Cold Day In Hell (2 page)

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Questions flooded Ana's brain. She kept them to herself. She tightened her grip on this wild man's hand and stayed close.

It would be nice to have Ty on her side. Really on her side. A man with his skills could be useful against Ortega. Anger seethed through her. Maybe Manuel Ortega hadn't died tonight, but someday he would get what was coming to him.

Ty carried various weapons, a huge pack on his back, yet they covered a lot of ground. Ana considered herself to be in excellent physical condition, but her legs were considerably shorter, and she was winded. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. She couldn't ask him to stop. They didn't have the time to waste.

Her one trusted friend in the government had allowed her to read the file on Tyrell Castillo. The ex-Ranger was an expert on munitions, and he had high security clearance in his country. Nothing had warned her that he was brusque and uncaring. Best she could tell, her rescuer was a single-minded, bossy American.

Ana hadn't finished her mission. He'd ruined that for her, given her no choice. There was no going back now. If Ortega was alive, when he heard she'd escaped, he'd turn Colombia upside down looking for her. If she could gain Ty's help, she'd welcome a showdown.

A mixture of hope and regret burrowed deep in her belly. Hope that if Ortega had been at the compound and died in one of the explosions, her nightmares would end. Regret because she'd been denied the privilege of killing him herself. A promise made should be a promise kept.

Ty paused to slash through a thick vine blocking the trail. A rare shard of moonlight made it through the thick canopy, casting an eerie shadow over his broad shoulders. The beam vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Ana to guess how far they'd traveled or what lay ahead.

The constant rustle and movement of the leaves underfoot sent her imagination into hyper-drive. Ana dug deep and pushed the fear from her mind. She concentrated on keeping up with Ty as he plunged forward.

"We're stopping up here in the clearing," he said, slowing the blistering pace.

"What for?" Ana thought resting might be a bad idea. More of Ortega's men were probably searching for them. Granted, her muscles were screaming, but they needed to keep moving.

Ty shoved his goggles to the top of his head and removed something from his pocket. Ana took the break to dig an elastic band from her pocket. She scooped her hair into her hands, rolled it into a wad, and secured it off her neck. Instantly, her body temperature cooled.

"I didn't want you to miss the rest of the fireworks."

She turned in the direction of his voice just as a series of explosions jarred the ground under her. The sound roared through her ears. The earth trembled, and flames shot skyward. The night lit up with dancing orange and blue plumes. The sight was spectacular. She looked up to find him smiling as if he watched a holiday show.

"Right. You said the rest of the compound was going to blow."

"That was the house and the fuel storage tank supports," he said. "Even if the generator could be repaired, they have no gas."

A picture of diesel fuel running in different directions with fire chasing close behind flashed through her mind. The main house, guards quarters, and manufacturing building would soon be a pile of ash and rubble.

"What else did you take out?" Ty appeared to be deep in thought, so she repeated, "What else?"

"The road in front of the compound. It will be a while before a vehicle goes in or out." His chilling tone sent shivers up her arms even in the stifling heat. "They'll have to park and walk in."

"I had a plan." Her words tasted bitter as anger rushed her.

He choked out what sounded like a scoff. "There was already a plan in place. If you'd met your commitment and been in Bogota as your government arranged, neither of us would be in this situation. My ass sat in that dump of a bar waiting for you to make contact. The bartender finally took pity on me and said you'd gone off with Ortega."

"I had to. Out in public, he was never without his bodyguards. If I could've been alone with him—"

"I don't care why you thought pretending to be Ortega's girlfriend was a better plan. You dropped the ball and left me to scramble for equipment and weapons. While I waited for them to be delivered, your government and mine decided I should determine if you were at the compound and alive. If you were, I was to bring you out."

"You have no idea how many times I've rallied that same government and extracted a pledge of action. Nothing ever came from those promises. I got tired of waiting and developed my own strategy." Why did she care whether or not he understood her reasons? It was plain he wasn't interested.

Obviously, he'd never lost anyone important to him. She'd met men like him. They were all about the mission. Do the job. Collect the money. And the hell with collateral damage.

"Yeah? I saw how well that worked out for you."

 "I worked in that bar, flirted with Manny Ortega, and got him to trust me. The ruse worked until one of his guards recognized me. I had hoped I'd been out of the country long enough so nobody would remember me."

Ty's gaze seemed locked on the fiery sky. She wasn't sure he was listening.

"After I came home, I lobbied for stronger laws. Searched the government ranks to find official support. I had to find someone who was not on the take or scared to stand up to the cartels."

"They probably don't exist."

"Not so." Damn him. "I found somebody I could trust, but he seemed more interested in letting your government blow up Ortega's manufacturing site. It's like putting a Band-Aid on an open wound."

Her adopted family's citizens group was more dedicated to using the government to wipe out the drug trafficking than the government.

She refused to waste anymore of her breath on Ty. He actually appeared bored. He brushed his large hand in front of his face as if he could shoo away the hordes of flying insects that lived and ate in the jungle.

"Let's move. They'll be looking for us soon."

He turned away from the multiple blazes, slid his goggles into place, and walked into the darkness, blending in with his surroundings. Panic hit her. Without him and his ability to see where they were going, she'd be lost. And soon after, she'd be dead. She hurried the direction in which he'd disappeared and plowed face-first into him.

Was this a lesson? Like she didn't know how much she needed him to survive out here.

He gripped her hand. "Grab hold."

She wound her fingers through his a second time. A strange current raced up her arm. Okay, so he wasn't going to leave her behind. "Ortega was expected at the compound. You could've waited to blow things to kingdom come."

"I didn't come to kill him."

"I'm aware of that." Damn, all Ty could see was his mission. "But neither my government nor yours would've cared if Ortega had died during the explosions."

"You're wasting your strength arguing."

Ana threw on the brakes, jammed her feet into the ground and did her best to stop the big man. Didn't work. All she accomplished was nicks and scratches from the fronds he'd been blocking with his body.

"I have to know he's dead," she exclaimed, hoping her seriousness made it through Ty's thick skull.

"And risk getting you killed? Not on my watch."

"We have to go back. Be there if he shows up. He could be on his way now."

"No. We don't. Besides, if he's smart, he won't show up until he's sure it's safe." His tone sounded final, but Ana continued her efforts to slow him down. Her mind splintered. She'd given her word.

He whirled, pulled his machete from behind his head, and then blew out a sigh. "Don't make me carry you. I promise it will be a bumpy ride."

Ana stood inches from his chest. So close his breath ruffled her hair. She couldn't see him clearly, which made him even more menacing. Strong hands wrapped around her waist and tightened. She stiffened and stood rigid. With seemingly zero effort, he lifted her off the ground.

"Choose."

"I'll walk," she bit out in anger. "But you don't understand." Somehow, she had to get through to him. He put her down and stepped back.

"After I get you somewhere safe, you can tell me all about it." He turned, leaving her seconds to latch onto his backpack, before he stepped into the really thick growth.

Her friend in the government had let her read the report on Ty. An unmarried, ex-Army Ranger, who'd spent time in Afghanistan, which meant he probably understood the desert a lot better than the jungle. Did he know some predators hunted this time of night?

 Swack
. The blade of his machete stilled the sounds of the night for a couple of seconds as it lopped off some obstacle she couldn't see.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" she asked.

"We're not lost if that's what you're asking. There's a small cave ahead. Dug it out to make it larger. We'll rest there until daylight."

"A cave? A predator could've moved in there."

She heard him sigh again. Heavier and louder this time. Without responding, he pressed on through the heat and humidity. The deeper they went, the thicker the air became. Ana could feel the rain coming. Soon the nightly shower would hit. 

Her muscles burned, sweat soaked her skin, rolled past her collarbone, and soaked into her bra. The perspiration attracted every biting bug in the area. A swarm gathered around her head. She knew enough to keep her lips clamped together or she'd wind up with more than a few insects in her mouth.

Ty seemed unfazed by the heat, the distant roar of a big cat, and the constant chatter of unseen tree dwellers. Humans were disrupting their habitat, and it made them nervous. Lord only knew what was slithering around under their feet. Yet he pushed on.

Did he know that as long as there was noise everything was fine? When a predator was close and on the prowl, everything went silent.

He wasn't much of a conversationalist, but it seemed he'd made up his mind about her. Nothing she said was worth hearing.

He stopped abruptly. Again, Ana plowed into his back. The impact didn't budge him an inch.

"A warning would be nice."

"Sorry. Taillights aren't standard issue. Hold still."

The air had thickened with each meter they'd walked. Stifling, making breathing an effort. They were about to get wet. The first drop of rain fell just as a hand cupped the back of her head. She jumped, startled by his touch. She didn't know him. Didn't know if she could trust him. Didn't know why the urge to lean into him was so strong.

"What are you doing?"

He blew out another heavy sigh. An exasperated-sounding one. "Hold still," he repeated as if each word took great effort.

She opened her mouth to call him out for his patronizing tone of voice. He silenced her by placing the goggles over her eyes. Instantly, albeit not as good as sunlight, she could see her surroundings.

"Wow. I need a pair of these."

"It's not Technicolor, but you'll know what you're getting into."

Ty stepped forward and, holding his hands out in front of him, moved a few fronds. Ana scanned the inside of what had to be the cave he'd referred to earlier.

"Are you sure it's safe to stop and rest?" She prayed he'd say yes because exhaustion had her moving on sheer will. The space wasn't large, but it was big enough to hide them and provide protection from the coming downpour. The rainy season, when rivers and lakes flooded, was over, but daily showers were the norm. Although the air would be even more hot and humid inside his hideaway, they'd be out of the rainstorm.

"I'm sure."  

She bent down and crawled inside just as a few droplets landed, quieting the exterior sounds.  

"Take a quick look around. I'll need the goggles back." He entered after her. "Not a Best Western, but it will have to do."

Ana crawled onto a pile of leaves in the corner. She pulled her knees to her chest in an effort to find a comfortable spot on the makeshift bed. With no air circulation, the heat seemed to double from that outside. She wouldn't complain. The shelter might be overly warm, but it was dry.

She finally got a good look at the man who'd saved her from going up in flames. He'd squatted directly in front of her. His broad shoulders and thick body filled the space. No wonder he hadn't budged when she'd run into him.

He extended his hand in her direction, palm up. She reluctantly relinquished her ability to see in the dark. Blackness engulfed her. She sensed him move away. Panic seared its way up her chest, lodging in the tendons of her neck.

"Wait." She hated how she sounded more like a squeaky mouse than human. "Are you leaving?"

"Just long enough to make sure no one else is on our tail."

"You'll hurry back?" A rustling sound came from beside her. The silence seemed to go on forever. She swallowed hard. He made perfect sense, but the idea of being alone in the dark, blind, sent icy chills through her veins.

"Sure thing. I have a couple of things that might make you more comfortable."

"You'll leave me the gun?"

"That's one of them."

The cave filled with a soft glow. He pushed the NVGs up on his forehead and set a small lantern next to her.

Even smeared with the sweat and grit from the jungle, his face was striking. Her heart rate jumped. Chocolate-brown eyes set off his caramel skin, sharp nose and jaw you could park a Jeep on. Hell, if he wasn't always so stern, he'd be beautiful. She laughed at the thought. American and always pissed, he probably wouldn't react well to such a feminine compliment.

"Better?" He removed the gun from his holster and rested the cool grip in her hand.

"Much. Thank you." Her fingers wrapped around the grip of the gun. She studied the pistol for a second, nodding a look of approval. "Beretta 9 mil. Fires fifteen rounds not counting the one in the chamber."

"Okay, so you know guns. Just don't shoot me with the damn thing when I get back." 

He pulled on the goggles and backed out into the rain, piling six-foot fronds over the entrance. Suddenly, the small cave felt like a grave. Her arms prickled with sweat, and imaginary creatures scurried across her skin. Thankful for the light
,
she shook the paranoia out of her head, reminding herself she'd been in worse situations.