Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard

said.
                  He looked at it, but made no move to take it.
"What the hell's that?"
                  "It's a yeast pill."
                  "Why should I want to take a yeast
pill?"
                  "So the mosquitoes and things won't bite
you."
                  "Sure they won't."
                  "They won't! Look at me. I don't have any
insect bites, and it's because I take yeast pills. It does something to your
skin chemistry. Come on, take it. It won't hurt you." He took the pill
from her hand and held it with a pained expression on his face while she took
her own, washing it down with a sip of the orange
juice she'd saved. She passed the can to him, and he muttered something obscene
before he tossed the pill into his mouth and slugged down the rest of the
juice.
                  "Okay, bedtime," he said, rising to
his feet. He jerked his head toward a tree. "There's your bathroom, if you
want to go before we turn in."
                  Jane stepped behind the tree. He was crude, he
was rude, he was a little cruel—and he had saved her life. She didn't know what
to expect from him. No matter how rough he was, he would eventually disarm her
with an unexpected act of kindness. On the other hand, when things were going
smoothly between them, he would say things that stung, as if deliberately
trying to start a quarrel. He was waiting for her by the opening of the tent.
"I've already put the blanket down. Crawl in." She knelt down and
crawled into the small tent. He had spread the blanket over the floor, and she
sat on it. He shoved their packs inside. "Put these out of the way,"
he instructed. "I'm going to take a quick look around."
                  She shoved the packs into the far corners of
the tent, then lay down on her back and stared tensely at the thin walls. The
light was almost gone; only a glimmer entered through the translucent fabric.
It wasn't quite as dark outside yet, but the limbs he'd used as camouflage made
it darker inside. The flap parted, and he crawled in, then zipped the opening shut.
                  "Take your boots off and put them in the
corner next to your feet." Sitting up, she did as he said , then lay down again. Her eyes strained open so widely that
they burned. Her body stiff with dread, she listened to him stretch and yawn
and make himself comfortable. Moments later the
silence became nearly as unbearable as the darkness. "A collapsible tent
comes in handy, doesn't it?" she blurted nervously. "What is it made
out of?"
                  "Nylon," he replied, yawning again.
"It's nearly indestructible."
                  "How much does it weigh?"
                  "Three pounds and eight
ounces."
                  "Is it waterproof?"
                  "Yes, it's waterproof."
                  "And bug proof?"
                  "Bug proof, too," he muttered.
                  "Do you think a jaguar could— "
                  "Look, it's jaguar proof, mildew proof, fire proof and snake proof. I personally guarantee you
that it's proof against everything except elephants, and I don't think we're
going to be stomped on by an elephant in Costa Rica ! Is there any other damned thing you're
worried about?" he exploded. "If not, why don't you be quiet and let
me get some sleep?"
                  Jane lay tensely, and silence fell again. She
clenched her fists in an effort to control her nervousness, listening to the
growing cacophony of the jungle night. Monkeys howled and chattered; insects
squeaked their calls; underbrush rustled. She was exhausted but she had no real
hope of sleeping, at least not until dawn, and at dawn this devil beside her
would want to start another day of marathon travel. He was totally silent in
that unnerving way of his. She couldn't even hear him breathe. The old fear
began to