Special Forces Rendezvous (5 page)

So maybe it would be prudent to listen to the man instead of arguing about his plans.

He reached behind him and pulled a black handgun from his waistband. “Do you know how to use one of these?”

She nodded.

He promptly shoved the weapon in her hands. “Good.”

Her heart pounded a frantic beat in her chest as she watched Sebastian carefully part the canvas to peer out. He seemed satisfied by what he saw, because he ducked back in and shot her a firm look.

“Stay on my six, Doc. Do everything I say, and we’ll both get out of this alive.”

Julia had never been more terrified in her entire life as she followed Sebastian out of the makeshift escape route. Darkness immediately enveloped them, disorienting her for a moment. She breathed in the night air, a combination of earth and pine and decay, but then she caught a whiff of something else, something woodsy, musky. Sebastian. Despite the fact that she was scared for her life, that masculine scent actually made her heart skip a beat.

Go away, hormones,
she ordered.
I’m trying not to die here.

A hysterical laugh got stuck in her throat. Oh, God, how was any of this happening?

The back of the tent was perfectly positioned directly in front of the woods, and Julia stuck to Sebastian like glue as they crept toward the trees. For some inexplicable reason, she explicitly trusted the man leading the way. She had every intention of following him blindly and doing anything he asked without question, and that scared her almost as much as everything else that had happened thus far.

She kept her gaze on Sebastian, noticing how the strong muscles of his back flexed with each precise step he took. She was so focused on him, in fact, that she didn’t notice the two bodies lying in the dirt until she’d almost tripped over them.

A squeak flew out, ending prematurely when Sebastian’s warm hand clapped over her mouth to silence her. “Easy, Doc,” he murmured.

Her heart began racing again, and now her palms were shaking. She immediately recognized the dead men—the two guards who’d been in the tent. She stared at their green uniforms, those lifeless eyes, the thin red lines slashing across their throats. Then her gaze shifted to the knife in Sebastian’s hand.

Why hadn’t she noticed before that the blade was stained red?

Oh, God. He’d
killed
these men.

He caught her eye, his expression grim. “Kill or be killed, Julia.” Those soft words didn’t alleviate her panic, only increased it.

It occurred to her that she knew absolutely nothing about the man she’d entrusted with her life, but when she looked into those silver eyes, she saw no malice. No threat. Only a glint of fortitude and unexpected concern.

Taking a breath, she tore her gaze from the motionless bodies on the dirt, but not before she spotted the plastic water bottle poking out from one of the soldier’s pockets.

The water...maybe...don’t know.

Kevin’s words rushed into the forefront of her brain. The water, he’d said. Had he meant there was something in the water? Bacteria? A virus?

“We have to go back,” she blurted out.

Sebastian’s face filled with disbelief, and then he gave a stern shake of his head. “No way.”

Ignoring him, Julia dashed toward the dead soldier. She grabbed the water bottle and twisted off the cap, promptly pouring out the remaining liquid on the ground. Sebastian stalked over, visibly aggravated.

“They’ll have men swarming this entire mountain the second they realize you’re gone,” he said in a low voice. “We have to go, Doc. Now.”

She stubbornly lifted her chin. “Not until I get some water.”

“Oh, for the love of—”

“A water sample,” she clarified. “We need a sample of the water. There’s a well on the eastern edge of the village. That’s where Esperanza’s drinking supply comes from.”

His brows furrowed, and then understanding dawned on his face. “You think there’s something in the water.”

“Kevin— Dr. Carlisle, my colleague, he said something about the water when he radioed.” Frustration seized her body. “They’ll try to cover this up, Sebastian. I can’t let them do that. I
need
that water.”

After a moment, he released a resigned breath, then snatched the bottle right out of her hand. “C’mere,” he ordered, grabbing her arm and dragging her away.

“No,” she protested. “I can’t go until I get—”

“I’ll get you the damn sample. Now, come here.”

He led her to a thick cluster of tangled vegetation and practically threw her into it. “Stay out of sight. If I’m not back in five minutes, run.”

He was gone before she could blink.

Julia crouched in the cramped space, gulping hard, trying to ease the terror clamped like an angry fist around her throat.

She couldn’t believe Sebastian had gone back for a water sample. With those alpha-male vibes he was throwing off, she’d expected him to haul her over his shoulder and forcibly cart her away, yet he’d actually taken the time to listen to her. And now he was risking his life to carry out the task she’d been ready to do herself.

Her gaze kept darting to the watch strapped to her wrist. One minute passed. Two. Three.

If I’m not back in five minutes, run.

“Yeah, right,” she muttered to herself.

If Sebastian didn’t return in five minutes, she was going
back
for him. The man had risked his life to break her out of that camp, and he just expected her to abandon him? Fat chance.

When she heard a rustling sound, she shrank deeper into her hiding place and held her breath.

“It’s me, Doc,” came his raspy voice. “Time to go.”

She slid out of the brush and joined him, eyeing the full bottle in his hand. “You went to the well?”

He nodded. “Is this enough of a sample, you think?”

“Should be more than enough.”

“Good. Now let’s get the hell out of here. They don’t know you’re gone yet, but those two guards I incapacitated will be missed soon.”

“Incapacitated?” she echoed. “Is that what you like to call it? Because those men look more
dead
than incapacitated.”

He didn’t so much as flinch from the verbal jab. “What do we call saving your ass these days? Oh, right,
saving your ass,
” he said sarcastically, and then he took off walking.

Julia wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. There was no denying that this man had just saved her life.

But there was also no ignoring that he’d taken two other lives in the process.

Shoving aside the menacing reminder, she followed Sebastian, and they made their way through the forest. Their soft breathing and the crackle of twigs beneath their feet were the only sounds in the otherwise still air. At one point, Sebastian ordered her to stay put, disappeared in the shadows, and returned a moment later with a black duffel bag, which he must have stashed earlier, and then he slung the bag over his shoulder and signaled that they were resuming the trek. The temperature was dropping, making Julia grateful for the long-sleeved plaid shirt she’d worn over her tank top. She was glad for the sneakers, too, because they made walking in this mountainous terrain much easier.

But the longer they walked, the more concerned she got, until finally she couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “Where are we going?” she whispered.

Sebastian spared her a glance over his shoulder. “To meet our ride.”

Bewilderment rippled through her, and it only got worse when they stepped into a rocky clearing ten minutes later and she laid eyes on the white-and-brown horse standing by a cluster of rosewood trees. The animal neighed at the newcomers’ approach, then dipped its majestic head to munch on some blades of grass.

Julia stared at the horse for several long moments, then turned to look at Sebastian. “Okay. I’m sorry,” she muttered, shaking her head repeatedly. “But before I go anywhere else with you, I need to ask this—who the hell
are
you?”

Chapter 5

“R
eally? We really need to do this now?” Sebastian suppressed a groan as Julia’s sharp hazel eyes swept over him, up and down, side to side, inspecting every inch of his face and body as if he were an item she was considering purchasing. He knew she was confused by his presence, but he’d been hoping she’d save the interrogation for later.

“You’re not a journalist, are you?”

He felt no remorse as he answered, “No, I’m not. And I’m happy to explain everything to you, Julia, I really am. Just
not right now.
”

There was no mistaking the urgency in his tone, and to his relief, she immediately backed off. “Okay, fine. I’ll take a rain check on the in-depth explanation. But just...” She let out a shaky breath. “Just promise me I can trust you, Sebastian.”

His chest squeezed. Crap. The vulnerability flashing in those big eyes of hers was completely uncharacteristic.

Of course, the observation was ironic, considering he didn’t know Julia Davenport well enough to determine what was in or out of character for her. And yet he knew without a shred of doubt that revealing fear or insecurity was not something Dr. Davenport did often. If ever.

“You can trust me,” he said quietly.

She visibly swallowed. “All right. Then let’s go.”

Sebastian’s brows shot up as he watched her expertly mount the horse, swinging a denim-clad leg up and over and seating herself on the worn leather saddle. She noticed him gaping and smirked. “You coming, Sebastian?”

He resisted a grin and shoved his arms through his duffel’s straps, heaving the bag on his back knapsack-style. He mounted the horse just as easily, settling in behind Julia and wrapping his arms around her slender frame as he reached for the reins.

When Julia leaned back into his chest, the top of her head tickled his chin. A heady scent filled his nostrils—orange blossoms and soap and something sweetly feminine.

“You comfortable?” he rasped.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Hold on. This might be a bumpy ride.”

He directed the Appaloosa toward the rock-strewn slope from which they’d come, then gave her a sharp kick in the flank and a low demand to get moving. The mare instantly took off in a canter, then quickened her gait at his urging. The speed of the animal’s gallop had surprised him on the ride north, and it surprised him again now.

Neither he nor Julia spoke. They rode as if their lives depended on it—not much of a stretch, seeing as their lives
did
depend on a speedy getaway. The steady clip-clop of the mare’s hooves flying over the hard ground matched the steady beating of his heart. Even with the adrenaline still coursing through his blood, he felt calm, centered. He’d infiltrated that military camp without a single hitch. Killed two guards, rescued Julia, procured a water sample from the well and found the damn horse exactly where he’d left her.

All in all, a successful op.

The ride back to the road took them through the hills, and Sebastian paid close attention to their surroundings, eyes and ears open for any signs of trouble. But no sirens sounded. No helicopters flew overhead. No bullets whizzed past their heads. The soldiers in Esperanza must not have discovered that Julia was missing yet, and if they had, they were taking their sweet-ass time organizing a search party.

An hour later, they neared the town of Valero. He hated being out in the open like this, but at least it was the middle of the night, and with no lampposts or street traffic lighting the road, everything was pitch-black.

He slowed the horse to a trot. Now that he didn’t have to focus on controlling the animal at a breakneck pace, he gradually became more and more aware of the warm, quiet woman sitting in front of him.

“You all right, Doc?”

“I’m fine. Perfectly fine.” Her voice was subdued, but a slight tremor betrayed her assertion that she was “perfectly fine.”

“Where did you learn to mount a horse like that?” he asked, hoping to distract her from their precarious situation with small talk.

“I dated a cowboy once.”

He was not expecting
that.
Before he could stop it, a chuckle slipped out. “Oh really?”

“Yep.”

“Somehow I can’t picture you with a cowboy.”

“Well, it was more of a vacation fling, if I’m being honest.”

She shifted, and the tantalizing scent of her once again filled his nostrils. His groin stirred, then tightened, making him suppress a groan. Crap. He actually had a hard-on. Why did Julia Davenport affect him this way?

Now
he
shifted, easing farther back in the saddle so she wouldn’t feel the proof of his inappropriate arousal pressing into her ass.

“So you went on vacation, met a cowboy and did a little bit of riding?” He placed extra emphasis on the word
riding.

He knew that if he could see Julia’s face right now, she’d be blushing. The suggestiveness of that flirty question was probably as tasteless as the erection currently gracing his crotch, but he hadn’t been able to help himself.

“Pretty much.” She sounded slightly embarrassed. “It was during college. A few friends and I spent spring break in Texas, and yeah, I met a cowboy, he was cute, and I thought, why not?”

Sebastian laughed. “You don’t strike me as the fling type.”

“I’m not usually.” There was a beat. “But every now and then, I’m not averse to the idea of a no-strings affair.”

Heat speared into him. Was that her way of saying she wouldn’t mind a no-strings affair with
him?

And wow, his thoughts were just getting more improper by the second, weren’t they? He had to remind himself that he and Julia weren’t taking this moonlit horseback ride because they were on a damn date—they’d just escaped a village where all the citizens happened to be in
body bags.
Christ. What was wrong with him?

Clearing his throat, he steered the conversation to their current predicament. “There’s a farm about a mile and a half from here. I saw a couple of trucks in the driveway when I drove past earlier. We’ll ditch the horse, take a truck and head straight for the harbor.”

Her back stiffened. “I’m not going anywhere but the clinic.”

“Sorry, Doc, but there’s no way you’re going back to the clinic. It’s the first place those soldiers will look for you.”

“I don’t care.” A stubborn note rang in her voice. “I have to warn everyone. Their lives are in danger now.”

The clinic will be handled...

Remembering what he’d overheard, Sebastian stifled a sigh. Chances were, the situation had already been “handled,” and as images of what most likely awaited them at the clinic flooded his mind, he struggled to come up with a way to talk her out of this. Short of knocking her unconscious and taking her to the harbor against her will, there wasn’t much he could do. He knew with absolute certainty that Julia Davenport would be going to that clinic, with or without him.

“And I need to tell them about this possible outbreak of...Lord, of who knows what,” Julia was muttering. “Kevin didn’t give me any details over the— Oh, my God.
Kevin.
We didn’t even look for him! What if he was being held in another tent?”

“He wasn’t.” Sebastian’s voice came out grim.

“How do you know?”

Because tact wasn’t his strongest suit, he took a beat to think about how to phrase it, how to tell Julia that her friend and colleague was—

“He’s dead?” Julia’s horrified inquiry interrupted his mental preparation. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

Sebastian let out a breath. “Yes.”

“You’re sure?” she asked dully.

“I overheard the man in charge saying that Dr. Carlisle had died from the virus.”

“I see.”

No emotion in her voice. No tears. No expletives. Nothing.

If it weren’t for the trembling of her slender shoulders, Sebastian would’ve thought Julia Davenport was made of ice.

After a moment of hesitation, he transferred both the reins into one hand and brought his free hand to Julia’s arm, squeezing it gently. “I’m sorry about your friend, Doc.”

She flinched from his touch, just for a second, before her back relaxed and her shoulders drooped. Leaning into his chest, she whispered, “So am I.”

A brief silence fell until Sebastian cleared his throat again. “We’ll approach the clinic from the hills. That’ll give us a bird’s-eye view, and if we see anything amiss, we get the hell out of here. Deal?”

He wasn’t surprised when she protested. “I’m going inside.”

“Not unless I determine it’s safe.” His tone brooked no argument. “Don’t test me, Julia. If I say we go, then we go.”

She twisted around, her hazel eyes flashing with resentment. “That alpha-male caveman crap doesn’t scare me, Sebastian. If that’s even your real name.”

His lips twitched. “It is.”

“Fine, great, I guess I’ll just go ahead and believe you, same way I believed that you were a journalist writing an article about my organization!” Anger dripped from her every word. “Those people at the clinic? They’re my
family
and I refuse to let any of them get hurt. Whatever went down in that village tonight, those soldiers want to cover it up. That’s why the general kept asking whether I told anyone at the clinic where I was going. Cover-ups require shutting
people
up, which means that my colleagues are in danger, damn it!”

“I know.”

“Oh, you
know?
And yet you’re perfectly fine with abandoning those hardworking doctors and nurses and volunteers as long as it means you get out of this situation unscathed?”

He gritted his teeth. “First of all, keep your damn voice down. The way you’re shouting, you may as well announce your location to anyone who might be looking for you. And second, I won’t apologize for wanting to save my own skin above all others. I already risked my neck to save
you.
I can’t save the whole damn world, Doc.”

Without letting her respond, he dug the heel of his boot into the mare’s flank and urged her into a gallop. The wind blew in their faces, lifting Julia’s braid and smacking the end of it into Sebastian’s cheek. He grabbed hold of the silky plait and tucked it underneath the collar of Julia’s shirt, then focused on leading the horse through the darkened foothills. There was a rise in elevation, the slope curving and climbing, and they followed the rocky trail to the outskirts of town.

When the Doctors International building came into view, Sebastian’s spirits sank like a capsized raft.

“Oh, my God,” Julia whispered.

There was no way to sugarcoat what was happening down below. No way to console the suddenly shivering woman in front of him. No way to reassure her that everything would be okay.

The clinic was engulfed in flames.

Great plumes of smoke rose from the wooden roof and were carried away by the late-night breeze. The orange flames were merciless, relentless, licking at the building, dancing around the wooden beams on the covered porch. Out front, two military Jeeps were parked on the dirt.

Soldiers in blue-and-gold San Marquez uniforms surrounded the burning building. Some simply stood by and watched the conflagration as if it were a fireworks display. The rest had weapons trained on the front door, and Sebastian suspected there were more soldiers positioned at the rear, manning all possible exits.

Making sure no human being made it out of that clinic alive.

Julia’s slim frame shook even harder. Her soft sobs sent an arrow of pain to his heart. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her tight. “I’m sorry, Doc.”

A strangled sound left her mouth. Another shudder wracked her body.

“Do you...do you think... Oh, God,” she whispered, her voice thick with tears. “I hope they showed them mercy.”

Sebastian’s heart splintered in two. He was hoping for the same damn thing, because the thought of those doctors and nurses alive in there...burning alive... Christ. The memory of the teenage girl he’d met this morning embedded itself in his head, and agony sliced into his chest like a broadsword. Simone. Feisty Simone.

He found himself praying to a God he hadn’t prayed to in years. Praying for the unthinkable, praying that those sadistic soldiers had at least had the courtesy of putting bullets into those people’s heads before lighting that fateful match.

He and Julia watched the horror in complete silence. They sat astride the horse, shrouded in the darkness, Sebastian wishing he could take away the hot waves of pain rolling off Julia’s body.

“What are they doing?” she asked suddenly.

Several soldiers were now taking spray cans to the vehicles littered in the courtyard. Sebastian’s gaze followed the movement of their arms for a moment. He had to squint to make sense of what he was seeing. Once it registered, he clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw hurt.

“They’re tagging the area,” he hissed out, his vision becoming a red haze of fury and incredulity. “That’s the ULF’s symbol. The snake coiled around a machete. Sons of bitches are laying the blame for the fire on the ULF’s door.”

The sheer audacity of it triggered the impulse to raise his rifle and shoot every last one of those bastards. They’d just burned down an entire medical facility full of innocent people, and now they were planning on passing it off as a rebel offense. Christ, once the U.S. caught wind of this... No, once the entire freaking world heard about this, the rebels would be hunted down and slaughtered for their “crimes” against these foreign relief workers.

But he couldn’t dwell on the grisly implications for long, not when he realized that Julia was now shaking like a leaf in a tropical storm. Her breathing came out in unsteady pants, her slender torso rocking so hard he feared she’d topple right off the horse.

“Breathe, Doc,” he murmured, gently stroking the sides of her arms. “Breathe before you pass out.”

He felt her deep inhale, heard her slow exhale. She repeated the breathing exercise, once, twice, three times, until finally her soft voice broke through the cool mountain air.

“Get me out of here,” she choked out. “Please, Sebastian, just get me out of here.”