Marti took Mia’s hand and started talking to her in her soothing nurse voice. “Now, now. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll go first. I’ll tell you where to put your hands and your feet. It will be fine, I promise!”
“I can’t! I just can’t do it, Marti!” Mia kept seeing a vision of herself, over and over, going splat on those rocks and the waves turning red. She felt kind of sick to her stomach. Mia really felt bad for Wile E. Coyote. She would never laugh at him again.
“Well, we can’t stay here! Creepy, mean guy is going to come back! And he likes big pliers!”
She had a point.
Mia sucked up her meager courage. “Okay, roadrunner. I’ll go out the window. Beep-beep.”
Marti looked at her kind of funny. “You worry me sometimes, Mia. You really do.”
“I worry myself. Especially when I agree to climb down a cliff with no harness!” Mia was bleating the last bit because Marti had already swung her legs out of the window, and her head was disappearing. Mia clutched the windowsill hard and watched her start climbing down. Pretty soon, she looked up. Marti smiled at her. Her eyes were shining.
Mia wondered why she had ever liked her.
“Okay, Mia! Your turn! You saw where I put my feet and hands, didn’t you? So come on. I’ll talk you down. You can do it, girl!”
“Iksnay with the rah-rah,” Mia muttered. But she didn’t say it too loud. She was too busy edging herself over the windowsill and feeling with her feet. She felt butterflies fluttering low in her belly. It was not a comforting feeling. Then all she could see, just inches in front of her face, was rough stone and rock. Mia’s fingers soon felt like she had used sandpaper on them. She was sweating. It was annoying to have sweat trickling down from her forehead into her eyes and not being able to wipe it away. The whole time, she could hear Marti’s cheerful voice.
Mia was so glad that she never shut up.
The waves sounded louder. Every time Mia heard them crashing on the rocks, she flinched. But she didn’t look down. She just behaved like a good crab and inched her way sideways and down and zigged and zagged some more.
“Okay, Mia! I’m down now. Just a little farther. Put your foot to the left. That’s it. Just a little far—”
“Oh, thank you God.” Mia concentrated on the last few holds. Then her reaching, searching foot touched terra firma. “Yes, yes, yes!” She let go of the hated rock wall, gave it a one-fingered salute, and spun around, grinning like a fool.
Mia’s face kind of froze.
Marti was standing with her hands raised up above her head. There were two men, one pointing a rifle at Marti and the other one pointing a rifle at her. Well, howdy-do-de. Mia groaned in exasperation. “I am so darn tired of looking down the wrong end of a projectile tube!”
“You will come with us.”
Mia planted her hands on her hips and tried to brazen it out. It’s a movie. Nobody really dies. “Or what? You’re going to shoot us?” She heard a moan come from Marti’s direction. Suddenly, Mia wasn’t so confident. Okay, wait. If we’re inside the movie, then maybe we can die. The logic was twisted, but, unfortunately, sound.
Mia stared at the man.
The man grinned. He didn’t have all of his teeth. His nose looked like it had been broken more than once. He was not a handsome fellow. He cocked the gun. Mia could hear the cold metallic click over the crash of the waves.
“Oh. Okay. Since you put it that way.”
Marti and Mia were hustled down to the low-rising rocks. Spray misted over them, and Mia could practically feel her hair frizzing up. She scowled. Bad hair is absolutely the last straw. There was a tiny strip of beach where there was a beached rowboat. The escort forced the two women at gunpoint to sit in the boat. Then one of the men took the oars, and the other sat in the prow of the boat with his gun pointing at the captives.
Mia didn’t like the way the gun barrel shifted every time the boat bounced over a wave. It was kind of like watching a cobra’s weaving head. Very, very dangerous. She cleared her throat. “You’re not the commandant’s men?”
Both of the men hawked and spit into the surging saltwater.
“Guess not. So! Where are we going? Pretty how the sun sparkles on the water. Are we going to be crab meat?” Mia felt the hard jab of an elbow in her ribs. She looked at Marti. “What!”
Marti glared at her. “Just shut up, Mia! Shut up!”
“We take you to Cadero.”
Mia sighed. “Oh, this will be fun.”
* * * *
The boat trip wasn’t that long, just a short row across the narrow neck of a sea channel. The man rowed the boat so close to the beach that the boat bottom scraped on sand. The man in the prow motioned his gun at the women. “You will get out now!”
Marti looked over the side of the boat. Her brows snapped together. “There’s still ocean out there.” She pointed down at her little black slip-ons. “These are expensive leather!”
The man in the prow cocked his gun. It sounded very loud over the lazy slap of water against the boat.
Mia plastered a smile on her face. She waved in a friendly way at the gunman, while she whispered fiercely out of the corner of her mouth. “Uh, Marti—gun?”
Marti sniffed. She slipped off her shoes and carefully put them into her huge handbag. Adjusting the handbag so that it was lying across her back, she swung over the side of the boat with graceful ease, splashing feetfirst into the shallow waves.
Mia clambered over the side, grunting, and jumped awkwardly into the water. It was only about calf high, so she didn’t think there would be any sharks. She waded to shore, following her girlfriend. Mia was wearing tennies, so she hadn’t bothered removing them. It was hot enough that her shoes would steam dry.
One of the men pulled the boat up onto the beach. The other one paced beside the two women, his gun angled toward them. Mia and Marti didn’t run and not just because of the armed men. There was simply nowhere to go. There was just a big jumble of rocks jutting straight up out of the white sand.
The nearest man grunted at them and pointed with his gun at the rocks.
Mia sighed. “Why am I not surprised?” She looked at Marti and crossed her eyes. “Do I look like a mountain goat?”
Marti giggled. “No, silly! You don’t have a goatee!”
Both men hawked and spit and glared.
“I don’t think they appreciate our humor.”
Marti shrugged. “I don’t care what they think.” She put her shoes back on.
One of the men climbed up the rocks. Mia and Marti followed him. The other man closed up behind them. Mia hoped the gun he was holding didn’t go off accidentally. It had to be pointed right at her butt.
They climbed for what seemed a long time. Marti just kept moving ahead, never faltering, but Mia had to push herself to keep up. Mia glared at Marti’s slim back, panting. “Unfair! You’ve always been freakily athletic.”
Marti glanced down over her shoulder, grinning. “Come on, Mia! Keep up!”
By the time they topped out and began seeing some grass and trees mixed in with the rocky hillside, Mia’s calf muscles were burning. The air was hot and humid and sticky. She paused to wipe the sweat out of her eyes.
The man behind her didn’t like her to stop. He grunted, motioning with the gun. Mia tried to buy a little more breathing time. “We’re lost, aren’t we?”
He looked insulted. “Of course we are not lost! Go!” He jerked the gun again.
Mia sighed, slapped at an insect buzzing her arm, and plodded onward.
Before long, it looked like to her that they were following some kind of animal track. She couldn’t see the turquoise water anymore, just more and more rock and spiky grass. Then the man in the lead ducked under some more rocks and disappeared from sight. Marti and Mia obediently followed him. The bright sun abruptly vanished, and Mia realized that they were inside a cave.
Mia’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, and she could see that there were several men alrea
dy in the cave. Some were squatting around the flickering yellow flames of a small fire. Others were lying on blankets. A lot of guns and knives were scattered around. Mia could smell smoke and dank stone and something else.
“Phew!” Marti waved her hands in front of her face, wrinkling her nose. Mia’s own nostrils quivered. The guys didn’t have a nice flush toilet.
Every head turned toward the women. Hard, unfriendly eyes stared at them. Mia didn’t feel too comfortable. She didn’t think Marti did, either, because Marti crossed her arms and rubbed her hands up and down.
A big man got up from where he was sitting on a boulder and walked toward them with the fluid grace of a panther. He said a few words. While one of the armed men stayed by Mia and Marti, the other started talking in a low voice, gesturing at the two women. The big man studied Mia and Marti like they were stinkbugs.
Mia instantly recognized him from the action movie.
Cadero looked like a mercenary. Big and tough, a mean, lean machine. His black eyes were cold. He sported a jagged scar down one side of his face that stood out against his brown skin. His long black hair was tied back with a leather thong. He was pretty darn good-looking in a dangerous, macho way.
Mia heard Marti let out a tiny sigh. She knew exactly what Marti was thinking. Marti had always liked the beefed up Latin types.
“Rambo at one o’clock,” Mia muttered.
“Oh, yeah.”
Cadero overheard her. He thrust the guard back with one hand splayed on the man’s chest. A fanatic light had leapt into his eyes. “You know John Rambo?” It was like he shot the question at her out of a pistol.
“No, but I know all about his legend,” Mia shot right back at him. “Have you ever heard of Sylvester Stallone?”
Marti squeaked. “Mia!”
Cadero looked confused. “Who is Sylvester Stallone?”
“Sly Stallone and John Rambo are close. Very, very close.” Mia thought about it and smiled. “Closer than brothers. He’s the man behind Rambo.”
Cadero looked intrigued. “Do you know Stallone? I would like to know this man who is, as you say, closer than a brother to John Rambo.”
Mia sighed. Sometimes it was hard to remember where she was. She shook her head. “No, I’ve just read about him.”
He considered what she had said then shook his head with disapproval. “This Sylvester Stallone should not jeopardize his connections. He should keep a lower profile. What does he do?”
Mia debated how to tweak the truth. “Sly is like Rambo’s money man.”
He looked impressed. “Ah, then it is comprehensible. Everyone needs a financier.”
Mia grinned, starting to enjoy herself in a jerky way. “Sly Stallone is really close to Rocky Balboa, too.”
“The fighter! Yes, yes! This Sly Stallone, he chooses good men!”
“Quit already, Mia!” Marti glared at her.
Mia couldn’t help it. She laughed. She pointed at Marti. “And she is one kickass mama. She kicked the commandant’s butt!”
Cadero’s gaze swung away from Mia and zeroed in on her best friend. His stare was intent and hot and assessing. Marti blushed. She said modestly, “Well, I did get in a few good hits. And I broke one of the guards’ noses.”
“What is this? A guard, too?”
Mia could tell that Cadero was impressed. She thought that could only be a good thing. “The guards outnumbered Marti, three to one. And her hands were tied.”
“Madre dios!” Cadero took a step toward her, looking down at Marti as if she was spun of pure gold. “Such fire! Such courage!”
Marti pouted her lower lip. Her eyelashes fluttered. She looked adorable. “The commandant shouldn’t have hit my friend in the face.” Her voice was all breathy.
Cadero leaned over her. He raised one hand to gently cup her face. “You are truly a prize, mi linda.”
Marti giggled.
Mia noticed that no one was expressing worry about her sore, bloodied face. Mia pouted a little herself. Not that anyone noticed. “The commandant thought so, too. He said that he would enjoy taming Marti. That’s why we climbed down the wall. We didn’t like the looks of his little fun-house torture chamber.”
Cadero jerked around. His black eyes blazed. He snarled. “I will kill him twice over! Once for my sister! And again, because he dared to voice such sacrilege!” He waved his hand as though he had just remembered. “Oh, and also because I am the leader of the revolution.”
“Yeah?” Mia glanced around at the motley crew in the cave. The raggedly dressed men, even if they were armed, didn’t look like much of a revolution. “It looks like you need some help. I know just the man.”
His whole face lit up. “John Rambo?”
“No! Aiden Smith.”
Chapter Ten
It took a while for Cadero to get over his disappointment that he wasn’t going to get Rambo’s help, but he grudgingly agreed that Special Ops was a good second-best. He grimaced, making his scar twist in a grotesque way. “I do not trust outsiders, you understand. But perhaps we can help each other.”
He issued orders that a secret message was to be taken to the cantina. The bartender would relay it through channels to Aiden, so that a meeting could be set up. He pointed at Mia then jerked his thumb at a man who stood nearby. “You will go with my man. You will be hidden above the cantina. When this Lieutenant Aiden Smith comes, then he will believe what you tell him about me and my men.”
Mia nodded happily. She was going to get out of the stinking cave and see Aiden again. She couldn’t wait. “Okay! Come on, Marti. Let’s get going.”
Cadero showed his very white teeth. His black eyes gleamed. “Your chica remains with me. I must have insurance. Perhaps I shall take her to my sister.”
Marti’s eyes rounded. She looked up real quick into Cadero’s face then dropped her gaze. She circled one toe of her expensive leather slip-on in the dirt of cave.
“Uh, you mind if I talk to my chica privately?” Mia smiled politely. Good manners couldn’t hurt anything.
Cadero waved his hand. “But of course not! It is natural that you will wish to say good-bye.”
Mia didn’t like the sound of that. Cadero walked away, and so did the guard. Darting a wary gaze around, Mia grabbed Marti’s arm. She hissed at her, real low. “I can’t leave you here! You’ve got to sneak out or–or something!”
“I can’t. You heard him. He wants me for insurance.”
Marti didn’t look frightened. Mia couldn’t figure it out. She shook her girlfriend’s arm. “Marti! What if something bad happens? I–I might never see you again.”
Marti got a small grin on her face. “Mia, it’s going to be all right. He’s going to take me to his sister, remember?”
Mia stared at her, frowning. “Yeah, so?”
Marti shook her head, like Mia was really dense. “He’s taking me to meet his family, Mia! Get it? He likes me.”
“So, you’re okay with me going off by myself.” Mia was feeling kind of hurt.
“Well, of course not, silly! Something bad might happen to you! But I just know everything is going to be all right.” Marti gave her a hug. It made Mia feel a little better.
The guide came back to fetch Mia. “It is time to go.” He jerked his head toward the cave entrance. Mia followed him.
At the cave’s entrance, Mia hesitated and looked back. Marti waved at her, looking cheerful. Mia waved back and ducked out of the cave. The guide led her away into the rocks and spiky grass. When Mia glanced back again, she couldn’t even see where the entrance to the cave was anymore.
* * * *
The trek was a long, dry, hot one. At last, Mia could see the colorful crowded buildings of the town. The church bell tower rose above the tallest flat roofs. The commandant’s fortress-like compound hulked above everything else.
Getting unobserved into the town was not that hard. Mia’s guide just slapped a floppy native hat over her head and a big woolly blanket thing over her shoulders that h
ung down to her knees and hid her clothes. Mia felt kind of hot. Not that kind of hot, but sweaty, sweat trickling down the back hot. Her face felt prickly, despite the shade of the hat. Under the blanket, her clothes clung to her sticky skin.
Armed soldiers in trucks rumbled through the narrow, dusty streets. When the trucks roared past, the townspeople and chickens and dogs had to scatter out of the way. The yelling and clucking and yelping mixed with the curses that were shouted after the soldiers. Some of the people shook their fists. But no one paid any attention to Mia or her guide. She just plodded along, watching the dust puff up under her plodding feet. Mia wasn’t really thinking about a whole lot, but her mind did seem to be stuck in a rut. Ice-cold Coke. Iced tea. Frozen margarita.
At the cantina, Mia was led upstairs and pushed into a tiny airless room under the roof beams. The man muttered for her to keep the shutters closed over the windows. Then he left her there alone and shut the door. It was pretty dim in there, just fingers of sunlight coming in through the uneven wooden shutters.
Mia sat down on the narrow bed. The heat was really bad. She dragged off the hat and the blanket thing. That helped, but not by much. Mia decided it might be cooler if she sat on the floor. Everyone knows heat rises. She was just as hot, and her butt went to sleep on the hard boards.
Mia didn’t know how long she waited. She wasn’t really worried or anything. She vaguely suspected the heat kind of put her into a stupor, so she had no worries at all. Her head started to pound. She closed her eyes and drowsed.
Then the door opened, and a big figure slipped into the room. Mia scrambled unsteadily to her feet, ready to defend her virtue. Her head swam, and she staggered. “Oh, crap.”
Large hands grabbed hold of her shoulders. “Mia!”
Mia’s head lolled back, and she blinked, very slowly. Aiden’s face swam into sight. Mia giggled in relief. “Oh, it’s you!”
He shook her gently. His deep voice was all rumbly and concerned. “What’s wrong with you?”
Roberts, Sarah - Action Hero Junkie [Movieland] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 11
