Seven

Seven

"Something's fucked," Randy Young said, his tone as dark as his scowl.

They'd arrived just moments before, both of them relieved on how easy it had been. Then, they had stepped inside. There was something very, very wrong. Sean could feel it in his bones.

Sean glanced at Young, then around the abandoned hut. He had to agree with the former SEAL. There was something really fucking wrong with the situation.

Dust covered the furnishings, and there were definitely signs of decay. The small wooden table looked like termites or something had been eating on it. Hell, the covers on the small cot were moving. The stench of rotting vegetation permeated the air. He really didn't want to know what was living under there. The absence of any humans—along with any kind of food told him one thing.

"No one has been here in months," he said. He rolled his shoulders as a dribble of sweat slid down his spine. Fuck, it was hot.

Young nodded. "So, did Lassiter set us up, or did someone set up Lassiter and we get caught up in it?"

"That's a very good question."

His gut clenched. Damn, he didn't want to think badly of his old friend, but things weren't adding up. Lassiter had never had a clusterfuck like this in the years Sean had been working for him. He'd trusted the man with his life more than once, but now he was having doubts.

Maybe Lassiter was more pissed about his breakup with Jaime than Sean had thought. Sean knew Lassiter had trained her, had guided her through her career, and he had taken it personally when Sean and Jaime split up. Still, Sean didn't think Lassiter would set him up to be killed for it.

Sean glanced around again. There weren't even any signs the missionaries had been there. It was a dead end. No one had been there for at least a month, probably more. Just as both he and Young had worried, there was something off about the mission.

"You've worked for him for awhile. Do you think he'd set us up like this?"

Sean glanced at Young. He was fucking smart, and it wasn't as if Sean hadn't just had the same thought.

"I haven't given him reason to. Have you?"

A smile that had nothing to do with humor curled Young's lips. Damn, it made him even more fuckable. Sean always liked his humor with a dark and sadistic edge, and especially appreciated it in his lovers.

Fuck. He needed to get his mind off that topic. They needed to formulate a plan that had to deal with getting the fuck out of there.

"So, you're relationship with Lassiter is contingent on you not giving him a reason to kill you?"

He smiled. "That's pretty much true in all of my relationships."

Young chuckled at that. "Same here. What the fuck do you think it means?"

"I think he has bad info, or someone is setting us up."

"Ya think?"

"Who have you pissed off lately?" Sean asked.

"My parents, my old commanding officer. Oh, and some woman on the 405 last week, but I don't think I have pissed off anyone enough for this."

"Then you aren't living your life right."

They shared another smile, then they both went back to inspecting the room. Instinct and experience told him with the small click he'd heard; they had tripped some kind of alarm. Thank Jesus it was only an alarm and not a tripwire to a bomb. His heartbeat jumped up a few thousand beats as he glanced at his companion. Young raised one eyebrow. The former SEAL had heard it too.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," he said, his voice eerily calm.

Sean nodded and followed him out of the hut they had found. They had no idea how long it would be before someone showed up, and there was no use sticking around to find out. He followed Randy out of the hut and down the path they had taken. He held up his fist, indicating to hold position. Sean did as told. He had no problem taking orders from the SEAL. They both had about the same amount of experience, and there was something about a man who knew how to give as good as he got—in more ways than one.

Thwap, thwap, thwap…footsteps hurried toward them. Again, instinct saved both of them. From the sound of it, they had too many people to go up against. There were at least ten of them heading in their direction. While Sean didn't mind a good fight, he didn't believe in suicide missions.

Young motioned with his head and Sean followed. He was the better of the two at tracking and finding his way out of a shit situation. This was definitely a shit situation. They had gone in under the cover of night, no support. It had been a bad situation all around, but it had paid good money. Now, he was starting to understand just why.

Shots rang out behind them, but neither of them stopped to answer the attack. They knew they were outnumbered. As their pursuers continued to shoot, Young and Sean put some space between them. When Young led them out to a road, Sean almost ran into the back of him.

"Hey," Young said.

"Well, I didn't know you were going to come to a stop like that."

Then, Sean looked around. "I know this area."

Young glanced at him. "You do?"

He heard the skepticism and shook his head. He noticed a cargo truck sitting on the side of the road. "We can't stand here and discuss it. We need to get the fuck out of here, and I know a place we can stay."

This time he took the lead, going across the road then back into the jungle. He knew if they got to the next road over, they were home free. They could definitely get a ride into Bulusan there and get the fuck off the island.

Then, another shot rang out from behind them. It flew past Sean and hit the tree by his head. A piece of bark from the trunk flew off and hit him in the forehead.

"Motherfuck."

It wasn't that big, but the sharp edge of it had connected with his head. His first instinct was to move forward, but he heard Young stumble. When Sean turned around, Young staggered to his feet. His partner looked down at his upper arm.

"Fucking hell."

A basic flesh wound, but Sean knew it probably stung like a bitch.

"Come on."

"Go, keep going. There's only one."

Sean shook his head and hurried back to him. "You go, I'll watch your back."

Young agreed and went on his way. Sean stood still watching the forest, then he saw the flash of movement. He raised his rifle and waited. Movement again, and Sean took a shot. There was a yell, then cursing in a language he didn't know, but he was pretty sure it was Eastern European of some sort.

"Kaheaku, what the fuck?"

"Go," he said turning back to Young. "I know a place up here we can stay, no questions, and we can dress that wound."

"Who did you just shoot?"

"I have a feeling it was supposed to be their lookout."

Young opened his mouth, but Sean wasn't in the mood for it. "Just fucking go. I don't want to wait for the others to catch up."

Young did as Sean had ordered, and he followed his partner as he tried to figure out just what the hell had happened, and just how the hell they would get themselves out of the mess.