Read Online To Touch Poison by L. j. Charles - Free Book Online Page A

military transport. Fortunately, Eamon’s destination had to be officially noted since his assignment was a joint effort of the CIA, MI6, and G2, the military intelligence branch of the Irish Defense Forces. Clearly he was headed for the Amazon rainforest. And he was working with two women, Fion Connor and Xola Muerte. That gave Jayme three possible leads to follow.
    Jayme was on Eamon’s trail within hours. A dark chuckle rose in his throat. Throughout their childhood, Jayme had never let on that he knew every damn time Eamon lied. Early on he’d discovered that Eamon created fabrications consistently and often, usually resulting in Jayme being grounded. Out of self-defense, Jayme had studied his brother until he’d spotted the tell: Eamon’s right index finger twitched when he was lying, and Jayme had used the knowledge to stay out of trouble. Not that it worked very often, since his brother had a hell of a devious streak, but this time the message was clear. Eamon knew exactly where Kaimi was, and he was following her. It was a sure bet that his brother would make short work of anything and anyone that tried to keep him from finding a cure for his multiple sclerosis.
    Jayme’s friend in covert analysis gave him the latitude and longitude of a supposedly deserted CIA base camp deep in the jungle. Kaimi was a forensic anthropologist, so that fit. She was probably studying the local population, but why the deep cover? It didn’t make sense. And she’d been more quiet than usual before she’d disappeared. If he didn’t trust in their love so completely, he’d have thought she wanted to break it off between them, but their relationship had been healthy. And the sex was great. Kaimi wasn’t the kind of woman who would fake it during sex.
    The sun sat low on the horizon. Jayme worked his jaw back and forth a few times. Darkness fell hard and fast in the jungle, so he’d have to grab a hotel room for the night, and damn, but it pissed him off. The constant ache from clenching his jaw during the long flight from Washington DC, and now this delay, had hiked his temper to the snapping point. He needed to find Kaimi, and the conviction that there wasn’t much time left rode him hard. He considered traveling upriver immediately, but dismissed it. There were jaguars out there, and of course alligators and anacondas. All deadly if provoked. Or hungry.
    Then there was the issue of hiring someone to bring him upriver, and that, too, would have to wait until morning unless he was able to make arrangements through the hotel. Heat lightning flashed overhead. Yeah, daylight was the way to go. No point in getting killed before he found his woman.
    He knew enough to avoid the favelas, the slum areas where poverty, violence and drugs thrived. He’d read a CIA report on the plane, complete with pictures of the congested areas, with houses built on stilts to avoid the trash and flooding underneath, and the different exterior colors advertising the type of drugs sold inside.
    He slapped his cheek. Damn mosquitos. It would be easy to get caught where he didn’t belong if he wasn’t careful. On his way out of the airport, Jayme stopped to ask for help at one of the ticket counters. “You know a nearby hotel where I can spend the night. Safe?”
    The man tagged a suitcase, then slung it onto a conveyor belt. “How long are you staying?”
    “Just one night. I need to travel upriver.”
    “Check out front with the taxi dispatcher, but I suggest the Adrianópolis. It’s close, reasonable, and you avoid the congestion of the city. A few are closer, but more expensive.” He shrugged. “Probably not worth the extra money for just one night.”
    Unknown city, a language he didn’t speak, and his lack of intimate knowledge about the favelas were the decision-makers. The other consideration was cost. With no idea how long it would take him to find Kaimi, he had to keep spending to a minimum. Anxiety built by the second as Jayme headed