The next few days seemed almost normal as Olivia settled back into a routine of seeing patients and conducting surgeries. Logan walked her to the hospital every morning in time for her first appointment of the day and was waiting for her when she wrapped things up for lunch. According to Daniela, while Olivia conducted surgery, Logan hadn’t hesitated to step up and volunteer for all the small, menial tasks that mounted up in the department, earning him the admiration and gratitude of the nursing staff.
“He is quite nice to have around,” Daniela confessed one morning during surgical prep. “He doesn’t mind changing sheets, taking out the trash or cleaning. It’s remarkable!”
Olivia smiled, happy to hear that Logan had fit in so well with the rest of the team. His willingness to help with the traditionally “female” chores had earned him a place in Daniela’s good books, which was a coveted spot. “I’m glad he’s making himself useful.”
“Oh, yes,” Daniela said. “We will be sad to see him go.”
“I’ll miss you, too,” Olivia teased.
Daniela laughed. “You know what I mean. I had my doubts about him when you first arrived, but I am glad to be proven wrong.”
“I understand.” And she did. There was something about Logan that made the people around him feel comfortable. She had felt her own resistance start to crumble as she spent more time with him, and she was beginning to question all her reasons for keeping him at arm’s length. Maybe he was worth the risk to her heart after all...
She pulled off her scrub cap and stepped into the hall, glancing around for Logan. She had finished up surgery a little early today, so he might not be here yet... No, there he was, standing at the end of the hall. She started for him, anticipation building as she approached. Spending time with him was the best part of her day, and she intended to enjoy it as long as she could.
She opened her mouth to call out to him, but before she could say anything, his whole body stiffened in shock. That was odd. Maybe he’d been stung by something? She didn’t see any bugs, but the hospital had its fair share of insects, being so close to the forest.
In the next instant, Logan started walking, his steps jerky and reluctant. He glanced down the hall and his eyes widened when he saw her. His expression shifted to one of horror, and he mouthed the word No!
Olivia froze, her stomach cramping as she realized that something was terribly wrong. She ducked into a doorway and waited a beat, then poked her head out in time to see Logan disappear, a shorter dark-haired man close on his heels. It looked like Juan Pablo, but why would he be going anywhere with Logan?
She stood there for a few seconds, indecision paralyzing her muscles. Whatever was going on, Logan plainly wanted her to stay out of it. But if he was in danger, could she really leave him to face it alone?
No, she decided firmly. After all he’d done for her, she wasn’t about to turn her head and hope for the best. He wasn’t going to like it, but she was going after him.
Her mind made up, she slipped out of the doorway and moved down the hall, then turned and followed the men.
* * *
Logan gritted his teeth as Juan Pablo herded him out of the hospital and down the sidewalk, keeping the gun pressed to his side. They made it to the end of the block before Logan decided to try to get some answers. There was more going on here than Juan Pablo’s bruised pride, and he wanted to know what he was up against.
“What’s your plan?” Logan kept his voice level and his movements easy, tamping down the urge to fight back. He didn’t want to startle Juan Pablo, not while the man was pointing a gun at him. It was clear from the way Juan Pablo held the weapon that he wasn’t comfortable with it, and the last thing Logan wanted was to get shot by accident.
“I’m getting rid of you,” Juan Pablo said, his voice oozing with satisfaction.
“How do you figure that? Are you just going to take me into the forest and shoot me?” They were approaching the entrance to the trail he and Olivia had used earlier, and his brain came up with a hastily concocted plan: he’d wait until they were a few feet into the forest, away from innocent bystanders, and then he’d take Juan Pablo down. His muscles tensed in anticipation as they got closer to the tree line. Just a few more steps...
Juan Pablo let out a short laugh. “Nothing so predictable. Violence is not my specialty.”
“I suppose you prefer forcing yourself on unwilling women?”
That earned him a sharp poke in the back with the muzzle of the gun. The unexpected pain caught Logan off guard and he let out a grunt, which made Juan Pablo laugh again.
“Bastard,” Logan muttered. He was going to enjoy turning the tables on this guy.
They entered the forest, stepping into the shade of the canopy. Logan stopped walking and set his feet, preparing himself to attack. He left his arms loose at his sides, not wanting to telegraph his intentions. He was confident he could handle Juan Pablo, but he didn’t want to give the other man any advantage.
Juan Pablo moved to stand next to him, but remained just out of arm’s reach. No matter. Logan would have the gun out of the other man’s hand and slam him on the forest floor before he knew what hit him.
Logan braced himself, adrenaline flooding his system. It was now or never. He started forward...
“Here he is. As promised.”
A sound from the undergrowth drew his attention and Logan converted his movement toward Juan Pablo, twisting to the side so he could see this new threat.
Three men appeared on the path, their faces grim and their hands gripping guns. Logan realized with a small shock they were part of the group that had met Olivia before to hand over the drugs. Had Juan Pablo been the thief all along? But why?
“Excellent.” The leader eyed him with undisguised malice. “We will have some fun with this one.”
“No, you won’t,” Logan muttered. It was clear these men wanted to kill him, but he wasn’t going down without a fight. Better to die on his feet here than at the hands of these men.
Before anyone could make a move, Logan darted to the side and grabbed Juan Pablo. He shoved the other man in front of him and wrenched the gun from his hand, then pressed it to his temple.
“Stay back,” he said, keeping his arm around Juan Pablo’s neck to lock him in place. Juan Pablo clawed at his arm, his nails raking into Logan’s skin in painful drags. Ignoring this, Logan took a step back, pulling his human shield along with him.
The leader’s mouth curved up in a cruel smile. “Do you really think he will protect you?”
“Maybe. Or maybe the threat of Fantasmas will. I work for them. If you kill me, you will face their wrath.”
To his surprise, the leader laughed. “I doubt it, since they’re the ones who want you dead. Mr. DEA Agent,” he finished, his eyes lighting with glee.
Logan’s mind went blank as the man’s taunt registered. His cover had been blown. But how? They’d been so careful...
In the next instant, his questions were dwarfed by a sudden, horrible realization: Olivia. If they knew he was a DEA agent, she was in danger. He had to get back to her before it was too late.
“You’re not even going to deny it?”
“Would you believe me if I did?” he replied, taking another step back. Three against one wasn’t great odds, but if he could increase the distance between them, he might have a chance. He could squeeze off a few shots, then duck into the forest and lose them in the vegetation.
The leader shrugged. “Not really. Besides, Fantasmas wants you dead. That’s good enough for us.”
Logan tightened his grip on Juan Pablo. “You’ll have to go through him first.”
“Very well.” The leader made a quick gesture with his hand, and one of the men shot Juan Pablo. The man crumpled in his arms just as Logan felt a searing flash along his ribs.
Logan dropped Juan Pablo and fired in the direction of the men, not taking the time to aim. There was a split second of stunned silence, as if the men couldn’t believe he’d shot at them. A short, sharp cry told him at least one of his bullets had found its mark, but he didn’t stick around to view the damage.
The men opened fire, but Logan had already ducked into the forest, and the dense growth shielded him from view. He kept his head down and moved quickly, trying to get out of the path of the bullets. Loud, solid thunks sounded as nearby tree trunks were hit, and the near misses spurred him on. He ignored the burning pain in his side—if he stopped now, he was as good as dead.
Someone barked out a loud command and the shooting stopped. The sudden silence was almost as deafening as the gunshots and Logan slowed his pace. If he went crashing through the jungle, he’d lead them right to him, something he figured the men were counting on. His body screamed at him to go faster, to run, but he forced himself to creep along, trying to keep his sounds to a minimum. He had a head start and a few bullets left, but he wasn’t naive. The men who were chasing him knew this forest, probably lived in it. It was only a matter of time until they found him.
But maybe, just maybe, he could get back to the village before that happened. They weren’t that deep in the forest—at least, they hadn’t been when they’d stood on the path. Now that he’d wandered off, though, who could say? There were no landmarks here, no helpful signs to point him in the right direction. He was lost.
Or was he? He glanced up at the sky, searching for the position of the sun. He knew the village was to the east of the forest. If he could find the sun, he could orient himself and start heading in the right direction.
Dappled light shone all around him, but it was almost impossible to see the sky, thanks to the thick canopy of branches that loomed overhead. Panic knotted his lungs as he searched for a break in the cover, to no avail. Dammit, now what?
He started moving again, careful to keep his steps soft. The spongy forest floor helped absorb sounds, but he didn’t want to give the men chasing him any clues. He had to find some way to get back to the village. He stepped over an old, rotten tree trunk, slippery with moss. The sight of it tugged at something in his memory, and he frowned.
Moss on tree trunks... He closed his eyes briefly, trying to grab hold of the memory. Camping with his dad and grandpa, lying out under the stars...
“You can always tell direction by looking at the trees,” his grandpa had said. “Moss usually grows on the north side of the trunk.”
Logan opened his eyes and stared at the tree. Moss usually grows on the north side... Was that true here, as well? Or was it the opposite, since he was below the equator?
“I’ve got a fifty-fifty shot of getting this right,” he muttered. He did a mental coin-flip and made his choice, then turned and set off again. His side protested every step, but he ignored the pain. If the wound was really serious, he’d be dead by now. Since he wasn’t, it could obviously wait.
He had to get to Olivia.