Captive Heart

by Adriana Hunter

  Lainey’s heart took off, anxiety flooding her. She knew he was right, but there was no way she’d let him see that his words had any effect on her. Thrusting out her chin, she jammed her hands on her hips.

  “This is my brother and he’s my responsibility. I go where you go because of that, not because you’re letting me come along.”

  “I’m bringing you along because I have no choice. I’m not letting you do anything.” He held up both hands.

  “Look, Lainey. We don’t have time for this. We need to go. Now.” He bent down, grabbing the pistols from the ground, tucking them into the waistband of his pants.

  “You follow me, you don’t speak unless I talk to you. You do not run to your brother, no matter what you see or how he appears, until I tell you to.”

  He brushed past her, walking out of the cave. “If, for some God-awful reason, we get separated, come back here. Wait for me back by the duffel bag. Stay hidden. I’ll whistle.” He pursed his lips, mimicking the song of a bird. “Twice, and it’s me.”

  She nodded.

  “Then let’s do this.” He turned toward the stream and Lainey followed, sneakers sliding on the mossy rocks. But she’d be damned if she’d fall today. She was pretty sure Gideon wouldn’t bother picking her up.

  Gideon took them through dense jungle, occasionally following what looked like a trail, sometimes moving through dense foliage. Lainey was totally disoriented. The anxiety she’d felt in the cave increased. She was practically walking on Gideon’s heels for fear of losing him. There’d be no way she’d ever find her way out of this jungle if she lost sight of Gideon.

  Suddenly he crouched down and she almost tripped over him. The startled noise she made was silenced by his glare. He pulled her down beside him, his finger to her lips.

  “Right there.” His lips were against her ear, his voice barely audible. She followed where he pointed.

  Down below was a tiny dilapidated hut sitting in the center of a small clearing, a thin stream of smoke coming from a hole in the roof. There was no movement and the only sounds around them were the noises of the jungle.

  “Here’s the plan. We go down there.” Gideon pointed to a dense section of jungle, indicating the route they were going to take. Lainey looked across the small clearing where the building stood. On the other side of the clearing was a footpath, fading off into the jungle.

  “Where does that go?”

  “There’s a village about two miles over that hill and down in the valley.”

  “Any chance someone might come along the path and surprise us?”

  Gideon glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. “Maybe. Something to think about.”

  “I can watch the path, let you know.”

  Now both eyebrows shot up. Gideon slowly shook his head. “No way. I can’t leave you out here by yourself.”

  “But if we’re both in there…we’re sitting ducks.”

  “I’m not going to be in there that long.”

  “Yeah, but you said I’d be in the way. If I’m outside…”

  “Fine. Okay. You can be outside. I’d rather have you do that than keep arguing with you. We’re wasting time, God dammit.” Gideon blew out a deep sigh. “Follow me. At the corner of the building, stay along the side. If there’s a window on the far side, stay below it. If there’s a door, stay away from it.”

  He turned, his eyes boring into hers. “Take this.” He reached into the waistband of his pants, pulling out one of his pistols. “You see anyone, anywhere, fire into the air. No heroics, don’t try to take on anyone. Into the air.” He pointed to the sky.

  She nodded, taking the gun. It was a Glock, the same type of pistol Scott had shown her how to shoot. It was heavy, but having it in her hand gave her a sense of comfort.

  “Can you handle this?”

  “Yeah. I’ve shot with these before.”

  “Another thing. There may be women or children down there, families. Do not underestimate anyone you come across. Do you understand?”

  She nodded again. “I got it. Stay low, stay hidden, don’t make assumptions.” Her heart tripped along in her chest and she realized her hands were shaking.

  “Then let’s go.” Gideon moved forward, body low to the ground. Lainey followed as best she could.

  Gideon was totally silent as he drew closer to the building. Lainey felt awkward and slow, each step she took sounding like an elephant crashing through the jungle. But Gideon kept moving forward and she had no choice but to follow him.

  Finally he crouched behind a larger tree just on the edge of the clearing. The building was only a few feet in front of them. From here, Lainey heard low voices coming through an open window. She caught Gideon’s eye, pointing, shrugging.

  He held up two, then three fingers, also shrugging. He pointed to his chest then to the building. She looked through the open window and saw a door and another window set into the opposite wall.

  Gideon pointed to Lainey then to the right side of the building. She understood; if she waited there and someone came along the path, she’d be hidden, but she’d hear them.

  Gideon tapped her on the shoulder, pointed to himself, then to the other side of the building. He was going that way.

  She nodded and he tipped his head toward the building. He moved forward in a crouch and Lainey followed for a few steps, then split off and moved to the other side of the building. She looked up, checking for a window, but there wasn’t any. Trying to steady her breathing, she knelt beside the building.

  Her hands were shaking and she held the gun the way she remembered Scott had taught her, her finger alongside the trigger guard, not on the trigger. The safety was off and she knew it was ready to fire.

  The jungle seemed eerily silent, the birds gone quiet, the wind dying down. Nothing moved and she strained to hear Gideon. But no sounds came to her. She could have been the only person in the world at the moment.

  The shriek of splintering wood, the crash of the door being kicked inward sent her heart skittering into overdrive. She crept to the edge of the wall, peering around the corner. Gideon was already inside. Shouts and curses, both in Spanish and English, filled the air, Gideon’s voice the loudest. But nowhere did she hear Aiden’s voice.

  Gideon was yelling now in Spanish. She winced at the sound of a fist hitting flesh, loud grunts, and then a body hitting the floor. Gideon’s voice disappeared from the cacophony. If Gideon was down, then Aiden was at risk. Hell, Gideon was at risk and so was she. She hesitated then made up her mind.

  Drawing a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment. It would have to be quick. She’d have to be able to take in everything inside the small room instantly, not panic, and be ready to shoot if she needed to. And not shoot either Aiden or Gideon.

  She took two steps, peering around the corner of the building. The path was empty. Back to the wall, she moved next to the open door, the pistol held in both hands, pointed into the air.

  Lainey turned her body, placing herself in the open doorway. She brought the gun down, holding it in the shooter’s stance she’d been taught. Her eyes scanned the room, trying to take in everything at once.

  Gideon was on his back on the floor, fighting off a monstrous man in dirty green pants who was yielding a large hunters knife, the blade closing in on Gideon’s throat. On the other side of the room was another man, taller and thinner, making a move toward the pair. And in the dark corner furthest from the door was her brother, tied to a chair. He was dirty and his face was bloody, a rag tied around his eyes.

  For a moment, all Lainey could see was Aiden. The gun wavered in her hands. But from the floor she heard Gideon.

  Bracing her feet, she swung the gun toward the large man, a deep inarticulate noise coming from her mouth. The man turned, a look of shock on his face, the jagged blade of his knife held above Gideon’s face.

  Gideon swung a punch at the man, catching him on the side of his head, knocking him to the side. The man rolled and came up on his feet, crouching in
front of her brother. In horror, Lainey watched him move back, sliding to the side of Aiden’s chair. She knew he was going to kill him.

  She held the gun steady, sighted down the barrel, let out a breath, then squeezed the trigger. The sound was deafening in the small space. Lainey staggered back, the recoil of the gun taking her by surprise.

  The man screamed, a deep red stain blossoming on his pant leg just above his knee. He fell to the floor, dropping his knife, clutching his knee. Lainey turned, the gun pointed at the other man as Gideon rose, ducking behind her.

  “Give me the gun.” His voice was a low growl, one she’d heard before. His hand covered hers and she let go of the gun.

  The man on the floor continued to scream and the other man was frozen, eyes jerking between Lainey and Gideon. Gideon held the gun on him, speaking a rapid stream of Spanish. The man dropped to the floor, face down, hands behind his head.

  “Go untie Aiden.”

  Lainey stepped over the man on the floor, kneeling behind Aiden. She fumbled with the rope, finally getting the knots untied. As the ropes fell, Aiden reached up, pulling the blindfold from his face. He turned, looking up at her.

  “Lainey! What the hell are you doing here?”

  Aiden stood, reaching for Lainey, pulling her hard against him in a bear hug.

  “I came with…” she pointed. Gideon was crouched on the floor, tying the man’s hands behind his back. As she watched, he moved to the man she’d shot, looking closely at the wound. He spoke a soft stream of Spanish, with the man on the floor responding through gritted teeth. Seeming satisfied with the answer, Gideon pulled a bandana from his pocket, wrapping it around the man’s leg.

  “We need to leave. If I can believe him…” He jerked his head at the man on the floor. “…someone should be coming soon with provisions. And there’s a good chance someone heard the shot.”

  Gideon stood, turning to Aiden. “Can you walk? Are you injured?”

  Aiden touched his cheek. “No, I’m okay.”

  Lainey winced, looking at the bruise on the side of her brother’s face. It was bloody, but she saw the blood had already dried. Beneath that, the skin was stretched tight, mottled purple showing through the blood and dirt, evidence that they had tortured and beat him.

  “Then we need to move out. Come on.” Gideon moved to the door, carefully looking out into the jungle. He motioned to her and Aiden and they left the hut, disappearing into the jungle.

  They moved quickly, pushing through the thick foliage, almost at a run. Aiden followed Gideon, with Lainey bring up the rear. She watched Aiden closely; he seemed to be moving okay, not limping. But she wanted to see his face and find out how badly he was really hurt.

  The sound of running water reached her and Lainey realized they were back at the stream. Gideon led them through the water, stopping at the waterfall.

  “Wait here. I’ll get the duffel. I’ve got water; don’t drink any here.” He pointed to the stream and then disappeared up the slope.

  “Aiden…what the hell happened?” Lainey sat next to him on the rocks, peering at his face. There was a long gash covered with dried blood along his cheekbone. Lainey didn’t think it looked deep, but the edges were ragged. His eye was black, the white bloodshot. The swelling along his cheek made him look a prizefighter on the losing end of a ten round match.

  “I was sloppy. Or really unlucky. Or both.” Aiden gave her a rueful smile. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I’m going to get a great story out of this.”

  “But where did they get you?”

  “Not long after the border crossing. I was on the way to meet my contacts and drove down a road I shouldn’t have. Mistake number one. Then I stopped. Mistake number two. The only lucky thing was these guys weren’t drug traffickers or guerillas. They’re just really impoverished guys who thought they could ransom me off. You know, famous journalist and all.”

  His smile dimmed. “When they discovered who I was…basically a nobody from a little magazine, they got really angry. That’s when they hit me. And then they got really confused.” He passed a shaky hand across his face, his bravado fading.

  “Yesterday they were trying to decide what to do with me, to let me go or get rid of me. I knew too much and knew where they were, but they’re not killers. But they were also getting desperate.”

  Gideon came back down the rocks from the cave. “Here.” He tossed a bottle of water to Aiden. “You were a liability. And they’re not set up for keeping hostages long-term.”

  They both looked up at Gideon. “And you…” He pointed at Lainey. “You’re a loose cannon. What you did back there…”

  “What I did back there was save your ass, Gideon.”

  “What you did was dangerous. You could have hit Aiden, or me, or killed the guy. What you did was leave him wounded. And alerted anyone within hearing range that something was going on. There could have been seven or eight guys just down the path…”

  “But there weren’t.”

  “But you didn’t know that for sure. In this jungle, you can’t see more than ten feet.”

  “I saved your life!”

  Gideon held up his hands. “Enough. We need to move.” Gideon slung the duffel over his shoulder and started walking downstream.

  Aiden watched Gideon’s retreating back for a moment then reached a hand down to pull Lainey up off the rock. “We should keep up with him unless you know your way out of this place.”

  Lainey shook her head. “No. Let’s go.”

  They were silent on the walk back to the Range Rover except for the sounds they made while moving through the jungle. Lainey and Aiden waited on the muddy road as Gideon drove the Rover out on to the road. They climbed inside, Aiden riding shotgun. Gideon sat for a moment, staring out the windshield.

  “You lost your passport?” He spoke without turning to Aiden.

  “Yeah. First thing they took.”

  “Okay. We need to get you to the US Embassy in Guatemala City. It’s about an eight hour drive from here.” Gideon put the vehicle in drive. They started down the muddy track, the vehicle bumping over tree roots and threatening to slide off the slick surface into the jungle.

  To Lainey, the drive seemed endless. Shortly after they reached the paved highway, Aiden asked to trade seats with Lainey and he stretched out across the back seat, falling asleep almost instantly, head pillowed on Gideon’s duffel bag. It alarmed her; Aiden had always been healthy and active. Seeing him like this, all bloody and bruised, tore at her heart. She watched him for a moment then turned around.

  “Do you think he’s okay?”

  “He’s exhausted, but otherwise he’s just a little banged up. It’s mostly surface stuff. Looks worse than it really is. I think a couple nights’ sleep, some decent food, and he’ll be back to normal.”

  Lainey sank back into the seat. Gideon’s words helped a little, his matter-of-fact tone reassuring her. If he said it, then it must be true. Or at least she’d pretend that was the case. But other thoughts raced through her mind, focusing on Gideon and her, on whatever it was that had happened between them.

  “What happens now? I mean, after you…after we…after we get to the embassy?”

  Gideon kept his eyes on the road. “It may take a few days to get his passport. I’d suggest you two find a decent hotel somewhere close to the embassy and take it easy for a few days. He can rest, you can find some new clothes…” He cast a sidelong glance at Lainey.

  She looked down. Her shirt and pants were torn and dirty, and she knew she needed a long hot bath. And a new pair of shoes. The sneakers she’d started this trip with were caked with mud and falling apart. But that wasn’t what she meant.

  “Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.”

  As Gideon drove, she tried to work up the nerve to ask her next question. As if reading her mind, he turned and looked at her, dark glasses obscuring his eyes.

  “You’ve got more questions, don’t you? You fidget when you have something t
o say.” He turned back to the road. “Ask what you want.”

  She took a deep breath. “What about you? And, well…us?”

  “Us?” She watched his profile and saw his eyes flick briefly in her direction, but he didn’t turn his head.

  Lainey’s heart stuttered in her chest. She’d hoped he’d at least acknowledge something had happened between them, something other than just sex. At least she’d thought it was something more than just sex.

  “Us. I mean, what happened…back there.” She waved her hand over her shoulder in the general direction of back there.

  “We slept together.” His voice held no emotion.

  Her heart sank. “Yeah. I know. I was there, both times.” It was hard to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “What I’m asking is did it mean anything to you? Other than taking advantage of the situation? Or me?”

  “I didn’t take advantage of you,” he snapped, his eyes darkening. “If I recall correctly, you were a willing participant.”

  “Is that all it was?”

  Gideon blew out a breath, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. “We’re just going to keep going round and round about this.” He finally looked at her, but his expression was impossible to read behind the dark sunglasses.

  “Look. I’m not who you think I am, Lainey. I’m a guy who does dangerous jobs for money. Jobs no one else wants to do. That doesn’t make me the good guy. There’s nothing redeeming about me, no reason for you to be interested in me at all other than the job you hired me to do. I’m not exactly a guy in a position to be able to even think about a relationship, if you haven’t noticed.”

  Lainey’s face went numb, her heart dropping like a lead weight into her stomach. “So…that’s it?”

  A muscle tensed in his jaw. “It is what it is. I am what I am. And I made a rare mistake; I should have followed my first instinct.”

  “So you’re not attracted to me? There’s nothing here…at all? I was a mistake?”

  “What do you want there to be, Lainey? I told you, I’m not set up for relationships.”