In His Sights, page 19
When the doctor finally arrived, the man’s face had held the stoic patience that came from years of seeing the same types of atrocities during the country’s civil war.
Moss’s fury built as he listened to the powerful churning of the waterfalls in the background. It echoed everything he felt. He wanted to act…now, to pummel whoever had hurt the woman, but the desire would do him no good. Even if he succeeded in killing the bastard, someone else would rise up to take his place.
As long as there were crazed barbarians walking the earth, there would be rape and torture and murder. They were facts of life. But that didn’t mean Moss should just roll over, smile and pretend they didn’t bother him.
Hell no. That’s why he’d gone into Special Forces in the first place. To try to right wrongs. To make a difference.
At the moment, that meant doing everything he could to thwart the rebel’s ultimate goal of killing Dr. Nascimento. If he could do that and get her and Cole out of Angola, he’d consider this mission a success.
Continuing to stake out the waterfall was his best bet. If Cole was in Malanje, he’d eventually turn up here. His friend wouldn’t bury his head in the sand and wait for help to come to him. He’d go out and grab it by the throat and wrestle it to the ground. It was both Cole’s strength and his weakness. In this case, Moss figured it would land on the strength side of the equation. Thinking fast and changing directions like a jackrabbit could only help.
In fact, if the good doctor had to be rescued by anyone, she couldn’t have done any better than Cole.
He hunkered down and waited. Maybe, just maybe, this would be his lucky day. He thought of the woman in the hotel room and closed his eyes, drawing in a quick breath. No. A lucky day would be making sure the bastard behind her ordeal never harmed another living soul.
* * *
Callie snuggled closer to the warm body next to her, then opened her eyes. Cole was still asleep, while sunlight poured full-force through a crack in the draperies. She’d woken up before him. A first.
A moment’s worth of panic hit her, before her system settled back down. He was exhausted. Ever since they’d taken off from Luanda, he’d gone to sleep after her and woken before her. The human body could only take so much abuse, before it finally shut down.
Still, she listened to the sound of his breathing and sighed in relief. Slow and even. She knew she should wake him, knew he’d be anxious for them to be on their way, but couldn’t bring herself to.
She needed a few more minutes to let reality sink in.
Her bladder twinged, reminding her that reality was what had woken her in the first place. The baby was pressed in just the wrong place.
She slid her hands over the small bulge, tears coming to her eyes. No. The baby wasn’t pressed in the wrong place. He was in the perfect place. And her sister would never have a chance to know him. Would never get to hold him, to breathe in his baby scent. The last thing Callie wanted to do was give him up, especially now. But she would. Gary wanted this baby as much as Sara had. He’d treasure Micah.
But the next baby…
Her glance went to Cole, and she bit her lip. No, he wasn’t in the running to be daddy to her babies. He’d slept with her, but she was the one who’d kept pushing for it, even when it was obvious he hadn’t wanted to. Like last night.
Her face heated in embarrassment. Once this trip was over, she was history. She’d just been a warm body to pass the nights.
Why had she insisted, even when he hesitated?
Working off stress. Proving that you’re still alive after a traumatic experience.
She knew all the medical mumbo jumbo, but it didn’t diminish the tiny leap her stomach took each time he whispered her name. The way her body tightened in anticipation when her gaze strayed to his firm lips.
Oh God, Callie. What have you gotten yourself into?
Nothing good. She was infatuated. With his strength, his quick thinking, his unfailing bravery. And ultimately, his sacrifice.
So very different from her stepfather, and yet they’d been trained by the same military. One man had become a monster, the other a hero. How could that be?
One of the mysteries of the human spirit that even psychology couldn’t unravel.
Another mystery was how she was going to extricate herself from his arms without disturbing him. Better not to try. She should just wake him up and be done with it. They were both adults. They’d handled this particular situation before.
Okay…so their previous “handlings” had been pretty disastrous affairs. But the third time was a charm, right?
Right.
Threading her fingers through his, she kissed his cheek. “Cole?”
Lids parted and warm chocolaty eyes regarded her for a long moment, a tiny frown appearing.
Great, he didn’t even remember who she was.
Then he jerked upright in the bed, but their twined fingers reined him in before he could spring completely away.
She forced a smile. “Hey, sleepyhead.”
He glanced at her, and then at their joined hands. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know. I lost my watch, remember?” She tilted her head to read his. “It’s just after nine.”
He blinked a couple of times as if trying to come to his senses. “Dammit, I wanted to be out of here long before now.” He shook her fingers loose and climbed out of bed.
She’d been right. He couldn’t wait to get away from her.
“I need to use the restroom.” She pulled the sheet up to cover herself. “Would you mind turning your back for a minute?”
His smile was unamused. “Isn’t it a little late for that?”
No. Not when the man who’d made her feel so special hours earlier, now looked at her as if she were a recent escapee from a leper colony.
She wasn’t in the mood for arguing. If he wanted to stand there and gawk at her, then let him.
Callie threw back the covers and stood in front of him, her chin tilted in defiance. When he swallowed and muttered a choice curse word before turning away, she should have felt at least a twinge of triumph. She didn’t. All she felt was disgust for her childish behavior. She might as well have stuck her tongue out and said, “So there.”
Gathering her clothes, she made her way to the bathroom, but couldn’t resist glancing back one last time. He’d walked to the window, his back ramrod stiff. If he was ill at ease with his own nakedness, she couldn’t tell. He was a soldier.
And she didn’t care, she told herself. She might have given him her body, but that didn’t mean she was going to throw her heart at him as well.
Too late, her mind whispered.
She slammed the bathroom door. “It’s not too late. You’ll see.”
Another day or two and she’d be back in the States, back at her practice and back in her own familiar environment—where she belonged. She probably wouldn’t maintain contact with Cole. There’d be no reason to. He’d just as soon put this episode behind him, like she would.
She used the restroom, took a quick shower, then pulled her clothes on, telling herself she was looking forward to getting her life back on an even kilter. Each day brought her one step closer to that goal. She pulled a face. And each day would take her one step further from Cole.
Why did she have to turn everything into a tragedy?
Think positive thoughts, Callie.
Sucking in a deep breath, she tried again. She’d carried out her sister’s deepest wish to have a child. That was something to celebrate. She smiled. That was better.
Yes. In another five months she’d give birth to Micah Cole Parker and would place him in Gary’s loving arms. That would be that. Everything would return to normal.
The pitted bathroom mirror reflected a pale, unhappy face. She forced a smile. Cheerful thoughts, she reminded herself.
Yes, everything would return to normal, and Callie would be absolutely, positively…
Alone.
* * *
Cole was aware of Callie’s silence as they rode to the falls in one of the dilapidated local taxis. But he wasn’t going to do anything about it.
This silence was no different than the oppressive stillness he’d endured over breakfast, where only the utensils spoke and mouths had clamped down on any sound other than chewing. The only time she’d said anything had been when he tried to pour her a cup of coffee. She’d held up a hand, her nose crinkling in something akin to disgust. “Don’t.”
When he’d looked at her quizzically, she murmured. “I don’t like coffee.”
The steady quiet was a good thing at this juncture, though. It was better than the rattling vibrations of gunfire and explosions they’d encountered in Luanda.
He was surprised. They’d made it this whole trip without any kind of real rebel intervention. At each village, he’d expected to be ambushed. With each bend of the railroad tracks, he’d expected to encounter a gun-wielding madman. Instead, they’d been met by silence.
Cole leaned back and stared out the window into the wooded surroundings.
So life was good. Just because Callie had stalked off to the bathroom like the injured party from one of those somebody-done-somebody-wrong songs wasn’t his problem.
Keep telling yourself that, shithead. Maybe someday you’ll believe it.
The falls had to be just ahead. Wisps of mist rose like smoke rings, and a low roar vibrated off his eardrums.
“How much further?” he asked the driver, a private security guard the hotel had hired at his request. In order to avoid alarming Callie or drawing attention to the fact that they weren’t normal tourists, Cole had asked the man to come dressed in street clothes. To complete the look, the guard had rented a taxi from a local cabby.
“Not far. Maybe a kilometer.”
He nodded and had just turned his head to look at Callie, when a quick metallic glint caught his eye.
“Get down,” he yelled. He dragged Callie flat against the seat and glanced up to make sure the driver had heard his warning. He had. The gun the man had tucked in his waistband was now on the front seat of the car.
The guard was still driving, but he’d ducked his head so low, he was peering at the road from between the spokes of the steering wheel. “What is it?”
“I saw something. Stop. Let me out.”
“What?” the driver and Callie said in unison.
“You are crazy, senhor. There could be bandits. I will go with you.”
Cole had ruminated too soon about the lack of trouble. He knew from Pedro’s death that the rebels had probably discovered where they were headed. They were here. In the woods.
“Just stop the car and let me out,” he repeated.
The guard pulled over to the side of the road, muttering in Portuguese, his gun now in hand.
“Cole, what is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m going with you.”
“No. I need to make sure no one’s following us.” He pulled out a large bill and handed it to the driver. “Take her the rest of the way to the falls and wait. If something looks suspicious when you get there, take her back to the hotel and accompany her to her room. Stay with her, no matter what.”
“What about you, senhor?” the guard asked.
“I’ll meet you at the falls. If you’re not there, I’ll catch a ride or hike back. But don’t let the lady out of your sight.”
The driver nodded, scanning the sides of the road. Cole hadn’t seen any other vehicles up to this point, but that didn’t mean anything. There could still be rebels in the woods. He wanted to make sure they were in the clear, before he let Callie out in the open.
“Cole, please don’t do this. Let’s stay together.” Her brown eyes pleaded with him.
He had to force himself not to cave. The rebels would be expecting her to stick by his side. He needed to do the opposite. The hotel had assured him the security guard knew his stuff—he’d been in his country’s military. “It’ll be okay. I’ll meet you up on the hill.”
She sat up. “I’m sorry about this morning.”
“This morning?”
“For forcing you to do something you didn’t want.”
He blinked for a second before he realized what she was talking about. When he did, remorse spurted through his veins, and he couldn’t let her leave without setting the record straight.
Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. “I did want to, Calista. Hell, I still do.” He paused, searching for the right words. Failing, he settled for something trite. “Wait for me, okay?”
Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she kissed him on the lips. “We’ll both be waiting for you.”
He shut his eyes for a quick second before meeting the driver’s glance in the rearview mirror. “As soon as I get out of the car, start moving. And whatever you do, keep her safe.”
“Sim, senhor. I’ll guard her with my life.”
Cole jumped from the vehicle and sprinted for the nearest tree, turning just as the taxi spit gravel as it sped on its way to the falls.
* * *
From the opposite side of the road, Moss—flat on his belly with his gun cocked and ready—had watched the taxi pull to a halt a couple hundred yards ahead of him. All he could see was the driver’s head tucked low in front. Who the hell was that? Another rebel? He’d seen several jeeps go past about two hours earlier.
The appearance of the military-style vehicles made him decide to pull back about a kilometer from the falls and wait. He had to intercept Cole somehow before he walked into what could be a trap.
He’d strained his eyes at the taxi, but hadn’t spotted any passengers. Strange. Maybe the driver was picking someone up?
The vehicle had stayed parked on the side of the road for about a minute-and-a-half then sped on its way, again heading straight for the falls.
Moss had a bad feeling. Why the lone taxi?
Could he be carrying a sightseer?
If so, where was the tourist? Stuffed in the trunk? With the price of gas the way it was, he couldn’t see a hand-to-mouth taxi driver taking an afternoon off for a pleasure drive.
He stared ahead, watching the vehicle until it pulled out of sight. Should he go after it? Or hold his ground?
He’d wait until the driver came back. He could always flag it down and see what the hell was going on.
Cole was an early riser. If they were coming to the falls today, he would have expected them first thing. He checked his watch. Almost noon. Maybe he should just call it a day and come back tomorrow.
Except he didn’t want to risk it. If Cole came while the rebels were still at the top and he couldn’t warn him…
The grisly image of the couple in the hotel room came to mind. No. He’d wait, if he had to stay in this position until midnight tomorrow. Cole said he’d be here. And his friend hadn’t reneged on a promise yet.
Sitting up, he retied one of his boots. Before he could finish, the sharp click of a gun came from behind him, along with the ominous press of metal to the back of his skull.
He put his hands up.
“Vire, senhor. Devagar,” said the voice.
Moss blinked. The Portuguese words had a definite twang to them. He smiled and scrubbed his hands over his face. “I told you not to stand me up, you bastard.” He turned around, slowly…just like Cole had demanded. “Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d get your damn gun outta my face.”
“Goddammit, Moss, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Meeting you. Like I said I would.”
“That date was for tomorrow.”
“You always did jump the gun, you S.O.B. Why should this time be any different?”
Cole lowered his weapon, and Moss stood, clapping him on the back. “I’m glad as hell to see you. Markesan’s in the mood to kick someone’s ass from here to Australia, and I didn’t want it to be mine.”
“So he didn’t order you to abort the mission.” Cole’s face was a study in relief. Moss almost hated to spill the news.
“He did.”
Cole’s eyes closed for a second. “Let me guess. On the president’s order.”
“You know?”
He nodded. “Callie called her brother-in-law, Senator Parker”
“You’re shitting me. When?”
“Yesterday. I have a feeling that’s part of what this is all about.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“It’s too complicated to explain right now. Let’s go get Callie and you can fill me in on what our next move is.”
Moss’s jaws froze and he had to force them apart. He’d assumed the doctor was waiting in the brush somewhere behind them awaiting Cole’s signal. “You mean she’s not with you?”
“No, she’s on her way up to the falls in a taxi. Why?”
“The taxi that just left?”
Cole’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. What’s wrong?”
“Shit! She’s heading right for the rebels.”
“What?” His friend’s voice rose to a shout.
“They’re there, Cole. At the top of the falls.”
* * *
Cole’s feet were moving, but his brain for once was stuck in quicksand, frozen in one spot…on one person.
Callie.
He tore through the brush, ignoring the thorny vines grabbing at his shirt, tearing at his flesh. All he could think about were Callie’s parting words. We’ll both be waiting.
Following close behind him was Moss, who for once hadn’t insisted on stopping to draw up a game plan. They’d both plunged into action at the same time. And for Cole, the strangled look on his friend’s face had said it all.
