Phoenix Inheritance (17 page)

She flicked on the high beams, kept her eyes glued on the road, her hands tight on the wheel and pushed the speed as high as she dared on this rough, twisty road. Escaping the bad guys would do them no good if she drove the truck over a cliff.

Sweat drenched the back of her shirt as they roared down through the hills and out of the valley. The speedometer hit the red area. Careful, back it down. There had to be some nasty twists and turns coming up on this mountain road. Her focus narrowed to the road, her hand on the wheel and her foot on the gas pedal.

Every now and then, she caught sight of Gabe, standing on the ledge outside the passenger door. She thought about stopping to let him in and dismissed it. He was out there for a reason.

She checked the time on the dashboard. Twenty minutes had passed since she began this wild ride. She wished for water, swallowed hard, and kept going.

Another fifteen minutes and Gabe opened the door and fell into the cab.

“Are you okay?” But she kept her eyes on the road and the darkness ahead.

“Swallowed too much dust.” He spat out the window. “Other than that, okay. I never saw any pursuit after the first five minutes.”

“Daz?”

“Probably still leading them around by their asses in the dark.” Gabe grinned.

He could grin. His job was over. Hers wouldn't be until they were safe at the relief camp. She rolled her shoulders. Up, down, around the turns. Watch out for cars coming her way on the narrow road.

A car. That meant they were getting closer to civilization.

Hours, days maybe, she drove on. Okay, it only felt like that long. The dashboard clock told her only sixty-five minutes had passed.

She wiped sweat off her forehead with her sleeve.

The sun was breaking over the mountains behind them as she entered the valley and caught sight of the relief camp. She pumped her fist in feeble triumph. The right tire hit a rock and she had to grab the wheel to steady the vehicle.

So much for celebration.

But, damn.
Sonofabitch
. They were here and alive. She slowed, parked among the other relief vehicles at the outskirts of the camp, and slumped back into the seat.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, as her mother would have said.

Gabe stirred.

“We're here,” she said.

“Fucking A.”

“Yeah.” She should get up, check on her dogs, check on Jake and the others but not moving felt so good right now. Behind her eyes, her head pounded with tension. Her injured hand had gone numb sometime around the last downshift.

Gabe opened the door and saluted her. “Nice driving. But one favor.”

“Anything.”

“We were never here.”

“What? How do I explain what happened?”

Gabe gestured her closer to him. “You tell everyone that a couple of locals saw what those guys had done and offered to help. You never got their names because you didn't speak the lingo. Got it?”

From the back of the truck, she heard raised voices, yells and the sounds of triumph as it became apparent they'd stopped at the relief camp and were safe. Thor and Loki barked happily. They were okay, too. She swallowed back a lump in her throat.

“But you guys were heroes.” She grabbed his arm, afraid Gabe would disappear before she made him promise. “You have to let me know if Daz is okay.”

“If I can.”

She curled her hand around his sleeve. “I have to know, Gabe. Please.”

“Okay.” He nodded, turned and vanished out the door.

She climbed out of the cab. Her back and leg muscles screamed at her. That was what happened when muscles locked up from tension.

Thor and Loki rushed up to her, tails wagging, barking happily. She hugged them, they kissed her and she was quickly enveloped by Jake and the rest of the rescued passengers, including Kim's fiancé.

It seemed like everyone wanted a piece of her, to thank her, to hug her. Warmth soothed her aches and pains.
I love these people
.

“Fucking damn,” Jake said. “You shoulda been a Marine.”

“I had to do something,” she stammered out. Wonder Woman, Daz had called her. All she felt was tired and drained.

Jake lifted her off her feet and spun her around. “You did great, kid!” Everyone cheered.

She laughed punched his shoulder. “Put me down! I was terrified the whole time, you know.” Daz and Gabe had taken the bulk of the risks.

“Everybody is terrified when they do something like this.” He set her down, grinned and kept his arm around her shoulders, shielding her from some of the more enthusiastic hugs. She relaxed under his protection. Jake, barrel-chested and sturdy, had always been a rock. He'd taught her all she knew. He was the toughest there was, or so she'd always thought.

Until she'd met Daz.

“Who was it helping you and causing the distraction that allowed us to get away?” Jake asked.

“C'mere.” She pulled him aside as people from the camp, alerted by their celebration, rushed over. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kim drape herself all over her fiancé.

Once they were away from the group, Jake tilted his head down to her. “What's wrong, Renee?”

“I can't say who helped, Jake. I can't. Okay?”

“Ah.” A pause. “You know, the explosions were caused by U.S. military-issue grenades.”

Is that what the explosions had been?
She hadn't asked Gabe and she'd no idea Daz had grenades with him. There had been no time to go over those details.

“My helpers were your type of people but not exactly authorized to do what they did, if you know what I mean.”

“Ah,” he said again, nodding. “Got it.”

“Good.” She nodded. “As far as anyone knows, it was two locals who joined me during the hike because they'd seen the plane and the armed guards and wanted to help. I couldn't understand their language, so I never got any information about them.”

“I read you, five by five.” Jake clapped her on the back. “Now, let's go to the med tent and get your hand looked at. What's wrong with it anyway? Did it happen when Thor was injured? Because his wound looked like some sort of animal scratch.”

“Uh, would you believe a bear?” She held up the hand. “While we were hiking out there.”

“No shit? And how did you stop it?”

“With a big stick.”

“Uh-huh. Well, you've got a helluva story. Not sure I believe it but it's a helluva story. I want more.”

“How about you tell me how that plane landed in the mountains and who the heck was holding all of you hostage, and we'll call it even.”

“Deal.” Jake put his arm around her and they joined in the celebration.

Hours passed before Renee found the way to her tent and the enticing comfort of her cot. She'd offered to vacate the tent for the night so Kim and her fiancé could have the place to themselves for a reunion but Kim insisted their “hero” needed to sleep somewhere quiet. Since Kim seemed like she had another private place in mind to spend time with Butch, Renee agreed.

After the last twenty-four hours, she wanted silence and calm.

Her dogs snored quietly under the cot. The doctors pronounced Thor's cut properly treated and concluded he would recover just fine. She held up her re-bandaged hand to the light. She might have a scar, but it wouldn't be bad, the doctor said, and he'd complimented the person who'd stitched it up for her.

She'd spotted Gabe in the med tent, next to his wounded buddy Zach, acting as if he'd never left the encampment. He'd changed clothes and she saw no sign of his weapons or his combat gear. She stared at him, hoping to get some answer about Daz but he'd avoided her gaze. Damn.

Would she ever know if Daz was okay?

Not to mention a zillion other questions. Who were those guys with the guns? And why if they just wanted the supplies, had they let all the passengers live?

The whole thing made absolutely no sense. Jake's theory was that these guys were human slavers and planned to sell the entire cargo, human and otherwise, in Eastern Europe; the men to hard labor, the woman as sex workers, the drugs on the black market. She supposed that was possible.

Jake had confirmed the pilot was in on it. He'd been bribed to land on that remote strip of road. The pilot had simply switched off communication and, poof, instant missing plane. But why go to such trouble to grab a relief plane whose absence would surely be big news? People noticed doctors dying, especially if they were Americans. Jake and his dogs tended to draw press too.

Kim said the Turkish authorities were sending a team to check out the scene of the gunfight but Renee doubted anyone would be left to find.

Daz and Gabe knew more than they were telling, she guessed. Maybe they'd let her know if she ever got close enough to them again to ask.

Dammit.

She tossed off her covers. Screw this. She was going over to the med tent now to talk to Gabe. He had all that radio equipment. Surely, Daz had checked in by now.

“Hey, long day like this, you should get some rest.”

“Daz?” She snapped to her feet. Thor and Loki stirred. Was she dreaming? She had to be. There was no way he could be here already. Or could he?

“Yep.” He stepped into the light of the portable lantern. He was clean-shaven, dressed in fresh jeans and T-shirt. His short-cropped hair glistened, wet from a recent shower.

Yummy.

“What? I mean, how…?” Great, garble her words. Argh.

He grinned and grabbed her around the waist. She pulled his head down and kissed him. Really kissed him. He lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

“It really is you,” she whispered into his ear.

“Yep.” He nuzzled her neck. “You smell great. Like vanilla and strawberry.”

“I washed up, like you did. But how did you get here? Where did you change? What's happening? Are you in trouble?” She put her hands around his neck.

“Whoa, you're going too fast with the questions.” He set her down. “Last question first. I'm not in trouble. I had to give the brass the whole story but since we won't be connected to the rescue, I think my C.O. was grudgingly impressed. He was certainly pleased we'd rescued Americans. But we would never have been able to do it without you.”

He drew her close again.

“I just drove the truck.”

“There was the bear thing, and following the rescue dog to the hostages, and having enough presence of mind not to crash the truck.”

“Are you telling me that I impressed a Navy SEAL?”

“I'll admit it if you admit I impressed you.”

“What?”

“You definitely weren't impressed the first time we met.”

She shrugged. “I've met arrogant military guys before. I was wrong that you were one of them. Or maybe you just have reason to be arrogant because you're damn good.” She grinned. “But how did you get here so fast? Daz, what happened?”

He brushed her hair back from her face with his fingertips. She shivered. Oh. Yeah. It had been a long time since a simple touch sent her body racing. Of course, the kisses had helped too.

“The explosions lured the guards away from the passengers, as I planned. The night-vision goggles were a definite advantage. I originally intended to draw them into the woods and pick them off individually but then I decided to circle around behind them and make sure you'd all gotten off safe.” He smiled again. “Would you believe the idiots were so worried about your escape and the slashed tires on the remaining truck that they never noticed me sneak onto their plane?”

She hugged him. “You didn't.”

“I did. I snuck into the cockpit and waited. I guessed that sooner or later they'd figure getting the hell out was their best bet and the pilot would show.”

“And?” She placed her hands on his chest. Solid. Warm.
Alive
.

“That's nice. Really nice.” He picked her up again. She kissed his neck, licking the dip where the shoulder met neck.

He smelled so good, all soapy clean, but still so male. “And the pilot showed?”

“Yep. I forced him to use an excuse to get everyone else out, locked the doors behind them and ordered him to fly me out of there. He protested, I told him I'd let him go at the other end, but if he didn't cooperate, I'd just shoot him. He protested for about five seconds and then did what I asked. He landed at the makeshift airfield you guys have going here.”

“Which was the plane's original destination.”

“Yeah. I reported in via the phone there, washed up, and grabbed a ride in a Jeep headed this way. That's when I heard the whole place was abuzz about how you drove like a maniac and rescued everybody.”

She laughed. “I felt good about everyone being safe.” She stilled. “But I don't feel like a hero. I'm just relieved that everyone is alive. Especially you.”

“No hero ever feels like one. But you're the real goods, Wonder Woman.”

“So are you, Batman.”

“I'll tell you a secret.”

“What?”

“While I was waiting for the pilot, I distracted myself thinking about you and all the things I wanted to do once I got you in my arms again.” He tumbled her onto the cot.

She slid her hand under his T-shirt. Her fingers quivered. He had just slight wisps of hair in the middle of his chest. She curled one strand around her finger.

“Like what?” she asked.

He pressed her down on the cot. “Easier to show you.”

She stirred when she felt his absence, cold where there should have been a hard, warm body. “Daz?”

“Sorry, I was trying not to wake you.”

She sat up, not caring about her nakedness. “Trying to sneak out and leave me with only a memory?”

He traced his fingers over her nipple. She moaned.

“Are you kidding? I want a repeat, if you're up for it. I have your number, remember?”