“Let’s do it,” the black man said. “Let’s move, Cowboy. Cat controls the back door. Now’s the time.”
Jones turned to Melody. “Put the kicks back on. Quickly.”
“But you said—”
He pushed her down into a chair and began putting the sneakers on her feet himself. “Lucky, got your duct tape?”
“You know I do.”
“Tape the bottom of her foot,” Jones ordered, thrusting the tied shoe on Melody’s right foot toward the other SEAL.
The SEAL called Lucky got to work, and Jones himself began taping the bottom of her left sneaker, using a roll of silvery gray duct tape he, too, had been carrying in his vest.
They were covering the tread, making sure that when she walked, she wouldn’t leave an unusual footprint behind.
“It might be slippery.” Jones was kneeling in front of her, her foot on his thigh, as if he were some kind of fantasy shoe salesman. “And we’re going to have to make sure that if you wear it through, we tape ’em up again, okay?”
Melody nodded.
He smiled. “Good girl.” He moved his mike so that it was in front of his mouth. “Okay, Cat, we’re all set. We’re coming out.” He turned to Melody. “You’re with me, okay? Whatever happens, stick close to me. Do exactly what I say, no questions. Just do it, understand?”
Melody nodded again. She was his girl. She couldn’t think of anything else she wanted to be right at that particular moment.
“If shots are fired,” he continued, and for once his face was serious, his eyes lit with intensity rather than amusement or attraction, “get behind me. I will protect you. In return, I need two hundred percent of your trust.”
Melody couldn’t tear her gaze away from those neon green eyes. She nodded.
Maybe this man was insane, but he was also incredibly brave. He’d come into this terrorist stronghold to help rescue her. He’d been safe and sound, but he chose to give that up and risk his life for hers. I will protect you. As bold and as confident as his words were, the truth was that the next few minutes could see them both killed.
“In case something goes wrong,” she began, intending to thank him. God knows if something went wrong, she wouldn’t have the chance to thank him. She knew without a doubt that he would die first—taking bullets meant for her.
But he didn’t let her finish. “Nothing’s gonna go wrong. Joe Cat’s got the door. Getting out of this latrine’s gonna be a piece of cake. Trust me, Mel.”
He took her hand, pulling her with him out into the hall.
Piece of cake.
She almost believed him.
Something was wrong.
Melody could tell from the seriousness with which the man Ensign Jones called Joe Cat was talking to the shorter, blond-haired man named Blue.
They’d made it safely out of the embassy just as Jones had promised. They’d come farther than she’d ever thought possible. They’d traveled across and outside the limits of the city, up into the hills, moving quietly through the darkness.
The danger had not ended when they left the embassy. The city was under military rule, and there was a predusk curfew that was strictly enforced. If they were spotted by one of the squads patrolling the streets, they would be shot without any questions.
More than once, they’d had to hide as a patrol came within inches of them.
“Close your eyes,” Jones had murmured into her ear as the soldiers had approached. “Don’t look at them. And don’t hold your breath. Breathe shallowly, softly. They won’t see us, I promise.”
Melody’s shoulder had been pressed against him, and she leaned even closer, taking strength from his solid warmth. And from the thought that if she died, at least she wouldn’t die alone.
After that, each time they had to hide, he’d slipped one arm around her, keeping his other arm free for his deadly-looking assault weapon. Melody had given up her pretense of being strong and independent. She’d let him hold her—let him be big and strong, let herself take comfort from his strength. She’d tucked her head underneath his chin, closing her eyes and listening as the steady beating of his heart kicked into overdrive, breathing softly and shallowly as he’d told her.
So far they hadn’t been caught.
Jones came and sat next to her now.
“We’ve got a problem,” he said bluntly, not trying to hide the truth from her.
Her trust in him went up to just over a thousand percent. He wasn’t trying to pretend everything was hunky-dory when it so obviously was not.
“The chopper’s a no-show,” he told her. In the moonlight, his expression was serious, his mouth grim instead of curling up into his usual smile. “They’re ten minutes late. We’re getting ready to split up. We can’t keep moving together. Come daybreak, a group this size is going to get noticed. And it won’t be long before the tangos realize you and Pete and Linc got away.”
Pete and Linc. The men who made up two-thirds of the Mod Squad. Even at his most serious, this man couldn’t resist making a joke of sorts. “Ten minutes isn’t that long,” Melody countered. “Shouldn’t we just wait?”
Jones shook his head. “One minute isn’t that long. Ten is too long. The chopper’s not coming, Mel. Something went wrong, and our waiting here is putting us in danger.” He lifted one of her feet, looking at the bottom of her sneaker. “How’s that duct tape holding up?”
“It’s starting to wear through,” Melody admitted.
He handed her his roll of tape. “Can you put on another layer yourself? We need to be ready to leave here in about three minutes, but right now I want to put in my two cents about our next move.”
Melody took the tape from him as he stood up.
Split up. He’d said they were going to split up. Melody felt a sudden rush of panic. “Jones,” she called softly, and he paused, looking back at her. “Please. I want to stay with you.”
She couldn’t see his eyes in the shadows, but she saw him nod.
* * *
Dawn was beginning to light the eastern sky before they stopped moving.
Harvard had the point and he’d traveled twice as far as Cowboy and Melody had during the night. He’d continuously moved ahead, silently scouting out the best route to take, then doubling back to report what he’d seen.
Cowboy was glad to have H. on his team. Moving through hostile territory would’ve been tricky enough for two SEALs on their own. Add a female civilian into
