Securing Piper

by Susan Stoker

  Looking over Ace’s shoulder, Piper saw three pairs of eyes staring at her. Rani, Sinta, and Kemala were still standing with Rex and Bubba, but their attention was on her. She realized it was almost always on her. They’d spent three very intense days together in the crawlspace and they’d all bonded. Well…maybe she, Rani, and Sinta had bonded. Kemala, not so much. The teenager held adults at arm’s length, and Piper was never really sure what she was thinking.

  “What are your plans for them when we reach Dili?” Ace asked.

  Piper had no idea.

  Ace could obviously read the panic blooming on her face, because he slowly reached out and pulled her into his arms.

  Piper melted against him. She’d held herself together for three long days and having someone she could lean on, even if it was just for a moment, felt divine. His torso was hard, due to his armored vest, and her hands were trapped between them, resting against his chest. It felt just a little awkward to be held by a man she’d met hours ago, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. She was tired, so damn tired, and standing there in his arms, she didn’t have to be strong. Didn’t have to be confident and positive.

  She was shocked and distraught over the death of her friend. Had nothing but the clothes on her back. Had been highly stressed and on edge for three days living in that crawlspace, scared someone was going to find them and hurt them. Having Ace’s arms around her made her feel as if she wasn’t alone. As if she really might make it out of the situation in which she’d found herself.

  But Ace’s question made her think about Rani, Sinta, and Kemala’s future for the first time. What was she going to do about them? They’d been spared from being shot, unlike the other girls at the orphanage, but what now? They had no family, and she was dragging them down the mountain to the capital. What would happen to them there? Another orphanage? It wasn’t as if they could come back to the States with her…

  Could they?

  As soon as the thought crept into her brain, Piper tried to dismiss it—and couldn’t.

  Why couldn’t they come back to America with her? She’d been single a long time, but at thirty-two, she wasn’t getting any younger. She’d always wanted children, but had figured they probably weren’t in the cards for her. And she’d only known the three girls for less than a week.

  She couldn’t seriously be thinking about adopting them herself. It was crazy. Insane.

  And yet the idea wouldn’t leave her head.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Ace promised, interrupting her internal musings.

  Piper felt his words rumble up from his chest, and anxiety gripped her. What in the world was she thinking? She was a cartoonist. She spent her life sitting on her ass on her couch. She hated people-ing…even just going out into the big bad world to do errands.

  But here she was, holding on to a stranger as if he was the only thing standing between her and that big bad world—and contemplating bringing three children back to her small two-bedroom apartment.

  She couldn’t think about that right now. First she had to get off this mountain, where there could be groups of rebels just waiting to kill them. And the reality of the situation was that Ace really was the only thing standing between her most likely dying in the jungle and getting back home to that lonely little apartment. Well, him and the other five men on his team.

  Taking a deep breath, knowing she couldn’t break down right now, Piper pulled back a fraction. Ace immediately let go of her, and she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

  Which was ridiculous. This wasn’t the time or place to develop a crush. Not to mention, it would be completely inappropriate. Despite that, Piper allowed herself the smallest bit of affection for the man who’d gone out of his way to reassure her. To offer comfort. It meant the world to her.

  Her eyes flicked over to Phantom, who was standing a little ways from the others. His arms were crossed over his chest and his legs were braced a foot or so apart. He looked unapproachable and angry.

  “I’m not sure Phantom likes me much,” Piper whispered. “He definitely blames me for Kalee’s death.”

  Ace didn’t look away from her. “He doesn’t. He’s frustrated and doesn’t exactly hide his emotions very well.”

  Piper wasn’t convinced, and she made a mental note to do whatever it took to stay on the man’s good side from here on out…maybe by avoiding him whenever possible.

  “Come on. We’re going to take a break. Refuel, figure out a plan.”

  “I thought you guys always had a plan B, C, D, and E,” Piper countered.

  She was rewarded with another smile from Ace. “Smartass,” he retorted. “If you have to know, we’re stopping so you and the little ones can rest and get something to eat and drink. I’m guessing you’re feeling pretty wrecked right now.”

  She was, but Piper didn’t want to admit it. “I’m sure the girls need a break.”

  Ace smiled again, and Piper put a hand on her stomach to try to ease the butterflies jumping around at the sight.

  The smile left Ace’s face when he frowned. “You feel sick again?”

  She dropped her hand. “No. I’m good.”

  “Don’t be a hero,” Ace warned. “If you feel sick, you need to tell one of us. Same goes for the kids. We have a long way to go to get back to Dili and if something’s wrong, we need to know.”

  “How’d you get up here, anyway? Can’t we just catch a ride from someone?” Piper asked.

  “We pulled in some favors and the Timor-Leste Defense Force dropped us off in a helicopter a few miles away. We’re on our own getting back down. And catching a ride is indeed one of the many plans we’ve got,” Ace told her. “But the problem is that we don’t know who to trust. The last thing we want is to hop into a vehicle that belongs to the rebels.”

  That made sense, but what it implied was too much for her to take in. “So we’re going to walk all the way to the capital?” she asked.

  Ace shrugged nonchalantly. “If that’s what it takes.”

  God save her from super soldiers. She’d never make it. But after she thought about it for a moment, Piper knew Ace was right. The last thing she wanted was to have survived the massacre at the orphanage, only to be killed because they’d hitchhiked with the wrong person. “Too bad Uber doesn’t operate out here, huh?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

  “It would be helpful,” Ace agreed with a twist of his lips. It wasn’t another full-on smile, but it was close. “Come on. Let’s get you and the others some water. We’ve got a few MREs in our packs. We’ll crack one of those open before we start back down the mountain.”

  Nodding, Piper was surprised when Ace reached out and grabbed her hand. They were both sweaty and dirty, but the second his fingers curled around hers, she felt a hundred times better.

  Nothing had changed. Kalee was still dead, they were stranded on the top of a mountain in a country that was anything but stable, and she was dragging three parentless children around with no real plan as to what to do with them. But none of it seemed insurmountable when Ace had ahold of her hand, lending silent support.

  Her life and the lives of the girls were in the hands of these men, and she vowed not to do anything that might put them in danger. Her feet might fall off and she might drop dead from exhaustion, but she’d be damned if she’d be a liability. The last thing she needed on her conscience was one of them getting hurt or killed because of something she did or didn’t do.

  Smiling at the three girls as Ace walked her toward them, Piper did her best to reassure them that they were safe. “We’re going to take a break now. Get something to eat and drink before we continue on. It’s okay. Our new friends will make sure nothing happens to us.”

  Rani smiled at her from Bubba’s arms.

  Sinta nodded and bit her lip in concern.

  And Kemala stood off to the side with a blank expression on her face that Piper was already more than used to.

  Chapter Three

  Ace wal
ked behind Piper and kept a watchful eye on her. He was carrying Rani again, and the little girl had fallen asleep almost as soon as they’d started out after getting something to eat. The three girls had been awestruck over the MRE, and how it magically heated the dehydrated noodles. Even Kemala had been drawn in by the smell of the food cooking.

  Piper tripped over a root and almost fell flat on her face, but she caught herself at the last second and made a joke about her clumsiness. Ace was relieved she was at least wearing sneakers and clothing appropriate for tromping through the jungle. He didn’t like that the girls were in T-shirts and flip-flops, but honestly, they seemed to be doing all right.

  The longer Ace observed Piper, the more impressed he was by her fortitude. She was obviously out of her element, but tried hard to pretend she wasn’t. He hadn’t heard one complaint come out of her mouth yet. And, most importantly, every time she was asked to do something by him or one of his teammates, she did it without question.

  She was also doing her best to entertain Sinta and Kemala, and make sure they were doing all right. Neither girl said much, but they definitely understood what was being said around them.

  Despite Rani’s weight against his chest being negligible, Ace had never been more aware of another person than he was that little girl. Small puffs of air hit his neck every time she breathed out, and he couldn’t believe she’d trusted him enough to actually fall asleep in his arms. It said a lot about what all four females had been through in the last few days.

  It had to have been hell hiding in that small space under the floor at the orphanage. Ace couldn’t imagine what had gone through their minds. The thought of leaving the three children to an uncertain fate in Dili was already beginning to bother him. He hadn’t had time to talk to Rocco and the others, but what else could they do but find another orphanage for the girls? It wasn’t as if they could take them back to the States. They had no identification. No papers. Nothing. He had no idea if there were electronic records somewhere on the children or not. He hadn’t seen any computers in the orphanage, but the rebels could’ve stolen them.

  He needed to talk to the others and figure out a plan. So far they didn’t have any cell service, but hopefully the closer they got to the capital city, the more reliable service would become and they could get in contact with Commander North. Rocco had a satellite phone, but they’d all agreed to use it only as a last resort, if the shit hit the fan and they needed immediate extraction. The battery on the stupid thing sucked, and so far, while their journey was uncomfortable, it wasn’t life threatening.

  Their commander was certainly keeping an eye on them with the satellite trackers they all wore, but that only told him they were alive and moving, not what their situation was. And Ace had no doubt that he’d want to know what was happening. At the very least, because he was a good man who had their best interests at heart.

  But also because Ace had a feeling Kalee’s father, Paul Solberg, was putting a lot of pressure on their commander to find out about his daughter.

  When Piper stumbled again, Ace sped up until he was walking right behind her. “Are you all right?” he asked quietly.

  “Yeah. I’m good. Just clumsy,” she told him.

  Ace couldn’t see her face, and with Rani in his arms, he couldn’t make Piper look at him. He turned his head and was about to gesture to Bubba that they needed to take a break, when he heard movement to his right.

  Ace swiftly readjusted Rani then reached out and grabbed Piper’s arm. But he needn’t have worried, because at the sound so near to them, Piper had frozen in her tracks.

  Without discussion, Bubba came up and took Rani from him. Ace didn’t want to let the little girl go, but he released her without complaint. It was obvious to the others that Piper had made a connection with Ace, and if anything happened, he was in charge of her.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rex grab Sinta and Gumby went to Kemala. Within seconds, the men and girls had faded into the jungle. Their best bet was to lie low and let whoever was headed for them go right by. The six SEALs were as deadly, but the addition of the four females made things trickier. Besides, their mission was to extract Piper, not engage in battles with the locals.

  Ace saw Piper’s mouth open, as if she was about to ask what was going on, and he moved without thought, stepping behind her and using a hand to cover her mouth while simultaneously pulling her off her feet. She struggled for a heartbeat before going limp in his arms.

  Turning, Ace ran back the way they’d come for about twenty yards before taking a left off the animal trail they’d been following. The leaves of the trees immediately swallowed them up, and Ace pushed his way through the dense foliage looking for a place to hunker down.

  Seeing a huge fallen tree, Ace made his way toward it. It was easily thirty feet long and stood at least four feet from the ground. It had obviously fallen a long while ago because there were tall weeds growing all around it, which would further help hide them.

  After he reached the opposite side of the tree, Ace put Piper back on her feet and placed a finger over his lips. She nodded, and he gestured to the ground. Without hesitation, she went to her knees and looked up at him in confusion.

  Swearing under his breath when he heard the sounds of the men coming nearer, Ace quickly got down next to Piper and said in a toneless whisper, “Scrunch up against the tree as close as you can.”

  She nodded and lay on her side and sidled up to the tree. Ace lay down next to her and did his best to cover her body with his own. He turned her so they were chest to chest and tucked her head into the space between his shoulder and neck. Then he scooted them toward the tree even more, doing his best to burrow their bodies into the soft dirt under the trunk, while at the same time, using the weeds and vines to further camouflage them.

  Their hiding place wasn’t ideal. It was too close to the trail they’d been on, but Ace hadn’t had more time to find somewhere else to hide. He dug for a handful of dirt and brought it up to her head, slowly and quietly palming the dark soil into the blonde hair on her head. He’d already camouflaged his own light hair before they’d begun their trek through the forest toward the orphanage. Piper fit against him perfectly; at only a couple inches shorter than he was, his body still covered hers. But her hair would easily be seen if one of the men stepped around the tree trunk for any reason.

  Piper didn’t move in his arms, except to squirm imperceptibly closer. They were plastered together from their hips to chest, so tightly Ace imagined he could feel the beat of her heart against his chest, even through his body armor. She was breathing too fast and too hard.

  “Easy, Piper. They’re gonna walk right by us. Try to relax.”

  He felt her nod, but her body stayed tense against his own.

  Voices could be heard now. It was definitely a group of men, and they were speaking Tetum, the local dialect. Ace had no idea what they were saying, but their tone was easy and relaxed. It didn’t seem as if they’d run into any of the others…so far.

  Ace would do his best to kill as many as possible, if it came to that. But he preferred to stay undetected. It would make their journey off the mountain easier if there weren’t bands of rebels actively looking for them.

  He estimated there were at least a dozen men in the nearby group, and he tightened his hold on Piper as the rebels stopped on the trail close to where he’d entered the jungle to hide.

  There was laugher from the men—then Ace heard footsteps coming their way.

  He eased his body away from Piper’s enough to ease the K-BAR knife out of its sheath at his side. He held it tightly in his fist as he waited.

  Piper wasn’t even breathing now, her entire body as stiff as a board. He wished he could reassure her. Tell her not to worry, that he’d do whatever it took to keep her safe, but it was too dangerous to talk.

  The footsteps stopped on the other side and a little ways down from where they were hiding behind the huge tree, and Ace heard the man’s zipper go down. Th
en the distinct sound of a bladder being emptied on the other side of the log.

  A man yelled something from the trail, and the guy feet from their hiding space hollered back. Ace put the hand not holding the knife on the back of Piper’s head and used his thumb to stroke her hair gently. He hoped if he seemed unconcerned, she’d be able to relax a fraction.

  Her hands were between their bodies, flat against his chest, and he felt her fingers press against him as if to say she was hanging in there.

  Time seemed to stand still, and just when Ace was beginning to think the guy had the largest bladder known to mankind and he’d never finish pissing, he heard the sound of his zipper going back up.

  This was it. If the man decided to wander to the other side of the downed tree for some reason, they’d be seen—and shit would hit the fan.

  Ace couldn’t help but tense in preparation for jumping off the ground and taking care of the threat. But they just heard another shout from one of his buddies, then they heard the blessed sound of the peeing man leaving the area.

  Piper sighed once, a long exhale that made goose bumps rise up on his arms when her breath hit the skin of his neck. Neither moved an inch. They stayed locked together as they listened to the group of men make their way up the trail toward an unknown destination.

  Ace should’ve been thinking about his team. Where they were. What their next step would be.

  But all he could focus on was the intense feeling of relief…and how good Piper Johnson felt in his arms.

  Which was insane. They’d almost been peed on, for God’s sake. But he hadn’t felt this sense of…rightness…in a very long time, if ever.

  He realized in that moment that his protective feelings for the woman went beyond that of a soldier trying to keep someone safe. The thought of her getting hurt or killed made him feel physically ill. He admired her strength. The way she’d held herself together. How she’d taken charge of the three girls unselfishly.