Kinkaid was the kind of man who didn’t open up easily. She knew that firsthand. Any woman who got under his skin would be special. Alexa felt a strange pang of jealousy toward a woman she’d never met.
For both their sakes, she needed a change of subject and a softer tone if she expected him to keep talking.
“So why did these men hit the fund-raiser? A Haitian missionary school event wouldn’t be my first choice to find wealthy patrons worth ransom bucks. You have any theories?”
“Yeah, one. I think they were after me.”
“What?” She had to admit his answer hit her between the eyes. “This I gotta hear.”
He took a deep breath, and for a long moment, she wasn’t sure he’d keep talking. Eventually he did.
“There’s been an increase in drug-cartel hit squads. I thought it had something to do with payback. The terrorists called out my name at the fund-raiser and demanded to know where the American was. Maybe I brought this to Kate’s door.” The pained expression on his face told her he wasn’t done with his explanation. “I raised my hands and was prepared to go with them to find out, but that’s when things got crazier. And one of those bastards was gonna shoot a kid.”
“Sounds like you did what you had to do.” She reached over and touched his arm. “Those men brought AK- 47s to a school fund-raiser. And you said it yourself. They might have known your name, but they probably were only looking for an American to take hostage. All of this is on their heads, not yours.”
“Yeah, but what if those cowards were after me for another reason? This could be retribution for what I’m doing.”
Ignoring the door he’d opened wasn’t her style. She barged in with a question that was none of her business.
“And what are you doing…exactly?” she asked. “I mean, if you think they came after you for something, you must have a good reason to believe that.”
Kinkaid didn’t answer. His silence conveyed enough. Trust didn’t come easy for her either. Although she couldn’t blame him, a hollow feeling left her wishing he trusted her with the truth about the man he’d become and why. That would work for starters. He stared at her until his eyes slowly closed.
Before he drifted off, she had something to say.
“Look. If it hadn’t been for you, these hostages wouldn’t stand a chance. Now they have us. And we’ll find them, Jackson.” She tried to sound reassuring and had no idea if he was even listening. “You and me have ghosts in our pasts. And I swear, if I have any say, Kate won’t be another one for you. We’re here to help. I hope you believe that.”
When she got to one knee, preparing to go, he reached for her hand and opened his eyes. “Thanks, Alexa. For what it’s worth, I’m glad Garrett sent you.”
Knowing Garrett, he probably sent her to serve his own agenda. He’d suspected her feelings toward Kinkaid when they’d first met. Whatever beef was between them, she had no doubt that Garrett had sent her with an ulterior motive in mind, whatever it was. None of that mattered now.
“Get some sleep,” she told him as she pulled his sleeping bag over his chest. “I’ll be close if you need me.”
Alexa left Kinkaid to his demons and walked toward the mouth of the cave. She needed time to think through her next move. She had a big decision to make.
Her men were asleep, and she was alone, except for Booker, who was standing watch. The wind kicked up near the cave entrance and swirled dirt until the blowing rain scattered it. And lightning hurled flashes of light across the heavens. A real show, and she had a front-row seat even though the worst of the storm had moved on. She crossed her arms and leaned a shoulder against stone, melding her body into the shadows.
One thought had plagued her ever since Kinkaid had collapsed at her feet. Could she leave him behind in his condition?
She knew what Garrett would do. Weighing the interest of one man against the team and the mission would not be a tough choice. She couldn’t spare a man to stay with him, especially since there wasn’t much anyone could do. And even if she got him on his feet with megadoses of antibiotics, it would only be a matter of time before the infection would gain control again, and he’d be more of a liability.
Kinkaid could die alone in Cuba. And he’d have no one to blame but himself.
Blaming him gave her no satisfaction. It only compounded a heartbreaking tragedy that was far from over.
The rain had been steady and only a thick stand of trees blocked the wind. Under a slanted tarp that had been staked down, Joselyne lay on the cold ground, with the other children pressed against her. Puddles had seeped into the thin blankets they’d been given. Even as tired as they were, none of them had slept. She felt the tension in the other children’s bodies because it matched her own. They jerked and held their breaths whenever the sky lit up from lightning and cracked with thunder.
And Sister Mary Katherine had not returned to protect them. Joselyne cried every time she thought of the brave nun.
Feeling sick to her stomach, she pulled the blanket over her head. When lightning cast a strange light through the trees, this time the light stayed, and she noticed it. She raised her head to see where it came from, and the other children did the same.
“What is it?” Andre whispered.
Like before when the sister had been taken away, the light from the camera glowed through the trees. Shadows of the bad men made them look larger than they were. And their angry cries made her cringe.
“I’m scared.” Faye sobbed and reached a small hand for Joselyne.
Joselyne wanted to tell them that she’d protect them now, but she couldn’t make a sound. She curled into a ball and wrapped her arms tight around her, wishing she were invisible. She couldn’t help the other children.
She was only a child like them.
CHAPTER 12
New York City
Sentinels Headquarters
Tanya had arranged a dormitory room in a secluded part of the Sentinels’ facility for Seth Harper to work in. Four walls with a locked door and a bath; his meals would be brought to him while he remained there. His secured accommodations were functional and practical since he wouldn’t be allowed to roam the belowground complex without supervision. She wished that she could have done more for him, but Seth hadn’t complained.
Jessie Beckett had planned to stay with him as he worked. Once he settled in, Jessie came looking for Tanya to tell her that Harper was ready to start and wanted to share his plans. Tanya brought members of her team and joined him in his room. When they entered the quarters, Seth Harper was sitting at the desk in front of a computer with the multiple monitors that they’d provided.
He swiveled his chair around and waved a greeting. “Hey. Sit wherever you want.” Jessie took a corner of his bed and the others crowded into the room.
“Would you mind if I downloaded music to work by?” Seth asked. “Maybe Lil’ Wayne or Three Days Grace.” His face was deadpan serious.
Jessie was the only one who knew what he was talking about. Although she had smiled and looked away, she was definitely entertained. Tanya liked her from the first moment they’d met months earlier.
“Whatever works for you, honey,” Tanya said to Seth before she introduced her team. She’d brought them along for their cynical nature, to test Harper one last time before she turned him loose. “Now tell us what you have in mind.”
“I’ll focus my initial search on the high-density bandwidth that it took to upload the video. In that part of the world, it shouldn’t be too hard to find. They’ve got to be using a cell phone to connect to the Internet. They
