Hot Zone (Elite Force #2)(55)
Author: Catherine Mann

Shuddering, she kept as close to Hugh’s back as possible, trusting that wherever he put his feet would be safe. Night creatures scuttled through the undergrowth. The trees rustled overhead, the wind whistling until she could have sworn it all came together to play some kind of tune through the branches.

And then she realized Hugh was humming ever so softly to Joshua. She couldn’t recognize the song, it was so low, nearly imperceptible, but obviously enough to keep Joshua content for the moment, thank God.

Hugh had told her it was only a quarter mile to where they needed to go, but the distance felt like an eternity, when there were armed guards posted. Not to mention the security cameras. Hugh had said he hadn’t been able to determine if they were running off generator power or not. But it was best to assume the cameras were operational.

Eyes locked on Hugh’s broad back, she followed and listened, taking some reassurance of her own from the soft crooning of his voice. Until it stopped. His body tensed into a block of stock-still ice. She froze in her tracks as well.

Footsteps sounded, snapping sticks and scrunching leaves. She stayed immobile, as Hugh did, even though the urge to run pulsed so heavily through her veins, her vision blurred. Keep eyes averted, she reminded herself. No matter how much she wanted to look around and see where the threat was coming from, she was better off not looking at the person. There was truth to the notion that someone could feel a person’s eyes on them.

The footsteps halted.

Her heart sped up so fast and loud, she could have sworn it echoed in the trees, and oh God, what if Joshua cried now? She forced herself to breathe steadily, in and out, to keep from fainting.

The guard started walking again, the crunch of footsteps growing fainter, farther away, then gone altogether. She grabbed Hugh’s vest to keep from sinking weak-kneed to the ground. He reached back to pat her hand before easing forward, humming again.

Three trees later, the barn came into view, with a couple of vehicles parking alongside, including Jocelyn’s. It even had the angel dangling from the rearview mirror.

Hugh dipped his head toward her. “The vans in the barn look to be in better shape, but I’m concerned there may be alarms. I think we should hedge our bets and take one of these.”

“Jocelyn’s?” she whispered.

“Yeah, my thought too. At least we know it works.”

And the fact that Jocelyn had chosen it when there were clearly sleeker options available doused her with a fresh slap of clammy fear. Why would she hide her assets and mislead them about her ability to travel freely?

Hugh passed over Joshua. “Take the kid and duck down between the barn and the Jeep while I fill it up with one of the gas cans.”

Tucking Joshua close, she crouched out of sight while she listened for Hugh—and didn’t hear him. God, the man had ghostly footsteps. She drank in the comfort of his training in big heaping gulps of air.

The scent of gasoline drifted by and she realized he must already be filling the tank. Soon, they would be racing away. Stealing a car. Deliberately ramming a gate. Then driving off on a hope and a prayer that they wouldn’t run into more trouble before they reached a civilization that was currently far from civilized.

But at least she wasn’t stuck underneath a hotel building anymore.

Hysteria built and she fought back the urge to laugh. Giggles bubbled up inside her until her eyes burned with tears. It had to be from the fuel’s fumes, because she refused to break down. She would hold up her end until she dropped. No quitting.

Hugh materialized beside her, so silent she hadn’t heard him approach. “You and Joshua sit in back. Buckle both of you in, then drape yourself over him to keep both of you down and out of the line of fire. Especially when we ram the gate. It’s not the perfect scenario for securing him, but it’s the best we can do without an infant seat.”

“Too bad her ‘nephew’ didn’t leave one of those lying around where we could see it.” Because from what Hugh had told her he’d discovered in that cottage, there had to be plenty of kiddy gear stashed all over this place to accommodate their baby-smuggling ring.

As a lawyer, she shuddered to think of the horror those children could land into, their identities taken off the grid and thrust into a world where no one was accountable for their well-being. Child prostitution and slave traffickers preyed on even well-meaning organizations that flew under the radar. The legal system and channels weren’t perfect, but they were a damn sight better than anything going on here. What a realization that such horror could be happening here, in this oceanside hideaway scented with frangipani and night-blooming jasmine.

She snapped the seat belt over Joshua’s lap, tightening the strap over his frighteningly vulnerable body. Then buckled herself in as well, securing the pillowcase full of baby supplies under the seat in front of her. While she understood Hugh’s reasoning and knew that the force of ramming the gate could wrench Joshua from her arms, she still ached to hold him.

The Jeep tilted as Hugh settled behind the wheel. He cranked the engine… and it caught. First try. Jocelyn’s place might not be brand-spanking-new looking, but apparently she kept her machinery in good mechanical condition. The engine hummed as smoothly as Hugh’s voice had.

Easing the vehicle forward, he drove slowly at first, no revving or grinding gears or spitting rocks. He increased the speed at a steady pace so the noise almost seemed to blend with the jungle night sounds.

He steered clear of the main house as long as possible, but even from her low vantage point, Amelia could see that eventually they would have to drive within sight of Jocelyn’s home. Going straight to the beach wasn’t an option, as Hugh had told her the entire place was fenced in. The front gate was the weakest vantage point for breaking out.

A car backfired in the distance. Then again.

Hugh cursed and nailed the gas.

Not a car backfiring, she realized. Someone was shooting at them. The windshield shattered. An inch farther to the left and the bullet would have hit Hugh.

She locked her arms tighter around Joshua. He squealed in protest, but keeping him quiet was pretty much a moot point now. Or would that be mute? God, there she went getting hysterical again.

“Brace yourself,” Hugh said. “We’re going through the gate.”

“Can you give me a three count?”

“One. Two—”

Bang!

The Jeep jolted on impact, slamming her side back against the seat. She held her breath for a suspended second as he revved the gas and she wondered if they would make it—