Close Quarters (18 page)

“You still had no problem using me.”

“I didn't see it the way you do.”

“Right. You figured that since we were going to have sex anyway, why not use
the opportunity
?” Sheesh. The man could really be clueless, but she thought just maybe he had some reason to be. And maybe, just maybe…it wasn't as bad as she'd thought at first.

Oh, he'd used her all right, but he'd seen it more as using the situation. For a man like him, that distinction could be crucial. She still had this really strong desire to kick him in the kneecap though.

“I don't have recreational sex while doing a job.”

Was that some kind of admission, a warning, what? “Then the sex was
not
inevitable.”

“It was.”

Okay, seriously. What was he trying to say? Because she was not getting it. Unfortunately, his body language said in no uncertain terms that the subject was closed, so she didn't bother to ask.

The sound of distant traffic carried across the still air. “How far are we from the road?” she asked, knowing sounds could be deceptive this far from major civilization.

“A couple of clicks. Our route is parallel to the road, but we're keeping to cover for obvious reasons.”

There wasn't a lot of cover in the savannah, but Kadin had done a good job of leading them on a path that utilized what there was: bamboo, rocks, trees. She was just glad he didn't have them crawling on their bellies across the grassland.

They stopped in the late afternoon and she was so grateful for the respite from walking, she didn't ask why.

Kadin and Roman conferred quietly before Roman came to her. “Get down here, in the rocks.”

She noticed they'd stopped near an outcropping about twice as tall as she was and about as wide. Some of the boulders were stacked haphazardly in front of the main outcropping, creating a sort of shallow recess. It was the only defensible position they'd seen for hours, she realized. She didn't ask what was going on. Roman's manner indicated that whatever was happening was serious. Deadly so, and she wasn't about to get in his way.

But she couldn't help wondering if they'd been followed from the compound. Only, why would the other kill team take so long to make a move? She didn't get much opportunity to think about it before Roman was in front of her, shoving her back against the huge rock behind her with his body.

“Don't speak,” he warned.

She didn't, but she did try to look around him to figure out what he was protecting her from. A wild animal, maybe?

A second later, they were surrounded by several armed and disreputable-looking African men. Well, crap.
That
was not what she was expecting.

“Give her to us, and we will let you live,” a tall, cruel-looking man in the center of the group said in Shona.

She didn't bother to translate.

“English,” Roman barked.

“We want woman,” the man answered, anger creasing his brow.

Roman didn't bother saying no. He flicked his wrist and a few seconds later the man who had spoken fell forward, a knife protruding from his chest. Two other men fell in the same way, telling her that both Kadin and Neil were there, protecting her too. Only they weren't standing in front of her like a human wall.

Roman raised the submachine gun he wore on a strap over his shoulder. “Drop your weapons,” he ordered.

Wanting to avoid more bloodshed, she repeated the order in Shona in case the men did not understand. Three were already dead, or at least grievously wounded. Maybe the others would see the futility of going up against men like the Atrati.

At least one decided he'd rather take his chances. Gunfire sounded and rock chips started flying with the bullets. Roman returned fire, his body a living barrier between her and the bullets spitting out of the African men's guns.

A few seconds later, the gunfire stopped. Men littered the ground around them. Tanya scooted past Roman, intending to give first aid where she could.

He grabbed her arm. “Don't bother. We don't shoot to wound.”

Sure enough, none of the bodies on the ground were moving, not even to breathe.

She turned away from the sight only to be caught by a new one. Blood on Roman's fatigues.

“You've been hit,” she exclaimed.

“It will have to wait.” He turned to Neil. “Was this all of them?”

“They left a guard back with the truck.”

“You take care of him?”

“Naturally.”

“Who were these men?” she asked, with a sick feeling she knew.

“Slavers. Their truck has seven young boys incarcerated in the back,” Neil replied, sounding disgusted.

“You didn't let them go?” she demanded.

“I thought you'd want to look at them and make sure they're okay.” He looked at Roman. “Thought we could return them to their villages before we take the truck south again.”

“You don't think they'll make it on their own?”

“They're kids, Geronimo.”

Tanya felt bile rise, but refused to give in to the nausea. “The slavers probably intended to sell them as farm workers in South Africa.” Or worse.

“Shit,” Kadin said. “Kids are not commodities.”

“So, what do we do, chief?” Neil asked.

“We get the truck and haul ass out of here. The gunfire could have drawn attention and that's one thing we can't afford.” Even as he spoke, he was leading her at a rapid pace toward the sound of traffic and the road.

“Is that why you killed the leader with your knife?” she asked.

“Yes.”

He'd been willing to avoid further deaths too, but the slavers had not allowed it.

They reached the truck faster than she expected. The slavers had driven it off the road and tucked it behind a large stand of trees. She ignored their fallen comrade to jump into the back and get her first look at the boys who had been kidnapped, some perhaps even sold from their villages.

“You are safe now. These men will not hurt you. Please do not run. We will help you return to your families,” she said in Shona as she began to untie the ropes that bound their hands and linked the children together so they could not escape.

They stared at her and then one asked, “Do you have any food?”

Tears sprang to her eyes. These children had been starved to the point that their first thought was for food rather than getting home. “Yes, we'll feed you. And we'll take you home too,” she promised again.

A couple of the boys brightened at this, but the others continued to watch her warily.

Roman joined her in the back. “Status?”

She figured that meant he wanted to know what had been said, so she told him.

“Spazz, we need food for the kids. I don't think their systems are going to like the energy bars.”

“They might do okay with the MREs,” she suggested.

“That'll do for now, but we're going to have to stock up.”

Water and MREs were passed around even as the truck started moving. One intrepid boy, who looked like he couldn't be more than eight, asked, “Where are we going, lady?”

“We're getting away from the slavers,” she told them, not bothering to mention the men were dead.

This made sense to the children, though it was clear they were reserving judgment. She asked each one what village he had come from. As she suspected, five of them had been stolen. But two had been sold: the little guy who'd asked her where they were going and an older boy whose eyes were dull with hopelessness.

“My family is all gone,” the older boy said. “My village did not want me. I am bad luck family now.”

Tanya reached out and touched his arm. “You're not bad luck. What is your name?”

“Mbari.” His gaze lifted to meet hers. “My uncle, he went to the city and never came back. Maybe our family is bad luck like the medium say.”

“No,” she said firmly.

“Can you speak English?” Roman asked the boy, clearly wanting to participate in the conversation.

The boy nodded, his fear of Roman palpable.

“His name is Mbari,” Tanya said.

Roman nodded. “Good to meet you, Mbari. I'm glad you speak English. Then you will understand when I promise I will not let you be hurt.”

The boy jolted as if shocked. “You not mean it.”

“I do.” Roman sighed, as if accepting a burden no one else could see, and looked at Tanya. “We'll start with the nearest boy's village.”

“Sounds good, but right now, I'm cleaning that wound.” She pulled her utility tool from her pack and used the scissors to cut his sleeve off. She let out a heavy breath of relief. “It looks like you got hit by a flying rock, not one of the bullets.”

“That's good?” he asked in an amusement-tinged voice.

“Rocks are cleaner than bullets.” Especially here where ammunition could be stored anywhere and exposed to pretty much anything.

“Good to know.”

It didn't take long to remove the bits of debris and cleanse the wounded area before bandaging his arm. “Neil and Kadin are okay?” she asked, feeling bad for not checking herself.

“Not a scratch.”

“That's a relief.”

He looked down at her, his mind clearly not on his friends' lack of wounds.

She ducked her head. “Where are we going to get something besides MREs to feed the boys?”

“We'll buy some food from the village we're headed to now.”

She nodded. She should have thought of that. “You stood in front of me, when they were shooting.”

“They didn't want to kill you. They wanted to kidnap you.”

“So, then you should have crouched down to minimize the target you made.”

He didn't even deign to respond to that and his expression said he didn't think her observation worth a reply.

For some strange reason, that made her smile.

T
anya's smile was still playing over in Roman's mind as the truck slowed to a stop alongside the road an hour later.

Neil hopped out, came around to where Roman leaned against the side of the bed and handed the sat-phone to him. “Call from Face.”

Roman took the phone. “Report.”

“The Sympa-Med people showed up today. So did that pissant government guy who met us in Harare.”

“What is he doing there?”

“Ibeamaka said he came in response to our Marine private getting shot. Thing is, we didn't report the incident to official Zimbabwe channels.”

So, either Ibeamaka had something to do with the attempt on Ben's life, or he had an informant in the compound.

“Did the wounded private and his buddy make it out of the compound okay?”

“Yep, two more were sent to replace them too.”

“Are they a kill team?”

“Nah, these babies are greener than my grandma's backyard in the spring. They're not MARSOC, but they're good soldiers.”

“I don't want them becoming collateral damage.”

“No way, Geronimo. I know my job.”

“You do. So, the government stiff, did he try to see Tanya?”

“He tried, but she's taking a sick day in her room,” Drew replied, speaking of Rachel, who was masquerading as the medical relief worker.

“That works.”

“She's a ringer for our girl,” Drew said with admiration.

“Good. This plan might work after all.”

“That's the hope, chief.”

“What about the Sympa-Med suits? They showing any particular interest in seeing Tanya?”

“Hard to say if it's particular. The director has got a bug up his ass to talk to every single employee in the compound. He didn't show any particular annoyance that he had to start with security staff.”

“You listening in on these interviews?”

“You know it. Spazz left me some fun toys to play with while you are all out there on safari.”

Roman looked around the dusty bed of the beat-up truck, filled with young boys rescued from slavery. “Some safari.”

“I sense sarcasm in your voice, chief.”

“I'll tell you about it Stateside.”

“Roger that. I'll hold you to it too.”

Roman would expect nothing less. “How is Dr. Andikan holding up?”

“She's doing real fine, yep, real fine indeed.”

“What the hell?”

“She's practically glowing.”

“Her and Ben?” Roman asked, not able to wrap his mind around the idea of the Tutsi woman glowing.

“Looks that way. He's got his own glow on, though it's harder to tell with that guy. He's the shit, you know?”

“TGP hired my sister; of course, they get the best.”

Face laughed.

“Keep me informed.”

“Roger that.”

Roman disconnected the call.

“How's Fleur doing?” Tanya asked immediately.

“According to Face, she's glowing.”

Tanya's expression softened. “She and Ben got together.”

“You think that's a good thing?”

“Absolutely.”

“What happens when he goes home?”

“She'll go with him.”

For a brief moment, Roman found himself completely speechless. “She told you she planned to leave Africa?”

“Yes.”

“And you think Ben will want her to follow him?”

“I think if she didn't, Ben would leave his job and relocate to Zimbabwe.”

“No way.”

“You can't look at everyone else's situations through your own cynical gaze.”

“I'm not cynical.”

“Whatever you say.” But her tone said she thought otherwise.

“Even if he wants her to follow, do you really think she'll be happy in a long-term relationship with an agent?” Could any woman?

“I think she'll be deliriously happy married to Bennet Vincent.”

“You've got a romantic streak, don't you?”

He couldn't be sure, but he thought she was blushing under the remaining black face paint. “Maybe.”

Oh, it was more than a maybe. This woman had a romantic streak as wide as a sumo wrestler's waistline. Roman wished he'd realized that before they'd had sex. He'd taken her acknowledgment of the temporary nature of their liaison at face value, and she'd ended up hurt because of it.

He didn't like that at all.

The worst part was knowing that he could not be absolutely certain he would have avoided the sex, even if he'd been aware of her romantic bent.

 

They reached the first kidnapped boy's village near nightfall. The villagers congregated around the truck and Tanya explained in Shona what they were doing there.

The sleepy boy was pulled from the back of the truck right into his weeping mother's arms. Other family members crowded around, rejoicing in the child's return.

An impromptu celebration was soon underway, traditional dancing breaking out around a village bonfire while all the children were plied with food and questions.

Roman bought extra supplies of water and food from the villagers, who were thrilled to sell their goods without having to transport them to the nearest market.

The boys were given beds in several huts, but Roman insisted on his team staying in the bed of the truck, each of the men taking turns at watch throughout the night.

Tanya didn't argue when Roman put her sleeping bag between his and Neil's. Kadin was taking first watch.

She slept surprisingly well, considering the circumstances. They woke to a meal of pumpkin
sadza
and chicken prepared by the lost boy's family.

After another round of gratitude, they gathered up the other children and were on their way. Neil drove the truck, while Kadin kept watch in the front. Tanya rode in the back with the children again because she spoke Shona and she hoped that would make them feel more comfortable. The boys were more hopeful today, having seen their fellow almost-slave returned to his family.

They managed to get three of the remaining boys back to their villages that day, two of them coming from the same place and another not far away.

That night followed the previous one's pattern, though it was clear to Tanya that Roman would prefer not to be spending another overnight in a village.

“Why are we staying here?” she asked him, as she settled into her sleeping bag beside him. Neil had opted to sleep on the truck's front seat that night. He said he'd seen some of the men eyeing the truck thoughtfully. He didn't want to leave the cab unprotected.

“The boys deserve to sleep in homes, even if they aren't
their
homes.” Roman lay on top of his bag as he had the night before.

It was probably so he could react to a threat faster, super-soldier that he was.

“What are we going to do about the boys whose villages sold them?”

“I don't know.”

“We can't take them back to their villages. They'll just get sold again.”

“Agreed.”

“So, what—”

Roman laid his hand over her mouth. “I don't know. I'm thinking on it.”

“Oh,” she breathed against his hand.

His eyes closed, as if he was in pain, and then opened again, dark with unmistakable desire. “I want to kiss you.”

“No.” But she didn't mean it. She wanted his kisses. She just didn't want the pain that came afterward.

“You say no, but your lips part as if waiting for my claim.”

“Please, Roman.”

“Please what?” He leaned forward, his lips only millimeters from hers. “Please kiss you?”

She couldn't deny him again, but she couldn't give him verbal permission either. She didn't move away though and that was probably what cinched it for him. He completed the connection, his mouth claiming hers just as he'd suggested she wanted him to. And it felt wonderful.

She let her sense of the present melt away, getting lost in the kiss and refusing to be bothered by that fact.

His hand cupped her neck and he deepened the kiss, sweeping her mouth with his tongue.

The sound of a child's laugh from nearby had them breaking apart.

He sighed heavily. “I wish we were in our tent.”

She agreed, but managed to stop herself from saying so out loud. She took several restoring breaths before saying, “That would only lead to more temptation.”

“It would lead to me buried as deep in you as it is possible to go.”

“No.”

“Tanna.”

“No, Roman. Just, no.”

He didn't get mad; he just put one arm over her middle and tugged her into his body, sleeping bag and all. And once again, she fell asleep feeling safe and protected.

 

They had dropped the last kidnapped boy off at his village by noon the next day. Like the others, the people of this village had offered them a meal and much appreciation. Roman graciously accepted both through Tanya's interpretation, but he insisted on being on the road again by mid-afternoon.

The two boys left looked at Roman and Tanya as they climbed back into the bed of the truck.

“What happens to us?” the smallest one, Amadi, asked.

Tanya didn't have to repeat the question for Roman because Amadi had used English.

“What do you want?” Roman asked.

“I no want to go my village,” the older boy said. The hopelessness so prevalent in Mbari since the beginning abated some when he was with Roman. He was doing his best to emulate the adult male, but he was still so very sad, it broke Tanya's heart just to look at him.

“I no too,” the littler one affirmed.

“Do you have family somewhere else you want to find?”

“My sister, she marry and go to other village.” Amadi grinned. “Her husband important man, give many cows for her.”

“How did you end up sold?” Tanya asked.

“My mama, she die. My auntie say it from the black plague,” he said, meaning the AIDS epidemic. “My auntie no want me in her hut. She say I make her baby sick, but I no sick. My mama, she get the sweat sickness, no the black plague.”

Tanya didn't ask if the sister would accept the boy into her home. The least they could do was find out. “What village is your sister living in now?”

The boy said the name of a fairly prosperous village, not far from where they were. In Zimbabwe, prosperity was a relative term, but she knew this village had its own marketplace and government office.

“Let's take you to your sister,” Roman said, echoing Tanya's thoughts.

 

Ben rubbed the back of his neck, forcing himself to focus on the sound feed for the interviews between the Sympa-Med director and compound workers. Drew had brought the receiver for the listening device he'd left in the dining hall, where the interviews were taking place, to Fleur's chalet. He'd wanted Ben's input on the overheard discussions, and this way they could both be on hand if Rachel's role as Tanya put her into serious danger.

All Ben could think about, though, was the fact that with Drew there, Ben wasn't strictly needed in the hut.

He itched to be with Fleur. He'd never been this distracted on a job, but he hated the thought of her working in the clinic with Sympa-Med personnel who could well be in on the espionage.

Her pointing out that if she was, she had been for some time and was none the worse for it, did nothing to alleviate his desire to watch over her.

The director's questions took the same tack they had in his previous interviews and, despite his preoccupation, Ben found himself looking at Drew to see if the other man had noticed.

“Is it just me, or does it sound to you like the director has figured out something hinky is going on over here and he's trying to determine who is involved?” Drew asked with a thoughtful frown.

Ben nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

“That could get dicey.”

“For him, definitely.”

“I think we need one of your Marine privates assigned to watch over him.”

“They aren't my Marines.”

“They think they're here to protect a State Department bureaucrat, and that would be you.”

“I told them both to take the day off because I wasn't leaving the compound. They think I'm working on my report here because of the thing I've got going with Fleur.” He'd also asked them to keep his location private, ostensibly to keep gossip down. If it looked as if someone was here with Rachel, chances were high no one would approach her for the download.

“Does Fleur know she's your cover?”

“Yes, but she also knows she's a hell of a lot more than that.” Fleur was rapidly becoming his everything.

“Good for you. Congratulations,” Drew said, sounding sincere.

Ben found himself giving a rare genuine smile. “Thanks. She's pretty wonderful.”

“I've got nothing but respect for her, that's the truth,” Drew said.

It didn't surprise Ben. He'd gotten to know the pseudo-soldier pretty well since he'd been part of Ben's active protection detail from the beginning. Drew wasn't a career soldier, he was a career patriot, and Ben admired the attitude as much as he identified with it.

But Drew was also someone who believed in giving his all to making the world a better place. He admired all the Sympa-Med employees. Except whoever was involved with the espionage, Ben was sure.

His thoughts returned to Fleur. “She's strong and so beautiful.”

“That she is,” Drew said, giving Ben a wink.

The other man's blatant admiration had annoyed Ben at one time, but now he just found it amusing because Drew so clearly had no intention of acting on it.

“I'm going to check on her on my way back from asking the Marines to hang out around the dining hall until the director is done with his interviews for the day.”

“How are you going to explain it to them?” Drew asked.

“I'm going to tell them I overheard something that has me concerned.”