Page 23 of Her Faithful Protector

Raiden sighed. “She’s a baby. After what we’ve seen and done, I can’t ever remember being so young.”

“I know. Even when I was that young, I felt older.”

“We’ve got to go,” Raiden said as he motioned with his chin.

Nic nodded.

They stepped easily along the sides of the bus seats and hoisted themselves up and out of the bus door. They closed it up tight behind them. Kane and Leo were almost done burying the remains of the kidnapper. They didn’t need his carcass attracting more predators to the other bodies in the bus.

“The Mexican authorities should be here in two or three days to recover the bodies,” Max told the team. “The first two ransom demands have been made. Not surprisingly it was two of the girls. According to the manifest, there were fourteen passengers, as well as the bus driver and the tour guide.”

“Do we have names?” Nic asked.

Max gave him an odd look, then answered. “Just the two who’ve called their parents. Their names are Phyllis Agar and Camilla Ross.”

Time stood still and Nic went icy cold in the middle of the hot jungle. His vision narrowed so that he could only see Max. He couldn’t hear anything, just watch as his Lieutenant’s mouth moved.

He swayed and someone grabbed him.

“What the fuck, Hale? I hit you in the shoulder and you’re down for the count? Did you get injured on the jump?” Cullen demanded to know.

“Huh?”

“Are you okay?” Cullen waved his hands in front of Nic’s face as he spoke slowly and loudly.

“We lost him. It was bound to happen eventually. All those women finally drained him of his manly fluids and he’s of no use.”

Nic’s fist shot out and glanced off Cullen’s jaw. If the man hadn’t stepped backward in time, he’d be down for the count.

Max twirled Nic around and grabbed both of his shoulders. “Hale! Look at me. What the fuck is going on?” he roared.

Nic shook his head, trying to clear it, trying to focus on his boss. “What were those two names again?”

“Ross and Agar,” Max clipped out. “Which one do you know?”

“Camilla Ross, sir.” Nic’s voice was just as unemotional as Max’s.

“Is this going to be a problem?”

Nic swallowed.

“Fuck. It’s going to be a problem,” Max growled. He looked over at his second in command. Kane immediately came over. “Watch him.”

“It’s not going to be a problem. I can do my job,” Nic said. He kept his voice level and unemotional, but inside, his mind was swirling. How was it fucking possible that Cami was out here in this jungle? He jerked his head back to the bus, thinking of the young girl with the broken neck.

“Kane, you and Nic are twins on this job. Got it?”

Kane nodded.

Nic jerked his head in his boss’ direction. Kane grabbed his arm. “We’ll take the rear,” Kane said to Max.

Max studied them both for a moment, then nodded.

Zed came up to Max. “I followed the tracks for a bit. Looks like three Jeeps. I counted eight sets of distinct footprints that weren’t combat boots walking in between the vehicles. Three men, five women. There could be more.”

“There are more,” Kane said as he looked up from his tablet. “There were fourteen passengers on the bus, all from universities and colleges on the east coast. With four dead on the bus, they’re down to ten, plus the tour guide.”

“Kane, what else you got?” Max asked as the others gathered around.