Enticed by the Operative (Doctors in Danger, Book 1) (18 page)

The sound of a twig snapping jerked him out of his thoughts. He froze, holding his breath. Was it some forest creature, out for an evening stroll? Or something more dangerous?

He had his answer soon enough, as the crackle of footsteps met his ears. Someone was coming toward him, and they weren’t bothering to be quiet about it.

Logan took a step back, entering farther into the forest and its cover of darkness. The sound grew louder, and he watched as a small dark figure came into view.

He frowned, watching the way the stranger moved. There was something familiar about that walk...

The newcomer walked past him and bumped into a bush, startling a bird. The creature took to the air with a squawk of annoyance, and the interloper ducked, letting out a small cry of alarm.

A very
feminine
cry.

Logan stepped out of the woods and crept up behind the figure, hardly daring to believe his luck. Had Olivia escaped on her own? Or was this a wife or girlfriend of one of the camp residents?

Time to find out. He grabbed the woman, banding an arm around her torso and clapping his hand over her mouth. She screamed and kicked out, clawing at his hold, but he tightened his grip and hauled her back against his chest. He bent his head to put his mouth next to her ear. “Olivia?”

She stilled immediately, but the tension remained in her body. “It’s me. Are you all right?”

Apparently recognizing his voice, her muscles relaxed and she sagged against him in relief. She nodded, and he realized he still had his hand over her mouth. He released her and she spun around and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly.

“Logan! What are you doing here? I was coming to find you.”

He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against his. She was safe. That was all that mattered at the moment. He dipped his head to press his nose into her hair, inhaling the sweet strawberry scent of her shampoo. Everything else faded as he focused on the woman in his arms, his worries and anxieties drowned out by the sound of her voice in his ears.

“Are you hurt? What did they do to you?”

She pulled away and he reluctantly loosened his grip. Her eyes were wide and luminous in the moonlight, and in another time, another place, he would have pulled her in for a kiss under the stars.

“I’m fine,” he said quietly. “But we need to get out of here.”

“How?”

“The Jeep. I think it’s still parked where they left it earlier.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip, considering. “It’s worth a shot.”

Logan grabbed her hand. “Let’s go. And try to be quiet. I don’t know if anyone else is out here.”

Olivia nodded. “I have something for you,” she whispered. She fumbled at her waist and for a second, he had the absurd notion she was going to take off her pants.
Down, boy
, he told himself. Now was not the time to engage in ridiculous fantasies.

Olivia passed two objects to him, and as his fingers curled around them he realized she’d given him a machete and a gun. “Where—” he began, then shook his head. She could explain it all to him later, in the Jeep.

They made their way around until they came to a small clearing that served as the parking lot for the camp. Just as he’d hoped, the Jeep that had ferried them here was parked, dark and solid in the night.

He glanced around but saw no sign of a guard. Just to be on the safe side, he picked up a branch and tossed it into the clearing. Nothing moved.

Behind him, Olivia let out a sigh of relief, one that echoed in his mind. It looked like they were in the clear...

They stepped out of the cover of the trees and headed toward the vehicle. Too late, he saw a shadow detach itself from a tree trunk. Logan flung an arm out to stop Olivia and lifted the machete as a man stopped a few feet away.

He eyed them both dispassionately, then tossed something at Olivia’s feet. Keys, if the metallic jingle was anything to go by. He jerked his chin at the Jeep. “Get going. Raúl will be back soon.”

Logan heard Olivia gather up the keys, but he didn’t take his eyes off their mysterious savior. Nothing about this made any sense. Who was this stranger? Why was he coming to their rescue now?

Apparently Olivia felt the same way. “Why are you helping us?” she asked.

The man merely shrugged. “I have my orders. You have to make it out of here alive.”

“What about me?” Logan said, his stomach sinking as the implication of the man’s words became clear. He took a step back, but it was too late.

The man lifted his arm and a deafening sound pierced the stillness of the night as he fired his gun. The bullet hit Logan in the chest, pushing him back with the force of a battering ram. He landed flat on his back, dazed and shaken. He tried to gasp for air, but he’d apparently forgotten how to breathe.

The man’s face entered his field of vision, blocking out the stars. “She survives. You don’t.”

Logan opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t get his tongue to work. A loud cry filled his ears, and he realized Olivia was screaming. Then the stars winked out, and the darkness consumed him.

CHAPTER 19

I
t was happening again. Someone she loved was dying, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop it.

“Logan. Logan, please wake up! Talk to me!”

Olivia glanced over at his still form as she tore down the bumpy track that passed for a road in this part of the country. Was he even still breathing? Could she risk stopping to check?

She looked in the rearview mirror, but it was blessedly empty. How long until Raúl returned and realized they were gone? She didn’t know how much of a head start they had—she was so focused on Logan everything else was a blur.

Panic and adrenaline had given her the strength to heft his body into the passenger seat of the Jeep. She’d paused for a moment to apply a quick bandage to the entry wound and then had stomped on the gas, wanting to put as much distance between them and the camp as possible. She didn’t know why they were being allowed to escape, but it wouldn’t happen a second time.

The Jeep hit a particularly deep rut and Logan moaned. Her heart lifted at the sound—he was still alive!

“Talk to me,” she pleaded. “We’re almost to the hospital.”

“No.” The word was soft and sluggish, but she heard him loud and clear. “No hospital.”

“You need medical attention!” God only knew how severe his injury was—it had been too dark for her to really take stock of the entrance wound, and in the rush to leave, she hadn’t been able to tend to him as much as she wanted to. The sooner he got to a hospital, the better.

“Can’t...trust...them.”

His words froze her blood and her grip on the steering wheel slipped a bit.
He was right
, she realized grimly. She’d been so focused on the medical aspects of the situation she hadn’t stopped to think about their safety. Juan Pablo hadn’t hesitated to sell Logan out to Raúl and his gang. Who else worked for them or was sympathetic to their cause? Could they really risk stopping there, knowing Raúl was steps behind them?

Olivia bit her lip and looked at Logan. Even in the darkness, she could tell he’d grown pale. How much blood had he lost already? Would he survive if she didn’t stop at the hospital?

As if he felt her gaze on him, his eyes opened a crack. “Go to the embassy,” he gritted out through clenched teeth.

They had made it back to the village now, and she approached the turn that would lead them either to the hospital or the main road out. She tapped the brakes, unsure of the best choice. If they left the village they’d be safe, but Logan might die. If she stopped at the hospital, he could get the care he needed but they might both die if Raúl found them.

Panic urged her to take the road out of the village, to put as much distance between them and Raúl as possible. But if Logan died, she’d never be able to forgive herself...

“The embassy,” he repeated, a little louder this time.

“It’s at least an hour away,” she said softly.

“I know.”

“Logan, what if—”

“I said I’d protect you, Olivia. I’m going to make sure you get home safely if it’s the last thing I do.”

She blinked hard to clear the tears from her eyes. Stubborn fool—he was gambling his life in a bid to keep her safe. It was almost enough to make her turn in the direction of the hospital, but the thought of Raúl gave her pause. At least if she kept driving they had a chance.

Swallowing hard, she wrenched the wheel to the right and took the road that led out of town.
Please let us get there in time...

“Good girl.”

She shot him a glare, which he ignored. “Don’t you dare die on me, Logan Murray.”

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, his body going limp again. Talking must have taken more effort than he’d let on, and Olivia’s stomach cramped at the realization he was doing worse than before.

“I’m not planning on it,” he murmured, then fell silent.

“Logan?” He didn’t respond, and her heart began to pound hard against her breastbone. Should she rouse him and force him to talk or let him conserve his energy? But what if he lapsed into a coma and she didn’t realize it until it was too late?

There were no easy answers here, and her brain kept supplying awful possibilities, each one more terrible than the last. She gripped the wheel hard, feeling like the contact was the only thing keeping her sane.
Just keep driving.

She let the tears fall now, not bothering to wipe them away. “Please, Logan,” she muttered. “Don’t leave me now.”

* * *

Logan came awake slowly, cautiously feeling his way up through the murky depths. He opened his eyes to a bright world of white—white ceiling, white walls, white light streaming in from somewhere. Then he blinked, and colors began to emerge as his eyes adjusted to the light.

“Look who’s back.”

He turned his head to see Alan sitting in a chair next to his bed. His friend leaned forward, tossing aside his crossword puzzle to grab Logan’s arm. “Man, it’s good to see you awake.”

“Where am I?” His throat was scratchy and sore and he glanced around, hoping to see some kind of liquid close to hand.

Alan correctly interpreted his actions and reached for a bottle of water on the table next to his chair. “Here you go, buddy,” he said, unscrewing the lid and handing Logan the bottle.

Logan took a careful sip, the water a cool, refreshing relief for his parched tissues. It felt so good he took a healthy gulp, which made his throat ache a little as he swallowed.

Alan watched him drink, his eyes widening a little as Logan tipped up the bottle to drain it. “Take it easy. You don’t want to overdo it.”

Logan waved away his concern. “Where am I?” he repeated. Obviously he was in some kind of hospital, but where?

“Bogotá.”

He felt a rush of pride in Olivia. It couldn’t have been easy for her to get here with the threat of Raúl and his goons following her the whole way, but she had done it. She had saved them both.

“Where’s Olivia?” He was mildly concerned by her absence, but if Alan was here, the other guys were probably nearby, as well. Surely one of them was keeping an eye on her.

Alan confirmed this suspicion. “She’s being debriefed at the embassy as we speak. Keith and Joseph had to practically drag her away from your side.”

“So she’s okay?”

Alan nodded. “Seems to be. Bruised, battered and shaken up, but otherwise fine.”

Logan leaned back against the pillow and closed his eyes. “She’s a hell of a woman.”

“How well do you think you know her?” Alan asked casually.
Too
casually...

Logan cracked one eye open and stared at his friend. “Well enough.” No way was he going to share what had happened between them in the village. That was their special moment, one that he held close in his heart.

But Alan wasn’t interested in locker room tales. There was something else on his mind, something Logan suspected he wasn’t going to like. “What are you really asking me?”

Alan lifted one shoulder in a shrug, trying to play it cool. “Cut the crap,” Logan said, letting an edge creep into his voice. “What’s going on here?”

His friend sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Olivia said some guy named Juan Pablo sold you out to the local nasties.”

“He did.”

“We’ve picked up some chatter indicating they knew you were a DEA agent and targeted you because of it.”

“That’s true,” Logan said, his mind drifting back to the encounter with Raúl in the forest. The man had taken great pleasure in telling him Fantasmas wanted him dead and that they knew who he worked for.

Alan gave him a meaningful look. “How did they know who you are?”

“I’m not sure,” Logan replied slowly. It was a question that had been in the back of his mind ever since he and Olivia had been taken prisoner. Who had blown his cover? No one had known his true identity, except for...

“Olivia,” he whispered, the pieces clicking into place.

Alan nodded, his expression rueful. “It has to be her. She’s the only one who knew.”

Logan immediately rejected the notion, unable and unwilling to believe she would betray him like that. “But why would she do such a thing? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Are you sure?” Alan raised a brow. “Think about it. You came along to keep her safe but also to follow the money and drugs and learn more about the cartel operations. What if she’s not as innocent as we originally thought? What if this whole thing had been a setup from the start? She’s been going to Colombia for years. How do we know she hasn’t been on the cartel’s payroll all that time? What better way to kill a DEA agent than to lure him to Colombia where he can get ‘lost’ in the jungle?”

Logan frowned, considering his friend’s words. “That’s going to a lot of trouble to kill one man.”

“True,” Alan conceded. “But what a signal it would send.”

Logan was silent for a moment, digesting the possibility.

“Think about it,” Alan urged. “Did she come to you after Carlos approached her with this deal? Or did you only find out because you pushed and pushed until she had no option but to tell you?”

He was right
, Logan realized. Olivia hadn’t wanted to tell him about the cartel’s offer. At the time, he’d chalked it up to her fear for the lives of her friends, but what if that was just a cover? What if she hadn’t wanted to tell him because she was in on the deal the whole time?

“Once you knew and brought the DEA in on the operation, she had no choice but to play along. Any other reaction would have been too suspicious. So she lures you here, away from any kind of support. Then she stages the abduction to get rid of you. Just like that, she’s got a believable sob story to explain your death and deflect suspicion off her so she can go on working with the cartel.”

Logan’s stomach knotted as he listened to Alan. He wanted to deny it, but his friend’s version of events made a sick kind of sense.

Had Olivia even been coming to find him, or had she been headed for the Jeep to make her escape, leaving him to the mercy of Raúl? Perhaps that goon had been some kind of insurance policy, to make sure she got out of there unmolested.

I have my orders. She survives. You don’t.

“But then why did she try to save me?” he muttered to himself.

Alan cocked his head to the side. “Say again?”

“I got shot while we were escaping the camp.” He touched his chest absently, the movement triggering a stinging pain as it pulled on his stitches. “I remember lying on the forest floor, looking up. Then I passed out. When I came to, I was in the Jeep and she was driving. Why bother putting me in the vehicle if she just wanted me to die?”

Alan shrugged. “Plausible deniability? If she makes it look like she tried everything to save you, she comes off as innocent.”

“I suppose.” It
did
sound reasonable, unfortunately.

“Why not just drop me off at the village hospital and let Raúl take me again?”

Alan gave him a pitying look. “Better for you to die on the drive to Bogotá,” he said quietly. “That way, we have a body to bury and she can pretend to be the hero.”

Logan took a deep breath, ignoring the pain of his wound and the ache in his heart. He didn’t want to believe Olivia was capable of such deceptions. But Alan was right—she had been evasive from the beginning, and as much as he wanted to trust her, this version of events was highly plausible. Besides, could he really trust his own judgment? Somewhere along the way, he’d fallen hard for Olivia Sandoval. And she knew it. He’d foolishly thought his feelings were returned, but what if it had all been an act on her part? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’d been betrayed by a woman he loved...

“I’m sorry, man.” Alan rested his hand on Logan’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t want it to be like this.”

Logan swallowed hard, the muscles of his throat tight with emotion. He didn’t want Alan to see how much Olivia’s lies had affected him. Better for his friend to think he was simply upset at being targeted by the cartel, nothing more.

“What happens now?”

“We let her back into the US and monitor her. She’s supposed to contact Carlos to set up a meet. We’ll be watching.”

“Do you think she has the drugs?”

“Not that we’ve found. But it might not matter. The theft—if it really was one—may have been a ruse to draw you out. It’s likely she and Carlos will consider this a practice run, and he’ll have her bring back product another time when they think we’re not watching.”

Logan nodded. “Sounds like you have it all figured out.”

Alan studied him for a moment. “Why don’t you get some rest? I know Joseph and Keith will want to see you when they’re done talking to Olivia.”

“Does she know?”

“Of course not. We can’t have her warning Carlos before we get the trap in place.”

“So I’ll have to see her again.”

“Yes. But we won’t leave you alone with her.”

“Good.” Logan didn’t think he could handle seeing her again, at least not right now. He needed some time to process everything Alan had said. How was he going to pretend as if everything was fine, when in reality his world had just been turned upside down?

And the worst part was, he hadn’t seen it coming.

He’d thought Olivia was so different from Emma. That she was honest and good and
real
. But she’d proved to be no better than his ex-fiancée.
Worse, even
, he thought with a mental snort. At least Emma had never tried to kill him.

“Need something to help you sleep?” Alan asked. “I can call in a nurse for you.”

Logan shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do.”

Alan nodded. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m going to grab a cup of coffee. I’ll be in the waiting room if you need anything.”

“Thanks, man.”

He waited until Alan shut the door behind him before letting out a huge sigh. Once again, he’d let a woman take advantage of him. How did this keep happening? What was wrong with him that he let himself get played over and over again?

The initial shock was wearing off now and his anger was building, a slow, steady pressure in his chest. He welcomed the emotion, knowing it would serve him well in the days to come. Olivia probably thought she was so clever, that she had pulled one over on him and the DEA. She deserved an award for her performance as the innocent victim. But she wasn’t the only one capable of keeping secrets.