Hot & Bothered (A Hostile Operations Team Novel - Book 8) by Lynn Raye Harris Page B

and then he’d been disgusted.
    But she couldn’t let that affect her. She had a job to do. People’s lives depended on it.
    “They don’t have scruples, if that’s what you’re asking. Up until now, executing hostages and broadcasting it hasn’t been their style. Bombs in public places, suicide missions—yes. But beheading people on camera is new territory. I don’t think they would shrink from it necessarily. On the other hand, they may not want to be identified with the groups who are currently using that tactic.”
    “So we may have some time yet,” Matt said.
    “A little bit, yes. Just because they may not want to film an execution doesn’t mean they won’t kill the hostages and leave their bodies to be found somewhere as a message.”
    “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Matt put a hand to his forehead and rubbed. “Will they kill a pregnant woman?”
    Emily blinked. “I… Yes, I’m pretty sure they would. Are you telling me one of the hostages is pregnant?”
    Matt nodded. “Linda Cooper. She’s thirty-one, married, and fifteen weeks pregnant. She was only supposed to be on the dig for the first two weeks, then she was returning to Italy where she teaches in the military adult education program at Aviano Air Base. Her husband is an Air Force major.”
    “Oh, God,” Emily breathed. “If they figure that out…”  
    Ian and Matt looked grim. “Yeah,” Matt said. “We have to get her out of there. We have to get them all out of there.”
    Emily put her hand to her belly automatically. That poor woman was pregnant and no doubt scared out of her mind. And then there was the deprivation she was likely suffering at the hands of the Freedom Force. The hostages were probably getting food and water because the terrorists couldn’t demand things if they were dead, but it certainly wasn’t the kind of regular nutrition a pregnant woman would need.
    What if she was sick? Suffering from heat exhaustion and morning sickness? She would be miserable. Puking, fainting, tired all the time…
    A cold chill rolled down Emily’s spine. Those things sounded remarkably similar to how she’d been feeling lately.  
    Except that she couldn’t be pregnant. It wasn’t possible. She’d wanted to be once, back when she still cared about Zaran. Before he’d become a monster. Once he’d changed, she’d been more than thankful she couldn’t get pregnant, even if it did infuriate him.
    A wave of nausea swelled in her throat, and she swallowed it down again. No, she wasn’t pregnant. Linda Cooper was.
    But… when was her last period? Not since before she’d arrived in Acamar two months ago. Emily chewed her lip and thought back to the last time. It was about two weeks before she’d left DC.  
    Two weeks before she’d spent the night with Ryan. A fresh chill slid over her skin.  
    No. There was just no way. No freaking way.
    It had been a while, yes—but there was the stress of travel and getting acclimated to the heat. Those things messed up a woman’s natural cycle. She’d been through that before.
    Her period should happen any day now. Any day.
    And if it doesn’t?  
    It will.
    Besides, it wasn’t like she could walk down to the corner drugstore and buy a pregnancy test. Which was fine because she wasn’t pregnant. Her period was coming.  
    “All right,” Ian was saying. “Get your guys settled and let me work my contacts for a while. If I get anything, I’ll let you know.”
    “We’re going to get them out of there,” Matt said. “So long as we all work together.”
    Ian looked up and met the other man’s gaze. “That’s my intention. I wouldn’t have passed the information along the chain if it wasn’t.”
    “The guys don’t trust you.”
    Ian grinned. “I know. But you do.”
    Matt didn’t say anything at first. Then he stuck out his hand. Ian clasped it, and they stood there looking at one another for a long moment.
    “The jury’s still out, mon ami . But I’ll give you the