Hot Zone (Elite Force #2)(59)
Author: Catherine Mann

Liam tore open the prepacked beans and rice, dipping in his spork. Three bites later, he said, “Hey, thanks.”

She paused midbite. “For what?”

“For taking my mind off the shit going on around here.” He looked down into the mix of beans and rice, stirring slowly. “I needed that today.”

“You’re welcome.” She waited until he looked up and then she smiled, really smiled. No teasing. Just honest compassion. “There’s so much pain to go around here, it feels good to be able to help.”

And it did help, her voice, her smile, just looking in her deep brown eyes. So he kept right on doing that for as long as she would stare back in their intriguingly comfortable silence. A realization sunk in that for all their sexual banter, regardless of how incredibly attracted he was to her, he needed to keep this relationship on a smart level. He was developing a friendship with this woman, something he’d never had before. Sure enough, if he let sex or love into the mix, he would screw the whole thing up. He always had and had come to accept he always would.

A sharp movement out of the corner of his eye tugged at his attention and he looked away. A security-force guy wearing another country’s uniform charged up the stairs to the next cottage—where he and his team were bunking—and pounded on the door.

Setting aside his boxed meal, Liam stood, his brow furrowing. “Can I help you?”

The security cop turned toward him. “Major William McCabe,” he said with a thick accent to match his Brazilian uniform. “I am looking for Major William McCabe.”

“That would be me.” He started down the steps, his gut twisting as all the concerns he’d managed to put aside for a half hour came rushing back. “I’m Major William—Liam—McCabe.”

“Graças a Deus, thank God, a security force on the beach picked up three people—a man, a woman, and a child.” The young serviceman met him on the buckled road between the two buildings.

Liam forced his steps to stay steady as he listened and hoped.

“They said they are looking for you, sir. You are missing one of your soldiers? No? Sargento Franco?” The Brazilian cop held up his satellite phone and continued, “He said it’s urgent he speak with you.”

Chapter 17

Satellite phone in hand, Hugh stood in a tent used to house security forces. A mixture of local police and military cops from more countries than he could count stood guard beyond, as far as the eye could see. Tasked with keeping looters from flocking to the epicenter of the earthquake damage, they’d been wary when Hugh had driven up with Amelia and Joshua.

After some fast talking, he’d convinced them to let him contact his commanding officer, even to give him a moment’s privacy to relay what he’d seen. Hopefully McCabe could instigate some kind of troop force to raid Jocelyn Pearson-Stewart’s property before the children were moved.

Hugh gripped the phone tighter, wishing like hell he’d been able to lay his hands on one of these two days ago. How different things would have been if Oliver hadn’t tossed his comm gear out of the van. Although then they wouldn’t have uncovered Jocelyn’s operation.

“Major McCabe speaking.” Liam McCabe’s familiar voice traveled over the airwaves.

Hugh grabbed the edge of the back of a chair for support, sweat popping on his brow from more than just the muggy day. “God, am I glad to hear your voice, sir.”

“Same here, Franco.” A hefty exhalation echoed through the earpiece. “Now cut the ‘sir’ crap and just tell me where the hell you’ve been.”

His gaze tracked to Amelia and Joshua sitting on a blanket, playing with a pair of handcuffs. She jingled them in front of the kid like some kind of toy, their half-eaten MRE forgotten beside them.

“Amelia Bailey and her nephew were kidnapped from the hospital, the one set up in the school.” After he’d let himself get distracted from the danger and had sex with her in the closet. He ground his teeth, editing the story heavily. “I, uh, ended up being taken along for the ride.”

That hellish moment slammed through him, that instant when he’d seen Amelia slung over Oliver’s shoulder and hadn’t known if she was alive or dead.

“Sir, it’s a long story and I am more than glad to share every detail in debrief.” Every detail except the part about sex in the supply closet. “But we have more pressing concerns first. While we were in the jungle, we stumbled upon what appears to be a black-market baby-smuggling operation.”

He could almost hear McCabe sitting up straighter. “Wanna run that by me again?”

“It’s some kind of under-the-radar child-trafficking ring. I can lead security forces directly to the location where they’re holding at least eleven children. Although now that we escaped, they’re likely to relocate soon. We have to act fast before they move them. And I need you to convince these folks that I’m legit.”

“Can do. And hey, I’m glad you’re all right. I would have missed having your sorry ass around.”

“Love you too, sir.”

“Get back here safely—Oh, and hell, wait a second. Your friend probably doesn’t know. Her brother and sister-in-law are alive and well. They’ve been working in one of the local field hospitals when they weren’t tearing up the place looking for her and the kid.”

“She’ll be relieved to hear.” And he could be sure she was safe in her brother’s care while the matter with Jocelyn was being handled.

“Okay, then, hand over the phone to whoever’s in command there and let’s get the ball rolling.”

“Roger that.” Hugh passed the receiver back to the Brazilian sergeant. “Major McCabe needs to speak with your commanding officer, stat.”

Given the Brazilian guy’s wide eyes, it appeared he’d been listening anyway because he didn’t waste a second shouting out for a capitão the next tent over.

Hugh figured he had about three minutes with Amelia. And still he couldn’t deny himself a second to soak in the sight of her, safe and whole amidst a veritable army of volunteers. No one would touch her. Or Joshua. The adrenaline letdown must have kicked in a double dose because his knees damn near gave out at the sight. He hunkered down beside her and the kid.

She looked up. “You spoke to someone in your unit?”

“My commanding officer is verifying my identity now. I’ll be heading out with some of the cops here to go to Jocelyn’s.” He cupped the back of her neck. “I also found out that your brother and his wife are alive and uninjured.”