Wild

by Jill Sorenson

There was a basket of treats at the center of the table. Crackers, fruit, blueberry muffins, diet soda. He must have brought it up with him. Chloe sat Emma in the other chair and offered her a muffin, unpeeling the paper cup for her.

  “How are you?” he asked carefully.

  She opened a package of crackers and a diet soda, murmuring a vague answer. She didn’t know what to say about her worsening condition, but she had no regrets about their tryst. She’d never regret it, no matter what.

  He watched her with cautious eyes, as if he feared she would denounce him.

  “Thanks for washing my panties,” she said.

  It took him a moment to process her words. When he did, relief relaxed his features. “My pleasure,” he said, his lips curving.

  “I’m sure it was.”

  He laughed at her joke, rubbing a hand over his jaw. His gaze moved from her to the bed and back again. She hoped he didn’t expect her to act like a blushing virgin. She had a child, after all. It was silly to pretend she hadn’t enjoyed his touch. He was no virgin, either. He’d known exactly what he was doing.

  Emma made a mess of her muffin, getting more on the floor than in her mouth. When she was finished, Mateo gave her the animal book from the thrift store. She pressed the buttons, making the tiger roar.

  Chloe nibbled on crackers and sipped soda, anxious.

  “Your leg…te duele?”

  “I need medicine.”

  “A ver,” he said, asking to see her wound.

  She rose with reluctance and tugged down the waistband of her pants.

  He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Híjole.” Reaching out, he tried to remove the bandage for a better look.

  She didn’t want him to see how bad it was, so she shied away from his hands and readjusted her clothes. He stood and paced the room, raking his fingers through his hair. His rapid-fire string of Spanish blistered her ears. He seemed angry, perhaps with himself, but the infection was hardly his fault.

  “Maybe we can find a pharmacy,” she said. “Medicine.”

  He paused, as if remembering something. Then he left the room and rushed downstairs. He returned with some trial-size packs of pain reliever/fever reducer tablets. Chloe accepted them with gratitude.

  Mateo helped Emma get ready to leave. He must have tidied the room while Chloe was asleep, because the clothes they’d borrowed for last night’s fashion show were hanging in the closet again. He’d also brought their belongings back from the pool. She put on her socks and boots, wincing at the pull in her leg.

  Before they set off, she asked to look at the map again. She’d seen a pedestrian bridge that passed over the freeway on the east side of the park. It led to a short nature trail that appeared to be a quicker, safer route. They’d travel through a wooded area near the zoo and continue to the naval hospital.

  “Here,” she said, pointing to the dotted green line on the map. “A shortcut.”

  He nodded his agreement and put the map away. She needed his help to descend the stairs, so he took Emma down first and came back for Chloe. Even with the cane, she couldn’t manage on her own.

  Traveling across flat ground wasn’t so bad. The first two blocks were bearable. She leaned heavily on her cane, feeling like a decrepit old lady. Emma was in a good mood, chirping to Mateo as she walked. Her words were unintelligible baby-talk to anyone but Chloe. He listened with one ear, his attention divided between Emma and their surroundings.

  It wasn’t as quiet in the sky today. There was a mix of clouds and smoke and aircraft overhead. Military planes and helicopters buzzed around, scoping the scene. Forty-eight hours since the original quake, order hadn’t been restored, not by a long shot. But at least there was some activity. An indication that rescue workers were mobilizing forces.

  When they reached the footbridge, Emma tried to wriggle her hand from Mateo’s grasp and run ahead. This was a typical Emma move. In her quest for independence, she often attempted to bolt across parking lots and race around at busy stores. The potential for a breakaway was always high.

  Mateo didn’t know how to deal with an unruly child in a high-stakes situation. The bridge looked solid, but he couldn’t let her go across by herself.

  “Give her to me,” Chloe said, resting her cane on the railing.

  He carried Emma to her gladly.

  “I go bridge!” Emma said.

  “We’ll go together,” Chloe said. “I’ll give you a licorice if you’re good.”

  Emma wasn’t used to getting treats so often. She watched while Mateo tested the bridge. Deeming it safe, he came back for Chloe and Emma. They went across together and entered the nature path on the other side. It was nice in the trees, quiet and peaceful. For the first time since the earthquake, they weren’t surrounded by wreckage.

  “Zoo,” Emma said, as if she recognized the area. “Unco Josh!”

  Mateo glanced at Chloe in question.

  “My brother works at the zoo,” she explained. “He’s a security officer.”

  The wildlife park was full of meandering passages through lush gardens and cactus groves. Those trails were perfectly maintained, with more exotic plants than this path, but Emma probably associated nature walks with the zoo. Mateo carried her for a few minutes. When they came to a clearing, Emma wanted to get down and run again.

  “Zoo,” Emma repeated. “Horse.”

  Chloe followed her pointed finger across the clearing. “Oh, my God,” she said, clapping a hand over her mouth.

  There wasn’t a horse in the distance. That would have been unusual and startling enough. This was an okapi. Chloe had seen the animals at the zoo many times. They were about the size of a horse, with odd coloring. Their hindquarters were striped and their backs were brown. They looked like a cross between a donkey and a zebra.

  “Que es esto?” Mateo said, agog.

  “It’s an okapi.”

  “`Kapi,” Emma said, delighted.

  While they watched, the okapi lowered its head to nibble on the grass.

  “It must have escaped from the zoo,” Chloe said to Mateo, uneasy.

  His brows rose with understanding. He glanced around, as if expecting to see more wild animals in the area.

  Chloe’s heart started pounding in her chest. She swayed on her feet, fighting another wave of nausea. She’d been cold this morning, but now she was hot. Her fever felt worse instead of better. Mateo said a bunch of words and gestured back the way they came. She wanted to keep moving forward. She also needed to rest. It was hard to decide. Insects buzzed around her ears, making her dizzy.

  His voice sounded far away now, drifting across the meadow. Her vision blurred and she stumbled into darkness.

  ***

  HELENA BOARDED THE Skylift again, her stomach roiling with nausea.

  This was what hell must be like. Heights, motion, guilt and a hangover. With Josh staring at her on a never-ending loop of doom.

  She couldn’t believe what they’d done last night.

  She’d woken up buck-naked in a cage with a coworker. What if a zoo official or a member of the National Guard had walked in on them this morning? Or in flagrante delicto? She’d never been more ashamed in her entire life.

  She couldn’t blame the alcohol, because she hadn’t been that drunk. She couldn’t blame him, either. He hadn’t taken advantage of her. She’d made a conscious choice to sleep with him. The only person to blame was herself.

  What was she going to say to Mitch?

  This wasn’t an accidental kiss after a near-fatal accident. They’d screwed each other silly. She’d had multiple orgasms. He’d done dirty things to her and promised to do more. It was the wildest, most passionate night of her life. They might not have had intercourse, but she’d cheated. She’d cheated hard.

  Mitch would never forgive her. He wasn’t the type of man to brush aside this kind of transgression, and they wouldn’t part as friends. She had to accept that.

  In her heart, she’d known it was over. They’d been on shak
y ground for months. She’d fallen out of love with him. She wouldn’t have gone to bed with Josh otherwise.

  That didn’t make it okay. There was no excuse for moving on from a committed relationship without informing the other person. She should have broken things off with Mitch before she’d ever considered having sex with Josh.

  She felt awful.

  Turning her gaze to the ground below, she looked for Zuma. There was no sign of the wily lioness as they drifted over Heart of Africa. Tau was sitting upright in his cage. It was a tight space, cramped and comfortable. They’d have to wait until the backup crew arrived to move him. While she surveyed the rest of the park, disturbed by the widespread damages and untidy enclosures, she replayed her argument with Josh.

  He’d said some terrible things to her this morning. The part about the alien baby was a low blow. Mitch wasn’t a robot. He was just reserved, like her. He didn’t talk about his feelings much, and neither did she. They were mature adults, not angst-ridden teenagers. But maybe they’d needed more emotion to bind them. They’d both withdrawn. Instead of growing stronger through adversity, they’d grown apart.

  Josh had been right about her relationship with Mitch. Josh had been right about everything. She hadn’t thought of Mitch last night. She hadn’t used Josh as a stand-in. She’d only said that to hurt him.

  She was afraid he’d break her heart. He’d come dangerously close to doing it already. She was standing on a terrifying edge, ready to topple over. Another selfless gesture from him, a few more emotional exchanges, a simple kiss…and she’d be lost forever.

  She glanced at Josh. He looked miserable. His sister and niece might be dead. She gripped the safety rail, contemplating a jump over the side of the tram. The heights didn’t scare her as much as her feelings did.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, forcing herself to meet his eyes.

  He cupped a hand over his ear, as if he hadn’t heard her. “What was that?”

  “I’m sorry,” she repeated stiffly. “For calling you a failure.”

  “I am a failure,” he said, shrugging. “Most of the trainees for SEALs and SWCC fail. What bothers me is your insinuation that I didn’t work hard enough. My failure had nothing to do with lack of effort or personal weakness. You would have failed, too.”

  “They don’t even let women try,” she pointed out.

  He ignored this fact. “You’re strong enough to compete, but your fear of heights would have prevented you from advancing. Anyone who suffers from motion sickness or serious anxiety is a poor candidate for special ops.”

  She’d always wondered if motion sickness was part of her problem. Instead of getting a diagnosis, she’d avoided the whole issue.

  “Maybe zoo security isn’t the most challenging job I could get,” he said. “That’s what I like about it. If something goes wrong, I can dial 911. I don’t have to carry a firearm or decide when to use deadly force.”

  She understood why that would appeal to him. “You’re a natural at handling emergencies, though.”

  He accepted this compliment with a curt nod.

  “I’m sure it’s common for law officers to feel conflicted about using their weapons. Any conscientious person would shoot as a last resort.”

  “My hesitation cost a sailor his life.”

  “You could save another life in the future.”

  “Why do you care what I do for work?” he asked bluntly.

  She started to say she didn’t, but the denial died in her throat.

  “If I left the zoo, you wouldn’t have to see me every day and remember how many times I made you come. Is that it?”

  “No,” she said, flushing.

  He held up his hand, indicating it was five. Five times.

  “It was four, you jerk.”

  “Was it?” He rested his arm on the safety bar, smirking. “I lost track.”

  She knew damned well he hadn’t lost track of the number. He was just trying to goad her into admitting that his performance last night had been a lot better than okay.

  Annoyed with his smug attitude, she studied the park grounds again, scanning the area beyond the fence line for stray hyenas. She didn’t want Josh to leave the zoo. The idea of him reenlisting or choosing a more dangerous profession gave her that buzzing-plane sensation in the pit of her stomach. If she never saw him again, she wouldn’t be relieved.

  She’d be devastated.

  Oh, God. Her worst fear had materialized: She’d fallen for him.

  Before she had a chance to digest this terrible news, she was confronted with something even worse. She caught a glimpse of stealthy motion in the woods near Birdie Trail. Zuma. While Helena watched in horror, the lioness crept across a short space between bushes. Then she crouched down again, waiting in the shadows.

  “Zuma is outside the perimeter,” she said, swallowing hard.

  Josh looked over his shoulder. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  The tram car moved past a pole, blocking their view. Helena tried to get another look at the bushes at the edge of the nature trail, but it was no use. They began to descend toward the loading dock, dipping below the treetops.

  “Are you sure you saw her?” Josh asked.

  “I’m positive.”

  He raked a hand through his hair. “Fuck.”

  “We have to go after her.”

  “Can’t we wait until the others get here?”

  “No,” she said, swallowing hard. This situation was far more pressing than the other code ten. They wouldn’t have been able to track the hyena, even if they’d known which direction the animal had gone. Hyenas were also opportunistic scavengers who preferred easy meals and rarely killed humans. Lions, on the other hand, were responsible for hundreds of attacks every year. Zuma was an aggressive lioness with no fear of people. That made her extremely dangerous. “I think she’s hunting.”

  “Hunting what?”

  Helena could only guess. “Rabbits are everywhere this time of year. She could have a field day on rabbits.”

  “Maybe that will keep her busy.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it. She might chase one away from the trail, or wander miles into the city. We can’t wait and hope she stays close. Our best chance to catch her is to act now, before she gets away.”

  He swore under his breath, but he didn’t protest. He knew she was right. As soon as they reached the dock, he jumped out and hit the button. She exited the tram car and followed him to the park’s front entrance. While she unlocked the gate, he sent a quick text to the park’s director about Zuma.

  “I’m sorry, too,” he said, putting his phone away.

  “For what?”

  “Getting defensive. Acting like an asshole. I hope you have a family and whatever else you want in life.”

  Her chest tightened with emotion. “I hope your sister and her little girl are okay.”

  “So do I,” he said simply. “And no matter what happens between us, I’m glad we spent this time together. Not just because of last night. The earthquake and everything was fucked up, but I loved being stuck here with you.”

  “Likewise,” she said, unable to lie. “You were a great partner.”

  “I think we deserve bonuses. Hazard pay.”

  “Definitely.”

  After she wiped the tears from her eyes, they headed toward Birdie Trail to complete their final mission.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  JOSH CREPT FORWARD, rifle raised, his adrenaline pumping with every step.

  Helena stayed on his six with the tranquilizer gun. He knew she wanted to use darts instead of bullets, but if something went wrong, he wouldn’t hesitate to take the kill shot. There was no way he’d let the lioness charge at his woman.

  He couldn’t guess what their relationship would be like after this ordeal was over. Helena might retreat into her cool facade and never let him touch her again. She might move to Denver and play house with Mitch. If Josh’s wildest dreams came true, she’d break down in tears, con
fess her passionate love for him and beg him to take her to bed.

  It was a pretty awesome fantasy. His dates with Wonder Woman paled in comparison. The thought of spending the rest of his life with Helena appealed to him on every level. He’d been disinterested in casual sex for months. Giving up his bachelor status was no loss. He could go without flirting or ogling women in short shorts.

  He couldn’t go without Helena.

  He’d do everything in his power to win her over, but he understood reality. Sometimes you didn’t succeed no matter how hard you tried. It was a fact of life.

  And for all his desperate, lovelorn wishes, he’d trade a future with Helena for the safety of his sister and niece in a heartbeat.

  In a heartbeat.

  They didn’t encounter Zuma on the trail. Before they reached the area where Helena had seen the lioness, Josh spotted an unexpected inhabitant: an okapi. The donkey-like creature with zebra legs and hyena ears nibbled on grass in the middle of an open field.

  Josh stopped short, making a halt signal behind his back. Helena followed his gaze to the okapi, her eyes widening. They hadn’t even known an okapi had escaped an enclosure, let alone the zoo itself. After he searched their surroundings for signs of Zuma, Josh ducked behind a pair of nearby bushes with Helena. She pressed her fingertips to her lips. If the lioness was nearby, she’d hear them.

  Josh had to assume that Zuma was hunting the okapi. Waiting to ambush the lioness was a better strategy than moving forward into unknown territory. Zuma had the edge on them in this setting. She was the superior tracker. She had acute senses and the ability to move in silence. If the lioness knew two humans were following her, she could evade them easily.

  Helena tilted her head toward a nearby bush, indicating that she wanted to check it out. Then she lifted her palm, telling him to stay here.

  He shook his head. Hell no.

  She walked her fingertips across her palm and made a sweeping motion. Then she gestured to the okapi. Josh gathered that Helena thought she could flush Zuma out of the bushes and into the clearing. He didn’t like that idea, either. He touched her tranquilizer gun and pointed at the okapi. If she darted the prey, the predator might come running.