Convincing Derrick Read online

  He swallowed the acid burning up his throat. Were there women and children in the metal addition right now, waiting to be auctioned? Sosimo had found that doozy out when Colonel Johnson had tried to steal June’s invention the fall before. Derrick and his team’s mission to rescue the Isaacs had been sabotaged from the start. With the Eyes Beyond tech hidden before the mission, his team hadn’t seen the shapes of the hostages being held just twenty feet away. Otherwise, they would’ve come back with an army and stormed the complex.

  He shook his head again to clear it of the memories. He couldn’t dwell on that now. He had to hide. He froze, a slow smile building on his face. He had studied the map surrounding this area for that mission. Their extraction point had been along a river.

  He took off through the woods toward the old rendezvous. If he could get to the river, leaving a trail along the way, he could circle back. If his ruse worked and they took time to track him, he’d decrease the number of men hanging out at the complex.

  A shout far behind him and the metal peal of a bell warned him the chase was on. He stretched his legs wider as he ran in the direction they’d escaped two years before. He could almost feel the weight of his best friend slung over his shoulder. The way Ethan’s body had flopped against Derrick’s back still gave him nightmares.

  A branch whacked him in the face, forcing his attention to the surrounding jungle. Ethan Stryker was dead, and there had been nothing Derrick could do to save him. Kiki and Eva needed him to execute their rescue, and he couldn’t do that with his focus divided.

  He stepped in a mud puddle, making sure his foot slid to give the illusion of haste. Half a klick later, he stumbled into a bush and broke several branches. Shouting filtered through the jungle behind him as he scanned the forest for anyone hiding.

  He skidded as the jungle opened up to the clearing before the river. On the opposite side of the river, a rock-faced cliff lined both sides of a path that continued through the foliage. He sprinted to the river’s edge and waded into the warm water. As murkiness twisted around his legs, he scanned the banks in front and behind him.

  He stepped from the river close to the rock cliff. Pressing his foot hard into the mud, he took several steps to the dry dirt and turned into the jungle. Then, with careful movement, he backtracked into his footsteps until he reached the rocks.

  He peered up the height of the cliff. The rocks bent as his head spun. While he’d had to climb during his time in the army, it always filled him with a dread he couldn’t force down. He wiped his sweaty hand on his shirt, praying they wouldn’t get so slick he’d slip to his death. Reaching as high as he could, he gripped the rough surface and pulled himself up the cliff.

  Yells grew closer as birds took off from the trees on the opposite side of the river. He didn’t have much time. His breathing rasped loud in his ears. He kept his feet off the rocks until he was several yards above the ground. Hopefully, no one would see any prints that high.

  He scrambled higher, his heart jumping into his throat when his hands, slick with sweat and muddy river water, slipped. Darker shadows moved within the jungle on the opposite side. He glanced up. Only a few feet more.

  His arms burned as he reached higher, pushing his feet against the rocks. A stone broke loose from under his foot and tumbled down the cliff. Derrick’s heart faltered as the memory of Josiah’s terror-filled yell saturated his mind. He shook the image loose and glanced at the rocks on the path. Hopefully, his pursuers wouldn’t notice the new debris on the path.

  “¡De prisa!” Edgar’s command to hurry pushed Derrick over the top just as Edgar rushed from the jungle across the expanse.

  Derrick pressed himself flat against the ground, holding perfectly still. Closing his eyes, he relaxed into the ground. As he let the tall grass that covered the flat, treeless top of the cliff hide him, he caught his breath. Splashing of the men reached him just as the weight of something shifted onto his foot.

  He squeezed his eyes shut, willing his body not to react as the creature slithered up his leg, its body wrapping tightly around his calf. Exclamations of the men on the hunt bounced up the walls as they raced into the jungle. The breath he’d held whooshed out, and he reached down to pry the boa loose. His body convulsed in a shiver as he set the offending snake aside.

  Derrick belly crawled through the grass until he reached the cover of the trees, laying out his mission in his head. He had to work his way back to the complex before dark. Otherwise, he couldn’t put the next part of his plan into action, couldn’t save the woman he was pretty sure he would spend the rest of his life with if only he didn’t fail … again.

  Twenty

  “What if we see a bright, pretty frog or snake?” Kiki tossed the pebble onto the hopscotch she and Eva had marked on the cement and jumped across the game.

  “Don’t touch, even if it’s super cute.” Eva scrunched up her nose. “If we can’t fish, where do we find food?”

  “We find some grub under a log.” Kiki tickled Eva’s belly. “Wonder if the bugs will wiggle in our tummies?”

  Eva’s giggle as she twisted away pushed against the shadows of despair that had threatened to close in around Kiki since realizing Derrick had escaped. She kept reminding herself that it was a good thing he was no longer chained to the wall, but her worry kept sliding its icy fingers along her skin—worry for Derrick’s safety and worry he’d never return. That last was uncalled for, and she told herself that repeatedly. Derrick would never abandon her and Eva, even if it cost him his life.

  “How do we get water?” Kiki peppered the next question in the quiz game they’d been playing all afternoon.

  “Rain in the can-tain,” Eva sang, making canteen rhyme.

  She threw her hands up in the air and jumped and twirled like she was dancing in the rain. Kiki bounced up beside her and joined in. It was easy to stay upbeat with the little darling there. Kiki tried not to think about the faceless women and children that had been held in the room before them, fearfully waiting a horrible fate.

  Kiki’s own fear still simmered in her gut. Having Eva to focus on made Kiki keep the heat of her terror from boiling over. The silly rainforest survival trivia and hopscotch kept her brain alert. She’d have to ask Derrick if soldiers ever did anything like that to keep their minds focused.

  She had a lot of things she’d have to ask Derrick about when all this was done.

  Like if he meant it when he told Eva that he loved Mommy.

  Or if he still wanted to see where things between them went.

  Leaning against the cinderblock wall under the window, Kiki took in a deep breath. That last question pinched at her heart. Leaving still felt like the right thing to do. If she disappeared from Derrick, Eva, and the others’ lives, her father’s so-called associates would no longer be a threat. If she made a large enough trail in the leaving, going underground only after it was apparent she no longer lived at the Silver Wolf Ranch, Sam and Zeke could stop being on guard all the time.

  Eva flopped on to the bed with an exaggerated sigh. “I love dancing in the rain.”

  “Me too, nugget.” Kiki smiled as her chest grew tight.

  She’d miss her family, miss the love she’d found at the ranch. Making sure Eva made it home and stayed safe was what was important now. Nothing else mattered but that. Not anymore.

  “Do you think we’ll get something other than cold beans and tortillas for dinner tonight?” Eva brought her hands to rest over her stomach.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “We might have to pretend we’re having a tea party or something.” Eva sat up quickly, her eyes wide with excitement. “Oh … maybe we can pretend we’re Alice in Wonderland. Maybe the beans will let me grow huge like Alice did, and I’ll bust us out of this joint.”

  A snort erupted from Kiki’s mouth. Where did the kid come up with that stuff? Another laugh quickly followed. Eva giggled, covering her mouth with her fingers. Kiki doubled over, wrapping her arms around her stomach as gut-splitti
ng laughter rolled out. The sound bordered on hysterical, but hopefully Eva didn’t notice.

  Kiki took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her cheeks. It didn’t seem right to find joy in this circumstance, but she’d take it. Eva sighed out the last of her own giggles as she lay back against the filthy mattress.

  “Do you think Uncle D is okay?” Eva’s quiet question popped the joyful bubble and covered Kiki with miry disquiet.

  “Of course, he’s fine.” Kiki smiled, though she no longer felt like it. “Don’t forget, Eva-mine, Uncle D is one of the best super soldiers in the world. He probably has a plan all worked out to get us free.” Kiki hoped using Derrick’s nickname for Eva bolstered her spirits.

  Loud cursing and shouts sounded outside. Kiki jerked from the wall and pulled herself to look out the window. A group of ragtag soldiers trailed into the clearing from the jungle. Their shoulders slumped in defeat, causing the giddiness of the moment before to bubble back to life in her chest. Some men kept darting uneasy glances at Edgar, who had stopped below a large tree, cussing and kicking the trunk in anger.

  “What is it?” Eva pulled on Kiki’s leg.

  “It’s the men.” Kiki lowered herself and gathered Eva into a hug. “They didn’t find Uncle D.”

  “We’re gonna escape.” Eva squeezed Kiki hard. “Do you think he’ll break us free tonight?”

  Kiki squatted so she’d be eye-level with Eva. “Honey, I don’t know, but I bet he’s doing everything he can to get us out. Do you know what that means?”

  Eva shook her head.

  “It means we need to be ready.” Kiki kissed the top of Eva’s head, then led her to the mattress. “We’ve had a busy day with little food for energy. Why don’t we rest for a bit?”

  “Uncle D said we should nap to keep our energy up,” Eva said sagely.

  Fifteen minutes later, Eva’s soft snores floated next to Kiki. She rolled off the bed, trying to disturb the mattress as little as possible. Her mind raced with what ifs and made it impossible to fall asleep.

  She didn’t want to allow her mind to jet down the trail of dread her thoughts wanted her to venture on. She couldn’t bring herself to play games anymore. With Eva sleeping, making the situation fun no longer held appeal.

  She stood in the center of the small room with her eyes closed, focusing her thoughts and visualizing attacks. With slow, precise motions, she moved through counterattacks that Lena and Derrick had taught her. Taking care not to expend energy she might need later, she went through defensive and offensive maneuvers, repeating her friends’ instructions in her head.

  After running through all she could remember multiple times, she stretched onto the floor and worked through her morning yoga routine. The familiar moves calmed her even more and reinforced her determination. She might not be the amazing warrior Lena was, but she was stronger than most gave her credit for. That was a misconception she would take advantage of the first chance she got.

  Footsteps stomped outside, and Kiki stood, forcing her heart to slow its rapid escalation. The lock rattled, and Edgar strode through the door. He shoved a tray of food at her. It tipped precariously, so she gripped the sides tightly. Could she use it as a weapon and escape with Eva through the open door?

  “Your pathetic coward of a lover left you.” Edgar sneered. “Ran fast like he couldn’t get through the jungle quick enough.” He let out an evil chuckle that raised the hair on Kiki’s neck. “You need better taste in men, mamacita.”

  Kiki narrowed her eyes at the term. She’d never found the word endearing. She schooled her expression, hoping she achieved a look of innocence.

  “So, you found him?” She couldn’t help the disdain in her tone.

  He glared. “He’s halfway to Bogata by now.”

  “Sure he is.” She smirked, then quickly smothered it. “I figured with your superior manhood, you’d have him in chains by now.” She shrugged, her mind questioning her sanity. “Guess you overestimated yourself.”

  Edgar’s face reddened as he lifted his fist. “Why you—”

  “Edgar, Mathias wants a report.” Marco stood in the doorway, his arms crossed and a bored look on his face.

  Edgar growled and pointed a finger in her face. “I’m not done with you yet.”

  She held his glare with one of her own until he spun on his heel and stomped out the door.

  Marco shook his head. “You’d better not poke that snake, señorita.”

  The door scraped along the concrete and clicked shut. The tray shook in her hands as all the tension rushed from her body. She set the food down before she dropped it and scrubbed her trembling hands over her face. What had she been thinking? Edgar might not be bright and colorful, but he was poisonous just the same.

  Twenty-One

  It had taken Derrick all day to circle back around to the complex. From his high vantage point on the cliff, he had scampered on to the large branches of the tall trees that still filled this area. He assumed this forest hadn’t been stripped for lumber to hide the nefarious activities of the guerrillas, but he praised God for their existence as he worked his way from branch to branch like Tarzan until he made it back to the buildings.

  He balanced against the trunk of a ceiba tree, hidden high in the canopy, and watched the people stomping back into the yard as dusk lengthened the shadows and lights blinked on in the huts and beach house. While the slow going had pinched his nerves, he had gotten great satisfaction in the frantic searching below him and the way Edgar had roared at the soldiers, cussing them out for their idiocy in losing Derrick’s trail. Edgar had kicked the tree Derrick was in, his cursing rocketing to the treetops. Even hours later, that image threatened to push a snort of laughter from Derrick.

  Now, though, the long hours of inching through the branches and tedious waiting wore on him. His position in the tree gave him the perfect vantage point to watch the entire village. He’d almost come down when Edgar had taken a tray of food to Kiki and Eva, disappearing into the cell, only emerging when Marco approached the door. Two minutes, maybe less, but Derrick had nearly gone insane in those hundred and twenty-seconds.

  He rubbed his hand over his prickly scalp, pushing the memory away … again. No matter how hard he focused on his surveillance, those two minutes kept haunting him. Had Edgar hurt them? Marco had simply closed the door after Edgar left, so Derrick knew they weren’t seriously injured.

  Edgar made Derrick nervous. After the abduction, he’d thought Matias was the one that needed watched. Yet, Matias’s cold, detached efficiency paled to the twisted, psychological comments and emotional outbursts exhibited by Edgar. Edgar proved a loose cannon, the one who would build in anger until he exploded his rage on those around him. That he’d focused so much attention on Derrick’s little family troubled him. Derrick just hoped Edgar held his temper and sick desires until Derrick could get Kiki and Eva out of there.

  Darkness settled over the repulsive village, and, except for a handful of men joking around a fire, the anthill of depravity slept. Could Derrick pick the lock and get Kiki and Eva free under the cover of night? He gritted his teeth. Marco sat in a chair leaned against the holding cell door. He might let Derrick in, but, with the light of the flame flickering brightly against the long building, the night guard would see any attempt to escape. The chance for failure was too high. Plus, whatever Marco’s mission was, Derrick didn’t want to compromise the agent’s cover.

  If Marco got Kiki and Eva on the yacht, Derrick could get them free. His countless rescue missions in the army trained him for just that. First, before he inspected the yacht and secured a location for the following day, he had to check something.

  Threading deeper into the forest to the tree he’d pinpointed earlier, Derrick climbed down the large trunk. The slow descent quelled his anxiety as he focused all his energy on lowering to the next branch. The darkness should have made him antsy, but he allowed the night sounds of the jungle and the cooler temperature to soothe him. He needed all the settling h
e could get before he did what needed done next.

  He slinked along the path back to the complex, ready to disappear into the undergrowth at the slightest sound or motion. When the light from the campfire pushed the darkness of the jungle away, Derrick veered toward the large building where his company’s mission had turned into a snafu.

  Pushing the branch down, he refused to react at the sight of the door, and instead breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t guarded. Did they only defend the building when prisoners were being held, or had the men been posted for the benefit of Derrick’s unit? They had found out later that the mission had been compromised on purpose to hide the human trafficking happening beyond where the diplomat’s family had been held.

  Derrick ghosted to the back entrance of the building, preparing his heart for the dive into his nightmares. Easing the back door open, he crept into the building. Silence echoed loud in the open space of the barn turned holding pen, but the chaos of that day beat against his brain.

  His eyes scanned the empty barn, half expecting the ghost of his friend Ethan to materialize in front of the opposite door. Not that Derrick believed in that kind of thing. He leaned against the rough wall behind him, closing his eyes against the pain of that fateful day.

  Ethan’s shocked face invaded Derrick’s thoughts like it had for so long. He accepted that there had been nothing he could’ve done differently to save his friend. They were soldiers sent into the most dangerous situations. The risk of death had always been high.

  Derrick had done what Ethan had asked, taking care of Lena, Ethan’s fiancée. He’d made sure Lena found a place at the ranch after she retired from the military. The death of her fiancé had changed her from the woman always quick to lightheartedly rib others and passionate for the fight for freedom to someone cynical about life whose jabs were more sharp than funny. Derrick shook his head, pushing the heels of his hands against his eyes. That mission had changed them all.