Traitorous Attraction (4 page)

“That place is trouble, man. If you’re looking for sights to see, I’ll take you somewhere better. Cleaner. Safer for tourists. No cabbie in his right mind will drive you into the jungle. Not anymore.”

They didn’t want somewhere better or cleaner or safer. They wanted to follow in Aiden’s footsteps and find him.

Connor thanked their driver and they got out of the cab. They went through five more drivers and had to promise a hefty tip to convince someone to take them to Rosario, the jungle border town nearest to Mangrove. From there, the driver told them they could take a bus to Mangrove that would leave the next day.

It took thirty-five minutes to reach Rosario. As they drove, the landscape changed. Streets became less crowded, fewer cars were on the road, and houses and buildings became more run-down. Spray paint tagged the area as belonging to one gang or another. Few legitimate establishments operated from Rosario. The local economy was driven by gangs pushing drugs, prostitution and the sale of illegal goods. The gangs competed violently for turf, resources and money. The two most active gangs were the Snake Slayers, identifiable by the snake tattoos that covered their right arms, and the Blue Devils, who wore their group color prominently. Neither was directly tied to the AR, but Kate guessed there was some overlap in membership.

The cabdriver looked nervous as he let them out of the car. Connor paid him his fare and the sizable tip. The driver turned his car around in less than ten seconds, tires spinning in the dirt street and kicking up dust. Kate pasted on a look of what she hoped was confidence. With Connor at her side, she wasn’t as likely to be mugged, but she made him more of a mark. Her clothing brought stares, which she ignored.

“Gangs are active in this area. Be careful looking at anyone the wrong way,” Kate said.

“I’ll be careful,” Connor said, sounding unworried. “Tell me what you know about this town.” Connor was earning long looks from women who passed him on the street and—unlike the ones she was receiving, thanks to her ridiculous, ill-fitting outfit—they weren’t looks of disdain. Connor stood out as a foreigner and as a man. He was throwing off an approach-if-you-dare vibe, which both put people off and drew their attention.

“We need to locate the bus depot and find out when the next trip to Mangrove is scheduled.” Two women passed and gave Connor matching long, beckoning looks. He appeared unfazed and Kate was insulted. What if she were Connor’s wife? Didn’t she deserve some respect and not the open ogling these women were engaged in? “We also need a place to stay for the night. Based on what I can see, you’ll have your choice of beds,” Kate said.

Connor laughed. “You almost sound jealous.”

Not jealous. Justifiably insulted. “It’s not jealousy you hear in my voice. It’s disgust.”

Connor adjusted his backpack on his shoulders. “I’m not looking for a woman to warm my sheets. Places like this always have rooms for rent. We’ll pick the least dicey place we can find.”

Kate hid her revulsion.
Least dicey place
was still likely a downright dirty place to sleep. This town wouldn’t have chain hotels, just one-room rentals by the hour and by the night trafficked primarily by prostitutes. Though they could try to find transportation to take them elsewhere, they’d have similar options at any nearby town. Jungle border towns were notoriously dangerous, run-down and lawless.

“What’s the matter? You look mad,” Connor said.

“You’re not good at reading me. This isn’t mad. This is worry about contracting a disease from one of these places and concern that I won’t find a decent change of clothes.”

Connor patted her shoulder in a friendly gesture that bothered her. “I won’t let you contract a disease, and we’ll find you something that fits and some supplies.” He was treating her like one of the guys, which was a position she usually preferred to be in around the office and while working a mission. With Connor, it bothered her.

Despite her reservations, Connor had an easy time locating a place to stay. He knew where to look and how to negotiate on a price. If she were alone, Kate wouldn’t have known how to find a room to rent and would likely have had to sleep outside.

Their rented room was situated above a liquor store and was accessible from the back of the building via a splintering, wooden staircase. Based on the clientele and the women loitering around the entrance to the store, Kate guessed liquor wasn’t all they sold. Their room was in the middle of two others. It didn’t have working air-conditioning, but it did have a window fan, and with the lights off and the fan on the highest setting, the heat wasn’t suffocating. The wood-paneled walls were outdated and the vinyl yellow floor worn with age. The tiny bathroom had a shower that would be a tight fit for her. Connor might need to hang a leg out of it while showering. The room had a single bed and a fold-out green canvas cot. The whole place smelled of stale smoke, as if a chain-smoker had spent the night inside it.

“Were you hoping for something nicer?” Connor asked, tossing his bag on the ground.

Kate schooled her expression. She hadn’t expected five-star luxuries. “I didn’t have high expectations for this town. I’m glad we found a place.”

Connor opened his bag and withdrew a plastic tarp. “You can sleep on this if you prefer.”

She did prefer. She didn’t want to think about the bugs living in the mattress, on the floor and in the walls. “What about you? Where will you sleep?”

“Our sleeping arrangements don’t matter to me, but we should avoid the bed. I’ll crash on the floor. Before it gets too late, I need to head out for supplies and to check the bus schedule. Do you want to come? We might find a place to buy you something else to wear.”

Staying in this room and attempting to sleep had a certain draw to it. But what if Connor decided to take off on his own? What if he left her here? What if she were approached by a local? The wood door to the room had a lock, although she wouldn’t trust it to stand up to any force. As it was, sunlight shone through the cracks between the door and the frame. “I’ll come with you.”

“Because you don’t trust me or because you feel safer when I’m with you?” Connor asked.

“Both.” An honest answer. “I know the local language, but I don’t know who might decide I make a good mark to rob.”

“They’d be disappointed. We don’t have anything of worth to steal.”

Kate didn’t mention she had been carrying items of worth in her bag, the bag he had insisted she throw away at the airport. Mentioning it would shake the fragile, temporary trust between them. She had to prove she trusted his judgment and that hers, in turn, could be trusted. “Do you have money to pay for new clothes? I can pay you back.” She plucked at the overly large shirt, self-conscious about being bare beneath it. “I’ll be more comfortable hiking in clothes that fit.”

“I have ways to pay. I never leave the States without financial preparations. We’ll see what we can find,” Connor said.

They left the small room and walked through the town. Her shopping choices were limited. The town didn’t have a dedicated women’s clothing store and the outfits she could find were borderline indecent. She needed clothes suitable for a trek across the jungle, not a night of dancing in a hot club. Backless dress with miniskirt? Useless. Faux leather, skintight pants? Uncomfortable. Obviously, the stores catered to clubbers and prostitutes. On the plus side, they located a store carrying women’s lingerie. On the negative side, she could forget about comfortable cotton. Silk, lace and leather were the most bountiful choices.

Kate finally settled on a pair of men’s jeans, size small, a few tank tops and a pair of men’s boots. She would wear the tanks under the flannel shirt she’d purchased and over the ridiculous lingerie. She exchanged her shoes for the boots. They purchased a sturdy nylon waterproof pack and supplies: rope, first-aid kit, a lighter, a knife, a water canteen, rechargeable flashlight, a local map and some nonperishable food. Beef jerky and granola bars would be the main course for the next couple of days. Kate reassured herself she could do this. Her father had taught her to be strong and to roll with the punches.

The bus station was several blocks from the main shopping area. The schedule was written in chalk on a dirty slate board. Posted around the board were flyers with
el presidente
’s face with black
X
’s over it and sheets of propaganda both for and against the AR. Kate had read of the government raiding towns like Rosario and capturing people for questioning. Those people often disappeared.

The next scheduled trip to Mangrove was the following day, leaving late afternoon.

“I was hoping for something sooner,” Connor said, echoing her thoughts. “My brother is out there. Every second that passes grates at me.”

Guilt threatened to force the truth from her about her involvement. The hurt she had caused Connor and his brother was unacceptable. She had made a mistake, and because of it, Aiden had been captured. Now Connor was involved and putting himself in danger for a rescue op. Telling him about her mistake wouldn’t change what had happened and might make things worse between them. “I’m sorry. I wish I could do more to help.”

His head swerved like a laser in her direction. “You can do more. Tell me everything you know about my brother and what he was doing in Mangrove.”

Kate stuttered over her next words. She finally took a deep breath and started over. “I’ve told you almost everything I think is relevant to finding him at this point.”

“Tell me something about my brother that might not be relevant to finding him. What you think is unimportant might be critical.”

He was worried about his brother, so Kate ignored the implication that she didn’t know the difference. “Aiden adored you. You were his hero.”

Connor inclined his head. “He said that?”

“Yes. He used those words.”
Hero. Courageous. Brave. Selfless.
Every story Aiden told of his brother echoed those sentiments.

Connor ran his hand across his jaw. “Funny. I’m no one’s hero. Never have been. Aiden and I have always looked out for each other.”

That wasn’t the picture Aiden had painted. “He told me you had a difficult childhood.”

Connor’s back went ramrod straight. She knew immediately she had crossed a line. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tread on a sore subject,” she said.

“I don’t like to talk about the past. Our childhood has nothing to do with the present,” he said.

She disagreed. Perhaps Connor had put bad memories behind him, but it still affected him. His problems trusting were deep-seated. “It doesn’t have to do with the mission,” she said, striving for neutral. Aiden had told her that he’d implored his brother not to live alone, not to shut out the world, but Connor didn’t listen. He had his own thoughts and feelings about life and he clung to them.

“I shouldn’t have said anything. I was just telling you what I knew about Aiden,” Kate said.

“Aiden’s perspective isn’t always accurate. We’ll get our tickets tomorrow.” He’d moved the conversation along. “I don’t want to let on to anyone about our plans. Let’s see what we can find to eat around here,” Connor said. He slipped his arm around her shoulder in a proprietary gesture. Heat crackled between them. Or was this one-sided? Completely in her head? Kate had never before been this self-doubting about a man. Most of the time, a man’s attention on her was take it or leave it. Whenever she’d had strong chemistry with someone in the past, they had felt the same. With Connor, she didn’t know where she stood. Some moments, it was as if he couldn’t have cared less about her. Other times, they behaved as a united team. The polarity confused her, and confusion wasn’t an emotion she embraced.

When she tried to shrug him off, he repositioned his arm and pulled her closer. Lowering his face to her ear, he whispered, “Interested people are watching. I want to make it clear to everyone that you are mine. Otherwise, you’ll have visitors.”

She’d read too much into his casual gesture. Kate turned to look at him. “I think it’s obvious we’re together.”

“It’s not obvious what our relationship is.”

“That’s because we don’t know what our relationship is. How can anyone else?” Kate asked, hearing the heat in her voice and throwing some ice on it.

“I wasn’t aware we had a relationship that needed defining. Our reasons for being together are clear. We have to find my brother and you’re holding the information hostage. I need to keep you, and therefore the information, safe.”

Kate mentally shook herself. Imagining an innocent touch was a hint of smoldering emotion just below the surface was ridiculous. “You make it sound like I have a choice. You’re not easy to work with. I had to make sure you brought me along.”

“Now that you’re here, do you regret it?”

Kate looked around her. She had never been to a place like this and she hoped to never be again. “I don’t regret it. I want to find Aiden. Besides, I have a feeling Rosario isn’t the most difficult part of this trip. The worst is yet to come.”

Connor laughed and slapped her on the back. “That’s the spirit, Kate. Now you’re thinking like a Sphere agent.”

* * *

Their food options were slim. A nearby tavern served meals, the scent of greasy meat and peppers carrying across the street. In the heat, it was borderline nauseating.

“We’ll try there,” Connor said.

It was better than eating nothing or foraging in the jungle for food. Crossing to the one-story wood building, they stepped inside, the door brushing against a bell hanging over it. Every eye in the room turned to them. Connor appeared not to notice, though she knew otherwise. Kate’s nerves jangled and heat fanned up her back. Her boots stuck to the floor as they walked.

Connor took a seat at the bar, his back to the wall. Nailed in the center of the dartboard posted on the wall was a picture of
el presidente,
his face pocked with dart punctures. The people of the town weren’t hiding whom they supported, though Kate would be careful not to openly take anyone’s side.
El presidente
could have moles planted everywhere, and she and Connor didn’t want to invite attention.