Adjusting his grip on the knife, he moved without making a solitary sound, finding cover behind another tree, this one with low-hanging branches that allowed him to blend into the darkness.
“...the clinic will be handled.”
The clinic? Waves of foreboding crawled up his spine, moving faster and gathering in intensity when the general uttered a very familiar name.
“Davenport needs to be handled, too.”
Sebastian’s shoulders became stiffer than a block of marble. Davenport? As in Julia Davenport? As in the woman he’d spoken to only hours ago?
“...won’t be hard. Her death could be blamed on the virus.”
The general seemed to mull it over. “Carlisle was checking on patients when he died.”
“We’ll say she was here, too. Making the rounds with Carlisle.”
“The powers that be won’t like this. Two dead American doctors? This won’t look good.” There was a savage curse. “But that’s what they get for releasing Meridian this close to a damn international medical facility. Who was the genius who made that call?”
Meridian? Sebastian filed away the word as he watched the duo move away from the tent.
The general glanced at the soldiers manning the entrance. “If she tries to run, shoot her,” he ordered.
Sebastian’s body was strung tighter than a drum as the two men stalked off. If what he’d heard was accurate, then Julia Davenport was inside that tent. How the hell had that happened?
The colleague. Crap. She must have driven up here to check on her colleague, that Kevin guy she’d been worried about earlier.
Her death could be blamed on the virus.
His next breath came out ragged as a jolt of anger slammed into his gut. These bastards were planning to kill Julia and blame it on the virus.
No way.
No freaking way would he allow that to happen.
She’s not your objective.
The nagging little voice only further pissed him off. He knew that rescuing the doctor wasn’t his responsibility. Hell, all the mayhem and confusion of the past ten months was a direct result of his unit’s attempt to rescue a doctor. But Harrison’s death was no sweat off his back, not after they’d discovered the man was treating humans like lab rats.
But Julia Davenport? He’d be damned if he was going to let her become another casualty of that goddamn virus. So yes, he ought to be gathering more intel, listening in on more conversations, attempting to get a peek inside one of those body bags, but Sebastian was more than willing to give up any insight he’d find if it meant saving the smart, sassy woman who’d made his body burn today.
* * *
The soft hissing sound brought a frown to Julia’s lips. She twisted around in the chair, trying to pinpoint where the noise had come from. She strained her ears, but the sound had stopped.
Tssssss.
Her forehead creased. Okay, what was that?
For a second she wondered if her captors had let loose a poisonous snake in the tent or something. As her heartbeat quickened, she shot to her feet and examined the ground, but she didn’t see a rattler crawling on the dirt.
Tssssss.
She spun around, gaping when she noticed a line slowly appearing in the tent wall.
Someone was cutting the canvas!
Fear and astonishment warred inside her, but the latter quickly overtook the former when a large hand poked through the slit in the tent and a familiar pair of silver eyes suddenly locked with hers.
Julia gasped. “Seba—” Her jaw snapped closed when he swiftly held his index finger to his lips.
A million questions ambushed her brain, but even if he hadn’t ordered her to remain quiet, she suspected she wouldn’t have been able to make her vocal cords work anymore. She was too dumbfounded.
The man who slipped into the tent like a ghost was not the same one she remembered from Valero. Gone were the casual pants and T-shirt. Now he wore a skintight black shirt that clung to the rippled muscles of his broad chest, and black cargo pants encased his long legs. He had black boots on his feet, and a nasty-looking rifle slung over one shoulder, though not as nasty as that blade he skillfully wielded in his hand.
Julia gulped as the sharp steel of the knife winked in the light from the electric lanterns illuminating the tent.
She was looking into the eyes of a warrior. The playful, sensual twinkle from before had vanished. Sebastian Stone was all business now, those gray eyes grim with fierce determination. Waves of strength and danger rolled off his powerful body, making her mouth go dry.
Without a word, he walked toward her and cupped her chin with one hand.
She jumped, then relaxed when she saw the unspoken question in his gaze.
Are you okay?
Julia managed a shaky nod. God, what was he doing here?
And why did she get the feeling that this man was the furthest thing from a freelance journalist?
Sebastian took her arm and led her to the slit he’d created in the tent. “Stay close,” he murmured, his voice so low it was barely audible. “If I say move, move. If I say stop, stop. Do exactly what I tell you, do you understand?”
She stared at him, wide-eyed. And then her pulse took off.
Wait a minute—he was helping her escape?
“This entire village is crawling with soldiers,” she whispered with a violent shake of her head. “They’ll shoot us if we try to run.”
“They’ll kill you if you stay.”
You. Not us. She didn’t miss the distinction, and she suddenly grew queasy. There wasn’t an ounce of confusion on Sebastian’s rugged face, only focused intensity, which told her he must know a hell of a lot more about what was going on here than she did.
So maybe it would be prudent to listen to the man instead of arguing about his plans.
He reached behind him and pulled a black handgun from his waistband. “Do you know how to use one of these?”
She nodded.
He promptly shoved the weapon in her hands. “Good.”
Her heart pounded a frantic beat in her chest as she watched Sebastian carefully part the canvas to peer out. He seemed satisfied by what he saw, because he ducked back in and shot her a firm look.
“Stay on my six, Doc. Do everything I say, and we’ll both get out of this alive.”
Julia had never been more terrified in her entire life as she followed Sebastian out of the makeshift escape route. Darkness immediately enveloped them, disorienting her for a moment. She breathed in the night air, a combination of earth and pine and decay, but then she caught a whiff of something else, something woodsy, musky. Sebastian. Despite the fact that she was scared for her life, that masculine scent actually made her heart skip a beat.
Go away, hormones, she ordered. I’m trying not to die here.
A hysterical laugh got stuck in her throat. Oh, God, how was any of this happening?
The back of the tent was perfectly positioned directly in front of the woods, and Julia stuck to Sebastian like glue as they crept toward the trees. For some inexplicable reason, she explicitly trusted the man leading the way. She had every intention of following him blindly and doing anything he asked without question, and that scared her almost as much as everything else that had happened thus far.
She kept her gaze on Sebastian, noticing how the strong muscles of his back flexed with each precise step he took. She was so focused on him, in fact, that she didn’t notice the two bodies lying in the dirt until she’d almost tripped over them.
A squeak flew out, ending prematurely when Sebastian’s warm hand clapped over her mouth to silence her. “Easy, Doc,” he murmured.
Her heart began racing again, and now her palms were shaking. She immediately recognized the dead men—the two guards who’d been in the tent. She stared at their green uniforms, those lifeless eyes, the thin red lines slashing across their throats. Then her gaze shifted to the knife in Sebastian’s hand.
Why hadn’t she noticed before that th
e blade was stained red?
Oh, God. He’d killed these men.
He caught her eye, his expression grim. “Kill or be killed, Julia.” Those soft words didn’t alleviate her panic, only increased it.
It occurred to her that she knew absolutely nothing about the man she’d entrusted with her life, but when she looked into those silver eyes, she saw no malice. No threat. Only a glint of fortitude and unexpected concern.
Taking a breath, she tore her gaze from the motionless bodies on the dirt, but not before she spotted the plastic water bottle poking out from one of the soldier’s pockets.
The water...maybe...don’t know.
Kevin’s words rushed into the forefront of her brain. The water, he’d said. Had he meant there was something in the water? Bacteria? A virus?
“We have to go back,” she blurted out.
Sebastian’s face filled with disbelief, and then he gave a stern shake of his head. “No way.”
Ignoring him, Julia dashed toward the dead soldier. She grabbed the water bottle and twisted off the cap, promptly pouring out the remaining liquid on the ground. Sebastian stalked over, visibly aggravated.
“They’ll have men swarming this entire mountain the second they realize you’re gone,” he said in a low voice. “We have to go, Doc. Now.”
She stubbornly lifted her chin. “Not until I get some water.”
“Oh, for the love of—”
“A water sample,” she clarified. “We need a sample of the water. There’s a well on the eastern edge of the village. That’s where Esperanza’s drinking supply comes from.”
His brows furrowed, and then understanding dawned on his face. “You think there’s something in the water.”
“Kevin— Dr. Carlisle, my colleague, he said something about the water when he radioed.” Frustration seized her body. “They’ll try to cover this up, Sebastian. I can’t let them do that. I need that water.”
After a moment, he released a resigned breath, then snatched the bottle right out of her hand. “C’mere,” he ordered, grabbing her arm and dragging her away.
“No,” she protested. “I can’t go until I get—”
“I’ll get you the damn sample. Now, come here.”
He led her to a thick cluster of tangled vegetation and practically threw her into it. “Stay out of sight. If I’m not back in five minutes, run.”
He was gone before she could blink.
Julia crouched in the cramped space, gulping hard, trying to ease the terror clamped like an angry fist around her throat.
She couldn’t believe Sebastian had gone back for a water sample. With those alpha-male vibes he was throwing off, she’d expected him to haul her over his shoulder and forcibly cart her away, yet he’d actually taken the time to listen to her. And now he was risking his life to carry out the task she’d been ready to do herself.
Her gaze kept darting to the watch strapped to her wrist. One minute passed. Two. Three.
If I’m not back in five minutes, run.
“Yeah, right,” she muttered to herself.
If Sebastian didn’t return in five minutes, she was going back for him. The man had risked his life to break her out of that camp, and he just expected her to abandon him? Fat chance.
When she heard a rustling sound, she shrank deeper into her hiding place and held her breath.
“It’s me, Doc,” came his raspy voice. “Time to go.”
She slid out of the brush and joined him, eyeing the full bottle in his hand. “You went to the well?”
He nodded. “Is this enough of a sample, you think?”
“Should be more than enough.”
“Good. Now let’s get the hell out of here. They don’t know you’re gone yet, but those two guards I incapacitated will be missed soon.”
“Incapacitated?” she echoed. “Is that what you like to call it? Because those men look more dead than incapacitated.”
He didn’t so much as flinch from the verbal jab. “What do we call saving your ass these days? Oh, right, saving your ass,” he said sarcastically, and then he took off walking.
Julia wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. There was no denying that this man had just saved her life.
But there was also no ignoring that he’d taken two other lives in the process.
Shoving aside the menacing reminder, she followed Sebastian, and they made their way through the forest. Their soft breathing and the crackle of twigs beneath their feet were the only sounds in the otherwise still air. At one point, Sebastian ordered her to stay put, disappeared in the shadows, and returned a moment later with a black duffel bag, which he must have stashed earlier, and then he slung the bag over his shoulder and signaled that they were resuming the trek. The temperature was dropping, making Julia grateful for the long-sleeved plaid shirt she’d worn over her tank top. She was glad for the sneakers, too, because they made walking in this mountainous terrain much easier.
But the longer they walked, the more concerned she got, until finally she couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “Where are we going?” she whispered.
Sebastian spared her a glance over his shoulder. “To meet our ride.”
Bewilderment rippled through her, and it only got worse when they stepped into a rocky clearing ten minutes later and she laid eyes on the white-and-brown horse standing by a cluster of rosewood trees. The animal neighed at the newcomers’ approach, then dipped its majestic head to munch on some blades of grass.
Julia stared at the horse for several long moments, then turned to look at Sebastian. “Okay. I’m sorry,” she muttered, shaking her head repeatedly. “But before I go anywhere else with you, I need to ask this—who the hell are you?”
Chapter 5
“Really? We really need to do this now?” Sebastian suppressed a groan as Julia’s sharp hazel eyes swept over him, up and down, side to side, inspecting every inch of his face and body as if he were an item she was considering purchasing. He knew she was confused by his presence, but he’d been hoping she’d save the interrogation for later.
“You’re not a journalist, are you?”
He felt no remorse as he answered, “No, I’m not. And I’m happy to explain everything to you, Julia, I really am. Just not right now.”
There was no mistaking the urgency in his tone, and to his relief, she immediately backed off. “Okay, fine. I’ll take a rain check on the in-depth explanation. But just...” She let out a shaky breath. “Just promise me I can trust you, Sebastian.”
His chest squeezed. Crap. The vulnerability flashing in those big eyes of hers was completely uncharacteristic.
Of course, the observation was ironic, considering he didn’t know Julia Davenport well enough to determine what was in or out of character for her. And yet he knew without a shred of doubt that revealing fear or insecurity was not something Dr. Davenport did often. If ever.
“You can trust me,” he said quietly.
She visibly swallowed. “All right. Then let’s go.”
Sebastian’s brows shot up as he watched her expertly mount the horse, swinging a denim-clad leg up and over and seating herself on the worn leather saddle. She noticed him gaping and smirked. “You coming, Sebastian?”
He resisted a grin and shoved his arms through his duffel’s straps, heaving the bag on his back knapsack-style. He mounted the horse just as easily, settling in behind Julia and wrapping his arms around her slender frame as he reached for the reins.
When Julia leaned back into his chest, the top of her head tickled his chin. A heady scent filled his nostrils—orange blossoms and soap and something sweetly feminine.
“You comfortable?” he rasped.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Hold on. This might be a bumpy ride.”
He directed the Appaloosa toward the rock-strewn slope from which they’d come, then gave her a sharp kick in the flank and a low demand to get moving. The mare instantly took off in a canter, then quickened her gait at his urging. The
speed of the animal’s gallop had surprised him on the ride north, and it surprised him again now.
Neither he nor Julia spoke. They rode as if their lives depended on it—not much of a stretch, seeing as their lives did depend on a speedy getaway. The steady clip-clop of the mare’s hooves flying over the hard ground matched the steady beating of his heart. Even with the adrenaline still coursing through his blood, he felt calm, centered. He’d infiltrated that military camp without a single hitch. Killed two guards, rescued Julia, procured a water sample from the well and found the damn horse exactly where he’d left her.
All in all, a successful op.
The ride back to the road took them through the hills, and Sebastian paid close attention to their surroundings, eyes and ears open for any signs of trouble. But no sirens sounded. No helicopters flew overhead. No bullets whizzed past their heads. The soldiers in Esperanza must not have discovered that Julia was missing yet, and if they had, they were taking their sweet-ass time organizing a search party.
An hour later, they neared the town of Valero. He hated being out in the open like this, but at least it was the middle of the night, and with no lampposts or street traffic lighting the road, everything was pitch-black.
He slowed the horse to a trot. Now that he didn’t have to focus on controlling the animal at a breakneck pace, he gradually became more and more aware of the warm, quiet woman sitting in front of him.
“You all right, Doc?”
“I’m fine. Perfectly fine.” Her voice was subdued, but a slight tremor betrayed her assertion that she was “perfectly fine.”
“Where did you learn to mount a horse like that?” he asked, hoping to distract her from their precarious situation with small talk.
“I dated a cowboy once.”
He was not expecting that. Before he could stop it, a chuckle slipped out. “Oh really?”
“Yep.”
“Somehow I can’t picture you with a cowboy.”
“Well, it was more of a vacation fling, if I’m being honest.”
She shifted, and the tantalizing scent of her once again filled his nostrils. His groin stirred, then tightened, making him suppress a groan. Crap. He actually had a hard-on. Why did Julia Davenport affect him this way?