Page 57 of Casualties of War
Nick’s mind sheered away from thinking about ‘the others’. Calli was one of them.
Calli.
He swallowed.“We can have a team on the main island inside the hour.”
“No, Nick,” Duardo said, as Flores stirred, his mouth opening to speak.
“They’ll take her to the palace. To Serrano. We can get there before morning—”
“No,” Duardo said. He and Flores exchanged glances.
Nick pushed his hand through his hair, hissing his frustration. “We know where they will be!”
It was a small tent. Duardo took a stepforward and gripped Nick’s arm. “Come with me.”
Nick looked down at his hand. “Take that off me.”
Duardo hauled, instead. The man was strong. Nick staggered forward. The momentum was enough for Duardo to drag him out of the tent.
Nick dug in his heels. “If you don’t let me go, I’ll force you to.”
“You can try,” Duardo said. He heaved, almost lifting Nick off his feet, and pushed him up againstthe concrete side of the smelter shed. No one lingered nearby, for everyone not involved in the final plans for the push onto the mainland were at the sandbags, laying down suppressing fire to force the Insurrectos to keep down.
Fury tore through Nick. “I am the Presidentpro tem, General. How dare you—”
“Not anymore,” Duardo interrupted, switching to English. English speakers were not commonaround here.
Nick stared at him. “What is this? A coup?”
Duardo’s gaze was steady. Unforgiving. “The supply boat with the last of the munitions just arrived at the dock. You will go back to Acapulco on that boat. It returns within the hour.”
“Fuck that,” Nick ground out. “My wife is Serrano’s hostage!”
“That’s why you’re getting on the boat,” Duardo said.
Nick surged forward.
Duardo rammedhim back against the concrete, making Nick’s back creak and pushing out his breath. Duardo kept his arm up against Nick’s throat. He didn’t cut off the air although he could if he wanted to. It would take only a pound or two of pressure.
Duardo’s gaze wouldn’t let Nick go. “Breathe, Nick.” His voice was gentle.
Nick laughed. “What, you think I amhysterical?”
“Breathe…or I will knock you outand calm you down that way.”
Nick realized he was almost panting. Fear was gripping his throat and his chest and making his head pound. “Serrano shoots hostages on television!”
Duardo nodded. “Which is why you must stand down. If you have no power, if you are contained, then Serrano has no leverage over anyone here, especially you.”
“You would watch him put a gun to her head and not react?”Nick cried, horror spilling through him in a hot rush.
“I will work to make sure it doesn’t come to that,” Duardo said. His voice was still quiet. “You can’t think, right now. You can’t make decisions. Anything you do will be thewrongthing to do. So take a deep breath. I mean it.”
Nick choked.
“In and out. You need oxygen. Go on.”
The first breath was impossible to take in. Ithurt. It feltas if he was giving up control, and control was all he had left to help her.
