did, and stick to the shadows. He could tell her leg was hurting her from how she limped. Her shoulders seemed stiff, as if she couldn’t get a full range of motion without pain. And one eye was almost swollen shut.
But she didn’t complain, not a peep, even when he’d had to throw her to the ground—hard—when a guard had appeared suddenly from behind a nearby building.
They made it to the rendezvous point at the wall, but Liam wasn’t there yet. Derek began giving Molly a boost up.
“What about Liam?” she asked.
“He’ll be here.”
She still looked concerned.
“Baby, hostage rescue is what Liam does. Hell, he thrives on this sort of thing. He’ll be here. We’ve got to make our way through the fence.”
Derek was helping Molly through the hole in the fence when from his higher vantage point he saw Liam. But he was running rather than keeping to the shadows. Derek knew that wasn’t good, even though no alarm had been raised yet. He urged Molly through faster, and helped her down the other side of the wall.
“What?” she asked him, after seeing his face.
“Liam.”
She paled. “Is he hurt?”
“No, but he’s running. That’s not good.”
Out in the thick underbrush of Colombia’s rain forest, Derek started moving with Molly. Liam would catch up with them soon enough. They had ten miles to go to get to the plane. Alone, Derek could probably make it in about two hours, given this terrain. But with Molly’s condition, it would probably be at least three times that.
They were out of Belisario’s estate, but the danger was far from over.
Derek knew Molly needed food and drink, both to give her energy for the journey ahead of them and to continue helping flush the drugs out of her system. He stopped for just a moment as he reached into his small military-grade backpack to pull out water and nutrition bars. He handed both to Molly.
“Here. The bars don’t taste the best, but they’re packed with nutrition. Try to nibble on one pretty constantly if you can. And water is critical. No doubt you’re already dehydrated, which isn’t a good way to start a trek through the jungle. That’s probably why you still have so many side effects from the drugs. Drink every couple of minutes if you can.”
Molly nodded and they started moving; they couldn’t stop. Liam would catch up with them. But he was worried about Molly. She didn’t seem very steady on her feet.
Lights were coming on at Belisario’s estate, and they could hear lots of yelling. Damn it. Now they had no choice but to run, no matter what state Molly was in.
“You okay?” Derek spoke to Liam through the communication unit.
“I’m over the wall,” he responded, obviously on the move. “But they definitely know something is up. It might take them a little bit of time to figure out which way we went, but not long.”
Derek looked over at Molly and spoke into his mic. “We’re going to be slow going. No way around it.”
“Plan B?”
Plan B involved Liam, who was moving much faster than Derek and Molly to leave a more obvious trail for Belisario’s men to follow in the wrong direction. He would then double back and meet them at the plane.
It wasn’t a perfect plan. And it was downright dangerous for Liam. But it was their best option.
“Roger, Plan B. But Liam, be careful.”
“ Moi , not careful?” Liam chuckled, then clicked off.
“We’ve got to go, baby.” She had taken the opportunity to sit while he’d been talking to Liam. Derek hated the way he was going to have to push her, but it was the only way. He trailed a finger down Molly’s pale cheek. “Let’s go. Right now.”
She got up and started following him. “Is Liam okay?”
“He’s all right, out of Belisario’s estate. He’ll meet us at the airplane.” No need to tell her the whole plan. She’d just be upset that Liam was at risk. “Getting you out is the priority. He’ll be okay.”
Glancing over at her, he could tell that Molly
But she didn’t complain, not a peep, even when he’d had to throw her to the ground—hard—when a guard had appeared suddenly from behind a nearby building.
They made it to the rendezvous point at the wall, but Liam wasn’t there yet. Derek began giving Molly a boost up.
“What about Liam?” she asked.
“He’ll be here.”
She still looked concerned.
“Baby, hostage rescue is what Liam does. Hell, he thrives on this sort of thing. He’ll be here. We’ve got to make our way through the fence.”
Derek was helping Molly through the hole in the fence when from his higher vantage point he saw Liam. But he was running rather than keeping to the shadows. Derek knew that wasn’t good, even though no alarm had been raised yet. He urged Molly through faster, and helped her down the other side of the wall.
“What?” she asked him, after seeing his face.
“Liam.”
She paled. “Is he hurt?”
“No, but he’s running. That’s not good.”
Out in the thick underbrush of Colombia’s rain forest, Derek started moving with Molly. Liam would catch up with them soon enough. They had ten miles to go to get to the plane. Alone, Derek could probably make it in about two hours, given this terrain. But with Molly’s condition, it would probably be at least three times that.
They were out of Belisario’s estate, but the danger was far from over.
Derek knew Molly needed food and drink, both to give her energy for the journey ahead of them and to continue helping flush the drugs out of her system. He stopped for just a moment as he reached into his small military-grade backpack to pull out water and nutrition bars. He handed both to Molly.
“Here. The bars don’t taste the best, but they’re packed with nutrition. Try to nibble on one pretty constantly if you can. And water is critical. No doubt you’re already dehydrated, which isn’t a good way to start a trek through the jungle. That’s probably why you still have so many side effects from the drugs. Drink every couple of minutes if you can.”
Molly nodded and they started moving; they couldn’t stop. Liam would catch up with them. But he was worried about Molly. She didn’t seem very steady on her feet.
Lights were coming on at Belisario’s estate, and they could hear lots of yelling. Damn it. Now they had no choice but to run, no matter what state Molly was in.
“You okay?” Derek spoke to Liam through the communication unit.
“I’m over the wall,” he responded, obviously on the move. “But they definitely know something is up. It might take them a little bit of time to figure out which way we went, but not long.”
Derek looked over at Molly and spoke into his mic. “We’re going to be slow going. No way around it.”
“Plan B?”
Plan B involved Liam, who was moving much faster than Derek and Molly to leave a more obvious trail for Belisario’s men to follow in the wrong direction. He would then double back and meet them at the plane.
It wasn’t a perfect plan. And it was downright dangerous for Liam. But it was their best option.
“Roger, Plan B. But Liam, be careful.”
“ Moi , not careful?” Liam chuckled, then clicked off.
“We’ve got to go, baby.” She had taken the opportunity to sit while he’d been talking to Liam. Derek hated the way he was going to have to push her, but it was the only way. He trailed a finger down Molly’s pale cheek. “Let’s go. Right now.”
She got up and started following him. “Is Liam okay?”
“He’s all right, out of Belisario’s estate. He’ll meet us at the airplane.” No need to tell her the whole plan. She’d just be upset that Liam was at risk. “Getting you out is the priority. He’ll be okay.”
Glancing over at her, he could tell that Molly
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