Read Online Jungle of Deceit by Maureen A. Miller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maureen A. Miller
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cupping both her arms and looking at her with such intensity her breath hitched.
“ What?” she whispered, afraid.
“ I−”
His eyebrows knitted, and she thought he seemed in pain as he struggled to say what was on his mind.
“ I’m worried about you.”
She was ready to berate such nonsense, but the anguish in his eyes made her hesitate. He was sincere.
“ Why?”
She felt him squeeze her upper arms.
“ You’d just laugh at me.”
“ No. Why, Mitch?”
His hands fell, but his eyes stayed locked on hers.
“ Maybe I’m starting to feel a little something for you, Alex. Maybe I just want to know you’re going to be safe.”
Her first instinct was to laugh, but that was a defensive reaction. Her second instinct was to remind him that he was not going to get into her pants, but that too seemed an overreaction. In reality, his declaration made her stomach lurch.
“ I don’t understand,” she frowned.
Mitch chuckled and rounded the jeep, his hand on the door. “I’ll explain it in detail later.”
“ F−fine.”
Still frowning, Alex climbed into the driver seat. She turned ready to pursue the topic, but the moment was gone. Mitch was focused on the jungle as if he anticipated an ambush. That keen deliberation was contagious. She tapped the gas and silently encouraged the vehicle to go faster.
She could smell it before she saw it. Traveling through a tunnel of vegetation, they should have been swathed in the jungle’s humid perfume. The strong scent of bromeliads should have clashed with the tang of mud and monkey excrement.
Beside her, Mitch was quiet. She could tell that he had not noticed the alteration in the dank air. Only she sensed it. She and that flock of toucans that just took flight, their vibrant colors lost in the clash of sunlight leaking through the trees.
Smoke.
Alex’s fingers wrapped tight around the steering wheel as she drew in another deep breath and lifted her face to calculate the path of the wind.
“ What?” Mitch was looking at her now.
“ What?”
“ What is it? And don’t give me that nothing crap. You are up to forty-five, which is about ten miles past the limits of this piece of crap.”
She ignored him. The smell was more pervasive now−as was their proximity to the camp.
“ Go.” Mitch commanded.
His voice was lost beyond the sound of the Jeep’s tires slapping into muddy ruts, but she saw him lean forward. He had smelled it too.
“ Alex−” he grabbed the top of the windshield frame, “−slow down.”
“ Slow down?” She sounded borderline hysterical. “You just told me to go—” Her foot fell off the gas pedal and the air fled her lungs.
They emerged into the clearing. The camp was set up five hundred yards away, hugging the forest edge for a respite from the sun. Out of that low canopy of trees, smoke poured in a black cloud, spouting the acrid scent of menace. Even now Alex caught the tell-tale shimmer of heat above the treetops, an indication that the unseen flames would soon reach oxygen and propel out of control.
“ No ,” she whispered.
“ Come on.” Mitch was around the front of the Jeep and at her side. He had both her shoulders and was looking right at her, speaking, yet she could neither see nor hear him. Her eyes stung and the only sound she could perceive was that distinct crackling, the staccato of tree limbs collapsing. She also heard a chorus of men—her men. Each urgent peal was like a dagger to her heart.
“ The wind is coming from the east right now. If we move everyone out to the south before it shifts, they’re all going to be fine .”
Mitch’s lips were moving. She blinked and tried to read them.
“ South,” he shouted, and this time she heard.
Of course. South.
Just before they reached the clearing she noted the course of the wind. The fire was a fast and savage animal. Even now the smoke caused her eyes to well, and that crackling, that invasive crackling made her want to claw at her ears.
“ What?” she whispered, afraid.
“ I−”
His eyebrows knitted, and she thought he seemed in pain as he struggled to say what was on his mind.
“ I’m worried about you.”
She was ready to berate such nonsense, but the anguish in his eyes made her hesitate. He was sincere.
“ Why?”
She felt him squeeze her upper arms.
“ You’d just laugh at me.”
“ No. Why, Mitch?”
His hands fell, but his eyes stayed locked on hers.
“ Maybe I’m starting to feel a little something for you, Alex. Maybe I just want to know you’re going to be safe.”
Her first instinct was to laugh, but that was a defensive reaction. Her second instinct was to remind him that he was not going to get into her pants, but that too seemed an overreaction. In reality, his declaration made her stomach lurch.
“ I don’t understand,” she frowned.
Mitch chuckled and rounded the jeep, his hand on the door. “I’ll explain it in detail later.”
“ F−fine.”
Still frowning, Alex climbed into the driver seat. She turned ready to pursue the topic, but the moment was gone. Mitch was focused on the jungle as if he anticipated an ambush. That keen deliberation was contagious. She tapped the gas and silently encouraged the vehicle to go faster.
She could smell it before she saw it. Traveling through a tunnel of vegetation, they should have been swathed in the jungle’s humid perfume. The strong scent of bromeliads should have clashed with the tang of mud and monkey excrement.
Beside her, Mitch was quiet. She could tell that he had not noticed the alteration in the dank air. Only she sensed it. She and that flock of toucans that just took flight, their vibrant colors lost in the clash of sunlight leaking through the trees.
Smoke.
Alex’s fingers wrapped tight around the steering wheel as she drew in another deep breath and lifted her face to calculate the path of the wind.
“ What?” Mitch was looking at her now.
“ What?”
“ What is it? And don’t give me that nothing crap. You are up to forty-five, which is about ten miles past the limits of this piece of crap.”
She ignored him. The smell was more pervasive now−as was their proximity to the camp.
“ Go.” Mitch commanded.
His voice was lost beyond the sound of the Jeep’s tires slapping into muddy ruts, but she saw him lean forward. He had smelled it too.
“ Alex−” he grabbed the top of the windshield frame, “−slow down.”
“ Slow down?” She sounded borderline hysterical. “You just told me to go—” Her foot fell off the gas pedal and the air fled her lungs.
They emerged into the clearing. The camp was set up five hundred yards away, hugging the forest edge for a respite from the sun. Out of that low canopy of trees, smoke poured in a black cloud, spouting the acrid scent of menace. Even now Alex caught the tell-tale shimmer of heat above the treetops, an indication that the unseen flames would soon reach oxygen and propel out of control.
“ No ,” she whispered.
“ Come on.” Mitch was around the front of the Jeep and at her side. He had both her shoulders and was looking right at her, speaking, yet she could neither see nor hear him. Her eyes stung and the only sound she could perceive was that distinct crackling, the staccato of tree limbs collapsing. She also heard a chorus of men—her men. Each urgent peal was like a dagger to her heart.
“ The wind is coming from the east right now. If we move everyone out to the south before it shifts, they’re all going to be fine .”
Mitch’s lips were moving. She blinked and tried to read them.
“ South,” he shouted, and this time she heard.
Of course. South.
Just before they reached the clearing she noted the course of the wind. The fire was a fast and savage animal. Even now the smoke caused her eyes to well, and that crackling, that invasive crackling made her want to claw at her ears.
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