The raunchy sounds of sex crescendoed, then faded into the dusk. The kid sprang to his feet and rolled his eyes, impatient for the couple to make an appearance. But ten agitated minutes later with daylight waning and still no sign of them, it prompted him to gripe. “Geezus, how much bloody longer can they be?”
Havoc cast him an incredulous stare, but before he could form a reply, Hawk’s question was answered by a repeat performance of low husky moans and shrill whimpers that left nothing to the imagination.
“Hell, we could be here all night at this rate,” Hawk grumbled. “It’s okay for glamour boy, he can ease his tension with a good screw, but what about us?”
“Just hope the water’s bloody cold, mate.” Havoc had to agree—the noises coming from the stream indicated it could indeed be a long wait.
Fourteen long minutes later, Hawk was still bitching, so it was a double relief when Wolf, wearing a self-satisfied grin, strode into camp with Beth in tow. Lost in his own contentment he was unaware of the hostility leveled at him by Hawk, and to a lesser degree, by him.
As they came closer, Wolf angled his head skyward, and he followed his lead. Burnt orange embers were fading, and in the jungle once the sun went down, night would descend swift and complete.
“It will be dark soon. You guys had better hurry if you want to see what you’re doing down there. And mind the bank, it’s kind of slippery.”
“Thanks for the tip, Einstein.”
“How was the water anyway? We thought someone was drowning by all the noise you two were making,” Hawk grouched as he grabbed his pack. Wolf fired him back an icy glare.
“I’m off. You coming, Havoc?”
“Right behind you, mate.” He picked up his pack and marched off mumbling under his breath that he’d been ready for upward of an hour. And as he barged by Wolf, he couldn’t resist whacking his friend in the chest with the back of his hand.
*
“Oh no, do you think they guessed?” Beth wailed, and wrapping her arms around him, hugged him from behind as the other two disappeared from sight.
“Nah, they wouldn’t have a clue; they’re not that bright. They’d just think we were arguing.” He pulled her around to face him. “And anyway, so what if they did.”
Beth wrinkled her brow and gnawed her bottom lip. She was so cute, but he didn’t like to see her face lined with worry.
“Don’t give it a second thought, honey, take that frown off your pretty face and come give me a hand.” He hauled out the groundsheet from his pack. “I never thought I’d form an attachment to this.” He grinned and passed it to Beth, who helped spread it under the rocky overhang as far from Hernandez as possible. From the way she kept casting apprehensive glances his way, it was apparent that, even hogtied, the guy still scared her shitless.
Hernandez coughed, drawing Beth’s attention and her whole body shuddered. Zach’s gut constricted at her fear, and he balled his hand into a fist. He loathed that his woman was terrorized by that lowlife piece of shit, but when he pictured the man’s hands on her body, white-hot anger erupted anew. God, she’d been a virgin, and if he’d been a few minutes later, well, it didn’t bear thinking about.
He glared at the other man with ice in his veins. The asshole was staring at Beth, mapping her every movement with his stone-cold eyes.
Zach swallowed his rage. He felt a muscle jerk in his neck. He set his jaw and narrowed his eyes, spearing the offender with a glare of pure hatred. And as he stalked over to the Columbian, his anger, like a lit powder keg, exploded.
“Keep your head down and your filthy eyes off her if you know what’s good for you.” The words were low and barbed, meant for his ears only.
The scumbag must have sensed the danger and dropped his head in submission.
“And if you don’t want another beating, asshole, you’ll stay that way.” He towered over the prisoner, slamming one fisted hand into the palm of his other. “Understand?”
“Si.”
Good. The message had been received loud and clear.
Beth was seated on the groundsheet when he crossed the distance and squatted beside her. There were K–rations in his pack and he fished some out for their meal.
“Here, eat this,” he said, handing one over. “They don’t taste too bad. Mind, they don’t taste too good, either.” He laughed and she joined in.
“Thanks, better than going hungry, though, and I’ve got something too.” She rifled through her bag producing a couple of chocolate bars and holding them up for him to see.
“I bought these at Donostia’s earlier. We can break them in half and share them later.”
“Sure beats the heck out of K-rations.” The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the guys arrived back at camp. They looked refreshed and seemed in better spirits.
Hawk was wearing a grin. “I’ll watch this lowlife,” he announced to no one in particular and parked his ass under the overhang between Wolf and the prisoner.
“Mm, K-Rations, my favorite. Not.” Havoc staked his spot between Hawk and him as the dying rays of sunlight were extinguished.
Beth held up the chocolate bars. “If you eat all your supper, there’ll be chocolate for dessert.”
“Well, love, it’s as good as gone.” Havoc winked and fished out two pre-packaged meals, one for Hawk the other for himself, ignoring Hernandez altogether. No one was going to waste any rations feeding him. If he was lucky, they’d let him live.
They ate their meal passing the time in idle chatter. The sky changed from gray to charcoal to pitch-black. Night critters emerged, scurrying around for their supper and creating a ruckus that was their own kind of music.
Havoc drew out his torch and switched it on. Beth divided the chocolate bars into equal portions, kept one, and shared the rest among the men. It was delicious, rich and decadent and a welcomed supplement, just enough to whet the appetite.
“You remind me of chocolate.” Zach leaned over and ran his tongue around the whorl of Beth’s ear. “It tastes so good and creamy and leaves you wanting more.” His voice was thick with innuendo.
“Shush, Zach, they’ll hear you,” she cautioned, her eyes darting back and forth.
“Don’t care, honey, can’t help myself; you have that effect on me.” He nibbled her nape with his lips, and she shivered and leaned against him.
Hawk switched on his flashlight, creating a halo of light and breaking the moment. “I’ll take first watch,” he volunteered. “We don’t want Beth being attacked by any wild animals.”
Hawk’s implication was as subtle as the ears on the sides of his head. Zach slid him a Why don’t you go screw yourself look. Hawk answered with an I’ve only just begun grin.
It wasn’t late when they settled in for the night, but sunrise would come all too soon, and they had an early start.
“Time to grab some Zs,” Havoc said and switched off his light. A few moments later Hawk did the same.
Zach curled around Beth and tugged her close, bringing warmth to her cooling skin. The temperature was dropping and what better way to stay cozy than with body heat. He buried his nose in her neck, his hand cupping her breast. She wiggled her bottom against his groin and covered his hand with hers.
Soon her breathing changed, and he was glad she’d drifted off. For him, sleep was slow in coming; his mind was in a whirl, trapped in thoughts of what tomorrow would bring.
* * * *
Nick and Christian stomped through the jungle. The fresh deep scars on the butchered vegetation, presumably where Buchanan’s machete had blazed a trail, made the going that much easier. Nick and he trudged on in silence, both swamped in their own thoughts. There was nothing more to say—everything that needed to be said had been said. The focus now was getting their sister home safe, if they could help Buchanan rescue his sister in the process, so be it.
They’d made good time thus far. Both had geared up for the hike, and both were fit and strong, the tough terrain was only a minor inconvenience. Beth, on the other hand, had to be slowing Buchanan’s team down thereby giving Nick and him a decided advantage. The tracking receiver in her cell phone pinpointed her whereabouts as less than a few miles up ahead.
The fading light guaranteed there was no chance they’d catch them today—night descends fast in the Columbian wilderness, cloaking the landscape in all-encompassing darkness and leaving a minefield of danger that only a fool would attempt.
So it was with real reluctance he called a halt—risking injury would be ludicrous. The tracking device indicated Beth’s group had also stopped. It would be pitch-black long before they reached them, so nothing would be achieved by pushing on. Yep, it made more sense to wait until daybreak.
He slipped the strap of the M-16 from his shoulder and shrugged off his rucksack. “This is as good a place as any to make camp,” he told Nick as he dumped his pack on the ground beside him.
“Guess so,” Nick agreed and proceeded to break out his bedroll and spread it on a patch of even ground.
He did the same.
It was early despite the murkiness of the night, and the long hours of darkness stretched before them like a void.
Nick pulled out his rations and Mag light, both provided courtesy of Rhys Monroe. “From what I can make out, there’s a ravine up ahead, and Beth’s about a mile or so shy of it.”
“What the hell do you suppose they’re doing all the way out here?” Christian asked not for the first time that day. “The drop was supposed to be back down the mountain at fucking Hicksville.” His sister’s involvement in this whole kidnapping thing was seriously pissing him off.
“Drop’s gone ass-up, but we’ve covered this already, Chris.” Nick’s tone had an edge, and who could blame him? “We’ve been lucky not to run across any guerrillas or paramilitaries, but that’s not to say they’re not operating in the area; we need to stay sharp.”
“Why the hell’s Buchanan bringing her all the way out here if things have gone ass-up? Why not leave her in Hicksville and go on without her? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Nothing about this makes sense, bro, but he’s worrying about his sister, same as we’re worrying about ours, so he must have his reasons.”
“What if we don’t get her back?” He knew it would piss Nick off, but he couldn’t prevent the words spilling from his mouth. His agitation was unusual and voicing his fears was like a release mechanism.
“Don’t go there. We’ll get her back or die trying. Now, for God’s sake, give it a rest.”
He lapsed into silence then, interrupted only by the sounds of insects and wildlife in the nearby vicinity.
When they finished their rations Nick said, “Get some sleep, I’ll take first watch.”
“Sweet.”
“And try and chill, we’ve got a big day tomorrow and want to be on the move at first light.”
“Be sure and wake me in five hours.”
“You can bank on it. Now, off to bed, you need your beauty sleep more than me.” Nick grinned in the half-light.
“You wish.” He climbed into his sleeping bag, tugged up the zipper, and gazed up at the heavens. The night sky was devoid of stars. Heavy clouds hung low and obscured the moon. Shit, he hoped the weather held. And that was his last lucid thought before sleep claimed him.
*
Five hours was an awfully long time when sitting alone in the dark with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company. Nick’s mind wandered back across the years to the time when he’d lost Beth at the mall. The terror he’d felt that day was every bit as real as the terror he felt now. What if, as Chris said, they never got her back? His gut clenched, and his heart thumped so hard it drummed in his ears.
There was little light from the night sky, and time ticked by at a snail’s pace. In the daunting silence, minutes became hours, and fearful thoughts mutated to terror. With a mental shake he shoved the negativity aside. If he dwelled on the situation he’d be edgier than a virgin about to get laid.
He checked his watch. At last the luminous dial showed it was time to rouse Chris. He rose to his feet and flexed his arms, rolled his shoulders and made his way to where his brother lay stretched out. “Come on, sleeping beauty, rise and shine.”
“Five more minutes, Mom,” Chris mumbled and rolled over.
“Time for you to take over, buddy,” he said, toeing his brother in the ribs.
As Christian stirred, Nick yawned and climbed into his own sleeping bag and got comfortable.
* * * *
After Hawk’s stint was over, Zach took his turn at watch, and Havoc had commenced the final shift five minutes ago.
The night was still with a touch of warmth and just enough light to see by as Zach nestled back in beside Beth. The heat from her body was inviting, and his lips found the hollow of her shoulder and pressed against it in a caressing kiss.
“Zach,” she murmured and roused with a sleepy-eyed stretch.
“You were expecting someone else?” His teasing tone was light and he glided his hand over the silkiness of her calf and higher as he hoisted her skirt and shaped his body around hers.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
The sleepy drawl was muffled, but he made out the words as she wiggled against him, and his mouth twitched in a grin.
“Me too.” His eager fingers skimmed her thigh and traveled farther north to her ass where they were confronted by his jocks. His grin collapsed into a hard line as the thought of what might have been converged with what had been. The hard line kicked up into a curve. He was a dumb prick for sure, but he would never doubt her again. He palmed her covered bottom. Damn, but the thought of her wearing his underwear was erotic, and his cock swelled between her ass cheeks. He rolled his hand over her belly and slipped between skin and fabric, fingers tangling in her corkscrew curls. Soft and silky and covering the place he most wanted to be. That, though, was impractical, but giving her pleasure was not.
He pressed the heel of his hand against her pubic bone and applied gentle pressure in a circular motion as he dipped first one finger then another into her liquid heat.
She moved against him. “Mm.”
“Like that, do you, baby?” The question was whispered into her ear while his fingers inside her pussy continued to move with rhythmic intent.
“It does feel good, but we can’t.” Her answer was soft and husky, the last words delivered on a strangled groan.
“Shush, of course we can, but you have to be quiet.” His timing was slow and measured. He withdrew his fingers, and after parting her soft lips ran one up her pussy and massaged her clit. Her hips jerked in response, and he slammed his fingers deep into her sex and pumped.
She moaned and bucked against his hand. “Stay still, don’t move,” he instructed.
“What, are you kidding me?” she whispered back, tilting her hips again.
“Shh and stop moving; it will make your orgasm more intense.” He puffed the words into her ear. The effect was instantaneous. She stiffened under his touch and stilled. “Good girl.”
He cupped and kneaded her breast, pinching the tip into an elongated hard little nub. When she moaned and squirmed he scolded her. “No noise, no moving.”
He almost laughed at the wide-eyed incredulity that leapt across her face. So he shouldn’t have been surprised when her lips sheathed her teeth and she clamped her mouth onto his arm and went still and quiet as a statue.
Deep in his chest his heart lurched. He had misjudged her on more occasions than he cared to count, and yet here she was, trusting him implicitly.
Past transgressions and future ideas coalesced along with thoughts of how lucky he was as he manipulated her pussy. When he felt her stomach muscles clench and her legs straighten, he said, “That’s right, baby, give it up for me.”
The shudder took her hard, and she jammed her thighs around his hand. He kept working her pussy, probing deeper, harder, until she sank her teeth into his flesh, and moments later relaxed against him.
With gentleness and a tender heart he removed his fingers and licked them clean. “God, you taste good,” he told her and kissed the top of her curly head. He vowed when this was over, he’d make her his wife.
*
Hawk could not believe his ears. Those two were at it again. He lay motionless, feigning sleep. The knowledge of what was happening less than ten feet from him was hard to ignore.
Already frustrated, it took all his powers of concentration to focus on what the day would bring, but failed miserably. He picked up a rock and threw it at Havoc, hitting him between the shoulders.
“What the…”
“Can’t you hear that?” His words were just a whisper in the breeze as he rolled onto his belly.
There was a long pause before he got a response.
“Well, I’ll be damned.”
“That randy stallion owes us big time.”
“Hell, yeah.” Havoc’s hushed disembodied voice drifted to him.
“And payback’s going to be a bitch,” he whispered back.
“Amen to that.”
* * * *
Christian unfurled and stood to relieve himself. The night air was crisp. The earlier cloud cover had dissipated, exposing millions of twinkling stars. To pass the time, he’d tried to identify the constellations, but soon gave it up as impossible. How astrologers managed to make out the signs of the zodiac was beyond him. Next, he’d silently recited the words of Wordsworth followed by Byron. When that repertoire was exhausted, he’d commenced singing old Beatles classics in his head.
With business taken care of, he settled back to finish his watch and turned his thoughts to anything that did not involve Beth. In due course the blanket of night lifted as dawn inched its way across the horizon, and Mother Nature painted the sky in a spectacular display of orange, pink, and golden hues. Showtime.
The shoulder shake he gave his brother was firm but not rough. “Yo, time to party, bro.”
Nick was up and primed the moment after he roused him as the first rays of sunshine kissed his cheek. They were so close to their objective, there could be no mistakes now.
They both did their morning ablutions and then cracked out the breakfast rations with purpose. Afterward, he led the way, confident they’d catch the other party before they crossed the ravine, until Nick burst his bubble.
“Damn it, they’re on the move too.”
“Pick up the pace then.”
“Ain’t gonna make a squat of difference; they’ll be across that sucker before we reach their campsite.”
He exhaled an expletive and broke into a trot anyway. Nick, likewise, did the same.