife and daughter going out to the scenic overlook that the outpost boasted on their signs about.
As they walked Shea waited for someone to notice they had abandoned their car. Or that she was taller than Alsu who was playing the role of Kell’s wife because she looked older. When Kell told her she would play the daughter in case they were stopped, she’d secretly been hurt that she wasn’t the wife. It annoyed the crap out of her that it bothered her and that she felt a small twinge of jealousy over the woman who had been nothing but good to her over the years. This wasn’t real. It was pretense in order to save their lives.
People passed them as they walked toward the overlook. Every time someone came toward them Shea prepared to fight and run. But, no-one paid them any mind. In fact, it was kind of off-putting how causal everyone seemed. Just a few miles away people were killing each other in the streets. Here, no-one seemed to care.
Shea knew they knew. They had to. Every news channel and radio station would be broadcasting the uproar. Warning people. It wasn’t feasible that the news hadn’t spread to the mountains. Not here, at least. The villages in the mountains wouldn’t know. They had no modern conveniences and stayed clear of life outside their community. Shea had spent enough time in small villages to know they didn’t like strangers and coveted their privacy. Most were hard to find so the likelihood of a tourist stumbling on them was nearly impossible. And, if they did, they would be escorted away. No harm, no foul.
They reached the overlook where only a few people lingered. The view was lost on all of them as they pretended to be interested in the valleys and hills stretched out before them. The fenced in area was almost as tall as the trees with a sharp rocky cliff directly below their feet.
Shea kept her chin down, eyes averted. The perfect, submissive daughter while Kell and Alsu pointed over the fence and spoke softly in Azebek.
When the small crowd thinned and the last of the onlookers defended the path toward their cars, they prepared for step two of their plan.
“This is going to be rough going for awhile,” Kell said, slipping off his robe and handing it to Alsu who stuffed it in her bag.
Shea followed suit, putting her robe in her own bag and removing her scarf. It would only hinder her efforts. Alsu also removed her robe and scarf.
“I’ll go first. Then Alsu,” he said to her.
She nodded, her hand going to the bottom of her bag where she felt a solid piece of steel. Kell had given her a 9mm Glock before they got out of the rover. She wanted more than one weapon, but didn’t want to climb with more weight. She wasn’t one-hundred percent yet. Still felt like she’d been hit with a bad case of the flu and her body hadn’t recovered. The weakness irritated her. She needed to be at her best. Alert. Ready. Not numb and tired.
Kell took Alsu’s bags from her, held out a hand for Shea’s but she shook her head. He already carried most of the weight.
“I got it,” she said, hiking the strap further up on her shoulder. Alsu had chosen wisely. Crossbody style bags so they wouldn’t lose them. And, they were more comfortable for the long walk they had ahead of them.
Kell didn’t give her a hard time for being stubborn but she saw his jaw clench.
“Let’s go,” he said and led them to the end of the split-rail fence.
He went over first, lowering himself to the rocky cliff below. Pebbles bounced down the rocks from his boots as he moved lower.
Alsu went next, not as agile as Kell, but he was there to help her find her footing.
Shea threw her leg over the fence and climbed over, waiting until her feet touched solid ground to let go of the railing. Her foot slipped on loose gravel. Kell grabbed her arm, helping steady her.
“We don’t have far to go before we reach the trees,” he said, letting go of her. “Just watch where you step.”
They made slow progress down the hill, rocks breaking free beneath their feet and tumbling down to the bottom of the hill.
About halfway down Kell stopped and put up a fisted hand. Shea froze, knowing what the signal meant. Alsu stopped because they did, her eyes wide.
Voices above them.
Crap. There were more people at the lookout. Shea grabbed Alsu’s arm and pulled her back, pressing against the rockface. Kell pressed up beside her, hand on the Glock hidden beneath his shirt.
She shook her head at him. He sent her a hard look that said he would do whatever necessary to protect them.
They waited, listening to people murmuring about the view, until finally the voices and footsteps faded into the distance. Kell poked his head out, gave the all clear, and they began their decent once more. This time with more swiftness than before. They didn’t have time to waste. Onlookers could come at any second. And if they were seen going off path someone was bound to turn them in.
The rocky terrain faded into dirt and grass, trees providing cover. Kell led the way, then Alsu, with Shea bringing up the rear. She and Kell could handle themselves but Alsu was an innocent so they kept her safely between them.
A couple hours later and Shea’s ankle was angry and irritated at the workout she was putting it through. The terrain was rough, ranging from open spaces where the dust pelted you to hilly trees that provided some shade.
They stopped for a break in a valley surrounded by rolling hills. Not vibrant green ones like her home country of Ireland. These were more red dirt. Dry. Lots of scrub bushes and boulders.
Shea dropped down onto a huge rock, rolling her ankle to get some of the feeling back. Her hiking boots provided some support but not enough.
Alsu looked tired, her hair coming out of it’s bun.
“How are you doing?” she asked the woman.
“Good. Good.”
She sent her a small, encouraging smile. Alsu’s life had been disrupted abruptly, just like hers. But, she was going home. That had to be a plus.
Kell handed each of them a bottle of water. “We can’t stay here long,” he said. “They probably won’t discover the car until the store closes for the night, but we can’t risk it.”
Shea twisted the lid off the bottle and took a swig, letting the warm water wash away the dryness in her throat. The sun beat down on them, the hottest part of the day. Soon, it would go down and take some of the heat with it.
“There’s only a few hours of daylight left,” Kell said, drinking from his own water bottle. “We need to find somewhere to camp for the night.”
A bug buzzed around Shea’s head. She sh
ooed it away and took another drink, trying to guzzle it. Her mouth was parched, her skin felt like sandpaper. She needed some lotion. More hydration.
Kell sat down beside her, his arm bumping hers. Little shocks tingled up her arm from the contact. He still had it. The ability to turn her body into an electrical conduit. Just a simple touch fired up all her nerves.
“How’s the ankle?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It’s fine.”
He quirked an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes. “Whatever. It’s tender. Happy now?”
He didn’t answer, but set his bottle on the ground and dropped into a crouch by her feet. Before she could stop him he had picked up her foot and was reaching for the laces.
“No.”
His hands froze. He looked up at her in question.
She pressed her lips together. “Look, if you take my boot off the swelling is going to get worse and I won’t get it back on.” Damn him. She hadn’t wanted him to know. Didn’t want to be the reason they slowed down. And certainly didn’t want to be the one who made him worry. She’d felt the swelling getting worse as they climbed that last hill. Knew what she would find if she removed her boot.
“Sprained?”
“Maybe.” Not before, but she twisted it on a rock a little bit ago and the swelling had started after that.
He put her foot across his legs. “Try and keep it elevated as much as possible. When we set up camp I’ll wrap it to contain the swelling.”
“I know,” she said, putting her foot back on the ground. Damn him and his heroic intentions. Even if he did it without thought. Providing elevation with his own body in order to help her was just what he did. It made her weak in the knees at the same time it annoyed her. She didn’t need taken care of.
“Can you walk on it?”
She pushed to her feet, biting back the effort to put less weight on her injured ankle. She refused to show weakness. To anyone. Ever.
“I’m good,” she said. “Let’s go.”
21
Cedar Falls, Michigan
“Hey, did you see this?”
Quinn looked up from the reports in his lap. Avery sat next to him on the sofa, feet curled beneath her as she thumbed through channels.
He glanced at the television screen. Images of riots flashed across behind the reporter wearing a bulletproof vest.
She turned up the volume, leaning forward. “That’s Azbakastan.”
He hadn’t told her about Kell being there and he didn’t plan to. No-one expect his brothers knew and that’s how it would remain. Worrying his family wasn’t on the agenda. Helping his brother get out of that country alive was.
“Looks like it,” he said casually.
“They’re rioting everywhere.” She paused, listening. “And all inbound air travel is banned.” She looked away from the television to him. “That’s not good.”
No, it sure as hell wasn’t.
“None of you have jobs in that area right now?”
He saw the worry in her eyes. “Nope.”
“And none coming up?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.” Not exactly a lie. A job had come through his desk a few hours ago. A snatch and grab of an American caught behind enemy lines. He was working on devising a plan to get her out but with the recent uproar getting in country would be nearly impossible. Getting out, even more difficult. Right now he had to focus on bringing his brother home. Somehow getting him out of the country past all the bans. How the hell to do that was driving him crazy.
“Good,” Avery said, settling back in beside him. “Because it’s even more dangerous for an American there than before. The lines are blurring as to who is good and who’s bad. All because we eliminated that bastard Diakameli from the earth. I say let him rot.”
Quinn put his papers aside and slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“I know.”
He sensed there was something still bothering her. “What’s up?”
She sighed. “I’m worried about Macy.”
“Nate said she’s doing better. She went to talk to Elaine.”
“And she ran out before the session even got started. She’s always been able to put things behind her with ease I don’t have. But, this time…I don’t think she can do it and it’s making her miserable. Have you noticed she’s lost weight?”
He hadn’t, but he hadn’t looked all that closely either. “She has a good support system.”
Avery lifted her chin to stare up at him. “Yes, she does,” she said and leaned up for a kiss that led to Quinn sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bedroom. He kicked the door closed, shutting out any turmoil that might affect his fiancé’s healing.
Sunnat Mountains, Azbakastan
Kell slowed his pace, only minimally, as to not alert Shea that he was doing it. She’d be pissed if she knew. Stubborn woman wouldn’t admit pain or discomfort if her life depended on it. Frustrating as hell. This wasn’t the time for heroics. If she pushed that ankle too hard it would end up in a break and then they would be screwed. He’d have to carry her or find makeshift crutches. And in this environment that would be difficult at best. The trees were mostly scrub brush or tall pines. Nothing strong enough to make crutches out of. The branches would be too weak and hard to find.
Alsu seemed to be fairing pretty well. She gave him directions ahead of time so they all knew where to go. The terrain wasn’t easy going and he worried about Shea’s ankle. They had a long ways to go before they reached the village.
Their journey took them higher into the mountains. By sunset Shea was limping, her lips pinched into a straight line. She hadn’t uttered a word of complaint. Not that he expected her to.
He found a spot on the side of a hill, sheltered by rock face and trees. Not a cave, but an opening in one of the hills. The ledge overhead would prevent anyone from seeing their fire and the small gap would protect them from winds.
“We’ll camp here,” he announced, dropping the duffle bags and heavier supplies on the ground. “I’ll find some wood to make a fire. Then I’ll set up the tents.”
“I will prepare a meal,” Alsu said, digging in the bag that held the food and supplies.
Shea let her bag slip off her shoulder, face pale. “I’ll set up the tents.”
Kell didn’t argue. With Shea he picked his battles. Now wasn’t the time to argue over whether she should get off that foot or help. He gave her a nod and disappeared around the corner to gather sticks and brush.
As he did that he scoured the ground for any signs of human life. Footprints, past fire pits. Thankfully, he found nothing. Didn’t want anyone returning to their campsite and finding them there. Not that he expected many people to be out here. There weren’t any waterfalls or caves nearby to explore. Not that he’d seen at least.
Carrying an armload of branches he returned to camp. Alsu was busy mixing something in a collapsable bowl. Shea had gotten one tent up and was struggling with the next. She swayed on her feet. When she met his eyes he saw determination in hers so he set the bundle down and dug a small hole in the dirt.
Shea went back to setting up the second tent while he stacked the branches and added leaves to get the fire started. It took a couple minutes but when it finally caught it heated up the small area. The mountains got cold at night, they would need a fire to help keep them warm. Fall was approaching and although temps didn’t reach the lows that Michigan did, it still got bitter cold at these high elevations.
Alsu moved to the fire pit, holding a pan over the flames and stirring something that smelled delicious. Kell’s stomach growled. The protein bars had worn off hours ago. Thanks to Shea’s stockpile of supplies they would eat and sleep in comfort. Well, they would. He didn’t plan on sleeping much tonight. Someone had to keep a lookout.
“Come. Eat,” Alsu said minutes later.
They sat on the ground and ate the rice and veggies s
he had prepared. Kell barely tasted his he was so hungry. Shea picked at hers, moving it around in her bowl. She looked ready to topple over.
Night fell and along with it came colder temperatures. Kell added more branches to the fire and moved to Shea’s side. Alsu was wiping out the dishes and putting stuff away nearby.
He sat down next to Shea. “It’s time to take care of your ankle.”
She nodded.
“I’ll get the bandage. You try and get that boot off.”
He left her to undo the laces while he dug Ace bandages out of the First Aid kit. Pretty well stocked kit considering he hadn’t put it together. Shea knew her stuff.
He returned to her side, found her wincing as she tried to remove her boot.
“Here, let me,” he said, kneeling at her feet. Carefully, he loosened the laces more and tugged the boot off. It stuck, then gave, coming off with a smooth slide. He set it aside, feeling the tension in Shea’s leg.
He rolled her pant leg a few cuffs and removed her sock, stuffing it inside the boot. In the light of the fire he saw nasty black and blue bruises surrounding her ankle bone. It had swelled to nearly twice it’s size already. The pressure inside her boot must have been excruciating. Walking, even worse.
Gently, he prodded the bruising, checking for signs of broken bones. Fortunately, he didn’t find any. Just a bad sprain. When his fingers hit a particularly tender spot Shea drew in a sharp breath her leg twitching.
“Sorry,” he said, leaving the spot alone. “We don’t have any ice so we’re left with elevation and compression.”
She nodded in agreement.
He unrolled some bandage and began wrapping her foot. Making sure it was tight enough to prevent any further swelling. Shea bit down on her lip but didn’t utter a word as he wrapped tighter and tighter.
When he finished he set her foot down. “Okay?”
Worth the Risk (Book 3, Wolff Securities Series) Page 12
