the jungle?” He guessed her answer was no.
“I’ve studied the region extensively. I can identify the types of vegetation we might encounter, those that are safe to eat and those that are poisonous. I know the—”
She’d done research. That wouldn’t cut it. “Actual experience, meaning, have you been to this jungle or any other?” Knowledge of an area was good. Being able to survive in the elements was better.
Kate lifted her chin proudly. “Don’t discount my knowledge, but no, I have not spent time in the jungle.”
“This is our stop,” Connor said to the driver. He tossed some cash over the seat and climbed out.
Kate scrambled out of the taxi and followed him. “Where are you going? Are you ditching me just because I don’t have experience?”
“I’m not ditching you. If I were, I would tell you first and then disappear. We need to change taxis. The driver’s already heard too much. We didn’t start speaking in Italian until later.”
His clothes hung on her, far too large for her thin frame. Baggy wasn’t a look he usually liked on a woman, but Kate wearing his clothes did something for him. It had been too long since he’d looked at and enjoyed a sexy woman. Kate fit the bill of sexy. Add to it smart and courageous, and it was hard not to admire the whole package.
A package that belonged to his brother and that was the rub. Why else would Kate insist on coming along? Connor would make another attempt to dissuade her from traveling with him into the jungle. He didn’t want to see his brother’s lover killed. “You should let me handle this. Aiden is my brother and I won’t give up looking for him. When I bring him back to the United States, the two of you can have a glorious reunion.” When he thought of her in Aiden’s arms, it bothered him more than it should. Aiden deserved happiness, and a woman like Kate—beautiful, smart and caring—could give it to him.
Kate threw up her hands. “You can stop playing that same, sad song. I’m not turning around and going home. I’m not leaving you alone to venture into the jungle. What if something happens to you? Who would know? I would never forgive myself for bringing you this far and then abandoning you.”
She was concerned about him. What about her job, her future and her life? She had obliterated her chances of returning to Sphere when she’d run from the agents at the airport. If she was involved with Aiden and Sphere knew about it, her position might have been tenuous anyway. A carefully constructed lie might save her—like claiming Connor had forced her to come along—but that was dicey. Sphere had zero tolerance for disobedience. “Most missions I’ve worked, I’ve worked them alone. You are not responsible for me or my decisions. You could return to the U.S. and your job. Tell them I forced you to help me. Say what you can to save your career.”
Kate’s mouth dropped open. “We’ve been over this. I can help you. I won’t lie to save my job at the risk of hurting someone else.”
Noble, but foolish. It was her funeral. He’d given her opportunities to change her mind. Connor could handle this alone. If she wanted to risk her life, so be it.
* * *
They found another cab, and Connor and Kate climbed inside. Connor had been walking as if his soles were on fire, and she was glad to sit again. Not that she’d utter one word of complaint. Hiking in the jungle would be more difficult and she was up to the task. Letting on she might not be able to keep up with him was unacceptable.
“Mangrove,” Connor instructed as the driver pulled away from the curb.
The driver hit the brakes, almost tossing her and Connor into the backs of the front seats. Only Connor’s hand across her chest stopped her from hitting her head. Between his arm and her bare skin was a thin layer of cotton. Her body responded and her breasts felt heavier and achy.
“No way, man. I don’t drive there,” the driver said.
Kate moved out of Connor’s reach. Was the driver refusing because of the distance or the location itself? Kate had read towns in the jungle could be lawless, and in the current political environment, with Bruno Feliz and the Armed Revolutionaries working to overthrow the government, jungle towns were havens for the AR, and skirmishes between the two sides broke out occasionally.
“That place is trouble, man. If you’re looking for sights to see, I’ll take you somewhere better. Cleaner. Safer for tourists. No cabbie in his right mind will drive you into the jungle. Not anymore.”
They didn’t want somewhere better or cleaner or safer. They wanted to follow in Aiden’s footsteps and find him.
Connor thanked their driver and they got out of the cab. They went through five more drivers and had to promise a hefty tip to convince someone to take them to Rosario, the jungle border town nearest to Mangrove. From there, the driver told them they could take a bus to Mangrove that would leave the next day.
It took thirty-five minutes to reach Rosario. As they drove, the landscape changed. Streets became less crowded, fewer cars were on the road, and houses and buildings became more run-down. Spray paint tagged the area as belonging to one gang or another. Few legitimate establishments operated from Rosario. The local economy was driven by gangs pushing drugs, prostitution and the sale of illegal goods. The gangs competed violently for turf, resources and money. The two most active gangs were the Snake Slayers, identifiable by the snake tattoos that covered their right arms, and the Blue Devils, who wore their group color prominently. Neither was directly tied to the AR, but Kate guessed there was some overlap in membership.
The cabdriver looked nervous as he let them out of the car. Connor paid him his fare and the sizable tip. The driver turned his car around in less than ten seconds, tires spinning in the dirt street and kicking up dust. Kate pasted on a look of what she hoped was confidence. With Connor at her side, she wasn’t as likely to be mugged, but she made him more of a mark. Her clothing brought stares, which she ignored.
“Gangs are active in this area. Be careful looking at anyone the wrong way,” Kate said.
“I’ll be careful,” Connor said, sounding unworried. “Tell me what you know about this town.” Connor was earning long looks from women who passed him on the street and—unlike the ones she was receiving, thanks to her ridiculous, ill-fitting outfit—they weren’t looks of disdain. Connor stood out as a foreigner and as a man. He was throwing off an approach-if-you-dare vibe, which both put people off and drew their attention.
“We need to locate the bus depot and find out when the next trip to Mangrove is scheduled.” Two women passed and gave Connor matching long, beckoning looks. He appeared unfazed and Kate was insulted. What if she were Connor’s wife? Didn’t she deserve some respect and not the open ogling these women were engaged in? “We also need a place to stay for the night. Based on what I can see, you’ll have your choice of beds,” Kate said.
Connor laughed. “You almost sound jealous.”
Not jealous. Justifiably insulted. “It’s not jealousy you hear in my voice. It’s disgust.”
Connor adjusted his backpack on his shoulders. “I’m not looking for a woman to warm my sheets. Places like this always have rooms for rent. We’ll pick the least dicey place we can find.”
Kate hid her revulsion. Least dicey place was still likely a downright dirty place to sleep. This town wouldn’t have chain hotels, just one-room rentals by the hour and by the night trafficked primarily by prostitutes. Though
