Jinn & Toxic (13 page)

Before he could collapse on top of her, Jinn shifted from beneath him and rolled to her side. In one smooth move she grabbed her pants and yanked them on, ignoring him. They remained silent as she donned her boots and laced them up.

As soon as she was dressed, she stalked off into the bush to head back to camp leaving a silent man behind.

***

Blind with wrath, Tanaka watched Julie and Tab having sex. She’d always been his girl, never showing an interest in the Captain.
Fickle bitch! When the time comes, she’ll get what she deserves. As for the Captain, he’s been on my list for years.

‘Julie’ threw back her head and moaned as her lover entered her for the second time. Tanaka spit, his hand caressing his gun. He couldn’t wait to punish them both, but it would have to wait. Before the couple finalized their tryst, he turned and walked away, soundless as he faded into the bush, making plans for the near future.

***

The hours of trekking through the rainforest took its toll on them as TT&T members fought against the thick underbrush. Tab’s mind was filled with questions while he kept pace with Jinn. She didn’t act like any other woman he’d ever met. Confusing, feisty, and frustrating as all hell, she’d walked away from him without a word. Most women preferred to talk and snuggle after sex, and incredible sex it was, yet not her.

Somehow, Jinn had touched a piece of his heart that no one had been able to access before. He watched her shove past thick bushes without complaint. Why was she so distant from him? She must know he had nothing to do with Julie’s death. If Dennison was going to die, he had no way of saving her unless he touched her.

“Break!” he called quietly. The word would be passed along to the team, which was spread out across a few acres of forest. They always worked as partners, keeping distant from the others for safety. The only time they gathered close was when he needed to speak to them.

Tanaka came closer, a question in his eyes.

“Sir, why stop here? I’m sure we can catch up to the Iceman before dark.”

Tab noted the hard edge around the man’s mouth, the way his gaze darted to Jinn and back again and he realized that Tanaka was pissed about something. Could he have seen them making love?
It doesn’t matter.
Ignored completely by Jinn, both men conversed as though she were absent.

“We rest. I have a feeling we’ll catch up soon. Have you seen any other signs of Tara?”

“Negative, sir.”

The man didn’t offer another word. “Dismissed.”

As Tanaka turned, the unguarded, venomous gaze he shot at Jinn surprised Tab.

“Something wrong, soldier?”

A shutter came down to hide his expression as Tanaka shook his head. As he left, Tab realized he was right. The man had watched them. Even though Tanaka had always been friends with her sister, Tab was pretty sure they’d never had a sexual relationship. To his knowledge, they’d never been more than teammates.

Taking supplies from the knapsack, Tab held one packet out to Jinn. She ignored him.

“I know you’re grieving for Julie, but we have a job to do.”

Her eyes flared to life with sparks of hatred. “You and your team do, Toxic. Not me. I’m leaving the first chance I get.”

“There won’t be a chance for you, Dennison. You might as well accept it. If you don’t stop threatening to leave, I’ll have to tie you up again, so knock it off.”

Her eyes narrowed and her stubborn jaw clenched as she sat across from him. He knew then that he should follow through with his own threat because she would escape as soon as she was able. After all, she was a trained soldier, like him.

“Excuse me, Captain,” Blackstone murmured, coming quietly into the clearing.

“What is it?”

“There are soldiers a few hundred yards ahead.”

“Call everyone to arms. I want them taken alive. We have the advantage on Iceman and it’s time to use it.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Blackstone disappeared into the forest, Tab turned to Jinn.

“Will you at least stay until we can free Tara? You know what it’s like to lose a sister. I don’t want to lose mine too.”

Though he could tell by her expression that she warred with her response, she nodded and stood. He showed his trust in her and gave her a knife and gun then walked off after Blackstone. If she was going to run, it would be now and he’d have a hell of a time tracking her. For now, he had to focus on freeing Tara and his love life be damned.

***

On silent feet, each member of the team moved forward to surround the group of men who stood around a campfire. Some smoked while most of them drank tequila and laughed aloud at each other’s ribald jokes.

Jinn had never seen such a sloppy group of murderous soldiers. They wouldn’t have a chance against Tab’s crew. Still, she’d followed him like a moth to the flame. A promise was a promise, and there was no further need to find her sister.

Do I stay with him for revenge?
She shook her head.
For hatred. For…love? No, he might as well have killed Julie himself. I can’t love him. I’m only here to see that he fails in his search for Tara. An eye for an eye. Lies, lies, lies. Toxic only wants me for sex, and then he’s handing me over to the government. He’s using me!

Jinn thought of all the men she’d slept with and realized that she’d done just that with them, never letting anyone close, always afraid, always on guard against her emotions. She was no better than him. Still, he’d allowed her sister to die when he could have helped her. That was unforgiveable.

Something like wood hitting wood sounded in the forest.

A heavy man who sat smoking a fat cigar hissed, “Chico, Lorenzo, Joshua, go see what that was and hurry up. There are still gringos missing from the captives we had.” Across the campfire area the three men disappeared to investigate the sounds.

Many minutes later, they still hadn’t returned when the leader shook his head and nodded to two more of his men. There were still six to go. Another noise came from the right and one from the left.

“Go!” Two went left, two went right, and none returned.

The forest was completely silent. Not a leaf moved nor was there a sound from his men. When nothing happened in the eerie quiet, the heavy man appeared to be afraid, his eyes shifting back and forth as though waiting for something to jump out at him.

Now the leader and his last soldier seemed worried as they sat by the fire.

“Alejandro, let’s get out of here. I have a bad feeling about this.”

The other man nodded, and they headed straight into the arms of Tab and Jinn. Tab took the smaller man down in two punches, however, the leader was of tougher mettle. It took Jinn a few precious minutes to subdue him as he fought tooth and nail to take her down. She disarmed him easily enough, but his beefy fist connected with her jaw. She saw stars for a moment before taking in a deep breath and slamming her palm straight up into his jaw. He went flying backward. This time the man didn’t get up.

“Thanks for the help,” she snapped.

His crooked smile proved he was amused. “No problem. Are you done playing games?”

“Shut up and get the cuffs out.”

Tab snickered and brought out the plastic handcuffs. By the time the two men were bound, the team brought the rest of the soldiers forward and sat them all down on the ground next to their leader. All but the heavy one were gagged as well.

When Tab leaned over to talk, the man backed away as far as his body could go. The expression on Tab’s face was deadly.

“What’s your name?”

“Roberto, Roberto Estrada.”

“Well, Roberto, tell us about Iceman and where he’s hiding and we might let you go.”

“No. We don’t know anything.”

Blackstone walked up to Tab’s side and loomed over the man. “Do you want me to torture him, sir?”

Terror filled the man’s eyes. “No, don’t!” His companions didn’t appear any more reassured.

“I’m thinking about it,” Blackstone said. “He looks like he could use a good workout and I’ve had a bad day. I’d love to let off a bit of steam and give some payback for what he and his buddies did to us.” Blackstone cracked his large knuckles and grinned.

If possible, the beady eyes became even larger with fear.

Jinn stepped forward. “I think it might be better if we women had a chance first.”

“I agree.” Jennings said.

The relief on the man’s face was comical until Tab spoke.

“No. Sorry girls. I told you that we want them alive. Remember what you did to the last bunch. There were barely any pieces left intact for the carrion.”

The knife Jinn held in her hand swished forward and sliced a few buttons of the man’s shirt, and he screamed.

“Come on, Captain. I really want to get them back for what they did to us all. They still have two of our women that we know about. Why do we need them?”

“Dennison, stand down.”

She held the knife at the man’s neck, her eyes narrowing to slits as she frowned at him. Jennings too moved in closer, cocking her gun and aiming it at his genitals.

“Senor, please, call them off. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Please!”

Shaking and shuddering, he began to cry. The worst of it was when Jinn glanced down and saw the evidence of just how scared he was.

“Never got toilet trained, I see.— Well, Captain, if Jennings and I can’t play, then let Blackstone have him. It’s only fair.”

A deep rumble of laughter came from Blackstone’s chest. “Nah. That would be a waste of time. Let’s just shoot them and be on our way.”

“No! I promise, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

“Go ahead.” Tab nodded, still crouched in front of the prisoner.

“Iceman is going to his compound three miles ahead by the river. It’s protected by barbed wire fences and dogs. You’ll never break into it.”

When Tab smiled, his lips curling into a feral snarl, Jinn shivered. He was a dangerous man. No wonder he was called Toxic.

Once he started talking, he didn’t stop and Tab got more than the vital information.

“Enough! I’ll let you all live, but you must promise to leave the area and never go back to work for Iceman. Is that understood?” Tab growled.

“
Sí, sí.
We’ll do whatever you ask.”

Not about to let the man off easily, Tab leaned in closer, threatening and cold. “If you do try to warn Iceman, we’ll know and come after you. Do you get that?”

“I swear, we won’t come anywhere near you.”

Tab stood after a long pregnant pause and held out a small knife he’d confiscated from one of the captives. When he threw it the captives fell silent, but it landed on the ground in the bushes.

“You can free yourselves one hour after we’re gone and not a moment sooner.”

“Not one moment, senor. You are a gracious man. My wife and five children thank you.” Tears streamed down the man’s cheeks, his relief was so great. “Senor, you do know that Iceman will kill you all without a doubt.”

“He can try.”

Jinn watched Tab as he walked away. She followed at a distance and accepted that Julie was lost to her. It was time to save Tara and Burgess.

***

“Tell me about your sister.” Tab walked beside Jinn as they made their way to the compound.

“Why?” she snapped, unwilling to talk to him at all.

“Because, I know her as Dennison, a tough, smart-mouthed, bad-assed soldier who has a heart of gold and a loyalty that—”

“Loyalty?” Jinn stopped in her tracks. “You dare say that now, after all you’ve put me through? You keep treating me like a pariah, a traitor, yet you know it’s not true. Now you want me to talk about the one person in the world who I love and believe in more than anyone. You’re a dreamer,
Captain
.” She started walking again, swatting leaves out of her face with the force of blows.

Though Tab was quiet for a few minutes, he continued. “I’d like to know your story. Where did you grow up? How often did you see each other? Do you have the same likes and dislikes? Things like that.”

Now that Julie was dead and Jinn was dying of a brain tumor, she decided to unleash the secret that had kept her and her sister bound their whole lives. It didn’t matter to her anymore because the government wouldn’t use them as weapons.

“You say you know my sister, but you know nothing about her. We grew up in Ontario. Our father is a military commander from Washington D.C., my mother a scientist. When we were ten years old they
gave
us to the military and we never saw them again.

“Wait. You haven’t seen Julie since you were ten years old? How is that possible?”

“You have gifts, or rather curses like us. You do the math. Solo we are powerful with me as a mentalist, able to make people do what I want of them, and Julie with her ability to manipulate emotions. Together, we’re deadly. Think of what we could do if we wanted to take over the government or other power.”

“Mind and emotions, controlled by two people. I suppose that would be dangerous enough. In the wrong hands, it definitely spells disaster, but to take you away from each other like that is wrong. I’m sorry, Jinn.”

She fell silent, emotions choking her as she recalled how she and Julie had fought to be together. Fifteen years of futility and now…it was too late. Tears pricked Jinn’s eyes. Treated like freaks in a circus, they were never allowed to see each other over the years. No one knew of their psychic communication, except for Tab. Would he report to his commander about it?

“No, I wouldn’t tell anyone, Jinn.”

“Back to mind reading, are you?” Her snort of disgust proved her thoughts on that.

“Jinn, I understand why you’re so wary, and I do believe you and Julie are innocent of betrayal, but someone gave us up, and I still have to figure out who it is. At least let me keep up the farce until they show their hand.”

Again she stopped, this time whirling to face him.

“You’re using me as bait!”

Solemnly, he nodded.

“You bastard. How could you sully her name and memory? She was a fine soldier. She admired you, worshiped you as a commander. I’m sickened by you.”