Chapter 4

SAWYER UNLOCKED THEcell door and stepped inside. On the floor sat a woman huddled in a corner with her back to the wall. She stared in his direction without making a sound, but he recognized her from the photo he’d memorized on the flight to Mexico.

Thank God. Janie Moran was still alive. How she was treated in her time as a hostage was anyone’s guess. Sawyer feared she’d been raped and prepped for sex slavery. Hoping he was wrong, he said, “Janie?”

She blinked. “Yes.”

“We’re here to take you home.”

Janie breathed deep and gave a brief nod. “Do you have room for the other hostages, too?”

He hesitated. How did he tell her the truth, that the hijackers had shot and killed the others in their haste to escape danger? “You’re the only one here.”

She frowned. “Fifteen of us were taken from the plane. Ten men and five women, including me. Where are the others?”

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know after you’re safe on the jet, all right?”

She swallowed hard. “Who are you?”

“We’re with Fortress Security. Brent Maddox and his wife Rowan sent us.”

Janie’s eyes closed for a moment, then she said, “Promise you’ll tell me what you’re reluctant to say when we’re safe.”

“You have my word.” He’d want to know the truth if he were in her place. Wouldn’t be right to lie to her or to put the burden of telling the truth to her on someone else. Didn’t sit right with him. “I’ll tell you as much as I can once we’re wheels up.”

She smiled. “Military term.”

He chuckled. “Comes from being trained by elite military soldiers.” Sawyer stepped further into the room and crouched in front of Janie. “Will you allow me to help you to your feet, Janie?”

She hesitated. “What’s your name?”

“Sawyer.” He held out his hands. After a moment’s pause, she placed both of her hands in his. Admiring her courage, he stood and tugged Janie to her feet.

She groaned and stumbled.

He caught her against him. “Are you all right?” Was she injured?

“Sorry. I sat on the floor too long.”

“We need to go, Janie. Otherwise, I’d give you as much time as you needed. Will you allow me to carry you?”

Janie looked horrified. “I’m too heavy.”

He smiled. “No, ma’am, you’re not. My pack weighs more than you do.”

“Do you think the hijackers will come back?”

Here, at least, he could offer the truth. “It’s possible. We’d like to vacate the premises as soon as we can. If we’re followed into the jungle, we want as much distance between us and the hijackers as we can get. May I carry you?” he asked again.

She nodded.

He didn’t waste any time scooping Janie into his arms. Astonishment filled him. She felt perfect in his arms. He could so get used to this.

Sawyer angled her through the doorway and met his teammates in the hallway. “We’re ready.”

“Personal belongings?” Brody asked.

“None,” Janie said. “They wouldn’t let us take anything off the plane.”

A nod, then his team leader looked at Sawyer. He gave a slight nod. Brody didn’t have to say anything about keeping Janie from seeing the bodies outside in the clearing. He’d already planned to take care of that.

“Logan, take point,” Brody murmured. “Jesse, take the rear. Max and I will take positions on both sides of Sawyer and Janie.”

Logan led the way into the main lobby area of the building and tugged the front door open wide enough to see the clearing. After a moment, he said, “We’re clear.”

“Hold,” Brody ordered and looked at Sawyer.

He looked down at the woman in his arms. “Janie, I need you to do something for me.”

She looked up at him. “Anything.”

“Close your eyes.”

The woman in his arms frowned. “Why?”

“We faced resistance when we arrived,” he said simply. “Bodies are on the ground. You don’t need to add more nightmares to your dreams.”

She huffed out a laugh. “I have a feeling it’s too late for that, but I see your point.” She closed her eyes.

“Thank you. I’ll tell you when it’s safe to open your eyes.”

Janie nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. “Do you mind?”

He squeezed her for a second. “Nope. Take a nap if you like. We’ll get you out of here. Before you know it, you’ll be back in the states.”

“I’d like to talk to my brother,” she said as he carried her from the building.

Bodies were everywhere, some he knew were fellow passengers on her plane. Off in the distance, they heard the engine of a vehicle approaching.

“Move,” Brody snapped.

They jogged from the clearing. Once in the trees, they disappeared from the view of anyone watching within a few steps. The jungle in this part of the Vatos Locos territory was dense, dark, and dank.

“You can open your eyes now,” Sawyer murmured as they hurried through the jungle. Thank goodness for his night-vision goggles. With almost no moon out tonight and a dense jungle, his NVGs lit up the world in green. Otherwise, he’d be stumbling around instead of running through the area.

“Doesn’t do me a bit of good,” Janie said. “I can’t see a thing except slivers of moonlight once in a while. You’re wearing night-vision goggles, aren’t you?”

“That’s right.”

“Brent talked about using them when he was on night missions as a SEAL. I imagine they come in very useful in pitch black terrain.”

His heart squeezed at her stress and fear. The pitch of Janie’s voice gave her away. “They do.”

Logan held up a fist, and the rest of the team froze in place. Although Sawyer thought he might have to warn Janie to remain silent until the danger passed, she said nothing as they stood deep in the shadows of the jungle, waiting for the all-clear or for the team to take out a threat to her safety.

Logan looked back at Brody and signaled that he was going hunting.

Sawyer’s gut clenched. He shouldn’t go alone, but he wanted heavy protection around Janie. So did Sawyer. This wasn’t good, though. They shouldn’t split up. Who knew how many bogeys were in this jungle tracking them.

Brody signaled Max to go with Logan. Despite the scowl from Logan, Brody wouldn’t back down and gave a head shake in a silent order to suck it up and deal with having a partner.

Sawyer breathed easier. Good. The two of them had a better chance of dealing with whatever problem arose. Logan was tough, but could be injured as easily as the rest of them.

Janie put her mouth close to Sawyer’s ear. “What’s happening?”

He shivered at the feel of her warm breath against his ear. Get a grip, Chapman. “Logan heard something. He and Max are checking it out.”

She nodded and rested her head against his shoulder again.

Brent and Jesse kept watch, as did Sawyer. Minutes later, they heard a muffled shout, then silence. Through his earpiece, Logan said, “One down. Three to go.”

“Two down,” Max murmured in seconds.

A minute later, Logan said, “Three down.”

Ten minutes later, Max said, “Four down. We’re clear for now.”

“Copy,” Brody replied softly.

“Danger is gone for now,” Sawyer told Janie. “We’ll start moving again in a couple of minutes.”

“What happened?”

“Four men were tracking us. My teammates took care of them.”

“But we still need to put distance between us and the hijackers, right?”

He squeezed her again. “We’ll be fine. Trust me.” But how could she? Janie didn’t know any of them.

Logan and Max returned. Sawyer adjusted his hold on Janie and nodded at Logan, who turned and set off again toward their rendezvous point with the chopper. Two miles of hard slog through the jungle before they reached the landing zone. Would the hard-won distance Logan and Max gained for them be enough before more terrorists zeroed in on their location?

The last thing Sawyer wanted was a firefight with Janie caught in the crossfire. If it came down to that, though, he’d protect her with his life if necessary.

Shouts sounded in the distance. Brody’s expression grew grim. “Pick it up,” he murmured into the comm system. “Sounds like the men you and Max took care of have been discovered.”

Logan broke into a run with the rest following suit.

“You can put me down,” Janie said. “I can hold my own for a while, at least.”

“Have you eaten or drunk anything since the hijacking?”

She shook her head.

“You won’t last more than a couple of minutes.”

“To haul your pack and me through this jungle is too much,” she protested.

“If I need help, one of my teammates will carry you for a while. Right now, I’m fine.” In fact, he was better than fine. He felt as though he could carry Janie for many miles.

She fell silent, but squeezed his neck a little tighter for a few seconds.

He smiled. He’d take a quick hug that like any day of the week. Perhaps she was trusting him a little.

On and on Sawyer ran with his teammates, dodging live trees and hopping over fallen ones while following in Logan’s footsteps to reduce the possibility of Janie being injured by branches and bushes smacking her in the face. The team didn’t want to cut a path through the jungle unless it was necessary. The fresh path would lead the enemy right to their landing zone.

Even at this early hour of the morning, the heat and humidity made Sawyer sweat as he ran. Dragging in air felt as though he was sucking pea soup through a straw. Nope, he wasn’t a fan of the jungle. The beach was more his speed.

Again, Logan held up a fist and paused. Sawyer and the others froze in place. One minute passed, then two. Another signal from Logan sent Sawyer into a crouch. He set Janie on the ground with a finger pressed to his lips to remind her to remain silent. He palmed his weapon and waited.

Five minutes. Ten. A stick cracked to Sawyer’s right. He hovered over Janie, his body barely brushing hers, as moved between her and the potential threat.

Without turning around, Brody signaled Max to circle around and get behind the approaching threat.

They were being stalked. Whether by man or beast, he didn’t know. Either way, they needed to get the tracker off their backs and resume the journey to the LZ. If they didn’t move soon, they risked a daylight pick up, and that was too dangerous for everyone, including the chopper and pilot.

Max disappeared into the shadows.

Still, they waited. To her credit, Janie didn’t move or ask questions. She lay perfectly still, watching Sawyer for a sign that all was well or danger was imminent.

Absently, he reached over with his free hand and squeezed her fingers. After he released her, Janie wrapped her small hand around Sawyer’s calf, gently massaging muscles beginning to cramp. How had she known exactly where to massage?

When the muscles relaxed, she switched her attention to his other calf and went to work on those knotted muscles.

Sawyer shuddered with relief as the pain subsided. Good grief. Janie Moran had serious massage skills. Where had she learned such a great technique?

He crouched lower until his mouth was close to her ear. “Thanks,” he whispered.

That earned him a pat on the back of a calf.

Sawyer smiled. He didn’t know where this woman lived, but he’d love a chance to get to know her better if she was open to the possibility of dating him.

Another stick cracked, followed by a muttered curse.

Brody looked at Logan, who melted into the shadows. Two minutes later, a muffled grunt told the story. Either Max or Logan, perhaps both, had taken down the threat.

“Clear,” Max murmured. “Heading back.”

Both men reappeared a minute later. Their uniform shirts appeared wet. Good thing their uniforms were black. Harder to spot blood on the fabric or bullet-resistant vest.

At a signal from Brody, Sawyer scooped Janie into his arms again and set off at a faster pace than before. They needed to get out of this jungle. No telling how many terrorists had been sent into the interior to find them and either retrieve Janie or kill her.

Texas Team ran for a mile before Logan once again signaled.

Sawyer scowled. How many terrorists were in this Vatos Locos group? How could they track the team through the dense jungle in the dead of night?

Didn’t matter how they were doing it. The fact was, they were tracking the team with deadly accuracy.

He considered that for a moment. Was it possible the terrorists had planted a tracker on Janie without her being aware of it?

Logan tilted his head, concentrating hard. Finally, he gave the all clear, and the group resumed their run toward the landing zone.

At the edge of another large clearing, Brody pulled out his satellite phone and made a call. “It’s Brody. We’re ready.” A pause, then, “Copy that.” He looked at the others. “Two minutes. Be ready.”

Janie looked at each man before settling her gaze on Sawyer. “Ready for what?”

“Choppers are noisy. It will attract attention all over the jungle. If the terrorists are close enough, they’ll zero in on this location. We may be in for a firefight before we’re on board the helicopter.”

“Sawyer, put me down. You need both hands free. I can run the few feet to the helicopter. I promise.”

Reluctantly, he set Janie on her feet, hovering close while she got her balance. “You good?”

She nodded. “Thanks for the lift.”

“Any time.”

A minute later, they heard the chopper in the distance. As one, Sawyer and his teammates readied their weapons, remaining in a loose circle with Janie in the middle.

Thirty seconds before the chopper appeared in the sky, Sawyer threaded the fingers of his free hand through Janie’s. “You and I are going to the clearing first. The rest of my teammates will cover us. The goal is to get you inside before the terrorists open fire. No matter what happens, you run as fast as you can and climb into the helicopter. I’ll be right behind you.” Covering her in case of enemy gunfire.

“What about your friends? They’re getting on board, too, right?”

“As soon as you’re clear, we’ll pile into the chopper,” Brody assured her. “You focus on the goal. Sawyer will give you instructions. Do exactly what he tells you to do, and you’ll be all right. We’ve got your back, Ms. Moran.”

“Janie.” She smiled. “After all this danger, I feel like we’re best friends.”

Brody smiled. “Janie, then. I’m Brody.” One by one, he introduced the rest of the Texas Team. He glanced at Sawyer. “Ready in ten seconds.”

“Copy.” He squeezed Janie’s hand. “Hold on to me and run as fast as you can. Got it?”

She nodded. “Tell me when.”

Sawyer drew in a breath and said, “Now.” He easily kept pace with Janie as she raced into the clearing. When she paused as the helicopter descended, Sawyer released her hand, wrapped his arm around her waist and caught her against his side as he urged her to quicken her pace.

Janie ducked her head against the grit and leaves whipped up by the force of the helicopter blades. When she stumbled, Sawyer scooped her into his arms and raced over the last few feet to the open side door of the chopper. He dumped her inside, then hauled himself into the belly of the beast. “Get in the farthest seat and strap in,” he ordered Janie.

Bullets pinged off the side of the chopper.

In a crouch, Sawyer spun, aimed, and fired his MP5 over the heads of his teammates. One by one, Max, Jesse, Logan, and finally Brody leaped into the helicopter.

“Go, go, go,” Brody shouted and joined Sawyer in firing off his weapon to protect the helicopter while it lifted into the air.

When the helicopter banked to the left, Sawyer and Brody strapped into their seats, removed their comm devices, and slipped on headphones with microphones attached.

“Any injuries?” Jesse asked.

Sawyer held up his hand, forestalling any genuine conversation until he helped Janie don a pair of headphones so she could hear what was being said. “Repeat the question, Jesse.”

“Any injuries to report?”

Each one of Sawyer’s teammates reported no injuries. Although he’d hoped no one had noticed that he hadn’t responded, Jesse zeroed in on him.

“Let’s hear it, Sawyer.”

Janie gasped and twisted in her seat. Worry filled her eyes. “Were you injured?”

He shrugged.

“You never said or gave any sign.”

“Details,” Jesse snapped.

“Bullet nicked my shoulder. It’s not a big deal.”

“In the jungle, it is.” Jesse unhooked his seatbelt, grabbed his mike bag, and knelt next to Sawyer. “Let’s see it.”

“It’s not that bad,” he protested. “I swear. It can wait.”

“My call. Show me.”

With a sigh, Sawyer ripped off his sleeve and shoved the remaining material high so their team medic could exam the wound.

Jesse studied Sawyer’s shoulder and whistled. “It’s nothing, huh?”

He scowled at his friend. “My arm isn’t falling off.”

Jesse shook his head as he dug into the mike bag. “I’ll patch it until we’re on board the jet. You’ll be getting my full attention, buddy.”

Sawyer grimaced. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Are you sure he’ll be all right?” Janie asked.

“I’m sure,” Sawyer insisted. “A few stitches and I’ll be good to go. Promise.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Although he’s not a medic, Sawyer is right. The injury isn’t serious except he’s been in a tropical environment and will need antibiotics along with stitches to make sure he heals properly. He’s had worse, Janie. This is just another scar to add to his storytelling hour.”

“I still hate it.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “If you hadn’t been here to rescue me, you wouldn’t be injured, Sawyer.”

He shrugged, hiding the pain the movement caused. “I’m glad I was here to help. I’ll take a few stitches for that any time.”

Jesse pulled out his alcohol wipes and a pressure bandage and made quick work of cleaning and patching the wound for Sawyer.

“Thanks, Jesse.”

“Yep. I’ll finish the job when we’re wheels up.” The medic returned to his seat.

To Sawyer’s surprise, Janie wrapped her hand around his and held on tight. “I’ll be fine,” he said softly, even though his teammates could hear every word he and Janie spoke to each other. “I’ve had worse injuries on missions.” And on the job as a cop.

“But I wasn’t to blame for those injuries.”

“You aren’t responsible for it this time, either. It’s the risk of the job, Janie.” But he admitted to himself that it was nice to have someone care about him.