her.
Sylvie fought panic all the way. She was so relieved when she finally felt her feet touch sand that she couldn’t contain the sob that rose in her throat.
“Shhh! You’re alright.”
She wasn’t certain which of them had commanded her to be quiet, but she gulped back the urge to give in to her emotions. She was so exhausted it took every ounce of strength she could muster to climb out of the water even after she’d finally been relieved of the bag she’d been carrying. She collapsed face down on the beach, fighting for breath, still struggling with the urge to burst into tears.
Mac and Hawk settled beside her, both breathing heavily, although neither one of them sounded as bad as she did—and they’d lugged her ass and the heavy canvas bags besides!
“We need to get going,” Mac said after a few minutes, impatience and anxiety in his voice.
30
Realizing dimly that that was a command for her to get up, Sylvie struggled to push herself upright. Mac helped her to her feet and turned her. “Straight down this beach. It’s about five miles to the village, but you’ll likely meet up with some fishermen before you get there. We have to get going.”
Sylvie nodded. Relief at the discovery that they hadn’t lied to her, that they really meant to let her go, warred with sheer terror at being abandoned on a foreign shore.
“It’ll be light soon.”
Sylvie glanced at Hawk, but she didn’t know if he’d said it because he was worried about their escape or to reassure her. She merely nodded. Gathering her strength, she began walking along the beach.
“Just stay on the beach, Sylvie. You can’t get lost if you stick with the beach.”
Sylvie paused when Mac spoke, turning to look back at him and Hawk. Abruptly, it hit her that she was never going to see them again and that they were in far more danger than she was. On impulse, she rushed back and flung her arms around Mac’s neck. “Thank you! Take care of yourself.”
His gaze flickered over her face when she leaned away. Abruptly, he threaded his fingers in her hair, tilted his head and covered her mouth. Sensations exploded through her. An avalanche of heat inundated her. As brief as the kiss was, it rocked her world.
She swayed unsteadily when he released her as abruptly as he’d caught her to him for the kiss.
Dizzy, completely disoriented, she struggled to find her bearings. Hawk swept her into an embrace, however, that finished her descent into chaos. Fortunately, when he lifted his head, he caught her shoulders, pointed her in the right direction and gave her a little push to get her started.
She wanted to look back, but it took all of her focus to keep her wobbly knees from giving out on her. When she finally decided she could manage it without falling on her face, she discovered they’d disappeared.
Despair instantly swamped her that they’d vanished from her life as abruptly as they’d appeared. Fear for them replaced her fear of them and her fears for herself. She tried to tell herself that they were far better equipped to handle themselves and the jungle than anyone she knew. They were trained and battle hardened.
All she could think about, though, was that, for whatever reason, their country had abandoned them—No! Was hunting them like animals. She could go home. They couldn’t. In a few days, or possibly weeks, she would be back at home, comfortable, safe. They were going to be trying to survive in the jungle—or dead.
She couldn’t bear to think of that! They were so young, so strong. It was obscene to even consider that their lives could be extinguished, that young men with so much potential and so much to offer would simply cease to exist.
Little by little, her focus shifted from them to her more immediate concerns. She worked to put them from her mind and focus, trying to calculate how long she’d been walking and how much further she needed to go. The crash of the surf and the rustle of the jungle beyond the beach
Sylvie fought panic all the way. She was so relieved when she finally felt her feet touch sand that she couldn’t contain the sob that rose in her throat.
“Shhh! You’re alright.”
She wasn’t certain which of them had commanded her to be quiet, but she gulped back the urge to give in to her emotions. She was so exhausted it took every ounce of strength she could muster to climb out of the water even after she’d finally been relieved of the bag she’d been carrying. She collapsed face down on the beach, fighting for breath, still struggling with the urge to burst into tears.
Mac and Hawk settled beside her, both breathing heavily, although neither one of them sounded as bad as she did—and they’d lugged her ass and the heavy canvas bags besides!
“We need to get going,” Mac said after a few minutes, impatience and anxiety in his voice.
30
Realizing dimly that that was a command for her to get up, Sylvie struggled to push herself upright. Mac helped her to her feet and turned her. “Straight down this beach. It’s about five miles to the village, but you’ll likely meet up with some fishermen before you get there. We have to get going.”
Sylvie nodded. Relief at the discovery that they hadn’t lied to her, that they really meant to let her go, warred with sheer terror at being abandoned on a foreign shore.
“It’ll be light soon.”
Sylvie glanced at Hawk, but she didn’t know if he’d said it because he was worried about their escape or to reassure her. She merely nodded. Gathering her strength, she began walking along the beach.
“Just stay on the beach, Sylvie. You can’t get lost if you stick with the beach.”
Sylvie paused when Mac spoke, turning to look back at him and Hawk. Abruptly, it hit her that she was never going to see them again and that they were in far more danger than she was. On impulse, she rushed back and flung her arms around Mac’s neck. “Thank you! Take care of yourself.”
His gaze flickered over her face when she leaned away. Abruptly, he threaded his fingers in her hair, tilted his head and covered her mouth. Sensations exploded through her. An avalanche of heat inundated her. As brief as the kiss was, it rocked her world.
She swayed unsteadily when he released her as abruptly as he’d caught her to him for the kiss.
Dizzy, completely disoriented, she struggled to find her bearings. Hawk swept her into an embrace, however, that finished her descent into chaos. Fortunately, when he lifted his head, he caught her shoulders, pointed her in the right direction and gave her a little push to get her started.
She wanted to look back, but it took all of her focus to keep her wobbly knees from giving out on her. When she finally decided she could manage it without falling on her face, she discovered they’d disappeared.
Despair instantly swamped her that they’d vanished from her life as abruptly as they’d appeared. Fear for them replaced her fear of them and her fears for herself. She tried to tell herself that they were far better equipped to handle themselves and the jungle than anyone she knew. They were trained and battle hardened.
All she could think about, though, was that, for whatever reason, their country had abandoned them—No! Was hunting them like animals. She could go home. They couldn’t. In a few days, or possibly weeks, she would be back at home, comfortable, safe. They were going to be trying to survive in the jungle—or dead.
She couldn’t bear to think of that! They were so young, so strong. It was obscene to even consider that their lives could be extinguished, that young men with so much potential and so much to offer would simply cease to exist.
Little by little, her focus shifted from them to her more immediate concerns. She worked to put them from her mind and focus, trying to calculate how long she’d been walking and how much further she needed to go. The crash of the surf and the rustle of the jungle beyond the beach
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