RunningWildAmazon

by Reece, Christy

  Aidan adjusted the backpack on Anna’s shoulders, making sure the weight was evenly distributed. “Too heavy for you?”

  She shifted the pack slightly, shook her head. “Feels fine. I can carry more if need be.”

  Of course she would. If there was one thing he knew about Anna Bradford, it was that she was willing to carry more than her weight. He also knew that if he hadn’t been around to help her rescue Carrie, she would be heading off to do it by herself. She was resilient, resourceful, and determined.

  He stepped back, away from temptation. “By the time we arrive, this pack will feel as if it’s about three times heavier.”

  She turned to face him, a thousand questions in her eyes. He was glad she didn’t ask them. There were too many things he wanted to say right now—things he had no right to say.

  Dammit, he shouldn’t have kissed her. He avoided this woman as much as possible. Had even been rude to her on occasion, just to make sure she knew to stay away from him. And in the span of less than twenty-four hours, he’d kissed her twice. So much for the self-control he was so damn proud of. He needed to get this done and get back to his life, away from her. That was the only way to deal with this. Get it done and over with.

  Aidan went to his own backpack and shrugged it over his shoulders. Though he didn’t ask for her help, she came over and snapped it into place for him, just as he had for her.

  Once the pack was settled comfortably, he turned to face her. “Two things before we get started. You’re trained to defend yourself, and no matter what happens, I want you to promise me that you will be your first priority. I’ll take care of myself and Carrie. You take care of you.”

  She opened her mouth, and Aidan held up his hand to stop her. “No. I need your promise on that before we leave. I’m trained for rescuing and staying alive. I’m good at it. It’s my job. Let me do it. Taking care of yourself is your only job. You’ll make things easier for me if I don’t have to worry about you. Got it?”

  “All right.”

  “Secondly, when I give you an order, I want you to carry it out. I don’t want an argument or an ‘I think this’ll work better’ suggestion. Once we rescue Carrie and we’re all back safe and sound, you’re welcome to rail at me for being an asshole, jerk, or whatever newfangled word is popular today. But on this op, I’m your boss. Do what I say without question. Got it?”

  “I’ve got no problem with that.” If she resented his autocratic words, she gave no indication. Her words were exactly what he needed to hear.

  Relieved she’d offered no protest, Aidan turned to eye the location where they’d hidden the Land Rover, double-checking that it couldn’t be seen. If any of Garcia’s people spotted the vehicle, they’d know immediately somebody was headed their way.

  Satisfied the Rover was well hidden, he said, “Let’s go.”

  They started off at a fast, steady pace. Fresh, rested, and hydrated, they needed to make good time here. This path, though overgrown, would be one of the easiest. There would be several areas up ahead that would require more work.

  This time of morning, massive trees and oversized bushes provided so much shade, Aidan had to use his flashlight on occasion. Frustrating now, but when the sun was at its zenith, the shade would be much appreciated.

  Wild birds cawed to their mates, a small grouping of bright blue butterflies appeared above their heads, a skinny tree limb creaked as a brown spider monkey swung from one branch to another. An ordinary, peaceful day in the depths of the Colombian jungle. Aidan hoped to hell it stayed that way.

  His cellphone vibrated in his pocket. Aidan grabbed it, grunted at the readout, and answered, “What do you have, McCall?”

  “More than we did. You guys started yet?”

  “Yes, we just have, though.” He glanced at Anna and mouthed, McCall.

  “What do you have?” Aidan asked again.

  “Nothing Anna can’t hear.”

  Aidan lowered the phone and hit speaker. “Okay. Speaker’s on.”

  “First, wanted to let you know that Miguel arrived safely. We’ll get him a proper visa and a safe place to stay. For right now he’s staying in one of our safe houses.”

  “Thank you, Noah,” Anna said. “He’ll have advantages he never believed were possible.”

  “Seems like a good kid. Just needed a chance. Anyway, on to the other. It’s what we figured, only worse. All roads and trails headed up to the compound were destroyed several years back. Julio has a helipad for arrivals and departures. The mountain’s going to be well guarded. If you’re seen, they’ll shoot first, no questions asked.”

  That’s what Aidan had figured but had held out a little hope that Julio was less paranoid than Aidan had heard.

  “What else?” Aidan asked.

  “No intel on any injuries or illnesses, however, Julio has himself a young wife. Rumor is she’s pregnant. There’s a possibility he wanted a doctor for her.”

  “How far along?”

  “From what I’ve been able to get, she’s just a few months. There could be some pregnancy complication.”

  With that information, Aidan’s concern grew. If Carrie wasn’t able to help, or the mother or baby didn’t make it, would Julio take out his grief on the psychologist?

  “Anything else?”

  “It’s a fortress. Well guarded. Our informant thinks he has a dozen men. He wasn’t sure.”

  “Not as many as I thought. You got a phone number?”

  “Yes.” McCall gave a series of numbers. Aidan committed them to memory.

  “Ingram and Riley will arrive in approximately five hours. They were delayed. We had some mechanical problems with the plane. They’ve got your coordinates and will head up right behind you.”

  Hopefully, the other two operatives wouldn’t be needed, but it was good to have backup just in case.

  “Roger that.”

  “Anna,” McCall said, “how are you?”

  “I’m fine, Noah. We’ll all be fine.”

  “I know you will. Who knows? Maybe this will persuade you to join our team.”

  She laughed, as Aidan knew his boss had intended. “Maybe it will.”

  “Okay, you two, stay safe and call if you need anything.”

  Aidan slid the phone back into his pocket and started walking again. “We can talk as we go. You have any questions?”

  “Why did you get his phone number?”

  “Depending on how things go, I might call him and let him know we’re coming.”

  “Okay, I know you told me I shouldn’t question you, but—”

  Aidan threw her a look over his shoulder. “I meant when we’re in the middle of the rescue, don’t question my orders. You got questions before we get there, spit them out. You’ve got every right to ask.”

  That made things easier. She had been determined to go along with him on anything, but being able to ask him the why of something was a relief.

  “Calling him and telling him we’re coming seems counterproductive.”

  “Julio Garcia has many enemies. His guards will be trained to shoot on sight. They won’t wait to find out if we’re friend or foe.”

  “If I wasn’t with you, would you do things differently?”

  He wasn’t going to lie to her, but he could lessen the blow. “Yes, but look at it this way. If you weren’t with me, I could very well get my head blown off. This way you might just be saving my ass.”

  Her expression told him she wasn’t buying his reasoning for a minute, but instead of arguing, she smiled. “And as we’ve already discussed, it is a very fine one.”

  Resisting the urge to grab her for a hard kiss, he nodded. “On behalf of my very fine ass, I thank you.”

  “So how do you think he’ll take it when you call him? Will you tell him who you are?”

  “Yes and no. I’ll explain that you’re a coworker of Dr. Easterly’s who hired me to find her.”

  “And then what?”

  “We see how he reacts. Go from the
re.”

  “Aidan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Have I thanked you for helping me?”

  He glanced over his shoulder, not surprised to see that intensely serious expression she wore when something touched her. Anna was as easy to read as a children’s book.

  “No thanks necessary. It’s what I do.”

  He knew his cool, offhand response probably hurt her tender feelings, but he could do nothing else. For almost a decade, his life had been about avoiding relationships of any kind. Anna Bradford was the first person in years who made him hate that restriction with every fiber of his being. But it could be no other way. It was best she accepted that, just as he had. He’d realized long ago that wanting something you could never have was a torture all its own.

  Chapter Nine

  Garcia Compound

  Julio Garcia paced back and forth across the cool tile of the patio. What was taking the doctor so long to make a diagnosis? Two days ago, when one of his men had complained of headaches and nausea, Julio had shrugged it off as no matter, believing the man had imbibed too freely the night before. Every Friday night, the majority of his men were allowed to enjoy themselves at the small cantina he provided for his people. Most of them were mature enough not to overindulge, but it happened on occasion.

  He had assumed that was the case this time, until another man fell sick, and then another. Before he knew it, half of his men were lying in their beds, groaning from pain, or bending over their toilets, vomiting their guts up.

  His biggest worry was for Elena. She was finally adjusting to her new life as the wife of a Garcia. Having her become ill was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Her pregnancy had caused her to be sick already. She didn’t need anything else to make her feel worse.

  So far, just the men had succumbed to the illness. Julio was feeling nauseated as well, but he told himself the sounds of his men retching and groaning were causing his symptoms. He could not afford to become ill.

  “Señor Garcia?”

  He whirled around. The woman before him looked both troubled and compassionate. He told himself he should feel guilt for snatching her but could find none. He’d had no choice in the matter.

  “What have you decided?”

  “You realize that my diagnosis is merely opinion, señor. My training is not in the medical field.”

  “Yes. Yes.” Julio waved off her protests. The men who had abducted the doctor had told him they were misinformed. By the time they allowed her to speak, it had been too late. She was already here.

  “But you’ve had some training. Correct?”

  “Yes, but I am in no way trained to treat a serious illness.”

  “You believe this illness is serious?” That was his worst fear.

  “Having no way to test blood or urine samples, all I can do is make an assessment of the symptoms.”

  “Yes, yes. I understand that.”

  “Then my initial diagnosis is the possibility of food poisoning.”

  “Food poisoning?” Relieved breath gushed from his body. “You mean, like tainted or spoiled food?”

  “Yes.”

  “Other than a few who have their meals here in this house, most of the people take their meal in the common building.”

  “Yes, that’s my understanding.”

  “Then why isn’t everyone sick?”

  “I don’t know. Several of the men indicated they’d visited the cantina.”

  “But not all of them who were at the cantina are sick. How do you explain that?”

  “I can’t. I’ve only been here a few hours. I hope to be able to determine more soon.” She held out a piece of paper. “Here’s a list of the supplies I need. Also, I’ve drawn blood from the men who are ill. The vials need to be taken to a lab and analyzed.”

  “And how do you propose I do this?”

  “I don’t know. However, until I know exactly what this is, food poisoning or something else, I would recommend quarantining those who are ill.”

  “You believe it could be contagious?”

  “If it’s not food poisoning, then yes, it could be something that could spread.”

  Julio’s guts twisted. He refused to fall prey to whatever sickness was bringing down his men. And what about his Elena? What if she became ill? The baby could be hurt.

  He could not allow that to happen.

  ***

  Carrie shoved fingers through her short hair. She was running on no sleep. On top of that, she had no real clue what was wrong with these men. Yes, they were presenting symptoms consistent with food poisoning, but unless she was able to get their blood tested, then she couldn’t be absolutely certain it wasn’t a half-dozen other illnesses. Illnesses that could spread and kill with ease. Illnesses that she had no idea how to treat.

  She stood at the entrance to the room designated for the sick. A half-dozen cots had been brought inside and were already occupied. While more beds were being rounded up, the remaining ill lay on blankets on the floor. Buckets had been placed beside all of the sick, and the sound of retching filled the air. The stench would soon become unbearable.

  She glanced at the two women who had been selected as her helpers. Evelyn was in her mid-fifties and had a worried look in her soft brown eyes. Constance was a little younger and had the same expression of concern on her face. Both women were looking decidedly green, but Carrie figured it had more to do with revulsion than their bodies succumbing to the illness. It took a strong stomach to be in the medical profession. She’d always considered her constitution to be made of iron, but she had to admit that even her stomach lurched a bit at the scene before them.

  Since there was nothing to be done but continue on, she eyed the two women. “Make sure you wear gloves before you tend to any of the men.” She held out white masks one of Garcia’s men had brought her. Though the masks were intended to keep painters from breathing toxic fumes, they were better than nothing. “Keep one of these over your nose and mouth like I showed you.

  “Let’s start emptying buckets. Rinse them, spray them with disinfectant, and return them to the beds. Once you’re through with that, we’ll work up a schedule so we can all get some rest at some point.”

  Neither of them looked too enthusiastic, but both nodded and set to work.

  As Carrie slid her hands into gloves and covered her face with a mask, she thought about what poor Anna must be going through. Was it only yesterday they had planned to have a joint counseling session with one of the families?

  Would Anna have gone to the police? Had she called Carrie’s children? Hopefully not. Both of them tended to worry about their mom way too much already.

  If she could find a phone, she could at least call Anna and let her know she was all right. Asking for one would be pointless. When she had been taken, she had been bound and gagged, arriving here in a helicopter. Then blindfolded, she had been taken to the man responsible for her abduction—Julio Garcia. The man had apologized for the inconvenience but claimed he had a couple of people who were ill and he would be most grateful for her assistance.

  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize she’d been abducted by people who were more than just mere criminals. She had been fearful that telling Garcia she wasn’t a medical doctor would get her killed on the spot. However, she figured if she didn’t tell him, he’d learn the truth on his own.

  Garcia had been furious at the news, but thankfully not at her. He had asked her to do what she could, and she had agreed. She had asked for one favor—to call her friend and let her know she was all right. The request had been denied.

  Asking again would do no good and possibly make them keep a closer eye on her. She was going to have to steal a cellphone and call Anna. Not that she expected her young friend to be able to do anything other than alert the authorities, but someone needed to know what had happened to her.

  And as she looked around the room at the horrendously sick men, a chilling feeling warned her that someone needed to know
about this, too.

  ***

  Anna guzzled her bottle of water. Rivulets of sweat were rolling down her body, and she was losing moisture almost as quickly as she could replace it. She slapped at a mosquito buzzing around her head and then tossed a damp strand of hair out of her eyes. She was glad she wasn’t a particularly vain person. If she were, she was sure she’d be mortified by her appearance.

  Her eyes moved to where Aidan sat on a rock a few feet away, chugging down his own water. He wore camo pants and an olive green T-shirt, and while both were damp and stuck to his skin, they only emphasized his manliness. His T-shirt clung lovingly to his abs, showed off impressive pecs, causing Anna’s thirst to grow even more. His thick, blond hair was dampened to a dark gold that only seemed to highlight the golden brown of his eyes.

  “How you holding up?”

  Anna jerked. Had he noticed that her eyes had been roaming over him like a starving piranha’s?

  She answered quickly, in case he had. “I’m fine. I’m used to hiking long trails.”

  “But not in this heat.”

  “No, don’t have this kind of humidity in Arizona.”

  “Do you live close to both your parents?”

  “Close enough to get there if they need me. Not close enough that they can drop by on a moment’s notice.”

  “You dating anyone?”

  If that question had been asked by any other man, she might have believed his interest was personal. An entry-level question leading to asking her out. But this was Aidan Thorne. Even though he’d kissed her, she had no illusions about his interest in her personal life.

  “Not really. I do so much traveling, it’s hard to maintain a steady relationship.”

  “I know you counsel traumatized children, but why so much traveling?”

  “The Timothy Foundation, my employer, is a nonprofit children’s advocacy group. They help kids from all over the world and send psychologists and counselors to wherever they’re needed.”

  “How’d you get interested in counseling children? Seems like I remember your major was criminal justice.”

  Her heart lightened a little. She had never told him that, so maybe he had some interest in her after all.