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Lethal Deception
Lynette Eason


Who wanted her dead?Having rescued Cassidy McKnight from kidnappers in South America, Gabe Sinclair thought his job was done. Not that the former Navy SEAL could ever forget the brave, beautiful single mother. But when the danger followed her home, Gabe promised to protect her.Why anyone would want to kill Cassidy was a mystery. Was the motive related to the orphaned toddler Cassidy was raising, a sweet little girl who brought out the father figure in maverick Gabe? Or did a newly revealed family secret have killer consequences?









Lethal Deception

Lynette Eason








Dedicated to Jesus Christ.




CONTENTS


ACKNOWLEDGMENT

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO




Acknowledgment


Thanks to:

My husband, Jack. I love you, appreciate you, respect you

and thank God for you.

My children, Lauryn and Will, who understand when Mom

orders takeout for supper—six times a week.

My parents, Lewis and Lou Jean Barker, brother Lane, and

in-laws, Bill and Diane Eason. Jason and Jennifer Dorris.

You guys are so great!

My grandma, Freda Trowbridge, in Amarillo, Texas.

My fellow teachers and coworkers at the

South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind.

You guys are awesome!

Shirlee McCoy, Ginny Aiken and Dee Henderson.

Thank you!

Brandilyn Collins for posting me on her blog!

Check out February 28, 2007 at

www.brandilyncollins.com!

ACFW. You’re fabulous.

To the girls: Margaret Hall, Dawn Barnes, Joni Quinn,

Becky Smith, Tracy Krout & Sarah Couch.

Eastside Spartanburg Martial Arts. You’re a blessing!

And you don’t look at me weird when I come to watch

my kids’ karate classes with a laptop in hand.

To my home church, Northgate Baptist, and

my new church, New Life Baptist Fellowship.

Jesse and Carolyn Hartley.

Jesse, keep writing, you’re next!




ONE


March 2

Early afternoon

Brazilian orphanage

Danger hung heavy in the air around her. It was time to go. Instinct, a nudging from God or just plain common sense told her the time was now. She’d been here a month getting to know the child in her arms, but even this three-hour wait for the taxi she’d called was too much time. Cassidy McKnight loved Tefé, a poor city located in the state of Amazonas, situated in the northern part of Brazil. But now, uneasiness rolled through her as she shifted two-and-a-half-year-old Alexis higher on her hip and scanned the dirt path that was supposed to pass for a road.

Tropical green trees swayed in the slight breeze, and the humidity pulled Cassidy’s natural flame-colored curls even tighter against her head, causing the mass to lay heavy against the back of her neck.

“Come on, come on,” she muttered, alternating amongst pacing, standing and tapping her foot. Patience had never been her strongest virtue. Where was the cab?

“My Cass-ty,” Alexis said, and lay her curly, blond head on Cassidy’s shoulder.

“My Lexi,” she answered, and planted a smacking kiss on the child’s rosy cheek.

Alexis grinned, then sobered. “Want Mama.”

Cassidy’s heart lurched. “I know, sweetie. I wish your mama was here, too.”

“Daddy?”

Cassidy nodded. “Yes, Daddy, too.”

Alexis looked up at the sky. “In heaven with Jesus?”

Cassidy blinked back tears and whispered, “Yeah, in heaven with Jesus.”

Anna, one of the relief workers from the orphanage and also a woman Cassidy called friend, walked up. “Taxis take forever around here. You might be better off hiking it.”

Before Cassidy could respond, Alexis pointed to the sky and said, “Mama, Daddy with Jesus.”

Anna blew out a sad sigh, looked at Cassidy and said, “You’d think God would have a special protection plan for people who build orphanages, wouldn’t you?”

Cassidy gave a humorless smile, a mere twitch of her lips, although she nodded her agreement. She was ready to leave for more than one reason. Being here, the same country, the same jungle, where her brother had disappeared two years ago was taking its toll. They’d never found his body and Cassidy still had trouble accepting his death.

The taxi finally squealed around the corner and pulled up in front of the Amazon Orphanage. Dust swirled as it stopped.

“About time,” Cassidy muttered, and moved through the gate. The sun beat hot as she nodded to the bearded driver and pulled open the back door. Anna followed and handed over a booster seat. Cassidy placed it in the backseat and tossed the diaper bag on the floorboard.

Alexis in her arms, she turned back to the relief worker who had short dark curls and compassionate dark blue eyes.

Anna said, “Here are the papers. I sent another copy to your fax machine. It should be waiting for you when you get home. God be with you.”

Cassidy stuck the rubber-banded bundle in the back pocket of her jeans and leaned over to give the sweet woman a one-armed hug. “Thank you so much for all you’ve done.”

Anna squeezed back and said, “Take care of the bebê pequeno—and yourself. You need to go. You really shouldn’t have taken the risk to come here—not with the enemies your father has made with our local rebels.”

Cassidy stepped out of the embrace. “I know. You’re right, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of some stranger picking up Alexis. She’s had enough turmoil in her little life, and that would have added to her confusion.”

Anna’s expression said she agreed. Cassidy assured her, “I managed to e-mail Amy and let her know we were leaving and would be home by tomorrow late. Everything will be fine.” Amy was a childhood friend taking care of things in the States, like decorating the room for Alexis, while Cassidy took care of things in Brazil.

Anna allowed a small smile, and Cassidy knew the woman would have done the same thing had she been in Cassidy’s shoes. Anna motioned back toward the taxi. “I understand, but now it’s time for you to leave. After that villager saw you, too many people know you are here.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Cassidy’s taxi churned its wheels and, with the passenger door still open, disappeared around the curve beyond the orphanage.

“Hey! What?” Choking on the swirling dust, she waved a hand in front of her face and stared after the vehicle.

She turned at the sound of another engine and understood.

A jeep full of four men all holding rifles was headed directly toward them.

Anna grabbed her arm. “Run back through the gate!”

As Cassidy turned to obey, bullets kicked up the dirt around her and she froze in shock, terror causing her to shake. Eyes closed, shoulders hunched, she clutched Alexis close. The child howled her protests and fear. Cassidy flinched with each report, but she knew that if these men wanted to kill her or the baby, they’d both be dead.

God, what is going on? Protect Alexis, please!

The shooting stopped; the silence screamed in her ringing ears. Before she could raise her head, rough hands pulled at her.

“Put down the baby!” ordered a hard-eyed man dressed in jungle fatigues, his rifle held negligently in his hand, pointing to the ground.

Automatically, Cassidy pulled Alexis closer.

The gun barrel rose and pointed at the child. In precise English, he stated, “Put her down or I will shoot her.”

And he would. Like he would shoot an annoying dog. Terrified for the little girl, Cassidy kissed the top of her head and bent to put her on the ground. “Go to Anna,” she whispered in Alexis’s ear.

When she tried to straighten, Alexis clung to her, her chubby arms like steel bands around Cassidy’s neck. “No! No! Want up!”

All too aware of the gun still pointed at the child, Cassidy kept her eyes trained on the rebel, reached back and wrenched the clinging arms away from her, feeling like her heart was being torn from her chest in much the same way.

Alexis fought and grabbed at her. “No! Stay with my Cass-ty!”

Cassidy’s stomach cramped at the little girl’s fear and confusion, but she took a step away, holding the child’s hands so she couldn’t latch on again. “Shh, sweetheart. It’ll be okay.”

She shot a pleading look at Anna who stood off to the side with the other two relief workers, eyes narrowed, lips tight. Anna stepped forward to grab up the screeching child and hand her off to one of the other women. She turned back.

The hard hand clamped around Cassidy’s upper arm hauled her toward the waiting jeep. Alexis still cried for her. And these brutes had threatened her.

Cassidy exploded. She struggled and resisted the hands that gripped her. But she was no match for their sheer strength.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anna turn back to the jeep and race toward her. Horror chilled her as she realized what her friend meant to do. “No, Anna, get back!”

Anna ignored her.

Cassidy renewed her fight and landed a solid kick on a hard shin. Her captor grunted and twisted her arm. Pain shot through her shoulder, and Cassidy shrieked.

Anna delivered a solid right hook to the man who held her. He grabbed his bloody nose and hollered, but didn’t lose his grip on Cassidy. One of his companions in the jeep yelled a curse, gripped his rifle and dropped to the ground to help. As Anna turned to face him, he swiped the barrel across the side of her head. Blood squirted; she went down and didn’t move.

Cassidy fought harder until the man grabbed a fistful of hair and brought her face up to his. His black eyes glittered in his filthy, unshaven face. She tried to turn her face from his rancid breath, but he held her head fast as he told her in slow, measured English, “Continue to struggle and I will snap your neck.”

Cassidy froze and whimpered at the pain in her scalp. God, please!

“That’s better.” With no more effort than it takes a cook to toss a pizza, he hurled her into the back of the jeep. Cassidy hit the floor with a grunt. Pain shot through her left shoulder and her hip throbbed.

A third man grabbed her arms and yanked them behind her back. Rough rope chewed her tender wrists. Cassidy stopped fighting. Her muscles quivered from the exertion. She had no more strength left. Struggling now would only earn her more bruises.

The jeep screeched off, churning up dust as it bumped down the pitted dirt road. Alexis’s screams echoed in her ears and fury mingled with the terror choking her.

Cassidy rolled over to see the man who had knocked Anna out. He sat slightly ahead of her, perched on the edge of the jeep instead of in one of the seats. She drew knees up to her chin then kicked out as hard as she could. The bottom of her feet landed on his backside and toppled him over the edge. His harsh yell and shouted curse gave her a brief moment of satisfaction.

His comrades howled with laughter; the driver slammed on the brakes and backed up. They taunted him as he came up over the side of the jeep, dusty, the gash on his forehead matching the one he’d put on Anna’s. However, the rage in his eyes turned Cassidy’s satisfaction back to terror.

She was dead.

His fist shot out and connected with her left eye and cheekbone. Pain exploded, bright lights flashed, then darkness blanketed her.



Cassidy awoke and choked back an agonized moan as the ropes bit into the tender skin of her wrists. She lay on her right side, her cheek pressed into the dirt while her heart beat in time with her pounding head. She couldn’t decide what hurt more—cheek, eye, hip or wrists.

With the return of consciousness came memory. Unfortunately, memory brought forth such a surge of terror she gasped.

She’d been kidnapped.

Oh, Lord, help me. Give me the strength to endure. Be with Alexis. Cassidy whispered the prayer then inched her way to sit up as straight as her bonds would allow. She tried to shift into a more comfortable position.

Impossible.

With her hands bound behind her, fire shot along every muscle in her shoulders, arms and back, her body protesting the strain of being in one position for too long. A bead of sweat dripped off her chin; her head throbbed harder and nausea churned.

Gritting her teeth, she gathered every ounce of strength and managed to shift into a sitting position. Panting from her efforts, she dropped her head to bent knees and told herself to keep breathing.

Finally, the nausea eased and she dragged her head up to look around. Misshapen boards were stacked on top of each other and nailed haphazardly to keep them from falling in. Through the slits in the walls, she could see movement. Shifting closer to lean against the wall, she looked out. A dark-headed, dark-eyed preteen was cooking over a campfire, occasionally turning the meat on the skewer. Cassidy sucked in a sharp breath. Next to the young girl stood the man Cassidy had kicked out of the jeep. Rafael, they’d called him.

She watched, unable to pull her gaze from the sight before her. This man, this rebel, leaned over and gently kissed the top of the girl’s head. The girl looked up, smiled and said something. Cassidy couldn’t understand all of it, but caught the word, Papai. That awful man was a father? Ugh. Oh, what are these people doing to their children, Lord?

Cassidy shook her head and pain splintered through it. She gasped out a groan and waited. When the throbbing faded, she looked out once again. Garlic, peppers and other spices tantalized her. Dogs barked and children played soldier, shooting each other with toy guns fashioned from sticks.

Several older preteens carried the real thing.

Cassidy shuddered; fear clawed up her spine.

Did anyone other than her kidnappers know she was here? She bent her shoulders forward. No relief. Cassidy looked through the widest crack again. Rustic huts, no electricity, no phone lines. She felt caught in a time warp…surrounded only by towering trees, a rushing river and the occasional monkey calling to its mate.

Oh, God, please get me out of this! And get us out before Mom hears I’ve disappeared. Please, God, first Micah and now me. She’ll die. Literally.

Micah, a Navy SEAL on a mission, had disappeared two years ago, and the navy had declared him dead, based on the report of one of Micah’s fellow SEALs. Her father continued to search and her mother swore Micah was just on an extended mission. And now this.

The door opened and a short, round, dark-skinned woman with gray-streaked black hair stepped inside. Silent, flat, black eyes stared and Cassidy swallowed hard. The bruise above her left eye continued to throb and the nausea returned with a vengeance.

She muffled a groan, regretting her brief fit of temper in the jeep. Shaking uncontrollably, she focused on the figure in front of her. As though by magic, a knife appeared in her visitor’s hand. Cassidy inhaled sharply and shrank back. Unable to tear her eyes from the fearsome weapon, she waited for the worst.

The old woman stepped toward her and shifted the knife higher.

“No, please.” Cassidy meant it to be a scream, but only managed a weak whimper.

The woman moved behind her and Cassidy held her breath, expecting to feel the knife plunge between her shoulder blades. Instead, there was a slight tug and her hands popped free.

Agonizing pain sucked the air from her lungs as her muscles screamed their protest at the sudden movement. Tears filled her eyes again, but this time she refused to make a sound.

A short grunt brought her attention up to the face in front of her. The woman motioned for her to follow. Cassidy stood, swaying slightly. Her stomach protested, her eye throbbed, her legs shook, but she obeyed. I can do all things…

“Tell me why I’m here, please,” she asked in English with a surprisingly steady voice.

Another grunt answered her.

Cassidy sighed and looked around. No way to escape; no weapon to be found. She had already examined every inch of the small hut and other than a lumpy-looking cot with a blanket, the place was empty.

Once outside the dark hut, the bright sunlight intensified the throbbing in her aching head. She bit her lip. What she wouldn’t give for a sip of water and a painkiller. Rubbing her rope-burned wrists, she stumbled after the woman to a small hill that held—of all things—an outhouse.

Although grateful for the moment of privacy, she wrinkled her nose and held her breath as she finished her business as quickly as possible. She opened the door to find the woman waiting with a small canteen.

“Água.” The word came out as a grunt, but Cassidy understood. She eagerly grabbed the container, put it to her mouth and drank slowly; small sips to quench her thirst, but not enough to make her sick. The nausea subsided.

“Obrigada,” she said. Thank you. With a shaky hand, she wiped her mouth and asked in Portuguese, the official language of Brazil, “Who are you?”

“Maria.” Just one word, but at least it wasn’t a grunt.

The woman’s dark eyes never changed from their dull flat expression, but her face softened by a fraction. Again, Maria motioned for Cassidy to follow. Again, Cassidy obeyed. The woman’s girth should have made her clumsy; instead, she moved quietly and gracefully, skirting over the rough ground.

As she followed, Cassidy tried to formulate an escape plan. She had to get out of here. She had to get back to Alexis. The poor baby must be scared to death. All the adults in her life kept deserting her.

But the question was—where was here?

Cassidy cherished the few precious moments of exercise on the way back to her “prison.” Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that her mission of mercy would land her in the middle of a rebel camp deep in the Brazilian Amazon jungle. Confusion reigned. Why me, Lord? It wasn’t a complaint, but a sincere question. What did they want with her?

“Eat. Entende?”

Cassidy blinked. Yes, she understood.

She entered the hut and noticed a plate full of food on the old cot. Her stomach rumbled, but no way was she sitting on those bug-infested blankets. Cassidy grabbed the plate, made sure no little critters had crawled into the food and moved to the wall beside the door. Eyes on Maria, she slid down to sit on the floor, resting the plate in her lap.

She scooped up a tortilla and took a bite. Warm and surprisingly tasty, the food energized her and she settled back to eat. A canteen of tepid water finished off the meal.

The door to the hut banged open and the vigilant Maria narrowed her eyes as she saw who entered. Cassidy yelped, scrambled to her feet and bolted for the back of the hut, trapped. Terror thudded through her, beating in time with her pulse. He came closer.

Before Rafael could reach her, Maria planted herself in front of Cassidy, silent, yet ready, if necessary. Rafael stopped and glared at the two of them as though judging whether offending the old woman was worth it.

To Cassidy’s relief, he backed toward the door and left without a word. She looked at Maria, “Why?”

“You’re more valuable unharmed right now.”

Cassidy swallowed hard. “Oh.”

March 16

Thursday morning

Gabriel Sinclair patted the pocket of his plaid shirt. The papers crinkled reassuringly. He just hoped he didn’t get killed before he got to show them to o patrão—the boss located in the rebel camp just ahead. Gabe’s sleekly muscled arm gave the machete another vicious swing, his anger fueling his strength. How had he managed to get himself talked into this?

One week ago, he’d been minding his own business when the ambassador to Brazil, Jonathan McKnight, had come to him at the hospital, tracking him down in the busy South Carolina emergency room and pulling him away from a patient.

“I need you.”

Curious, wary, Gabe motioned for the nurse to take over, and led the man down the hall to an empty office. He waved a hand toward one of the metal chairs, then Gabe took the chair behind the desk. Once Jonathan was seated, Gabe asked, “What do you need with me?”

He watched the ambassador’s jaw work, the muscles flexing as the man clenched and unclenched his teeth. Something was obviously terribly wrong, but what?

“Cassidy. She’s done a really stupid thing.”

Now, there was a surprise, Gabe thought grimly. Cassidy and stupidity just naturally went together, didn’t they?

“She hopped a plane to Brazil and got herself kidnapped.”

“What?” Gabe clenched his fists, his attention fully focused on the man in front of him. That was a little more serious than stupid.

“I need you to get her back.” Ambassador McKnight sat ramrod straight in the chair, his jaw tight, hands resting on his thighs. But his emotionless facade couldn’t cover the turmoil rolling in the man’s green eyes.

“Kidnapped?” Gabe sputtered.

“She was taken from a Brazilian orphanage and is being held somewhere in the jungle. Here.” He pulled a note out of his shirt pocket and shoved it into Gabe’s hand.

Brazilian jungle? Orphanage? Gabe read the note. It was written in Portuguese.

He read aloud as he translated it, “‘We have your daughter. Our boss wishes for you to meet with him. He wishes to learn the secrets of your government. Should you wish to have your filha bela returned to you, you will contact us to set up a meeting. You will also refrain from bringing in any police or authorities of any kind. If we even suspect that you have done so, we will send your daughter back to you…in pieces…or sell her to make the profit you denied me.’”

Gabe tried not to picture a terrified Cassidy as he looked up in the ambassador’s eyes. Cassidy’s eyes. “Isn’t there someone else who could help her?”

Jonathan shook his head. “I promise, if there were anyone else, I wouldn’t ask. But you owe me after that last mission…” He trailed off. Micah had been declared dead after the navy heard Gabe’s story. But his testimony had been sealed. He couldn’t tell the family exactly what happened.

Gabe thought to himself, You have no idea about that last mission.

“Also for Cassidy, I’m asking,” the ambassador finished. The man swallowed hard and stood to pace to the door and back. “I don’t know what will happen to my wife if she finds out about this, not with what happened with Micah. It would probably kill her. Right now, I’m able to stall her. Cassidy’s always running off somewhere. But she’s been gone way longer than usual with no contact for the last two weeks, so pretty soon I’m going to have to tell her mother something. I’ve responded to the kidnappers and managed to set up the meeting. It’s two weeks from today, but I want Cassidy out of there now.”

“What was she doing at a Brazilian orphanage?”

Jonathan shifted his eyes, paced toward the door then back. “I don’t know. She was supposed to be on vacation in Paris.”

Gabe lifted an eyebrow; he had a funny feeling the ambassador knew exactly why Cassidy went to Brazil. Instead he said, “Paris, huh? Tough life.”

Jonathan ignored the sarcasm and narrowed his eyes. “All I know is that I need you to get in there, get her, and get out. I’m home in Spartanburg on leave right now dealing with another situation. Any other time, I would have been in Brazil, but I came home to…” He sighed and trailed off.

Gabe raised an eyebrow in silent inquiry. “Another situation?”

Jonathan swallowed hard and said, “I don’t want to go into detail, but before I became a Christian, I had an affair. Almost thirty years ago. Christina found out recently about it and she’s not dealing with it very well. We’re trying to keep our marriage together. Losing Cassidy would destroy us.”

Gabe blinked and tried to absorb all that the man was saying. He decided to ignore the part about the affair and said, “Why do you think she was taken?”

“It wasn’t mentioned in the letter, but I somehow wonder if this has to do with what I’m working on with the president,” Jonathan said.

“You mean, your stand against human trafficking?”

Jonathan nodded and said, “Cassidy’s been a tremendous help with the entire project.” He shrugged. “Human trafficking is a nine-point-five-billion-dollar-a-year income that goes right into the pockets of criminals and organized-crime groups. Men, women and children sold like cattle to work in sweatshop factories and that’s the best that happens. I can’t imagine the horrors these people live with every day.”

Gabe knew the horrors the man talked about: sexual exploitation, modern-day slavery. It was a profitable enterprise in many parts of the world. Ambassador McKnight had been a huge mover and shaker in putting a lot of these people out of business—or at least putting a dent in their income. And if Cassidy had fallen into their vengeful hands…

He shuddered and stood, unable to complete the thought or sit still any longer. Agitation echoed in each step as he paced around the office. He really couldn’t imagine Cassidy taking the time to be involved in something like politics. It seemed completely out of character for the girl he’d once known. Didn’t match up with the stories Micah had shaken his head over.

Take care of Cassidy.

Gabe shook the words from his head, finally stopped pacing and stared out of the third-floor window. Not bothering to turn, he said, “Sir, no doubt, I owe you.” More than you realize. “I would be dead if Senator Graham hadn’t tipped you off to what was going on with that last mission. I still don’t know how you managed to send in that helicopter, I’m just grateful you did. But that part of my life is over now.” And there was nothing on the face of this earth that would make him accept that kind of responsibility again. Except…

Take care of Cassidy. With what was probably one of his last breaths, Micah had asked him to watch over his sister.

Gabe’s mind flashed. Men scrambling for safety and screaming at him to help. Machine guns popping, the explosion and raging fire.

Death.

And that gun in his ear. Three, two, one. Then the ominous click.

He sucked in a deep breath and forced his thoughts away from those memories. He had yet to face them and get over the guilt of being the only one to survive. Memories had remained buried and questions had gone unanswered for two years. Gabe figured he could go at least another two.

Now this man was asking him to come face-to-face with the demons of his past. For Cassidy. A spoiled little rich girl. He turned from the window to stare at Jonathan. “I know you have enemies, people who would lose big if you and the president succeed in passing certain human-trafficking laws, and it’s possible that’s why they took Cassidy. I know I owe you, but I can’t just leave…” He trailed off weakly, knowing he might as well give up. He was going.

Take care of Cassidy.

“You are the only one who can do this. You know this jungle and you know it well. I don’t have the time to set anything else up. And you can leave. I’ve already checked. You have six weeks of vacation built up. I’ve had all your patients reassigned. So, in fact, you can leave today.”

The ambassador handed him a piece of paper with a name on it. “This guy is your ride in. He’ll have your parachute and rebel identification and the name of your contact. After that, he’s gone and you’re on your own. There’s no team, no backup. Only a supply plane that will land once a week, every Monday, at five in the afternoon, Brazil time, on the little airstrip in the village of La Joya. The pilot is a friend of mine. He’ll wait for two hours each time he lands for the next six weeks. Here’s a map, the name of my contact in Brazil and the approximate location of this rebel camp. Figure out how to infiltrate it and get the job done.”

If it had been anyone else, Gabe might have simply walked away. But this was his father’s best friend, a man who had the president’s ear, a man who was welcome in elite political circles—and the man whose son had died on Gabe’s watch.

He owed it to Micah.

And to Cassidy. She might be a spoiled rich girl, but he’d never been able to forget her.

With a sigh and a disgusted mutter, he took the papers. Responsibility for another human being’s life in the jungle was the last thing he wanted. Emergency-room responsibility didn’t bother him. The E.R. was stable and sane compared to the jungle. The jungle would kill him, if not physically, then emotionally.

Now, a week later, the deadline looming, Gabe’s muscles flexed each time he hacked at the dense growth as he headed for the rebel camp, wondering if he could fully trust the guide ahead of him. With each swing of the machete, he pushed the nightmarish memories down deep inside.

Gabe’s cover fully established him as Miguel Sanchez, rebel for hire. With his raven-colored wavy hair, black eyes and dark skin, he looked the part. The scar slicing through his right eyebrow added to his menacing appearance. No one had to know he’d gotten the scar when he’d been showing off at his parents’ house and cracked his head on the diving board.

He ignored the sweat dripping off his face and sliced another thick vine. He’d stopped praying two years ago after the mission with Micah went terribly wrong, but as the camp finally came into sight, he decided today might be a good day to start up again.




TWO


March 19

Cassidy used the rock to scratch another tally mark into the wall of her hut. At the end of each day, she added another mark.

Seventeen miserable days.

What was her father doing? Her mother was probably in need of a straitjacket by now. Cassidy paced and kicked the dirt floor. What was taking so long? Why hadn’t she been rescued, ransomed or killed? Or, she shuddered, sold?

That last thought scared her more than the idea of being killed. In fact, she was sure she would much prefer a bullet to the brain. Working with her father in the political arena had exposed her to a twisted evil she’d never suspected existed. Since she’d started the Stop the Traffic Foundation, human trafficking in Brazil had taken a beating. Unfortunately, a fatal blow never seemed to land.

The men who’d snatched her had told her only that her father had been contacted, but said nothing about what they wanted. The constant tension had her ready to scream. She’d lost weight and had to tighten the knot in the rope that she now used as a belt. Her jeans sagged, and her T-shirt had definitely seen better days. Washing in the creek every other day just didn’t quite measure up to her normal hygiene habits.

Cassidy groaned and knelt on the dirt floor. What were they waiting for? And now, she had another worry plaguing her. Sometimes she had to go to extreme measures to avoid Rafael. Almost every time she stepped out of the hut, she felt his leering gaze follow her, making her skin crawl.

The days blended together in an endless fashion. Recently, Cassidy had caught a glimpse of the newest rebel to join the camp. Three days ago he had marched into the camp and his eyes had caught hers for a brief moment before he turned away without expression. She knew this man. She didn’t know where or how, but she knew him. It would come to her later.

Right now, exhaustion threatened to snap her sanity…and it was getting dark. Fear snaked up her spine to twine itself around the base of her neck. She hated the nights and the suffocating terror.

She would lay rigidly still deep into the night listening to the old woman snore, reassuring herself that as long as she was there, nothing would happen to her. It was probably a lie, but she drew comfort from it anyway. And she prayed, over and over the scripture from Psalm 91, Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night.

Cassidy sighed and rubbed her burning eyes with shaky hands. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her and she drifted off.



Hard fingers dug grooves into her cheeks and she opened her eyes to see the newcomer she’d just been thinking about staring down at her, his black eyes even darker in the shadows of the cabin. Terror exploded her into consciousness and she froze.

He brought a finger to his lips and whispered, “Shh.”

Cassidy managed a slight nod against the hand still clamped over her mouth. What was he doing?

And then she was free. She scrambled away from him and bumped into a warm body. She cut off a scream.

Maria! Had he killed her? Cassidy struggled to her feet, and backed up, her eyes never leaving the man’s face. He said, “I’m here to get you out of here, you understand? Maria is busy with the outhouse, but that won’t last long. Rafael there was about to pay you a rather unpleasant visit. He should be out for a while, but we need to get moving, now, okay?” His low voice eased her fear somewhat. He was here to rescue her? But…her brain felt too fuzzy to take it all in. Who was he? Who’d sent him? Why was this rebel risking his life to save hers?



Gabe reached down and pulled Cassidy to her feet. Dazed green eyes stared up at him. If she shook any harder, she’d come apart at the seams. When he’d first seen her, he had been appalled at how thin she was. He worried if she would have the stamina to make the trek through the jungle.

“Who are you?” she asked. “I know you.”

“Your knight in shining armor, m’ lady,” he quipped without humor. “Now, please, let’s go.” He gave a firm yank on the hand he still held and pulled her out the door. He wasn’t sure how much time they had to put as much distance between them and the camp as possible, but he didn’t want to waste any of it. Unfortunately, he’d caught Rafael sneaking into Cassidy’s hut and had to act. Rafael had seen his face; Gabe’s cover was blown. If they were going to escape, it had to be now.

Cassidy stumbled along behind him. Within seconds, they reached the hut that Gabe had been assigned and he reached in, grabbed the pack that he always kept ready and slung it over his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He took her hand again.

“Why are you helping me, anyway?” she asked.

“I’ll explain on the way out of here.” He looked up. The sun, just peeking over the horizon, made him groan silently. Great, running from rebels in broad daylight ranked pretty much last on his list of fun things to do. He pulled her along behind him. “We don’t have a lot of time, moving fast is top priority, got it?”

Thankfully, Cassidy held her questions, nodded and fell in behind him as he headed for the dense forest trees directly ahead. They were just about to the edge of the camp and ready to disappear into the jungle, when he heard, “Ei! You there! Stop!”

Gabe gave Cassidy a shove and whispered, “Run!”

Cassidy obeyed, and Gabe followed close behind. A well-worn path led to the river. Soon the men would form search teams. They would spread out to make a big circle and gradually narrow the diameter to capture their prey in the middle. Somehow, they had to slip through that circle.

Gabe stayed beside Cassidy, helping her when she stumbled. Branches and bushes slapped at them, as though trying to hold them back. “Wait.” He stopped and bent double, winded. Cassidy flopped beside him, gasping and holding her side. Blood dripped from a gash on her cheek.

Gabe sat down beside her and said, “They’ll be coming. I don’t think we can outrun them, so we’re going to have to outsmart them.”

Cassidy finally had enough breath to say, “Sounds good to me. But first I want to know who you are and why you’re helping me.”

Gabe gave her a sad smile. “Look a little harder, Cass.”

Her eyes narrowed as she gave him the once-over, and he knew the moment she recognized him. She gasped then her green eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. “Gabriel Sinclair. Daddy sent you, didn’t he? The man who knows how my brother died, but isn’t talking. That’s just great.”

Gabe tried to form an answer while he waited for the sting of her words to lessen. He knew she’d been upset, but that zinger told him a lot. She still blamed him for Micah’s death.

“Which way’s the orphanage?” she asked.

His mind still reeling from her hostile shot, Gabe fumbled with one hand and managed to get his compass out of his front pocket. “Uh, that way. Why?” He pointed to the north.

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s go.”

Anger started to push its way past the hurt. No way, uh-uh. Gabe protested, “Now, see here, Princess, your daddy managed to talk me into playing hero to get you out of here. This is my job, my mission. Now, we—as in you and me—are going that way. No orphanage, got it?”

Cassidy frowned, pursed her lips and said, “I’m on my own mission, Gabe. I’m heading that way.” She pointed north.

Gabe grabbed her extended arm and pulled her right up into his face. “This isn’t some game. You’re going with me. Now.”

She tried to jerk out of his hard grip, but failed. Anger lit a fire in her eyes. “Now, listen here—” She stopped. Demanding was getting her nowhere, so she changed tactics. She reasoned, “Look, Alexis is waiting for me. I have to go back.”

Gabe shook his head and pulled a fairly clean bandanna from his backpack to swipe at the blood dripping from the cut on her cheek. “You could probably use a stitch in that. Who is worth risking your life—excuse me, our lives—for? And who is Alexis?”

Cassidy took a deep breath and pushed his hand away, “My daughter.”

She turned on her heel and headed north.

The shot from the rifle cracked the branch above her head. Gabe tackled her from behind and brought her down on the jungle floor.




THREE


Gabe whipped up his weapon, caught a blur of movement through the trees and fired off a round. The scream of pain told him he’d found his target. He turned back to Cassidy. “Run,” he ordered through clenched teeth.

She ran. Another bullet pierced the tree beside him and Gabe swerved and shot back. Finally, they made their way through the undergrowth to a group of trees that offered some shelter. He stopped, listened.

Nothing. Yet. Hopefully, the kidnappers had stopped to help the wounded man. Gabe decided they’d lost them for the moment; however, he didn’t count on that to last long. He leaned against one of the trees and checked his gun. Cassidy sank to the ground.

“Your what?” He picked up where they’d left off. Please, anything, but a child. Not a child. The ambassador knew. Gabe had had a feeling he’d been hiding something.

Gabe steamed as frustration boiled through him. This was not in the game plan. Get in, get the girl, get out. That was the plan. Nothing about a child. Especially her child. The twinge of jealousy took him by surprise, but he quickly forgot about it as he watched her disappear through the mess of twisting vines and leaves.

He quickly caught up and caught her arm. “Slow down,” he hissed. Then he focused on the fact that his fingers wrapped around her upper arm almost effortlessly. Gabe frowned, appalled at her fragile state. Once the adrenaline wore off, she wouldn’t last long without some rest and nutrition.

She yanked away from him; blinked back tears. “You don’t understand. I made a promise and I’m going to keep it. I have to.” Desperation flashed.

Gabe groaned, “Cassidy, those men aren’t going to give up. They’re closing in on us even as we stand here arguing.”

“Then I suggest we argue while we move. And if you’re supposed to keep me alive, could you do a better job of it with me than you did with Micah?” With that flat question, she headed north when Gabe desperately wanted to head west. These last few days had been his nightmare come true. And it wasn’t over yet.

And Cassidy scored a bull’s-eye every time she opened her mouth.

He squeezed his eyes tight to tamp down the memories of the explosion, the gun in his ear. The click. He swallowed hard, blew out a frustrated sigh and stomped after her, catching up quickly. Just in time to reach out and pull her weaving, swaying form into his arms.

“Gabe? I don’t feel so good.” She slurred her words and moaned. He could tell she was on the verge of passing out.

“Sit down for a minute.” Holding her close scrambled his thought processes, but somehow he managed to ease her onto the jungle floor. She rested against a fallen log, leaned her head back and shut her eyes.

Gabe asked, “When was the last time you ate?”

Her brow crinkled as she thought. “Um…I’m not sure. Yesterday, lunch, I think.”

Gabe growled, “Not smart. Here. Your blood sugar’s probably getting ready to bottom out.” He swung the backpack down beside her and rummaged through it until he found what he was looking for. “It’s not exactly the seven-course meal that you’re used to, but it’s all I’ve got and it’ll get some nourishment in you.”

With what little strength she had, she yanked the jerky out of his hand and muttered, “You have absolutely no idea what I’m used to.”

After two pieces of jerky and half a canteen of water, Cassidy looked slightly better. Gabe pulled a cell phone out of the backpack and turned it on. The battery was good, but no signal. He dropped it back in his pocket. His satellite phone had disappeared within an hour after his arrival in the camp.

“What daughter?” he probed.

Cassidy stared at him for a moment then sighed. Her eyes misted, closed again, but she spoke. “Her name’s Alexis.”

Gabe thought about all the pictures of Cassidy he used to see in the society pages of the newspaper. She was with a different man every week. “So who’s her father?”

“Jacob Foster.” Her eyes shot open and he found himself ensnared in her wild green gaze. Tears slid a silent pattern down cheeks flushed from the run. “He loved God with a passion I envied, he was one of the most wonderful men I’ve ever known.”

Jealousy snagged him again. “Was?” He didn’t want to know, but had to.

She nodded. “He was killed almost two months ago in a raid on his village. He was a missionary.”

Gabe flinched. “Ah, Cass, I’m sorry.”

She shuddered. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be hateful. I’m still working on the forgiveness issue when it comes to you and your silence about what happened to Micah.”

A twig snapped.

Gabe bolted. He grabbed his machete and cut a shallow path through the dense underbrush, pulling Cassidy behind him. Sweat beaded and slipped down his face. There was no time to try to cover the path completely.

Hide us, Lord. The prayer slipped through his mind unintentionally. He reminded himself he wasn’t speaking to God because God didn’t listen. Why talk to someone who didn’t care about listening to you? Gabe was working this mission alone. He trusted and depended on no one but himself. Somehow that thought didn’t offer the comfort he’d hoped it would.

A hollow tree trunk lay horizontal just off the path. About six feet in diameter and rotted on the inside, Gabe was willing to bet all kinds of creatures probably called it home. Right now, he would call it an answer to his prayer—if he thought God heard his prayers anymore.

He ignored the smell of must and decay and pulled Cassidy into the trunk, her small hand clutched in his. As he made his way in, he moved aside debris, hoping he didn’t dislodge anything poisonous. Scorpions, spiders and various other insects scuttled from under the rotted bark, but when nothing jumped out at him, he leaned against the tree-trunk wall and drew Cassidy in behind him.

A shaft of light through a small crack in the top subtly illuminated the inside. A finger to his lips communicated the need for silence and her nod let him know she understood.

They were going to have to stay hidden and hope the men weren’t looking very carefully, because if they were, their snug little hiding place would most likely become their grave.



Cassidy shivered and moved deeper into the trunk. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to control her panicked breathing. Thank You, God, for sending Gabe—I’m grateful for his help even if he won’t tell me how Micah died. Her brother had been reported dead on a secret mission that Gabe led. His body was never recovered. Cassidy had written Gabe begging him to tell her what happened so that she could have closure, but he’d refused. She was grateful for his help, but she still resented his silence.

He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a slight squeeze before moving toward the opening to keep watch. Her heart still raced from their dash through the jungle and she shifted, trying to put a little more distance between them.

“Be still,” Gabe turned his head and whispered into her ear.

She froze. He still had that effect on her stomach. She’d worked hard to get over her teenage crush on him, but apparently she hadn’t worked hard enough.

“Don’t even breathe,” he whispered.

Prayers trembled silently on her lips. Footsteps crunched closer. She bit her lip and his right hand brought up the gun to point it toward the sound.

Someone grunted a question in Portuguese, but Cassidy, who spoke the language fluently, couldn’t quite make out the words. However, the answer left her shaking even harder than before. “Kill them immediately. The ransom is not important. I do not want to have to report this failure.”

The footsteps faded. They hadn’t noticed the trampled underbrush and the cut vines. Yet.

Oh, thank You, Lord. Thank You for the protection. Sweet relief flowed through her, leaving her feeling weak and a little nauseated. When I am afraid, I will trust in You.

Gabe’s arms slowly relaxed; the rest of his body soon followed. He stuck the gun into the back of his jeans and leaned his head against the wooden trunk.

Cassidy didn’t bother to move. “Are they gone?” She whispered the words as quietly as possible.

He whispered back, “I think so. Hopefully they’re closing their circle. But soon they’ll realize we managed to slip through and will start looking outside that circle. We have to be gone and on a plane by the time they widen their search.”

“Gabe, I’ve already told you I’m not leaving without Alexis.” Cassidy stared into his flashing dark eyes and whispered, “I made a promise, and I’m going to keep it. God’s brought me this far, He’s not about to desert me now.”

“Whatever. Right now, we’re going to sit tight. Now, be quiet so I can listen.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes and started praying again.



A slight snore brought Gabe’s gaze down. Cassidy had moved in and rested her head against his arm and fallen asleep. Standing up. It finally registered how absolutely exhausted she must be. Lack of sleep and terror had all taken its toll.

He knew they needed to move on, but she had to rest before she went unconscious and he had to carry her out. Holding her steady, he slid down the wall to sit in the mildew-infested debris that littered the base of their hideaway.

Cassidy never stirred, her form remaining limp in his arms while her chest rose and fell with each deep breath. She must have finally felt safe enough to relax—or maybe she’d simply just passed out.

He needed to rest, himself. Feeling as if he’d been back in the midst of fighting for much longer than a week and a half, Gabe decided to stay put for the moment. He dug through his pack and pulled out a dirty T-shirt. It would have to do. Wadding it up, he placed it behind her neck to give her some support. The now sweaty and dusty riot of curls she’d never been able to tame spread over the T-shirt and across his hands. Gabe pulled away, fighting the memories even as they surged through his mind.

In his third year of medical school, compliments of Uncle Sam, Gabe had been a very self-confident twenty-four-year-old. He’d stopped by the McKnight house to talk to Micah about something. And then she’d appeared at the top of the stairs; a vision of loveliness in a gown of white. Green eyes drew him; her smile tangled his thoughts. This girl he’d always considered a bratty little sister. But this night…

She floated down the staircase to stand next to her date, the top of her head barely reaching the middle of his chest. When she’d said goodbye to her adoring onlookers, she’d laughed and flung that riotous cascade of flaming curls. They’d brushed his nose and mouth—and singed his heart. Micah had noticed—and stared daggers through Gabe.

Micah. Just the thought of that name was enough to bring Gabe back to reality. Cassidy’s brother. Dead. Because Gabe had failed him. Had requested—no, ordered—him for the mission then allowed him to die. Cassidy was mad at him for not talking about that day, but if she knew the whole truth, she’d hate him forever. He put the mental brakes on the memories, refusing to go there now. Cassidy stirred and frowned; whimpered, in her sleep. Gabe wanted fiercely to wipe the bad memories away and replace them with good. But that wasn’t his right.

That had been someone else’s privilege.

She’d been in love with another man. Had his baby.

Why hadn’t Cassidy’s father mentioned a child? Hadn’t he known? Gabe laughed sardonically at his mental question and answered it. Oh, yeah, the man had known. And he’d not mentioned it because he’d known Gabe would flat out refuse to take the mission.

He let his eyes drift shut, but made sure the gun was tucked close and his ears were tuned to the jungle noises. He wasn’t afraid he’d fall asleep only to wake up dead. Too many years of training, too much intensive conditioning—too many nightmares to keep at bay—would keep that from happening.



“Cassidy.” She ignored the faraway voice. The sleep her body had craved for so long had her in its grip and wasn’t about to let her shake it. “Cassidy.” This time a rough shake accompanied her whispered name. Sleep disappeared fast.

“Gabe?” She blinked to bring his face into focus. Brown-black eyes bored into hers. “What? What is it?”

He brushed the hair out of her eyes for her, his fingertips gentle, lingering. “We need to get going. Since you’re bound and determined to head to the orphanage, we’ve got to beat these guys at their own game.”

Cassidy moved and couldn’t stop the groan that slipped out.

“Sore?”

“To say the least. I thought I was in shape up until a few weeks ago.”

His short bark of soft laughter made her jump. She frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Trust me. There’s not a thing wrong with your shape.”

Cassidy flushed. She gave him a punch in the gut that made him grunt. “That’s not what I meant and you know it, Rambo.”

“I know, Cassidy. I know.” Cassidy could have sworn his expression went tender for a brief moment before returning to its usual unreadable gaze. He turned and edged cautiously toward the end of the trunk and Cassidy followed him. She cleared her throat and asked quietly, “So, you’re going to help me?”

Gabe cut his eyes to her. “What do you think?”

She allowed a small smile to cross her lips. “I think you hate it when I get my way.”

Gabe’s lips curved into a rueful smile, but he didn’t respond. Cassidy brushed leaves and debris from the seat of her pants then pulled her hair up into a ponytail with the rubber band she’d had in her pocket since opening the papers about Alexis.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“You think it’s safe?”

“You mean, you care what I think?” he taunted.

Now, that hurt, but she covered it with, “Of course I care. I’ve always cared about you, Gabriel. In spite of whatever happened with Micah and my anger at your silence, you were my brother’s best friend. Now, can we get going before those creeps come back?”

When she looked up, surprise at her confession was reflected on his face. He opened his mouth to confront her and when he did, Cassidy pretended not to see it. She wasn’t in the mood to discuss matters of the heart—her heart—when she was finally doing something totally unselfish for someone else. Something that not even Gabriel Sinclair and his stubborn personality would be able to deter her from.




FOUR


I’ve always cared about you, Gabriel. The statement taunted him.

He hiked slowly, keeping his ears tuned to the sound of anything that didn’t have to do with nature. Nothing set off his worry alarm, so he decided to give Cassidy a little space while he mulled over her words.

They’d seen each other off and on over the next couple of years when they attended certain social functions at the request of their respective parents, and Gabe had visited often because of Micah, but Cassidy lived in a different world; one Gabe hadn’t wanted to be a part of. Yet, he’d been fascinated by her. And saddened by her wild lifestyle, thinking she was on the road to destruction. And then all of a sudden, her face and exploits were no longer mentioned in the paper. He’d wondered what happened. He realized now that this was when she’d become a Christian and changed her lifestyle.

And then came the mission.

And Micah had died.

And Gabe couldn’t forget how.

And he couldn’t forget Cassidy.

It galled him that he could be so attracted to a flighty debutante, but there just seemed to be something about her…something deeper, like her shallowness was some kind of cover-up and there were many layers to her personality that the public never saw.

So, he’d gone to attend her college graduation. To see if he could find the deeper layers. Only, before he could see her, he’d read about her engagement in the paper. He’d been disappointed, but not surprised.

Without contacting Cassidy, he’d said goodbye to his parents and joined the SEALs. He’d thought he could make a difference with his medical skills—and he had. He’d saved the lives of good soldiers. And still, his dreams were haunted by the green-eyed princess. He knew her engagement had fallen through, but Micah was always tight-lipped about why.

What was it about her that wouldn’t shake loose from his mind? His heart? He’d thought about looking her up again a few years ago, but Micah’s death changed everything. And now he’d learned she’d had a child.

“Are you coming or not?” Cassidy asked.

Gabe jerked like he’d been shot. Horror swept over him. He’d totally lost his concentration for a brief moment. His carelessness could have gotten them killed. Fury with himself for his lapse made his low voice harsh. “Keep your voice down.”

Cassidy’s eyes widened then narrowed to slits, her displeasure with his curt tone evident. Her lips thinned and she planted her hands on her hips. Gabe caught up with her, and Cassidy kept her glare at full power. He knew he should apologize, but frankly he just didn’t feel like it. Besides, when they argued, he didn’t think about his nightmares.

“How much farther do you think it is?” Her words came out stiff, as though she begrudged having to ask the question.

“We can probably be there in a couple of hours.”

“That soon?” Surprise chased away her anger.

“Yeah, the camp where you were held wasn’t that far. By jeep, only a couple of hours or so. Seeing how we have to keep off the beaten path, it may take a lot longer.”

“Okay, once we get there, how long do you think it would take us to get to La Joya?”

Gabe shrugged. “If we could borrow a jeep, and don’t get lost or killed, probably not that long.”

“And if we don’t have a jeep?”

“A lot longer. Today’s the twentieth. The plane will be there tonight for its weekly supply drop. If we miss it, it’ll be another week before it comes back.”

A raindrop chose that moment to roll down one of the large canopy leaves through the drip tip and splatter on Gabe’s nose. He groaned. “We’d better get moving so we can find a dry place to hole up for a while.”

“Where do you find shelter from the rain in a rain forest?” she asked.

Gabe felt a few more drops and said, “I have no idea. Let’s see if we can find something before we get saturated.”

The sky opened up. Gabe groaned again. Barely able to see in front of him, he pulled the machete from the sling across his back and swung with a vengeance, not caring about the trail he was leaving. If they were getting wet and looking desperately to get out of the downpour, chances were so were the guys behind them.

After an hour of backbreaking work, struggling to walk and see through the pouring rain, Gabe was so tired he was ready to drop. Cassidy wasn’t faring much better. She lagged, and he pulled. However, she never voiced a complaint.

Gabe shook his head and brought his arm up one more time to swing, refusing to give in to the exhaustion plaguing him. His SEAL training had been a long time ago, but right now, it was like it was yesterday. When the machete cut through the vine in front of him, then came to a bone-rattling halt, Gabe’s shoulder felt as if it was going to bounce out of its socket.

His abrupt halt brought Cassidy slamming into him. He grabbed her to steady her and her soggy ponytail slapped the side of his face.

Gabe parted the vines and leaves and realized that his hand rested on knotted wood. They’d found a cabin. He wiped the rain from his eyes to no avail. It still came down in sheets, blinding him. Cassidy forged on ahead.

He followed in Cassidy’s rapidly disappearing footsteps and found them standing on a small porch, finally out of the never-ending rain. Cassidy curled her fingers around the knob.

“Wait!” he hissed in her ear.

She jerked back and stared at him.

“I need to check it out. Stand here and be quiet, okay?”

He scrubbed the water from his eyes and moved to the edge of the door. He pulled the gun from his waistband and motioned for Cassidy to get behind him. Using the butt of the gun, he gave the door a hard rap.

No response. Gabe repeated the procedure and still, there was nothing to indicate that anyone was inside.

Holding the gun steady with his right hand, he twisted the knob with his left. It turned smoothly and Gabe pushed the door open. When the object hurled itself from inside, screeching at the top of its lungs, Cassidy’s scream echoed in its wake as Gabe tackled her to the floor of the porch.




FIVE


Heart thudding, adrenaline pumping, Cassidy watched the colorful macaw land on the railing then jump to the wooden floor of the porch.

“It’s only a bird.” Cassidy shook with relief.

“He almost scared me to death,” Gabe grunted in disgust, got up and brushed himself off. He hauled Cassidy up next to him.

“But at least we now know no one’s home.” She eyed the entrance. “Nothing human anyway.”

Gabe stepped into the cabin and Cassidy followed, stopping just inside the door to stand beside him. The place stunk. Cassidy wrinkled her nose and pulled the neckline of her soggy shirt up over it. Water pooled around their feet.

Cassidy saw that the cabin consisted of one large room with a kitchen off to the side. The large room boasted a sofa that mold, mildew and animals had attacked with a vengeance, and two chairs that matched the ones in the kitchen. The kitchen held a rickety wooden table and two chairs that sat rotting in one corner.

Obviously no one had been there in a long time. The broken window in the kitchen revealed how the birds entered and left. Cassidy didn’t bother to close the door as she made her way farther inside.

Gabe said, “I’ll check that back room.”

Cassidy nodded and moved to stand in front of the fireplace. Leftover wood lay on an iron grate, like someone had readied the kindling for burning later, but then never returned. She wondered if she could light a fire without a match.

Gabe came out of the back room and said, “It’s a bedroom. Nothing there. I doubt the guys on our tail can follow a trail through this mess, but we’ll still have to be careful. If they know about this place, they may head straight here. As soon as it quits raining, we need to be out of here.”

“Okay.” She nodded. “But first things first.” She walked back onto the porch, “I’m starving and since I’m already soaking wet, I’ll see if I can gather some fruit from these trees.”

Gabe agreed and joined her, squinting through the downpour to keep an eye out for their pursuers while Cassidy picked the fruit. His hand never moved very far from the gun at his waist. She appreciated his vigilance.

Working quickly, she gathered their next meal then reentered the cabin. Gabe brought up the rear. She walked into the kitchen, set the fruit on the dusty counter and asked, “You think you can get a fire going?” She tossed him a papaya.

He caught it easily, took a bite and said, “Better not risk it.”

Cassidy nodded, seeing the wisdom in his caution. She wrung the water out of her hair and picked up a piece of the fruit she’d gathered. Stepping next to the dark fireplace, she sat down near it, imagining she was back at home, safely ensconced in her home. It didn’t work.

“What happened to those quick little showers that quit after five minutes?” she grumbled under her breath and took a bite. Sweet juice slathered her tongue then coated her throat. Wonderful. She asked, “Are we going to end up spending the night here?”

“I hope not. If the rain keeps up, I guess we’ll have to. I don’t like the idea of staying in one place too long, but if we can’t travel in that mess, neither can the guys chasing us. If it comes down to it, you can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Cassidy frowned.

He taunted, “Don’t worry. Your questionable virtue is safe with me.”

“Questionable virtue?” She planted her hands on her hips, resisting the urge to stamp her foot. “How in the world after a few hours of running through a jungle did you come to the conclusion that I have ‘questionable virtue’?”

“Are you married?”

“What? No, I’m not married. What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Are we not going to the orphanage to pick up your daughter? Although, now that I think about it, why is your child at the orphanage?”

Cassidy’s anger disappeared as she realized that he thought Alexis was her biological child. She silently ran through each conversation she’d had with Gabe over the last several hours.

“I never explained, did I?”

“Explained what?”

“The baby’s not mine by birth, she belonged to Kara and Jacob Foster, my best friends, missionaries to Brazil, who were killed in that village raid two months ago. I’m now her official guardian. They asked me to take her if anything ever happened to them. I said I would.”




SIX


Relief edged out his embarrassment at jumping to conclusions. Gabe shifted his gun and checked the door one more time. Then he walked over to sit on the floor next to Cassidy. He was exhausted—and fighting feelings he thought he’d buried a long time ago.

Ten years ago, he’d been attracted to her outward beauty. And while she had physically matured from a beautiful teenager into a lovely woman, his attraction now went beyond that. He admired her spunk, her spirit. Her determination to keep her promise to her friends.

“I think I could sleep for a week.” Cassidy yawned and her eyelids fell to half-mast.

Gabe nodded. “Why don’t you rest for a little bit. Hopefully, the rain will let up and we can move on.”

“Sounds good to me.” She tapped her fingers against her leg, nervous, tense and still running on adrenaline. She kept tapping. Gabe reached over and grabbed her hand. She froze. “Cass, relax,” he soothed.

“I am relaxed.” She held herself stiff. Gabe thought if he moved, she might snap in two. This was ridiculous.

“Hold on a minute.” Gabe got up and walked into the bedroom. When he came back, he held a dusty blanket and a ratty pillow. With swift, efficient movements, he made her a pallet on the floor, then pulled mosquito netting from his waterproof pack to drape over her. “I’ll keep watch. You rest, all right?”

She huffed a sigh and tentatively lay her head down on the pillow and mumbled, “I’m probably going to get lice, you know.”

Gabe watched her fall asleep almost instantly. His eyes felt gritty and he used the palm of his hand to rub them. He could use a few hours of sleep himself, but that wasn’t an option. Careful not to wake her, he walked over to the door and peered out. Then he looked back at Cassidy and silently wondered if she’d ever be able to forgive him. If he’d ever find a way to forgive himself for practically forcing Micah into a mission he’d wanted no part of.

Regrets and guilt covered him as he remembered….

Gabe dialed the number to Micah’s private encrypted cell phone. “Micah, I need you on this mission. You know the language, you can get past the security and get the kid. I need you to pull one of your famous quarterback sneaks. Cancel whatever you’re doing and get your tail on board.”

Micah refused. “Gabe, people in that compound know me. I’ve managed to gain the confidence of one of the ring-leaders in a human-trafficking deal. He’s cutting me in. I’m just about ready to bust this guy and his slimy business, and I can’t get my cover blown. Get someone else.”

Gabe snapped back, “There is no one else. At least not someone available now. And I need you ASAP. If you don’t help out, a little kid could die. Don’t make me pull rank.”

Micah went silent. He knew the same thing Gabe knew. Micah was the best. And Gabe needed the best on this mission.

Gabe could practically hear Micah’s back molar grinding before he said, “Fine. But if anything goes wrong, it’s on your head.”



Cassidy woke with a start. She couldn’t believe she’d actually fallen asleep. The rain had stopped and now she heard only the occasional drip of a raindrop against the porch. Gabe stood by the door, his gaze unfocused and staring. She wondered what he was thinking about.

She’d always had a little crush on him, but he only thought of her as Micah’s little sister. So she’d dated guys at college—even agreed to marry one. But that love hadn’t lasted.

Gabe had remained friends with Micah, but always seemed to avoid being around her. And so she’d moved on, and given her life to the Lord. And now He’d brought Gabe back into it. Gabriel Sinclair. The man who’d been there when her brother had been killed, but wouldn’t talk about it. Not with her, not with her family. It hurt.

Lord, get us there safely. Keep Alexis in Your care. Bring Gabe to You. Let him know You’re more than just God…You’re a Heavenly Father to lean on and trust. And help me deal with my anger. Let him know he can trust me to tell me what happened with Micah.

She shifted slightly and looked up into his face. The beam from the sun shed enough light in the room so that she could clearly see his face fuzzy with the beard, head resting against the doorjamb. Even though he was motionless, he still seemed restless. The frown lines between his brows stayed pronounced and she wondered if he ever truly smiled.

Oh, yeah. He smiled when he pushed her buttons and riled her temper. Silence echoed and she sat up with a start. “Gabe?” she whispered. “It’s stopped raining. We can leave.”

He blinked and she gulped at the longing that speared through her. She did her best to ignore it. Now wasn’t the time. And she still wasn’t sure how she felt about him and his role in her brother’s death.

He asked, “Are you sure you’re up to it? You’ve only slept about two hours.”

“I’m fine.” She stood to stretch the kinks out. She ached all over, but ignored it. Alexis was waiting.

“All right,” Gabe agreed, “we’ve probably stayed here too long anyway.”

Cassidy joined him. Her hair brushed against his chin and he sucked in a breath. She smelled like rain mixed with sweat. When she turned to look up at him, Gabe wondered what the flickering behind her eyes meant, wondered what she’d do if he leaned down the fraction of an inch separating them and kissed her. No time to find out as Cassidy blinked, pulled away and moved out the door. The moment fizzled. She said, “Come on, Gabriel, we’ve got a baby to rescue.”

Gabe walked back into the bedroom and gathered up his pack. He came back and handed her the Ruger. He said, “Do you know how to use this?”

“I can hit what I aim at.”

He hesitated as though trying to decide if he should leave the gun with her. “I’m going to backtrack a bit and see if they’re on our tail or not. Keep your eyes and ears open. And shoot anything that moves. Except me. I’ll whistle as I get close.”

Cassidy hefted the gun and its weight felt comfortable and familiar against her palm. She knew a thing or two about guns and shooting.

“I’ll be all right. I don’t like you leaving me, though. And won’t you need it if you run into them?” She chewed her bottom lip.

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on letting them see me. These guys might not let a little downpour slow them down. If not, we’re in trouble.” He gave her a pointed look, a quirky grin and said, “And I don’t need any more trouble.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hold back her answering smile.



“Go,” he said. “I’ll catch up in a minute.”

Cassidy sighed and did as ordered. Gabe took off in the opposite direction. She thought about how close Gabe had come to kissing her—and how close she’d been to letting him. But this was not the time to explore old feelings…or discover new ones. She walked and prayed.

Fifteen minutes later she heard a soft whistle and set the safety back on the gun. He appeared from behind a tree and water dripped from the dark hair that curled around his ears and down his neck. The bristly beard he’d grown—one of the reasons she hadn’t recognized him right off—glistened with moisture. He looked good. And a lot different from ten years ago. Harder, leaner…and meaner. But definitely good.

“Well?” she asked, trying to distract her wayward thoughts.

“Nothing. But they’re still looking for us and no doubt following our trail. We need to keep moving to put as much distance between us as possible.”

Gabe took the lead and she followed. Cassidy still had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Never, in all of her rescue fantasies over the past two weeks, had Gabriel Sinclair played the starring role.

She took a deep breath and shoved a branch of leaves out of her face. Gabe swung the machete into a mess of tangled vines and cleared the way. She could tell he didn’t like using it, but knew he had no choice. The undergrowth grabbed at their ankles making it impossible to traverse without help. They were leaving a path a blind man could follow as he whacked and sliced, leading the way and grunting with the effort.

Admiration for him swelled within her. Fatigue gripped him, but he kept going. She felt ready to drop in her tracks, too, but exhaustion ignored, they pressed on. Gabe grunted and hacked some more. After another hour, she asked, “Where do you think they are?”

Gabe hesitated for a long moment then finally said, “I don’t know and I don’t like it.”

“What do you mean?”

Gabe shook the water from his head then answered, “They should have caught up with us.” He stopped and took a deep breath. Cassidy stopped beside him. Gabe pulled his backpack around and extracted two bottles of water. He passed one to Cassidy.

She uncapped it, took a long swig and stated, “I’ll never take the sweet taste of water for granted again.” Then she asked him, “When you backtracked, you didn’t see anything?”

“Nope, not a thing. That means they’re not chasing us blind. I didn’t have a lot of time to work out the chain of command in the camp, but my guess is Rafael is the one on our tail. And while he may be paid muscle, unlike most of these guys, he also comes with a brain. And that makes him more dangerous than ever.” Gabe tossed his empty bottle into the pack and said, “I don’t know where those guys are and I don’t like it.”

Cassidy frowned at him. “Maybe they gave up because of the rain.”

“Guys like that don’t give up. No, they’ve got a plan. You realize they may be waiting for us when we get to the orphanage.”

Cassidy shuddered at the thought. “So if they’ve got a plan, what’s our plan?”

Gabe sighed. “I have no idea.”

Cassidy stared at him for a moment then flopped to the ground and shut her eyes. She said, “Well, you’ll think of something.”




SEVEN


You’ll think of something. Gabe shuddered and sat down beside Cassidy, ignoring the moisture soaking through the seat of his pants. He had no desire to have that responsibility heaped back on his shoulders. Once he’d been the best; the most trusted leader. And he’d led those men who trusted him right into a death trap. Including his best friend…

“Let’s go, guys. Follow the plan. We’ve got a drug-cartel-slash-kidnapper to bring down and a little boy to rescue.”

Normally a SEAL team consisted of six men, himself included. He’d asked for another full team and gotten the all clear. Now he had five on land with him and six in the water—plus one extra, his secret weapon, Micah McKnight. Six men, two from the north, two from the west and two from the south, in camouflage dress, slipped silently up to the hedge that hid the iron fence surrounding the property of Diego Manuel Cruz. The guys on the water had the eastern part of the estate covered. The man had kidnapped his own son to spite the boy’s mother who’d left to raise the child in a different environment, one free of crime and hate. She’d gone to the authorities with enough evidence to lock up Cruz for a long time. Only Cruz had slipped away and grabbed the boy.

Gabe lifted his hand to signal his men to stop and follow procedure. The South American beach-front home exuded a peace and serenity that Gabe knew covered criminal activity including drugs, human trafficking, arms smuggling and who knew what else.

He motioned one more time and four of his men broke off to scale the fence surrounding the property line. Two headed to go over the wall perpendicular to the one their comrades were already over. Two others would wait on the Advanced SEAL Delivery Vehicle for the rest to come back. The other four would approach from the water, rising from its depths like a silent sea monster.

Hopefully they would be Cruz’s worst nightmare.

Gabe shoved his earpiece farther in his ear and forced himself to breathe normally. Adrenaline raced, and as always, a healthy respect for the unknown edged his consciousness.

He double-checked the security system. Unarmed. Micah McKnight had done his job. He’d been right to request that Micah join his team this time. No dogs barked. Gavin had accomplished his part of the mission. All that remained was to slip in to the bedroom of the drug lord and—drug him.

Gabe allowed himself a quick smile at the irony. Only chloroform, not cocaine, was the SEAL choice of drug in this operation. Once drugged, Cruz would be cuffed and brought to the States to stand trial. Of course, the official story would be he was captured on U.S. soil.

Normally, SEAL teams operated in a more amphibious environment, but their training allowed them to succeed on land, too. In the ASDV, two more SEALs waited in the rocking waters to transport their “guest” back to the States.

Gabe checked his watch. A voice whispered in his earpiece, “Something not right here, Gabe.”

Nerves tight, Gabe gripped his Ruger and scanned the perimeter. Nothing moved. Infrared goggles hung around his neck. He picked them up and did another scan. It was quiet. Too quiet. Where were the guards?

Gabe spoke into the microphone that would transmit his voice to all twelve men, “Get out. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s not. Get out now. Micah, you got the kid?”

“Affirmative.” Micah’s husky voice reached his ear two seconds before the explosions that rocked the ASDV, then seconds later the house, rocked Gabe’s world. One minute, he had twelve experienced men on his team, the next minute, he had twelve dead friends—and a dead child. Gabe had been SEAL number thirteen….

“So, have you come up with anything yet?”

Gabe crashed back to his current surroundings. He shuddered, focused on the quiet voice and opened his eyes.

Cassidy.

He looked at his watch. “We’ve been here for about ten minutes. Long enough.”

Thankfully, she didn’t ask him what he’d been thinking about and they were able to move out with Gabe acting like a rogue scout, backtracking, then catching up, moving ahead, then making his way back. Finally, they broke through the jungle, and the Amazon Orphanage sat in front of them. High, thick adobe walls surrounded the perimeter. Closed and locked, the iron gates looked like the prison bars of a jail.

Cassidy’s hushed voice broke the silence. “I don’t see anyone, but I don’t think we should go in the front. I bet the reason you didn’t see them behind us is because they know I’ll come back here for Alexis. It might be a bit of a stretch, but I think I know another way in.”

Gabe agreed and Cassidy took the lead. She made her way around to the side wall of the orphanage then stepped up to one of the trees that grew alongside the west wall. She gestured. “Climb up and over into the playground, then we can go in the side door. At least there are no nails spiked up on the wall at this orphanage.” Some orphanages used them for added security. She rubbed her hands together and smiled grimly. “Piece of cake.”

He said, “I’ll go first. I can pull you on up if you need it.”

“I’ll be fine,” Cassidy assured him.

Gabe grabbed the lowest limb and started up. Cassidy followed close behind and muttered, “All those times climbing out of my window were for a reason after all.”

He gave a soft chuckle and stepped off the limb onto the top of the wall. He straddled it and looked down. Cassidy stopped on the limb next to him and asked, “Is it too far down?”

“No, not too bad. Probably about a twelve-foot drop. Grab my hand and I’ll let you down a bit.” She scrambled over, grasped his hand and was on the ground within the blink of an eye. Gabe swung over, gripped the top of the wall, paused, then landed like a cat beside her.

She headed for the nearest door and slipped inside.



Cassidy breathed in the clean scent of the orphanage. She’d desperately needed to see that Alexis was all right.

“Oh! Miss Cassidy? O senhor?” The squeal of a relief worker in her late seventies brought them up short.

Cassidy spoke, “Sim, Francesca. We escaped.” She reached out to hug the shaking woman. “Estou tão pesaroso. I’m so sorry. We frightened you. Have you seen any of the rebels?”

“No, no one. Since they took you, we have had no trouble and seen no one. Of course, we are in the process of fixing what they destroyed, but mostly everything has been quiet.”

Cassidy gently gripped the hands of the woman. “Please, tell me where Alexis is. Is she all right?”

Francesca smiled warmly at Cassidy, “Oh, sim. Fine. Waiting for her new mamãe to come get her. We were very worried about you. And here comes Anna.”

Cassidy turned quickly and gasped, “Anna! You’re all right. I’m so sorry you got hurt because of me.” She hurried to Anna to wrap her in a relieved hug. The cut on the woman’s forehead had almost healed.

Anna squeezed back and asked, “Are you okay?”

“We escaped thanks to my father sending in Gabe here. But I’m afraid we need to hurry. The longer we stay, the more danger we put all of you in.”

“Sim, sim, follow me.” Francesca hurried off and the trio followed her through a maze of hallways until she reached a set of double doors.

As they walked, Anna continued, “I’ve been thinking about one of the men who kidnapped you. There is one named Rafael? I think I know who he is.”

“What? But how?” Cassidy asked.

“He’s on the Most Wanted list here in Brazil. Rafael Morales,” Anna explained, “Not only is the orphanage a place of refuge for children caught in the drug or political wars, we’re also connected with the Brazil version of the Department of Social Services system. If we get an abused child, we go through proper channels and report it, or if it’s already been reported, we try to keep up with the status of the case and the child. Not that it always does any good, but we do it. Which means I’m often in the police station—waiting. I’ve studied the posters on the walls. It finally came to me that that’s where I know that guy from. He’s a well-known human trafficker.”

Cassidy gasped, shuddered. “So, you think my kidnapping had something to do with my father’s political stance?”

Anna shrugged and turned a corner. “Could be. Then again, they could have heard about you being at the orphanage and decided to add a pretty redhead to the auction block. Then later, somehow they learned who your father was and decided they could get more money out of him than a slave trader.”

Gabe looked a little sick and Cassidy knew her expression said she felt the same. If Gabe hadn’t come along when he had…“Thank You, Lord, for sending Gabe,” Cassidy whispered the prayer out loud.

Anna nodded. “Yes. God is definitely watching over you. Rafael’s sister, Juanita Morales, is also on the police station wall. As a missing person. She disappeared over thirty years ago. They keep her picture there next to Rafael’s in hopes that if someone sees her, it will lead them to Rafael. Although, many people say that she was Rafael’s first victim. That he kidnapped her and sold her and has been in business ever since.”

Cassidy groaned and dropped her head in her hands. God, let what we’re doing be making a difference. Please get us home safe.

Francesca threw open the door to the cafeteria, and the sound of laughter and children’s voices greeted them. Approximately seventy children sat around wooden picnic tables finishing up their midday meal. Cassidy ignored the rumble of her stomach as she made her way over to the only towheaded child in the room. Alexis was adorable, dressed in a little red-and-white sleeveless jumper with red tights and white tennis shoes. Cheese, rice and beans covered her rosy-red cheeks.

Cassidy approached slowly and bent down next to her, hoping that all of her hard work in getting to know Alexis the previous month hadn’t been wasted.

“Hello, Alexis.”

The child stopped eating and blue eyes looked up to frown into Cassidy’s. Alexis tilted her head as she studied Cassidy, then she grinned wide and laughed, “My Cass-ty.”

Cassidy let out a sigh of relief and leaned over to place a kiss on the head covered with wispy blond curls. “My Lexi.”

“We’ve got to go. They’re here.”

Gabe’s tight whisper in her ear brought her joy crashing down. She quickly stood and picked up the child, whispering reassurances in her ear. Alexis didn’t protest.

Anna appeared next to Gabe. “Come on, you three, no time for goodbyes. There’s a jeep around back in the garage. I don’t know how great it runs, but it should help you put some distance between you and them.”

Cassidy looked up at Gabe. “Now we can head west.”



Gabe cranked the vehicle and felt responsibility sit heavily on his shoulders. How was he going to get them out of here and safely home? He punched the gas and the jeep lunged from its hiding place in the ramshackle garage. Gabe’s knuckles turned white from his grip on the wheel and Cassidy struggled to hold on to the squirming child and keep the seat belt around both of them.

“Hang on!” Gabe shouted.

“Behind us!” she yelled.

Gabe spared a quick glance in the rearview mirror. Rafael sat on a seat with his head sticking out above the roll bar, balancing a rifle against his shoulder. Gabe spun the wheel to the right and swerved around a fallen tree. The jeep followed.

Gunshots sounded and Gabe ducked and hollered, “Put Alexis on the floor and cover her with your body. Keep your head down and hold on tight!”

Cassidy fumbled to obey. Gently but firmly she put the child on the floorboard, then bent over her to keep her own head down and Alexis covered. Cassidy winced as Alexis screamed her fury. Gabe continued to do his best to keep them on the makeshift road, one of the government’s many unfinished projects, and out of range of the bullets. His only hope was to outdistance them. There was no way he could get his gun out, drive and shoot all at the same time.




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