Apollo and Val: #5.5 (Luna Lodge Book 0) (3 page)

Sol was her brother. Of course she found comfort in being near him.

She had been so excited when she talked about her signal interception. He was proud of her. Proud of the fact that his woman had been the one to make a connection with another facility. This could be a real chance for them to get some of the Horatius Group and teach the bastards a lesson.

Val noticed his stare and looked over to him. Her cheeks turned pink, and he had to fight to hold back the urge to stroke his finger along her cheek as he had before.

“This is the map,” Titus said loudly, gesturing to the map. Apollo turned and gave the mission his full attention. The faster they got the deed done, the faster he could get back to her. “The information we were able to get triangulated the signal here,” he said and centered in on a patch of land. “The satellite image won’t go in any further, which only makes us more suspicious that someone is pulling strings somewhere.”

“Someone?” Sol said and raised a brow.

Apollo nodded. He was only saying what they were all thinking. The Horatius Group had deep reach. After all, they controlled or owned at least one important senator and likely more, let alone their hidden influence in the military and other places. This had to be done by them.

“We will need to enter here,” Titus continued, ignoring Sol’s question.

He moved his hand down the map quite a ways and stopped at Barras.

“What’s in Barras?” Lucius asked.

Titus looked around the room and shook his head. “Nothing. That makes it the best point of entry. Too close and they see us a mile away. This is it, the closest point we can get to without being seen.”

“That’s going to be some hike,” Zeno said. The hot-headed hybrid might be a bit much to handle at times, but the young team member had been proving to be very useful over the past few weeks. Apollo could only hope he held it together while they were on the job.

“It’s a four-day hike,” Titus said and stared directly at Apollo. “Some might feel the burn of it more than others.”

Apollo frowned. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He fought down his temper.

Titus stood to his full height. “It means,” he continued. “That some of you aren’t as equipped. Val isn’t totally like us, she’s going to need more breaks.”

Apollo felt his heart slam in his chest. Bile rose in his throat.

“She can’t come,” he said firmly. “That solves the problem, right?”

He heard Val huff loudly beside him but ignored her irritation. Better she be mad than risking her life.

“I’m afraid Val has to come,” Titus said and stared hard at him. “She’s the only one capable of dealing with the tracking equipment, and we’ll need her to get into the facility without being noticed. We really need the element of surprise here. We’re going into their territory.”

Apollo shook his head. He wasn’t giving this up without a fight.

“What about Marius? He’s good with computers.”

He looked over to the resident computer guy. Marius held up his hands.

“This isn’t even close to the same thing,” he said. “I’d love to be the guy, but it really should be Val.”

“Besides, Marius needs to man the transmitter from here. Everyone has a job,” Titus said, cutting in. “We’re only going to have this one shot to surprise them at the facility. We all know they’ll burn and run if they think we’re on to them. It has to be Val.”

His hands clenched in his lap as he took in deep breaths. There had to be some other way that didn’t risk the life of the woman he loved.

“I’ll do whatever you need me to,” Val said. Her voice was strong and clear. He could hear the resolve.

“Good,” Titus said. “Suit up. You leave in an hour.”

Chapter Four

Val glanced at Apollo out of the corner of her eye. He hadn’t said a word to her since she had agreed to go. She could sense that he was equal parts angry and worried, but there really wasn’t much she could do to alleviate those feelings.

They were going on a mission, and it was dangerous. She knew the risks. Hell, the outline of the risks they might face had been impressed on her.

Not that he’d had much of a chance to talk with her, so she could make him feel better. It had been a flurry of activity before they departed. The team of twelve, including herself, had received packs right off the bat, so they would be able to make it no matter what. Guns. Ammo. Anything and everything they needed to make their multiple plane rides down to Central America, then into South America, followed by a four-day hike in the jungle.

She shifted in her seat on the small plane they’d been shoved into for the final aerial leg of the journey. The butt of the gun they had given her dug into her side, and she frowned.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know how to use one, but more the implication of what it meant that she needed one.

Titus had been very clear. They needed to be clean, go in unseen and take out any target that moved.

The US government had been given a small role and had been fed a bullshit story about drug cartels. After the recent incident where some of the soldiers stationed at Luna Lodge were involved in a surprise Horatius Group attack, the higher-ups in D.C. were dealing with egg on their face.

They didn’t ask too many questions, and Titus had made it clear he planned on utilizing this opportunity to prove they didn’t need outside interference. Best of all, Senator Woods, the congressman that had been fighting them every step of the way, was currently dealing with his own investigation.

Likely he’d still come out smelling like roses, but the last thing he wanted to do was get wrapped up with anything that had to do with the hybrids for the moment.

Thanks to Carter, former Army major and liaison to the hybrids, they had been able to bypass some of the normal regs and push the current mission ahead without too many issues. It was made clear to all of them that this mission needed to go unseen and unheard. If either the Colombian or US government thought they were acting as combatants, they would be treated as such.

Val looked around the small Cessna. The seats in the plane had been lined on the side of the plane, so it was easy to see all of their faces. She recognized a few.

Apollo, Sol and Lucius were heading the trip with Sol in the lead position. Zeno, Varius, Cato and Servius had been moving up the ranks since Rem had come and shaken things up. There were a few others that she’d seen around but wasn’t all that sure about.

Still, Titus had been clear. Each person was picked for their skills. They needed things to go well, and the best way to do that was by making sure they had the right people for the job.

Everyone wore the same dark green camouflage pants and dark green tank. It felt so real seeing them that way, ready to take on what was out there. She looked down at her own cargo pants. Her pockets were loaded with things she might need faster than she could get out of her pack: knife, rope, wire, wire cutters and bug lotion.

The weight in her pockets brought the reality of the situation home. She was actually going to trek into a jungle to help find a hidden Horatius Group facility.

She fought down panic. The rest of them had been raised to be soldiers. She hadn’t.

Sure, she had training, but nothing like this. And in truth, her hand-to-hand skills weren’t good enough to fight off a Glycon.

Val shuddered at the thought of the Glycons. The hybrids gone wrong were a serious threat, and she knew it.

She took in a shallow breath and tried to steady her breathing. Panic rose again in her, and for a moment, she thought she might be sensing someone else on the small plane.

A strong hand covered hers. She felt the comfort that radiated from the owner.

“Relax,” Apollo buzzed in her earpiece.

Her eyes found his, and peace settled over her. They might not have resolved anything, but at this moment, she didn’t really give a damn. He was there when she needed him, and that was about all she could ask.

The small plane shook a little.

“We’re coming in for the landing,” Lucius said in her ear.

She turned to look out the window. It was her first look at Colombia.

“What the fuck is that?” she whispered.

Just below them, a narrow strip of bare earth stretched out a short distance.

Before she even had time to register that the strip below them was the runway, they had touched down and bounced roughly along the dirt strip, a cloud of dust in their wake.

Apollo’s strong arm stretched across her seat to the arm of the chair on the opposite side, strapping her in with just his strength.

She glanced back out the window and stared down the short path. It wasn’t so much that the path was short, she realized, but that it ended where raging waters began.

“Oh shit,” she said and wrapped her hand around Apollo’s. “That’s water.”

“It’s fine,” said Apollo’s calm voice over the line. “I’m sure he’s done this a thousand times.”

The motor cut, and she could feel the plane slow, but they were still going too fast to stop. The flaps on the sides flopped out. The roaring wind was the only thing that could be heard. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe.

“I got you,” Apollo said in her ear.

She squeezed his hand tighter, not caring if it made her look like a wimp.

The plane came to a jerky halt. She bounced hard in her seat.

Val peeked one eye open.

They had made it.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. Her stomach churned. Maybe vomit was the correct thought.

“Let’s go,” Apollo said.

She found he had moved his arm and was now out of his seat, offering his hand to her.

Her hand shook as it slipped into his. She stood.

Still not quite herself, she grabbed her giant bag and made her way to the door. Apollo stepped out first and offered his hand again.

The pilot caught her eye, and she stared hard at the man who had both risked and saved her life in a few short moments. Nothing suspicious came off him, and she shook her head. If anything, he seemed amused and excited.

“You are a maniac,” she said to him.

The smaller man grinned back at her. His brown skin hid his true age from her, but she had to guess that he was older than he seemed.

“A-okay, buddy,” he said and gave a thumbs-up.

She stared, slightly stunned by his reaction. The laugh bubbled up inside her before she even knew it was coming out. She shook her head again and turned to the door, still laughing.

Apollo held out a hand to help her down.

“Making friends?” he asked and raised a brow when she looked at him.

Val stepped away from the plane and looked back at the pilot through the window. He was still smiling at her. The man gave an eager wave, and she laughed again.

Feeling glad to be on solid ground and even gladder they had such a good pilot, she waved back at him.

The engine roared to life, and she watched as the man made a small circle and then ripped down the short runway.

Just as he had coming in, the man kept it close during lift off, just barely clearing the trees. He made it look easy.

She wondered how many times he had made the landing, and if she would see him again on their return home.

“All right,” Sol said over the group. “Let’s head out and get that raft up. We’ve got a river to float before we can make camp for the night.”

“Raft?” Val stared open-mouthed at the fast-moving waters. They were crazy if they thought this was just a simple float.

Chapter Five

Val looked a little green.

Apollo stood under the dense foliage of the trees as he watched Val, who was still sitting in the raft on the shore. Somewhere in the distance, a bird squawked loudly.

It really hadn’t been that bad. The waters were fast, but they were skilled. Their training with the Horatius Group had covered many things. They were made for this. Combat and infiltration.

Now maybe if the raft had tipped, things might have been a little different. He’d read about the waters there. There were lots of things that liked to hide and wait for prey.

He watched as Val leaned her head over the side of the black raft. Her body heaved as she emptied her stomach, and he grimaced. Maybe they had been a bit too rough on her.

He’d been mad that she had decided to come and was ready to let her feel the full force of what it meant, but seeing her like this just made him feel like a dick. She could have stayed home, but then they would likely be screwed in the tech department.

The truth was that they all had specialized skills, and so they needed people they could trust to fill in the gaps. Whether it was Rachel’s medical background or Val’s tech skills, everyone had a role.

His gaze went back to where she sat on the raft. Small and scared. Something in him clicked. Nothing mattered in the end but her. No matter what happened, she was his top priority.

Making sure to let himself be known, Apollo stepped out from the trees, a bottle of water in hand.

“Here,” he said and handed her the bottle. “This might help.”

Val rinsed her mouth and took a couple drinks.

“Thanks,” she said and placed the lid back on.

She stood, slightly shaky, and climbed over the side.

“Is it always like this?”

Apollo laughed. “I wouldn’t say always, but yeah, there are moments when it can be.”

She veered away from the path the others had taken, and he frowned.

“Camp is this way,” he said.

Val stopped and turned to look at him. Her skin was still pale, and her hair hung limply around her face.

“I just can’t face them yet,” she said and nodded to the right. “I need to just shake it off a bit.”

Apollo glanced back to the camp and then at her back as she slipped into the woods. They really needed to head back, but it was as good a time as any to talk.

He jogged to catch up to her and was surprised at the ground she was able to cover despite not feeling so well. Part of him wondered if she’d hoped to get away from him.

She glanced over to him and kept walking.