Enticed by the Operative (Doctors in Danger, Book 1) (11 page)

“Will you open your mouth for me?”

The little boy obliged and Olivia clicked on her penlight, shining it into the darkness of his mouth. She did a mental fist pump when she saw the solid, unbroken surface of his palate. It was much easier to repair a simple cleft lip, and the recovery time was a lot faster, too.

“I have good news,” she said, smiling as she leaned back. “I can fix your lip. Would you like that?”

Alejandro’s eyes widened and he nodded in affirmation. Olivia patted his leg and turned to his mother. “When would you like me to do the operation?”

She winced and shifted on the chair. “As soon as possible,” she replied, her voice tight.

Olivia frowned. Unless she missed her guess, Alejandro’s mother was in pain. But she didn’t know if it was the normal discomfort of advanced pregnancy or something more. “Are you all right?” she asked gently.

The woman nodded, but her mouth flattened and her eyes narrowed with strain. She let out a low moan and her hand moved to her belly.

“Logan,” Olivia said, switching back to English. “Why don’t you and Alejandro go play with the blocks in the waiting room?” She kept her eyes on the woman, assessing her condition.

“What’s wrong with my mother?” the boy asked, his voice high with fear. Apparently he’d understood her tone, if not her words, and knew something was going on with his mother.

“Nothing, darling,” the woman said. “But I think your brother is coming soon.”

Alejandro darted to his mother’s side and grabbed her hand. “I won’t leave you,” he promised solemnly.

“That’s very sweet,” she said, lifting her free hand to caress the side of his face. “But I need you to go and fetch your aunt. Will you do that for me?”

His delicate features twisted with indecision. “Go, my love,” she said. “I need your aunt with me, and you are the only one I can trust to bring her.”

The boy nodded slowly. “I’ll be back soon.” He turned to Olivia, suddenly looking much older than his six years. “Please take care of her.”

“I will,” she promised. The words had barely left her lips before he turned and ran out of the room, clearly on a mission.

Olivia turned to the woman. “How long have you been in labor?”

“Since this morning. The contractions woke me up.”

“Has your water broken?”

She nodded. “A few hours ago. I thought I’d have more time, and I didn’t want Alejandro to miss this appointment. We’ve been waiting for months to see you.”

At least she had made it to the hospital. “Should I get a nurse?” Logan asked.

“Yes.” Olivia hadn’t delivered a baby since medical school, and she wasn’t eager to do so now. The sooner she could get this woman to the labor and delivery floor, the better.

Just as Logan took a step toward the door, the woman let out another moan and doubled over. “I think he’s coming!” she gasped.

Olivia cursed silently. “Help me get her to the bed,” she ordered. They moved quickly, tugging her off the chair and half leading, half pushing her the few steps to the bed. The woman tried to help, but her contractions were coming fast and hard now and she was having trouble walking. Finally they were able to lift her up and she lay back with a great sigh.

“Get a nurse,” Olivia ordered Logan. He wasted no time leaving the room. “What’s your name?” she asked the woman. She was about to perform an intimate exam, and it only seemed fitting that she learned her patient’s name first.

“Maria,” the woman gritted out, her teeth clenched as another contraction hit.

“I’m going to examine you now, Maria,” Olivia said, tugging on a disposable gown. “I need to see how quickly your labor is progressing.”

She slipped on a pair of gloves and lifted the woman’s skirt, holding her breath and hoping she didn’t have to catch a baby.
Please, let the ob-gyn get here soon!

Her stomach dropped as she made sense of the scene in front of her. Maria was in labor, all right. In fact, she was almost finished with it. The baby’s head was visible and growing steadily larger as Maria’s contractions pushed it farther down the birth canal.

Olivia took a deep breath and pushed aside her initial panic. She could to this. She had to do this—there wasn’t anyone else in the room right now, and Maria needed her help. She closed her eyes and dug deep into her memories, recalling the motions she’d need to perform to safely deliver this child. What she wouldn’t give for Mallory’s help right now! Even though Mallory was a general practitioner, she’d had a lot more obstetric experience than Olivia. As if summoned, her friend’s voice rang in her head:
You’re still a doctor, Olivia. Take care of your patient.

A sense of calm melted over her and she placed her hands on Maria. “You’re almost there,” she encouraged. “On the next contraction, I need you to push hard.”

Maria grunted in acknowledgment and her body tensed. The baby’s head moved closer, closer... Then suddenly, it was free!

“Good job!” Olivia encouraged. “Rest for a second, then give me another big push.” She held the baby’s head in her hand, wiping the fluids off its face. She glanced around wildly, looking for something she could use to suction its nose and mouth. Seeing nothing, she decided to yell for help. “I need suction!” she cried, hoping someone would hear her.

Maria’s muscles clenched again, and the baby’s body began to slide free. Olivia gently turned the little one to deliver first one shoulder, then the other. At that point, the rest of the baby’s body slipped out in a warm rush.

Olivia rubbed the little one with Maria’s skirt and patted its back to help expel the fluid from its lungs. Suddenly, a pair of hands entered her field of vision, and a suction bulb was used to clear the infant’s airway. The baby let out a loud scream, and both she and Maria laughed in relief.

“Is he okay?” Maria asked, craning her neck to see her child.

Olivia finished clamping the umbilical cord and delivered the now-bundled baby into its mother’s waiting arms. “Your baby is fine,” she said. “But ‘he’ is actually a ‘she.’”

Maria’s eyes widened. “A girl?” she whispered. A smile spread slowly across her face as the news sank in. “My little princess,” she crooned to the baby, running her fingertips along the infant’s face, learning her baby’s features by touch. She leaned in and pressed her nose to the little one’s head. “My angel,” she said softly.

Olivia looked away, feeling like an intruder on this private moment. She felt a touch on her shoulder and turned to find Daniela smiling up at her. “Dr. Moreno is on his way,” she said.

Olivia nodded. “Good.” Even though the baby was out, Maria still needed to be examined to make sure she didn’t require further care. “What about the pediatrician?” The baby needed to be checked, too. Olivia hadn’t noticed any issues during her brief exam, but she was not an expert in infant physiology. She’d feel much better knowing a specialist had seen to both mother and child.

“Also on the way.”

Dr. Moreno slipped through the door, his cheeks flushed from the exertion of running. He took in the scene and turned to Olivia with one brow raised. “Are you trying to steal my patients?” he asked good-naturedly.

Olivia laughed and shook her head. “Believe me, that is the last thing I want. Too stressful.” She moved aside so he could attend to Maria, relief washing over her now that the baby was here and the mother was in good hands. Her work was done.

She glanced up to find Logan in the doorway, his expression a mixture of pride and wonder. All at once, she was hit with the desire to go to him, to press herself against his strong chest and feel his arms around her. She prided herself on being a strong woman, but right now, as the adrenaline drained from her muscles, she needed his support, if only for a moment.

She took a step forward, but Maria grabbed her arm before she could get very far from the bed. Olivia glanced down, and the fiercely determined look on Maria’s face made her stomach do a little flip. Something else was going on here, and Olivia had a pretty good idea that she wasn’t going to like it.

The woman pulled her close, her baby momentarily forgotten as she focused on Olivia. “I have a message for you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Olivia nodded slightly, holding her breath. This was it. She had almost managed to forget the cartel was watching and that she was going to have to collect the drugs. After she and Logan had shared that midnight conversation, she’d allowed herself to be distracted by thoughts of their future, of how they were going to explore their mutual attraction after this was all over. She hadn’t spent too much time thinking about the interim and the things she’d have to do before they would get to that point. Now reality came crashing down on her head like a pitcher of ice-cold water. But she wasn’t going to let her shock show—she didn’t want word of her fear to get back to the cartel.

Maria glanced down at Dr. Moreno, who was busy with his exam. Apparently satisfied that no one was listening to them, she spoke again. “There is an old mining trail on the north end of the city—the entrance is just past the abandoned café. About two miles into the jungle there is a small clearing. They will meet you there, tomorrow at midday.” She glanced in the direction of the door, then met Olivia’s gaze again. “You must go alone,” she said, squeezing Olivia’s arm for emphasis.

Olivia nodded and tried not to let her emotions show on her face. She could feel Logan’s eyes on her and knew he would be able to tell something had happened. And while she had every intention of sharing this news with him, she didn’t want to have the conversation now, in the hospital where there were so many ears. Better for him to think Maria was thanking her for delivering the baby safely.

She pasted on a bright smile and patted the woman’s shoulder. For her part, Maria looked almost apologetic, but it didn’t take long for her to turn her focus back to the baby. “Good luck,” Olivia said to the woman. She didn’t blame her for carrying a message for the cartel. Poverty was a fact of life in this region, and Olivia was willing to bet Maria was just trying to survive. Hopefully they had paid her well for her trouble and that would be the end of it. But it was possible the cartel had gotten its hooks into this family and was even now grooming Alejandro for the business. Olivia’s heart ached at the thought of that bright-eyed, shy boy being exposed to such danger, but what could she do? She was just one woman against a seemingly endless number of narco-soldiers...

She stripped off the protective gear and made it to the door. Logan put his arm around her. “That was amazing!” he said, his voice filled with awe. “You did a fantastic job.” She sagged against him, grateful for the casual strength of his body. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. “We can talk later,” he whispered in her ear, confirming he had, in fact, noticed her little tête-à-tête with Maria.

Olivia nodded, warmth rising in her chest as they walked down the hall together. Of course he had seen her conversation. He never missed a thing, even though he often stayed in the background—a quiet, calm shadow that followed her everywhere.

She had to admit, being around Logan was just so
easy
. He seemed to fit her in a way no other man had before. She’d thought Scott had been the one for her, but looking back on their relationship she realized she’d never felt this kind of comfort even with him. Part of her worried that the amazing connection she felt with Logan was nothing more than his dedication to his job. After all, his mission was to stick to her like glue and make sure the drug exchange went off without a hitch. And given the awards and photos in his office, she knew he was very good at what he did. A sad, insecure voice in her head said she was reading too much into their fake relationship, and that she was only going to get her heart broken when they made it home and went their separate ways.

Maybe she would.

But she couldn’t forget their conversation from the other night. He’d hinted very strongly that he found her attractive and wanted to get to know her better. Surely he wouldn’t have done that if it wasn’t the truth! He didn’t seem to be the type of man who led a woman on, especially since she knew he’d been burned badly before. She was just going to have to have a little faith, and trust that he really did want to be with her once this was all over.

Either way, she couldn’t spend too much time worrying about her relationship with Logan now. As Maria had reminded her, she had bigger problems to deal with.

And they had life-or-death consequences.

CHAPTER 10

“I
’m not letting you go alone.”

Olivia lifted one brow and gave him a flat stare that suggested he was an idiot. Maybe he was, but he couldn’t let her go off into the jungle by herself to meet with a group of violent men. If she thought he was just going to sit back and twiddle his thumbs while he waited for her to return, she was sadly mistaken.

“I don’t want to go alone,” she said with exaggerated patience. “But what do you suggest? If you come with me, they’ll know something is off. They’ll probably shoot you on sight and then kill me after they get the money.”

Logan shook his head. She was right, but that didn’t mean he was going to give up so easily.

“I won’t let myself be seen. I’ll follow you and stay hidden. If things go wrong, I’ll be there to pull you out of the fire.”

Olivia chewed her thumbnail silently for a moment. “Okay,” she said slowly. “But I don’t think we can be seen leaving together. Maria said I was to come alone. If one of the cartel’s spies sees us taking the path together, they can call ahead and warn the others. We’ll have to go separately.”

Logan nodded. He hadn’t noticed anyone following them when they went out for a meal or an errand, but that didn’t mean they weren’t being watched. When dealing with an organization like Fantasmas, it was best to assume the worst.

“I’ll set out in the morning. Before the sun is up. I’ll hike up to the rendezvous point and find a spot nearby to hide. That way, I’ll be in position before you leave, and before the men arrive.” He made a mental note to fill his backpack with water before setting out. It was warm and humid in the jungle, and if he was going to sit outside all morning, he would need to stay hydrated.

“What will I tell people when you don’t show up to the hospital with me? They’ll wonder where you are.”

“Tell them I’m sick,” he suggested. “Nothing too terrible, since I’m going to recover quickly. Maybe food poisoning or something like that?”

“That could work,” Olivia mused, tapping her finger against her chin. “Do you really think you’ll be okay waiting by yourself in the jungle all morning? It’s not like any forest you’ve ever hiked through before.”

Logan shrugged. “I’ve done my fair share of camping. I’m not a total idiot when it comes to roughing it. I think I can handle myself for a few hours.”

Olivia looked doubtful but she had the grace not to say anything. “I can’t believe it’s really happening,” she muttered, shuddering slightly.

Logan closed the distance between them and drew her in, putting his arms around her in a loose embrace. His larger frame dwarfed hers by comparison, making her seem even more fragile. But he knew that under her delicate exterior lurked a core of steel. He’d caught a glimpse of it earlier when she’d delivered that baby. He had watched the emotions play across her face and had seen the exact moment she’d buried her fears and dug in her heels. It gave him goose bumps just to remember her fierce expression of determination and the way she’d forged ahead, her earlier doubts and worries banished. When Olivia Sandoval decided to do something, she followed through.

And even though she might not realize it now, this assignment was no different.

“I knew they weren’t going to forget about me,” she said softly. Her cheek rested against his chest, and her breath was warm through the fabric of his shirt. It was just the kind of close, personal contact that made his body sit up and take notice, and he pushed down the faint stirrings of desire to focus on her words. He was trying to comfort her, not put moves on her!

“I guess I just hoped if I ignored it long enough, it wouldn’t happen. That maybe it wouldn’t be real.”

Logan ran a hand down the thick cascade of her dark hair. “I know,” he said simply. “And I wish that was the case. But at least now we know what to expect.”

She pulled back and met his gaze, her brown eyes sober. “Are you sure about that? They used a pregnant woman to deliver a message—hopefully she got paid to do it, rather than being forced or threatened.” Her lips drew down in a frown at the thought. “I get the feeling these are not rational people, and that scares me more than anything.”

Logan debated for a moment on how to respond. He didn’t want to make her worry more, but neither did he want to deny her concerns. He’d seen enough of the aftermath of cartel violence to know that her instincts were correct.

“They’re not rational,” he said, deciding to give her the truth. “They’re trigger-happy and quick to casual displays of violence. But they are motivated by money. If you do your part, they should leave you alone.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I am.” He infused his voice with confidence, hoping it would reassure her. “Fear of Fantasmas runs deep. They have to know that crossing the organization would mean their death.”

“I suppose that’s good,” she said, sounding a little steadier.

“Just promise me one thing.” He touched the side of her face gently. “Don’t turn your back on these men. They’re like rattlesnakes. If they can find an opportunity to do harm without jeopardizing their deal as suppliers to Fantasmas, they will. Don’t give them an opening.”

Olivia’s eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. It was a few inches north of where he really wanted to kiss her, but he had to keep things affectionate, not passionate. For now.

“I’ll be there the whole time,” he said, pulling her close again. “I won’t let any harm come to you.”

“I know,” she said softly, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling closer. Her simple declaration of trust hit him right in the gut, and he felt himself slip a little deeper under her spell. A tiny voice in the back of his mind warned that he was getting too close, too soon, but he ignored it. Now was not the time to worry about protecting his bruised heart. Not when Olivia’s life was at stake.

* * *

Olivia pushed a strand of hair out of her face and adjusted the backpack, hoping in vain for a breeze. The air was thick and muggy, and the sounds of the jungle surrounded her, making her very aware of the fact that she was a lone human in a vast, untamed wilderness.

No, not alone
. Logan was out there, waiting for her. The thought brought her some measure of comfort and she held on to the knowledge like a lucky penny, keeping it in the forefront of her mind.

A bright yellow spider rested on a wide green leaf and she shuddered, giving the arachnid a wide berth. How many creepy-crawlies were out there that she couldn’t see? It was enough to trigger paranoia in even the staunchest of outdoorsmen. Her skin itched as she felt the imaginary sensation of thousands of tiny legs crawling up her neck, and she took a deep breath to dispel her rising disgust.

Poor Logan! He was sitting out there somewhere, probably making a fine meal for the many blood-sucking insects in the forest.
Oh, God, what if something venomous bit him?
It wasn’t just insects that posed a threat—there were any number of snakes that could kill. And tree frogs too—all he had to do was inadvertently touch one, and...

Her heart pounded against her breastbone as her mind raced with a thousand scenarios, each one ending with Logan dead or dying alone in the jungle. And it was all her fault. She should have never agreed to let him scout ahead. He had no knowledge of the wildlife in this area, no idea of what was safe and what was dangerous. How could she have thought this was a good idea? It was her own selfish need to feel safe that had led her to agree to his crazy plan. And now he was out there, facing a threat that was more immediate than the cartel. She had every confidence he could handle himself when it came to the dangers posed by humans, but did he know the first thing about surviving in the rain forest, even if only for a few hours?

She felt the sting of tears as her panic threatened to overwhelm her. It was all she could do to keep from running ahead, yelling out his name in the hopes he would respond. But that would be suicide. It was very nearly midday, and the men were probably already close by. If she gave in to her hysteria, they would know she had not followed instructions. Logan had told her they would look for any excuse to do violence, and she couldn’t give them one.
Besides
, she told herself sternly.
He’s a smart man. He’s probably just fine.

Right?

She stopped and took several deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. If she walked into this meeting with her head filled with worries about Logan, she was as good as dead. He hadn’t let her down yet. She simply had to trust that he was out there, safe and whole.

After a moment her heart began to slow its pounding, and the tightness in her chest eased. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and moved on, determined to get this over with. The sooner she and Logan were back in the safety of their apartment, the better.

Just as Maria had said, the trail opened up into a small clearing. Olivia stepped forward, feeling suddenly exposed after the relative claustrophobia of the dense foliage that had lined the trail. She scanned the tree line opposite her, but saw no movement other than the swaying branches at the top of the canopy. She glanced at her watch. Was she early?

She stood there for several moments, brushing away the questing insects that buzzed around her face. There was no sign of anyone else, and she began to worry. Was she supposed to give some sort of signal? Maria hadn’t given her any kind of instructions on what to do once she arrived, but then again, the woman had just given birth unexpectedly. Perhaps she had forgotten some of the message in the heat of the moment.

Olivia turned slowly, scanning the clearing from one side to the other. Where was Logan? Hopefully someplace close. The vegetation was so thick it was impossible to see more than a few feet into the forest. He could be standing a few yards away and she wouldn’t be able to see him. But then again, she wasn’t used to this environment. Would the men who were meeting her find him through the jungle camouflage? One more worry added to the pile...

A particularly persistent mosquito kept flying around her face, seeking an undefended spot to land. The high-pitched buzz was an annoying distraction, and as the time passed with no sign of human activity, Olivia felt her fears gradually morph into annoyance. She wanted to get this over with, and the sooner the better.

Where are they?

* * *

Logan crouched in the shadows of a downed tree, his eyes glued to Olivia. She’d come charging into the clearing, her cheeks flushed and sweat-dampened tendrils of hair plastered to her neck and the side of her face. He’d caught her worried expression as she scanned the empty space, and he wanted so badly to signal her so that she would see him and know she wasn’t alone. But he couldn’t take the risk. The men could be anywhere, and he didn’t want to blow his cover unless it was absolutely necessary.

He shifted a bit, trying to work out the kinks in his back. The hike in had been mostly flat and fairly easy, if hot. His shirt was soaked with sweat and plastered to his skin, but he didn’t stink. Not yet anyway.

He poured a little water out onto the ground and used his finger to mix up some fresh mud. Moving slowly, he smeared it on his face and neck, patching over the exposed spots of skin left when his earlier application had dried and flaked off. It was an old trick he’d learned during his scouting days, and it was saving him from being eaten alive by bugs right now.

Olivia was not so lucky. She swatted the air around her head, clearly irritated. He glanced down at his watch. Twenty past the hour. Unless Olivia had misunderstood Maria’s message—which was highly unlikely—these guys were late.

Logan frowned, considering. Were they trying to intimidate her by taking their time? Or had something happened to spook them and they weren’t going to show? The politics in this region were fluid—it was possible the suppliers had decided to do business with a different cartel. If that was the case, he was going to have to come up with another plan quickly. He doubted Carlos would be very happy if Olivia came back without the drugs, even if it wasn’t her fault the exchange hadn’t taken place.

The minutes ticked by and Logan had to stop himself from fidgeting. Any extraneous movement on his part would draw the eye and give his position away. He hadn’t spent hours camped here only to make such a rookie mistake at the very end. He wondered at what point Olivia was going to give up and go back to the hospital. Her absence would most definitely be noted if she stayed away for too much longer...

A movement at the tree line caught his eye and he lifted his gun to peer through the sight. Was that...? Yes, that was a person, walking slowly forward into the clearing.

Logan glanced over, but Olivia hadn’t noticed the other man yet. A few seconds later, her body stiffened as she realized she wasn’t alone. She watched the man approach with a wary eye, but her suspicion didn’t seem to faze him.

Additional movement behind the newcomer revealed a group of men moving forward. They stepped into the clearing but made no move to come much closer—it was clear the first arrival was their leader.

Logan took a deep breath and settled into position, keeping the man in his sights. Adrenaline surged in his body, and his fingertips tingled as he watched the man approach Olivia. He was short and stocky, and the scars on his face and hands made it clear he’d been in his share of fights. “If you touch one hair on her head...” he muttered, his protective instincts roaring to the surface. Intellectually, he’d known Olivia would have to conduct this meeting. But he hadn’t realized just how difficult it was going to be for him to watch her from afar while she put herself in danger.

Olivia stayed where she was and let the man come to her.
Smart move
, he thought approvingly. If things went bad, she was close to the tree line and could quickly dart back into the cover of the jungle.
But I won’t let it get that far.

The new arrival stopped a few feet away from Olivia and looked her over, clearly taking her measure. If he was surprised to see a woman there, he didn’t show it. He took one final drag off his cigarette, then dropped it and ground out the embers with the toe of his boot.