Kane woke up slowly. He attempted to move but something was restraining his hands and feet. The first thing he heard was Rebecca’s voice – thank God she was still alive. He blinked in the strong sunlight pouring through the window. It was an effort to focus in the bright light. It felt as though he had one hell of a hangover.
He pulled at his hands but the rope around them was tied tight and he didn’t have all of his strength back yet to work on it. He tried to force himself up to sitting so he could see what was going on. He couldn’t seem to manage the action but he could lift his head to see Rebecca. She was sitting at the table. The teenage boy was standing over her. The breakfast was littering the floor as though someone had simply swept their hand against the plates and knocked them to the ground in fury.
Both the boy and Rebecca were looking at the screen of a small laptop. In his struggle to sit up, Kane found that he was next to the outside bathroom wall. He moved his body back against it and used it as the leverage he needed to help raise himself to sitting. He guessed that Rebecca had heard his movement because she turned around quickly to look at him.
She began to move from her chair. Kane saw her pale face crease with pain on the sudden movement. She didn’t get very far. The Uzi was abruptly shoved in her face. He leant back against the wall struggling with the ropes that tied his hands behind his back. He tried to focus more clearly on Rebecca.
He heard her say to the boy angrily, “Get that bloody machine gun out of my face now.”
The boy shouted at her hard in broken English. “You are not to move. You must work on this. Make it work, make it work.” Kane watched him fiercely jab the end of the machine gun into her bruised temple. He struggled all the more and tried to raise himself to standing when he heard her cry out then lose her temper and bat the weapon out of her face. He tried to shout to her, but his voice only came out as a fevered whisper, so low he knew she hadn’t heard it.
“Rebecca, for God sake be careful.”
Rebecca continued shouting at the boy giving Kane the impression she was undeterred. She stood up, pushing the Uzi away, and got in the boy’s face. It made Kane nervous. “I told you not to point that thing in my face. I won’t do anything if you do that again. Now let me see him and make sure he is okay.” The boy glared at her and then let her past.
Kane watched her come towards him. He noticed that she had her hair tied back and she was fully dressed in one of her trademark black trouser suits and a crisp white shirt. Her brother must have brought them for her. She looked good, more together. It hid any sign of her injuries well apart from the fading purple bruising around one of her eyes and the one on her forehead. But he could see a new redness to the side of her face. It looked as though the boy had slapped her hard, probably because she had stubbornly refused to do as she was told.
It was a sharp reminder to Kane how fragile Rebecca was at that moment, despite her robust handling of the boy. He needed to be mobile again. He started trying to move himself up the wall to standing once more. He was still too drugged to make the action effective and he slumped awkwardly when she reached him.
He looked past her as she bent down on her knees in front of him. He wanted to know where the boy was. Standing behind her – aiming the weapon at her back. Her eyes betrayed her fear for him as he blinked, vainly attempting to clear his fuzzy head. He felt her cool fingers sweep soothingly over his hot brow and come to rest against the side of his face.
She asked him in an anxious whisper, “Are you all right? He says it will wear off in a while. I don’t think he really wants to hurt anyone. He’s probably drugged your men outside too.” Kane checked where the boy was again. He had moved off and was pacing the floor with irritation. Rebecca caught Kane’s attention, “Last night you said Michael had a guard. They will be coming in soon?”
Kane nodded. “Where is my semi-automatic?”
“On the table. He says he knows me from visiting Somwan. That he was the boy in the truck with me before we were captured and he has brought the laptop back to me just as I asked. He sees himself as a soldier.”
The boy had stopped pacing and was approaching them. Rebecca told Kane hurriedly, “Dominic, he is so young. I can’t access anything on the laptop. It’s damaged and he can’t seem to understand why I can’t remember anything.”
Kane watched Rebecca jump with unexpected pain as the boy jabbed the Uzi into the middle of her sore back. He shouted at the boy, “Don’t hurt her.” Kane felt her give the side of his face a gentle squeeze and she attempted a smile.
She told him, “It’s okay. I can handle it.”
The boy was angry. “Move now.”
Kane told her hurriedly, “You have to get my gun. You know how to use it.”
“I’m not sure I can remember...”
He interrupted her quickly. “You have to try.”
The boy yanked her roughly by the arm and pulled her away from Kane. He watched the boy march her back to the laptop and spied his Glock 17 semi-automatic at the side of it. He knew by the way she glanced back at him that she had seen it and was going to try and get it. The boy pushed her back down in the chair and she started tapping at the keyboard again. Knowing the boy was now distracted Kane worked furiously on getting his hands free.
Rebecca berated the boy, “It’s no use. I am not an expert I can’t make this work. Point that gun in my face once more and I am really going to lose my temper. You have to let me get help. I can’t do anything with it. Look at it, it’s damaged.” Kane saw her rise from the chair picking up the laptop and raising it into the air. She turned it over and the boy leaned in to peer at it. Then, as though on cue, Kane heard one of his men bang on the door to get in.
The boy turned to look at it. Rebecca swung the small computer into the boy’s face hard. It was enough to knock him off balance. Kane watched her lunge for his semi- automatic on the table, holding the laptop protectively to her side. His hands were nearly free but his feet were going to be a problem. His heart began to pound in his ears when he saw the boy lunge for Rebecca as she snatched the gun. The boy slapped it out of her hand and it slid along the floor.
Before he could start aiming the Uzi at her again Rebecca dropped the laptop and pushed the Uzi sideways. The boy set it off, spraying the back wall with bullets. She pushed it back against his throat and kept pushing him backwards towards the bed. Kane had to get free. She wouldn’t be able to hold the boy long in her weakened state. Come on, come on. It was taking longer than it should have done because of the drowsiness the drug still pressed on him. He felt his teeth grit together as he pulled, twisted and turned his hands to yank them out of the rope.
The boy was making a concerted effort to throw Rebecca off. Kane felt relieved when he saw her renew the fight by punching the boy’s face with everything she had. He yanked his hand out of the last piece of rope, nearly snapping his wrist in the process. He rushed to attack the rope tying his ankles together. Thank God it wasn’t as tight as the rope around his wrists and he made light work of it. He set himself free as Rebecca was punched in the side of the head and fell to the floor.
Kane rolled his body sideways and stretched out his hand to grab his gun. Still on the floor he aimed it at the boy and shot without hesitation, wounding his arm. The boy cried out but it didn’t stop him aiming the Uzi once more. Kane considered that he might have to actually kill the boy if he sprayed the room with bullets again.
He pulled the table next to him over for cover when the boy shot at him. Rebecca was still lying on the floor semi-conscious. He reached over and grabbed the back of her jacket and dragged her along the floor behind the table with him. Satisfied that she was safe he made a dash for the bed. He pushed it hard at the boy knocking him off balance. Bullets peppered the ceiling before he let go of the Uzi in surprise. The bed hit him with enough force to push him back against the wall and bang his head off it. Dazed he dropped the Uzi onto the bed.
Kane acted quickly, rushing to pick up the Uzi. He slung the strap of it over his shoulder, out of the boy’s reach. One of his men had been kicking the hell out of the door and it finally came down. Tom came through the door and secured the boy. Kane ran back to the table and Rebecca. She was sitting up, her back against the table, panting and clutching her side. Every breath seemed to be agony. He bent down hoping he wouldn’t see any blood escaping her surgical wound. To his relief it wasn’t bleeding. He laid his hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”
She panted, “Yes, thanks. I just feel a bit dazed and I hurt all over.” He watched her grimace with pain again and decided to get her somewhere more comfortable and out of the way of the boy. Gently he put his arm around her shoulders and helped her raise herself from the floor. Tom had the boy pushed down in a chair and was aiming his handgun at him. The boy sat holding his bleeding arm. Kane sat Rebecca on a chair and told her to stay put. But she surprised him when she started talking to the boy.
“You wouldn’t tell me your name earlier. But I remember now. Your name is Niran Shinawatra. You were with me in the truck before we were caught.” The boy looked at her with contempt and rattled off some abuse at her in Bundenese. Kane knew that Rebecca had a wide knowledge of many languages from her well-travelled career and the boy clearly knew she would understand him. Rebecca’s eyes widened with affront and she snapped something unintelligible back in Bundenese.
Kane jumped on them both. “In English.”
Rebecca eyed Kane with irritation and then continued with firmness. “Niran you have to realise that I have lost my memory. I can’t remember details. I need you to fill in the blanks.”
“Get this man with the gun off me, then I will speak.”
Kane told him, “No he stays.”
He sounded like a petulant child. “Then I won’t talk”.
Rebecca tried to reason with him. “Niran. I gave you that laptop. I obviously trusted you and it was important. I need you to help me remember.”
Silence ensued and then the boy sat up in his chair and leaned forward to fire back at her. “How can you not remember? Doctor Somwan told you everything. She is relying on you.”
“What is she relying on me for?”
The boy shook his head refusing to talk. Kane was irritated, they weren’t getting anywhere like this. He could already hear the police sirens and they didn’t have much time to question the boy. Kane made a decision to take control of the interview back from Rebecca. He put the Uzi down on the bed and took out his semi-automatic handgun. He stalked up to the boy and raised him from the chair by his shirt collar to drag him across the room. He flung the boy against the wall.
Kane held the terrified teenager against the wall with one hand. He pointed the Glock 17 at Niran, indenting the rim of its muzzle into his forehead. He took the safety off. The boy’s eyes turned upwards to look at the gun. To Kane, Niran looked about fourteen. Fifteen at a push. He had seen younger boys kill and just like the rest of them he would think he was a soldier. He didn’t have any doubts that Niran had killed men, women and other children before. He also knew that Niran wouldn’t listen to politely asked questions – this was the language he understood and respected.
Kane informed him coldly. “You are going to tell me everything I want to know. If you don’t I am going to kill you.”
Rebecca was horrified. “Dominic, he is just a kid.” Kane sensed her presence at his side.
He was impatient with her, “He is old enough to drug, threaten, hit you and decorate the room with bullets from a machine gun, nearly killing us both. Move away Rebecca. I don’t want you near him.”
As usual she was stubborn. “No way. There is no way I am going to let you kill him.”
“Tom, move her back.”
Kane heard her snap angrily at Tom when he caught her wrist and moved her to a safe distance. To Kane’s relief he kept tight hold of her. All of the boy’s bravado had disappeared. There were tears running down his face now. He tried to move but Kane struck him hard in the chest with his palm forcing him back.
“I know this is not the way you expected to die, Niran. This is a wasted death. You are a fighter for your country. You aren’t the type of terrorist who wants to be killed for not giving information. You want to die a glorious death in battle. Don’t you?”
Kane couldn’t believe the level of sarcasm behind his words. He had been a soldier for most of his life and still was to some extent. But somehow the very idea of it filled him with a sense of anger and futility. That was why he’d left the Royal Marines. After Rebecca left he lost the purpose to his life he’d found and all that remained was Kane, the trained killer. He’d felt empty. That was when he knew he had to get out. The boy was suddenly pleading with him. “I will talk only to Rebecca. Please, you are right. I don’t want to die this way.”
Kane’s voice was quiet and as soft as velvet when he spoke. “You will talk to me. I am going to count to five and then I am going to kill you. One...”
Rebecca “S voice was filled with horrified disbelief. “Dominic. He’s a child. You can’t kill him.”
“Two... three... “
He could hear Rebecca struggle to get free of Tom’s hold. Niran pleaded once more. “Please, I can’t...I am not allowed. I can’t... they will kill me.”
“I will if you don’t, four... five.”
Kane moved back. He straightened his arm holding the semi-automatic and removed his hand from the boy’s chest so he could make a perfect shot, execution style. That was when Niran held his hands up, screamed and started spilling information.
“Rebecca came to see Doctor Somwan because she asked her. Doctor Somwan wants the help of your government in our fight against the oppressive regime the military junta holds over our people. She has chosen Rebecca to speak for us to your government. She will not trust anyone else.
Kane watched the boy’s eyes move to Rebecca. “She is relying on you.” Niran’s voice was childlike, distressed, attempting to appeal to Rebecca. Kane wasn’t fooled. He kept his gun pressed against the boy’s forehead.
“Rebecca and Mr. Jed came to interview Doctor Somwan. She gave you a recorded message for your government and asked them to meet with her. She wants your army and the Americans” to invade South Bundhara. If they do, they will receive help from the Bundenese Liberation Army for certain concessions and demands. Rebecca is to make sure those demands are met before an agreement can be reached.”
Kane demanded, “What happened to Rebecca?”
“I was helping her get back to the border. We had to move quickly. Someone had betrayed their location to the army. We had to run. We made it to my uncle’s house and we took his truck. Rebecca drove.” He continued narrating everything Kane had heard Rebecca tell him earlier that morning.
Niran spoke directly to Rebecca. “I watched them kill Mr. Jed and I saw them take you away. We learned that you had been tortured and then you were taken by the men in the white masks. The doctors who come in the night to steal our people from their beds and the streets. We thought you would be dead but we heard about your escape.”
Kane glanced at Rebecca wondering if any of it struck a chord. Her face visibly paled when Niran mentioned the doctors in the white masks. She closed her eyes and screwed them up tight and shuddered as though she was unable to shake the memory. Rebecca asked Niran, “Is there anything else on the laptop?”
“Yes. There are photographs of the hospital.”
“The hospital?”
“The hospital where the western doctors take the people to steal their organs. The Southern Bundenese Army and government have allowed them to do this. They are making money from it. There are many other facilities where they take the organs but the hospital is the main one. We took you there. We are the only people who know where it is.”
Rebecca said, “I remember the hospital, the men in white.” Kane didn’t like the sudden way her features paled. He gestured his concern at Tom who made her sit down.
Niran looked up at Kane. “Doctor Somwan told us of charity clinics set up by western doctors with the army and the government’s help. Patients started to disappear, only to be returned dead and with their organs missing. Anyone who opposes the government disappears in one of these clinics or the hospital. People are being taken from the prisons, from the streets, the orphanages, and other hospitals.”
Rebecca interrupted Niran. “They are forcibly operated on. All of their major organs are taken piecemeal, when needed. They even take their eyes for the corneas and sometimes their skin. If they are still alive and no longer needed they are made to work in a camp. The army starves them and they often die from infection and disease.”
Niran answered her. “Yes, and you escaped.”
“I can’t remember how. All I can see is myself lying on an operating table with the men in white looking down at me. I can’t see any of their faces. They were covered by masks.”
Niran sounded imperious as he spoke with passion for his country. “Rebecca you must remember. They are raping our country and our people of their right to live. The rich westerners and North Bundenese pay for the organs. These doctors steal from our people to line their own pockets. If you do not bring those responsible to justice and convince your government that we must be given power to run the country after the invasion - there will be consequences. You have four days left Rebecca. If you fail to act, four suicide bombs will go off in London on Friday in your rush hour.”
“You can’t do that. I don’t know if the government will agree to your demands and I can’t remember...”
“It is up to you to remember and make sure your government does as we ask. If you don’t, you will be responsible for the murder of hundreds of your own people.”
Kane snapped at Niran to shut up. He turned him around roughly to face the wall as the youth continued shouting at Rebecca about what would happen if she failed. “It is all in your memory. She gave you names to investigate. You have to get that laptop working. The future of South Bundhara depends on you. You have to move quickly. We have heard that the doctors are sending men to kill you when the invasion starts. You know too much. They won’t let you stop them. You must hurry.”
Kane gave Rebecca a glance. She was standing up again, facing the window, her back to him. Her arms were folded and her head was bent. Kane gave Niran a sharp kick to his legs and he became quiet. A heavy silence settled on the room. It felt claustrophobic. Kane was angry. He told Niran. “You can’t put that responsibility on Rebecca. It’s unfair.” He was at pains to defend her. “Murdering people won’t gain you any support in the West.”
“We have no choice. Just as we had no choice to force Rebecca to come to South Bundhara.” Niran started shouting at Rebecca again, “Do you remember what we said we would do if you didn’t come?” There was no answer. “We told you that we would kill him. We still will if you don’t do as we ask. I recognise him now Rebecca. I recognise him from the photographs that were taken of him to convince you how easy it would be.”
Kane shook him against the wall. “Who the hell are you talking about?” Kane had a bad feeling that he knew the answer before Niran gave it to him.
“She came to protect you. You are Dominic Kane.”
Kane could hardly speak. He was stunned. He turned to Rebecca . “Rebecca, is this true?” She still had her back to him. She was silent. He wanted her answer now. He shouted at her hard deafening the whole room, “Rebecca look at me. Is it true?” Did you risk your life for me? She jumped and slowly turned around. She had her arms folded protectively around her body. She couldn’t meet his eyes.
She said quietly, “Yes, I remember. A man followed me home one night. He stopped me at the front door when I made a run for it. It was the second time I’d been followed that week. But this time he forced his way into the house. I had told Somwan I wasn’t going. He made me look at photographs of you. He said someone was watching you all of the time, someone who worked for you. He was going to kill you then go after your family. He was going to make sure the doctors got your sister and took her organs. I couldn’t let them...”
He could see a tremor in her body now and her eyes were filling with water. The memories were causing her pain and distress. He was shocked. He felt the anger inside him bubble very close to the surface. How could she have put herself at risk like that? For him? For Kate? A woman she didn’t even know. He was in awe. He was angry, furious with her. He was in love with her much deeper than he realised. She was tortured, raped and beaten half to death and nearly killed, all because she went to save his sorry neck. He wanted to kill her for it.
He put his semi-automatic away and turned Niran around to face him. He grabbed the boy’s throat and pushed him against the wall once more. He leaned in close to Niran’s face. He could hear Rebecca protesting but her brother was in the room now and was holding her back with Tom.
He snarled at Niran, “You go back to your pathetic group of killers and tell them that once this is over I am going to make them pay for what they are putting Rebecca through.” His hand gripped tighter around the boy’s throat to emphasise his intent. Niran’s eyes bulged and his face reddened and then began to turn purple in response.
After a few more seconds he let go of the boy’s throat. Niran’s hand immediately flew to it as he coughed and spluttered when air hit the back of his throat again. He gave Kane a fearful look. Kane shouted, “I said go.” Niran gave Rebecca a last hopeful look and then scrambled through the door. Kane turned to everyone in the room. They were all staring at him apart from Michael who was glaring at him. He had obviously arrived just as Niran had explained why Rebecca had gone to South Bundhara. Kane wasn’t in the mood for any more arguments with him.
He told them all firmly, the tone in his voice menacing, “I want everyone in the room to leave apart from Rebecca. I need to talk to her alone.” Rebecca looked fearful as he moved towards her. He was so damn angry he was unsure he was going to be able to contain his temper any longer if he didn’t get to speak to her. But to his dismay and frustration she took two steps back from him.
Michael Eaton immediately stepped in front of his sister to shield her. Kane felt Michael press his palm firmly in his chest to halt his progress. He looked down at Michael’s hand with contempt. Michael said, “You are not going anywhere near my sister. You have done more than enough to her.” Kane narrowed his eyes to a sharp point. His anger was burning now. Michael appeared to be undeterred.
He told Michael in a controlled voice that did not mirror the swirl of emotions inside him, “Take your hand off me now. I am tired of you getting in my way.” But the man wouldn’t give up.
Michael raised his voice and firmly rebuked him. “I knew you were bad news Kane. You’ve screwed my sister up. I nearly lost the only family I have because of you. I don’t want you anywhere near her. Now back off.”
“I said take your hand off me. I am going to speak to your sister. Move it.”
“No. She stays with me so you can’t do any more damage to her.”
Too far, Michael. In one quick movement he took hold of Michael’s arm from his chest and twisted it around. Ignoring Michael’s grunt of pain Kane hit the back of his arm hard and forced him down on his knees.
Michael shouted at him, “You are breaking my fucking arm. Rebecca, get out of the room now. If you go near her, Kane...” Kane felt himself tighten his grip.
“You’ll do what. You are hardly in any position to do anything...”
Rebecca took a step forward again. She looked nervous as hell. She told him fiercely in a shaky voice, “Leave my brother alone. Don’t hurt his arm, he’s a surgeon. I won’t talk to you and I will leave this hospital on my own if you don’t stop hurting him.”
Tom was by his side. In his uncaring light hearted voice that lent an almost amusing musical tone to his Scottish accent, he said, “I hate to be a pain boss but I reckon he’s got your message. Leave him to me. I will make sure he leaves.”
When he just stared at Rebecca and kept holding Michael, Tom leaned towards him and whispered. “You are frightening the lassie Dominic. It won’t go down well if you beat her brother up and it looks like you are on track to win her back. Don’t fuck it up now. All of the lads will be pissed at you. They have all been desperate to help the boss protect his woman.”
Kane knew it was his cue from Tom to come back from the brink. He was going too far. He still stared at Rebecca. She refused to look directly at him and it was bugging the hell out of him. He wanted to see what she was feeling. Probably angry at the way you are treating her brother. She can’t even remember who he is. He abruptly let go of Michael’s arm. Before Michael could stand up on his own and deliver a blow to Kane’s face, Tom pulled him away. The way to Rebecca was now clear. She looked afraid at that prospect.
Tom asked him quickly, “You all right handling this on your own? Have you calmed down boss?”
Kane simply narrowed his eyes at Tom. Tom nodded and dragged a struggling Michael outside. Kane stayed where he was, studying her intently. He couldn’t help wondering how she had felt about him all the time they had been apart. He felt confused and elated. She always provoked every emotion in him. They were more than often contradictory. She was one hell of a challenge for him to master. Always kept him guessing. That was why he loved her.
Kane walked forward with purpose. He wanted to know how she felt. But as he approached her she retreated from him towards the window. Frustrated, he reached out and roughly took hold of her arm. She looked terrified. He frowned as he pulled her to him. She had to know that he would never hurt her. But then he reminded himself that she didn’t know him in her present state of mind. She had every right to feel afraid of him. He still held her arm in a firm grasp not willing to let her escape from him again.
Her voice sounded nervous as she asked him, “What do you want from me?”
She spoke like a stranger. He answered her sharply, unable to disguise his frustration. “I want to know why you would do something like that for me? Don’t look away. I need to know.” He was relieved when she made contact with his eyes again. He searched them looking for the truth and any signs of her being evasive. She stared back at him suddenly pensive.
“I don’t know.” Her tone mirrored his own frustration. “I can’t even remember who you really are to me. I am getting more and more flashes of memory but I don’t have the whole story. I can’t remember being tortured, raped or anything else they did to me. You have to understand, it’s debilitating. I feel like a dependent child. I am not sure whom I should trust. I am not sure I can even trust Michael. He makes me feel uneasy. Everyone is a stranger to me. I feel alone. Worst of all I feel helpless. I am beginning to understand that is a feeling I don’t take to very well.”
He felt her attempt to tug her arm back. He tightened his grip just a little. It was enough to make her give up. He told her, “I do understand. It must be terrifying.” He pulled her closer and lowered his voice, erasing the urgency from it. “Maybe you could at least tell me why you thought I was worth protecting, let alone my sister.”
Her eyes gave him a quizzical look. “What are you fishing for Dominic? Do you want me to tell you that love motivated me?” He didn’t answer her. Her answer was cold, a statement. “I suppose it must have.” Her head dipped away from him. She stared at the floor as though appearing to weigh up the gravity of her words.
He stared back at her. Her voice was soft, almost loving when she spoke to him again. “I wish I could remember all that you are to me. I just know that when I do get memories of you I get a warm safe feeling. Everything is so dark and painful in my mind right now that I’ve been trying to hold onto that feeling. I must care very deeply for you, Dominic, to risk my life for yours.”
He smiled gently and moved a couple of strands of her hair away from her forehead. He whispered to her. “You told me once that you had never felt safe in your life apart from when you were with me. I suppose you definitely still have feelings for me. Maybe they are ones of love, even after all of this time.” He moved closer to her, dwarfing her small form. She lowered her eyes. He bent his head to look down at her, waiting patiently for her to look up at him again.
Eventually she raised her eyes. She was trembling. It was difficult for her to make eye contact with him. He couldn’t help but smile. She had never been this shy with him before. He was therefore surprised when she spoke to him with a measured amount of command. “So, Mr. Kane, the question is, how do you feel about me? We broke up. It was obviously a bad break up because you won’t talk to me about it. So, what are you doing here at the other end of the world saving my neck in a country that is about to go to war? What are you really here for, Mr. Kane?”
Kane gently pulled her even closer to him until her body touched his own. He brushed her cheek lightly with his fingers then swept them downwards to cup the side of her face. He tilted it up towards him, smoothing the pad of his thumb across the silky skin of her cheek. Her eyes were shining brightly at him. They were full of curiosity and anticipation. He answered her question by lowering his lips to her own. She didn’t object. He watched her close her eyes as he kissed her softly. He whispered against her lips, “I am here for you because I love you.”
She reached up this time and brushed her lips against his. Surprised he let go of her arm satisfied she wasn’t going to run away from him. He took control and kissed her more deeply. She pressed her palms against the sleeves of his suit and curled her fingers around the material pulling him against her. His arms enveloped her, trapping her body against his. Once again there was no objection. He lost himself inside her for a moment, drinking her in. Her need for him seemed as urgent as his own.
Eventually he broke off, suddenly concerned it might all be too much for her. He held her face in both of his hands and expressed his concern. She shook her head at him. “No. I’ve told you. When I am with you, everything is all right. I feel safe. Please hold me again.” He obeyed without question, drawing her to him, holding her as tight as her broken ribs would allow. He felt her head rest against his shoulder and closed his eyes, revelling in the fact that after so long he was holding her again.
After a while she asked him, “Are you going to take me home today?”
“Yes. But I want Doctor Han to check you out first. We need to move quickly. From what Niran said we haven’t got long before they might send a team after you. Everyone is talking about the invasion happening in the next two days. That will make it easier for them to come and try to take you out. No questions will be asked. The world will presume you were killed in the cross fire trying to get out.”
She moved her head from his shoulder and nodded. She looked apprehensive. “Do you think I will be able to remember everything in time? Do you think I will be able to stop those bombs going off? I don’t want anybody to die because I failed.”
He held her at arm’s length and tilted her chin up forcing her to look up at him. “You won’t fail. I will be there to help you. Trust me. I won’t let you down...” He’d nearly said, again. He felt uneasy, guilty. He had conveniently forgotten about the reason for their break up. He was taking advantage of her ignorance of it. Would she want him if she knew? He would have to face the music at some point but for now he would do his damnedest to convince her that they belonged together, whatever her argument to the contrary. This was one battle he was determined he was going to win.
“I don’t want to let anyone down, Dominic...”
He hushed her. “Shhh, you won’t.” He gave her a firm command. “And no more trying to do this on your own and putting yourself in danger. I want you safe by my side.” She frowned at him. He gave her a half smile but made sure his voice lost none of its directness. He had to make her understand that this time he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “I’ve been told to tell you, by Anna, that you are fired if you don’t do as you’re told where your safety is concerned. That makes me in charge.”
She opened her mouth to protest but he bent his head and kissed her quickly to silence it. She pulled away from him and frowned, studying him closely. He couldn’t help but grin. She told him, “I know something else about Rebecca Eaton. She doesn’t take orders from anyone, especially men. That makes me in charge.” His eyes widened with surprise when she suddenly grinned. Her eyes sparkled mischievously at him. She asked him excitedly, “Why do I have this aching, burning need to call you Captain Caveman?”
He groaned loudly. Damn it.
She laughed. “Well you are a bit Neanderthal. Aren’t you? I can see why I gave you that nickname.”
He was lost in her once more when he heard the sharp cutting sound of fighter jets screeching across the sky outside. They were coming to bomb the city. He heard the bombs drop and knew they were close. He lifted his gaze from hers and they both turned to the window. As the bombs landed he threw Rebecca to the ground underneath him.