Read Online Behind Enemy Lines by Cindy Dees - Free Book Online Page B

urban guerrilla war. Desertion numbers are climbing fast. The government troops have lousy weapons, rotten training, and their morale’s the pits. Not to mention their leadership sucks. They outnumber the rebels about two to one, but that’ll be good for squat when it comes to a shootin’ war.”
    “So the government’s going down?”
    Tex nodded succinctly. Underneath his homespun vocabulary, Annie sensed a sharp mind at work.
    “Timetable?”
    “Like I said. Any second. There’s been some house-to-house fighting on the east side of town the last couple nights. Mostly drunks brawling, but tension is high.”
    “So what have you guys been doing while I was out of play?”
    Tex leaned back with an engaging grin and stretched his legs out in front of him. “Mostly whorin’ and drinkin’ and gamblin’ all night long.”
    Annie was intrigued when Tom merely raised an eyebrow and Tex sat upright abruptly, the grin wiped from his face.
    “We’ve been waiting for you to get out of the hospital so we can bug out of this damn country and leave it to its revolution. And we’ve been prayin’ for you, sir.”
    “Thanks.”
    Annie watched the silent look that passed between the two men. Yup, these guys had been through rough times together.
    Tom asked casually, “Have you given any thought to how we go about leaving Gavarone?”
    “Actually, sir, we were waiting to see how mobile you were before we finalized a plan.”
    Annie suspected that if they had to carry him out on their backs, they’d do it.
    “Any idea how soon you want to move out, sir?”
    Tom answered quickly. “ASAP.”
    Annie interjected. “Not so fast, Tom. I want Dr. Clark to have a look at you before you go running off into the middle of a war. And you still need some time to get your strength back.”
    He shot one of those saber-sharp looks of his at her, and she glared right back at him.
    “Tex, I don’t believe I’ve introduced you to my nurse-maid and resident fussbudget, Annie O’Donnell. She’s attached to the American Embassy here and has been helping me out since the accident.”
    “We sort of met in the hospital. But it’s a pleasure to officially meet you, ma’am. Doc and Dutch said you took real good care of Major Folly, here.”
    She smiled. “I did my best. But you know what a cranky patient he can be.”
    “I can imagine, ma’am.”
    She sighed, calculating her chances at getting him to stop ma’aming her every other sentence. The odds weren’t very good, but it was worth a shot.
    “You can cool it on the ma’aming, Tex. It makes me feel like an old lady.”
    “Yes, ma’am. I mean, all right.”
    Tom grinned and Tex scowled at his boss.
    Another knock sounded on the door, and Annie gaped at the instantaneous transformation of the two smiling men into deadly serious hunters.
    One second they were sitting in their seats, and the next, Tex was plastered against the wall by the door while Tom melted into the shadows of the bedroom. A series of hand signals flashed back and forth between the two men, and weapons appeared in their hands.
    Tom gestured Annie to get the door.
    Scared so bad she shook, Annie walked over to the door. In Spanish, she asked, “Who’s there?”
    The half-whispered reply was also in Spanish. “A friend, madam.”
    In English, she tried, “What’s your handle?”
    “Mac.”
    She opened the door to a black-haired, blue-eyed Irishman with killer dimples.
    He took a quick look down the stairwell, then leaped into the apartment, shoving Annie out of the way in the process. He closed the door fast, slowing at the last second to ease the latch shut silently.
    “Sorry, ma’am, but I was being followed. I had to get in here before they saw where I went.”
    Tex raced silently across the room, a pair of binoculars coming out of somewhere on his person as he moved. Annie lost sight of him in the darkened bedroom until she made out his silhouette half-hidden behind her freshly hung curtains.
    As fast as