Page 36 of Duty Devoted
“I’ll keep watch for a while. Make sure we weren’t followed, that no one noticed us settling in here.”
As fatigue finally began to pull me under, I watched Logan settle into a chair by the window, positioning himself where he could see both the door and the village beyond. Even in this abandoned hut, even when we were supposedly safe, he was still protecting me.
“Logan?” I said drowsily.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think we’ll make it? To Puerto Esperanza?”
He was quiet for a long moment. “We’ll make it.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because the alternative is unacceptable.”
The simple certainty in his voice was more comforting than any elaborate reassurance could have been. As sleep dragged me down, my last conscious thought was of Logan’s steady presence in the darkness, standing guard between me and a world that had suddenly become infinitely more dangerous.
Chapter 12
Logan
The darknessinside the abandoned hut was broken only by faint gray light seeping through cracks in the walls. I’d dozed fitfully against the doorframe, weapon within reach, but never truly slept. Couldn’t afford to—not with Lauren vulnerable and Silva’s men potentially hunting us.
A sound outside made every muscle in my body tense. Barely audible over the predawn insects, but definitely there. Footsteps. Light, hesitant.
My hand found my Glock before conscious thought kicked in. I eased to my feet, each movement calculated for silence. Lauren was still asleep on the narrow cot, her face peaceful despite yesterday’s horrors.
The footsteps stopped directly outside our door.
I melted into the shadows beside the entrance, weapon raised but finger alongside the trigger guard. If Silva’s men had found us, I’d have seconds to act. The door creaked open slowly, and I coiled tighter?—
A small face peered through the gap, much lower than I expected.Elena. The little girl from yesterday who’d been so fascinated by our weather equipment.
My chest tightened with a different kind of tension. If this kid could find us, who else knew our location?
I lowered my weapon but kept it ready. “Elena?”
“Señor Logan?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
I stepped into view, forcing my expression into something that wouldn’t frighten her. “What are you doing here?”
She pushed inside, closing the door with careful hands. In her arms, she carried something wrapped in large green leaves.
“I bring…brought? Food.” She held out the bundle, her English careful but determined. “For you and Dr. Lauren.”
“How did you know we were here?” I kept my voice gentle despite the risk she represented.
“I see you last night when you come to village. Then the bad men come, and everyone say doctors go away in helicopter.” She shifted the bundle in her arms. “But I know Dr. Lauren. She no leave if someone need help. So I look for you.”
The kid had better instincts than most trained operatives. “Elena, this is very important. Have you told anyone you saw me or Dr. Lauren?”
She shook her head solemnly. “No. Promise.”
I prayed she was telling the truth. “You cannot tell anyone you saw us. No one. Understand?”
Her dark eyes were serious, older than her years. “The bad men hurt Dr. Lauren if they find?”
“Yes.”
