Whistleblower (13 page)

He started the bike. Again, they wove their way through the streets, careful to stay within the speed limit and not do anything that would attract attention. There was no sign of the other SUV, but Zan didn’t doubt they were out there looking.

When they got to the congested area where shops lined the beach, Zan pulled around behind a weathered building that rented surfboards, skates and water crafts. This time, he parked along a row of bougainvillea that divided the shop from the one next door.

“What are we going to do?” Marley asked, which was feeling like an all too familiar question.

“Hang out here for a little while. Let our searchers worry about if they missed us and get tired and hungry.” He reached for the backpack, easing it off her shoulders.

Marley took off her leather jacket and folded it into her helmet. Zan studied the light weight sweater approvingly. The upper part was loose, draping over her shoulders in an appealing way. The bottom hugged her waist accentuating her shape. It worked for Marley and the beach. They just needed a couple added items.

Zan took her hand, leading her out into the crowd. He stopped at a street vendor and negotiated for a pair of sunglasses for each of them. At the next vendor, he bought her a white cloth hat with a wide, floppy brim and for himself, a cap with a popular sports logo on it. They then joined a group sitting on the grass under a palm tree, listening to a trio of street musicians.

Marley felt herself relax though she knew Zan stayed alert, his eyes constantly drifting over the people and watching the parking areas. His arm wrapped around her back, his hand on her waist, keeping her snug against him. It was a possessive touch that Marley found comforting, though she didn’t think he was really aware of doing it. The music set ended, he shifted and clapped automatically with the crowd but his attention was focused in the distance.

He leaned closer to speak in her ear. “It’s about lunch time. How do you feel about fish and chips?”

She laughed. “You know I don’t have to have fries for every meal.”

“Okay, something green for you and fish and chips for me. You stay here in the crowd where you blend in but you’re not out of my sight. I’m just going over there.” He pointed to a couple of eating places. “If anyone comes near, you scream or make a scene. I’ll be watching.”

“Okay.”

He gave her a kiss, as seemed to be natural for him now, and stood. Marley felt a wave of unease as he walked away. She tried to concentrate on the music but her attention remained with Zan.

He stopped for a minute at an information board before making his way through the outdoor seating area, where he stopped to talk to a young man who seemed to be playing a game on a cell phone. After a minute, Zan took out his wallet and removed a bill, handing it to the youth, who handed over his cell phone.

Marley watched Zan put in a number, wait a minute then start talking. As the conversation went on, Marley wondered who he was talking to. Hope surged that maybe he was finally able to get a hold of the General.

As soon as the thought came to her, she discounted it. Something told her Zan wouldn’t try to contact him again until he had her safely tucked away on a military base somewhere where he thought she was safe. She shivered at the thought of being confined, and used the knowledge that Zan would be with her to ease the fear.

The next song ended. She applauded with the rest of the people. Finally, Zan handed the phone back to the youth and went into the restaurant. He came out a few minutes later with two metal pans and two large drinks. Though he appeared casual in his movements, his stride still ate up the distance until he was back to her.

“What’s that?” she greeted him, taking the drinks.

“That is a pink-lemonade for you. Your preference if I remember right. And, that is a sweet-pork salad.” He handed her an aluminum tin. “For me, there’s a burrito Grande.” He lowered himself back down by her.

“The call?”

“I paid the kid ten bucks to use his phone to call my old commander. I was actually able to get through to him. He’s back in the states.”

She reached out to catch his hand. “Zan?”

“I filled him in on what’s happening. He’s going to take it to his superior and see what he can get rolling.”

“Then at least it’s out.” Marley felt a weight ease on her.

Zan caught her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “Yes, but they still need you and the proof. Otherwise there can be an argument that it was all fabricated by a disgruntled employee.”

“Still, if−”

“Don’t even go there.” He cut her off, squeezing her hand lightly.

“Okay, so what do we do? Wait here for help?”

“No, it’s hard to say how long it could take. We can’t risk being out here that long. So first, we’re going to eat our lunch and relax a little longer. Then, we’re going to go recheck the road leading out of town and a mountain road I found on the map.” He opened the map he’d gotten from the information board and pointed to a line. “If it’s blocked, as I’m guessing it is, we’ll head back the other way and make a run north.”

“North?”

“There’s an army base. Mainly, they teach linguistics to all branches. I thought of it once, but it made more sense to go south because there are more options. Eat.” He nodded to her food.

Marley forked up a mouth full of the salad. “Oh, this is good.”

“Better than MREs?” Zan teased.

“I’m afraid so. It’s hard to believe that was just two days ago. How’s yours?”

“Good. You want a try?” He held out his fork loaded with meat, beans and a piece of tortilla shell.

Marley only paused a second before she leaned closer and opened her mouth for him to place it in. His eyes seemed to grow more intense as he watched her.

“What do you think?” A husky tone filled his voice, making the words seem to rumble out.

“So good.”

Marley felt the heat flare between them and, for a minute, forgot all about her salad and everything else but Zan. The applause from the crowd around them brought her back to the present.

“I-I,” she stumbled getting the words out and realized she hadn’t stuttered around Zan all day. Or, if she had, she hadn’t realized it. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly with the words gliding along with the breath. “We’d better eat.” She turned her attention back to the food and music, listening for a few minutes before she glanced over at him. “Tell me about your brother?” she asked just wanting to hear his voice. “Are you a lot alike?”

“Oh yeah.” Zan leaned close to her, sheltering her with his body. “We were always very close. Not at all competitive with each other. If we ever had the tendency our mom nipped it in the bud when we were young. We were best friends. If one of us got into trouble, the other was right there in it too.”

“Did you get into trouble often?” She tried to picture him as a boy. He’d have been busy, played hard, and had been a good friend and brother.

“Not really, but we were boys.” His lips twitched at some memory.

Marley was tempted to ask what it was but changed her mind. “So you both joined the Army?”

“Yes, right out of school.”

“And you both ended up in Special Forces.”

“Yes.” He looked a little more serious. “We’d done our own thing for a while. I’d just finished my first degree and Zac’s marriage just ended in a divorce about that time. My second one was long over. Neither of us had real good luck with marriage, so you know what you’re getting into. But, I guess that’s a discussion for another time.”

Marley felt a catch in her heart, wondering what he meant. She cleared her throat. “So neither of you had children?”

“No, fortunately. Anyway, Zac and I got together and were talking about things, careers, life, and decided maybe we were meant to be alone. To make it short, we decided since we were single to do the ranger training. We had all the qualifications. We both passed the test. Next six months we went through more training and we both made it through ranger school.”

“Something tells me it’s not as easy as you just made it sound.”

He gave her a wry smile. “It’s not.”

She tilted her head to the side studying him. “I saw a documentary once on Navy seal training.”

He nodded, “It’s similar. We’re medically trained first responders, jump out of perfectly good airplanes at any height, taught man-to-man, light artillery, explosives, etc.”

“Well rounded.” She looked at him.

“They don’t lie. They promise you will be put in harm’s way. Ranger’s lead the way.”

“So you’re used to walking into danger.” She swallowed and turned her attention back to the musicians.

His hand settles over hers and squeezed her fingers. He waited until she looked at him. “I’m going to do everything I can to keep you safe, Marley.”

“I know. It’s just … I don’t want you in danger because of me.”

“It is my choice and I want to be here with you.”

Marley felt tears well up within her and turned her attention back to her food, using it as a distaction while she got herself under control.

They finished their meal in silence. Zan stood and stepped through the crowd to drop some money in the open guitar case then returned to her, holding out his hand. Again, Marley felt a tingle of awareness but no fear as his powerful, callused hand closed around hers. With a light tug, he pulled her up, sliding his arm around her as he turned her toward where they’d left the motorcycle.

They’d only covered about half the distance when Marley saw a black vehicle turn on to the boulevard.

“Zan!”

“I see it. Just keep walking.” He leaned his body over hers slightly in a protective movement as he eased them through the crowd toward the closest shop.

“Do you think they saw us?”

“No. In the mood for some dessert?” he asked as they stepped inside.

Marley laughed as tension released from her body. “You think I have a weakness for French fries, it’s nothing compared to how I feel about chocolate.”

“Why, Doc.”

“I’ll have you know chocolate is a very important food group.”

This time Zan laughed. It sounded rusty as if he didn’t do it often. Still, amidst all that was happening, it made everything a bit better.

“By all means, don’t let it be said I stood between a woman and her chocolate.”

Marley stepped past him to the case, aware that most of his attention was focused outside. No matter what he said, he wasn’t going to let his guard down. When she made her decision, Zan ordered two, not bothering to look at the case.

She accepted the small bag while he received the change. They stopped and stood just inside the front window.

“You know, I could have ordered chocolate covered ants,” Marley said, feeling a bit mischievous among all the stress she was experiencing.

That got his attention, and he looked down at her. The corner of his lip curved up. “Somehow, I can’t quite see that.”

She smiled as the warmth in his gaze broke some of the tension. “You’re right, just nuts.”

They savored the chocolates, drawing the time out until they figured their presence was starting to look suspicious. At the corner of the building, they paused. Zan caught the attention of a boy about fifteen on a skateboard.

“Hey, can you do me a favor?”

The boy looked from Zan to Marley. She smiled and he relaxed a little. “Depends.”

“Can you look around the edge of the building to the parking lot and road and see if there’s a big, new, shiny black SUV with tinted windows out there?”

The boy looked at Zan again then at her and back to Zan. “You famous?”

“She is. I’m just her bodyguard. The guys in the SUV are hounding her.”

The boy looked at her again as if trying to recognize who she was.

Marley had to fight to keep from laughing.

After a second the kid shrugged. “Sure.” He stepped around the corner, studied the area then stepped back. “Don’t see any SUV.”

“Thanks.” Zan wrapped an arm around Marley’s back, easing her out in the crowd. She held back, turning back to the boy. “Thank you.” She gave him another smile, and he grinned back.

“Sure, no problem.”

They fell into step with the crowd, letting it carry them toward the rental shop.

“So I’m famous.” Marley reached for some lightness in the situation, as tension once again hummed in the air.

“Hey, it’s the truth. Though, I guess I could have said infamous.”

Marley made a small snort. “I don’t think of you as my bodyguard.”

“But at the moment, that is what I am.”

“Zan−” her protest was cut off with him pulling her forward.

“Come on.”

They broke into a run fifteen feet from the rental building, dodging through people and around the corner to the motorcycle. Everything was as they had left it. A minute later, they were on the go.

After a quick stop at a gas station, they cut through town until they made it to the overlook they’d stopped at earlier where the streets petered out. The SUV was easily seen waiting just past the edge of town like a great lurking shadow.