Page 72 of Casualties of War
Parris saw eyes widening. Glances among her men. That had surprised them. She could sense themreassessing Adán, upgrading his category from “actor” to “political figure”.
“I don’t know about that,” Parris said. “I’m following orders, which include not being seen here.”
“Black ops,” Adán said, his tone speculative. “Richard Collins won’t commit publicly, yet he sends units over, anyway. That implies…” He frowned. “Something,” he finished. “He’s not ignoring us,” he added.
“Here,” Odeskysaid, shoving a handful of dried apricots toward Adán. “It’ll help with the shock.”
Adán took the apricots, his gaze far away. He was working things out.
“Save the wondering for later,” Parris said. “For now, you’re coming with us.”
There were two or three groans. Amos was the loudest.
“You like that so much, Amos, you can be nursemaid and make sure he doesn’t trip us up,” Parris said.
Amosgrimaced. “Yes, sir,” he said, his tone meek. He knew not to push the insubordination any further. He got to his feet and picked up his rifle.
Adán got to his feet, too. He didn’t groan, although she saw him grimace. Even a little crease like the one he’d got hurt like crazy. His arm had to be throbbing hard by now, yet he had refused painkillers.
The men would have noted that.
“I have to getword to the Loyalists on Big Rock or in Acapulco,” Adán said. “They think I was taken by the Insurrectos. They’re braced for a demand. I have to tell them I’m free.”
“You busted out of Insurrecto containment?” Ramirez asked.
Adán glanced at him. “It wasn’t as dramatic as it sounds,” he assured him. “They looked away. I ran like hell.”
Chuckles sounded.
“Sounds about right. They’re stupid,most of ‘em,” Donaldson declared.
“Some of them are not stupid at all,” Parris told him. “Don’t forget that.”
Donaldson nodded. He’d accepted the correction. That was why she let him ask the direct questions—he learned from her answers and so did the others who listened in.
“So you were snatched from Acapulco?” she asked Adán.
Adán nodded. “Yesterday, around noon.”
Interesting.
“Why wouldthey snatch you?” Donaldson asked. “They going into the ransom business now?”
“Hear they’re short on funds, so maybe,” Ramirez murmured. He was the thoughtful one of the group.
“Probably because I’m the President of Vistaria’s cousin,” Adán said.
Silence.
That shocked them. Parris hid her smile. “Okay. We’re moving. Back to the gear, then…” she glanced at her watch. If Adán hadn’t been here,she would have pushed on to the coast at best speed, well into the night. It was still morning. Adán changed the dynamic, though. “Then we’ll find a hole for the rest of the day and move out late tonight,” she finished. It would give Adán time to restore his energy, so he wouldn’t slow down her unit too much.
Everyone stowed their rations and got to their feet without complaint even though thefifteen minutes she’d allowed them hadn’t elapsed. They were good men. It had only taken her a year to slap the worst of their masculine impulses and inbred misogyny out of them.
Yes, they deserved to rest. They had been working hard for nine days.
She ignored the tiny voice whispering in the far back of her mind that stopping and resting would give her a chance to talk to Adán alone.
She mustignore that she knew him, that there had ever been any association in the past. She had to treat him as the civilian tripwire he was and handle him with kid gloves.
