Read Online Off Limits by Lindsay McKenna - Free Book Online Page A

Understand?”
    Alex nodded.
    â€œGood.” In the semidarkness, Alex choked back a sob. As Jim limped to the tunnel entrance, she realized just how tall and lean he really was. There was a confidence that emanated from him, like a beacon of steady light in a heavy fog.
    At the concealed hole, Jim halted. He turned and glanced at Alex’s frightened features. The shadowy gray of her eyes tore heavily at him. “If I’m not back in four hours, gal, you wait until nightfall, then head due north. That’s where the firebase sits.” He pointed to indicate the direction. “Travel only at night, and travel quiet.”
    Fear ripped through Alex. The horror of Jim possibly being killed or captured overwhelmed her. “Please, don’t do this, Jim. Not for me—”
    â€œHush,” he whispered, and one corner of his mouth lifted in the semblance of a smile. “You’re worth dying for, but I don’t intend to let that happen. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll throw a pebble or two into this hole so you know it’s me coming back and not a VC snooping around.”
    Before she could protest further, he lithely lifted himself up and out of the hole. He covered the hole with leaves and branches and was gone. Real fear ate at Alex’s disintegrating control. She wanted to scream but didn’t dare. Instead she lay quietly, trembling, as fever alternated with chills in her pain-racked body.
    Haunted, Alex closed her eyes and spiraled into a nightmare world of the helicopter crash and the resulting fire. In the midst of the traumatic dreams, Jim McKenzie was there, protecting her, taking care of her when she felt helpless as never before. Her father appeared, yelling at her because she’d crashed and kept him waiting. Interspersed were Jim’s lean features, his dark blue eyes twinkling with a smile, his face relaxed. Alex clung to that image of his face, to the innate gentleness she saw in the curve of his mouth and the way he’d touched her as he’d tried to bathe away her fever. How could someone like him be a killer? It didn’t make sense...and then she capitulated to another round of nightmares involving the war that surrounded her.
    * * *
    Jim tossed several pebbles into the tunnel opening before moving forward on his belly. The sun was midway across the triple canopy, the light diffused. At the entrance, he froze and listened. No sound came from within the tunnel. For an instant, terror deluged Jim. He looked around to see if any of his camouflage cover had been disturbed. Dread had eaten at him all the way to and from the VC encampment. He kept picturing Alex being discovered by the enemy and dragged out of the tunnel. But the foliage appeared undisturbed. Good.
    Easing himself into the entrance, his bare feet touching the hard-packed earth below, Jim quickly glanced around the tunnel’s darkened recesses. Relief shattered through him. Alex lay asleep. Thank God. Quickly, he replaced the cover over the hole and sank to his hands and knees. First things first: he had to wash his hands before he touched her wound.
    Alex awakened when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her lashes flew open to see Jim crouched above her, a silent welcome dancing in his eyes.
    â€œJim!”
    He managed a thin smile. “How you doin’, gal?” He took the compress off her wound. The flesh was red and swollen.
    â€œDid you run into any trouble?”
    â€œPiece of cake.” It was a lie, but Jim didn’t want to worry Alex. He laid the compress aside and brought out an amber bottle. “Take a look—sulfa,” he announced proudly, and unscrewed the cap. “Direct from Hanoi.”
    Closing her eyes, Alex whispered, “I’m just glad you made it back okay.”
    â€œI had the best reason in the world,” he teased her. “I had you to come back to. Now, don’t make a sound. I’m gonna pour some of this