Page 63 of Evening Shadows

As he’d expected she chose, cutting the strap was a last resort as they’d still need to carry the pack. Nearing the end of his air supply, he worked swiftly to free the bag from the last branch. With the bag slung over one shoulder, he kicked hard to reach the surface, ignoring the pain of his damaged leg, before he had to take a breath. He’d prefer air to water.

Watching Sam struggle with both rifles, he tossed the bag over one shoulder, stroked through the water toward her and led them in the direction under the pounding falls. He arrived first and slipped in the narrow space behind the falls, then hauled himself up to sit on the small shelf.

Quickly, he dropped the pack and held out a hand to Sam to collect a weapon. After she’d handed him one, he placed it on the shelf. Before he could take the second, she’d placed it there and pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Breathing hard, they looked around but remained in the spot hiding from general view, resting. Glad they would stay put for the night, and that Doc would be here to protect them, maybe he could get enough rest for his body and his leg. This hadn’t been nearly as bad as survival school or even when he’d been put through the ringer as a hostage in training scenarios. During those sessions, he hadn’t been shot though, which made the difference.

They needed to move to secure the area although with their rifles and her handgun wet, they only had knives to protect themselves. While they could definitely do that, it had to be close combat and he wasn’t strong enough to defeat Alejandro’s small army.

Gritting his teeth at the throbbing pain that settled once he rested his leg, Ken took too long to get to his feet. Sam narrowed her eyes, assessing him. He wanted to tell her not to worry. Obviously, his injuries couldn’t be that serious or he wouldn’t be able to stand. Although he’d never admit it, the movement took every bit of his resolve to bite through the pain radiating and burning through his leg.

“We made a bit of noise when we plunged into the water, so be careful. You take that side.” He nodded behind her to emphasize his direction. “I’ll go this way.”

“What about weapons?” she asked, concern hitching her voice.

“Go ahead and carry your rifle and Glock. It might work, but doubtful. Just the sight of you carrying might be enough.”

Shrugging the backpack over both of his shoulders, they separated to recon the area. The pools on their level and above were surrounded by the jungle, making it hard to clear all the areas.

After clearing his zone as best he could, he met Sam in front of the hidden cave.

“Clear,” she told him.

He hated to give her this bit of bad news, but he wouldn’t keep it to himself. “Our comms didn’t like the swim. It’s not completely gone, but it’s garbled and, I couldn’t tell if they heard me transmit.” In his mind, something beat nothing at this point.

They’d received his last check-in for approaching the falls. They might assume his location in the cave could block his signal. Either way, the team would be here. He had no doubt.

One thing was for certain, he could count on the HIS agents.

Trying to instill some humor to lighten the atmosphere, he smiled and said, “Here we are, cradled in the jungle standing beneath one of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen. And the swimming hole—well, it was just too much to pass up.”

Her smile brightened her face. “It is a paradise out here.”

Drunk on the memory of their kisses and knowing no one could sneak up on them, he held out an empty hand. “What’d say we make this our first date?”

Her eyes widened and she stood silent, her gaze moving between his face and hand. With the bruise of his eye still changing colors, he couldn’t be much to look at.

A cold knot formed in his gut as a wave of apprehension coiled. Although he’d been joking, he held his breath at her response. Maybe the kisses they shared hadn’t been as memorable to her. She’d given him the impression she wanted to move forward, but he could’ve read her wrong.

In a soft voice, she surprised him with, “Can we?”

Can we physically or can we while on the run? Wanting to be truthful with her, he responded, “We still have to remain vigilant until the men arrive. After that, we need to rest.”

Something changed inside her and she flashed him a knowing grin. “So just what kind of date are you taking me on? We’ve already gone on a nice hike and swim. A grand adventure. What more can there be?”

His eyes twinkled with mischief. “A gourmet dinner in a secluded spot.”

She threw head back and laughed. “Such a romantic.”

The world of romancing a woman had eluded him. Most likely because the few women he’d been involved with hadn’t been Sam. His heart had always been devoted to her.

Unable to find someone worthy of replacing the spot in his heart for her, he’d lived a mostly solitary life. It wouldn’t have been fair to another woman to not have him fully hers.

After borrowing her Glock and removing a flashlight from the bag, he crept into the small cave, hoping no wild animal had made its home here.

With her wet weapon—which should generally be able to fire after that plunge, but he wouldn’t hold his breath for it—in one hand and the flashlight in the other, Ken took a step into the cave where light from the lowering sun shot beams of light broken by shadows from the towering trees.

“I’ll go,” Sam offered.

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