Page 11 of Rescue Me (Tempting SEALs 6.10)

“Tactical instructor. I train special ops in weaponry for high-risk environments.”

“Thank God.” Beth gave a small laugh, her relief evident and heartfelt. “Better than I’d hoped. My highest expectation was that you excelled at playing paintball.”

“I wouldn’t trust your safety to anyone less than one hundred percent competent. If I didn’t think I could handle the situation, rest assured, I would have sent in someone who could.”

“Oh, God, Sam. I’m terrified out of my mind.”

“It’s warranted, sweetheart. You’re in a bad spot. But this time tomorrow you’ll be on your way home, I promise.”

“Adventure isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” Beth slid a hand around his waist and leaned into him. “I couldn’t have made it past the guards. And frankly, since I have zero sense of direction, I’m not sure how far I would have gotten if I’d managed to steal a Jeep and drive out. How far is the closest town?”

“Village? Ten miles or so. A real town? With transpo? A hundred.”

She shuddered, and his arms tightened around her. Not romantic with a semiauto in one hand, and a machete strapped to his leg. But he’d take what he could get, when he could get it.

“I could have died here without anyone knowing.”

“I knew.” Only because he’d been called by one of the Cape Town operatives minutes after Beth had been snatched from the hotel. When he’d asked that they keep an eye on her, Sam hadn’t specified just how closely he’d wanted her watched. Close enough not to be kidnapped would have seemed logical. To him anyway. Thank God they knew who to notify.

Sam had someone following the kidnappers’ trail while he’d jetted halfway around the world to retrieve Beth from her captors.

“Thank God,” she said with utmost sincerity.

“Ready?”

In answer she took hold of his belt, and Sam moved out.

“That OR was state-of-the-art, and equipped for anything and everything. I can only imagine how many millions of dollars it cost to install that way out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“Could you have done it?”

“Nobody could have done it in his time frame. Interesting that he targeted Lynne Randall, but didn’t research how long that procedure would take. And to answer your question: If I’d had to perform the surgery I could have done it, I suppose. But not well. The last time I did that sort of thing was during a five-month rotation in med school. Plastic surgeons—goods ones—are part practitioner, part artist. I can’t even draw a stick figure.”

Sam chuckled. Thadiwe was a butt-ugly individual already. He didn’t see how anything could make him look worse.

“Fortunately you won’t be doing any surgeries. You’ll be out of the country before he realizes you’ve gone.”

“From your lips …”

Sam had already extrapolated Thadiwe’s location to the next action. Without Beth he’d find another doctor. Somewhere. Right now Sam was the only one who knew where the son of a bitch was located. He’d have to return and take hi

m out. But first things first.

Get Beth downriver by boat, then drive her the ten miles to the waiting chopper. Get her on board and on her way to Cape Town where a private jet waited to return her to Montana.

“How soon do you think they’ll come after us?”

“Long after we’re gone.” No point anticipating the worst. He figured he had until daylight to reach the boat Desi was bringing to a preassigned location. They’d be cruising down the Congo River before Thadiwe’s men realized she’d escaped. Three hours. Tops.

They needed five.

FOUR

A GORILLA, SOUNDING ODDLY doglike, barked in the distance. A warning? Or was the primate merely heralding daylight?

While it was still oppressively dark, Sam could almost feel the rapid approach of morning as the animals started to stir. Soon they’d be moving toward water. There was an elephant trail somewhere around here he knew from his earlier trek in. Walking on that open trail would save time, but it also meant encountering animals who had the same idea.

Mosquitoes and gnats, flies and other insects didn’t give a damn if it was night or day. They swarmed and dive-bombed them as they walked. The gorilla barked again, and this time it was answered by its mate. Beth stepped in closer to him, her fingers tight on his belt.

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