Deadly Race (11 page)

“Where are we going to camp?” She surveyed the foliage and couldn’t see any place suitable to stop for the night.

“Right here.”

She frowned. “I was afraid you were going to say that. There’s hardly any room to turn around, much less set up camp.”

“We’re near water. After I see about dinner, I’ll cut some of this brush away.”

“With what?”

“The saw in the tool box you thought I was crazy to bring along. I’d prefer a machete, but the saw will have to do in a pinch.”

“Now I
know
you were a Boy Scout. Is that where you learned so many outdoorsy things?”

“No.” He started to walk deeper into the jungle when he glanced over his shoulder and added, “Get the firewood, Ellie, or we could be dinner for some animal that prowls at night.”

When he mentioned the possibility of an attack, Ellie took another good look around, knowing that animals often came to water to drink before beginning their nightly prowling. The trees and vines seemed to close in on her as the dark shadows of the approaching evening lengthened. Her vivid imagination conjured up eyes peering at her through the thick underbrush, and she hurriedly gathered as much wood as possible. If she had her way they would have a raging inferno. Right now she didn’t care if that might be a beacon for anyone looking for them.

She was pleased to discover she wasn’t totally inept in the great outdoors. By the time she expected Slade to return, she had the fire going, thanks to some matches he had in his duffel bag, and enough wood next to it to last through the night. By using the saw, she had even done his job of clearing away some of the brush, always alert for any movement in it. Satisfied with herself, she sat down by the fire, comforted by its growing blaze, even if it wasn’t as big as she would prefer. The thought of those soldiers made her think small.

She began to tap her fingers against her knee, waiting for Slade. The minutes ticked into fifteen, then thirty, and her worry grew until her stomach was knotted with tension instead of hunger. She scanned the curtain of black that surrounded the small camp and could see no sign of him. What if something or someone got him? What if he needed her help? The fear that she had managed to keep at bay mushroomed while those questions fretted across her mind.

She started to rise and do something she knew was totally irrational, like going out and trying to find Slade in the growing darkness. She froze halfway up, her gaze riveted to a spot across the fire. The low growling sound chilled her in the tropical heat. The yellow eyes, gleaming in the black, sent a shudder through her body. Her worse nightmare was a short distance away.

She didn’t have to have a vivid imagination to know what went with those yellow eyes. Large, probably very hungry jaguars that was looking for its latest meal growled again, and she nearly jumped back a foot. Somehow she managed to remain perfectly still, her breath bottled in her lungs, because somewhere she had read not to run away from a growling dog, to look it in the eye, and it might not attack. Did that apply to a growling jaguar? At the moment that was all she had. She stared at the yellow eyes that glowed in the blackness like the brilliant sun at noon.

Desperately she tried to think of a way out of this predicament, because she had this funny feeling that staring down a jaguar wasn’t too wise for long. This time it seemed there would be no charming American to come to her rescue. It was just she and the cat, with the shortest five feet between them she had ever seen.

“Nice kitty,” she cooed, keeping her gaze trained on those yellow eyes while she inched herself toward the fire. “Why don’t you go away like the good little kitty I know you want to be?” Her voice shook in the night silence and seemed to echo through the jungle. But hearing herself speak made her feel a little better. At least she was still alive to talk.

She slowly reached for a piece of wood that had caught on fire at one end, making sure there weren’t any sudden movements. Her fingers grasped the wood as the jaguar took a step toward her into the clearing. She tensed, her gaze widening.

When she made her move she would have to do it quickly, taking the cat by surprise, or it would have time to react and she would have time to think of what she was doing. Inhaling a deep breath, she suddenly swung the torch in a wide arc at the jaguar. He roared in protest, baring his gleaming white teeth that looked very, very sharp. She nearly dropped the burning piece of wood.

Tightening her grip on it, she dared to threaten the wild animal, thrusting the piece of wood toward him. “Shoo! Please go away!” she said in her toughest, meanest voice that just barely managed not to squeak.

His yellow eyes seemed to fix her with a look of pity at her futile attempts to scare him away. She poked the torch toward him again while she grabbed another piece of wood in her free hand. As she faced the cat with both pieces, he snarled but backed away. One step. Then another.

“Shoo!” Ellie advanced toward the animal, waving the flaming pieces at him, praying he didn’t suddenly decide to change his mind and lunge at her.

The jaguar gave one final growl, then turned and leisurely walked away, as if she didn’t interest him in the least. For a long time she stood rigid, holding both torches up, her gaze glued to the spot where she had last seen the black cat before it was swallowed up by the darkness.

“Thanks for lighting a beacon for me, even though it probably isn’t too wise with them looking for us. We’ll have to make sure the fire stays small,” Slade said as he sauntered into the small clearing as though he had not a care in the world.

“Where have you been?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be gone so long. I got caught pretty far away when it became dark.”

The tension siphoned out of Ellie, and she sank to her knees, her grasp still locked about the torches. The trembling began in her hands and quickly spread throughout her body.

“I see you got the fire going without any trouble.” He knelt, putting down the coconuts he had gathered. “I wish I could have found something more. That’s why I was gone for so long. The pickings are slim. The shelves bare.” Finally his gaze lifted and connected with hers across the fire. “Did something happen while I was gone?”

“We had a visitor,” she said slowly, dragging her attention from Slade in order to find a place to drop the torches. Her hands ached from clenching the wood so tightly.

“Who?” Slade shot to his feet, alert.

She was so cold. Ellie hugged her arms to her, shock finally setting in. “A jaguar, but I think he’s gone now.” Her voice cracked on the last word. She couldn’t believe she had actually fought off a wild animal with pieces of wood no more than two feet long.

Slade was instantly beside her, drawing her against him, his arms a comforting shield. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

“You should have seen those eyes. I don’t know if I will ever forget them.” Ellie shuddered again and nestled closer into Slade’s embrace.

For the past few days she had been on an emotional roller coaster. Until this happened to her, she had thought of herself as self-assured. Now though, she felt very vulnerable and had since the moment she had overheard Mr. Martinez plotting to overthrow the government and she had realized she was in over her head. Her confidence was definitely shaken by the events that had snowballed her life into one of high danger.

She pulled back, acknowledging to herself that it would be easy to stay in the comfort of Slade’s arms. But she needed to get her life back under her control, and that certainly didn’t mean getting involved romantically with him. “Oh, my, I got your shirt all dirty. I forgot about the mud on my face. What a fright I must be! Worse than the witch I was that Halloween.” Brushing at his shirt, she placed some distance between them. “If the truth be known, that jaguar probably took one good look at me and decided he could surely find a better, more appetizing meal somewhere else. I mean not only is my face a sight, but this hair feels like a rat made its nest in it.” She combed her quivering fingers through the tangles and scooted farther away from Slade.

He sat watching her with amusement deep in his eyes. “Under the circumstances, you look wonderful.”

“Wonderful? I knew it. That bump on your head did something to you. You’re not thinking straight.”

“Probably the first time in a long while I’m seeing the truth of the matter.”

Ellie frowned, not sure what he meant, not sure she wanted to know.

“The truth is, I don’t like being alone.” Slade went on to explain, “I’m glad you’re stuck here with me. Or else, right about now I would be carrying on a conversation with myself.”

“Would that be so bad?”

“I’ve been alone for some time. I didn’t realize how alone until recently, though.”

“Why?” One part of her didn’t want to know any more personal information about the man; the other part wanted to know everything.

“I suppose when a person is hurt deeply, he tends to shut himself off from people.”

“Because people are the ones that hurt?”

“Exactly. But people are also the ones who make a person laugh. I haven’t laughed this much in ages, and look at where we are, what kind of trouble we are in. I shouldn’t be laughing at all.”

“Is that a compliment?” Again she felt divided, wanting what he said to be a compliment and yet realizing how dangerous emotionally it could all be.

“Very much. After my divorce, I threw myself into my work, determined to prove to my ex-wife and her family that I was worthy. I put everyone who cared about me at a distance. But what has happened to us has made me realize I have a lot to think about. When you face death, it makes you appreciate what you have in life. These past years I’ve been existing, not really living. But look at you.” He waved his hand toward her. “You embrace life with a relish.”

Yes, she embraced life, but she never stayed long enough in any one place to form a lasting relationship. She had determinedly avoided any situation that might have forced her to. She liked people and loved being around them, but there was always a part of her that remained aloof, because she was afraid to commit totally.

“Well, before my head gets too big and my stomach shrinks to absolutely nothing, don’t you think we should eat?”

He chuckled. “Yes, one coconut coming up. How would you like it? Baked, broiled, raw or steamed?”

“Oh, whichever way is fastest. I’m not a picky eater, especially when I’m weak with hunger.”

“That’s good because your choices are definitely limited to coconut or more coconut.” He cracked a hole into the fruit using the screwdriver and hammer. “After this delicious dinner, I think we’d better try and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day,” he said as he handed her the fruit.

“Sleep? I don’t know if I can, after the little social call that jaguar paid me. He might make a return engagement, and I’d rather be awake for it. Maybe we should take turns standing guard.”

“Fine, but we need to start out at first light. I don’t want to stay near the river any longer than necessary.”

“How far do you think we have to go?” Ellie tilted the coconut up to her mouth and drank.

“The distance in miles isn’t that far. It’s the terrain we have to cross that will cost us time. I won’t kid you, Ellie. It will be rough, especially when we have to start climbing that mountain.”

She wouldn’t think about the mountain just yet. Instead, she held up her piece of fruit and said, “I propose a toast. When we arrive in Puerto Rico, may we throw the biggest celebration that place has ever seen.”

He touched his coconut to hers. “I second that.”

After she finished drinking the milk, Slade split her coconut open and presented her with its meat. She scraped off some of the white substance and brought it to her mouth. Slowly she chewed on it, relishing the delicious favor for as long as she could. She closed her eyes and imagined herself sitting in a restaurant, surrounded by every food she loved with a triple layer chocolate cake at the center. After she swallowed her first bite, she licked the taste off her lips and started to bring some more to her mouth. She stopped, caught in the tether of Slade’s look.

He didn’t say a word while he placed his fruit on the ground, then touched her lips where her tongue had been a few seconds before. His heavy-lidded gaze searched her face while his thumb continued to trace the outline of her mouth. She wanted to dissolve into his arms, her body weak from his probing attention.

He broke off a chunk of coconut and offered it to her. When she seized the meat between her teeth, his taste mingled with the favor of the coconut, making a unique feast for her. While she ate the piece, his hands framed her face, delving into the silver-blonde strands to cradle her head in his hold.

“I’m getting more pleasure out of seeing you eat than eating my own. More?” His husky words filled the small space between them with a savory promise that had nothing to do with food.

She nodded, totally unable to do anything for herself but remain where she was, with him kneeling in front of her.

He fed her another piece. As he watched her chew then swallow the coconut, one hand slid down to embrace her neck, his thumb on her pulse beat at the base of her throat. He tugged her toward him and this time it was his mouth that touched hers as he slanted it across hers. Again she savored the taste of him and the coconut.