John Hollister, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard another human being say.
Stung, he frowned at her. I just declared my love for you and youre calling me stupid?
Absolutely. If you love me, you big, sweet moron, then you live for me. Dont die for me!
Stunned, he pulled back from her-as much as he could in the tight confines of their shelter-to stare at her. Live for her? A shocking concept. Hed been so focused for so long on finding a way to die, that the idea of finding a way to live feltstrange.
Which was odd, given that the entire creed of the Special Forces was to find a way to do the impossible and survive. He and his men had done their damnedest to stay alive at all times. As the team leader, it had been his job to get the mission done, but even more important in his mind had been his mission to bring his men back alive and kicking every time.
Hed been so wrapped up in his mens deaths for all this time that hed forgotten why it had been such a trauma to him that they died. Because to them, living had been the most important thing of all.
Maybe she was right. Maybe it wasnt a fitting tribute to their memories for him to die, too.
He went still at the thought. Physically still, but also emotionally still. Way down deep inside him. The wild carousel hed been riding round and round stopped whirling for just a moment of clarity.
That single moment of understanding was enough. The words all the counselors, and psychologists and his colleagues had been throwing at him to no avail finally got through. If he wanted to honor his men, then hed go on living. Hed find a way past the impossible odds of his guilt and grief, and hed go on. For them.
The terrible tension in Melinas face drained away. She must have sensed the direction of his thoughts. She relaxed on top of him, still propped on her elbows, gazing down at him. That might even be the beginning of a relieved smile flirting with the corners of her mouth.
He let out a long, slow breath. I think I get it now.
Praise the Lord, she replied fervently. I really wasnt looking forward to trying to whack you upside the head with a heavy object. But I was about to resort to that.
Gratitude flooded him. And something elsewas that joy? That she cared enough about him to go to all this trouble? It was a humbling thought. I dont deserve you, he mumbled.
She laughed under her breath. I dont know. I think maybe we deserve each other.
I have a deal to offer you, he said soberly.
She matched his tone when she replied cautiously, Whats that?
Ill do my best to walk out of this mess alive if you will.
She stared at him for a long time, doubt swimming in her gaze.
Usually the soul of patience, he couldnt stand the suspense of waiting for her answer. He gave her a nudge to tip the scales his way. I promise well do our damnedest to get your family out of here safe and sound, but lets both try to stay alive in the process.
That did it. She nodded in quick agreement. I dont know if what youre offering is possible, but Im willing to try.
They gazed candidly into each others eyes for what seemed like forever. The promise of a lifetime leaped between them, of a million tiny stitches weaving together into a single quilt that would warm them in its love until time ended. They had no need for words. There was nothing left to say. They loved one another, and they would live for each other.
Finally, reluctantly, John broke the silence. We have a small problem.
Whats that? she murmured.
Everything Ive done so far on this mission has been on the assumption that we were both coming up here to die.
And?
If the object is now, as you succinctly put it, for us morons to live, then were not exactly ideally situated to make that happen.
She grinned down at him. Who are you calling a moron, buddy?
He grinned back. Any woman who would love a wreck like me might just qualify for the title.
She reached up to run her fingers through his thick hair. Im just the only one to come along who was smart enough to see the potential in you.
She reached up to run her fingers through his thick hair. Im just the only one to come along who was smart enough to see the potential in you.
Thank God for that. He paused, then added, Thank God for you.
She smiled serenely at him. I have complete faith in you, John. Youll figure out a way for us to rescue my family and get us out of this alive-all of us.
He frowned. It was a tall order. After all, hed led them right into the lions den. Heck, the lions jaws. They were under-equipped and under-mannedby a lotfor what she was asking of him. Not to mention time was short. Huayar wouldnt wait more than a another day or so before he decided that Melina had welshed on her end of the deal. No telling what Huayar would do to her family in that event. He, for one, didnt want to find out what the guy would do.
John gently put Melina aside and sat up. He had to think up a plan, and fast. Brute force was the last resort of the Special Forces. Theyd much rather move into a scenario in complete stealth, do their job with the least possible fuss, and exit as quietly as they came, invisible and undetected. In this case, he and Melina-even assuming she knew how to handle a gun, which he highly doubted-didnt have enough firepower between the two of them to even begin to consider any kind of frontal attack on Huayar and his men. They would have to rescue her family by pure stealth.
At the end of the day, there wasnt much to plan. Hed park Melina somewhere nearby, safe from discovery but close enough to meet up with him and her family when they egressed the area. Hed go in alone. Since he was without any intelligence on the camp beyond what hed seen earlier, hed have to improvise as he went. On the plus side, he had a careers worth of experience to draw on. On the minus side, he hadnt been out in the field since the ambush. He was bound to be rusty.
His boss, General Wittenauer, was prone to say hed rather work with an American Special Forces team on a bad day than any other soldier in the world on a good day. Apparently, that theory got to be put to the test, and he was the guinea pig.
He glanced at his watch-7:00 a.m. He could probably catch a few hours sleep, but then hed have to get moving and start his approach to the camp. Hed need to be in place close to the compound before nightfall. Hed need all of the coming nights hours of darkness to rescue Mels family.
He set his wristwatch alarm to vibrate him awake at noon. He was cutting it close, but he was in lousy physical shape after the past few days hiking and emotional upheaval, and he needed to be at the top of his game for what he had planned. Melina seemed content to doze beside him as the day heated up and their tiny shelter grew sultry with humidity and body heat. He mumbled instructions to her to wake him if she heard or saw anything at all out of the ordinary, and then he crashed.
When his watch jangled against his wrist, he jolted awake from a surprisingly deep and restful sleep.
Hey, handsome, she murmured against his neck.
Hey back atchya, beautiful.
She stretched with feline abandon against his side. I needed that.
He laughed under his breath. So did I.
Her hand meandered across his chest, idly at first, then dipping suspiciously lower. He captured her fingertips and carried them to his lips. Its time to get going, sweetheart.
No good-luck farewells or lingering kisses? she murmured in disappointment.
I wish. But Ive got a lot to do before sunset.
What about me? What do I have to do?
We have to find you a hiding spot, and get you tucked out of sight.
I have to hide? she exclaimed under her breath in disappointment.
Sorry. But Ive got to do this alone. He explained regretfully, Im going to draw upon all kinds of tricky Special Forces skills, and an amateur would only get in my way.
She nodded her understanding, and thankfully, didnt protest.
You will need to be ready to boogie the second I hand your family over to you. Im going to give you some maps to study with several alternate routes drawn on them. I need you to study those maps like crazy and memorize every nuance of them, every topographic line, every hill and valley, every ridgeline. Your life and your familys lives may depend on you knowing those maps like the back of your hand.
She nodded seriously.
Of course, if all went well, hed be there to lead them all out, and the exercise in map memorization would be fruitless. But it would keep her busy for a good long time and make her feel useful. And keeping her happily occupied was vital. Civilians with too much time on their hands to think had a tendency to talk themselves into all sorts of trouble, and he really needed her to just sit tight and be patient.
They grabbed a quick bite to eat, refilled their canteens, and packed up their makeshift camp. He carefully erased the signs of their presence, laying down and tamping into place the rolled sod of moss hed removed before hed pitched their shelter.
They moved carefully, easing around the south side of the camp to its western margin. The compounds north end butted up against the cliff, and the east side was bounded by a small, but fast-flowing stream. He planned to use the noise of that flowing water to mask his approach to the camp, in fact.
He found a thicket a little way up a steep western slope, and settled her deep in the middle of the jumbled vines and brambles. She was well clear of the camp, out of sight and mostly out of earshot. Her position was readily accessible from the hillside above, too, which was likely to be the direction from which he and her family approached her.
Hed give anything to have radios for the two of them to stay in touch, but he hadnt come out here expecting to run a rescue mission. As it was, maybe it was a good thing she couldnt call him at an awkward moment and blow his cover as he approached Huayars hideout. Another thing hed learned about civilians over the years: they tended to babble when they got nervous, and they sucked at radio discipline. The combination had potential to be deadly if they wouldnt shut up and stay off the airwaves at critical moments.
He stepped back to survey Melina in her makeshift hide. He adjusted a few branches, and then nodded his satisfaction. Youre all set, sweetie. Give me until sunrise tomorrow. If I or your family dont meet you here by then, go west as fast as you can until you know youre alone. Call that number I had you memorize and tell the guys whats gone down. Theyll come get you.