Page 109 of Her Reluctant Hero
Lightning illuminated the tent, followed immediately by an explosion of thunder. Damn, the storm was right on top of the camp. No way was she going to get any sleep tonight. She sat up and watched the wind try to reach beneath the walls of the tent. Whoever had pitched the tent had done a damn fine job.
The ceiling sagged lower. Not good news. When she put her foot down to stand, to push the water from the roof, she ended up in ankle deep water. Hell. That meant the camp was flooded.
She was reaching into her duffel for her flashlight when she heard shouting outside the tent. She splashed across to the flap, unzipped it.
Adrian stood there in his slicker, his face rain-streaked. That was all she saw before he aimed a flashlight past her, inside the tent. “Where’s Linda?”
She blinked rapidly as if that would help her regain her sight. “I thought she was with you.”
“No, why would she be?” He shone the lamp on her bunk. “Come on. Get your gear. We have to get to higher ground.”
She grabbed her duffel, thankfully packed, then fished underwater for her boots. She turned to see Adrian’s hand extended. Without thinking, she took it and allowed him to lead her out.
They sloshed through mud and water on their way to the two four-wheel-drive vehicles, luckily slightly higher than the rest of the camp. The others were either already shivering in the vehicles or loading stuff in the cargo area. One slickered person pulled her duffel from her hands and slung it in the back of the truck with the rest.
“Where’s Dr. Vigil?” she shouted over the roar of the wind.
“With Toney in the other truck.”
“Will we be coming back?”
“Not tonight.” He opened the passenger door. She hesitated. Wouldn’t he rather have Linda up front with him? When he scowled at her, she climbed in.
The steel body of the vehicle cut the sound of the storm considerably. Mallory glanced behind her to see Linda and Jacob huddled in the backseat, shivering. Adrian swung into the driver’s side of the Land Cruiser.
“Buckle up.”
He coaxed the engine to life and urged the truck forward.
“Where are we going?” Mallory asked.
“Not far. The roads’ll be shit for days after a rain like this. I just want to get up higher so we can try to get a good night’s sleep without worrying about washing away.”
The vehicles moved at a crawl through the blinding rain, Adrian driving the lead car.
The windows fogged with every breath. Mallory fiddled with the defroster until it cleared the bottom part of the windshield. She reached over to wipe at the condensation with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
“Mallory, sit back. I’d rather you be buckled than me able to see.”
“That’s not encouraging.”
He flashed her a grin, and she resisted the urge to shout at him to watch the road. “Like old times, eh?”
“Remember that time in Africa you almost drove off the cliff in weather like this? God. Do you even know where you’re going?”
“I’ve always got an escape plan. You know that.”
She did. Boy, did she. He’d escaped her easily enough. She twisted in her seat to look behind them. The headlights of Toney’s Land Cruiser were barely visible behind them through the torrential rain. She turned and couldn’t see a foot in front of the headlights.
“Relax. We’re going to get there.”
Only then did she realize she was straining against her seatbelt, willing the road to show itself. She had to trust Adrian to get them to safety. Consciously, she rested her shoulders against the seat and closed her eyes.
“Where’s your ring?” he teased. “We could use the extra light.”
She pressed a hand to her breasts. “I’ve got it on a chain.”
“You feel weird wearing it around me.”
