Page 72 of Devlin

Mia couldn’t breathe.Fuck! Fuck!

The sound of a gurgle brought her attention back to Charlie. He was gasping for air. Her hands landed on his shirt, ripping the fabric and then pressing it against the wound as if she could hold back the flow of blood.

“No, no, no,” she sobbed, dropping her chin to her chest as she tried to think of what she could do to save him. “Please, Charlie, hang on. Please, hang on.” His blood was seeping into the earth, warm and thick between her fingers. “Charlie, please,” she cried. “You saved me. Now you hang on.”

“Mi…a,” he whispered.

“Yes, yes,” she gasped, leaning closer to him.

“Tell… tell my… father that… I… I finally… did something good…” His chest stopped moving, and his eyes closed as his last breath left his body.

Kneeling in the dry grass at the edge of the jungle, she bent over his body and sobbed. “I’ll tell him… I’ll tell him.”

Her hands were bloody, but she swiped her tears and nose with the blouse material at her shoulders. She wondered if shecould wait for Devlin to find her there, but the notion flew from her thoughts as she heard the pounding of boot steps rapidly coming closer from the direction of the water just over the ridge. Her stomach lurched at the thought of more smugglers, and she knew she couldn’t stay there.

Mia forced herself to release Charlie. Her entire body trembled as she stumbled to her feet. Her legs reacted before her brain fully caught up as she raced toward the trees. The humid air clung to her skin, her breath sharp in her throat. Behind her, shouting voices tangled with the cries of more birds taking flight.

She didn’t know what the men were yelling, but the understanding was clear. They wanted her, dead or alive. A shot cracked through the air, and bark from a tree next to her exploded. A sharp sting burned through her shoulder, and she gasped, stumbling forward. Her knees hit the earth, but instinct shoved her back to her feet. The pain barely registered over the pounding of her heart.

She didn’t know much about guns, but she guessed the bullet had struck the tree, and then caught her in the spray of debris. Or maybe it had grazed her. Either way, warm blood now slicked down her arm, and the wound throbbed with every movement.

But she couldn’t stop now. She wove between the trees, pushing through thick underbrush, her breath coming in ragged gulps. Her feet slipped in mud, toes catching on roots and rocks, but she forced herself forward. Hopelessly turned around, she had no idea which way to go.

The jungle was dense only near the lake, its tangled web of trees offering her cover. But beyond the lake, the terrain would open into sweeping grasslands dotted with occasional trees. There, she’d be exposed, vulnerable. If the smugglers didn’t catch her, something else would.

She remembered the obligatory orientation class she’d had to attend when she’d first arrived in Uganda. She swallowedhard at the reminder of what roamed their lands. Lions. Herds of elephants. Rhinos. Even venomous snakes slithering unseen until too late.

When Jonan had taken them on the trip, she’d admired them from the safety of a vehicle, in awe of their beauty and power. But on foot alone, while bleeding, was not how she wanted to experience anything in the wild.

The sun baked the air. Sweat mixed with blood, making her shirt cling to her skin. She fought to keep her breathing steady.

Devlin would come for her. He had to. He said he could find her. Her hand flew to the necklace around her neck. The tracer. He had given it to her and told her he’d find her if she needed him to. It seemed like a lovely gift, but its meaning was overkill. Or so she’d thought at the time.

Devlin, please. Please be looking.She had no idea how long since she’d been taken or if anyone realized she was missing. When Charlie had untied her in the truck, she’d reached for her phone, but it was no longer in her pockets. It must have fallen when they’d grabbed her.

The idea of Charlie had tears burning her eyes, but she couldn’t afford them. She came to a stop, listening for any evidence of the smugglers still following her. All she heard was the breeze rustling the leaves and the cries of birds. In the distance, she thought she recognized a hyena. Her arm hurt, but she forced herself to think. The jungle was her best bet. It gave her cover and kept her out of sight. If she stayed close to the lake, she might find a village.

Behind her, she heard movement—men crashing through the undergrowth, their voices sharp, angry. But just as she was about to panic, the sounds were distinctly getting farther away. Not willing to settle for the idea that they were giving up just yet, she pressed on deeper into the tangled wilderness.

The pain in her shoulder worsened with each step, but she gritted her teeth, focusing on the path ahead.He’ll come for me…. I just know it.

30

The roar of the helicopter’s twin rotors thundered through the air as they lifted off the ground, sending a storm of dust spiraling into the sky. Devlin tightened his grip on the steel framework beside the open door, watching the landscape blur beneath them as Cole pushed the aircraft to its limits. The old Army model had seen better days, but it was solid and hopefully reliable.

Cole had assured him he could fly it, but seeing the helicopter in action eased a knot of tension in Devlin’s gut. They needed speed. They needed power. And if it came down to it, they needed the ability to shoot from the air. The side doors had been locked open for just that reason, giving Todd and Moses the necessary range if they had to fire.

The wind whipped through the cabin, and the sheer force of their acceleration pressed Devlin back against the seat. At this speed, they had a chance to get to Mia before it was too late.

Devlin adjusted the headset over his ears, the built-in radio crackling to life. Sadie’s voice came through, sharp and controlled despite the tension in the situation.

“Mia is traveling on a road just entering Queen Elizabeth National Park. Casper is coordinating the satellite view. She’s with a semi. The same one from the warehouse.”

Devlin’s grip tightened around the rifle strapped to his chest. He exchanged a look with Moses, who sat beside him, his own weapon secured and ready.

“The security officers checked—there’s no record of a broken-down truck anywhere in the area,” Moses said.

A slow, simmering fury curled in Devlin’s gut. He focused on the landscape blurring beneath them, the vast stretches of greenery and winding dirt roads. If she was still moving, there was a good chance she was still alive. He closed his eyes for a moment and pulled her image into the front of his mind. Slowly nodding, he knew she was alive… he felt it deep within.

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