Trinity: Military War Dog (51 page)

The door swung open.

Colonel Tao entered and strode to the table. “It is done. The Russians are dead.”

And dead do not talk
. Jianyu sipped. Savored. “Enjoy some tea, Colonel.”

With a curt bow, he pivoted and served himself.

The man seated at the head of the table pushed to his feet, towering over the colonel, who relinquished the steaming tea to the giant behind him. And bowed.

Jianyu seethed. But he coiled the disgust into a ball and swallowed it with the last gulp of tea. It burned … all the way down.

“Any word on Meixiang?” the colonel asked.

Jianyu glowered at him.

“Do not worry about the traitor.” The voice still bore the annoying taunt. “She will receive her reward in time.”

Their plans were eerily similar yet very different. Jianyu kept his peace, determined not to be undermined in front of his first officer.

“I will deliver that reward—in person.”

“No.” Jianyu came to his feet. “I put this together. I worked out the details, contacted you—”

“And would you like to answer what you were doing here in the mountains, away from the mine as instructed?” The giant loomed, scowled.

Jianyu swallowed. He would
not
look away. Would not yield his power. “I fed the information necessary—we agreed. Do not take this from me.”

Large and powerful, not in size but in the enormity of presence the man wielded, a hand rested on Jianyu’s shoulder. “The fight in you is large, but you must master it. Temper it with patience enough to see the mission through. She is out of your reach—for now. But it does not matter. She cannot stop what is already in motion.”

“I want her.” Jianyu’s voice and being shook.

“And you will have her.” The man squeezed his shoulder. “In time. We have an agent with the Americans. In time, he will be revealed.” He turned and strode to the table where his emissaries stood in the shadows. “As I have waited twenty-one years, nine months, and fourteen days to have my victory”—he drew up his chin, the resemblance undeniable to even Jianyu—“so will you have yours.” Age lines crinkled at the corners of the man’s eyes. “But much sooner.”

“Are you sure?”

Radio chatter ate up the ominous silence. One of his father’s officers stepped into the light. “Sir. They’re in place.”

A smile creased his father’s face. “Completely, my son.”

            Thirty-Seven              

Deep in the Hindu Kush
Tunnel 5 Miles outside Parwan Province, Afghanistan

I
t did strange things to Heath’s heart to see Trinity cuddled up next to Jia on the stretcher. Jia had even lured Trinity into the warmth of the thermal blanket, and the two were fast asleep. Trinity’s amber fur complemented Jia’s fair skin.

Okay, that’s a weird thing to notice
.

Sitting against the wall, legs bent and elbows on his knees, Heath ran the back of his knuckles along his lips. It scared him, what he was feeling and thinking about Jia. She was an operative. Sure, she’d had lunch with him, laughed and talked with him. She’d wanted that missing kiss as much as he had that day. But was he anything more than a player in a mission to her? When this was over, would she skip along her merry way? He’d have Trinity and a lot of heartache.

He tilted his head back, thudding it against the cave wall.

Getting way ahead of the game, Ghost
.

First priority: get off the mountain. And there wasn’t a single guarantee in attempting that. The storm had unleashed its fury.
Why, God? Why now? When Jia needed a doctor and surgical bay like nobody’s business, couldn’t You have held off the storm?

And if God had, would the enemy have found them sooner?

Jia had antibiotics. Color returned to her complexion. And she was sleeping—peacefully.

Peace.

Bomb.

Heath jerked. He hadn’t told Watters. Pushing to his feet, he noticed Trinity open her eyes. Her head slid along the blanket to track him but didn’t lift. Her “eyebrows” wobbled as she looked up at Heath.

“Not getting up, are you?”

She looked away.

“Traitor.”
But I don’t blame you
.

Heath bundled into his jacket and inched along the outer edge of the cave toward the others.

Watters stood. “You okay?” he called over the howling wind.

“Yeah, can I talk to you?” Heath bobbed his head to the side.

Watters nodded and followed him, pointing. “Guess she had business to take care of.”

Heath caught sight of Trinity squatting in the snow but then focused on Watters. “Hey, listen.” He stepped back, away from the others. No need to cause panic with half-baked information. “Jia believes there—”

Boom! CRACK!

Ice dumped down Heath’s spine. Watterboy’s eyes bulged. Heath whirled toward the cave opening. Saw Trinity tearing up snow toward the cave.

ROAR!

A shadow appeared in the opening. Jia! Propped against the wall, frowning as she aimed those eyes heavenward.

His heart dropped into his stomach. Then vaulted into his throat. He pushed himself, feet skidding on the ice. Gaining traction, he shoved himself toward her. Waving. Hard. “Get back!” Why did it feel like he’d hit slow motion? “Back!”

Ice and snow slowing him, Heath sprinted.

Snow and ice rained down.

The great fury of the winter storm bellowed in his ears. Though he shouted, he heard nothing. Felt only the thunderous vibration of the avalanche.

Snow thumped against his legs. Heath spiraled through the air.

Collided with Jia, whose face said she’d caught up with what was happening. Her arms closed around him as they flew backward. Hard earth scraped and clawed at him as they slid deeper. Heath ducked closer to her.

Darkness. Roaring. Tumbling. Cracking.

Whoosh!

Light shattered. Darkness prevailed.

            Thirty-Eight              

H
eath rolled off Jia. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” came her weak, soft voice.

He glanced to where daylight and snow raged through the opening. The one that was no longer there. Only darkness existed.

“Trinity?” His voice bounced back at him. “Trin!” He pushed off Jia, careful not to injure her any more than he had. “You okay, Jia?”

“Yeah.” Quiet but trembling, her voice skated through the darkness. “Are we alone?”