Enticed by the Operative (Doctors in Danger, Book 1) (17 page)

Logan’s breath caught in his chest, and he forced down the urge to shout her name. He wanted to run out into the yard and grab her, but as he shifted his weight, his ankle reminded him why that wasn’t possible. Not only was he in no condition to run, he’d be vastly outnumbered. The crowd of men was still turned away, but it wouldn’t take much to gain their attention, and he couldn’t take on that many people.

He clenched his jaw as he watched the man pull her toward the crowd and a split second later, she disappeared into the mass of humanity. What was going on?
Probably something medical
, he mused. They knew Olivia was a doctor, which meant they likely needed her to treat someone. But who? And how long would it take?

Hopefully a while. If the men of the camp were tied up with some kind of emergency, they weren’t torturing him. And if his reprieve lasted until dark, he could make his move once night fell.

Logan carefully shut the door and hobbled back to the chair in the middle of the room. There was nothing to do now but wait.

CHAPTER 18

“S
he’s gone.”

“What?” Carlos tightened his grip on the phone, as if a show of force could change the words he was hearing. “What do you mean?”

“She finished surgery this morning and I haven’t seen her since. She’s vanished.”

His mind whirred with possibilities. “Maybe she snuck out for a moment alone with her friend.”

“I don’t think so. Someone saw him leaving earlier with Juan Pablo.”

Ah, so his instructions had been obeyed. That was good to know.

“Is it possible she is resting or otherwise not feeling well?” Even as he suggested the possibility, he knew it wasn’t true.

“I checked her apartment,” Daniela assured him. “When she didn’t answer, I used my key. She’s not there.”

Carlos had a sinking feeling he knew exactly where she was. Damn interfering woman. She’d probably seen Logan leaving with Juan Pablo and had followed them, only to get caught up in the same trap he’d set for the DEA agent.

“I’m not sure what to do,” the woman confessed. She sounded scared now, as if she was afraid he would blame her for this turn of events.

“Do nothing,” he said shortly. “I will take care of this.”

“Thank y—”

He hung up, cutting her off. Then he let out a string of curses. This was not how he had imagined events would unfold. He had told Juan Pablo to remove the DEA agent discreetly, but it would appear the man had failed in that respect.

Was Dr. Sandoval with the gang? His hand clenched on the arm of his chair. He hoped not, because his plan depended on her. She was the perfect conduit for drugs, and El Jefe had made it clear he wanted her on the payroll permanently. Carlos had given her a small job to start with, partly to see if she could handle it but also as a means of trapping her. Once she’d gotten her hands dirty, he could use it as leverage to force her to make bigger hauls in the future.

But then she’d gotten involved with the DEA agent. It had proved to be a minor complication, all things considered, and one that he had handled. She’d have to be punished for it, of course, but he didn’t mind waiting until she was back in the US before killing her friends. Perhaps he’d make her watch, he mused, enjoying the thought. She reminded him of a horse that refused to be broken—too much defiance for her own good. It would be amusing to watch that spirit fade away as she saw the lifeblood drain from her friends.

But first, he had to make sure she returned.

He glanced at his watch and cursed again. They’d had her for hours—plenty of time to do real damage, even kill her if they were so inclined. She was such a troublesome woman he wouldn’t be surprised if they did decide to get rid of her.

He picked up the phone and thumbed through the list of contacts. He had one shot to fix this, and he had to make it count.

Hopefully it wasn’t too late.

* * *

“If he dies, you die.”

The words echoed in Olivia’s mind, playing on an endless loop as she stared at the burned man’s chest, watching it rise and fall in a labored rhythm. She’d thought the camp leader, the man who’d so callously shot Juan Pablo, was indifferent to human suffering. But he’d taken one look at the man on the bed and his knees had given out, causing him to land with a solid thump next to her.

He’d stayed there for a moment, his eyes wide and face pale. Then he’d shaken himself free of whatever emotions gripped him. “Bring her whatever she needs to help him,” he’d ordered. Then he’d turned to face her, his expression once again cruel. “If he dies, you die,” he promised.

They’d had a surprising amount of medical supplies, most likely stolen from the hospital. She’d covered the man’s skin in cool, wet cloths and had carefully, painstakingly peeled his burned garments off his body. He’d screamed until his voice gave out and had fortunately lost consciousness soon after. Olivia hadn’t dared sedate him—he was too unstable, and with no resuscitation equipment to hand it was too much of a risk.

He was still unconscious and to her great surprise, he was still breathing. There wasn’t much for her to do now but monitor him and hope he lived through the night.

She cast a quick look across the bed at the other occupant of the room. Maria sat silently, her face lined with anguish as she stared down at the man, his features now almost unrecognizable. Who was he to her? A husband? Brother?

Maria glanced up and noticed Olivia’s attention. “He’s Alejandro’s father,” she whispered, anticipating the question. “And the baby’s.”

“How is your daughter?” It felt strange to ask something so normal in this situation, but Olivia didn’t know what else to say.

“She’s fine. She’s with my sister. I left the children with her so I could come visit him. I only get to see him once a month.” Her eyes never left him and she lifted her hand, clearly wanting to touch him. Olivia opened her mouth to stop her, but really, did it matter? The man was going to die—it was just a question of when. Perhaps Maria’s touch would bring him some small measure of comfort and let him know he wasn’t alone.

Maria laid her hand on the bed, her fingertips barely touching the gauze bandage on his upper arm. But even that tenuous connection seemed to calm her, and her muscles visibly relaxed.

“We’re getting married next month,” she whispered. Then she shook her head. “Not now, though.” Her eyes welled with tears and she stroked the bandage.

“I’m so sorry,” Olivia said. She wanted to reach over the bed and touch Maria, but the other woman likely wouldn’t welcome the contact right now. She was focused on her lover, and Olivia didn’t want to distract her.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Now that things had calmed down, Olivia began to worry about Logan again. Where was he? Was he still alive? She had no idea where the camp leader had gone after he’d left—had he taken his distress out on Logan? She hadn’t heard any gunshots, but there were other ways to kill...

“He’s going to die, isn’t he?”

Maria’s voice was soft, barely audible over the sound of the man’s labored breathing. Olivia debated lying to her, but one look at Maria’s face changed her mind. This woman deserved to know the truth.

“Yes. I’m so sorry.”

Maria nodded, as if Olivia had confirmed her suspicion. She bowed her head, her lips moving in a silent prayer, or perhaps simply a goodbye. When she lifted her head again, Olivia was surprised to see her eyes were clear and determined.

“You need to leave.”

“Do you want some time alone with him?”

Maria shook her head. “No, I mean you need to get out of here now while you still can.”

Goose bumps broke out on Olivia’s arms and she glanced around, paranoid that a guard had overheard. “What do you mean?”

“Raúl took most of his men and left to go deal with the situation at the processing camp. This is your only chance to get away. If you don’t do it now, you’ll never be able to.”

Was she telling the truth? Or was this a setup, designed to test Olivia? Olivia wanted desperately to believe her, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to trust the other woman.

Apparently Maria sensed her hesitation. “I’m not lying.” She reached across the bed and grabbed Olivia’s hand, squeezing hard. “I swear on my children’s lives, this is your only chance.”

She seemed so sincere Olivia couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. Could she really escape? But what about Logan?

“I can’t go,” she said. Maria looked at her like she was crazy. “Do you remember the man who was in the room when I examined Alejandro?”

Maria nodded, understanding dawning. “He is here, too?”

“Yes. And I won’t go without him.”

Maria cast a glance at the man on the bed, her face softening. “I understand.”

“Do you know where they might be keeping him?”

“There’s a shack across the yard—it has a yellow door. That’s usually where Raúl does his work.” This was said with a faint tinge of disgust, as if Maria didn’t approve of the man or his actions. Perhaps that was why she was trying to help now.

Olivia’s mind raced with possibilities. She could sneak out of here, then circle around to the back end of the shack and somehow free Logan. She’d give him the gun, and they could head into the forest.

And then what? Neither one of them possessed an extensive set of survival skills, and they were miles away from any kind of civilization. Plus, Logan could be hurt badly. How exactly were they going to get far enough away from this camp that Raúl and his men couldn’t find them again?

Her heart began to pound as her worries mounted, and Olivia took a deep breath, forcing the doubts away. One thing at a time. Logan might have a plan of his own to get them out of here. But first, she had to find him.

“What are you going to do?” she asked Maria. Olivia wanted desperately to escape this hell, but she didn’t want Maria to be punished for her disappearance. The woman had two young children depending on her for their survival. “Won’t Raúl know you helped me?”

Maria lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug, as if the possibility didn’t bother her overmuch. “I will pretend to be asleep when he returns. I’ll say you must have snuck out while I slept. He won’t be able to prove otherwise.”

“If you’re sure...” Olivia said slowly. She glanced around the room, looking for anything that might be useful as a weapon. Maria followed her gaze. “Here.” She leaned over and picked something off the floor, then rose up to present a belt with a large-bladed knife, the kind used to hack through the jungle. “This was Jaime’s—he used it in the forest. He won’t need it anymore.”

“Thanks,” Olivia replied. She wrapped the belt around her waist, cinching it tightly. The idea of using the knife on someone was just as unappealing as the thought of shooting them, but hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

“Before you go,” Maria said. Olivia turned to look at her, tamping down her impatience to leave. This woman was saving her life—she could give her a moment more.

“Yes?”

Maria looked down at the man on the bed—Jaime, she’d said. “Is he in pain?”

Olivia bit her lip. How to answer that? The burns were extensive and deep and most likely excruciating. But he was unconscious and hopefully feeling no pain. Still, if he were in a hospital he’d be receiving pain relief.

“I don’t think he’s feeling anything now,” she said carefully. “But if he wakes up, it will be bad.”

Maria nodded, but Olivia didn’t think she was done asking questions. “Is there anything you can do to make sure he doesn’t wake up?”

Olivia sucked in a breath, the question hitting her like a slap. She opened her mouth, her first instinct to refuse Maria’s request. She was a doctor—she’d taken an oath to do no harm.

But Jamie’s labored, rattled breathing filled the silence and Olivia began to wonder if keeping him alive was doing more harm than good. Surely saving this man from untold agony was the better choice?

Olivia reached into the bag of supplies one of the men had brought her and removed a few vials and a syringe. “This is morphine.” She set the supplies on the table next to the bed. “Do you know how to use a syringe?”

Maria nodded, her eyes wide and serious.

“If you think he is in pain, inject some of this into the muscle of his thigh.”

She nodded again and blinked back tears. “Thank you.” Her voice was equal parts gratitude and sadness, and Olivia’s heart broke a little for this woman and the life she led.

“Maria...” What could she say? How could she thank her for helping her escape? That she was sorry for the loss of her man, that she hoped things would get better for her and her children?

The woman gave her a sad smile tinged with understanding. “Good luck, Doctor.”

“Thank you,” Olivia whispered. She took one last look at Maria, sitting vigil by Jaime’s bed. Then she slipped out the door and started down the hall, careful to keep her steps light.

It was time to find Logan.

* * *

Logan eased the door open and peered out into the yard, searching for signs of life. It had been curiously quiet in the camp all afternoon, and now that the sun was going down, the emerging shadows made the place look eerily deserted, like a ghost town suddenly abandoned in the wake of a disaster.

He slid through the opening and moved to the corner of the shack, keeping his back pressed against the wall. There was no movement from the yard, no cry of alarm or angry shout at his presence.
Where is everyone?

The building where they’d taken Olivia stood across the yard, a soft glow emanating from under the door. He could hear the faint rumble of a generator, but other than that the place was silent. Even the forest creatures seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for something.

Logan hobbled around the shack until he met the edge of the forest. It would be easier and faster to cut across the yard to get to Olivia, but he didn’t want to risk the exposure. He hadn’t seen anyone, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there, waiting in the shadows to cut him down when he revealed himself.

He started moving, careful to stay just inside the tree line. It made for slower going, but the vegetation gave him a little extra cover and made him feel more secure. He stopped every few feet and listened, straining hard to detect any noise that might reveal the presence of a sentry. But he heard nothing unusual.

This feels too easy
. Where were the guards? The camp leader had been all set to torture him to death a few hours ago—why had that changed? It must have been something big for the man to forget about him so quickly. And to not even leave a guard... It just didn’t feel right.

Maybe it was a trap. But to what end? They already had him in captivity. What more harm could they do if they caught him trying to free Olivia?
You could only kill a man once
, he mused.

Nevertheless, he wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to escape. Especially not if it meant getting Olivia out of here, too. He hadn’t heard any vehicle engines start in the aftermath of the earlier excitement—hopefully they were still parked on the edge of the camp. He’d grab Olivia, make a run for the Jeep and hot-wire it. Then he’d floor it and get them the hell out of here.