knew what Diesel said was valid, but climbing down from a tree was so much more frightening than going up. The warmth of his hands gripping her waist gave her the courage to let go of the tree trunk and transfer her hold to his neck. She wrapped her arms around him so tightly, she was sure she practically strangled him.
He settled her feet onto the limb in front of him and urged her to ease up on the stranglehold around his neck. Once he had her sitting on the lower branch, he leaned close. “See? Not so bad.”
“Easy for you to say,” she grumbled. But it wasn’t so bad. She still couldn’t see the ground, and maybe that was a blessing.
“I’m going all the way to the ground,” he whispered into her ear, his warm breath stirring the loose hairs against her cheek. “Don’t move a muscle, until I return with the all clear.”
She nodded, wanting to tell him to be careful, but knowing it was a wasted sentiment. The man was obviously trained in tactics and evasion. He knew how to steal through the night like a shadow.
He slipped away before she could change her mind or cling to him and beg him to stay. While Diesel was gone, she counted her breaths, praying he didn’t walk into a trap and get himself killed.
He was gone for what felt like an eternity. When she’d about given up hope of his return and started to consider her own descent from the tree, she heard the soft rustle of fabric and a gentle grunt. Diesel pulled himself up to the limb below her, his head on level with her thigh. All she could see was his black silhouette against the dark backdrop of the jungle and the pale whites of his eyes.
“Miss me?” he asked.
She snorted. “Hardly,” she lied. “What took you so long?”
“I went back to the camp. The men there had settled in for the night. The ones that took off on the boat hadn’t returned.”
“God, I hope they didn’t catch up to the rest of your team.” She prayed Ferrence made it back to civilization without further incident. Then, at the very least, she wouldn’t be responsible for his death.
“Don’t worry. There are enough of them to take on anything those rebels have in store. It’s you and me I’m worried about.”
“Any ideas?”
“We head north, following the river. Hopefully, we will run across someone who can help get us to safety. But first, we have to get you out of this tree.”
“I can do it by myself,” she said with a lot more confidence than she felt.
“Okay then. It’s tricky in the dark. If you need to hold on to me, I’ll be here.”
Taking a deep breath, Reese leaned on to her belly and dropped both legs over the side of the limb she’d been sitting on.
A hand on her bottom steadied her and helped guide her to the branch below. Once she had her feet firmly on the thick limb, she dropped to a sitting position. Using this method, she slowly eased herself to the lowest limb.
Diesel dropped to the earth and touched her thigh. “Swing your other leg over and drop. I’ll catch you.”
“I’m a full-grown woman, not a small child. If I throw myself out of this tree, I could hurt both of us. Besides, you’re injured.”
“Do you always argue this much? If we don’t hurry, those goons will be on top of us. Now do as I said,” he commanded.
Reese closed her eyes, swung her leg over the limb and slid out of the tree.
True to his word, Diesel caught her. Granted, he staggered backward several steps until he got his feet under him. Still, he held her in his arms.
“You can put me down,” she said. “I can stand on my own feet.” She touched his arm where she’d tied the cloth around his wound. It was soaked with blood. “Damn it, Diesel, you’re still bleeding.”
He let her feet drop down, and she slid down his muscular front, feeling every line, ripple and indentation as she went. By the time her feet touched the ground, her body was on fire. What was it about this man that awakened in her something she thought died back in Afghanistan?
Reese quickly stepped away, her breathing ragged, her thoughts flustered. She was glad for the darkness, as she figured it would hide how red her cheeks must be. “We need to get you to a doctor. You might need stitches and antibiotics.”
“I’ll live. I won’t need any of that if we don’t get out of here ASAP.” He grabbed her hand and took off, running north of the camp.
Reese ran with him, doing her best not to trip over branches and fall flat on her face. They didn’t have time for broken legs. The few shafts of starlight making it through the canopy were all she had to light her way. She prayed they didn’t run into any crocodiles or gorillas in the darkness.
* * *
DIESEL KEPT UP a grueling pace, determined to get as far away from the camp of Congolese rebels as he could before daring to slow down.
To Reese’s credit, she did a good job keeping up with him. Based on the brief moments he’d held her in his arms, he could tell she didn’t have a spare ounce of flesh on her. Her body was honed, her muscles tight and well-defined.
Eventually, they slowed and moved at a fast walk, following the river, keeping it within twenty or thirty yards—close enough to maintain their bearings, but hopefully not too close they would run into a crocodile lazing on the bank. The river twisted in undulating curls, making it hard to follow exactly. Despite the meandering nature of the waterway, Diesel felt confident they were still within fairly easy reach of the water.
If only they could come across some sort of civilization—someone who had a telephone would be great. The river had villages along the way, but Diesel had no idea of how far it was between each. They couldn’t remain on the run for long. And as soon as they stopped, the mosquitos would eat them alive and spread who knew what kind of diseases. Fortunately, he’d packed a lightweight mosquito net in one of his cargo pockets. As soon as he felt they’d gotten far enough away from the rebels, he’d find another tree big enough for both of them to sleep in.
They’d been fortunate thus far that they hadn’t run into any other wildlife. That luck couldn’t last forever. Big cats, gorillas, hippos and crocodiles were just a few of the dangers that lurked along the banks of the Congo. The two-legged creatures could be every bit as treacherous.
After they’d been on the move for two hours, Diesel could feel his energy waning. The wound on his arm hadn’t stopped bleeding and had begun to throb. They needed to stop and rest soon.
He came across a clearing in the jungle, where the trees on the edges were large enough to provide shelter for them.
When he stopped beside one of the trees, he turned to Reese.
“Please tell me you’re just stopping to catch your breath,” she said, bending over to rest her hands on her knees, her breathing labored. “You know how I am about heights. It’s not something I’ll ever outgrow.”
“It’s the safest place to sleep. If you want to stay on the ground, you’re welcome to it. You might be sharing it with snakes, big cats, warthogs and gorillas. The
