Madison noticed a series of caves down the length of the mountain. Travis dismounted. Gripping the horse’s mane, Madison forced herself to get off under her own steam. Her knees weren’t strong, but she could stay upright. Travis gave her a glance and she was glad to regain a bit of independence.
“What can I do?” she asked, holding the reins he handed to her.
“Nothing,” he said. He removed the clothes from the rear of his saddle and put everything near the cave entrance. “Stand over there,” he said, pointing to where the clothes were stacked.
Confused, Madison did as he instructed. She watched him lead the horses out beyond the cave entrance and drape the reins over their necks. Her mouth dropped open as he slapped them on the rumps and they went charging off at a gallop.
“What are you doing?” she cried out.
Travis turned. Picking up the clothes, he put them into her arms. “Carry these,” he ordered brusquely. “Go into the cave and stand over there.” He pointed.
Breathing hard, she glared at him. “You just got rid of our transportation! How could you?”
The man scowled, his mouth compressed as he pulled his huge knife from the sheath on his left thigh and chopped a large branch from a nearby bush.
“Stop yelling,” he told her. “Voices carry.” Her eyes widened and she did as she was told but not before giving him a mutinous look. Quickly, Travis used the brushy end of the limb and covered their tracks. Backing into the cave, he kept sweeping them away.
“See that tunnel back there?” He hitched his chin in that direction.
“Yes.” Madison was furious with him. Who the hell did he think he was? He’d just sent off two good horses that could have gotten them to safety! What was he thinking?
“Go over there and wait for me.”
Madison stood on the white, smooth tunnel surface. The tunnel forked to the right and left. The sun was just rimming the Hindu Kush peaks, rays slanting brightly into the cave where Travis was brushing out their footprints. Once he got to her side, he slid his hand beneath her elbow.
“Your arms feeling okay?”
“Yes, I can feel them a little.”
“Can you carry those clothes?”
She felt the piercing gaze of his and looked away, still angry with him. “Yes.”
Travis grunted and pulled out a penlight and handed it to her. “Can you hold this?”
Madison wasn’t sure. Blood was coming back into her fingers and she felt nothing but throbbing pain in them. Their fingers touched momentarily and she clumsily took the small light. “I think so.”
“Get going up that tunnel.” He pointed to the fork he wanted her to take. “We’ve got to go about half a mile on a gentle climb upward. I’ll catch up.”
She gulped and nodded. Why had he chased the horses away? Why? She moved on shaky knees, watching her step on the worn surface. The tunnel darkened until all she saw was the light ahead of her. Everything echoed eerily as she stumbled once, the sound reverberating endlessly.
Where was Travis? Suddenly, Madison felt terrified again. Alone. He was nowhere around. Halting, she almost turned around and went back down the tunnel, but she remembered the hard look in his eyes, the guttural order to start walking. She had to trust him. But why the hell had he let their horses run away? That was crazy!
Madison sensed more than heard someone approaching her. She turned. A gasp tore out of her as she saw Travis right behind her. Heart pounding, she froze.
“You scared me!”
“Sorry,” he murmured, giving her a sheepish look. “I walk silent.”
Gulping, Madison shook.
“Tell you what,” Travis said softly, taking the penlight from her. “You grab hold of my belt here.” He pointed to his left hip. “And I’ll take us the rest of the way up.”
Sliding her fingers around his web belt, she nodded. Madison was more than willing to let him lead. He knew where he was. He started off slowly, cutting his stride in half for her. She was grateful, since her knees were still wonky and her energy was fading. Madison didn’t know what time it was, only that she hadn’t eaten for a long time.
Travis moved up to the right, taking another tunnel. And then the tunnel got very steep and he branched off into another one. He could feel Madison clinging to his belt, heard her breathing in rasps and he slowed even more. They were near eight thousand feet and the air was more rarefied. Texas was flat as a pancake and at sea level. He imagined her lungs felt as if they were on fire right now from the altitude difference. Still, he was pleased she was a fighter and she kept putting one foot in front of the other.
Madison felt woozy. When Travis suddenly halted, she ran into him. And then, she felt her world coming apart, black dots dancing in front of her eyes. “T-Travis,” she whispered, clinging to his belt, “I don’t feel so good.” That’s the last thing Madison remembered saying, the words echoing as if she were very far, far away from them.
Chapter 3
The prick of a needle in her left arm woke Madison up. Blinking groggily, she realized she was lying down on a cave floor. Her eyes focused on the man kneeling over her, putting an IV into her arm.
“Wh—” she croaked.
Travis taped the IV down on the inside of left arm. “You’re dehydrated,” he explained softly. “Just lie still. We’re safe in this cave for now.”
Sunlight was shining brightly from somewhere. Her mind wasn’t functioning. A cave and it was sunny? Madison felt his closeness, that powerful sense of protection emanating from him toward her. His brow was sweaty, his eyes narrowed and mouth pursed. She could smell the sweat on his cammies. Madison stared up into his darkly sunburned face. His black hair was scraggly, not in a military short haircut. Brow wrinkling, she managed, “Who are you?”
His mouth curved a little. “I’m a Navy SEAL, darlin’. Black ops. You heard of us?” He rested his arm on his knee, absorbing her. She was filthy, but then she’d been kidnapped, given too little water and no food, most likely. Travis saw her dark blue eyes wander a bit and then focus on him. Damn, even now, she could turn any man’s head. He reached out, pushing some of that unruly blond hair of hers away from her cheek.
“SEALs? Really? But...I thought you were at sea, not in a desert.”
He smiled a little and pushed the boonie hat off his brow. “We operate on land, sea and air. I’m land bound for now,” he joked. Looking up, he listened for any sounds echoing down the tunnel to indicate nearby Taliban. Travis heard nothing. He focused on the liter IV of Ringer’s lactate that was feeding her electrolytes in order to quickly get her back into a stable condition.
“I—I must have fainted,” Madison muttered, looking around. The cave was huge. She heard water dripping somewhere. The sunlight pierced only so much of the cave, the rest of it was shadowed or grayish-looking to her.
“How long has it been since
