"We should take Bloom's body with us. There's a reward for him, dead or alive," Jarod said. "We could buy some medication with the bounty, enough to treat the worst cases for a couple of days."
Brendan rubbed his forehead tiredly. "That'll be like trying to stop a gunshot wound from bleeding with a band-aid. But I guess it'll have to do."
"That's settled then," Jack said.
They tied Bloom to the back of one of the jeeps, then climbed in themselves, Jack once again sharing a jeep with Carson and Roger. He gave Jackie the signal to go ahead and they were on their way.
# # #
Carson couldn't believe his luck. Not only had he been found immediately after the jeep broke down, but he had been found by MacKenzie's team. Although, when Geils mentioned MacKenzie, Carson had pictured either a military-oriented group, or maybe a band of philanthropists trying to do the right thing. But he had never seen a more motley crew than this in his life.
Jackie Trent was a petite brunette, with long hair caught in a plait and wide, almond eyes. She was obviously the youngest of the six, twenty at most, but moved with the confidence of a trained military.
By contrast, Vivian was tall and slim, with blue eyes that missed little going on around her, her raven hair cut very short. Like Carson, she was in her early twenties, appeared to be the quiet type, but exuded a dangerous aura that Carson didn't think was just for show.
Jarod and Brendan were the oldest of the bunch, probably in their late forties. They were both big men, well over six feet, although Jarod had more bulk than the doctor. Jarod's hair was already salt and pepper, but the gray eyes shone with vitality. Brendan was an African-American, with a buzz cut and kind, brown eyes that made you feel at ease.
Jack and Roger were also about the same age, early to mid-thirties. Roger appeared to be easy-going and laid-back, standing at about six feet, with wavy brown hair and blue eyes. If Carson were to guess, he would peg Roger as the joker in the group, the one good at lightening things up.
As for Jack MacKenzie... He was tall and lithe, with disheveled blond hair, and stormy hazel eyes. Like Vivian, he was very aware of his surroundings, and if she exuded danger, Jack doubled it. Not to mention there was something very appealing about the man that Carson refused to consider right now. That wasn't why he was here.
Like his mother had often told him, life was all about priorities. Right now, his first priority was to get back to Jawara City and get a room at the hotel. He would also have to come up with a way to earn some money without having to resort to his egg's nest. Once he had accomplished that, he would fly back to the States, followed by what was sure to be a fierce confrontation with Bruce. Jack MacKenzie had no place on that list.
# # #
"You going back to the States?" Jack asked Carson as he followed Jackie's jeep.
"Eventually," Carson said. "I might stay for a while. After all, I was here on vacation before Geils came storming into my life. Bruce and I were supposed to stay for a month as neither of us had had any time-off from our jobs in years. And this was only the first week, so..."
"There's this bar in town, run by a friend of ours, Kit Mason, where we usually hang out. If you ever need anything, or if you want to get in touch with us, go there. She'll know how to reach us."
"That sounds mysterious," Carson teased. "Don't you have a cell phone?"
Jack chuckled. "Yes. But usually there's no way of knowing where we are at any given time, as we're constantly on the move. And our base camp is far from Jawara City. No radio or cell phone can reach that far into the jungle. There's only one cell phone company in this country, and their services are crap. I think they have one antenna in town and that's it. You drive half a mile into the jungle and the phones stop working. Njau, a town to the north of Jawara City, used to have a cell-phone tower as well, but it was destroyed. Unfortunately, the wars between tribes don't end when its members move to the city."
Roger gave Carson a card. "Here, that's the address to the bar. We use Kit's place not only to hang out or get information, but for insurance as well. We usually tell her where we're going. If something happens to us and we go missing, we know she'll put together a search party. Her network of friends is impressive and she can get you a guide to virtually anywhere in the country."
Carson looked down at the card. "The Jungle Tavern. Kit Mason. All right. Maybe I'll pay you a visit before I leave. I can buy you all a drink to thank you for your help. If not for you, I'd still be in the middle of the jungle, fighting off insects, or stuck in the mud somewhere."
"Well, you got us Bloom, so consider it even," Jack told him with a smile.
When they finally reached Jawara City, well into the afternoon, they took Carson to his hotel, double-parking right in front of the impressive twenty-story building. They stepped out of the vehicles, ignoring all the wide-eyed stares Bloom's body was causing among the bystanders, and accompanied Carson to the entrance.
Once there, Jack was oddly reluctant to see him go. The others seemed to sense that and slowly melted away, leaving Jack alone with Carson. Jack cleared his throat, embarrassed. "I'm sorry about that. They weren't exactly subtle."
When he had first teamed up with the others, he had decided to tell them he was gay. It was stuff like that that could make or break a team, and he didn't want it to come between them. Roger had known all along, but he hadn't really counted on the easy acceptance from the rest of the gang, especially so soon after they had met.
Of course, being honest did have its disadvantages. Not only did the others tease him relentlessly if they thought he was interested in anyone, but they were constantly trying to set him up, usually with men Jack had nothing in common with.
"It's okay," Carson said with a slight shrug. An awkward silence followed, before Carson spoke again, gesturing at the jeep. "I guess it's time for you to deliver Bloom to the authorities and collect the reward, huh? You're starting to gather quite the crowd."
Jack looked back and realized that Jackie's jeep was now surrounded by a curious mob. "Shit. I better join them before Vivian starts to bang heads together." He focused his attention back to Carson. "Meet us tomorrow afternoon at Kit's place, Carson. We've got nothing planned; we should be in town all day."
Carson's gaze searched his for a long time. "Okay," he finally said. "Tomorrow afternoon, at the Jungle Tavern. I'll be there."
Jack smiled. "Good." He shook Carson's hand firmly, holding it for a little longer than necessary. "See you then."
He went back to the jeep, sat behind the wheel, and watched as Carson went inside the hotel.
"Nice, isn't he?" Roger commented with a wicked grin.
Jack glared at him. "You guys are impossible. I can't believe you left us alone like that. A neon sign would've been subtler."
Roger chuckled. "We were only trying to help, ol' dog. We all saw the way you were looking at him. It's been a while since I've seen you take an interest in anyone."
"I asked him to join us tomorrow at Kit's, but I'm not planning on doing or saying anything. He's leaving for home, remember?"
"Yeah. But your heard him; he's probably going to stay in Jawara for a while. You know where he's staying, you could see him tonight, maybe ask him out to dinner... Afterwards, you go up to his room for a cup of coffee, one thing leads to another..."
"Well, thank you, Roger Yenta," Jack muttered sarcastically, before shaking his head. "Nah, I don't think so. He doesn't seem like an one-night stand kind of guy."
Roger shrugged. "So? Neither are you."
Jack gunned the jeep, not bothering to reply. Roger was right. He had liked Carson a lot; the way he looked, his voice, the way his face dimpled as he smiled, even the way he felt, on the few occasions they had sort of bumped into each other. The hard muscle underneath surprisingly soft skin, the scent of him, the strong hands... But Jack wasn't about to jump into bed with someone he had just met. No matter how desperate Roger thought him to be; he didn't need the aggravation. Better to let it go.
# # #
Carson watched through the tinted glass of the hotel doors as Jack and his team finally drove away. A small, annoying part of himself wanted to stay with them, or at least with Jack. The man was an enigma, and as such extremely dangerous. After all, Carson had jumped into a relationship with Bruce without knowing him well, and that had brought him nothing but trouble.
Carson had a hard time turning down a challenge, and the occasional glance he had caught Jack giving him had assured him should he make an advance, Jack wouldn't say no. The way the others had hurried through their goodbyes, so that Jack and Carson could be alone, certainly supported that assumption. Not to mention the fact that Jack had apologized for their antics.
There was no denying that Jack was sex on two legs. Besides the tough guy vibe, there was just something about him that called to Carson, something wild and fierce and passionate, that made Jack very hard to resist.
The more cautious part of his brain reminded him that he had other things to worry about, and that he was still smarting from Bruce's careless attitude towards him and perhaps wanting to use Jack to ease the sting. He should have ended that relationship long ago. It wasn't as if they loved each other madly. As soon as he got back to New York he would tell Bruce what he could do with himself, or more precisely where to stick it.
How could two men be so different? MacKenzie didn't seem to have much money, his profession was a risky one, and he lived in the jungle. And yet, Carson knew Jack was a useful human being, doing what he could for humankind, while a bore like Bruce was only taking up space and consuming precious air.
But Carson wasn't about to make any moves on MacKenzie tonight. Firstly, the last thing he needed was to further complicate his life for the sake of one night of sex with the man. Secondly, after his encounter with Geils, all he wanted to do was take a hot bath and wash the feel of the mercenary's touch from his body.
He shook his head to clear his jumbled thoughts, wondering how just a few hours in MacKenzie's company could have left him so confused. With a sigh, he walked over to the reception desk, ready to take over the reins of his life once again.
Determined to fight with the receptionist for a room, he was relieved when she remembered him as Mr. Fraser's "good friend" and not only rented him a room, but also made sure all his belongings--which Bruce had left abandoned at the hotel--were brought up immediately.
Once inside the room, he took a long, hot bath, then got dressed in clothes that were his own. He threw Geils' borrowed clothes in the trash, wishing he could burn them instead. The first thing on his list of things to do had been accomplished; he had a roof over his head.
Next on the agenda was to get his hands on some money. He only had one credit card; he'd learned the hard way what having a handful of them could do to his bank account. Granted, he did have his savings, but it had taken him a long time to accrue that much so he would have it on hand for a rainy day, and he really hated to use it. Not to mention that it would be like giving Bruce another victory to let this trip financially knock him for a loop.
Carson rubbed his forehead wearily. He could call his parents; they had more money than they knew what to do with, but just the thought of it creeped him out. He had cut that umbilical cord a long time ago once he had realized that everything they doled out came laden with hidden expectations.
It might be possible to find a job, but anything paying cash under the table was probably going to be jobs Carson had no intention of doing. And anything legal would pay poorly, keeping him here much longer than he anticipated, assuming they would even hire a foreigner. He had prepared to be away from his agency for four weeks. After that, he needed more income rolling to keep himself solvent.
He leaned against the wall, looking out the window but not really seeing anything. "I guess that leaves gambling," he said with a sigh.
He grimaced. Not a perfect plan by any means, but he had little choice, and he was good. The hotel's casino seemed like a good place to start.
# # #
Chapter Three
The following afternoon Carson was feeling more at peace with the world. He had won a very nice sum last night at the casino, especially after being told about the backroom and the high stake games held there. He would have been wasting his time on the tourist game played in the main hall. It wasn't nearly enough for a plane ticket yet, but one more night of the same should get him there.
Bruce had returned their rental before taking off to the States, so Carson rented an SUV to travel around town, deciding that since he was stranded in Jawara for the time being, he might as well do some sightseeing. And there was still his promised visit to the Jungle Tavern to meet with Jack and his crew.
He went down to the underground garage where the hotel's rental agency parked its vehicles, whistling softly to himself. He was searching for the Ford Explorer, walking along the half-lit level, when he heard steps behind him. He spun around to find Geils' man, Collins, standing not three feet away from him.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Collins said with a smirk. "Going for a walk, are you?" The big man bulged his biceps, looking like he was ready to go nine rounds.
Carson lifted his hands in a sign of surrender. "I have no quarrel with you."
Collins scowled. "Now that's just too bad, because I have one with you. Bloom was my friend."
Carson squinted at the man, trying to think of something, a way to get out of this alive and unharmed, and quickly. "I'm sorry," he said, stalling for time. "But none of this would've happened if you hadn't kidnapped me in the first place." The complete and utter lack of sadness on Collins face had Carson saying, "Somehow I don't think revenge is what you're looking for."
Collins shook his head. "Not really. Although I wouldn't mind putting a bullet through your brain."
Carson cocked his head to the side, assessing his opponent carefully. "Then what do you want?"
"Geils wants you back," Collins said, beginning to circle Carson, forcing him to move as well in order to keep the bigger man within sight. "He's pissed off as all hell that you got away. I've never seen him like that before."
Carson resisted the urge to snort, knowing there was probably more to Geils' anger than just him escaping. Like the fact that Carson had played him for a fool, pretending to go along with the man's clumsy seduction. Nothing like a bruised ego to make you want to get even with someone. It wasn't that hard for Carson to imagine just what Geils had in store for him, either.
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Carson said defiantly.
Collins grinned. "I was kind of hoping you would say that." He cracked his knuckles noisily. "I'm going to enjoy this."
Before Carson consciously realized what was happening, he was ducking a punch, feeling only the faint hiss of air swishing past his left ear. Instinctively, he crouched, immediately falling into fighting mode, diving and rolling with the punches as well as managing to dish out a few well placed ones of his own.
Carson couldn't help shuddering at the feral expression on Collins' face, at the coiled muscles in the powerful body. The man really was a giant and Carson was beginning to see just how unfair this fight really was. To Collins, he was probably little more than a bug ready to be crushed.
A painful blow landed to his midsection then, and before he could recover, Collins tackled him to the ground. Soon they were wrestling on the concrete floor, both groaning as fists, elbows and knees hit solid flesh. But Collins was stronger and taller, and Carson found himself pinned beneath his bulk, with no hopes of escaping.
Knowing his only chance was to cheat, he waited until the right moment to bluff his way out of his predicament. A punch hit his jaw painfully, and he pretended to pass out, allowing his body to go lax under Collins. For a few seconds all movement ceased, Collins' harsh breath fanning over Carson's face.
When Collins finally let his guard down, shifting his body away slightly, Carson struck. In a fast turn, he reversed their positions, pinning Collins down.
Not giving the mercenary time to react, Carson banged Collins' head on the ground a few times, until the other man stopped struggling.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Carson panted, collapsing next to Collins.
He felt like he'd been hit by a truck; his whole body ached, and he was probably bruised and bleeding from several wounds. All in all, and considering who he had been fighting, he could be in a lot worse state.
When he had rested enough he sat up, reaching out to Collins' neck, relieved when he felt a strong, if unsteady heartbeat. For a moment he had been afraid he had killed the other man. Not that it would have been a great loss, and he didn't really think he would get in trouble with the local authorities, since it would have been self-defense. But despite what had happened with Bloom, he really abhorred killing.
He climbed painfully to his feet, knowing Collins wouldn't be unconscious for long. He bound the man's hands with his own belt, then rapidly locating his SUV, Carson dragged Collins to it under a constant stream of curses at the man's weight, barely managing to shove him into the back.
He literally crawled to the driver's side, opened the door and slumped into the seat. He took a moment to recover, releasing a few deep breaths before he thought himself ready to face the afternoon traffic. Now all he needed was to find the Jungle Tavern before Collins regained his senses.
# # #
Carson made it to the bar in little over ten minutes, breaking several traffic laws in the process. He rushed out of the SUV, stormed into the establishment, and seeing Jackie, Brendan and Jarod sitting at a table, made his way there.
He collapsed into a chair. "You got any rope?" he asked Jarod.
"My God," Brendan exclaimed. "What the hell happened to you? Are you okay? Do you need--"
"Later, doc," Carson interrupted. "Do you guys have any rope?"
"In our jeep," Jarod answered. "Why?"
Carson gave him the keys to the SUV. "This goes with the dark blue Explorer parked outside. Geils' thug, Collins, is locked in the back, bound with his belt, hopefully still unconscious. Otherwise, awake, extremely pissed off and possibly gone. Not to mention hell-bent on revenge. I suggest tying him up properly and calling the authorities. I also suggest hurrying."
The Ripple Effect Page 3
